ã€ŠReborn: Evolving From Nothingã€‹


 Chapter 0

    Power Levels

    Strength in the 30,000 Worlds is generally separated by the stages one¡¯s soul has grown to. They are separated into various ¡°sses¡± with distinctive names.

    ¡ªSoul Stages¡ª

    Ascendancy

    Angelic

    King

    Lord

    Grandmaster

    Master

    Sky

    Earth

    Mortal

 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: Reborn

    Clink.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    An onerous ringing sound roused Dorian. As he began waking up, he felt an odd pressure pushing down on him, constricting him. He tried, and failed, to open his eyes as he came fully awake, his mind awash with confusion.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    A wash of memories swept over him as he tried to understand where he was and what was happening.

    He was a fresh graduate from college, an aerospace engineer celebrating graduation with a night out. Dorian strained his mind, and vaguely remembered crossing a local street, and hearing a loud screeching noise.

    The veryst thing Dorian could recall was a wave of pain crashing into his side, and then a sudden, fading darkness that overwhelmed all.

    ¡°Did I die? Am I dead?¡± He mumbled, or tried to. When he tried to speak, however, all that came out was a gargling echo.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    The ringing sound continued for several more minutes as Dorian struggled to see or speak.

    After a few minutes of effort, Dorian figured out that while he still couldn¡¯t see or speak, he was able to move, albeit very slowly. By focusing his will on moving his body forward, he felt himself sluggishly start to drift forward.

    Through this, Dorian determined that he no longer had a human body. Or, if he did, it was one that was horribly maimed beyond all recognition.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    Dorian had always been a calm, analytical person. He had worked his way through getting his aerospace engineering degree in 3 years instead of 4, and had already been epted as a Graduate student. When he ran into a problem, he would always break it down to understand exactly what he was facing, and how to solve it.

    After a few initial moments of panic, Dorian calmed down and focused, trying to understand more of the situation he was in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have arms, or legs that I can feel. I also can¡¯t see anything, and am unable to make any noise. Well, I might just be unable to hear properly due to that ringing sound, but I don¡¯t feel like I can speak.¡± Dorian shifted his mind from trying to move forward to focusing on trying to sense his surroundings. After a few moments, he was rewarded for his efforts.

    A vague understanding of the world around him entered his mind. Despite not being able to see, he could somehow sense the surroundings well enough to draw a dim mental picture.

    He was in some type of cage. Dozens of thick ck bars covered the sides of this cage, and a strange, glowing white symbol stood out on a metal te covering the top. He was unable to see beyond the confines of this cage.

    As he took note of this, he also attempted to examine his body. It was not much of a body at all, he noted, smiling wryly in his head. He appeared to be some type of ck blob, featureless for the most part. He had an innate sense that he was around a meter wide and long, and that the cage he was in was about five meters wide and long, circr in shape.

    Dorian exerted himself as he tried to move forward, using the picture in his mind of the cage to navigate. After a few minutes of effort, he reached the side of the cage he was in. He slowly extended himself forward as he came into contact with the bars of the cage.

    He felt nothing. His sense of touch seemed to no longer be present as well.

    He noted, however, that instead of having his ck blobbish self pass through the holes in the cage, an invisible barrier pushed back, keeping him from escaping.

    Dorian worked at trying to slip through for a few minutes before giving up, sliding back into the middle of his circr cage. He calmed himself down for a few moments, trying toe up with a n.

    ¡°I¡¯m stuck here it seems.¡± He muttered in his head as he turned his focus up to the roof of his cage.

    A glowing, white symbol lit up the top of his cage. It was shaped like two letter ¡°Y¡±¡®s stacked on top of each other, one upside down. Dorian sensed that the light it gave off was very bright, lighting up the rest of his cage. He tried again to expand his senses beyond his cage, but found that he could only focus on things within a few meters of him.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    Clink.

    The ringing sound rang out again, continuously. Dorian finally turned his focus to that, trying to discover where it wasing from.

    He focused on the sound, trying to zero in on it. It was an abrupt and sharp ringing noise, but on that urred with a normal frequency. The noise seemed to echo every time it appeared, making it difficult to track.

    ¡°Is iting from the symbol?¡± The only thing in his cage he could trace the sound to seemed to be the glowing white symbol above him. There was nothing else unique about his cage.

    ¡°I need to get out of this cage. I can¡¯t think of any good reason to be left trapped in a cage, and getting out is of paramount importance, even in this body. I guess I¡¯ll need to risk this.¡± Talking things over in his head had always been a method he used to calm himself, and work things through.

    He paused for a moment and then began focusing. He pictured himself stretching upward, trying to reach the glowing symbol. His movement earlier had required him to focus on moving, rather than actually physically move. For some reason, moving like this felt and came naturally to him while he was in this body.

    Slowly, he began to stretch upward, the ck blob that was him thinning as it reached to the roof of the cage. As he moved upward, a slight strain began to simmer within him. He felt a strange push of pressure, increasing as he moved closer to the symbol.

    As he got closer, the ringing sound increased in volume, starting to echo loudly and painfully in his head.

    Clink.

    CliNK.

    CLINK.

    Dorian mentally grunted in pain as he ignored the increasingly loud ringing noise and tapped on the symbol, feeling a sort ofpulsion. The louder the ringing got, the more he knew he needed to touch the symbol above.

    As soon as he touched the symbol, a blinding white sh of light overwhelmed him. A quick instant of pain moved through his body, setting him tingling. If he had eyes, he would have been set to blinking as he tried to recover. A loud grinding noise rang out as the clinking noise abruptly stopped.

    THUMP.

    The covering on top of his cage slid off to the side. As it did so, a voice suddenly echoed in Dorian¡¯s mind, with such power and might, it overwhelmed him, almost knocking him unconscious.

    AH, FIRSTBORN OF MY PERFECT FLOCK. YOU HAVE FINALLY FORMED, AND BROKEN FREE.

    YOU HAVE BEEN CREATED FROM THE ETHER, BY YOUR LORD AND MASTER, THE GODKING YUKELI.

    YOU WILL FOLLOW MY COMMANDS, YOUR SOUL HAS BEEN SEALED. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN THE TIME COMES.

    GROW.

    EVOLVE.

    SOW THE SEEDS OF CHAOS IN THE 30,000 WORLDS.

    YOU, FIRSTBORN, WILL HOLD MY HIGHEST HOPES.

    WHILE I MAY NO LONGER BE ALIVE IN THE DIVINE REALM, MY PLANS WILL CONTINUE UNABATED.

    CHAOS WILL RISE. ORDER WILL FALL. THE CYCLE CONTINUES, UNABATED.

    Dorian¡¯s mind went into shock as the powerful message flooded into him, mming into his consciousness. Intense, searing pain washed over his soul, almost causing him to ck out. Agony like he had never felt before ran wild within him, as if a thousand burning daggers were piercing through his flesh, cutting him to pieces.

    As pain filled darkness washed over Dorian, knocking him unconscious, an intense pulling sensation mmed into him, making hisst thought before he was overwhelmed a mix of shock, awe, and confusion.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Dorian groggily came awake again, faint echoes of pain pulling at him as he took in his surroundings, spreading out his senses.

    He was still a ck blob. He wasn¡¯t, however, still in the cage. Instead, he found that he was sitting in a small crater in the ground. Random patches of dirt and rock littered the floor near him, the smell of freshly moved dirt scenting the air.

    ¡°Ah! Smell! I can smell!¡± Dorian mentally smiled as he came to this realization. In his cage, he hadn¡¯t had many senses that he could detect, save the ability to gain a general understanding of his surroundings.

    Dorian focused on moving out from this crater in the ground, and found that as he moved, he slowly gained a feeling for the ground beneath him.

    ¡°So I can feel things now too.¡± He muttered in his head. He could vaguely make out sunlight falling on his blob-like body.

    ¡°Where am I now? What was that ridiculously loud voice saying? I am the ¡®Firstborn¡¯ and need to evolve? To sow seeds of chaos? What kind of nonsense is this? None of this makes any sense.¡± He mentally grumbled. Dorian had already grown inured to the strangeness of his present situation. He half expected an angel or God to appear, ordering him off on some mystical quest. He mentally shook his head and began making his way to the side of the crater.

    As he reached the edge of the crater, climbing up the side of the wall, he spread his awareness out as far as he could, trying to sense his surroundings.

    Gradually, an image of the area he was in came into focus. He also found that anything within 25 meters of him was something he could detect.

    He was in a small clearing. Several small andrge rocks surrounded him, with a small stream about 20 meters off in front of him. He could clearly make out several veryrge trees next to the river, surrounded by a few bushes. Grass grew all around. Small insects and animals crawled about, all within his field of view. He sensed several fish swimming within the river.

    Anything past 25 meters, however, waspletely nk to Dorian. He couldn¡¯t even see the tops of the trees 20 meters away, constrained to only sense the lower portions of them.

    Behind him were only more rocks, slowly nting upward, like on a hill or mountain.

    As Dorian was considered what to do, a sh of blue light spread through him, and a cool voice spoke quietly in his head.

    ¡°Targets for Absorption have been detected. Following Spell Matrix Protocol, the Host has three chances to call upon aid for Absorption. Please outline a target and send amand to the Matrix when aid is required.¡±

    Dorian mentally blinked. He waited a moment to see if the voice was going to say anything else. When it remained silent, he tentatively issued a mental question.

    ¡°How do I send amand to the Matrix?¡±

    He received no response.

    Dorian waited a few more moments. He then turned to focus within himself, figuring that if the voice was telling him to do something, it should be something possible.

    He scanned his own blobbish body like he did the surroundings, focusing on himself. As he did so, he instantly became aware of a small bead of yellow light, deep within himself. He looked closer at the bead, seeing hundreds of thousands of tiny symbols, with white lines connecting them in different fashions. Small darts of energy moved along these lines haphazardly.

    He immediatelytched onto that, focusing on it. As he did so, a flood of knowledge rushed into his mind.

    This was a Soul Spell Matrix. It was an unbelievablyplicated construct of energy and magic, created bybining a countless number of symbols and energy lines. It was this matrix that held together his current body, and his soul. It was perfectly fused within him, such that it would be impossible to remove.

    A voice began to speak within his head.

    ¡°Hello. I am the Genie of your Soul Spell Matrix, Ausra. You may direct any questions to me.¡± The voice had a faint, feminine edge, and was soothing to hear.

    Dorian did a double take, surprised. He mentally shook his head, however, surprised that he had even gotten surprised. With all the strange things that were happening, another voice inside his head was hardly that startling.

    ¡°Ausra, what is a Soul Spell Matrix?¡± He had been given a general definition of the Matrix when he looked at it, but he wanted to know more.

    ¡°All beings, no matter how big or small, across the 30,000 Worlds have within them a Soul Spell Matrix. It is through this Matrix that they grow stronger and are able to learn new abilities or powers. Your Soul Spell Matrix is unique in that it possess theplex ability to allow you to Evolve, as well as possessing a Matrix Genie so early in your development.¡± The Genie¡¯s voice remained cool and rxing.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dorian¡¯s thoughts turned inward. The pulsating bead that was his Soul Spell Matrix seemed iprehensible to him at the moment, but he was filled with an intense curiosity. How did this work? This was all so strange.

    ¡°You said mine is unique in that it allows me to ¡®Evolve¡¯? What specifically do you mean by that?¡± He queried.

    ¡°By absorbing other being¡¯s Soul Spell Matrixes, you can absorb some of their abilities or their bloodlines and Evolve, transforming into a new or different being. You will not always Evolve when you absorb a creature¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix, but your strength and capabilities will grow. This ability was personally designed by the Godking Yukeli to craft the perfect being. Regr Soul Spell Matrixes can grow and expand, allowing a being to grow stronger or more powerful, but they can never let a creature change their fundamental race.¡±

    ¡°A Goblin Soul Spell Matrix will always be a Goblin Soul Spell Matrix. It was only through millions of years of research and experimentation that His Worship was able to create your Soul Spell Matrix.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Dorian responded, thinking quickly as he mulled things over.

    ¡°Then what am I suppose to do? Why did he pull MY soul from the ether? Why am I here?¡± That was the thing bothering him. Why was he chosen? It made no sense. He had been a regr human.

    ¡°That¡­¡± The Matrix Genie paused, ¡°I am unsure. There appears to have been some type of¡­ The Reborn should not possess any intelligence or memories at first, yet you appear to. The Soul Seal should have been applied to your Soul to remove such things. Yet it appears to have failed. The Firstborn appears to have been¡­ His Worship does not make mistakes. The Firstborn¡¯s reason for intelligence is merely beyond my understanding.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Dorian understood, somewhat. Whatever Soul Seal was supposed to wipe his memories and enve him appeared to have failed. Perhaps it was because he was the first, or perhaps some random mistake of fate.

    Regardless, he was free now, and he had no intentions of being someone else¡¯s ve.

    Before he could thinking about this further, however, Dorian¡¯s thoughts were rudely interrupted.

    Arge smander appeared at the edge of Dorian¡¯s vision bursting into the river in front of him, attacking a fish. The lizard wasrge, several feet long and covered in shimmering green scales. It had a long, teeth filled mouth thattched onto one of the small fish swimming in the river.

    As soon as it grabbed a meal, the smander leapt out of the water, sliding to a halt in the grassy area. It started to devour its meal before it paused, looking at Dorian curiously.

    ¡°Target for Absorption has been detected.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: First Evolution ¨C Red Smander

    Dorian stared at the smander, this time taking a closer mental look at it. It was around a meter and a half long, with wed feet and beady green eyes. Each w was around half a foot long, and looked to be dangerously sharp. The smander was currently studying him while munching on a fish.

    ¡°How do I absorb this creature?¡± Dorian asked Ausra, curious.

    ¡°In your present state, it is extremely unlikely you will be able to absorb any creature without the aid of your Soul Spell Matrix. Thanks to the work of His Worship, your Soul Spell Matrix will aid you in Absorption exactly 3 times. If you wish to absorb this creature, simplymand me and I will assist you.¡± Ausra¡¯s cool voice responded in Dorian¡¯s head.

    ¡°What happens when I absorb it?¡± He asked back.

    ¡°Because this is your first Absorption, your current unset body will take on many of the characteristics of your first Absorption.¡± Ausra replied.

    ¡°Is there any way you can list those characteristics to me?¡± Dorian said, starting to n ahead. He felt excited as he considered the possibilities.

    The shock of dying and being reborn in this strange new world, in a strange new body, wasn¡¯t something Dorian had ovee yet. He was, however, adapting. Dealing with unexpected situations and problems was something he was good at. As long as he could distance himself from the issue and focus on the present, he could deal with his shockter.

    He would figure out how to get back home, if he could at all,ter.

    ¡°No, not presently. Your Soul Spell Matrix is too low a level, your Soul wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the strain.¡± A cool response back.

    ¡°So it¡¯s hit or miss, eh?¡± He muttered, taking another look at the smander. He mentally shrugged, ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than a fish, and the sooner I¡¯m not a blob, the better.¡± His own personal safety was of paramount importance now. He could innately tell that his present form was extremely weak.

    ¡°Ausra, assist me in absorbing that smander.¡± Hemanded.

    ¡°Acknowledge.¡± Ausra¡¯s cool voice replied. Immediately, the golden bead within Dorian shed brightly. The symbols intricately connected to each other began to whirr and vibrated, and a powerful beam of white light shed out from Dorian¡¯s body.

    WHOOOSH

    In less than a second the light burnt through the air and mmed into the chest of the green scaled smander. Before the creature even had time to register the attack, it was already dead. The beam of light vanished into the smanders chest as it fell to the ground, its eyes lifeless.

    A mere momentter the smander¡¯s corpse suddenly flung itself towards Dorian. It moved through the air like a ship cutting through water, mming into Dorian¡¯s body with a resounding thud.

    Dorian took it all in in a split second, shocked at the speed of the attack radiating in him. In the split second hemanded Ausra to help him, the smander was already dead.

    ¡°Target returned. Beginning Absorption.¡± The voice of Ausra broke Dorian from his stupor as white light once more began to emit from the golden bead. A crescendo of light shed out covering both Dorian and the body of the Smander, and all of a sudden, the world around Dorian transformed into a misty whitendscape.

    ¡°This is your Evolution Space.¡± A small ball of light appeared in the misty whitendscape, floating in front of Dorian. He looked at it for a moment, and then around thendscape, slightly confused.

    ¡°Ausra? That¡¯s you?¡± He asked. The area around him felt like a cool, misty sea. He felt himself rxing andfortable just by floating here. He strangely couldn¡¯t sense his body, not even the blobbish form he had presently.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The ball of light replied, and then continued, ¡°You have sessfully absorbed a type of Red Smander. It¡¯s blood origins return as:

    -Bloodline Origins-

    74% Red Smander

    18% Forested Ancient Snake

    6% Hollow Lizard (Degraded)

    1% Myyr Dragon (Degraded)

    1% various undetermined bloodlines too small to currently measure

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly a Red Smander? Then why were its scales green?¡± He queried. The numbers the ball of light read off had appeared in his mind, alongside a chart that listed various attributes about the smander he had just absorbed.

    ¡°The Myyr Dragon is a creature renowned for it¡¯s lustrous green scales. This smander had a very degraded version of the Myyr Dragon bloodline running through its veins, just enough to allow it to gain some extremely minor Draconic attributes. In this case, the Myyr Dragon¡¯s green scales.¡±

    ¡°I see. So what now?¡± Dorian asked, unsure.

    ¡°After you absorb a creature, you have the ability tobine, iste, and withdraw its bloodlines. To Evolve into a specific creature, you will need a sufficient amount of its bloodline for your Soul Spell Matrix to work with. As you Evolve, it is possible to mix bloodlines, or absorb abilities from other bloodlines to create a more perfect bloodline.¡± Ausra continued,

    ¡°You can also absorb thetent energy from any dead creature¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix, and use it to further your own, hastening your evolutions.¡±

    ¡°His Worship¡¯s only goal was to create the perfect organism. Of the billions of beasts and creatures he has researched, His Worship was unsure which was truly the most powerful. The mission of all of his Children is to grow and Evolve, and prove through sheer strength what the perfect organism is.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. So I can absorb the Red Smander¡¯s bloodline, right? What do you mean by iste bloodlines?¡± He returned back.

    ¡°There are a countless number of bloodlines for living creatures in the 30,000 worlds. A creature¡¯s strength and future growth is chiefly determined by a creature¡¯s bloodline. Most creatures are limited in their growth or strength by their bloodlines, an aspect called bloodline shackles. Breaking past these require one to evolve their bloodline, which is prohibitively difficult for normal beings.¡± Ausra continued,

    ¡°You have the ability to absorb all of the target¡¯s bloodline, or just a part of it. Absorbing different bloodlines will grant you different abilities and strengths, and change the makeup of your physical form.¡±

    Dorian looked back over the screen in his mind, looking at the statistics for the smander. White fog flowed about in the background, giving the area an ethereal feel.

    ¡°What bloodline on here is the strongest? Is it the Myyr Dragon?¡± Anything with Dragon in its name had to be strong by his reasoning.

    ¡°In terms of overall potential, yes. However, this bloodline is very degraded.¡± Ausra responded.

    ¡°Oh. Does that mean you can¡¯t absorb it? Or, rather, I can¡¯t absorb it?¡± Dorian returned.

    ¡°No, it is possible using your Soul Spell Matrix to correct the damaged portion of the degraded bloodline. However, you will need a muchrger amount of the Myyr Dragon¡¯s bloodline if you wish to Evolve using it. Your Soul Spell Matrix has all of His Worship¡¯s research recorded in it, but it cannot create something from nothing.¡± Ausra¡¯s response was detailed, helping him understand.

    ¡°Alright. So what do you rmend I do now, then, Ausra?¡± He asked, think this through.

    ¡°His Worship believes that creating the perfect organism will require a mix of bloodlines, creating hybrid beasts that even His Worship may not know. The bloodlines you have avable to you right now, however, are far too weak to sustain a powerful hybrid. In addition, your Soul is far too weak to sustain the physical form of any type of powerful hybrid beast, let alone a normal powerful beast.¡±

    Dorian nodded, mentally rubbing his chin. This wasplex. He continued, asking a question that had been bothering him,

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there any bloodlines already stored in my matrix? If you have all this information, why didn¡¯t the Godking Kelly or whomever store bloodlines within it as well?¡± He frowned.

    ¡°Godking Yukeli is His Worship¡¯s name,¡± The Matrix Genie¡¯s voice was very slightly reproachful, ¡°And His Worship lived in the Divine Realm, above the 30,000 worlds. When He created the Children, His only desire was for the perfect organism to arise. The Firstborn of His flock, He decided, would stand on its own, Evolving by chance.¡±

    Dorian considered Ausra¡¯s words for a moment. His origins for being here seemed a bit moreplicated than he had earlier thought. Regardless, he needed to focus on the present first.

    ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s start with the Red Smander bloodline, since we have the most of it.¡±

    ¡°Acknowledge.¡± Ausra replied.

    Immediately, the misty world around Dorian began to sh red. Several words appeared in his mind.

    -Absorbing Red Smander bloodline-

    In just a few moments, the bloodline waspletely absorbed. A new set of words appeared before Dorian recing the previous set.

    -Red Smander bloodline sessfully absorbed-

    ¨C Growth Stage: (3/5) Young Adult ¨C

    Dorian looked at the numbers, asking,

    ¡°Growth Stage? What does that mean, specifically?¡±

    ¡°The amount of Red Smander blood you absorbed,bined with the energy in your Soul Spell Matrix, was not enough to allow you to reach full maturity. Absorb the energy of other beings to develop the maturity of your physical form.¡±

    As Ausra spoke, a new set of words appeared in front of Dorian.

    -Body Reconstruction in progress-

    -Body Reconstructionplete. Transferring from Evolution Space-

    A split secondter, the misty world around Dorian vanished, and he found himself back outside, in the middle of the rocky clearing. The world around him wavered briefly as his vision stabilized.

    Dorian blinked, surprised by the abrupt change.

    ¡°Wait a moment. I blinked!¡± Dorian yelped mentally as he looked down. Two red scaled ws greeted him, several inches long. A pair of stubby red arms connected to the ws, up to his powerful looking torso. His blob like existence had beenpletely reced by a little more than a meter long Red Smander.

    ¡°It worked!¡± He smiled, or tried to. His lizard face didn¡¯t fit human expressions well.

    Dorian took a step forward, relishing the feeling of movement. He felt a strong sense offort as he moved, surprising him for a few seconds. It took him a moment to recognize the strange feeling wasing from the sunlight above. He flexed his arms, feeling the muscles ripple under his scales.

    It was an odd feeling, almost disconcerting to control an animal. It also felt incredibly natural, however, the movements and controling to him as a matter of course.

    ¡°It¡¯s warm¡­Ausra, what are the attributes or special aspects of a Red Smander?¡± He queried.

    ¡°Red Smander¡¯s are omnivores, with a diet of both meat and nts or berries. They have a minor affinity for fire. Gathering energy from sunlight is a unique method Red Smanders can use as a substitute for food. They possess no innate abilities. They possess enhanced vision useful in catching prey.¡± Ausra¡¯s voice was cool in his head.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He muttered, turning his attention to his surroundings. He could now see the world in much more detail than he could as a blob.

    The rocky outcropping he was on actually appeared to be the side of a ratherrge, stony mountain. The Red Smander had crystal clear vision, allowing him to see all the way to the top of the jagged peak. The forested areas off to the side surrounded the mountain, creating a dense treeline. Dorian was right next to the treeline, what he had mistaken for a clearing.

    In the background, he heard faint growls and roars of animals and beasts moving through the forest. A particrly loud roar had him snap his head back towards the top of the mountain peak.

    A huge, ck and white spotted panther had just appeared on the top of the peak, letting loose an extremely loud roar. The panther was easily a dozen meters long and several tall, a massive creature that practically radiated danger. As it roared, arge bird like creature suddenly swooped down from the sky far above, moving so fast it was a blur even in Dorian¡¯s enhanced vision. The two gargantuan beings collided on top of the mountain, sending out an explosion of rock and dust.

    ¡°Where the hell am I¡­¡± He muttered as he took a few steps backwards. The shower of rocks from the mountain peak began to tumble down, some towards Dorian.

    ¡°Oh dear.¡± Without a second thought, Dorian turned around and scampered off into the treeline.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: Growing

    Dorian stepped forward ever so slowly, moving with extreme care along the tree branch he was perched upon. His instincts and ability to move using the Red Smander body were somewhat naturally ingrained with his transformation, giving him control and ability a regr human couldn¡¯t hope to have in the same form.

    After a few more careful steps, Dorian was now perched a few feet over a small, running stream that was around two or so feet deep. Dozens of blue-scaled fish were visible moving through the stream, each equipped with arge, bluish white fin. Several small waves crossed over the surface of the stream. A few patches of grass bordered it, but for the most part this area of the forest was currently deserted.

    A few tense moments passed as he looked down, unblinking.

    Then, abruptly, Dorian¡¯s instincts fired and he leapt directly downward without hesitation, dropping towards the stream.

    SPLASH

    Dorian fell into the river and immediately snapped down with his teeth, capturing one of the blue-scaled fish. The rest of the fish in the river scattered immediately, fleeing from him in waves. A small tang of red blood dripped out of the blue-scaled fish as it struggled in his teeth, dyeing the nearby water red.

    The taste of the blood in his mouth, the frothy flesh of the small fish, was almost euphoric to Dorian.

    In his mind, a small notification from the Soul Spell Matrix appeared.

    -White Riverfin bloodline sessfully stored-

    ¨C Growth Stage: (2/2) Mature Fish ¨C

    ¡°Not bad. That one is finished up.¡± Dorian mumbled as he chewed on the remains of the fish, swallowing it down.

    His pte after bing a Red Smander had changed greatly. As a human, eating food raw was something Dorian had never thought he would attempt. As a Red Smander, cooking food was simply an unnecessary extra step.

    It had been three days since Dorian first came to this world. In that time, he had been busy.

    After fleeing from the rockslide caused by the sh of the two massive creatures on the mountain, Dorian had gone warily exploring in the depths of the forest. He took to the treetops as he moved, careful to avoid the attention of any other creatures if he could avoid it. He had fully adapted to moving in his Red Smander body.

    Dorian¡¯s first goal had been to make himself a safe ce to rest. After searching around for most of the first day, Dorian had found a tall tree that had been hollowed out at the top. Forck of any other ces, he had made this his new temporary home, resting there for the night.

    Night in the forest, Dorian found, was terrifying. Strange creatures moved about in the darkness, and constant howls and shes of beasts rang out, coating the world in fear. Dorian was secretly horrified when he observed all of this, staying hidden in his treetop till dawn.

    Dorian was now working on his second goal. Bing stronger. Enough to survive without fear in this strangend.

    ording to Ausra, the more developed a bloodline was, in any creature, the stronger that creature would be. He could develop his bloodline by absorbing energy from other creatures, or finding more Red Smanders and directly absorbing their bloodlines. He could also develop it naturally by aging, but that would take far more time.

    Some creatures, like Red smanders, naturally had the ability to Evolve.

    Thus, Dorian had set off hunting.

    ¡°Ausra, how close am I to advancing to my next growth stage for the Red Smander?¡±

    Instead of replying to him, another screen and set of floating letters appeared in his mind.

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (3/5) Young Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 97/100 ¨C

    ¡°Almost there.¡± He muttered.

    Over the past few days, he hadn¡¯t found any other Red Smanders, and had been forced to instead prey on other creatures and absorb energy from them to further his bloodline. As a side effect of that, he had gained several weak bloodlines that he could use in the future, like the fully matured White Riverfin he had just sessfullypleted storing. By storing enough of the bloodline of any creature, he could obtain a fully mature bloodline he could useter, to experiment or transform with.

    Thankfully, due to his unique Soul Spell Matrix, he didn¡¯t need to fight anything strong to grow stronger. Simply absorbing weaker creatures energy would advance his bloodline, albeit a little slower than if he killed stronger beasts. But in the long run, the results would be the same, so he didn¡¯t really care. His own safety in this strange world was paramount.

    ¡°Alright, one more fish and that should be enough.¡± He muttered as he looked around the area around him. Besides the stream and a few patches of grass, the rest of the area was obscured with very tall, leafy green trees, covered in branches. He didn¡¯t sense and otherrge creatures nearby, and felt rtively safe. He nced upward, noting that it was only around noon. Arge, yellow sun simr to Earth¡¯s hung overhead in a sky almost devoid of clouds. He had plenty of time left.

    Dorian crept over to the side of the stream, looking in the water. No fish were present nearby, having swum either up or downstream to get away from him. The blood from earlier had already been washed away, but Dorian knew it would be several minutes, perhaps longer, before any fish returned to this area.

    As he was just about to turn away, a glint of gold abruptly caught Dorian¡¯s eye. He paused, licking his lips in a decidedly Smander fashion, as he focused on the origin of the light.

    Sitting at the bottom of the stream, caught on some type of brown rock, was a shiny gold ring, with a small, blue gem set in it.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian thought, taking a few steps to the side to get closer. He was soon parallel to the ring, on the side of the stream. The ring itself was in almost the exact center.

    ¡°Ausra, do magic rings exist?¡± For a ring to randomly be found in a river, especially so deep in this unknown forest, it couldn¡¯t help but to rouse his suspicions.

    ¡°Any being with a powerful enough Soul can imbue certain objects with abilities from their Soul Spell Matrix. Additionally, talented craftsmen can use their own abilities to create unique objects with unique powers. I suppose these qualify as ¡®Magic Rings.¡¯ However, these types of objects are typically only found on bipedal creatures like Humans, Vampires, Boromers, Titans, or those of a simr nature.¡± Ausra helpfully replied.

    Dorian felt a sudden desire to have the ring in front of him upon hearing this. Even if it was a regr ring, the only real downside was that he would get a little wet.

    Dorian dived into the river,unching himself towards the ring. He sent his right w out to snag the ring as he fell into the stream, cutting through the water.

    Just as he was about to scoop the ring up, however, the brown rock it was resting on suddenly shook. A split secondter, it flipped upward, transforming from a simple brown rock to some type of m like object, snapping down on Dorian¡¯s right arm with dozens of sharp, piercing teeth.

    Dorian didn¡¯t panic despite being surprised. As soon as his arm was trapped, feeling the pain of the sharp teeth start to dig into the scales of his arm, he made a second leap, sting himself out of the stream. His powerful scaled legs contained enough force to break in half a small tree, getting out of the stream in a single jump was easy enough.

    As he flipped through the air, Dorian twisted and brought his right arm down underneath him, looking at the m like creature that wastched onto him. Despite the sharp teeth on the creature, it hadn¡¯t managed to dig in far, the tough Red Smander scales blocking most of the damage.

    CRASH

    Dorian mmed the m creature down hard on the ground near the stream, managing to directly crash into a pile of rocks. As he did so, he felt several cracks appear in the shell of the brown m creature.

    ¡°Get off me!¡± Dorian thought as he mmed the m down on the rocks over and over. Despite being just around a meter and a half long, the strength of Dorian¡¯s current body was far greater than his physical strength as a human.

    After mming the m into the rock a half dozen times, Dorian felt its hold on his arm loosen. As soon as it did, he flung the creature away from him, hearing it ssh into the river.

    He stumbled backwards a step as he looked at his right arm, seeing several mangled tooth marks. The small wounds each leaked a small drizzle of blood. He shook for a few moments as he tried to calm down, swallowing hard.

    ¡°Damn¡­ Okay. Alright. I¡¯m fine.¡± He muttered in his head, still shaking. His arm began to feel sore as he calmed, the wounds prickling. Water streamed down his scales, forming a small puddle beneath him. Adrenaline filled his body, keeping him on edge. He breathed heavily in his smander form, trying to calm down.

    ¡°Everything here tries to kill me. What a horrible ce.¡± Dorian blinked, shaking his head. It was his own fault for being careless. He had never seen a creature like that, however, and had no idea it even existed.

    ¡°Should I go try to absorb it?¡± He thought, turning to face the river. He nced up and down the stream, seeing no signs of the odd brown m.

    ¡°Ausra, what was that?¡± He asked.

    ¡°While I can¡¯t be sure of the bloodline of that creature, it had the appearance and pattern of a Brown Treasure m. These type of beings are unique creatures that have strange interactions with fate. It¡¯s appearance in this area is most likely a result of His Worship twisting fate to send you into this world.¡± Ausra continued,

    ¡°Brown Treasure ms adore objects that are heavily connected to fate, and are constantly searching for new, fated treasures. As for their normal interactions: When they go hunting for prey, they begin by injecting any beast that is foolish enough to touch them with a sleeping sedative. They then feast on the sleeping victim, usually resulting in death.¡± Ausra coolly replied.

    ¡°What? They¡¯re poisonous?¡± Dorian turned to look at his wounded arm in rm. He didn¡¯t feel any odd effects.

    ¡°The Spell Matrix in your Soul was designed to give you the power to control bloodlines. Many types of bloodlines are poisonous in nature. His Worship foresaw issues like this, and thus added safeguards. Poison of almost all types will have no effect on you. Though your bloodline is truly that of a Red Smander, any foreign substances to that bloodline will automatically be sampled and stored by your Soul Spell Matrix.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Can you show me what the poison was?¡± Ausra replied, curious.

    -Brown Treasure m (Growth Stage 2/2) Venom-

    Stored Amount: 30 mL

    ¡°Hmm, not a lot. Still, it could be useful forter.¡± He mentally tapped the screen away, watching it fade, before he responded, ¡°Ausra, could you warn me next time if you see something like that, a creature you recognize?¡±

    Ausra didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Dorian frowned. The Genie in his Spell Matrix seemed to only answer questions when it was convenient for it. Still, the assistance Ausra gave him was invaluable, and he had no real right toin.

    As he looked over at his slightly mangled right arm, Dorian managed a lizard like smile. He slowly turned his right w upward, unveiling a small, golden ring. Despite not capturing the Brown Treasure m, he had at least managed to grab the ring it held. The damage he had suffered was inconsequential. Red Smanders had a powerful vitality ording to Ausra, and small wounds like this would heal in a few hours. Already they had stopped bleeding.

    ¡°Now¡­ How do I use you?¡± He muttered in his head as he looked at the ring.

    ¡°Ausra, any ideas?¡±

    Silence again.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll try putting it on.¡± After thinking for a few moments, Dorian slid the ring onto his rightmost w. He was prepared at a moments notice to tear it off, however, sitting on edge.

    A few moments went by with nothing happening. Faint roars in the background indicated the presence of ferocious beasts moving through the forest. A small breeze picked up, fluttering over the stream Dorian stood by.

    A golden stream of light gradually began to appear from the ring. Dorian watched as the stream of light grew in the air, fluttering around briefly. It then slowly flowed towards Dorian.

    He watched as the light made contact with him, not feeling any sort of threat or danger. As it did so, a warm feeling of energy flooded into his chest. He also felt a small stream of knowledge appear, containing a short message.

    ¡ª

    ¡°To whomever receives this, know that Fate has decided you to be the bearer of my death. I am the Illustrious Elder Mage Horhavil, reduced to death¡¯s door. After mastering the Dao of Light and reaching the peak of the Angelic Stage of the Soul, I sought to break past the shackles that held me to the 30,000 Worlds and achieve Godhood.¡±

    ¡°s. I have failed. At thest moment, a cadre of sorcerers from my thieving allies, the Golden Kingdom, betrayed me, and struck me down when I was most vulnerable. Despite my deathly injuries, I managed to escape, striking down two of their Pariah Mages in the process and tearing a hole in the void, ending up here.¡±

    ¡°The site of my death lies here, deep within this beast infested forest. Between two shattered mountains, in the darkest pit of this valley, I breathe myst. My treasures are yours for the taking, I only ask that you one day inform Holy Duke Archel, of the Elector Empire, that the Golden Kingdom betrayed me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. The Cycle continues.¡±

    ¡ª

    The message finished, leaving Dorian with a sense of wonder. Achieving Godhood? Mastering a ¡®Dao¡¯ of light? Such foreign concepts made no sense, yet held such fantastic promise he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. He needed to know more of the world around him. Perhaps Ausra could help.

    Before he could ask anything, however, Ausra¡¯s voice appeared in his mind.

    ¡°Energy sufficient to be absorbed has entered your body. Would you like to absorb this energy to further the development of your Red Smander bloodline?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, the golden light.¡± Dorian immediately caught on, ¡°Yes, absolutely.¡± He was so close to achieving the next stage, if the warm golden energy he felt within him was enough it should be no issue increasing his strength here.

    ¡°Acknowledge.¡± Dorian felt the warm feeling of energy within him faded as it was voraciously sucked into his Soul Spell Matrix, drawing away. As it did so, a pale blue screen with writing on it appeared in his mind.

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (3/5) Young Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 786/100 ¨C

    Before he could react, a second screen immediately popped up,

    Growth Progress Exceeded limit. Growth Stage Evolution engaged. Transporting to Evolution Space¡­

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: New Ability

    Dorian instantly found himself once more in the misty white Evolution Space from before. The process to evolve between Growth Stages was automatic, apparently.

    In front of him, the outline of his Red Smander body appeared, floating in the air. It was slightly translucent, but looked identical to him apart from that,plete with the small wounds in his scales on his right arm.

    As he watched, the body slowly transformed. It extended from being just a bit over a meter and a half long to around meter and two thirds in length. The red scales on the body of the Red Smander seemed to meld together and be glossier, inherently bing tougher. His ws took on a very faint red hue, and the overall muscles on his body increased a bit.

    -Body Transformation Complete-

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (4/5) Mature Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 686/956 ¨C

    ¡°Huh. So that¡¯s me right now. That ring¡¯s energy really helped out, wow.¡± He muttered, examining his body closely. As he was in the midst of examining himself, a pair of new screens popped up.

    -New Ability Gained-

    Ability: me ws

    Description: A basic low level ability of me Bears, me Tigers, and other me aspected creatures. One imbues energy within one¡¯s ws, superheating them and giving them a deadly burning potential. The more energy is imbued, the more powerful the heat. The ability is learned naturally through the development of their bloodline.

    As soon as this ability appeared, a store of knowledge on how to use it appeared in Dorian¡¯s mind. He immediately understood how to move energy from his Soul to his ws, and how to concentrate that energy so that his ws became superheated, while protecting him own body an scales from being burned.

    ¡°Whoa. Interesting.¡± He said aloud as he read over the writing. As he read over it, he felt more than saw this ability merge with his Soul Spell Matrix, condensing into a collection of symbols and merging with the golden bead of light in his Soul. Abilities like this were stored in his Soul Spell Matrix, the knowledge permanently recorded.

    ¡°Ausra. How strong is my Soul?¡± ording to the information he now knew, the basic power of this type of attack was dependent on his Soul, where his Soul Spell Matrix was located. The more powerful his Soul, the more energy he could draw from it and imbue into his ws. Beings with strong Souls could use stronger techniques and had more energy and power, typically.

    It made sense. One¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix was located in their Soul, it only followed that a being with a strong Soul would be stronger.

    Instead of responding, a new screen appeared in his mind.

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Earth Stage (Peak)

    Health: Perfect

    A brief screen listed his Soul¡¯s status. Dorian stared at it for a moment, notprehending.

    ¡°Ausra, can you exin this?¡± He tried to wave a hand at the screen in front of him, forgetting he was formless in his Evolution Space. Ausra seemed to understand regardless, responding,

    ¡°Your Soul Stage is the Stage your Soul is at in its growth. Growing from one Stage to the next is very difficult, and usually requires an umtion of both time and energy. You are presently at the Peak of the Earth Soul Stage. Half of the creatures in the 30,000 worlds never cross above the Earth Stage of their Soul.¡± As Ausra spoke, a new screen appeared.

    ¡ªSoul Stages¡ª

    Ascendancy

    Angelic

    King

    Lord

    Grandmaster

    Master

    Sky

    Earth (Current)

    Mortal

    ¡°This is a list of the separate Stages of the Soul you can develop.¡±

    Dorian looked up and down the list. As he nced over the ¡®Angelic Stage¡¯ he remembered the message the ring had given him talked about reaching that Stage. The respect he had for that fallen Mage grew.

    ¡°So at least I¡¯m not at the bottom level, huh. This is like kind of like a video game from Earth. Ausra, is there any fast way for me to increase the strength of my Soul?¡± It seemed the strength of his Soul was closely rted to his own personal strength. He would be far safer if he had a strong Soul than not.

    ¡°Increasing the strength of your Soul takes an umtion of time and energy, a natural process of growth. However, your unique Soul Spell Matrix can provide a shortcut, in a manner. By developing and absorbing powerful bloodlines and maturing them, you can speed up the growth of your Soul. The stronger the bloodline, the more the enhancement. Continue to Evolve, and your strength will be limitless.¡± Ausra replied.

    Dorian nodded with understanding, and then promptly exited his Evolution Space. The world shed around him briefly and then vanished, the forested area and stream once more appearing around him. Time seemed to flow slowly in his Evolution Space, making it appear as if no time had passed at all.

    As he reappeared, Dorian stretched his body, feeling the long, melded scales of the mature Red Smander flex. He felt stronger, and more powerful than before, with a noticeable enhancement. He nced over at his right arm, noting that the injuries he had taken had fully healed. The size of his body, including his muscles, teeth, and ws, had all grown by a level.

    As he noted this, he saw that the ring he had worn on his right w was no longer present. He blinked and took a step back, searching the ground for it in panic.

    After searching for a few seconds, he found the shattered remains of the ring scattered in the grass near the rocks off the river. Whether from his own physical growth, or from releasing the energy within, the ring had turned into a worthless pile of metal.

    Dorian grunted, and shrugged, a rather odd looking movement for a meter and a half long, and a little less than a meter tall, Red Smander. He looked at his ws and focused on the information he had just gained, the ability ¡®me ws.¡¯

    As he read into it, it appeared that this was the most basic type of ability. The information inscribed in his Soul Spell Matrix outlined how he could draw energy from his Soul in a specific pattern to heat his ws, and how this would also provide a buffer of energy at the base of his ws to avoid burning himself.

    He decided to test it immediately. His surrounding area was still devoid of any otherrge creatures, though that wouldn¡¯tst long in this jungle. He was safe for now.

    Dorian closed his eyes and concentrated. Slowly, he looked inward and saw the small golden bead that was his Soul Spell Matrix.

    This golden bead within him was surrounded by a translucent bubble, about the size of his fist. This was his Soul. A near formless construct of energy that inherently represented who he was, and connected him to his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ording to the information from the ability he had gained by evolving, all Dorian needed to do was will the energy in his Soul to move along his body into his ws in a specific manner.

    Dorian gave it a shot, focusing on his Soul. After a few moments, he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling. Slowly, this feeling spread throughout his body. It slowly began to congregate on his right w, moving naturally in the pattern that had been recorded on his Soul Spell Matrix.

    After a few moments of concentration, Dorian felt his ws start to take on a noticeable amount of heat. He opened his eyes, maintaining his concentration, and stared at his right w closely, examining it.

    His ws had slowly taken on a very faint red tinge over their normal ck luster, starting to match the red scales at their base. He tapped one of his ws lightly on the grass beneath him, watching a few pieces sizzle and immediately.

    The warm energy within him made him feel energized, though he didn¡¯t feel any stronger than usual. Dorian took a few tentative steps forward, and then made an enormous leap, jumping at one of the nearby tall tree.

    THWUK

    He crashed down a half dozen meters up the tree, identally overshooting his target. He scrambled to hold on as he sank his ws into the tree. He had forgotten he had just reached the next Growth Stage of his Red Smander body, and grown stronger as a result.

    As soon as his front ws made contact, however, they melted through the outeryer of the tree, sinking in. Several bursts of fire formed and then went out. As he did so, Dorian felt an unsettling tiring feeling. He immediately stopped drawing on energy from his Soul as he clutched onto the tree, feeling slightly dizzy.

    ¡°Ausra, can you show me how much energy is in my Soul? Standardize my maximum amount at 100%. Also list how long it will take me to fully recharge.¡± As he grew more familiar with the Genie and his Soul Spell Matrix, he had figured out more convenient ways to disy things, the engineer in him demanding specifics.

    A blue screen appeared in his mind, his Soul Status screen from before, but with an extra line added to it.

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Earth Stage (Peak)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 47% (Will fully restore in 41 minutes)

    ¡°Geez, this ability draws a lot of energy.¡± Dorian muttered. He slowly pulled his ws out of the tree, seeing the mangled wood and holes. The tree itself was wider than he was, and thankfully wasn¡¯t in any danger of falling over. It also seemed very me resistant.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He muttered, thinking, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not the ability that draws it, but how I use it. Perhaps my application is inefficient. I should practice more.¡± He ran through a few exercises he might try, to help him get used to his newer body, and to practice manipting his Soul¡¯s energy.

    A loud roar from a creature drawing close distracted Dorian, though, as he looked up slightly fearful. Despite having just evolved a Growth Stage, he knew there were far stronger creatures then him in this forest. He quickly scampered up the tree and ran off, jumping from limb to limb as he made his way through the forest, away from the small stream.

    ¡­

    Dorian mbered down the tree he was currently on, looking at the collection of mountains that stood tall before him. The mountains were huge, grey and ck edifices, covered with sharp ledges and steep drop offs. Unlike the forests behind him, which teemed with life, these mountains seemed foreboding, and dangerous.

    Two days had passed since Dorian found the magic ring and reached the 4th Growth Stage of his Red Smander body. In that time, he had grown used to hisrger and stronger body, and made his way towards the mountainous region he had first spawned next to.

    He had also be much more proficient at using his ¡®me ws¡¯ ability. The ability itself was apparently just a low level technique. The more Dorian practiced it, the more he realized he knew very little about how his Soul worked, and how the energy in it, and the Soul Spell Matrix in it, worked.

    By now, Dorian had more or less adapted to the shock of living in this strange new world. Instead of practicing math or studying physics, Dorian found that he had be slightly obsessed with understanding his Soul, and the Matrix within it. It was incredibly fascinating, and the secrets Dorian felt they held enticing. Whole worlds of knowledgey untouched before him, and this wasn¡¯t an opportunity he would waste.

    Through steady trial and error, Dorian discovered that by strictly controlling the energy that flowed in the pattern recorded by his Soul Spell Matrix, he could raise the efficiency of the energy his Soul put out. He not only needed to let the energy flow naturally in the ¡®me ws¡¯ pattern, he needed to control it so it moved precisely as the Matrix said.

    By doing so, he found that he could keep his ws burning for up to ten minutes, and they would turn a fiery red, instead of the dim red from before, burning much hotter.

    Dorian shook himself as he refocused on the mountains before him. He specifically turned his eyes to a pair of mountains that stood next to each other. These two mountains were some of thergest in his vision. They were both unique, however, in that their peaks werepletely shattered, with huge, enormous gaps wed down the sides of the mountain.

    ¡°Between two shattered mountains, in the darkest pit of this valley¡­¡± Dorian repeated part of the message the magic ring had spoken, his eyes glinting as he looked at the two shattered peaks. He then carefully began making his way around the base of the mountain he stood on, headed towards the two mountains with shattered peaks.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: The Ironhide Wolf

    ¡°Wood Magic: Genovah¡¯s Flying Ark!¡± A young human man wearing a set of fine grey silk robes yelled aloud, holding his hands in front of him. He had a slim, handsome face with piercing blue eyes and a warm, friendly smile. A handsome face that would be forgettable if not the passionate gleam in his eyes.

    An instant after he finished speaking, a mysterious cluster of symbols appeared in front of him. An enormous amount of wood burst forth from this cluster, bending and stretching, twisting into the shape of a mid sized ship. It stood around twenty meters long, and a dozen meters wide, built entirely out of a dark brown wood. Arge pir rose from the middle of the boat, an empty mast. A small cabin could be seen on one end of the boat, leading towards the inside.

    A smattering of apuse rang out as the young man, a bit pale faced now, turned and smiled.

    ¡°What did I say to you earlier, Captain Lancaster?¡±

    The wooden boat was floating just outside arge forest of trees. In the background, several dozen mountains could be seen, rising high into the sky. Two mountains stood out in particr, with great, shattered rocky peaks, obliterated by some outside force.

    A long, paved stone path ran up to the forest, a path that continued but transformed into a lesser dirt version.

    Currently, a quartet of men were standing on the stone path, looking at the wooden boat the handsome man had just raised.

    ¡°It¡¯s certainlyrger thanst time, sir! You were deadly urate!¡± A gruff, muscr man wearing a set of ck leather armor, with arge broadsword strapped to his back, nodded andughed aloud. He had a grizzled and wrinkled face, looking as if he was in his mid 40s. A small greying ck beardplimented his strong jaw and a nose that had been broken several times before. His short,pletely grey hair was at odds with his still mostly ck beard, butplimented his tall six and a half feet of height.

    Two of the men beside the Captain were dressed in simr ck leather armor, but with younger, tanned faces looking as if they were in their early 30s. They were equally muscr, and both had a pair of short swords strapped to their waists. ording to Lancaster, they were twins from one of the lesser 30,000 worlds that had left their world seeking fortune, and ended up among the Universal Kinto Guard alongside him.

    Thest observer gave a friendly nod to the young man, stating,

    ¡°This will certainly be of aid in transport over the forest and save us a great deal of time. We¡¯ll still need to step down and travel on foot once we near the mountains, however. There are Grandmaster ss beasts there, after all.¡± A man dressed in faded green armor, with a longbow strapped to his back, the picture of an adept forest ranger. He had a mixture of green and grey paint covered his face, making his features indistinguishable, save for a bushy brown beard.

    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± William Robel nodded, understanding. As a Wizard that had just reached the Sky Stage, specializing in Wood Magic, he well understood the threats that powerful beasts could muster, especially those with a powerful Soul. His spells were powerful, and the strength of one¡¯s Soul wasn¡¯t everything¡­ but it was better to exercise caution.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, there were tens of thousands of different types of Magic. The vast, vast majority of Wizards would choose to focus on a singr type. After all, each different type of Magic required incrediblyplex concentrations of energy, using the power of one¡¯s Spell Soul Matrix. Spells from one type would all have rtively simr symbolic incantations and concentrations, though the stronger spells or moreplex spells would require more and more effort and precision.

    William studied Wood Magic, a versatile type of Magic that functioned as an efficient jack-of-all-trades, suited for someone like himself who preferred to function without other mages. It wasn¡¯t the most powerful type of Magic, nor was it the shiest, but he hadn¡¯t exactly had many choices open to him when he picked it. His lot in life had been decided at his birth. He was a bastard.

    He shook the irrelevant thoughts from his mind, however, focusing on his current goal.

    Hunting down the legendary Ironhide Wolf that thrived within the depths of the mountains.

    ..

    Dorian huddled behind a small set of boulders, sliding his body between two of them and keeping absolutely still. He didn¡¯t even dare to breathe as hey there,pletely silent.

    THUD

    THUD

    Heavy footsteps set the ground to shaking as a huge beast passed by the boulders he was hiding at, moving down the mountain.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ a dinosaur. Are you serious?¡¯ Dorian mentally yelled, making sure to still not make a sound.

    A huge, 10 meter tall dinosaur, covered in feathered green scales continued to walk, hunching forward as it turned and made its way alongside the mountain Dorian had been climbing. It looked extremely simr to the Tyrannosaurus Rex of Dorian¡¯s home world, with arge face full of sharp and deadly teeth, a hulking, muscr body, and two undersized arms.

    The beast gave off a powerful, horrifying aura as it moved, the strength it held far surpassing Dorian¡¯s own.

    ¡®Ausra¡¯ Dorian mentally whispered, staring at the beast with vivid interest.

    ¡®You said you can help me with the Absorption Process 3 times, right? Can you help me Absorb that beast?¡±

    In his head, Ausra¡¯s cool voice responded,

    ¡®Your Soul would copse upon trying to form a beast of that scale. That appears to be a pureblood Grandmaster ss Green Scaled Ground Dragon. As of right now, you may only target Sky ss beasts and below for Absorption. Anything else will go beyond the safety parameters set by His Holiness.¡¯

    Dorian grumbled a bit in his head before epting it. There was nothing he could do about it, it seemed.

    He waited a few more moments as the beast moved past, out of his sight. He sighed, and then looked up towards the distant shattered peaks.

    The creatures in the mountains were much deadlier than those in the forest it seemed.

    He resumed his scampering regardless. Once his mind was set on something, he would stubbornly pursue it till he reached whatever it was.

    His Red Smander body was quite useful in traversing the rockyndscape. His feet were padded with tough scales, and he could use his ws to dig in to the sides of the mountains if he felt he was slipping.

    He spent several hours moving carefully through the mountains, from ledge to ledge, boulder to boulder, outcropping to outcropping. Twice he had to hide himself as massive, powerful beasts moved past, emitting terrifying auras.

    Along the way, he also discovered several mystical looking nts. When he¡¯d walked up to them, he had been informed that they were Magic Herbs or Magic nts that naturally spawned in mountainous areas.

    ording to Ausra, these herbs served as an excellent source of energy and food for local wildlife, and after devoured would naturally respawn, operating under some mysteriousw of existence that even Ausra was unaware.

    Dorian had tried one of the Magic Herbs, a Brilliant Red Holjop Fruit. The fruit had tasted delicious, and sent several warm rays of energy into his body. It was an incredibly luxurious feeling, making him shiver slightly.

    He¡¯d checked his growth progress right after, feeling a small change.

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (4/5) Mature Adult

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 721/956 ¨C

    The fruit had increased his growth by a decent amount. It seemed they truly were good things to eat.

    After eating one fruit, however, he¡¯d realized that his appetite had been mostly sated. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat too many of these fruits or herbs in session.

    Apart from the massive beasts that he hid from, he also ran into severalrge flocks of Mountain Deer, tough and agile deer that inhabited the mountain area, a small group of Scaled Vultures, and a herd of Iron Oxen.

    He decided to avoid all of them for now. If he wanted their bloodlines, he could always go back for themter. Right now, his focus was on finding the mysterious treasure the fallen wizard had left behind.

    He did take the time to ask Ausra about each beast, however. ording to Ausra, all beasts had a limit ced on them, limiting their ultimate level of strength and growth. Dorian¡¯s Red Smander had a limit that would be reached in his next growth stage.

    In terms of strength, he would forever be limited as a Sky ss Beast at most. The Mountain Deer he saw were limited to the Earth ss, as were the Scaled Vultures, while the Iron Oxen could grow to the Sky ss.

    What he needed to find was a beast that could grow to a higher level, absorb its bloodline, and transform into it, growing stronger and stronger. The more powerful his Soul grew, the stronger he could make even weak beast forms.

    Dorian could already see a bright future before him. A future where he would be absolutely free from danger, able toze about and rx. He might even be able to be human again, if his powers worked how they appeared to.

    Soon, Dorian made it to his destination. The valley between the two shattered mountains.

    By the time he got here it was already mid afternoon. The valley was sheathed in shadows from the peaks overhead, giving it a dismal, dark appearance. Apart from that, it didn¡¯t seem any different than any other valley. A small stream ran through it, and there was a small forested de alongside either mountain.

    He shrugged and moved forward, picking his path carefully. He tried to avoid any used trails, forging his own as he kept to the shadows.

    He entered the valley, creeping alongside the underbush. He moved down the slope, heading towards the stream.

    As he moved, he felt an eerie feeling of being watched. His eyes flickered left and right, staying on alert as he strained his senses.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡± A low, rustling growl assault his ears, drawing his attention. He looked forward to the source of the noise, his eyes picking out arge dark skinned wolf, standing nearly a meter tall. A strange aura seemed to be surrounding it.

    ¡®Ausra, what is it?¡¯ He mentally asked, keeping his eyes on the creature. His own body wasrger, but he felt an odd feeling of dangering from the wolf.

    ¡®An Ironhide Wolf, a much rarer version of an Iron Wolf. They have the Ability to naturally strengthen their hide to incredible levels, making older Ironhide Wolves extremely tough creatures to defeat. Their hides are extremely coveted among intelligent creatures in use for crafting powerful defensive tools. This one appears to have just be a Sky ss Beast, an impressive feat for one so young.¡¯

    Dorian frowned intensely. A beast like this seemed like a perfect target for his next Evolution. However, it also seemed much stronger than he currently was.

    ¡®What are my chances of defeating it right here, inbat?¡¯ He asked.

    Ausra didn¡¯t respond. Dorian mentally rolled his eyes, and then began backing up slowly.

    He could use one of his two remaining Absorption¡¯s to take in the bloodline of the beast, but he decided he wanted to save those for moments when he needed them. He woulde back here when he was fully grown, and then try to take the wolf out naturally first.

    Slowly, he began to backing up. The wolf didn¡¯t follow, only staring at him with its gleaming ck eyes.

    Just as Dorian finished backing away, and was preparing to turn around, he heard something he hadn¡¯t heard in long time.

    A human voice.

    ¡°Wood Magic: Goliath¡¯s Fist!¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: Humans

    ¡°Wood Magic: Goliath¡¯s Fist!¡±

    Dorian watched with wide eyes as an enormous fist made out of a type of dark ck wood materialized above the Ironhide Wolf, crashing down on it.

    BOOM

    The wooden fist had appeared out of nowhere, and moved with such speed and strength that it the wolf was unable to avoid it, even if it was a Sky ss beast. The resulting impact caused the first to explode and splinter, shards of wooden shrapnel bursting outward.

    The wolf let out an angry whimper as the fist mmed directly down on its head, crushing it into the ground. The attack took itpletely by surprise, when its attention was focused entirely on the Red Smander in front of it.

    The Ironhide Wolf stayed down after the impact,ying on the ground unmoving.

    Dorian scampered over to a tree, keeping himself as low to the ground as possible as he watched all of this.

    Gradually, the figures of several human men appeared, walking into the forested clearing near the wolf. Three of the men were dressed as warriors, wearing dark leather armor and wielding swords. Another looked like some type of forest ranger, while thest wore a set of fine, grey silk robes.

    ¡°Toldro, check its status.¡± William Robel, the man in the silk robes, said, waving his hand at the downed wolf.

    The man that looked like a forest ranger quickly moved forward, his steps careful but assured. He knelt down next to the wolf, looking it over.

    ¡°It¡¯s still alive, and in good condition!¡±

    As Dorian watched this all unfold, he realized something. The men before him weren¡¯t speaking in English, yet he could understand him.

    ¡®Ausra, how do I know what they¡¯re saying?¡¯ He mentally queried.

    ¡®His Worship, in his unending wisdom, was aware that many people speak differentnguages in the 30,000 realms. Therefore, He engraved the knowledge of the 6 widespreadnguages, and the 300 or so lessernguages, into the Soul Spell Matrix of every member of the Flock, including you, Firstborn. Your understanding and ability to speak is innate, should you form a body capable of speech.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice responded, cool and concise.

    Dorian smiled internally at the revtion. He¡¯d always wanted to learn a foreignnguage, back on earth. Now, it seemed that wish had been granted, in a way of its own. He shook the memory of earth from his head after a moment, images of his mother, father, and family popping up. He couldn¡¯t afford to think about that right now.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± William said, a huge smile covering his face. They had actually managed to find the Ironhide Wolf they had been looking for, and not only did they manage to capture it, they managed to capture it easily and alive by taking it by surprise.

    Ironhide Wolves were basically walking treasures, especially living ones that could be raised. His luck really was turning around, hunting down the rumors for this wolf had turned out to be absolutely worth it.

    ¡°Wood Magic: Sealing Bell!¡± His fingers twisted as he cast another spell, calling arge, three meter tall and 2 meter wide bell into existence. He waved his hand again, calling into existence several moving wooden tentacles.

    These tentacles grabbed the downed wolf, tossing it unceremoniously into therge wooden bell. The bell than immediately sealed shut, with only a few holes in the side of it to let in air.

    ¡°Sir!¡± Captain Lancaster spoke up from the side as William secured their prize, stepping forward.

    ¡°Should we do anything about the Red Smander off there to the south?¡± He queried, vaguely motioning with his hand.

    Dorian froze when he heard this, not daring to move. How did they spot him?! He was hiding, and hiding pretty well. The cover of the tree and underbrush meant he was barely visible, if at all!

    William nced over exactly to where Dorian was, staring at his hiding spot for a moment.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s not even a Sky ss beast. I¡¯ll get rid of it.¡± The wizard folded his hands together, preparing to cast another spell.

    Dorian didn¡¯t stick around, and immediately turned around and fled, running away as fast as he could. He sted through the forest de, hurtling past trees, a spark of fear zing in his heart.

    William stared after the fleeing Red Smander in surprise.

    ¡°Did it sense our intent? How very unusual¡­ Whatever.¡± He nced over at the floating bell with a satisfied look,

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to Yor City!¡±

    ..

    Dorian ran for a solid 30 seconds, reaching the edge of the forested valley. He hid near a set ofrge boulders at the edge of the treeline, his body heaving. Adrenaline, or the Smander equivalent, pumped through his vein as he shivered, trying to stay calm.

    Magic existed in this world, clearly, he thought, going over the situation. That was the only way he could exin how the wood moved as it did. It wasn¡¯t very surprising. The existence of his Soul Spell Matrix, and his me ws Ability were already magical enough.

    ¡®Humans, though! Those are the first humans I¡¯ve met!¡¯ As he fully realized this, Dorian shivered slightly, feeling an odd mix of happiness and disappointment,.

    ¡®Maybe I should have stayed, and tried tomunicate?¡¯ He thought for a moment, before immediately dismissing the thought.

    It wouldn¡¯t do to stand out too much right now. That human had easily trounced a Sky ss Ironhide Wolf, something he was unable to do. Staying put would have put him fully in the man¡¯s control.

    He sighed, stretching his ws.

    What he needed to do was to be strong. Strong enough that he could rx and travel in safety, and maybe figure out a way to get back to Earth.

    He stayed hidden for a few more minutes, waiting to be sure the humans had left.

    After pausing, he came out of his hiding spot, and crept back into the valley. He moved carefully from tree to tree, trying to avoid making any unnecessary noise.

    Gradually, he calmed down, feeling like things were back to normal. The sound of wildlife chipping or moving about settled in, making the forest feel simr to a normal one on earth. Ignoring the asional massive roars of huge beasts in the distance.

    Soon, Dorian traversed to the lowest point of the valley, searching for the ¡®darkest pit.¡¯

    After spending 10 minutes traversing the valley with no luck, he walked over to the stream at the center of the forested area, kicking a rock in frustration. He watched the rock sail along, smashing downstream and surprising several groups of fish.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something in the river move too, startled by the movements of the fish.

    A familiar shape.

    It was another Brown Treasure m!

    Just to be sure, he checked with Ausra, who confirmed his guess. He stared at it, curious.

    ¡®Ausra, this is the second m I¡¯ve met now. Aren¡¯t they supposed to be rare?¡¯ He mentally asked the genie.

    The genie was silent for a moment before responding,

    ¡®Brown Treasure ms are drawn to fate, and fated objects. The one you found earlier was most likely drawn by His Worship twisting fate to send you here. This one here probably has some rtion to the previous m.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened at the response, staring at the m intensely. It was scuttling along the bottom of the stream, slipping through the crystal clear water.

    As he watched it, he considered a possibility he hadn¡¯t thought of before.

    Maybe the deepest pit in this valley wasn¡¯t in the forested area¡­ maybe it was in the stream?

    He sauntered forward, stalking the m as it moved away from the crowd of fish, watching its movements. If it was drawn to fate¡­ then there was a distinct possibility its home where it slept would be near the dead wizard¡¯s treasure.

    The m, after being startled by the fish, seemed to be intent on escape and hiding. It moved along the bottom of the stream for several minutes, leading Dorian down a good hundred meters. He followed it patiently, watching its movements.

    Just as the stream was entering a bend and turning, all of a sudden, the Brown Treasure m vanished, disappearing from his vision.

    Dorian pounced forward, his eyes alert as he scanned over the part of the stream the m vanished at. He waded into the water, looking closely.

    Sure enough, after looking around for a few seconds, Dorian saw an opening in the side of the stream wall. The hole was difficult to see, positioned so that you couldn¡¯t see it if you were standing on the outside of the stream. It was decentlyrge, about two meters wide and a meter and a half tall.

    He crawled up to it, sticking a w in. He felt rock, and then open space. He looked at it again before shrugging. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

    Dorian took a huge breath, and then dived under the water, pulling himself through the opening. His vision was excellent, even under water. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darker atmosphere as he took a nce inside.

    The hole led to a long nted cave tunnel that seemed to run at a slightly downward angle. The water level in the cave was steady, not rushing outside or in, but in equilibrium.

    Just barely Dorian saw the Brown Treasure m slipping down the end of the visible path and turning.

    He surfaced for a moment and took anotherrge breath, and then dived back down and began swimming, pulling himself quickly through the passageway.

    As a Red Smander, he could hold his breath for at least several minutes if needed. If he didn¡¯t find anything in the first minute he would just leave and figure out a separate n.

    Despite being underground, the cave path seemed to be faintly lit from a type of glowing moss or algae on the cave floor. Dorian moved through the tunnel quickly, reaching the end of the path in a few seconds.

    As he turned the corner, he saw what looked like arge pool, and ayer of water bordered by air. He smiled when he saw this, paddling up a few feet.

    ¡°Woo!¡± He let out his breath and took another deep breath, looking around at the underground chamber.

    It was a long, but cramped cave room. The glowing moss that was present in the water was also present on the roof of the cave, lighting the ce up. The ceiling was around a meter high, made of rough grey rock. About two thirds of the room nted upwards, with no water on it, while the other third was submerged.

    In a particr corner of the room, hiding on the nted portion, Dorian made out the Brown Treasure m, burying itself in-between a collection of white rock.

    He blinked as he studied the rock,ing to a realization. What he thought was a collection of rocks was actually a haphazardly piled clump of bones. He shuddered briefly, recognizing the vague human shape. He also saw a faded, brown pouch set underneath the bones, covered in grey patches.

    This was, most likely, the corpse of the fallen mage from the message in that ring.

    *CRACK*

    One of the bones fractured as the Brown Treasure m shifted, trying to hide beneath it.

    Dorian frowned when he saw this and stepped forward, bringing his ws to bear. He drew upon the energy in his soul, activating his ming ws ability as he stepped forward.

    First he¡¯d take out the m, and then he¡¯d go look to see if there really was any treasure left behind.

    ..

    In a world very far from Dorian¡¯s current one, a man sat alone in an empty throne-room, perched atop an enormous, glowing green throne. The throne stood easily three meters tall, and floated in the air, set with intricate carvings of wizards casting spells and fighting off fantastic beasts. Various gems were inset all along the side of the throne, giving it a powerful and rich appearance.

    The room was empty except for the throne, and a long red carpet leading to it. The nd grey stone that made up the floor and walls contrasted greatly with the powerful, detailed appearance of the throne. Arge, glowing yellow sphere lit up the room, floating near the ceiling.

    The man sitting atop the throne appeared to be middle-aged, with a head of short, greying hair, and a short, gruff ck beard. His violet eyes were gleamed with a strange light, while his strong jaw and small nose gave him a masculine, handsome appearance. A long, red scar ran down the length of his right cheek onto his neck, and a set of muscr shoulders.

    He wore a simple, tight white robe, adorned with a ck colored insignia of a wizard¡¯s spellbook. His height was above average, at 6 foot and 5 inches, giving him a towering appearance even while sitting.

    Atop his head rested a slim, simple golden crown.

    The man sighed, looking at the empty room. He turned his head back to look across from the throne, towards the only entrance to the room. A huge, five meter tall set of stone doors.

    ¡°Enter, Cassiera.¡± His voice was rich and warm, but full of a tingling sense of authority and untold power.

    At the sound of his words, the doors immediately opened. A beautiful, blonde haired woman walked down the carpet towards the throne, her green eyes and glimmering lips perfectly entuating her long, silky blonde hair. She was lean and fit, the curves of her body visible through the tight blue dress she wore.

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Cassiera¡¯s voice was calm as she stopped ten meters from the throne, bowing down. A small, blue ornament in her hair glittered.

    ¡°What does the Fate Magic Department¡¯s preliminary report state?¡± The man on the throne waved his hand at her, a bored look on his face.

    The Fate Magic Department was one of the 108 Magic Departments in the Borrel Autarchy, the gargantuan organization that controlled more than 10,000 worlds.

    Cassiera trembled as she heard him respond to her, a look of adoration in her eyes.

    ¡°The disturbances in Fate have appeared in 88 different worlds in total. Of the affected, we have 32 of these worlds under our control. Each disturbance was tumultuous, and while the exact details of what happened are unknown, if left unattended, the fortunes indicate a disaster on the scale of the Yale Demon Invasion will ur.¡±

    The man on the throne sat up at this, his eyes widening slightly.

    The Yale Demon Invasion had cost the lives of more than 40 billion humans, across more than 500s. The unexined invasion of intelligent and powerful beasts across various World Bridges hade after the Graal Alliance, the powerful alliance of intelligent beasts spanning more than 7,000 worlds, had copsed roughly 300 years ago. The alliance had only managed to reform a hundred yearster.

    A disaster on this scale would have massive effects, and could change the face of the Autarchy as it stood.

    A gleam of interest appeared in the man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Very interesting.¡± He snapped his fingers twice.

    Immediately, out of seemingly nowhere, two ck masked and robed man appeared.

    ¡°Taron, issue a Decree to all 108 Departments, requiring a full scale investigation of the 32 affected worlds under our control. David, meet with the Foreign Ambassador Department and organize overtures to thes not under our control, informing them of the situation and offering our assistance. Get the information you need from the Fate Department.¡±

    The man waved his hands as he ordered two of his most trusted subordinates to take action, a smile appearing on his face. He turned to look back at the blue dressed woman who was staring up at him adoringly.

    ¡°Cassiera. Your Fate Department has done well. Inform me if there are any new findings.¡± He gave her a warm nod, dismissing her from the throne-room. She backed away reluctantly, bowing as she left.

    Arthur Telmon, the Wizard King of the Borrel Autarchy, and the most powerful human in existence, looked around the now empty throne-room once more, a smile on his face.

    ¡°It seems things are about to be interesting.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: Treasure

    *CRUNCH*

    Dorian smacked his lips as he finished swallowing the Brown Treasure m, pleased with its taste. He spat out a few pieces of shell, licking his lips.

    Defeating the m had proven easy once it was cornered, unable to escape. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t found any rare treasure within it like he had the other m.

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (4/5) Mature Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 757/956 ¨C

    As he mentally checked his Soul Spell Matrix, he noted that his Growth Progress had advanced once more. He wasn¡¯t far off from reaching the 5th, fully grown stage. It seemed the ms were pretty nutritious, as far as energy was concerned.

    -Brown Treasure m (Growth Stage 2/2) Venom-

    Stored Amount: 63 mL

    He¡¯d also gained some more of the venom from the Brown Treasure m. He didn¡¯t have a use for it yet, so he mentally set it aside, focusing on what was in front of him.

    The bones of the old, dead mage, and the pouch beneath them.

    The first thing he grabbed was the pouch before him, assuming it would contain any treasure that existed.

    His sense of touch wasn¡¯t as adept as it used to be when he was a human, but as he picked the pouch up, he could feel a rough, leathery feeling. Despite its appearance as an old and withered bag, it was still durable and tough, undamaged.

    There was a sp on one end. He slowly worked it open, using his ws carefully. He wasn¡¯t as adept at handing things as he would be if he had human hands.

    The pouch began to tremble as soon as he opened it. Abruptly, a small gush of air sted out, and the pouch fell down to the ground, where ity still. Dorian stared at it in confusion, slowly picking it back up again.

    ¡®This appears to be a damaged Storage Pouch that was looted long ago. I can detect remnant traces of powerful artifacts and tools that one existed within it. The pouch itself appears to have had a lock on it that was damaged many years past, most likely in the process of looting it.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice popped up in his head,

    ¡®The space in the pouch fully copsed when you opened it. Someone or something appears to have cleared out this treasure before your visit here.¡¯

    Dorian stared at the pouch, crestfallen. After journeying all the way here, he didn¡¯t even manage to find the treasure the ring had mentioned. Someone had already found it, and a long time ago too.

    He sighed. It seems he couldn¡¯t always be lucky.

    He looked back at the bones, staring at them curiously. They didn¡¯t seem any different than a regr set of bones, chalk white and aged. It seemed the mage that had died here must¡¯ve died a long time ago. The people that looted his corpse hadn¡¯t, apparently, felt like burying him. He tapped on the bone, deciding he would at least bury the man, as a thanks for the energy the ring he found gave him.

    As soon as he tapped on the bones with his w, his Soul Spell Matrix shed. Abruptly, Dorian felt himself tremble, stumbling backward in fear.

    The bones before him gave off an overwhelming sense of power and awe. Even though he only felt it for a heartbeat, it nearly caused him to faint from fright.

    ¡®You have discovered the remains of a Near-Ascendant human corpse. The remnant Spiritualized Aura is still imbued within the bones, but the Soul Spell Matrix and bloodline has long since left the body.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice appeared in his mind, informing him.

    Dorian looked at the bones in awe. Just touching the long dead body of a powerful human for an instant was already enough to nearly knock him unconscious, even in this powerful, Red Smander body. It seemed the peak of strength in this reality was far higher than possible back home on Earth.

    ¡®Can I absorb it, or make use of it at all?¡¯ He asked Ausra, staring at the bones intently.

    The genie in his head was silent for a moment before responding,

    ¡®A full absorption would be impossible. However, by using theplex enchantments His Holiness created in your Soul Spell Matrix, it may be possible to condense the remnant Spiritualized Aura and store it. However, the process of doing so will cause the aura to fall from the Half-Step Ascendancy ss down to the middle of King ss.¡¯ The genie continued,

    ¡®The aura itself will contain no real strength or power, but could serve as an effective deterrent. Your physical strength will remain unchanged, and you will not have truly reached the King ss.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up as he heard this. This was excellent news! The strongest beast he¡¯d seen in these mountains was Grandmaster ss. A King ss beast was two sses above that! He didn¡¯t exactly know how strong each ss was or how they worked, but he was sure that possessing an Aura like that would be like a get-out-of-jail free card to avoid dying!

    ¡®I want to store it, immediately!¡¯ He announced, walking forward next to the bones. It seemed he still had at least some luck left!

    Immediately, aplex series of symbols shed before Dorian¡¯s eyes. Hundreds, thousands, and then tens of thousands of symbols all interlocked, intecing in aplex, mysterious pattern. Soon, these symbols began to form a long, wavy circle, and looped downward towards the white bones.

    He watched carefully as they slowly settled, covering every inch of the corpse.

    *FLASH*

    An enormous st of light shook the cave, blinding Dorian as the bones began to rattle and shake.

    The next second, when he blearily managed to open his eyes, the bones had vanished, disappearingpletely. A heavy feeling of tiredness settled in on him, crashing down relentlessly.

    In his soul, the golden bead of light that was his Soul Spell Matrix shed. Abruptly, next to that beautiful golden bead, a much smaller red bead formed.

    As all of this happened, Dorian fell to the ground, exhaustion taking over him as the effort of absorbing the bones drained far too much energy from him, forcing him asleep.

    ..

    The 30,000 worlds epassed the entirety of existence. Each world was massive andplex. Some of them were paradises full of trees, mountains, rivers and valleys, beautiful lush forests surrounded by teeming oceans full of life.

    Others were inhospitable, full of magma and fire, death and destruction.

    Each world had two things inmon, however.

    The first: no matter the world, there would always be rare Magic Herbs or nts spawning in them, due to the mysteriousws of magic, and, alongside that, powerful or mysterious beasts.

    The second: All worlds were connected through World Bridges.

    World Bridges, sometimesbeled as Half-Worlds of their own, were massive tracts ofnd, usually stretching thousands of miles long, and hundreds to thousands of miles wide, surrounded by spatial tunnels, that physically connected one world to another. They were incredibly mysterious, and a popr field of study for many wizards focused on Space Magic, or Spacetime Magic, or their various branches.

    Every World had at least one World Bridge connected to it.

    The World Bridges were like regr worlds in that Magic Herbs or nts would spawn here, and many beasts and races would inhabit them. They were far more dangerous than regr worlds, however, due to the nature of the spatial tunnel surrounding them. Naturally urring spatial storms were a rare danger that could wipe out tens of thousands of lives in seconds.

    Three such World Bridges connected the world Dorian was on, the Hasnorth.

    Flying through one of these World Bridges right now was an enormous ck dragon. The behemoth was gargantuan in size, stretching more than a mile in length, and half a mile in width.

    If one looked closely at the dragon, one would realize that the scales that made up the dragon seemed to shimmer and vibrate with strange power. If one was more astute and talented, they might even realize that this enormous behemoth was no beast at all, but instead, a construct of magic.

    An enormous ck dragon made purely of ck Lightning.

    The dragon flew forward high in the sky of the spatial tunnel, twenty miles up, bordered the region of space where the spatial tunnel ended, and the chaos of the Untamed Space began, a region where spatial storms destroyed all possibility of life.

    asionally, spatial fractures would appear, and snap towards the dragon, drawn by the concentration of magic.

    Each time, the fracture would fizzle out and stop, just a few dozen meters away, unable to draw close.

    Sitting atop this enormous dragon was arge ck tform, where several dozen people sat on various couches or chairs, conjured up by magic. Most of the men and women on this circle were dressed in grey robes or grey leather outfits with an insignia of ck lightning emzoned on the front. A few others wore blue garments or outfits, with no insignia on them.

    10 of the mages were sitting in aplex formation, ck energy floating in circle above them, and then streaming downward, connecting with the enormous ck dragon and energizing it.

    One man in particr stood out, standing at the edge of the tform, looking up at the space around him. He had long, wild ck hair, with a muscr physical appearance. A strong chin and jawplimented his rough smile, giving him a gruff look.

    Small, ck energy particles seemed to flow around this man, giving him an awe inspiring appearance.

    A woman wearing a set of blue leather garments walked up, her long red hair floating slightly. She nodded at the man, her calm face and rigid green eyes, while not beautiful, gave her an imposing aura.

    ¡°Congrattions on your breakthrough Hadrion. To have be a Lord ss wizard at 26 years old¡­ Very few canpare.¡± Her voice was cool, vibrating with energy.

    Hadrion shrugged, his eyes still calm as he looked out at space beyond. A light breeze streamed past, a result of the energy whipping about around him. No breeze could make it past the magic guard the enormous dragon emanated, protecting its riders.

    ¡°The ck Lightning Department has always had talented figures. I am merely slightly more lucky than the others.¡± His voice was rough, as if he wasn¡¯t used to talking.

    The woman shrugged, her eyes unmoving.

    ¡°Be that as it may, you are still the youngest ck Lightning Wizard to reach the Lord ss in the past 500 years. A most impressive feat. I¡¯ve seen recordings of your battle with the Tsel Sundering Titan, a fight that wiped more than a dozen mountains out of existence. ¡±

    The man shrugged again, his eyes collected. He turned to look at her briefly before responding,

    ¡°We should arrive at Hasnorth in three more days. Inform your Fate Magicians to ready themselves for Foretellings. We are to hunt down the anomaly before the other Departments arrive. We were lucky to be in the area when the orders came down.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: Second Evolution ¨C Myyr Dragon

    Dorian came awake slowly, blinking his eyes blearily. He struggled to his feet, looking around.

    He was still in the underground cavern. He nced off to the corner where the discarded pouchy.

    The chalk white bones were nowhere to be seen.

    He felt at his body, closing his eyes. In his mind he visualized his soul. The visualization itself was something that came naturally to him in this world despite not being told how to do it.

    His soul was a soft, floating bubble of white light. In his soul, the golden bead that had a countless number of symbols represented his Soul Spell Matrix. Next to that golden bead was a much small red bead he hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡®You have sessfully stored the Aura of the fallen human, degraded to the middle of King ss. The Aura itself is not permanent, and will be used up slightly every time you activate it. The amount you have stored is enough to draw on it 4 or 5 times.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind, coldly informative.

    Dorian let out a smile, shaking away the bleariness of his mind.

    He then turned towards the exit and swam his way out of the cave.

    As he emerged from the underground cavern, be looked around at the night sky, a hint of worry on his face. Nighttime was the most dangerous time to be out.

    The night sky of this world was different than his old world of earth. Instead of millions of stars dotting the guy, there was only a single,rge pale white moon, identical in size and scale to the sun that appeared in the daytime.

    His stomach grumbled reminding him of how badly he needed food. Absorbing that Aura had taken an enormous amount of energy, and he needed to get something to eat now.

    As this thought ran through his mind, his eyes slipped to the side, where a few fish were resting in the river.

    ..

    After eating his fill of some random, low ss fish, Dorian snuck back into his underground cavern, spending the night there. The hiding spot was very out of the way, and the safest ce he¡¯d discovered thus far. Far safer than hiding in a tree.

    Despite having been unconscious for several hours, Dorian easily fell back asleep, still recovering from exhaustion.

    Several hours passed and it was soon morning again.

    Sunlight gleamed into the valley, filtering through the trees. Dorian took onest wistful nce around before turning back, headed towards the forest he¡¯d originally appeared at.

    His journey back was uneventful. He ran into a few Earth ss beasts, but nothing dangerous. His luck seemed to be in ce as he managed to avoid any of the fearful beasts that lived in the mountains, making it out unharmed.

    He also managed to snag another Magic Herb on the way out. He ate it down greedily, feeling the energy flow through him.

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (4/5) Mature Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 812/956 ¨C

    He was rapidly approaching thest bit of energy he needed to grow into a fully fledged Red Smander. He nodded his head sharply at that, pleased.

    ording to Ausra, the power structure of this world was both simple andplex.

    The difference between each ss wasrgely centered on the Soul of each beast, and their Soul Spell Matrix. A Sky ss beast had a Soul Spell Matrix developed to the Sky Stage.

    An Earth ss had their Soul Spell Matrix at the Earth Stage. A Master ss reached the Master Stage, and so on.

    Soul Spell Matrixes were what allowed beasts to draw energy to form powerful abilities, like Dorian¡¯s me ws, to pull energy to regenerate from injuries, and to draw on energy to strengthen their attacks and be physically stronger or tougher.

    There wasn¡¯t too big a difference between an Earth ss beast and a Sky ss beast. A Sky ss beast would usually be physically stronger, and have a higher ability to regenerate, but the gap would not be toorge. At such a low level, the amount of energy in a Soul Spell Matrix was too small to have a significant effect.

    Dorian¡¯s own natural regenerative abilities as a Red Smander already outweighed the amount he could regenerate using his Earth ss Soul Spell Matrix.

    The difference between a Sky ss beast and a Master ss beast, however, was significant, by at least a factor of three.

    The difference between a Master ss and a Grandmaster ss was at least a factor of six.

    At higher levels, the differences became even more extreme.

    Legends had it that beasts at the highest ss of all, the Ascendancy ss, could have their entire body destroyed, and would still possess the ability to regenerate from a single molecule.

    At the minimum, if Dorian wanted to survive in this area, he needed to reach the Grandmaster ss as quickly as possible.

    Thankfully, he already had a n to achieve that.

    Leaving the mountains proved much easier than entering them, and he made excellent time. Soon he managed to arrive near the zone where he had originally spawned in at by midday.

    As a Red Smander, he seemed to have gained an innate sense of direction, which helped quite a bit.

    Since he was about to achieve the full culmination of a Red Smander¡¯s growth, it would be time to pick a new beast to Evolve into.

    ¡®Ausra, can you tell me more about the beasts I have bloodlines for? Ignore all the fish and the m.¡¯ He¡¯d absorbed the bloodlines of the Brown Treasure im, but was disappointed in its very weak growth potential. As for the fish he¡¯d eaten: none of them had anything other than ordinary bloodlines.

    ¡®Certainly.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice responded in his mind. A momentter, and a screen appeared in his mind.

    -Bloodlines Stored-

    Red Smander

    Forested Ancient Snake

    Hollow Lizard (Degraded)

    Myyr Dragon (Degraded)

    ¡®The Red Smander has a maximum growth reaching the Sky Stage. The Forested Ancient Snake maxes out at the Earth Stage. The Hollow Lizard¡¯s potential reaches the Sky Stage, while the Myyr Dragon¡¯s potential reaches the Grandmaster Stage.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up. One of his bloodlines had the potential to reach the Grandmaster Stage! It was the one with ¡®Dragon¡¯ in it¡¯s name.

    He frowned, however, remembering that the bloodline was degraded.

    ¡®Ausra, how much more of the bloodline would I need to gather for you to recover the bloodline, and allow me to use it?¡¯ He queried.

    Ausra was silent for a moment before responding,

    ¡®Going by the amount found in the Red Smander¡­ Approximately 18 more Red Smanders at at least the Earth Stage. Roughly 13 if chosen at the Sky Stage.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes glinted as he nodded. It made sense. He then sniffed at the air, making a decision.

    It was time he went hunting.

    ..

    Several days passed.

    Over those days, Dorian underwent a transformation, not only in strength, but in mindset as well.

    Red Smanders were amon beast in this area of the forest. It was no coincidence that he ran into a Red Smander on his first day here. All of the Smanders in this area seemed to share simr bloodline origins, including the degraded Myyr Dragon bloodline.

    The first time he tried to hunt one down, Dorian had almost died in the fight. Despite having taken the Smander by surprise, and pouncing down on it from above, the Smander had managed to sink its ws into his chest, almost ripping him apart.

    While Dorian was in the body of a Red Smander, he did not have most of the natural instincts and fighting capability of one. At his core he was still a human being.

    That said, he had activated his me ws ability, and turned the tide, smiting the Smander. He was careful to not torch the body, however, saving the blood for him to absorb. It seemed not all Red Smanders had the me ws ability.

    The grievous wounds he had sustained were vanquished almost immediately as he gained enough energy to Evolve into the final stage of growth for a Red Smander, bing an Elder Red Smander.

    His body was now a full 2 meters long, with heavy, ted red scales covering him, and a line of sharp spikes down his spine. His ws had grown an inch longer, and his teeth half an inch longer. Physically he was stronger, able to break a two foot thick tree with a swipe of his ws.

    He felt his regenerative ability increase a small amount, adding to his natural ability to heal as a Red Smander. He felt like he could take on two of his previous self ande out a winner in a fight. The change in physique and strength made him recognize a bit more what the difference between a Sky ss and an Earth ss beast were.

    After killing one Red Smander and evolving, Dorian had a much easier time taking out the other Red Smanders. He also hardened himself to the violence, bing inured to it. This was something he needed to do for his survival.

    It was very rare for any Red Smander to be old enough to reach the Elder Smander stage. Before Dorian, no beast could simply devour another beast or Magic Herbs to directly Evolve into its next growth stage. Instead, they had to wait for an umtion of time for their Soul Spell Matrix to slowly grow stronger, maintaining their peak condition.

    Over the course of the next 3 days, Dorian hunted down 18 Earth ss Red Smanders. He didn¡¯t manage to find any Sky ss Elder Red Smanders.

    -Red Smander ¨C Growth Stage: (5/5) Elder Smander-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 2,313/0 ¨C

    He mentally looked over his Growth Progress, nodding his head. The excess energy he gained from hunting down and killing various Red Smanders had been stored in his Soul Spell Matrix, none of it going to waste.

    Eating and absorbing the energy from other beasts was different than eating Magic Herbs in that he could keep on absorbing over and over. When he¡¯d tried to eat a second Magic Herb while on the mountain, he felt an overwhelming feeling of sickness, as if he was already stuffed full and eating anymore would be dangerous.

    ¡®Ausra, I¡¯m ready.¡¯ After killing thest required Smander Dorian had decided to sleep, the exhaustion of searching through the forest for the beasts he required taking its toll.

    It was now the morning of the fourth day since he returned to the forest.

    ¡®The Myyr Dragon bloodline has been fully restored. Further, you have enough of it to sessfully evolve into a 1st Stage Myyr Dragon. Do you wish to Evolve?¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    ¡®Yes.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes shed.

    A sh of light surrounded him, and he abruptly found himself in a misty whitendscape. The Evolution Space he had appeared in before.

    A ball of light appeared in front of him. Ausra¡¯s form.

    ¡®The Myyr Dragon is a creature renowned for it¡¯s lustrous green scales. It is a draconic creature, with a draconic form. As a fully grown adult, its height reaches roughly 4 meters tall, not including its flight-incapable wings. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss.¡¯

    A visualization of the Myyr Dragon appeared in front of Dorian. He grinned as he stared at it, his blood pumping.

    It was an actual dragon!

    (Author¡¯s note: Imagine this https://pm1.narvii/6200/9f82e019125c12ca51959991394fba65cfceaea9_hq.jpg (but with greener scales))

    ¡®Evolve me into it, immediately!¡¯

    -Absorbing Myyr Dragon bloodline-

    -Body Reconstruction in progress-

    ..

    Meanwhile:

    Roughly a thousand miles away from where Dorian was, an enormous World Bridge connected the Hasnorth to the Mesor.

    The appearance of a World Bridge connecting to a was mystifying. It looked like an enormous, three hundred mile wide pir ofnd shooting off into a portal of spatial storms high in the sky.

    Gravity operated in a mysterious fashion around this connected area. Instead of everything on the bridge simply falling down, gravity shifted as you walked to the enormous tract ofnd. You could walk in a straight line to the bridge, and then straight up, and it would feelpletely normal.

    Down on the bridge was always towards the center of the World Bridge, no matter where you stood on it.

    (Authors Note: Here is a (poor) rendition of what I mean for those confused: https://i.imgur/IRf1Jvr.png )

    The World Bridge here was filled with severalrge forests, and an enormous river that went all the way down to the, and continued on the. These swathes of forests were dominated by beasts, and a designated danger zone on the and bridge.

    The enormous river, however, was home to one of the Three Great Powers on the Hasnorth Continent, the Obsidia River Empire.

    The capital of the Obsidia River Empire was located just a few miles from one side of the World Bridge, the side containing the nearly 80 mile wide river.

    The capital city, Obsidia, was an enormous city spanning a full twenty six miles, almost a small nation by itself, just off the side of the enormous Obsidia River that ran up the World Bridge. It was teeming with more than 3 million human beings, crowded into various shops, homes, a few castles and pces, and a few outer viges that existed on the edge of the capital.

    Obsidia was one of the centers for trade on the, and one of the few ces where one could find a trading caravan that journeyed to others.

    The leader of the Obsidia River Empire was a powerful Lord ss Wizard, studying High Water Magic. A full cohort of eight Grandmaster ss Wizards served as the Royal Wizards, making the Obsidia River Empire one of the most powerful forces to be reckoned with on the.

    It was a massive empire that spanned more than 3,000 miles.

    Currently, however, the capital of Obsidia was trembling in fear.

    For, overhead, an enormous dragon made of ck Lightning had appeared, sending out an incredibly dangerous aura.

    Hadrion smiled as he looked down at the fear-struck capital, his eyes aloof.

    ¡°We have arrived.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Regrets

    Body Reconstruction Complete.

    Dorian felt his eyes waver as he left the Evolution Space in his mind, shing lights blinding him. A feeling of heaviness sank into his head, as if he had justprehended a great deal of information.

    He blinked, looking around carefully.

    The world around him seemed to have transformed.

    The colors of the tall, luscious green trees were richer, the sounds of the forest teeming with life louder, the fresh scent of the wild stronger. The world around him had be more beautiful, more potent, more full.

    Something was odd, however. His perspective of this world¡­ it seemed to be a bit off.

    The tall trees he was looking at seemed to have grown enormous.

    He twirled his head back and forth, looking about in confusion. Abruptly, he looked down at his body and came to a realization.

    It wasn¡¯t the forest that had grown. It was him that had shrunk!

    His body had transformed into that of a small, green scaled lizard, with a pair of tiny wings. He had a leathery, scaled hide that gleamed darkling, extremely appealing to the eye. He was around half a meter long, with an adorable face and small ws. His eyes gleamed a dark grey color, filled with mysterious light.

    -Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (1/4) Myyr Hatchling-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 2,313/2000 ¨C

    He examined his status, looking it over in his head. As he read it, he noticed that his Growth Progress had exceeded the needed value. He also noted that the required value was muchrger than the Red Smander needed.

    ¡®Ausra? Why haven¡¯t I evolved into the second Growth Stage?¡¯ He queried.

    ¡®After Evolving, your Soul requires a short period of time to adapt to a new form. Your Soul is currently at the Sky ss Stage. Therefore, you will require roughly 30 hours for your body to fully adapt to this form. The stronger your soul, the less the adaptation period.¡± Ausra¡¯s reply was cool and concise. The genie continued,

    ¡®After your Soul has adapted, you may switch freely between any forms you have previously Evolved from, and your present form.¡¯

    Dorian licked his lips. His tongue was much longer than it had been when he was a Red Smander.

    ¡®Thanks Ausra.¡¯ He replied, mentally shrugging. It seemed he would just have to wait.

    He walked over to a tree, tapping on it several times.

    His ws easily pierced through it. However, with just the physical strength of his body, he was unable to snap the tree like he did when he was an Elder Red Smander. If he exerted himself he could snap it, but it was close.

    Though his Soul Spell Matrix had reached the Sky ss, he was unable to make up for the limitations of his body entirely.

    ¡®Ausra, what ss am I right now?¡¯ he mentally asked the genie in his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡®Myyr Dragons have 4 distinct stages of growth. A Myyr Hatchling is typically at the Mortal ss. However, with your Sky ss Soul Spell Matrix strengthening your physical form, you are presently an Earth ss beast. Once you achieve the 2nd Stage of growth, you should be a full fledged Sky ss beast.¡± Ausra replied.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ He shrugged. It seemed there was nothing he could do about it for now. He really would just have to wait out the 30 hours.

    Well, there was one thing he could do.

    His eyes gleamed. He could still hunt, and absorb more energy to add to his Growth Progress.

    ..

    ¡°Lord Henry.¡± Hadrion gave a nod of recognition to the man before him as he addressed him by his ss title, his voice slightly respectful. ck energy floated around his head, vaguely taking on the shape of a halo as he talked.

    ¡°Lord Hardion. I have heard a great deal of your heroic exploits in the worlds of Mesor, Numel, and Tntris. What, may I ask, brings you here to Hasnorth? And here, to my humble Kingdom?¡±

    An elderly man wearing an expensive silk andce ck set of robes sat upon a throne, staring at the wizard in front of him. A powerful sense of authority rolled off his tongue as he spoke, his wizened eyes gleaming. He had a short head of white hair, and a very long white beard that added to his majestic appearance. A glowing, blue crown that appeared to be made out of water rested upon his forehead.

    This was the Lord ss Wizard Henry Mallion, the Ruler of the Obsidia River Empire. His voice bnced his respect for the young talent before him with a sense of strength from his own age, experience, and might.

    The throne was set in arge hall, where several dozen brilliant pirs made out of some blue rock supported a magnificently painted ceiling, a picture of an enormous river cutting through mountains visible. The hall had been cleared for Hadrion when he arrived. Only himself, some of his subordinates and the Fate Department Wizards they had teamed up with, as well as a few old men standing near the man sitting on the throne.

    ¡°I will not mince words.¡± Hadrion¡¯s voice was gruff as he spoke, as if not used to interacting with other people,

    ¡°His Highness Telmon has instructed all the Departments to investigate anomalous signals in fate that have appeared in various locations. One of these anomalies appeared here on Hasnorth.¡± Hadrion waved his hand behind him, at a in faced woman standing with a few blue robed figures. Larah Consta, a Grandmaster ss Wizard who studied Fate Magic.

    Larah nodded her head slightly, replying,

    ¡°The Fate Department has pinpointed the urrences on Hasnorth to the western locale of your empire.¡±

    The Ruler of the Obsidia River Empire blinked, his eyes widening slightly.

    If this was an order from the Wizard King Telmon¡­ this was absolutely not something his empire could afford to refuse.

    ¡°We will, of course, cooperate with his highness Telmon.¡± The Obsidia River Empire¡¯s voice continued a slight hint of shock. Behind him, several elderly robed men were currently reeling, staring agape at Hadrion. Faintly, Hardion could make out that they were all decently powerful Wizards, at least at the Grandmaster ss. Not bad for a random kingdom on a minor world.

    Hadrion nodded, not expecting any less. A kingdom in a minor world like Hasnorth wouldn¡¯t dare ignore the word of the Wizard King. He turned to look at Larah behind him.

    Larah stepped all the way forward, her eyes cid.

    ¡°After consulting with Fate, we havee up with a n we would like to implement. We have 9 Master ss Fate Wizards here that will begin immediate Fortellings to locate the areas affected by Fate. However, due to the general nature of reading Fate, we would like to ask for your cooperation in expanding a search, and deploying teams of Wizards to contain the anomaly¡­¡±

    ..

    ¡°Ssaauurrrr.¡± Dorian¡¯s voice was raspy, hissing and nearly iprehensible as he sat on a boulder, looking out at a distant sunset.

    ¡°Saaooouuuurrr. Soouurrr. Sooouuurre. Soouur. Sour. Sour.¡± Dorian yed with the word in his mouth, trying to properly say it. He smiled triumphantly as he got the word to sound out clear.

    ¡°That fruit was ssoouur.¡± He muttered, his tiny draconic form turning to look at a mostly eaten Magic Herb lying next to him.

    It had been an eventful day. After transforming into a Myyr Hatchling, he had decided to go hunting for beasts to absorb, trying to gain more energy to store.

    He had already cleared out arge part of the forest he had spawned in at, so he¡¯d made the decision to leave there, journeying back towards the mountains. The Mountain Deer he¡¯d seen earlier looked mighty appetizing to him in his draconic form.

    In terms of speed, as a Myyr Hatchling he was much quicker than he had been as an Elder Red Smander. He was able to deftly move through the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch.

    Before he managed to get the hang of that movement style, he¡¯d smashed his face into several different branches, and even a tree trunk once. Once he kept at it, though, he managed to pick up a natural gait.

    Unfortunately, when he arrived at the mountains, the only beasts he ran into were a herd of Iron Oxen moving through a valley, and an enormous Blue Furred Ape that crashed down in a hurry away from the mountain, fleeing towards the forest.

    He wasn¡¯t too keen on trying to fight an entire herd of powerful beasts yet, and the Blue Furred Ape was a Master ss Beast, ording to Ausra, and would crush him in a fight.

    Thankfully, he¡¯d found a Blue Onion Sweetberry on the way, another type of Magic Herb that added a small amount of energy to his storage, as well as keeping him fed.

    He had returned all the way to the center of the mountains, to the valley between the two shattered peaks.

    He was currently sitting on a random outcropping halfway up one of these shattered peaks, looking out at the sunset wistfully.

    ¡°Moooothraaa. Mottthheeey. Motthheerr. Motherr. Mother.¡± He muttered softly, his voice quiet. Myyr Dragons, like most Draconic beasts in the 30,000 worlds, possessed the ability tomunicate. It required a bit of practice, however.

    ¡°Fattherr. Father.¡± He sighed, his heart all of a sudden feeling heavy. As he thought of his mother and father, memories he had suppressed ever sinceing to this strange world began to flood into his mind.

    The memories of his previous life shed before him. His childhood, growing up with his loving parents as an only child. His best friends Jessica, Phillip, and Tom. Past girlfriends, past lovers. Thankfully he¡¯d been single when he passed into this world, but he still grieved for the pain his parents must feel.

    He wondered if he would ever see them again.

    Dorian was silent as he looked out at the dying sun, his eyes glimmering.

    You never knew what you had till you lost it. He regretted not telling his parents he loved them, just one more time. He regretting not taking that chance, asking that girl of his dreams out. He regretted not finishing his goals, earning his final degree, getting in shape.

    As hey on that deserted rock, tears began to fall down his face. He rocked back and forth, curling up slightly, his small ws clutching at his emerald scales.

    A breeze rustled past the empty valley as the fading light of day passed, the tendrils of night slowly unveiling. The chaotic echoes of the forest began to fade, the world transforming into an abandoned maze of darkness, an eerie reflection of the once full day.

    Leaving alone a small, green scaled dragon, gazing at a vast, empty sky.

    Dorian sighed again, closing his eyes. He took several deep, ragged breaths, shaking the tears from his head.

    He opened his eyes anew, a powerful, enthralling light filling them.

    What use was there, of regretting the long gone past? To dwell on regrets was a path of harm, danger, and death.

    He can¡¯t change what is already done. As far as he knew, there was no going back.

    The Dorian of that world was dead.

    He was still Dorian, but a Dorian born anew.

    In this life, he would have no regrets. He would live to the fullest, however that would be, and wherever that would take him.

    Life was too precious to worry about otherwise.

    He nodded his head and shook out his tiny wings, his eyes sharpening as he turned around, moving down the mountain towards the small cave he¡¯d discovered earlier, heading off to rest.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: Getting Close

    William Robel wiped a sheen of nervous sweat away from his forehead as he stared at the group of men standing in front of him, trying not to shiver.

    His mind wandered as he tried to find out where everything had gone wrong.

    The past few days had been some of the best of William¡¯s life. After he sessfully found a Sky ss Ironhide Wolf, and brought it back safely, he¡¯d gained an enormous amount of merit.

    The Robel Family of Yor City was one of the strongest groups in the western Obsidia Empire. There were over a hundred wizards in the family, though more than half of them weren¡¯t actual family members, but hired on. The head of the family, Garibold Robel, was a powerful Grandmaster ss Wizard that specialized in Earth Magic.

    William was the bastard son of an outer member of the family. His grandfather was the brother of the family head. If his horrid father, Ricard Nobel, hadn¡¯t conceived him with a maid and instead with his wife, his status in the family would have been so much more secure.

    He had been forced to w his way up to where he was now. As a newly promoted Sky ss mage, his future was looking bright. Sessfully capturing a live Ironhide Wolf was the cherry on top, a gift he gave to his great-uncle.

    His hatred for his father hasn¡¯t lessened. But now, his status in the family was secure, and he could truly live up to thest name he held. His grandfather had personally weed him and introduced him to the family head.

    The past few moments, however, had been nerve racking for William.

    He had been settling in to rest after a night out in the town with a few of the cousins he had met over the past few days. He¡¯d been drinking, still celebrating his newfound eptance into the family.

    When he got back to the familypound, arge tract ofnd in the city with dozens of homes and buildings, he¡¯d been weed by arge group of armed warriors and wizards.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, training one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix was the only way to be strong. The strongest humans in existence were all wizards. However, the talent required to be a wizard is significant, and only 1 in 50 people will be able to step beyond the Earth ss in terms of magic.

    If one has no talent in magic, one can always train to be a warrior.

    Wizards grew their Soul Spell Matrix by umting experience in casting spells. A wizard¡¯s soul would gradually adapt over time to the type of magic they used. The more times they cast one spell or another, their soul would be baptized by the magic energy and thews of the universe, gradually increasing in strength.

    This process could be sped up using Magic Herbs or rare concoctions made from Magic Herbs.

    Warriors that couldn¡¯t train magic, however, were forced to take a much cruder path. By training their body extensively, and repeatedly, warriors could also force their Soul Spell Matrix to grow via this kind of physical pseudo-baptism. This, whenbined with Magic Herbs or crafted potions, meant you could be strong even without the ability to use magic.

    The gap between a warrior and a wizard was significant, however.

    It was generally epted that a wizard of one ss could take out a dozen warriors of the same ss with ease.

    A Sky ss Wizard could easily take out a dozen Sky ss Warriors. The higher the ss, therger the gap.

    An Angelic ss Wizard could sweep the floor with a higher ranked Ascendancy ss Warrior.

    It wasn¡¯t that the warrior was weak. It was simply that magic was far, far too powerful.

    When William arrived at his home and saw the group that was weing him, he had almost fainted in horror.

    As a Sky ss Wizard, he had a certain level of sensitivity to other beings. And he could easily detect that the dozen or so ck armored warriors before him were all at least at the Master ss, with incredibly robust physical bodies.

    He might be able to take our one or two of them, but a dozen? As a newly promoted Sky ss mage, he would die a nameless death.

    Thankfully, the group hadn¡¯t attacked him. The heavily armored warriors had stood off to the side, their ck te armor nking against therge great swords they all wielded on their backs, while a quartet of people had approached him.

    The Family Head, Garibold Robel, wearing a set of loose brown silk robes, his gaunt and aged face bearing a warm smile. A calm looking man wearing a set tight fitting grey robes, with a ck, thunderbolt emzoned on them. An overweight man wearing a set of loose blue robes, bearing a pale and exhausted looking face. And another gaunt, elderly figure, dressed in an expensive and very ornate purple shirt and robe.

    He had nearly fainted again upon seeing them. All of them were radiating a powerful feeling of strength, an aura that indicated each figure here outssed him.

    The Family Head had made the first overture, giving him another warm smile, though a stern look of warning remained in his eyes.

    ¡°William, my apologies for the abrupt greeting.¡± He said as he waved his arms behind him.

    ¡°King Henry has personally requested our assistance in a certain matter. This is the Royal Wizard Aymon, specializing in Space Magic.¡± He introduced the elderly man wearing the ornate set of purple robes.

    ¡°And these two are representatives of the Fate Department and the ck Lighting Department of the Borrel Autrachy. Sir Oblong from the Fate Department, and Sir Graxital from the ck Lightning Department.¡±

    The tired looking overweight wizard, Oblong, gave a friendly wave to William, while Graxital merely nodded his head at him.

    William forced himself to calm down. At this point, he was no longer surprised by the strange situation he was in.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± William pressed his hands together and bowed respectfully, not letting his voice tremble. Garibold nodded approvingly.

    ¡°How can I be of service?¡± He queried, feeling a bit lost.

    The overweight wizard Oblong stepped forward,

    ¡°I am a Master ss Wizard specializing in Fate. A full cadre of my brothers has arrived here alongside our sister Department, the ck Lightning Department.¡± He began, waving his hand at the quiet Graxital.

    ¡°The Obsidia River Empire was kind enough to lend us the use of several of their established Space Ways. Aymon was kind enough to assist us in traveling here, while my brethren spread across the Empire trying to pinpoint a recent anomaly.¡± Though he acted like the Empire¡¯s aid was out of kindness, the reality was that the Empire was unable to refuse.

    Spatial or Space Magic was a well established field in the 30,000 Worlds. While it was almost impossible to travel between worlds with Space Magic, or to travel anywhere in a World Bridge due to spatial interference, transport across the surface of an individual world was very possible.

    The Obsidia River Empire had awork of established Spatial Ways, special pathways that connected distant points to each other, created and maintained by wizards studying Space Magic. Operating a Spatial Way required arge amount of energy and focus, one that increased the farther it traveled.

    The Spatial Way Oblong and Graxital had arrived through, alongside the dozen or so ck Iron Guards the Empire had lent them, required a Grandmaster ss Wizard studying Space Magic to operate.

    Aymon happened to be one of only two Grandmaster ss Royal Wizards studying Space Magic in the Empire, and was assigned to help them.

    Oblong continued,

    ¡°My particr Fortelling has led me to your family here.¡± He blinked and rubbed his forehead, looking as if he was trying to wipe away his fatigue,

    ¡°Specifically to you, William.¡±

    William nearly fainted for a third time, his mind racing ahead of him. What on earth could have led to this?!

    ¡°I-I..¡± He stuttered, not knowing how to respond. The Family Head frowned at his response. William took a deep breath, quickly recovering himself. This situation was unprecedented, but he couldn¡¯t let himself flounder now.

    ¡°Ahem. I have no idea what it could be rted to. The only notable actions I¡¯ve taken recently have been to break through the Sky ss with my Wood Magic, and to hunt down an Ironhide Wolf in the Nebra Mountains to the south.¡± His voice was calm and collected, not betraying his emotions.

    However, contrary to his expectations, Oblong¡¯s eyes lit up, the fat on his face trembling as he let out augh.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Immediately the fat wizard sat down on the ground, pping his hands together. White light began to sh around his hands as he moved them in aplex pattern. Soon, this gleaming white light flooded into his eyes, giving him a mystifying appearance.

    William gulped, standing still as he watched the odd antics. He recognized them, somewhat. He¡¯d read about Wizards that studied Fate Magic. Many of their spells centered around using magic to interpret the world around them, to attempt to see into the future or past, and to see how the fate of every being was connected. This field of magic wasn¡¯t always reliable and was very difficult to master.

    The ck Lightning Wizard merely stared at hisrade, as if used to his antics.

    A few moments passed before the fat wizard stood up, visibly shaking with exhaustion, but with a huge smile on his face.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve found a potential lead, Graxital.¡± He said, nodding at his ally. He turned back to face William. He then looked over towards the Royal Wizard Aymon and bowed slightly.

    ¡°It seems we will need your assistance once more, Aymon.¡±

    The elderly man gave a sharp nod and spoke for the first time, his voice aged,

    ¡°It is my pleasure to assist in His Highness Telmon¡¯s mission.¡± His voice contained a faint hint of awe at the name he¡¯d spoken.

    Oblong turned back towards William.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning, after I¡¯ve sufficiently recovered, would you be so kind as to lead us to the ce where you captured that Ironhide Wolf?¡±

    ..

    The next day.

    Dorian yawned as he came awake, feeling calmer than he had in a long time. He blinked his eyes as he came fully awake, taking a look at the dismal cave he was resting in.

    It was the same as ever, poorly lit by the local moss. The damaged Space Pouchy off to the side, discarded and broken. He smiled as he took it all in, feeling at peace with himself.

    His stomach rumbled, however, reminding him that he was still in a body that was swiftly growing.

    ¡®Ausra, how much longer am I in this baby form?¡¯ He queried mentally, focusing on his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡®Approximately 6 more hours,¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice responded cooly in his head, ¡®After which you will be able to evolve into a Young Adult Myyr Dragon, and freely switch between your Smander and Draconic forms, or even merge them, though this may not necessarily create a stronger form.¡¯

    Dorian nodded. It was the answer he expected, ording to what he¡¯d learned so far.

    His stomach rumbled a second time. He stretched his body, feeling the muscles twitch as he got up.

    It was time to go hunting.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Lucky day

    The mountainous region Dorian was in was known as the Nebra Mountains. Therge forest to the south was called the Thousand Oak Forest. The mountains stretched for several dozen miles, while the forests stretched for nearly three hundred miles, taking up huge tracts ofnd, all of it filled with beasts.

    The location Dorian had originally spawned in at was found roughly twenty miles from the Nebra Mountains, in a small, nondescript clearing near a river. A rough dirt crater marred this otherwise picturesque locale, a crater which grass and nts were just now starting to reim.

    On the brook of this river, a young smander with green scales, roughly three fourths of a meter long, was slowly moving about, looking down carefully. Its ws gleamed as it prepared to pounce on any unfortunate fish that came near it. The river shined a brilliant pearly blue, the morning sunlight reflecting off of it.

    Just as the smander was preparing to pounce, a figure blurred into existence behind it and stabbed a hand through its back, directly piercing the smander¡¯s heart. A heavy aura of blood surrounded this figure, giving it an ominous appeal.

    The smander died instantly, red blood spattering on the ground and dyeing the nearby stream pink for a few seconds.

    ¡°Crude as always Brutus.¡± A smooth, enthralling voice rang out from afar as another figure shimmered into existence.

    A petite woman that looked like a human, except for a very faint grey tinge on her skin. Her face was one of beauty, perfectly proportioned lips and gorgeous violet eyes. A small, petite noseplimented her dainty smile, while her long red hair swayed lightly in the breeze, making her appear like some sort of ethereal fairy. She wore a tight set of ck leather that did nothing to hide her curves.

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen this world, Gaia.¡± The speaker shrugged, tossing the dead smander corpse to the side.

    He was a big, brute of a man, bulging muscles barely covered by the loose ck shirt he wore, and a pair of ck leather pants, standing roughly two meters tall. He had short, red hair, with a rough looking face that carried a hint of handsome charm. A strong chin and near perfect proportions were marred by two veryrge red scars, crossing his face in an X pattern that started at each ear, and went across his cheeks, nose, and down to the sides of his neck. His skin was of a simr shade, very faintly grey.

    ¡°Blood Magic: Arise.¡± Brutus said, pping his hands together. A few small golden rings on his hands glinted, clinking quietly as they collided.

    Immediately, the dead smander¡¯s body twitched. A glowing red light appeared around it as it stood up, slowly turning to face the muscr man.

    Brutus turned to look at Gaia, giving her a leer-filled grin, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. The only oddity in his smile were the two pairs of pointed teeth, two on top and two on bottom, that appeared in his mouth, glinting softly.

    ¡°After you, mdy.¡± He bowed crudely.

    Gaia rolled her eyes, making even that look beautiful as she stepped forward. She waved her hand casually to the side.

    From out of seemingly nowhere, a long, red staff with a glowing white crystal shaped like an eyeball appeared, giving off a faintly demonic aura. Gaia held the staff before her, turning to focus on the Arisen Red Smander.

    ¡°Blood Magic: Drawing Fate.¡± She closed her eyes as she spoke, concentrating fully on casting her spell.

    Faint red lines began to rise up from the Smander, slowly connecting with the glowing crimson staff. Red symbols appeared in the air, and vanished mysteriously.

    After a long moment Gaia opened her eyes again.

    ¡°To the north, the disturbance in fate is to the north. The reverberations are getting fainter, and fainter, however. After a few more weeks it will be impossible to track.¡± Her voice rang out, tinged with a hint of excitement.

    Brutus shrugged,

    ¡°As long as we can find it before the humans or shades do, Highlord Marcus won¡¯t care. It¡¯s a shame none of the disturbances appeared in any of our worlds. We were lucky to be on a connector nearby.¡± Brutus¡¯s voice was filled with reverence at the mention of the name Marcus.

    Gaia simply nodded her head, and then waved her hand casually. Immediately, a pool of red blood began to appear, tentacles of red blood whipping back and forth, forming into the shape of a huge, 3 meter tall wolf.

    ¡°Salum,¡± She whispered as she softly stroked the side of the Blood Wolf, her eyes filled with gentle love and care,¡±Lead me to the one that disturbed fate.¡±

    ..

    Dorian grinned cheerfully as looked down at the meat in front of him. Today really was his lucky day.

    After he got up, he¡¯d set off to go hunting. His goal today was mostly just to loaf around till he was able to evolve to a stronger form. His current form was fast, but not very strong.

    Therefore, to fill his stomach, he¡¯d decided to hunt some fish from the river, and then go looking for some Magic Herbs.

    When he left his hidden cave, however, he found a small group of Mountain Deer grazing by the river.

    ording to Ausra, most of the Mountain Deer were either Earth or Mortal ss. Even as a Myyr Wyrmling, he should be able to handle something like that.

    Especially with his me ws ability.

    ording to Ausra, every Ability he learned would stick with him, no matter what physical form he had. It was a very useful benefit that he absolutely would take advantage of.

    Dorian had stalked the deer, slowly crawling up a tree to the side of the valley. He then quietly leapt from tree to tree, focusing on the deer down below.

    Eventually he reached one of the paths that led to the valley river, worn away by thousands of beasts moving over time.

    He hid on a tree branch, remaining absolutely still as he watched the deer.

    Mountain Deer wererge, but not too abnormallyrge. They were just a little bigger than regr deer, back on Earth, with tougher brown leather hide, and very solid ck hooves.

    Eventually the deer began to leave the valley, having drunk their fill. There were roughly twenty of them, a sizable group.

    They began to head towards the path Dorian was hovering over.

    Dorian hadn¡¯t picked this path by chance. After observing the deer before, he knew their type were skittish, and would stick to routine. This path was not only one that was decently open on all sides, with only a few trees blocking one¡¯s vision, but the most well worn path in the valley.

    As the deer began to travel under him, Dorian bided his time, picking out his target. Arge, meaty dear at the back of the pack.

    He¡¯d considered going for a weaker looking one, but decided against it. With his current capabilities, he should have no trouble taking out a deer of this stature.

    Tense seconds went by, and soon thatrge deer was right below him.

    Moving quickly, Dorian jumped down from the branch he was on, activating his me ws ability as he attacked. He had practiced the Ability often enough that he could use it instantly now.

    His ws glowed a fiery red white as they plunged into the flesh of the deer. A split secondter the herd of deer scattered, panicking at the sight of a predator. The smell of cooked meat began to drift, sizzling.

    The meaty deer Dorian had attacked leapt up into the air and struggled, trying to through Dorian off. Its muscr shoulders made its movements much stronger than that of any regr deer on earth, each stomp exerting hundreds of pounds of pressure.

    Dorian was relentless in his pursuit, however, and plunged his ws deeper, feeling the struggles of the deer weaken.

    A few seconds passed, and the deer copsed, its bodyying still as it passed on.

    Dorian blinked as he looked down, finally noticing something.

    The smell of cooked flesh in this body¡­ it smelled¡­ delicious!

    When he was in his Red Smander form, he hadn¡¯t cared whether the flesh of an animal he hunted was cooked or not. The rich, raw taste of blood had been a delight to his tongue.

    In this body, however¡­ Dorian wasn¡¯t sure if his taste buds had changed, but the smell of the deer in front of him was mouth watering.

    He frowned as he looked down at his hands, however. The fire from his ws was a bit too hot. The flesh of the deer where his ws hadnded had charred ck. If he wanted to roast this deer, he¡¯d need to figure out a way to tone down the heat on his ws, or use some other method.

    As he thought about this, he turned to the side, eyeing the tree next to him. In particr, a set of long, two inch thick branches, an idea running through his mind.

    ..

    ¡°Space Magic: Blinking Ship!¡± Royal Wizard Aymon¡¯s voice quivered as he pped his hands together, drawing energy from his Soul Spell Matrix to power the spell. He made several confusing motions with his hands, a stream of glowing white symbols forming in the air.

    After a few moments, the vague outline of a small, floating white boat took shape in the air. It gave off faint reverberations that shook the air, mystifying energy waves that were almost impossible to understand.

    William looked on in awe at the transparent, floating ship, his eyes curious.

    They were currently standing outside of Yor City. The city itself was around 3 and a half miles wide, one of thergest cities this far west in the Obsidia River Empire. The walls of the city were one of its centerpieces, huge 10 meter high stone walls, enchanted with spells to reinforce them. The city was a powerful stronghold, once used as a frontier city to clear out various beasts.

    The Obsidia River Kingdom was still in the process of expanding and conquering new territory.

    After touching base with the Nobel Family, the defacto rulers of Yor City, the Department Wizards had stayed over at the Nobel Familypound. It was currently the morning of the day after.

    One of William¡¯s spells created a transport vessel like this. But just by looking at the floating ship, William could already tell this one far outssed his own.

    ¡°Excellent magic!¡± The talkative Fate Wizard Oblong said cheerfully as the floating ship began tond, ready to be boarded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Oblong turned to look at William, grinning happily. The Fate Wizard was extremely pleased with the results of his Foretelling. He had already sent a message to the Fate Wizard standing with Lord Hadrion. If things turned out well, this might be the lucky break he needed to get his name out there and gain the resources he needed to step into the Grandmaster ss.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± William said, quickly stepping forward. Behind William were several Nobel Family Sky ss warriors, sent by the Family Head to protect him.

    After the Department Wizards had left to rest, the Family Head had pulled him aside, urging him to cooperate fully. If he could make a good impression, it was entirely possible he could attend one of the Department Academies. There was, after all, a Wood Magic Department.

    Any family that had a Wizard in one of the 108 Departments was a family destined for greatness far beyond ruling a small tract ofnd in a minor world like Hasnorth.

    William eagerly jumped on board, walking carefully. With his magic sensitivity, he was able to clearly make out the outline of the ship, but the transparentness of it was disorienting.

    Behind him, the ck Lightning Grandmaster Wizard Graxital stepped aboard, followed by the ck Iron Guards the Obsidia River Empire had provided. These powerful warriors were some of the highest ranked fighters in the entire nation, members of the 5,000 man strong ck Iron Battalion.

    Oblong and Aymon boardedst. As they get settled in, the Space Wizard Aymon raised his hands, fluttering them in the air before him before turning to face William expectantly.

    ¡°Now, please direct my course, young wizard.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Confusion

    Dorian snagged a set of wooden branches, slicing them off the mid sized tree with ease. They were sturdy pieces of some type of wood, strong and flexible. He cleared any stray leaves off them and held them under his arm, dragging them alongside the dead deer off to the side near the river.

    He took a few careful nces around.

    These mountains were a dangerous area, but he hadn¡¯t yet encountered any Grandmaster ss beasts in this valley itself. The area here seemed like a ce that was rtively safe.

    Even if he did encounter any danger, he could just activate the King ss Aura he had stored in his Soul. None of the beasts he had seen had too high levels of intelligence, so more likely than not they would fall for it and run off in fear.

    It was time he really treated himself, for once, he decided. He felt really good after letting his emotions loose the other day. With his powerful trump card protecting him, he could afford to rx.

    After setting the branches and the dead deer down, Dorian quickly began to clip some of the wood. He began forming a small stack of wood for a fire, creating a pyramid shape.

    He took two of the longer branches, and stabbed them into the ground on opposite sides of the small wooden pyramid. They rested about five feet above the pyramid stack of wood.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He said aloud, looking at the dead deer.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m supposed to remove the intestines or something like that, right, before cooking?¡± He rubbed a w against his forehead, trying to remember.

    On Earth he had been a simple university graduate. He knew a lot about math and physics, had participated in a couple dancing clubs on campus, but he had hardly been the type to go out camping.

    He shrugged,

    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m a Dragon. It¡¯ll probably be fine.¡±

    He turned around and took one of the longer branches. He shaved the ends of each side to make it pointed, measuring it so it was about the length between the two wooden stakes in the ground.

    He poked two holes in the stakes, making sure they were high up, and double checked to be sure thest piece of wood could connect them.

    He then turned to look at the deer, licking his lips.

    ¡°Time to get cooking!¡±

    ..

    WHOOSH

    A small gust of wind sted outward as the flying ship made out of magic dissipated, falling into nothingness.

    William looked around the mountainside they hadnded on, his eyes careful.

    The journey here had taken a very short time. The ship the Space Wizard had created was able to move through space at an abnormally fast speed, blinking through the sky. It also had the ability to hide the presence of those on board, meaning it could be flown in dangerous areas.

    They had touched down in the middle of the mountains, very close to where William had hunted down that Ironhide Wolf.

    ording to Oblong, it was because of the presence of several Grandmaster ss beasts lurking in upper region of the mountain peaks, as well as him sensing something through his Fate Magic. Landing directly in the valley between the shattered peaks would probably lead to them being detected and attacked even through the Space Magic protection when they were high in the sky. It was far safer tond on the side of one of the empty mountains.

    They could deal with the attacks of several Grandmaster ss beasts if they needed to. But, it would be much safer if they could avoid them, and if they started a ruckus it might alert whatever anomaly they were trying to find.

    What exactly they were looking for Oblong hadn¡¯t made clear to William. Just that they would know it when they saw it.

    It only took them a few short minutes to reach the valley where William had found the Ironhide Wolf. Once they reached it, however, Oblong had called them to a halt.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The fat Fate Wizard sat on the ground, rubbing his chin. A look of curiosity covered his face.

    ¡°Has anything notable in history happened in this area in the past?¡± He abruptly turned to William.

    William was slightly taken aback by the abrupt question. He thought about it hard beforeing up with a response,

    ¡°Legend has it that a stray hunter found a great treasure here, more than 800 years ago. There¡¯s also a legend that a great flood of beasts rushed from these mountains after a blinding meteor crashed here, swarming and almost destroying the predecessor of Yor City. It¡¯s part of the reason for Yor City¡¯s great walls.¡±

    Oblong paid close attention as he spoke, rubbing his chin a second time. He turned to hispanion,

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, Graxital. There¡¯s something weird here, a strange aura of death.¡±

    The ck Lightning Wizard shrugged. He was currently scanning the nearby area, keeping on alert. The warriors they¡¯d brought had set up a small perimeter, protecting them from any surprises.

    ¡°We can¡¯t turn back now. We¡¯ll just have to push through.¡± His voice was cool.

    Oblong struggled to his feet, his portly figure trembling slightly. The Royal Wizard Aymon watched this all dispassionately, a slight hint of mockery in his eyes.

    ¡°Yes, be that as it may be¡­¡± Oblong began, motioning with his hands, ¡°I still think we should make our path carefully and-¡±

    Before he could finish speaking, however, one of the Master ss ck Iron Guards rushed forward, his helmet pulled up to reveal a face of absolute confusion.

    ¡°Uh, milords.¡± The guard¡¯s gruff voice cut off the wizards as he bowed, and then stood at attention.

    ¡°Yes man?¡± Oblong said, his voice going back to its regr cheer.

    ¡°We¡­ uh-, found something, sir.¡± He said, stumbling over his words.

    ¡°Found something? Well, what is it? Don¡¯t just leave us at that, man.¡± Graxital broke in, a look of annoyance on his face.

    ¡°Uh-¡­ um, I- I don¡¯t know how to describe it. You¡¯ll need to see for yourself sir.¡± The man wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead, motioning behind him, where a small trail of smoke was rising into the air.

    ..

    ¡±

    ¡°Careful Salum.¡± Gaia muttered, stroking her Blood Wolf slowly as it chomped down on the corpse before her. She gazed at it lovingly.

    Arge, 3 meter Blue Furred Apey on the ground, dead, red blood flowing from its body into the huge wolf. A strange red aura seemed to merge the two beings together, giving them an odd, unholy appearance.

    They currently stood in the midst of the Nebra Mountains, very close to a pair of oddly shattered peaks. An eerie air filled this mountain range, making both her and Brutus shiver. Something unnatural, something deathly had happened here.

    Blood Magic, the magic that all of her kind used, was incredibly diverse, with many different applications. There were so many branches that it was called a virtually unlimited type of magic.

    Even the humans studied blood magic, seeking to unlock its mysteries. They were no match for nobles like themselves, however. Their pitiful skill was nothing next to masters like herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a Blood Wolf.¡± Brutus¡¯ voice crudely cut into the moment, ruining Gaia¡¯s quiet appreciation of Salum.

    Gaia spun around, ring at the hulking vampire. Her eyes spat daggers at him as she responded,

    ¡°Salum is a beautiful boy, far more than just a Blood Wolf. He is more deserving of love than you, Brutus.¡± Her eyes took on an unhinged look as she responded, a dangerous aura starting to rise around her. Small lines of red light began to hover around her arms and hands.

    Brutus grinned as he saw this,

    ¡°You want to go at it again now, Gaia?¡± He pped his hands together. Immediately, two blood red gauntlets appeared, gleaming brightly in the midmorning light.

    A look of fury appeared on the female vampire¡¯s face as she struggled to control her emotions. Slowly, she took a deep breath, rolling her eyes as she turned back to look at Salum, a sour look on her face.

    ¡°We¡¯ll eat moreter, Salum. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± She said, stroking the Blood Wolf once more. It slowly got up, moving away from the corpse of the Master ss beast.

    She gave Brutus one more re before following the wolf as it headed into the valley between the two shattered peaks, where a lone, plume of smoke rose into the sky.

    ..

    Dorian grinned in delight, wiping off his ws in the nearby river.

    Making a spit had turned out exactly as he wanted, and creating a fire had been even easier. He looked back at the roasting deer corpse, salivating already.

    The sizzling fat, the taste of warm, cooked meat rolling on his tongue, the juices melting in his mouth¡­

    He could already imagine it. He did a happy little dance as he walked around the fire, pleased, his luscious green scales glimmering in the sunlight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any seasoning or sauce¡­¡± He muttered, scratching his head. He took a brief nce around, failing to find anything that looked like a seasoning or sauce.

    And, if he was perfectly honest, he had no idea what type of nt would act as a seasoning. Were seasonings even made from nts? Parsley was, he knew that. But what was salt made from?

    ¡­salt?

    He shrugged again, ming hisck of interest in cooking or chemistry. If he¡¯d known he was going to be reborn in another world where magic exists, he would have prepared much more extensively. It¡¯s not like he asked to be here.

    *sizzle*

    A sizzling sound woke Dorian from his thoughts, the deer on the wooden spit roasting smoothly. He walked up to the spit, turning the deer over.

    ¡°Should I have removed the skin?¡± He queried, deciding the next time he cooked he would try that in the future.

    As he watched the meat cook on the fire, he leaned back for a moment. He felt like he was in a cowboy western, living out on the American frontier. Cooking food in the wilds of the wilderness, far and away from civilization.

    While the Wild West didn¡¯t exactly have dragons in it, the image still filled Dorian¡¯s mind.

    A tune of a song he¡¯d heard recently, on Earth, rose up in his mind. He slowly began to hum it, tapping his wed foot to the beat.

    ..

    A hundred meters away, the group of human mages and warriors slowly crept through the underbrush, sneaking about. Soon, they reached an opening in the trees, where they could peer into the center of the valley, where the river ran through.

    Near the center of the valley, the group could make out a small green dragon, standing next to what appeared to be arge deer cooking over a fire.

    ¡°Halt!¡± Graxital whispered fiercely, staring at the small dragon in confusion. William froze with him, his heart pounding nervously.

    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Graxital held his hand up, motioning at his ears, and then towards the center of the valley.

    William strained his ears, listening as best he could. Vaguely, he could make out an odd string of noises¡­ing from the small green scaled dragon.

    ¡°Country roooads¡­ Take me hoooome¡­ To the aaace! I beloooong!¡± An odd but melodious voice continued, echoing in the small valley, seeminglying from the same small dragon before their eyes,

    ¡°West Virginiaaa! Mountain Mamaaaa! Take me hoooome!¡±

    Oblong stared at the small dragon with an unknown look in his eyes, both his hands held out in the air giving off a sense of loss,

    ¡°Is it¡­ singing?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: Godly Dragon

    Gaia stood still, her head tilting to the side as she looked at the odd, tiny green dragon standing at the center of the valley. Her handy resting on her Blood Wolf, stroking his shoulder softly.

    She turned around and looked at Brutus.

    She then turned and looked back at Dorian.

    And then back at Brutus.

    And then back at Dorian.

    ¡°That is one of the beings that has twisted Fate? That caused Highlord Marcus to send out a hunting order?¡± Gaia¡¯s statement was more of a question, her voice filled with incredulity as she kept stroking Salum¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°If the wolf led us here, that sounds like a safe guess.¡± Brutus responded, staring at the small, weird dragon with a bored look. Even from this distance, he could feel that it was a weak creature. He could probably defeat it with a single blow, unless it was hiding some secret power.

    ¡°Is it¡­ cooking a deer over a fire?¡± Her voice was deadpan, almost emotionless. Her eyes, however, werepletely serious.

    ¡°Seems like.¡± Brutus grunted, supremely unconcerned.

    ¡°And now it¡¯s singing?¡± She continued, her eyes locked onto the small dragon. Dorian¡¯s singing voice carried quietly through the valley, joyfully spreading his love of West Virginia.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Brutus replied, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°And now¡­ it¡¯s dancing?¡± Gaia blinked, and then looked down at her hands, pinching herself.

    ¡°Energetic little fe.¡± Brutus shrugged.

    Gaia turned and red at him, rolling her eyes in annoyance, ¡°Would it kill you to show interest in anything?¡±

    Brutus gave her a grin, showing the white of his pointed, vampiric teeth.

    ¡°I have quite a few interests. What would you care to learn about?¡± He was about to continue, giving her a leer filled grin, but abruptly grewpletely serious, his head whipping to the north.

    Gaia froze as well, turning her head to the opposite side of the valley, her eyes narrowing.

    ¡°Humans.¡±

    ..

    ¡°It¡¯s so tasty!¡± Dorian did a little happy dance, his tiny dragon feet pitter-pattering as he ran around the fire in happiness. Every little thing, even the small things, seemed to be so much fuller after he let go of his worries the other night.

    He was currently munching on an entire roast deer thigh. It was meaty and well cooked, the insides melting with juices. The vors rolled over his tongue as he sank his teeth into them, the fat sizzling in his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s SO good!¡± Tears of joy came into his eyes.

    It had truly been a long time since he tasted something as good as this. Even when he was eating other beasts as a Red Smander, where his taste buds had adapted for raw meat and delighted in blood, there was a certain mental limit Dorian ced.

    As someone with a human mindset, he just couldn¡¯t fully enjoy eating raw blood and meat.

    But this deer thigh¡­ it was well cooked¡­ juicy and delicious¡­ the greatest thing he had eaten since he came to exist in this world.

    Dorian looked up at the sky and then at the deer that was still roasting on the spit. He bowed slightly, showing his respect.

    It was right after, however, that he noted the presence of several human beings walking towards him, causing him to instantly go on alert.

    ..

    ¡°Hey little guy!¡± Oblong motioned with his hands in a non-threatening way, keeping his voice and tone down.

    After observing the small green dragon, he could tell it wasn¡¯t very powerful. Wizards were very sensitive to the strength of other beings, and could usually tell if a being had a stronger Soul Spell Matrix than them.

    He¡¯d also cast a very fast Fate cantrip, designed to gleam general information about a being. From that, he discovered that the creature was very young for a dragon, though his spell results had thrown him slightly. The dragon was either a rtively small number of days old, or around twenty to twenty five years in age, his spell couldn¡¯t seem to decide.

    It was the curse of Fate Magic, he¡¯d thought, shaking his head in exasperation. Any spell that tried to unravel Fate was bound to be difficult to understand, especially the less information you had about someone or something.

    Still, the beast before them was definitely odd, and definitely young, and his magic indicated that Fate around it was twisted. It was the target they were looking for.

    He motioned with his hands again, this time in a gentle waving gesture, indicating for the guards to step forward and start to encircle the dragon. They couldn¡¯t have it escaping.

    Graxital kept a close watch on the beast, his hands behind his back gathering a small ball of ck energy.

    The Royal Wizard Aymon, meanwhile, watched everything dispassionately, staying at the back of the group. He didn¡¯t seem to trust anything about the appearance of the beast before him, probably something that came from experience.

    ¡°Just rx, we¡¯re just here toe talk. Let¡¯s be friends!¡± Oblong continued babbling nonsense, focusing on his tone. No one here was fluent in Draconic, and while whatever the dragon wyrmling had been singing wasn¡¯t in Draconic, it certainly wasn¡¯t in anguage he understood.

    The small green dragon stood frozen, raising a half eaten deer thigh to its mouth as it stared back at the approaching humans. It seemed like it was about to bolt, its body starting to tremble.

    ¡°William.¡± Oblong said, turning his eyes to the side briefly. The young Wood Magic Wizard had proven adaptable and calm, even when faced with surprises. Oblong had been quite impressed with his performance thus far.

    In addition, Wood Magic was truly a versatile and useful type of magic.

    William stepped forward, his eyes focused on the small drake. A slight drop of sweat rolled down his forehead as he concentrated, not letting himself slip up. For some odd reason, the dragon he was zoning in on seemed to be ring reproachfully at him.

    ¡°Wood Magic: Seali-¡±

    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡± Graxital¡¯s normally quiet voice shook the valley as he abruptly yelled out loud, interrupting William.

    ..

    ¡®Crap.¡¯ Dorian split into panic as he saw the approaching humans, freezing up. He had no idea what to do. Should he run? He held the roasted deer thigh in his hand, almost as if to use it as a club. His heart began to pound, causing him to tremble with whatever the draconic equivalent of adrenaline was.

    As he was now, in his baby dragon form, he definitely wasn¡¯t able to confront anything tough. In addition, he recognized one of the humans here. It was the same human that had tried to attack him in his Red Smander form! One that had used magic! He gave the human a re for good measure.

    ¡°Hey little guy!¡± One of the humans began speaking one of thenguages Dorian now knew, Common. He was a very overweight man wearing a set of loose blue robes, with a poor attempt at a friendly look on his face. The man waved at him in a non-threatening manner. Around him, however, several humans wearing ck armor started to surround Dorian.

    ¡°Just rx, we¡¯re just here toe talk. Let¡¯s be friends!¡±

    Dorian mentally rolled his eyes at the man¡¯s words, despite his heart full of panic.

    ¡®Sure you are, buddy.¡¯ He thought, his eyes darting from side to side.

    He felt oddly threatened by the humans in front of him, his senses telling him that they were stronger than him. The closer the warriors got, the closer the robed men got, the bigger that sense was.

    ¡®Can I run?¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes darted to the side, his body tensing. The warriors in ck armor, however, seemed to more far more swiftly than they appeared to be, already cutting off most escape routes. By the time Dorian tried to flee, he felt as if they would instantly catch up with him.

    His eyes glinted as he forced himself to calm down, controlling his fear and analyzing the situation. It seemed he would need to rely on the Aura stored by his Soul Spell Matrix in his Soul.

    The Wizard he had seen before stepped forward,

    ¡°Wood Magic: Seali-¡±

    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡±

    He was just about to draw on that Aura when a small explosion detonated, knocking into several of the warriors that were surrounding him.

    The ck armored men to his right and left were thrown backwards as what appeared to be a several meterrge eruption of blood appeared, sting them backwards. Small shockwaves mmed into Dorian, stunning him as the scene around him abruptly unfolded into chaos.

    ..

    ¡°Blood Magic! It¡¯s some damned Nobles! Look alive!¡± Graxital yelled out loud,unching the ball of ck Lightning he had formed earlier forward, towards a spot on the opposite side of the clearing.

    A pair of tall oak trees exploded into wooden shrapnel as his attack mmed into that area, creating a small distraction.

    He immediately pped his hands together and then raised them up, casting a spell.

    ¡°ck Lightning Magic: ck Calling!¡± Overhead, nearly a thousand meters above them, several lines of ck energy formed, starting to rotate. Gradually, nearly clouds became drawn into this vortex, slowly bing something ominous. A heavy, ck aura of energy surrounded Graxital, shivering around him.

    Aymon, the Royal Wizard, waved his hands, concentrating as he created a transparent Spatial Barrier that surrounded his body, protecting him. Casting spells without calling their names aloud was an extremely difficult feat that one could only manage after many years of experience and practice targeting one specific spell.

    Oblong gave him a sidelong irritated nce for an instant. Creating a Spatial Barrier to protect only himself¡­ It wasn¡¯t exactly unexpected, since they weren¡¯trades, and it wasn¡¯t wrong of him either. Your own personal safety as a wizard was paramount, and even Department Wizards couldn¡¯t force other wizards to do what they said, not if they were of equal or greater strength under thews of the Borrel Autarchy.

    But it still annoyed him.

    Oblong grunted and held his hands out in front of him, his long experience as a Department Wizarding into y as he maintained his calm,

    ¡°Fate Magic: Lucky Guard!¡± A green glow briefly surrounded him.

    Not a split secondter, several dozen arrows of glowing red blood shot forward, targeting the wizards at the base of the group, ignoring the scattered and wounded warriors. These arrows hurtled forward at breakneck speed, carrying a deadly strength.

    Only a few blood arrows went towards the Royal Wizard, and all of them failed to even scratch Aymon¡¯s Spatial Barrier. Every single arrow that went towards Oblong seemed to just barely miss him, entirely by lucky chance.

    The arrows that tried to m into Graxital shriveled as they came into contact with the ck aura surrounding him, failing to do any harm.

    William, unfortunately, took the brunt of the damage here.

    He was knocked backwards off his feet, mming several meters through the air. Oblong cursed mentally at this, ming his own poor nning.

    The difference between a Master ss and a Sky ss Wizard wasn¡¯t just in their concentration of energy.

    Once any Wizard reached the Master ss, their Soul Spell Matrix transformed slightly, granting them a powerful innate barrier. This barrier would be active at all times, but only drawing energy when an attacknded on it.

    The barrier itself used a huge amount of energy, and was inefficientpared to protective Magic. However, simply having this protective barrier was a huge safeguard against surprise attacks, or physical attacks.

    William, unfortunately, had no such barrier, and either wasn¡¯t experienced enough or strong enough to raise a powerful protective spell in time.

    The bastard son of an important family looked down at his body as he crashed into a set of trees hard, feeling his ribs and legs fracture. Two enormous holes could be seen, one in the lower portion of his chest, and one on his hip, holes thatpletely drilled through bone and flesh. Not a trace of blood could be seen in these wounds.

    His lips turned pale as he was overwhelmed with pain. With shaky hands, he twirled both fingers, stuttering out,

    ¡°Wood Magic: Great Elm¡¯s Healing Branches.¡±

    Shortly after, he copsed, his body going into shock at the horrendous wounds, falling unconscious. Around him, several small branches grew from the ground and began to cover his body in a cocoon.

    A momentter, two figures walked into the clearing. One enormous hulking brute of man, with a set of crimson gauntlets on his hands and arms, and another gorgeous woman, wearing a thin, revealing set of ck leather armor. Their skin had a faint, grey skin tone, and an aura of blood surrounded both.

    ¡°Damned Nobles.¡± Oblong swore aloud, holding his hands before him as he took charge. Aymon watched everything in his continued dispassion, not even trying to help. Oblong could even sense him preparing to flee, using his Space Magic. He mentally swore again.

    ¡°This is human territory! You have no right to be here. Leave immediately!¡± Oblong threatened them, stalling for time while Graxital charged up his spell.

    Vampire Nobles, or Nobles as they were oft called, were one of the contenders for dominance in the 30,000 Worlds. While the Borrel Autrachy controlled more than 10,000 Worlds, the three Vampire Families controlled only 91 Worlds.

    That wasn¡¯t because they were weak. Far from it, the Highlords at the helm of each Vampire Family were able to contend with the Mad Kin- the Wizard King Telmon, Oblong mentally corrected himself, carefully studying the two figures before him. That said, the Highlords could only contend. Even if all three worked together, they would be unable to defeat Telmon. That man was simply an abnormality in his own right.

    The Nobles seemed to abhor change, usually remaining in the worlds they had already conquered, ruling them as they saw fit. Thus, the Autrachy and the Noble Families didn¡¯t collide too often, not after the Autrachy learned which worlds they controlled. Even the weakest Vampire was equivalent in strength to an Earth ss beast, after all, far surpassing the weakest humans.

    The Autrachy had far bigger problems to focus on, like the Draconic Tribes or the Graal alliance.

    Oblong shook the stray thoughts from his mind as he focused on the Nobles in front of him, readying himself to react. There was no chance these two were here by chance. They must be after the disturbance in fate too.

    ¡°Leave?¡± The woman¡¯s voice softly filled the valley air, a hint of glee in it. The big brute of a man stepped forward, giving a grin that showed his pointed teeth.

    ¡°Why would we leave after finding such delightful food! Salum! Come!¡± She pped her hands with a warm smile.

    Immediately after, an enormous, hulking Blood Wolf appeared, stomping into the valley proper.

    Oblong¡¯s eyes widened as he saw it, and he cursed yet again. He swiftly began nning a withdrawal route in case Graxital was unable to handle them.

    The female Noble before him must be at the peak of the Grandmaster ss, at minimum, to have such an enormous Blood Wolf familiar.

    Vampires had incredibly regenerative skills, innate ess to powerful Blood Magic with experience that far outstripped even the most skilled human Blood Wizards, and extreme physical endurance and strength.

    Oblong clenched his fists in rage, his eyes turning bloodshot and the fat on his body trembling. He¡¯de all this way, and even found the disturbance in Fate, the small, weak green dragon, and it seemed he might lose out to a pair of deviled bloodsuckers.

    At this thought, Oblong shifted his eyes to the ground between the vampires and him, where the green dragony on the ground in fear.

    No, not on the ground in fear, Oblong observed in that split second. The dragon was, oddly enough, leaning forward with its chest puffed out, as if it was about to yell, its body trembling.

    It was at that moment that every living being in the valley frozepletely.

    Every animal within ten miles abruptly began to tremble, Master ss beasts on distant mountains directly copsing, Grandmaster ss beasts in the midst of sleeping, battle, or rest freezing in terror, their eyes widening in horror.

    For at that moment, an Aura began to spread out, an Aura so devastatingly threatening that the air itself seemed to shake. An awe inspiring, majestic red haze descended and gathered upon the tiny green-scaled dragon, as if he was a mythical beast of legend.

    ¡°YOU DARE IGNORE THIS GODLY DRAGON?!¡±

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Bluffing

    On the outside, Dorian was the picture of a cool, confident, godly dragon giving off an unsurpassed aura with simmering arrogance. His scales gleamed, the red haze of power that surrounded him enuating his draconic nature.

    On the inside¡­ Dorian was freaking out.

    Back when he was a human, one of his favorite hobbies had been dancing. He¡¯d performed on several small dance teams at his college, nothing too serious, but still something he enjoyed. He¡¯d also participated in a few small ys in high school, and a single musical in college.

    Stage fright was a terrible thing, but it was a fear he had thought conquered.

    Now, however, as Dorian put up an angry face, ring in fury at the warriors and wizards surrounding him, he realized that was a sentiment that could not be more wrong.

    His body trembled against his will as he slowly turned his neck, ring at each offending side. He could only pray they didn¡¯t notice. He wasn¡¯t even sure if his face actually looked angry. How was he supposed to know how a dragon¡¯s facial expressions looked?

    His eyes glowed as he forced himself to focus, feeling as if he was about to be sick.

    After the two sides began fighting, Dorian had immediately seen how dangerous a situation he was in. The sheer power and strength each side showed off was something he could easily die from. A stray st of that ck lightning could incinerate him.

    It would be impossible to sneak away safely, not when he was directly between the two sides, and standing still and doing nothing would be like asking to die.

    So, he did the only thing he could think of.

    ¡®Ausra, how do I activate the Aura we stored?¡¯ He¡¯d asked as the battle began to unfold.

    ¡®Simply will it to surround you from your Soul, like a warm nket covering you.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s response had been concise, but informative.

    Just like the genie in his Soul Spell Matrix said, activating the Aura was like drawing a nket around him, covering himself. He¡¯d mentally willed the small red bead in his soul to move, drawing upon it.

    As he did so, the bead visible grew smaller, losing roughly 1/4th its mass.

    An incredible feeling of power and strength sweltered upon him. He felt as if he was looking upon the world with dominance, as if every being here was made to live under his rule. The feeling was addicting, sweeping through his mind with abandon.

    Drawing from that feeling as inspiration, Dorian began acting like how he thought a godly dragon would act.

    ..

    THUMP THUMP

    THUMP THUMP

    THUMP THUMP

    Graxital saw his death.

    He stood absolutely still, not daring to move a muscle. His heart pounded, sounding like the footsteps of a great, lumbering behemoth in his ears. His eyes werepletely open as he put his full andplete attention on the tiny green dragon in front of him.

    The small dragon gave off an aura that was so incredibly mighty that Graxital knew that if he moved, he would be killed within seconds. Its deep, ck eyes gleamed with unspeakable anger as it stared into his soul.

    Even now, he could see the monstrous dragon shaking in rage, its aura palpitating off of it. Its face was pulled up in an unnatural, hideous snarl, grotesque and horrifying to look at. The half eaten deer thighbone it held in its ws was like a sword of destruction, power pulsing around it.

    The beast was clearly beyond reasoning with.

    It was a wonder that he was still alive, in fact.

    Graxital was a tried and true magician, a wizard that had been trained in the ck Lightning Department for more than 12 years. He had reached the Grandmaster ss justst year, and was considered one of the most experienced Wizards in his age group.

    It was because of this that he managed to secure a position under Lord Hadrion, the Rising Star of the ck Lightning Department.

    Histe father had always told him that hard work would bring results, but only if whom you worked for was an honest man. And Lord Hadrion was gruff, forbearing, but most of all honest.

    He¡¯d only followed the man for a year, but had been extremely impressed with his integrity and the care he showed, not only for himself, but for all the Wizards and humans around him. His gruff, silent personality was merely a cloak for a great man.

    As his life shed before his eyes, Graxital felt himself reach a sense of inner peace.

    He needed to warn Lord Hadrion. This vile, twisted Dragon before him a creature that was at least at the peak of the Lord ss, maybe stronger. Even Lord Hardion could be killed if taken by surprise.

    He could not let that man perish.

    And he was willing to die to ensure that.

    Far, up above, his spell ck Calling had finished, several enormous clouds having formed in the air above them, slowly rotating. It was a powerful elemental gathering spell, making use of the environment to strengthen one¡¯s attack.

    Unfortunately, an attack of this scale that wouldn¡¯t even be able to scratch the dragon in front of him he knew, not even bothering to try.

    He closed his eyes, and then opened them, a calm smile appearing on his face.

    ¡°Lightning Magic: Requiem Above.¡± He made his move all at once, pouring every fiber of energy he had in his body into casting this spell. They could not depend on the mercy of this beast to spare them. Even Aymon, the Space Wizard, was frozen in terror, unable to flee.

    Requiem Above was a special spell, unique to Lightning Magic. It made use of the ambient energy to create arge shockwave.

    This spell was usually used to st awayrge numbers of attacks in the air, detonating in an explosion. It was a rather umon spell, and few Wizards in the ck Lightning Department studied it.

    He nodded and smiled as he began to slip into unconsciousness, seeing the shockwave start to expand a thousand meters in the sky.

    Thest thing he saw was that horrifying, evil dragon ring death at him, and hisrade Oblong giving him a smile of eptance, his eyes gleaming with tears at his sacrifice.

    ..

    Oblong stared at his idiotpanion, his face frozen in a smile of pure, unadulterated rage. He¡¯d known Graxital was the quiet type when they¡¯d partnered up, but had beenpletely unaware of his apparently suicidal nature.

    ¡®Are you trying to get us all killed?!¡¯ His eyes were bloodshot, tears of frustration and fury welling up as he saw Graxital cast his spell and then copse. Oblong¡¯s arms trembled as he dashed forward, grabbing ahold of the fool¡¯s body.

    What a terribly unlucky day.

    Far above, an enormous shockwave began to spread out, sting apart the clouds that had formed. A small explosion of ck lightning shot up into the air, crackling. Around the ck lightning, white energy began to crackle, further fueling the expanding shockwave.

    sting off like an enormous signal beacon. Oblong realized hispanion¡¯s intentions then, cursing him in his head. The idiot might be fine sacrificing himself, but Oblong certainly wasn¡¯t.

    BOOM

    The remnants of the shockwave mmed into them, shivering as it collided with Oblong¡¯s innate barrier. He forced himself to duck down, bowing as he faced the green dragon. Several of the warriors standing off to the side were stunned by the impact, a few of them even falling to the ground.

    ¡°Our deepest apologies, your Lordship.¡± He stuttered out, proud of himself for not stopping. Every word he spoke had to be forced from his mouth, his heart shaking.

    The godly dragon merely stared at him, its eyes unfocused as if it was ignoring him. It then blinked, its eyes piercing towards Oblong with all the might of an ancient beast.

    ¡°BEGONE!¡± Its voice thundered out, a single word filled with arrogance.

    Oblong trembled, the fat on his body jostling as he swallowed hard, forcing himself to not fall unconscious. Several of the guards nearby had copsed from fear and terror, unable to hold themselves up.

    He bowed his head again, the awe-inducing aura making it hard to concentrate. Oblong jerked Graxital¡¯s unconscious body into the hands of one the warriors that were standing nearby. All of them, whether they were the ck Iron Guards or the soldiers provided by the Nobel Family, stared at Oblong like he was their only hope.

    He made another jerking motion. Quickly, the soldiers grabbed their wounded or injured, and began to back out of the valley. The Royal Wizard Aymon led the retreat, readying himself to cast arge scale spatial magic to get them as far away as possible.

    ¡°Hmph. Who are you to demand we do anything, drake?¡± As they were fleeing, Oblong vaguely heard the voice of one of the Nobles call out at the dragon, filled with arrogance.

    He grinned cruelly as he heard this. The idiot was asking for death. He smirked as he hurriedly ran away, pleased that at least the Nobles would suffer from this more than them.

    As he fled, he couldn¡¯t shake the sinking sensation that he¡¯d forgotten something.

    ..

    Dorian had froze when he saw one of the wizards cast a spell, his heart dropping as he thought he¡¯d been seen through.

    However, it seemed the wizard was only dispersing a spell he¡¯d cast earlier that caused the clouds to gather. A huge shockwave had arisen as a result of this, stunning Dorian and nearly knocking his tiny dragon body unconscious.

    When he came to, finally clearing his eyes, he saw the worried look of the fat wizard staring at him, quivering.

    Dorian forced himself to continue ying the part of a godly dragon, filled his voice was as much arrogance as he could muster as he yelled out as loud as he could,

    ¡°BEGONE!¡±

    He almost huped as he made himself re angrily, daring the humans to respond.

    His bluff seemed to have worked as he watched the group of human warriors and wizards begin to flee, grabbing theirpanions and running from the valley. Just as they were exiting, however, Dorian was forcibly reminded that there was another side here.

    ..

    ¡°Hmph. Who are you to demand we do anything, drake?¡± Gaia¡¯s voice boiled out, domineering and arrogant. Her eyes piercing towards the small dragon, a gleam in them.

    ¡®What the fuck are you doing?¡¯ Brutus motioned with his hands, talking in one of the two Vampirguages, the Silent Language spoken by hand. The powerful warrior was incredibly on edge, having retreated backwards several dozen steps when the dragon unleashed its aura. His eyes continued to track both the dragon and Gaia as he responded, ready to flee at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡®Its body is clearly heavily weakened, you see it as well as I. It must be a heavily injured beast, reduced to this state with only its Aura remaining. No natural beast could have that Aura while also being so young.¡¯ Gaia replied back, her eyes shing. Vampires had incredibly adept senses, far surpassing that of humans. Even now, both Brutus and her could clearly tell that the dragon before them was weak, physically only at the Earth ss, unlike a powerful beast.

    Her words had a certain level of logic to them.

    Her heart was still filled with nervous fear, however, the aura before them truly too incredible. If she was wrong¡­

    ¡®This is a one in a million chance.¡¯ She continued, her hand trembling in both fear and excitement as she grit her teeth.

    If they could get the blood of a beast that was at least at the peak of Lord ss for free¡­

    Beasts that had a bloodline that could reach the Lord ss were very rare, and very powerful. Those that could reach the King ss were even rarer, and those that could reach the Angelic ss were almost entirely unheard of.

    Blood Magic had an entire host of spells that required the blood of outside beings. A Lord ss¡¯s beasts bloodline would prove immensely useful to them, something neither of them could hope to afford or gain as they were now, not in any sufficient amount. It would be that final push she needed, Gaia believed, to break past the barrier of the Grandmaster ss.

    Gaia steeled her heart, ready to risk it all as she cast a spell,

    ¡°Blood Magic: Sweltering Shade!¡± Immediately, a dark aura of blood rose and spread into the air.

    ¡°YOU DARE OFFEND THIS GODLY DRAGON?!¡±

    Gaia cringed as she heard the dragon¡¯s roar, the fear in her heart rising. Her spell continued spreading, causing the valley to start falling into darkness.

    The fact that the dragon hadn¡¯t moved was the only thing reassuring her that her guess was urate.

    ¡°YOU THINK DARKNESS WILL AFFECT THIS GODLY DRAGON? FOOLISH MORTAL, I WAS BORN IN THE DARKNESS! MOLDED BY IT! YOU HAVE MERELY ADOPTED IT!¡±

    The dragon waved the half eaten deer thigh bone in its ws at her in a threatening and dismissive manner, looking at her with what seemed to be supreme confidence as the light in the valley faded away.

    Gaia¡¯s hands trembled as she stared at the green scaled dragon, visible only to her thanks to her spell.

    This dragon was the real deal. She wholeheartedly believed that if it hadn¡¯t been injured and weakened, it would utterly destroy them. Its origins seemed to be terrifying.

    ¡°Salum.¡± She called out, twisting her fingers. Immediately, the powerful Blood Wolf appeared in front of her, its body shivering with power.

    Gaia studied two branches of Blood Magic, that of manipting Blood and Blood Beasts, and that of drawing Fate.

    Salum was the Blood Beast she had raised for years, the cornerstone of her strength, and her proudest creation. She had formed him from the bloodlines of several other powerful wolves, creating a massive beast of beauty and power.

    ¡°Swallow it whole.¡± Her eyes shook as she focused on the small dragon through the darkness and the red haze of power that surrounded the dragon, ordering her Blood Wolf forward.

    The wolf dashed forward without a worry, inherently following hermands. Its footsteps pounded on the dirt ground, crashing down without pause.

    As it did so, both she and Brutus jumped backwards, preparing to flee at a moment¡¯s notice if anything went wrong. Brutus, in fact, fled back nearly 40 meters farther than she did, his fists clenched as he red at her angrily.

    ¡®Die you bastard.¡¯ She mentally whispered, watching her 3 meter tall Blood Wolf m into the small, green dragon, praying that the dragon would be killed.

    ..

    ¡®Several bloodlines have been detected. Do you wish to absorb them?¡¯

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: The Old Mage

    Several hundred meters underground, beneath the valley between the shattered peaks, a small cave existed. This cave was blocked off from the surface, and filled with an incredibly heavy aura of death.

    This aura was so powerful it seeped into the earth itself, exuding the faintest trace of aura to the mountains and valley above.

    The cave was small, only a couple dozen meters wide. The most unique aspect about this cave was its shape.

    It was entirely circr, like arge sphere cut from the ground. The walls were smooth, unlined by dust or cracks.

    The Aura Dorian unleashed was full of might, but at its core still a degraded version of the Aura the fallen Angelic ss Wizard had held in life. He had only managed to condense and store it, making use of the unique Soul Spell Matrix he had.

    Still, even when Dorian unleashed the degraded version, its reach spread out for miles on the surface, and hundreds of meters into the sky above, and the ground below.

    And, at that exact moment, the slightest hint of that Aura reached this cave, deep underground.

    The moment it did, golden light began to appear, a small ball appearing at the center of the cave.

    An old, aged voice spoke aloud,

    ¡°My sessor..?¡±

    ..

    When the pale, slightly grey skinned woman began to yell back at Dorian, he knew he was in trouble.

    He yed it cool, however, his sess in driving away the humans empowering him. He could do this.

    The strength of the Aura he emitted was slowly beginning to fade, he noted with rm. The red haze that surrounded his body had thinned, almost imperceptibly. If thissted much longer, he would need to draw on it again, using up another quarter of one of his trump cards.

    ¡®Ausra, can I use one of my Absorptions on them?¡¯ He still had two chances left to absorb almost anything that held a bloodline. However, ording to the safeguards the Godking had set, he would have to immediately be whatever he absorbed, and if that being/form was too strong for his Soul to bear, he could copse and perish. Ausra had made this clear to him.

    ¡®These two appear to be Vampire Nobles, both in the Grandmaster ss judging by their physical appearance and intensity of blood aura. Your Soul would be unable to bear the burden.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s replied.

    Dorian blinked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

    ¡°Blood Magic: Sweltering Shade!¡± The woman called out the words to a spell. Immediately, some odd type of red fog began to form and began covering the sky.

    ¡®So be it.¡¯ He thought, steeling himself. He¡¯d made it this far, he would make it a bit farther.

    ¡°YOU DARE OFFEND THIS GODLY DRAGON?!¡± Dorian roared out, puffing out his tiny dragon chest with all his might. His voice almost cracked as he said thest word, parched from all this yelling.

    The female Vampire Noble shuddered. It seemed his aura was still having an effect! All hope was not lost!

    ¡®Quick!¡¯ he thought, frantically. He needed to say something intimidating, something that would scare them off, and make him sound like a majestic dragon of the heavens.

    As darkness swallowed the valley, inspiration struck.

    ¡°YOU THINK DARKNESS WILL AFFECT THIS GODLY DRAGON? FOOLISH MORTAL, I WAS BORN IN THE DARKNESS! MOLDED BY IT! YOU HAVE MERELY ADOPTED IT!¡± His voice thundered as he waved his roast deer leg threateningly, quoting a character from a movie back on Earth as he tried to sound menacing.

    He couldn¡¯t make out where the vampires were due to the darkness, but he red in their general direction. The crimson fog blocked off all lightpletely, making it impossible for Dorian to see, even when his draconic body.

    All of a sudden, he heard a loud thudding on the ground.

    A split secondter, he felt more than saw something m into him, and then envelop him. His entire body was instantly surrounded and chained down, unable to move. A heavy aura of blood began to suppress his mind, causing his consciousness to waver.

    His body felt like it was being crushed. No matter how he struggled or moved, he couldn¡¯t stop this feeling, some odd magic spell crashing upon him.

    ¡®Whelp.¡¯ He sighed, mentally exhausted, ¡®Its been a good run. Goodbye cruel world.¡¯ As the inevitably of his death seemed to sink in on him, he felt tired and hopeless, a strange calming over him.

    ¡®Several bloodlines have been detected. Do you wish to absorb them?¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice in his head was like a cool oasis in a fiery desert of darkness.

    ¡®Yes, YES! FUCKING YES!¡¯ He mentally screamed, his body barely holding on, desperately clinging back to life. The strange calm from before vanished instantly, torn asunder.

    -Absorbing detected bloodlines-

    -Bloodline Origins-

    29% Golem Wolf

    25% ck Mire Wolf

    24% White Rain Wolf

    15% Virulent Wolf

    5% True Vampire

    2% various undetermined bloodlines too small to currently measure.

    Immediately, a screen appeared in his mind, listing the bloodline origins of the beast that had attacked and enveloped him. He felt a rush as arge amount of energy was absorbed and stored in his Soul Spell Matrix, awaiting his evolution.

    At the same time, the spell attacking him disappeared entirely, the pressure weighing him down vanishing, and he heard a loud scream.

    ..

    ¡°ARRRRGH! SALUM NO!¡± Gaia felt a vile, horrible tearing sensation in her soul as her innate connection with her Blood Beast, Salum, was shorn through. Agonizing pain ripped through her consciousness as she trembled in shock.

    A split secondter the beautiful vampire¡¯s eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she copsed, unconscious.

    ¡°Damn.¡± Brutus made a split second decision as he saw this.

    His years of experience had led to him encountering several life-or-death situations, but this one was like no other.

    ¡°Blood Magic: Caesar¡¯s Burn.¡±

    His body was wracked with dark, crimson light as he cast one of the strongest spells he knew. Caesar¡¯s Burn, a spell created by a long dead Highlord Vampire, sacrificed ten years of one¡¯s lifespan to temporarily boost one¡¯s strength to an enormous height. After casting the spell, however, one would be incredibly weak for several weeks, and be unable to cast magic for several months.

    It was a spell that only someone with the abnormal regenerative prowess of a Vampire could manage. If a human tried to cast it, their body would directly copse from the strain.

    His heart pounded, knowing this was the biggest disaster he had ever faced in his life.

    Any being that could casually destroy a Grandmaster ss Blood Beast was a being that could end his life with ease.

    Immediately, Brutus leapt forward, snatching ahold of Gaia. His body moved so zingly fast it was a blur, every step he took sending massive cracks into the rocky ground.

    He scooped up her body and tossed it over his shoulder, and then hurled himself to the south.

    He paid no attention to the condition of his body, brutally pulling on every fiber of his being. Several of his bones cracked as he pushed them to an extreme, dashing outward away from the valley, covering more than a thousand meters in just seconds.

    The only thought on his mind the horror he, a proud Vampiric Warmage, felt upon the sight of that terrifying beast.

    ..

    Dorian growled ferociously as he maintained his position, light gradually creeping into the valley as the bloody fog faded.

    Arge pool of blood stained the ground near him. Several small holes and cracks decimated the valley, turning the once peaceful paradise into a cratered battleground.

    It seemed the attack that had tried to crush him had been made entirely of blood from several types of wolves. Any blood his body touched was blood he could absorb due to his unique Soul Spell Matrix. Attacking him with a spell made out of blood was like offering him up a refreshing snack.

    He carefully looked to the left and right, his eyes alert.

    He saw no one.

    A crackling noise caught his ears and he spun around, his teeth pulled up in a snarl.

    Miraculously, the fire that he was roasting a deer at was somehow still lit. The deer was still on the spit, and part of it had set to sizzling.

    The fight had seemed like itsted forever, yet in reality had only taken a few short minutes.

    Dorian slowly walked over to the fire, putting it out. The deer was fully cooked, and anymore time on the spit would most likely burn it. Though, there was no chance he could eat anything right now. He set down his half eaten deer thigh.

    The powerful, red aura he had unleashed gradually began to fade away, dissipating around him.

    He nced at the deer before stalking over to the river.

    He looked down at his reflection. His green scales were stained red, covered in dark blood, giving him a ferocious appearance. No fish could be seen in the river, all of them having fled due to the aura he unleashed, and the impacts of the battle.

    Dorian jumped into the river, shaking off the blood. He then swam over to the small hole, hidden in the side of the river.

    He quickly entered the small, hidden cave, holding his breath as he swam all the way down to where he had found the dead Wizard¡¯s empty Spatial Pouch and bones.

    The cave was the same as before. A long, damp room with a low ceiling, half filled with water.

    As soon as he made it safely into the cave, hidden away, Dorian copsed on the ground, his body shaking haphazardly.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­hahahaha¡­HAHAHAHA!¡± He beganughing uncontrobly, tears streaming down his face. The noises echoed in the underground cave, bouncing off the walls. His emotions exploded down a huge range, fear, horror, self-doubt, joy, and excitement mixing together.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± He spoke the words aloud, shaking as the tension and stress of the previous few minutes hit him.

    ¡°I¡¯M ALIVE!¡± Heughed again, his tiny dragon ws clinking together as he air pumped.

    ¡°YES! YES! YES!¡± He let loose, his emotions rioting.

    He began to dance around the cave, celebrating, his tiny dragon feet clinking on the hard stone floor.

    ¡°Fuck you shitty Vampires! Fuck you shitty humans!¡± He spun around, victorious, conveniently ignoring the fact that he was once human.

    ¡°Did you think you could kill this godly dragon with your pathetic strength?!¡± Dorian was giddy with excitement, the fear of the moment washing off as he took joy in simply being alive still.

    As he was in the midst of celebration, Ausra¡¯s cool voice cut through his mind.

    ¡®Your soul has sufficiently adapted, thanks in part to a spurt of growth over the past few minutes. Evolving to Myyr Dragon¡¯s 2nd Growth Stage¡­¡¯

    ..

    The valley returned to a semnce of norm as both the humans and the Vampire Nobles fled from the area, the animals and wildlife gradually returning. A calm breeze picked up and blew through the valley, casting away the stench of blood and destruction.

    As Dorian¡¯s body began to evolve, safely hidden within his cave, a small, glowing ball of light appeared in the valley, standing where Dorian had been just a few minutes ago.

    ¡°Sessor?¡± An aged voice spoke aloud, emanating from the golden ball. Gradually, the figure of an elderly man appeared, transparent and ephemeral.

    This elderly man was dressed in a long, white robe, adorned with goldence. The emblem of a sun was emzoned on the center of the robe, beams of light shooting out from it. He had a kindly, tired face, with a bald head, and a long, white beard. His piercing red eyes scanned the valley, noting everything.

    The man appeared and turned to look directly at the underground Dorian, who¡¯s body was currently transforming.

    ¡°No¡­ You merely have a simr Aura within you. Refined from a remnant of my own Aura, it seems, how impressive.¡± The aged voice sighed with disappointment. He could not bestow his inheritance to someone that wasn¡¯t already a wizard, and while some dragons did study magic, the one before him clearly did not.

    The elderly man watched the small dragon¡¯s body transform with interest. It seemed to be growing from a wyrmling to a young adult dragon, at a vastly elerated pace.

    ¡°It seems I am to perish today, as is my Magic.¡± The old man rubbed his chin, a deepset sadness in his eyes. His body was a collection of his remant Soul and Soul Spell Matrix, formed after his death so many years ago.

    He had hidden in this valley for many years, awaiting a sessor from his Kingdom, hoping they would find him and the hidden messages he sent out. He had gone to rest after some unknown period of time, deciding to awaken only when he felt an Aura simr to his own.

    Unfortunately, it seemed his ns had failed. He sighed again, epting his loss. It seemed his Magic truly would perish today, the experiences and knowledge he¡¯d gained passing on into the dark.

    At that moment, a small groan caught the attention of the aged Wizard.

    Off to the side, next to a pair of cracked trees, a young Wizardy deathly injured, covered by a collection of Healing Branches from a Great Elm.

    No, he corrected himself mentally, it was a magical recreation of the Healing Branches of a Great Elm, and a very skilled one.

    Despite this active healing magic, the young Wizard¡¯s wounds were far too grievous. Death seemed unavoidable if he continued down this path.

    The Elder Mage Horhavil looked at the dying Wizard, his eyes filled with pity. He could gather what had happened to the young man from the remnants of the situation around him.

    A great battle had taken ce here, quite recently. He could detect traces of the Blood Aura of Vampire Nobles, and a powerful, vibrant energy that could onlye from Lightning Magic, as well as some delicate strings of Fate Magic. All of them at the Master or Grandmaster ss.

    The young Wizard here studied Wood Magic, one of the more versatile styles of magic, but was only at the Sky ss. He could faintly sense the wavelength of the injured man¡¯s soul, and could tell he wasn¡¯t evil.

    Clearly, hispanions had betrayed him, or left him to die, casting him aside.

    ¡®Just like myself¡­¡¯ Horhavil muttered, his eyes gleaming over, memories of his own death arising. Betrayed by his trustedpanions, bitterly left for dead after robbing him of his chance at reaching Ascension.

    His eyes gleamed sharply, his fists clenching. He looked down at the dying young man, making a decision.

    Why bother caring if this man was from his n? His n had yet to find him, after all these years, and if he perished now, without passing on his inheritance, his Magic and knowledge would leave this world forever, wasted.

    And the situation the man was in touched him, deeply at a core level.

    He would save this man, and make him his sessor.

    But for that to happen, he would need a favor.

    The old Wizard turned his head to look underground, where a certain dragon was dancing in celebration at its newfound growth in strength.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Reflection

    -Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (2/4) Myyr Young Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 1,208/8,620 ¨C

    ¨C New Ability Gained ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s body elongated, his wings stretching and pulling out, his snout bing longer, and even more draconic. His body morphed from its diminutive stature to a huge 3 meters of height, his body elongating to between five and six meters in length. His green scales seemed to take on a mysterious luster, shining even in the dim light of the cave.

    His senses seemed to expand, his eyesight growing sharper, his hearing growing more powerful, his sense of smell stronger. The rxing sounds of a moving river, the fresh scent of the water, the subtle gleaming of the dim moss. Everything around him came more into focus.

    He also felt that it was now incredibly cramped in here now, his body smashing up against the low ceiling.

    ¡®Ow! Ausra can I go back to being small?¡¯ He mentally yelped, temporarily ignoring the other messages that appeared in his mind.

    ¡®Yes, now that your Soul has fully adapted to this new form, you are able to morph into any forms you have grown. Reverting to a lower Growth Stage is also possible, but will require a constant suppression of your growth, and therefore will slowly drain you of energy.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s cool response echoed.

    ¡®How do I revert to a lower Growth Stage?¡¯ He asked quickly, feeling the rocky cave ceiling shift slightly. He was exuding a huge amount of pressure on it. If it copsed¡­

    ¡®Simply focus on your current stage, and will yourself to revert. Your Soul Spell Matrix will follow yourmands.¡¯

    Dorian paused, and then put his focus on making his body small, willing himself to revert to the first Growth Stage of his current form.

    A momentter, a light in his eyes shed, and Dorian felt his body shrink in on itself. It took only an instant, and he soon had the appearance of his previous form, the Myyr Wyrmling.

    ¡°Whew.¡± He said aloud, stretching his back. He looked up at the ceiling, seeing a smallyer of cracks on it.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like a good sign.¡± He shrugged, and then quickly scampered out of the underground cave, just to be safe.

    As he exited, he pulled up his Soul Status, checking on his condition.

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Master ss (Early)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 94% (Draining at 1% per 47 seconds)

    ¡®Hmm, there really is a significant drain in maintaining this form.¡¯ He thought, rubbing his draconic chin. He stopped willing himself to be in the first stage, and felt his body automatically resume its now natural state.

    That of a 3 meter tall Myyr Dragon.

    ¡®Hey! I reached the Master ss! Awesome, I jumped past Sky ss! Dragons are the best!¡¯ He noticed after a moment, doing a little celebratory jig.

    The difference between sses were extremely important in the 30,000 Worlds. For beasts that relied on their bloodlines to grow strong, this difference was a life-or-death statistic.

    The Master ss was a dividing line between beasts. A single Master ss beast could easily crush several Sky ss beasts.

    Among those that practiced Magic, once your understanding of Magic, and ability to use it, reached the Master ss, your Soul would evolve an innate barrier to protect your body.

    For beasts with powerful bloodlines that naturally reached the Master ss, it was a bit different.

    Master ss beasts evolved a certain level of intelligence, beyond that of regr beasts. Not enough to be fully aware in most cases, but enough to be able to sense and detect the Aura of other beasts, and form coherent responses to them. The Soul of a Master ss beast was much stronger than that of a Sky ss beast.

    The reason all the Master and Grandmaster ss beasts had fled or hidden upon feeling the Aura Dorian released was due to that.

    But the biggest difference between a Master ss and a Sky ss beast was a more subtle point.

    Muscle and bone density.

    In the 30,000 worlds, the stronger a being¡¯s soul, the more powerful a body that being could contain or handle. For Wizards, this was apparent in the awe inspiring spells they could unleash.

    For beasts that grew via their bloodline, this began to show itself as their physical body became increasingly more powerful. The cells in one¡¯s body began to condense, growing tougher and more tightly packed, increasing in number. The higher the ss, the more and more apparent this was.

    An incredible amount of strength and power could be concentrated in a single physical form, supported by a powerful Soul Spell Matrix. That was how thews of this very different universe functioned.

    Warriors that weren¡¯t able to practice magic followed a simr route to that of beasts, growing their body forcibly through constant training and stimtion. While they wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the peaks that certain powerful bloodlines could, they could still reach extraordinary levels.

    Dorian felt at his body, feeling a strength in him that he hadn¡¯t felt before. He looked down at his now several inch long ws, tapping them together.

    CLINK

    The resounding echo was powerful, and felt threatening. He felt a strength in his body he hadn¡¯t felt before, as if he could casually smash an entire tree into wooden shrapnel with a casual blow. He had be far stronger.

    He then looked at the wings on his back, his eyes lightning up.

    Naturally, as if by instinct, Dorian stretched them out, feeling as if he had an extra pair of arms attached to his back. A cool breeze washed over his wings as they expanded, growing out several meters longer than his body.

    He frowned as he looked at this. As a student who studied aerospace engineering, he knew very well that a wingspan of this size could never support his 3 meter tall body.

    ¡®Ausra, can Myyr Dragons fly?¡¯ He queried.

    ¡®A Myyr Dragon is one of the weaker Draconic bloodlines, and is incapable of extended flight. Gliding and other forms of temporary flight are possible.¡¯ Ausra responded cooly.

    Dorian shrugged, epting it as it was. His eyes gleamed, however at the thought of obtaining a form that could soar through the skies. What human wouldn¡¯t dream of such a thing?

    As he came to terms with his body, he focused on thest mental notification his Soul Spell Matrix had sent him.

    ¨C New Ability Gained ¨C

    Ability: Lesser Emerald mes (1/3)

    Description: An Ability unique to several draconic breeds, the ability to unleash powerful green mes that burn with abandon, particrly effective in melting metal. The mes are aspected to the being that released them, and cannot damage oneself. This Ability grows in mastery.

    What exactly were abilities?

    ording to Ausra, Abilities were a power unique to beasts with unique or powerful bloodlines.

    The bloodline of a beast, and their respective Soul Spell Matrix, were inherently tied together for almost all creatures. Some creatures had unique abilities they gained due to the makeup of their blood and Soul Spell Matrix.

    These abilities were very simr to Magic Spells. The source of each was identical, from one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix. Wizards, however, had to practice very hard to maintain their mastery of any specific spell, learning and understanding more about how Magic worked.

    An Ability, on the other hand, waspletely natural to the being that held it. Theplex symbols and energy used functioned automatically, meaning even the least intelligent beast could operate it.

    Some Wizards had made it their life¡¯s work to uncover more about the Abilities of beings that held them, to uncover the secrets of the universe. Ausra didn¡¯t have any specific information on how they had progressed, but said that it was entirely possible for a Wizard to mimic an Ability, if you studied it and learned about it long enough.

    ¡®Ausra, it says this Ability grows in mastery? What specifically does that mean?¡¯ He felt as if he could guess, but wanted to be certain.

    ¡®Some abilities are tied to the growth of your physical form. As you grow stronger, the Ability will grow alongside you as your body and soul be able to handle its stronger and stronger form.¡¯ The genie replied.

    He nodded. That was what he figured. The stronger his body, the more powerful Abilities he¡¯d be able to handle.

    As he took in his recent growth, Dorian made sure to not let down his guard, keeping a careful watch on the surrounding valley. He saw at least a hundred of the once tall trees were bent or folded, the shockwave from earlier breaking them.

    He decided to take a few moments before he left, analyzing the past few minutes.

    He felt like an idiot.

    He¡¯d been so excited upon obtaining that powerful Aura, he¡¯d thought he was invincible. After all, such a powerful Aura should make any intelligent being flee in fear, right?

    The answer to that seemed to be a resounding no. Just because he had a trump card didn¡¯t mean it would always work. Relying upon that to save him was foolish.

    He¡¯d let down his guard in a valley he knew was dangerous. Sure, it had seemed safe at the time, and he¡¯d only had a single encounter with intelligent humans before, but that was no reason to leave himself open.

    Starting a fire in the wilderness created an obvious smoke trail. He¡¯d started singing as he rxed, feeling as if he was truly safe.

    He needed to remind himself that this was not earth. He could not act like he was just a regr human out on some camping trip.

    Powerful creatures existed here, beings that could crush him like a bug.

    His eyes hardened as he nodded his head sharply. He was extremely lucky to have survived this time, and the odds of that happening a second time were slim.

    He would not let this mistake happen again.

    Dorian sighed, rubbing his head. Or, well, attempting to. His ws appeared to be much sharper than his scales, and he identally stabbed himself. At least his regeneration seemed to have bumped up slightly thanks to his upgrade, the wound closing up and starting to slowly heal.

    Why did all those humans and Vampires try to attack him, anyway? Or, rather, try to capture him. Till the fight unfolded, none of them seemed to want to actually kill him.

    How did they even find him?

    His eyes shed as he remembered that Wizard that had seen his Red Smander form. Perhaps he led them here?

    But what about the Vampires?

    As Dorian was pondering this, trying to decide where to go from now, a sh of white light caught his eyes.

    He spun around, a snarl on his face as he readied himself to flight, his eyes glinting.

    Floating in the air before him was the transparent figure of an old man with a long, white beard.

    ¡°Excuse me, young dragon. Could I have a moment of your time?¡± The elderly man¡¯s voice was calm and soothing as he held his hands out, standing still and not moving.

    ..

    Hundreds of miles away, Lord Hadrion of the ck Lightning Department was gazing in Dorian¡¯s direction, a small frown on his face. He stood upon the southern wall of the great capital city Obsidia, looking out at the world around him. The enormous river bordered the city off to the east, while arge, rxing grass in flowed in other directions.

    ¡°What do you reckon that was, Larah?¡± He said, motioning to the distance.

    Arge, gleaming pir of lightning had shot into the sky, attracting his attention just moments ago. This pir held a veryrge amount of natural energy within it, enough for him to notice it, even at such a distance.

    Larah Consta, his Grandmaster ss Fate Wizardpanion, shrugged, her in face devoid of emotion as she responded,

    ¡°I am not certain, but it almost certainly has to do with one of our own. I¡¯ll look into it. We should have a few of my Wizards in the area. ¡± The woman sat down, directly on the outer stone wall of the city, her hands waving out in front of her. Light seemed to glow from her eyes as she focused, concentrating.

    As the leading member of the Department of Fate among all the Fate Wizards that hade with them, Larah was the absolute leader among them. She had a unique grasp of Fate Magic that was at the peak of the Grandmaster ss.

    Fate Magic was an incredibly obscure type of Magic, but also one of the most useful. Any qualified group or team of Wizards would have among them a Wizard studying Fate Magic, without fail. It was part of why the Fate Department was one of thergest and most widespread of the 108 Departments, having members on teams with every single other Department.

    Hadrion stared at the lightning as it fizzled out, his eyes calm. That was definitely a spell of some sort, and had a very strong resemnce to the the Lightning Magic: Requiem Above.

    He sighed. Time was running out, unfortunately. They probably didn¡¯t even have a full day before members from the Darkness Department and Sundering Department arrived. The headquarters of the ck Lightning Department was on a close to this outer world, but so too were the headquarters for the Darkness Department and Sundering Department.

    If he could sessfully capture whatever caused the disturbance in Fate here on his own, he¡¯d gain a veryrge amount of merit within his Department, and subsequently be heavily rewarded.

    Unfortunately, Fate Magic, even for the best Fate Wizards, could be a damned difficult thing to unfold. They¡¯d manage to pinpoint the disturbance in Fate to somewhere within a thousand miles of here, but the exact location was elusive. He¡¯d already spread his men out as far and wide as they could go, but had yet to find anything.

    The bright beam of lightning magic to the west, however, was incredibly intriguing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve established a connection through Fate with one of our own in the area¡­ They¡¯ve found the location of the disturbance in Fate!¡± Larah¡¯s voice contained, for once, a hint of excitement.

    Hadrion smiled, clenching his fists. It seemed they wouldn¡¯t be toote after all. Larah¡¯s next words, however, cooled his enthusiasm.

    ¡°It¡¯s apparently at least a Lord ss Beast, and a very powerful one.¡± She continued, and then stopped, stuttering.

    Hadrion turned his head, waving for her to continue.

    ¡°What manner of beast is it?¡± He frowned gruffly. A powerful Lord ss Beast. That could prove troublesome, especially if it was at the peak of strength. Hisst battle with a Lord ss beast had been an extremely tough one that wiped out an entire mountain range, and that beast hadn¡¯t been one at the peak of Lord ss.

    ¡°It¡­ uh, it appears to be¡­ a green scaled baby Dragon¡­ that likes to sing and dance?¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: An Offer

    ¡°Yes, I know Commander Larah. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that is what we saw.¡± Oblong squeezed his head, trying to ignore a massive headache as he spoke aloud. He was currently sitting atop one of Royal Wizard Aymon¡¯s floating spatial boats.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t- No, I don¡¯t know why it was dancing, it just was. I didn¡¯t recognize thengu- Yes Commander Larah.¡±

    After getting far enough away from that monstrous tiny dragon, Aymon had opted to summon one of his spatial vessels, helping them quickly retreat towards Yor City.

    Thest they heard of that dragon and the Vampires was the female Vampire¡¯s agonized scream. Oblong had shaken his head then, feeling for her despite them being enemies. Her own arrogance had led to her death. At least they had managed to escape in time.

    White light was glowing out of his eyes as he spoke, a few mystical symbols floating in the air around him. He was currently using one of the most widely known Fate Magic spells, Fate Magic: Fate Connection.

    The spell allowed two beings to temporarily connect to each other, hearing and seeing what the other person was seeing and hearing. It wasn¡¯t a full connection, and either party could limit the effectiveness of it, but the spell was still extremely useful. It allowed for the transportation of information across thousands of miles.

    The spell functioned oddly on the World Bridges, but worked perfectly fine on any normal.

    ¡°Yes, Commander. Yes, yes.¡± He ducked his head by instinct, waving his hands. Larah was not someone you wanted to cross, and he had no intention of angering her.

    ¡°We will await you in Yor City.¡± He sighed as the connection ended. Larah had alerted him, and most likely every Fate Wizard in the vicinity, trying to find out what was going on thanks to Graxital¡¯s spell.

    He¡¯d lost a chance to make a solid impression on Lord Hadrion, something that was truly unfortunate. Still, he¡¯d only been working with this team for a very brief time, having encountered the group of ck Lightning Wizards on Mesor.

    A Lord ss Titan, one that was studying magic, suspected of being a double agent for the Graal Alliance had been discovered on Mesor. Oblong hadn¡¯t exactly been sure of the details, but he had witnessed the overwhelming might that Lord Hadrion held.

    The man had singlehanded wiped more than a dozen mountains off the map with a single spell, and eventually obliterated the rogue Titan, a former member of the Sundering Department of the 108 Magic Departments. His potential as the Rising Star of the ck Lightning Department was massive.

    He sighed again. What was done was done. He¡¯d have another chance in the future.

    He nced over at the unconscious Graxital, bearing his teeth at the man in annoyance. He then turned to look at the various warriors, many of them injured. Some had taken out medical supplies they¡¯d brought with them, while others had taken in healing pills or medicines.

    As his eyesnded on the warriors sent from the Robel Family, noting that they seemed huddled together in depression, he abruptly remembered their otherpanion, the Wood Wizard William Robel.

    After the Wizard had been hit by one of the Vampire¡¯s spells, he¡¯d lost track of him. It seemed the man had fallen, unable to defend himself properly.

    Well, he thought, shrugging, they had made contact with the disturbance in Fate now, so it didn¡¯t matter too much. While the reverberations he could detect with his Fate Magic were getting lesser and lesser, he should still be able to track down the beast just with himself.

    He went back to musing about the future, trying to think of a new way to curry Lord Hadrion¡¯s favor, the lost Wizard long forgotten.

    ..

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Dorian spat out, his body tense. The odd, floating old man gave off a very faint, golden and white light, but didn¡¯t emanate any dangerous aura, as far as he could tell.

    ¡®Ausra, what is this?¡¯ He queried immediately, not waiting for the ghostly figure to respond.

    ¡®It appears to be a construct of Magic, a Soul, and a Soul Spell Matrix, formed after the death of a powerful Wizard. You are unable to absorb it. It appears to be minutes, perhaps hours, from dissipation, and is unable to harm you.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s response came instantly, drawing from the veritable encyclopedia of knowledge ced in his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡°My name is Horhavil Candor, a former member of the Candor n of the Elector Empire.¡± The old man began, giving Dorian a nod.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Dorian yelped out, recognizing the name. It was the same as the one from the ring he¡¯d found. It should be the same unless the ghost was lying to him, but for it to appear here where the Wizard died¡­ He was convinced it was the real deal.

    The man looked at him quizzically.

    ¡°Greetings, esteemed Wizard.¡± Dorian began, his voice respectful. Being polite cost him nothing, and while Ausra said this Wizard couldn¡¯t hurt him, he decided to be more careful. He couldn¡¯t afford to make more mistakes.

    ¡°You know of me?¡± Horhavil asked, raising his eyebrows. The dragon¡¯s reaction to hearing his name had been quite odd.

    ¡°I found a ring of yours a short while ago, and have heard of your plight.¡± He spoke carefully, choosing his words.

    The Wizard¡¯s eyes lit up with pleasure.

    ¡°Ah, you found one of the Saint Rings I made? Do you still have it with you?¡± The elderly man queried.

    ¡°No.¡± Dorian responded, shaking his head. When he absorbed the energy left in it, it had fallen to pieces.

    ¡°Mm, well, it is immaterial anyway.¡± The elderly Wizard shrugged, an odd looking action for such a ghostly being.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Dorian asked, studying the Horhavil. He seemed to hover around a foot off the ground, his feet floating above the dirt. A ball of golden light was visible through his transparent figure near his stomach, shining dimly.

    ¡°I wanted to ask a small favor of you, young dragon.¡± The elderly man began, bowing his head.

    ¡°I am not long for this world, unfortunately. Today will be the final day of my passing. I originally awoke upon feeling you unleash an Aura extremely simr to my own, believing it to be a Sessor sent by my n. s, my mistake.¡± He continued, sighing,

    ¡°Over there, under a pair of branches, lies a young Wizard that is mortally wounded. While our styles are not exactly matching, he is the only Wizard nearby. I have decided to make him my Sessor, so that my style of magic, and the knowledge within it, may be passed on.¡± Horhavil paused, waving his ghostly hands off to the side.

    Dorian looked, seeing a pile of branches unnaturally grown from the ground, growing with a pale light.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you were awoken early. However, that Wizard¡¯s fate is his own. What favor would you ask of me?¡± He questioned, his voice calm. He didn¡¯t mean to sound cruel, but he knew nothing about medicine and couldn¡¯t help someone that was mortally wounded. In addition, he was certain the dying Wizard was one of those that had been with the group trying to capture him.

    He had noticed one of the Wizards, the one that had seen his Red Smander form, get hit and knocked away in the previous battle. He assumed it was him. There wasn¡¯t much of a reason he would want to save someone that just tried to kill or capture him.

    His eyes hardened at the thought. He couldn¡¯t afford to be the nice guy from earth anymore. His heart wavered, however.

    ¡°Dragons, such as yourself, have remarkably vibrant bloodlines. The spell that young Wizard is using is a decent healing spell, but one thatcks essence. If you were to give up a portion of your blood, spreading it upon the branches, the spell would increase in efficiency, enough to save his life. Your blood would replenish as normal, and you would remain unharmed.¡± Horhavil responded, and then continued,

    ¡°I would not ask this of you for nothing. If you agree to help me save my Sessor, I will give to you arge store of Magic Herbs I possess, one of the few treasures I hid away before my death. There are nearly 200 Magic Herbs in that Spatial Pouch, many of them quite powerful, that should be of great use to you, even with your odd style of growth.¡±

    Magic Herbs were a resource that powerful beasts relied upon to grow. The stronger a creature got, the harder it was to increase in strength.

    This was especially so for beasts in the Master ss and Grandmaster ss. It went without saying that any amount of growth for incredibly rare Lord ss or King ss beasts was even harder.

    Magic Herbs spawned naturally throughout the world, one of the naturalws of this universe. Greater numbers of them could be found in locations that were left to the wild, though the exact reasons for this had yet to be fully understood.

    Not all Magic Herbs were made equal. Some contained enormous amounts of energy, some had energy aspected towards a certain element, some even had intelligence.

    For a normal or even a genius dragon of Dorian¡¯s current growth, this would be an extremely valuable reward, even if all the Magic Herbs were of the worst type.

    Dorian, however, maintained a strict poker face, aided by the fact that he didn¡¯t know how to properly disy emotions on his current visage. The fact that he had grown from a baby drake to a young adult in just minutes had been seen through by the Wizard, unfortunately, but he didn¡¯t seem to make any otherment on it.

    ¡°Magic Herbs like that are useful, but if you are bestowing your knowledge of magic upon someone, why not do that for both of us? You can give you Magic Herbs to your Sessor, I¡¯ll take that as my reward.¡± Dorian¡¯s eye shed as he envisioned himself casting spells left and right.

    The floating spirit shook his head,

    ¡°Young Drake, if that was possible I would consider that option. Unfortunately, I am unable to fulfill it. To transfer my knowledge to another being requires me to sacrifice what is left of my essence, essentially killing me. It is not something I can do twice.¡± The man continued,

    ¡°Further, your soul would most likely be unable to ept my inheritance. From what I can sense, you have never studied magic, and have yet to experience any baptism of the soul rted to magic. My inheritance would simply flush off your soul, unable to take root.¡±

    Dorian frowned when he heard this, not giving up,

    ¡°My soul is unique, as far as souls and Soul Spell Matrixes go. How can you be certain?¡±

    Horhavil paused, and then stared at him closely.

    ¡°While you were undergoing that odd growth session of yours underground, I took the time tomunicate with the injured Wizard.¡± He said slowly, his eyes studying Dorian.

    ¡°I was made aware that you are at the center of a great investigation, into a being that has disturbed Fate.¡± The old man stroked his long, trailing white beard. His eyes grew slightly unfocused as he looked at Dorian, and then seemed to look through him.

    ¡°And now that I look at you closely¡­ I can sense that your soul is indeed unique. Though my field of study was not closely rted to Fate, after reaching near the peak of the Dao of Light, I came to possess a vision of the world that was expansive, letting me see through things. In addition, while I am in this form, the souls of other beings have be very clear to me.¡± He waved his hands at himself,

    ¡°I am no Fate expert, but I can tell that Fate seems to be twisted around you. People and events will be drawn to you, for inexplicable reasons. Odd things may happen around you, and even chance itself may be twisted. This meeting between us is probably a result of that.¡± He shook his head here,

    ¡°However, that does not mean your soul is a suitable one for my inheritance. While there are definitely unique aspects surrounding it, you still have yet to receive even the most basic baptism from thews of the universe in regards to magic. Without that, it is impossible for my inheritance to take root.¡±

    Dorian frowned.

    ¡®Ausra, can I learn magic?¡¯ He asked a general question that he¡¯d thought of before, but never actually asked.

    ¡®Yes, though the host¡¯s current physical form and soul are somewhat unsuited for it. With the absorption of bloodlines of beings that are aspected or skilled in magic, understanding and implementing magic will be easier, though your soul will need to undergo baptism of thews of this universe like any other Wizard.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice replied cooly in his head.

    He frowned again. It seemed he could learn magic, but not as he was yet. He wasn¡¯t willing to let this old mage know about his unique abilities, and it didn¡¯t seem like he would have any chance right now to find a suitable form.

    ¡°Do you have any magical artifacts or tools, or treasures that contain magical energy?¡± He asked, taking a different approach. He could only eat a single Magic Herb a day, so the growth he could gain from that, while significant, would take time.

    The old man rubbed his chin, responding,

    ¡°Much of what I used came purely from my own magic. I do have a few old treasures that contain magic energy, but nothing significant. Most Wizards do not heavily rely upon external objects, save for spells involving multiple casters.¡± The ghostly Wizard seemed to notice that Dorian was pulling back, and hurriedly offered,

    ¡°While I don¡¯t have any particr treasures, I do know the location of a huge store of treasure, on my home.¡± He gave Dorian a smile,

    ¡°There are veritable mountains of treasures with magic energy in them there. Should you agree to help my Sessor here, I will send over the specific information on where and what that location is, alongside the roughly 200 Magic Herbs I still have stored.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement, considering it carefully. All he needed to give up was some blood, and he¡¯d receive arge reward immediately, as well as the potential for arge rewardter. As long as he remained on guard and treated this carefully, he didn¡¯t see any downsides.

    As for that Wizard being his enemy¡­ He was a Master ss Dragon now. He wasn¡¯t afraid of him, and he was already nning on fleeing here as soon as he wrapped this up.

    ¡°Alright. Give me the Magic Herbs first, and you have yourself a deal, old man!¡±

    ..

    Thousands of miles away, a ragged looking pair could be seen, boarding arge caravan. Hundreds of huge wagons, of all shapes and sizes could be seen, some made of odd metals, others made of wood.

    These wagons were currently leaving through the main gate of a veryrge city in the Tandor Empire, one of the threerge empires on the of Hasnorth, Yum City. The city was famed for its beautiful roofs and roads, created from many different types of colored y.

    ¡°Just keep it together, Gaia¡­¡± Brutus muttered, his voice filled with concern as he looked at his pale facedpanion. Gaiay resting inside one of these caravan¡¯s private rooms, still unconscious. Her body looked peaceful, but haggard, with light fluttering behind her eyes.

    He turned to look out a window towards the front of the caravan. Towards what was in front of it.

    A massive World Bridge, more than sixty miles wide, where huge grassy ins spread across a savanna teeming with life.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost off-world, Gaia.¡± He said, his eyes clouded.

    ¡°Just one more week and we can get you help, and inform the Highlord.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Necessities

    The branches were a mix of pale white and warm brown, spread out in a small, cocoon shape. They seemed to have risen directly from the ground and gave off a very faint, warm aura. A pair of cracked trees stood next to them, broken bark dangling.

    Dorian studied them as he stood next to the pile, his eyes curious. Tied around his neck with a piece of thick, magic-enhanced leather, was a small Spatial Pouch, one of the most useful magic artifacts in the 30,000 worlds.

    Created by Wizards who studied a branch of Space Magic, the pouch contained a space for storage farrger than its outside appearance. This particr one was a very high ss one, with well over thirty meters of storage space.

    In the pouch were a veritable plethora of Magic Herbs, so many that the scents of them almost overwhelmed Dorian¡¯s mind when he opened the pouch. He used a very tiny amount of energy from his Soul Spell Matrix to form a connection with the pouch, allowing him to ess it.

    ¡°How much blood do I need to spill?¡± He asked aloud, turning to look at the ghostly figure.

    The dead Wizard seemed a bit fainter than he had before. After Horhavil had agreed with Dorian on their deal, he¡¯d waved his hands together, pulling a Spatial Pouch out of thin air somehow. The act of doing so, however, seemed to weaken him.

    He would give Dorian the details to the hidden stash of treasure after he helped the dying Wizard.

    ¡°Enough to cover the branches, and set the light they give off to a red tinge. It shouldn¡¯t be too trying.¡± The elderly man¡¯s voice was calm and cid, as if he was ordering a meal at a restaurant.

    Dorian looked down at his body, his green scales glistening brightly in the midmorning light. He then stepped forward till he was hovering over the tree branches.

    ¡°Very well.¡± He said, and stabbed a w into the side of his chest, pulling it down.

    He winced in pain as blood began to spill from the wound. His pain tolerance seemed to have jumped immensely aftering to this world because despite how acute his senses were, and how aware he was of the injury, he only felt a faint sense of worry.

    Beings with a Master ss physical form have decently strong natural regenerative abilities. Dragons, even Myyr Dragons, a lesser offshoot, have very strong regenerative properties. Thesebined meant that his injury was already attempting to scab over, just seconds after he made the cut.

    Dorian frowned when he saw this, cutting himself again, and this time forcing his blood to spatter over the tree branches.

    Several seconds passed as he watched, dispassionately, as the branches gradually took on a reddish tint. Soon they began to emit a very faint, crimson glow.

    As soon as he saw this Dorian stepped back, allowing his injuries to start healing. He felt slightly lightheaded at the blood loss but was otherwise fine.

    The tree branches began to writhe, the red glow bing stronger. They visibly grew thicker, worming and writhing in unnatural, faintly disturbing movements.

    As they writhed, gradually the figure of a human being came into view. A man with a slim, handsome face and piercing blue eyes, though a face that was now quite pale. He appeared to be unconscious. Gradually his head and shoulders appeared above the branches before stopping, the healing magic continuing to work on the other injured parts of his body.

    ¡°My deepest thanks, young dragon.¡± The old man¡¯s voice echoed in Dorian¡¯s ears as the man floated forward, looking down at the tree branch cocoon. His body seemed to be shifting, pieces of it drifting off.

    The man turned to look at Dorian and then raised a hand to his head, tapping it with a finger. Instantly an inch wide ball of light appeared. He gave a smooth bow.

    ¡°This contains the information I have of the ruins in the Ember Gorge. This stash of treasure will not be easy to im, but for someone of your capabilities, you should be able to handle it. I discovered it just a few years before my death, finding several clues I needed in my journey to reach Ascension. s¡­¡± Horhavil¡¯s voice was tired as he spoke, regret filling his voice.

    ¡®Ausra, what is it?¡¯ He asked, just to be safe. The old man hadn¡¯t lied to him yet, but it was better to be safe.

    ¡®A small orb of energy and essence, extracted from a soul in the midst of dissipation. Something like this would be used in the transfer of information or memories.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice in his mind confirmed that it was what it was.

    Dorian epted the orb, letting it float into his hand. As soon as he did, he felt a flood of information pour into his mind. Information about a mysterious mountain range and arge canyon, fraught with peril and danger, on another world.

    He pushed that aside for the moment, however, focusing on what was happening in front of him.

    ¡°Ah, young Wizard.¡± The old man began, looking down at the wooden branches, his voice filled with sorrow.

    ¡°I wish I could stay longer, to talk with you more. s, my soul is but minutes from perishing. From life to life, from death to death, the Cycle continues, unabated.¡± The ghostly old man folded his hands together. Gradually, the golden ball of light that floated at the center of his body began to crack, miniscule particles floating off into the air.

    These particles slowly formed into a writhing river, flowing towards the head of the unconscious Wizard.

    Dorian watched it all with interest. The processed went on smoothly, the golden ball of light gradually growing smaller and smaller.

    Abruptly, however, the body of the injured Wizard began to shake, his mouth twitching. Odd noises emerged from his throat, keening echoes.

    ¡°No!¡± The old man¡¯s voice was weak as he yelled out, his eyes widening.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Dorian stepped forward, his eyes alert. At his core, Dorian tried to be a good person. His father, back on earth, had always told him that the most important choices you made were the ones that no would be there to see.

    Maybe he couldn¡¯t be the same easygoing nice guy from earth anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean he would abandon his moral standards.

    Since he had alreadymitted to helping, and found out it was possible to help at all, he would go all the way. That was simply who he was, regardless of whether or not it would be the decision that benefited him most.

    ¡°His soul is serving as a receptacle, and taking in the root of my experience and knowledge. His body, however, is rejecting the magic and changes, causing him to undergo Discordancy, a rejection between the body and soul.¡± Horhavil quickly exined, staring at the trembling Wizard,

    ¡°His soul has been baptized with thews of magic several times, but his body isn¡¯t recognizing that my inheritance isn¡¯t an attack, and is actively resisting.¡± The ghostly Wizard seemed to wring his hands, an odd sight.

    ¡°Do you want me to try and knock him unconscious?¡± Dorian asked. Perhaps if the man was forced to bepletely unconscious it would force his body to ept the change.

    ¡°If his body does not calm down and ept the changes, he will die. Physically forcing him into unconsciousness like that would disturb his mind.¡± The old man¡¯s voice was quiet and small as he sighed to himself.

    ¡°s.¡± He shook his head slowly, his eyes cast downward. Gradually, the particles around him began to tremble, as if he was about to truly vanish.

    Dorian looked at the situation and frowned. An idea abruptly came into his head. He realized he had a way to resolve this. But the sheer coincidence of his method caught him off guard for a moment.

    ¡°I twist Fate with my soul now, eh? Is this a part of that too?¡± He said aloud as he stepped forward, still frowning.

    The old Wizard that was about to dissipate paused, watching Dorian in confusion.

    ¡°I have an idea that might work. You said physically knocking him out won¡¯t cut it, right?¡± Dorian responded, turning to nce at the elderly wizard.

    The Wizard simply nodded.

    ¡°What if I use a calming sedative?¡± In Dorian¡¯s mind a message popped up.

    -Brown Treasure m (Growth Stage 2/2) Venom-

    Stored Amount: 63 mL

    The venom he had stored several days ago was from a mystical creature with unique ties to fate. Further, it was a type of venom that acted as a sedative. There wasn¡¯t much of it, so it would onlyst for a few brief minutes at most, but it should be enough.

    Dorian willed this venom to appear, following the instructions Ausra had told him about it. Gradually, his ws began to take on a sheen, tipped with the sedative.

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes! That could work, young dragon!¡± The old Wizard pped his hands together, his form that appeared to be on the brink of vanishing all of a sudden gaining new vibrancy.

    ¡°Quickly please!¡± Haste appeared in the fading old man¡¯s voice as he motioned, almost begging.

    Dorian stepped forward and carefully ced his ws at the neck of the shaking man, trying to not identally stab him. Ever so slightly, he pierced the skin of the man¡¯s neck lightly, drawing a small line of blood.

    At the same time, he felt the venom in his ws flow forward, into the man. It vanished in an instant, fully absorbed.

    A few secondster, the man calmed down, his body returning back to normal. As this happened, the golden river of light particles continued to flow into his head, smoothly and without error.

    As Dorian stepped back, he heard a grateful voice call out,

    ¡°Young dragon, I cannot thank you enough. If I had more treasures to give, I would. All I have left are insubstantial things, the rest was destroyed or taken from my body.¡± The floating old man looked at him with eyes glinting brightly.

    Dorian shook his head, saying simply,

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was the right thing to do.¡±

    A silent moment passed between them, and then another. Soon that moment became a minute, and then two. Eventually, the river of golden particles finished flowing into the resting man, and all was done. The fading figure of the old wizard studied him onest time.

    ¡°As I pass from this world, let me give you onest gift, as myst thanks to you.¡± The man¡¯s voice began to fade, bing quieter than a whisper.

    ¡°The reverberations in Fate your soul gives off will fade, gradually, in a week or two. I can help you hide them for a day, maybe two. The rest is up to you, young dragon. Good fortune to you, and may the Cycle continue, unabated¡­¡± A few, faint white particles drifted andnded on Dorian. He shivered, feeling as if he had been dunked in a vat of cold water.

    He blinked, and the instantter, as he opened his eyes, he realized he was alone.

    The figure of that old mage was gone.

    ¡°So goes thest of the Wizard Horhavil Candor¡­¡± Dorian muttered quietly, bowing his head silently in respect.

    After a few moments, he turned, looking down at the young looking Wizard who was just nowing awake.

    ¡°AHHH!¡±

    ..

    William Robel felt horrible. His head felt cramped and crowded, full of pain. His body felt as if it had been dragged alongside a wagon for days, beaten and bruised. His only constion was the warm, flowing feeling he felt, wrapping around his injured form, healing him.

    He came to gradually. As he did, the memories of the past day rushed into his tired mind.

    The battle for that odd, dancing dragon, the vicious attack he had suffered from those vile Vampires, and now his apparent abandonment by the Department Wizards, and even his own Family guards. He had no memory of what happened after he was injured, smacked back by the attack, but he was almost certain that they had thrown him aside and fled.

    Those Vampires seemed like bad news. He wasn¡¯t sure if even that ck Lightning Wizard could handle them.

    He bared his teeth and clenched his fists, feeling humiliated and angry. At least he was still alive, however.

    After a few seconds, he managed to blink, and slowly opened his eyes. The bright light of day blinded him as he looked around. Almost immediately his heart dropped as he saw a hulking, 3 meter tall dragon standing right in front of him.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± Involuntarily, he let out a scream. As he did so, another rush of memories came into his mind.

    Memories of an odd, conversation with a strange old man, a man who talked to him about giving him an inheritance of magic. He abruptly realized that this conversation was one that had actually happened as he felt at his soul.

    In his soul, the orb of white light that represented him and his Soul Spell Matrix, William could feel what appeared to be a second Soul Spell Matrix, floating next to his own. This matrix, however, was merely a pale copy, a poorparison, to his original one. Still, within this matrix, he could sense a vast store of memories and experiences, from a wizened, kindly old man.

    Tears began to stream down his face as he realized what the elderly wizard had done for him. Giving someone an inheritance like this was supposed to be an intimately sacred ritual, reserved for your closest kin. To give up an inheritance to aplete stranger like him¡­ it was practically unheard of.

    Mentally, he made a promise that he would not waste it. He would give up his mediocre Wood Magic, and immediately train the old man¡¯s, no, the esteemed, Horhavil Candor¡¯s, Light Magic.

    As these memories continued toe into him, he realized that the dragon in front of him had helped save his life. He¡¯d managed to regain some of his consciousness after some time in his healing spell, and had overheard their conversation. And, he realized, despite its hulking form, that it was somehow the same as the small dragon they had tried to capture, and failed to, before.

    He looked up in confusion, not understanding. What exactly had happened after he fell unconscious? How much time had passed?

    ¡°Um¡­ hello.¡± He sputtered out.

    As he spoke, he realized he couldn¡¯t move yet. He winced as he tried to, feeling his body shake in pain. The healing spell he had cast earlier was still active, though now flowing with a vibrant, full power that he couldn¡¯t replicate. The part the dragon had given to help save his life.

    ¡°You should stay still for now. You¡¯re still healing.¡± The dragon¡¯s voice was smooth and sibnt, full of strong, powerful confidence. William shivered as he heard it, ncing at the beautiful green scales on the drake. He noticed a small, still-healing scar on the head of the dragon, oddly in the shape of one of the dragon¡¯s ws, as if it had stabbed itself. He shook the thought from his head, however, knowing no dragon would be so foolish.

    William was a mess of emotions as he stared up at the dragon. Anger and hurt at being abandoned by hispanions, joy and surprise at still being alive, thankfulness and happiness at having been given an inheritance. The fear he felt faded away as he looked at the beast, just wanting to know one thing.

    ¡°Why did you save me? The rewards that Wizard offered, you and I both know they would be worth little to a Dragon like yourself. Magic Herbs thrive in these mountains, and even if he has some extremely rare ones, it shouldn¡¯t be too big a difference.¡±

    His voice carried a strange passion, full of emotion. This was something he needed to know. He didn¡¯t know why, he just knew he needed to know this, even if it cost him his life. He felt oddlypelled.

    ..

    Dorian shrugged as he looked down at the injured human, thinking his question over and responding,

    ¡°I guess because it felt like the right thing to do.¡± If he could do something to help, he would. Maybe if he thought his actions would achieve nothing, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to save the Wizard.

    But knowing that he could¡­ Besides, the reward wasn¡¯t as small as the injured Wizard was making it out to be. Having around 200 Magic Herbs stored with him was definitely substantially useful for when he left this area, and the information on that treasure stash was extremely alluring.

    Also, there was a chance he could gain information about the men tracking him from the injured man, and about the world around him.

    ¡°What?!¡± The Wizard below him struggled in shock, his face flushing.

    ¡°I¡¯m your enemy! I tried to capture you! I even helped lead them to you.¡± As the Wizard spoke, his voice¡¯s pitch went up, sputtering,

    ¡°If you were smart, you would kill me right now! How do you know I won¡¯t lead them to you again?!¡± Dorian caught an odd tone in the man¡¯s voice, one that made him choose his response carefully.

    Dorian looked at the still healing Wizard, taking a moment to think.

    It was true. This was a brutal world. It was kill or be killed. By leaving this man alive, he might be bringing himself problems in the future.

    The smart thing to do would be to kill him, here and now, and silence this issue. He could even absorb his bloodline and create a human body if he so chose. Maybe somehow steal that inheritance, even without receiving whatever magic soul baptism the Wizard said he needed. There was a chance, anyway.

    But, would he regret doing that? As the thought touched his mind, he felt himselfe to a certain inner peace.

    He had decided he would live without regrets in this world.

    It wasn¡¯t the wisest or most logical decision to let this Wizard go.

    Perhaps it was even a mistake.

    In his Red Smander form, the Wizard had tried to attack him, thinking he was just a stray wild beast. In his draconic form, he had tried to capture him. At the least, they weren¡¯t on friendly terms.

    Despite that, Dorian felt like the man wasn¡¯t a bad type. Maybe others would call him a fool for this, but he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you won¡¯t lead them to me.¡± Dorian began, shaking his head, his eyes glinting,

    ¡°But I will live how I choose to live, and not a damn thing in this universe will change that. Maybe I don¡¯t have the strength, right now, to back those words up.¡± His mind went to his father, the greatest man he knew, and what he would do in a situation like this,

    ¡°But one day I will. What kind of huma-ahem, what kind of Dragon would I be, if I didn¡¯t live up to what I believed in?¡± He looked down at the young Wizard, and then smiled,

    ¡°I¡¯m a Dragon with principles, after all.¡± He smiled wider.

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­?!¡± The Wizard sputtered at him in disbelief.

    ¡°No buts.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up as inspiration struck,

    ¡°Life is about the bare necessities, young Wizard.¡± He said, nodding his head sagely, ¡°The simple bare necessities. Just forget about your worries and your strife.¡±

    ¡°Now, enough of that. Before we part ways here, would you mind answering a few questions I have about this world?¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: Taking Flight

    Dorian looked out over the steep cliff he was on and at the thriving forest below. Thousands of great oak trees spread out, creating a dense, brilliant canopy, like an ocean of leaves rocking gently at sea.

    After talking with William, the Wizard he met, for several minutes, they had parted ways. The human had shared a great amount of information about this world, and about those that were chasing them.

    He¡¯d also given the Wizard some life advice his Dad and Google had given him, from back on earth, once he learned about the poor guy¡¯s situation.

    Dorian took everything the Wizard told him with a grain of salt, though, just to be safe. He didn¡¯t think the Wizard was lying, but it was better to be cautious.

    ¡®Ausra, you said I can merge bloodlines, right?¡¯ He queried, asking the calm genie.

    ¡®Afterpleting a growth cycle for any creature form and fully growing its bloodline, you can merge that bloodline with any other grown bloodline, or any group of others, to create a hybrid creature. Hybrid creatures may not necessarily be stronger than the base forms. An infinite number of hybrid forms are possible and most of them I have no data on.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s response in his head was clear.

    He nodded, considering his ns.

    -Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (2/4) Myyr Young Adult-

    Growth Progress ¨C 1,302/8,620 ¨C

    He was making progress on his Myyr Dragon form again, albeit slowly. He wasn¡¯t sure how his progress had increased the amount it did, but guessed it had something to do with the now dead Wizard¡¯sst gift to him.

    He was a Master ss beast now, and he could feel the strength in his body. However, there were Grandmaster ss beasts in these mountains, and he¡¯d needed to pick his path carefully.

    ording to William, this entire universe was moreplex than he originally thought.

    Ausra had made him aware that there were an enormous number of worlds in this universe, and that a multitude of creatures and beasts among them.

    He now knew, however, that these worlds were connected by enormous strips ofnd called ¡®World Bridges.¡¯ These bridges were literally bridges between worlds, but massive in scale, where even the smallest stretched more than 2 dozen miles in width, and hundreds of miles in length.

    There were three World Bridges connecting to this world. The best way to escape his pursuers would be to get on one of these World Bridges. Apparently he was being tracked through Fate Magic, some type of mystical art that he didn¡¯t quite understand.

    Fate Magic operated weirdly on the World Bridges, as did several other types of magic, due to the spatial interference and distortedws that surrounded World Bridges, allowing them to exist.

    If he could make it to one of the World Bridges, his chances of escaping would greatly increase.

    The closest World Bridge led to a known as Mesor, notably one of the longest World Bridges in the 30,000 worlds. Dorian had automatically stricken that one from the list, because, ording to William, the Wizards searching for him had most likelye from that World Bridge, and were concentrated in that area.

    Instead, he decided, his eyes turned to the south, it would be better to take the World Bridge found within the Tandor Empire. Specifically, the one located outside the City of a Thousand Colors, Yum City.

    The Tandor Empire was far from where he was. Easily a thousand miles. Even for his draconic, Master ss body, that was a journey that would take some time. He couldn¡¯t even see the mythical World Bridge that existed, though he was excited to have his first nce at it.

    The World Bridge there led to a known as Taprisha. It was a that acted as a buffer zone between one of the three Vampire Families and the Borrel Autarchy.

    It also just so happened that one of the World Bridges that existed on Taprisha went in the direction of the that the fallen Wizard Horhavil had said contained the Ember Gorge, and the huge treasure stash he¡¯d found. The Wizard had left a small map of the worlds close to it in that information orb, and Taprisha was one of them, albeit one of the farthest away.

    Dorian smiled, his eyes shining. He needed power, right now, strength to stand by upright and proud. And he had a n to get it.

    With that thought resounding in his head, he began to run forward, towards the edge of the cliff that overlooked the forest, roughly two hundred meters below.

    With a yell, Dorian threw himself in the air, his emerald wings shining in the mid afternoon light, and began to glide high above the forests below.

    ..

    William rubbed his eyes, moving carefully through the undergrowth. He stepped gingerly, his body still recovering from the shock of the wounds he¡¯d received earlier and then forcibly healed.

    A wooden sword floated in the air next to him, the spell Wood Magic: Armory applied. It was a simple, self defense spell designed to deal with anything that would try to attack him.

    He had just managed to leave the dangerous mountain region, and entered the forests just to the south of Yor City, making his way back. Once he got a little farther from the mountains, he nned on summoning his flying ark to soar back home.

    His mind was aflutter, right now, with a million thoughts.

    That dragon had stayed true to its word, letting him go without trying to harm him, or even ckmail him. Such a behavior was so atypical to anything he expected, it was foreign to him.

    Something the dragon had told him resounded in his ears.

    He¡¯d been answering several of the drake¡¯s questions about the world he lived on, Hasnorth. Many of them were simple questions, like whaty in which direction, while others were moreplex, asking about the people or beings in power, or the Wizards that were hunting him.

    At one point, William had brought up his own family, and his issues with them. He hadn¡¯t nned on it, but the conversation had somehow leaned that way.

    When the dragon learned of how he was a bastard, and hated his father, and of his victory in proving his strength, it had given him an odd look.

    ¡°If you hate them so much¡­ why do you care about proving anything to them?¡± The young drake¡¯s voice had cut to his soul then, its point echoing in his mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t depend on others for happiness. Look for it within yourself.¡± He¡¯d been stunned, unable to give a reply. Their conversation had quickly moved on past that, but the words the dragon shared had stuck with him.

    In a way, it was true that he hated his father. He¡¯d never met his mother, a maid that had left shortly after giving birth to him. He¡¯d tried searching for her to no avail, even when he hired a Fate Wizard.

    There was no one in his family he was particrly close to. Even his grandfather and great-uncle only cared for him because he had wed his way up to gaining a decent amount of strength as a Sky ss Wizard.

    He had a few friends he¡¯d made, some mercenaries and warriors he¡¯d hire and knew on a first name basis. But no lover, no one close.

    Wizards had longer lifespans than those that practiced magic, especially depending on the higher ss you reached. But that was no excuse for wasting your life.

    ¡°What am I trying to do here..?¡± He muttered, rubbing his chin. He cast the thought from his mind, however, as he focused, sping his hands together,

    ¡°Wood Magic: Genovah¡¯s Flying Ark!¡±

    An instant after he finished speaking, a mysterious cluster of symbols appeared in front of him. A collection of wood burst forth from this cluster, bending and stretching, twisting into the shape of a mid sized ship. It stood around twenty meters long, and a dozen meters wide, built entirely out of a dark brown wood. Arge pir rose from the middle of the boat, an empty mast. A small cabin could be seen on one end of the boat, leading towards the inside.

    It was one of his most prized spells, aplex one he¡¯d only managed to learn after reaching the Sky ss.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get home, for now.¡± He muttered, deciding he¡¯d figure out his thoughtster.

    For now, he turned his mind to the other cluster of symbols in his soul.

    The inheritance left behind by that awe inspiring Light Wizard.

    ..

    Yor City.

    In arge, open courtyard, owned by the Robel Family, a cohort of figures were currently standing around, talking.

    Oblong stood in front of the Robel Family Head in the midst of a discussion about the fallen Wood Wizard, giving him a small nod.

    ¡°My apologies, Garibold.¡± He said, attempting to make his voice somber. Oblong¡¯s eyes were drawn out and exhausted, the stress of the day pulling on him. He barely had enough energy to stay awake, and wanted nothing more than to sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The gaunt, elderly figure of the Family Head shook his head calmly, shrugging,

    ¡°It is William¡¯s fault that he wasn¡¯t capable enough. He had a decent amount of potential, but, as they say, when the blood is spoiled¡­¡± He shrugged again.

    ¡°Oblong. Enough with the niceties.¡± A in looking woman waltzed into the courtyard, followed by a few other Fate Wizards. At the end of the group calmly walked a man that made Oblong shiver.

    Lord Hadrion. A Lord ss Wizard.

    He had long, wild ck hair, with a muscr physical appearance. A strong chin and jawplimented his rough smile, giving him a gruff look. Small ck particles of energy seemed to flow around him, following him.

    The devastating Aura that powerful beings could emit. Most Lord ss Wizards had the capability to emit an Aura, a physical manifestation of their strength and will. Hadrion practiced a particrly virulent type of Magic, ck Lightning Magic, however, and his Aura was emitted even without him trying.

    Thankfully, only a minute portion of it spread, not enough to cause people to suffer. Still, it gave him an incredibly fierce appearance. One he well deserved.

    By Lord Hadrion¡¯s side was an elderly woman wearing a full, purple dress, with the insignia of the Obsidia River Empire emzoned on it. One of the nation¡¯s Royal Wizards, the sole other one practicing Space Magic.

    ¡°Commander Larah. Lord Hadrion.¡± Oblong turned and bowed as he saw the superiors he¡¯d been waiting on.

    The Royal Wizard Aymon stepped forward, greeting the duo as well, and then turning to smile and warmly hug the other Royal Wizard.

    ¡°Where is Graxital?¡± Lord Hadrion¡¯s voice was rough, and enthralling, full of power.

    Oblong gulped as he heard it, but recovered smoothly and responded,

    ¡°He is recovering inside. Unleashing hisst spell took a lot out of him, and it will take him some days to recover.¡±

    Lord Hadrion nodded when he heard this, and then nced towards Larah at his side.

    The Fate Commander stepped forward immediately, taking charge.

    ¡°Oblong, begin a Foretelling immediately. We need to pinpoint the location of that dragon before it can move too far, and track it down.¡± Her voice was stern, with no room for argument.

    Oblong didn¡¯t allow himself to sigh, simply nodding attentively. In front of Lord Hadrion, he could not afford to look bad. The fact that he had spoke to the dragon, as well as stood before it, meant he was the best choice to trace the reverberations in Fate it was emitting. He shuddered anew, however, at the memory of the Aura the beast gave off.

    He sped his hands together, casting a formal spell.

    ¡°Fate Magic: Foretelling.¡±

    Wizard¡¯s that studied Fate Magic had a unique understanding with Fate. After many years of study, especially for those at the Master ss and above, a Wizard could divine certain things even without casting spells.

    The formal spell, Foretelling, was the staple of Fate Magic. It was aplex spell that allowed one to use the energy of existence to feel the connections of Fate that existed all around. Countless, invisible threads weaving an enormous Tapestry of Life that connected all living beings.

    Making sense of the great Tapestry of Life was difficult even for the best Fate Wizards, but what could be gleaned was almost aways useful.

    As Oblong cast his Foretelling, focusing on the small dragon they had seen, his eyes began to glow a faint, white light.

    He felt his connection to the world, the wonderful, blissful feeling of gazing upon the limitless Tapestry of Life.

    He felt at the strings of Fate connected to him, trying to sense one that contained reverberations in Fate, created by unknown causes.

    Just as he was trying to center in on one, however, a blinding sh of light sted into his eyes, knocking him out of his Foretelling.

    ¡°Arrrgh!!¡± He screamed out loud and fell to the ground, covering his eyes in pain. The rough, stone floor of the courtyard bruised his back and elbows, his innate barrier as a Master ss Wizard unable to absorb self caused impacts.

    Everyone in the courtyard froze, staring at the obese Fate Wizard in astonishment.

    ¡°My eyes! Arrrgh!¡± Oblong clutched at his eyes, feeling at them. Two lines of blood dripped down his face, the area around his eyes light red and burnt. He refused to open them, and instead immediately forced himself past his pain, casting another spell.

    ¡°Fate Magic: Fate Reversal.¡± He felt arge amount of energy in his body leave him. He would not be able to cast another spell today.

    Fate Magic was not renowned for its healing spells. The only spell Oblong knew that could heal him was the spell Fate Reversal, which was simr to some Time Magic spells in that it reversed something that had happened to him.

    As the redness around his face began to recede, and his body began to heal, the pain that threatened to send him unconscious faded. The overwhelming tiredness he now felt, however, remained. He also set to trembling, his body in shock.

    ¡°What on earth was that?!¡± Commander Larah¡¯s voice broke the frozen silence, staring at Oblong in confusion.

    Oblong responded, his voice ragged and harried,

    ¡°The dragon appears to have some sort of protection applied to him from scrying Fate. It didn¡¯t feel permanent, but I am unable to break through it, at least not right now.¡± His eyes finished healing, fully restored to the condition they had been in before.

    ¡°What? We can¡¯t afford to wait, we don-¡± Commander Larah was cut off mid-sentence before she could continue,

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Larah.¡± Lord Hadrion¡¯s voice was cool, not showing a hint of displeasure.

    ¡°Any being that has a soul that twists Fate itself is bound to be unusual. It¡¯s aware of us hunting it now. It¡¯s only natural that it will prepare safeguards.¡± His eyes shed as he spoke, a small smile appearing on his face.

    ¡°Oblong, you have worked hard. Would you care to be a permanent addition to my team?¡± The man turned to look at Oblong, the small smile vanishing as his eyes turnedpletely serious.

    Excitement cut through his tired haze like lightning as he sat up, staring at the gruff Wizard.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure, Lord Hadrion.¡± Inside, he was yelling victoriously. This was perfect! Every Fate Wizard needed powerfulpanions to be paired up with. By standing at Lord Hadrion¡¯s side, it was almost guaranteed that he would be richly rewarded as time went on, and easily breakthrough to the Grandmaster ss.

    ¡°Good. You will rest up here with Graxital. The rest of us will move on for the target immediately. We have only hours, at best, till the teams from the Sundering and Darkness Departments arrive.¡± His voice was powerful and full of authority. He turned to look at Commander Larah, his eyes cold, continuing,

    ¡°Larah, cast a Foretelling and see if you can find anything rted to the Dragon. Don¡¯t Foretell directly about him, go about it in a indirect manner. I doubt it¡¯s shielded everything from us.¡±

    Larah immediately nodded and set to work, settling in to cast her spell. Oblong retreated back inside the Courtyard the Robel Family had provided to them, falling asleep almost instantly inside a small bedroom.

    ¡°Fate Magic: Greater Foretelling.¡± A spell only a Grandmaster ss Fate Wizard could cast. The spell required a huge amount of energy and concentration, something only a powerful Soul could handle. Larah could only cast it once without taking a long time to rest.

    It was a more powerful version of a regr Foretelling, but one that was more urate and targeted.

    A tense silence followed as none of those present dared to talk, waiting for Larah to finish her spell. Hadrion watched all of it dispassionately, his appearance unconcerned. A few moments passed.

    Larah¡¯s eyes glowed as she spoke aloud, looking up from her spell, her voice filled with eagerness.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t found the disturbance, Lord Hadrion¡­ But I¡¯ve detected someone that might be able to help us find it, or at least provide a closer link.¡± The infaced Fate Wizard turned away from Hadrion to look at the Robel Family Head, an odd look in her glowing eyes.

    ¡°It seems your Wood Wizard descendent has managed to survive after all.¡±

    .

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: High

    The air rushed against his wings like water flowing in a rapid river. Fast, rough, but at the same time somehow wonderful and beautiful. Unknown currents moving in different ways, pulling and tugging.

    Dorianughed in exhration as he soared through the sky, looking down on the world below.

    The sea of leaves moved with the breeze, looking warm andfortable in the calm, afternoon light.

    ¡®Wow!¡¯ His only thought was the sheer, amazing feeling of flying through the air.

    He wasn¡¯t truly flying, of course. He was merely gliding, using his wings to keep gravity at bay. Myyr Dragon¡¯s weren¡¯t capable of full flight. He also hadn¡¯t dared to practice this in the mountains, where Grandmaster ss beasts ran amok.

    ording to William, almost all Grandmaster ss beasts would live in either mountainous regions or special areas with a high concentration of Magic Herbs. The Nebra Mountains, as Dorian learned they were called, were a prime example of these mountainous regions.

    Forests, like the Thousand Oak Forest that not only surrounded the Nebra Mountains, but extended far to the south, were popted with dangerous beasts, but usually only at the limit of Master ss.

    Dorian had learned a bit more about the true divides between sses from William, in their extended talk. While Ausra had a massive amount of information in regards to the species of types of creatures, the genie wasn¡¯t very informed on the world itself.

    The reason Dorian hadn¡¯t seen any Lord ss beasts, the ss above Grandmaster, was due to their extreme rarity.

    Lord ss beasts in the wild were an excessively umon urrence.

    Almost all Lord ss beasts, in the 30,000 Worlds, originated from intelligent ns. Lord ss ck Mire Dragons, Lord ss Torrent Hydras, there existed several species that had the ability to grow into the Lord ss, though reaching that ss was not a guarantee, even with the correct bloodline.

    These ns tended to group together, and thus when a beast entered Lord ss, they would do so within the n, ornds controlled by said n.

    Thews of this universe, ording to Ausra, made it so that it was possible, though rare, for a beast to mutate at birth into rare or powerful bloodlines that they possessed a trace of in their original bloodline. This seemed to happen more often when one lived in an area where Magic Herbs grew, one of the mysteriousws of existence.

    At least some of the Grandmaster ss beasts Dorian had seen had most likely arisen as a result of this. A beast mutating and gaining a Lord ss bloodline was theoretically possible, but extremely rare.

    This threw a bit of a wrench in Dorian¡¯s ns to grow stronger.

    If Lord ss bloodlines were so rare, it was unlikely he¡¯d be able to find even a trace of one in amon beast. It was possible he might find traces in stronger or more power Grandmaster beasts. But would that trace be enough to work with? Or would it be degraded like the Myyr Dragon bloodline had been?

    It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d be able to hunt down herds of the same Grandmaster ss beast, as far as he could tell. He¡¯d never seen more than one of the same type of Grandmaster ss beast.

    The stronger your ss or bloodline, the more difficult it was to conceive a child. It was possible he might be able to find a beast that had a mate of the same race, but a whole family?

    Some Grandmaster beasts possessed a semnce of intelligence and some even truly were self aware and intelligent, though none he had seen thus far. He drew the line at hunting down a creature like that, even if it was for the sake of growing stronger. If he was attacked, then he would defend himself and go from there, but otherwise¡­

    Dorian cast these thoughts from his mind as he focused on his gliding, soaring forward. He strained the muscles in his wings, pping hard to maintain as much height as possible as he glided forward.

    Gradually, he was drawing towards the canopy of leaves.

    Watching himself slowly drift downward, soaring over the treetops, it felt incredible to Dorian. He¡¯d studied Aerospace Engineering as a college student, and knew quite a bit about the math and physics of how flight worked.

    But actually experiencing it, himself, through his own body?

    There was no feeling like it in the world.

    The control of his wings, his body¡¯s movement in flight, it all came naturally to him.

    He carefully guided himself towards a small opening between a pair ofrge trees, controlling his body with precision. He managed to sail through the gap in the leaves without a hitch, sliding into the forest.

    ¡°GRAAAWWWRR!¡±

    The instant he came under the cover of trees, Dorian was unfortunate enough to immediately encounter a beast.

    He forcibly stopped his gliding,ing to a halt and crashing down hard on the ground as he looked at the hulking beast in front of him, his eyes narrow.

    He hadnded in the thick of the forest, on a small raised section. Trees dotted everywhere, gradually obscuring his vision.

    Right in front of him, just below, stood arge, 2 and a half meter tall creature that looked like a bull with dark green hide. A pair of firm white tusks stuck out of its brutish mouth, its beady eyes ring at him. It stomped its feet on the ground several times, its muscles rolling.

    ¡°Hello there.¡± He said aloud, staring at the creature in consternation.

    ¡®Ausra..?¡¯ He mentally queried, continuing to study the boar.

    ¡®A Forest Boar. Powerful creatures prized for their tough horns, and delicious meat. Its maximum growth ces it at the middle of the Sky ss.¡¯ A cool reply rang out in his head.

    Dorian shrugged, the tiny bead of concern in his heart fading away. His current body, right now, was at the early stage of Master ss. While he may not have the fighting instincts of a Myyr Dragon, Dorian could feel the dense, rippling muscles and thick scales he now possessed. He wondered how much stronger he would be at the Grandmaster ss.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡± The Boar gave a quieter growl, its body shivering.

    He looked down from the small hill he was on, shaking his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, Forest Boar. I have the high ground.¡± He rattled his ws, his eyes giving off a threatening gleam.

    ¡°GRAAAWWRR!¡± The boar ignored him and charged, its tusks pointed at his chest. Each step it took threw up dirt and rock, clomping its way up the small hill.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes thinned to slits as he took a deep breath. He felt a feeling of warmth inside his body as he activated the Ability he had just learned. It took a mere split second for a vast number of symbols in his soul to st out from his Soul Spell Matrix.

    After that split second, a powerful cascade of brilliant green mes burst from his mouth, sting directly down towards the Forest Boar. These mes burned with a brilliant gleam, boiling forth like an unstoppable waterfall.

    As Dorian let them loose, he noticed that while he could see the mes burning through the air, the heat itself the mes gave off didn¡¯t seem to have much affect on him. The Ability he was using seemed to not only create these powerful mes, but also protect him from them.

    He abruptly snapped his mouth shut, cancelling the Ability as he felt its drain on his him. Every Ability one used, like every spell a Wizard cast, would create a physical and mental drain, on one¡¯s body and their soul. Using too many could cause you to copse, and even physically damage yourself.

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    The Forest Boar fell to the ground, roasted through and through. Its entire body was seared, cooked straight through to the core. The Lesser Emerald mes that Dorian had created were potent, with the strength to directly roast a Sky ss beast in a single hit.

    He blinked hard as he considered this. Abilities, it seemed, were extremely valuable tools to have.

    Right now he had two. His me ws Ability from the Red Smander, and his Lesser Emerald mes from the Myyr Dragon.

    As he continued to Evolve, taking in more and more forms, he would gain more and more Abilities. A smile appeared on his face as he realized this.

    Even if he couldn¡¯t easily find a Lord ss bloodline, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t grow stronger.

    A mesmerizing smell interrupted his thoughts.

    He looked down, staring at the roasted boar.

    The delicious scent of cooked meat was wafting up his nose, the fat and muscle on the boar¡¯s body just waiting to be devoured. Because he¡¯d cooked it through and through, he ruefully realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb its bloodline, though he hadn¡¯t been nning on it.

    His stomach rumbled, and Dorian realized he hadn¡¯t had anything to eat today, not after trying to eat that roasted deer, and then being rudely interrupted.

    He smiled. It seemed he would get to eat roasted meat today, in the end. He walked up to the fire and cut off several choice parts, stuffing some of them into the Spatial Pouch he had tied around his neck.

    He then turned towards the south, his innate sense of direction guiding him. He then set forward and continued on his way, munching on a roasted boar leg as he half dashed through the forest, dancing a little dance at the delicious vor of the cooked boar.

    ..

    ¡°I should think of Light Magic¡­ as a Dao of Light?¡± William scratched his head at the thought, his mind focused on unpacking the inheritance of magic the esteemed Wizard had left for him.

    He was more than halfway back to Yor City, smoothly flying high over the forest below. He¡¯d decided to look at the magic he had inherited, trying to understand it.

    The thought process of the Wizard, however, was extremelyplex. Instead of an orthodox method of studying Magic, focusing on learning one spell at a time, moving forward carefully with each step, the fallen Angelic ss Wizard Horhavil Candor treated it like he wasing to an understanding of how Light Magic itself functioned. He moved away from simple memorization, and more to understanding the patterns and symbols that represented Light Magic, and the concepts behind them.

    It was far too high level for William to truly understand, but it left him feeling impressed, impressed and small. The universe was so much bigger than him, and his understanding of it was far, far too insignificant.

    He continued to review the odd Light Magic, bing more and more interested. Gradually, he began to focus on the first spell. Light Magic: Healing Touch. It was a spell that focused on healing another individual, drawing from the energy in the air around you.

    Light Magic had powerful healing spells, and powerful destructive capabilities. Its one weakness would be itsck of powerful defensive spells. It had a few, but at a higher level wasckingpared to other branches of magic.

    He was in the midst of thought, tossing these concepts over in his head, when a loud, grinding noise interrupted him. A second alter his wooden vessel lurched to a halt, almost knocking him off his feet as he stumbled forward.

    William jerked his head up, his eyes widening in surprise. He raised his hands forward and readied himself to cast a spell, his body tense.

    A momentter he lowered them, recognizing what was before him.

    The familiar looking transparent vessel that they had original flow to the Nebra Mountains in, from the spell of the Royal Wizard Aymon. Several floating, transparent chains hadtched onto his wooden vessel, locking it in ce. He mentally beat himself up for missing such an obvious ship approaching him. Being lost in thought like that was dangerous.

    ¡°Hail, young Wizard! Are you alright?¡± A voice called out gruffly.

    A muscr man with long ck hair, and a short beard motioned at him. Behind him William could make out several other figures he didn¡¯t recognize, but one he did. The Royal Wizard Aymon.

    He could also feel an incredible concentration of energy on the people in that vessel, and instantly knew they were not only people he couldn¡¯t afford to cross, but people he needed to not even offend. Most of them were powerful Wizards, though he could make out a few warriors with them. ck Iron Guards once more, powerful warriors from the capital.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Can I help you?¡± He asked politely, feeling as if he already knew the answer to that question.

    ¡°Yes, yes you can. You are William Robel, correct? The Wizard that was injured and lost here earlier when attempting to capture a creature that caused a disturbance in Fate?¡± A stern looking woman stepped forward, her long red hair tied up in a tight bun, with piercing green eyes that seemed to bore though his soul.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± William responded, nodding his head, though he wouldn¡¯t quite say he was ¡®lost.¡¯ More like abandoned.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± She motioned with her hand at him,

    ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken with your Family Head. You will be justly rewarded for the pains you suffered. In addition, he has assigned you to assist us in tracking down that¡­ dragon.¡± Her voice left no room for negotiation, her eyes cold.

    William sighed on the inside, feeling a deepset unwillingness rise in him, alongside an evenrger feeling of helplessness. He walked over towards the transparent vessel and boarded it, dismissing his own.

    ¡°Now,¡± The woman began as he boarded, walking in front of him. A few of the Wizards in the surrounding turned to stare at him. The muscr looking Wizard, meanwhile, turned to the front of the ship, ignoring them. Up close William noticed several faint, ck lines of energy floating around the man.

    ¡°Tell me exactly what you remember, or know, about that disturbance in Fate, and how exactly you are still alive.¡±

    ..

    The Wizard King Telmon sighed, rubbing his forehead. His violet eyes pierced forward, looking into the distance, as if he was gazing at all existence.

    Instead of his grand throne room, he was currently sitting on a small, grey pir, in the middle of a forest clearing. Several small trees dotted the area, partially obscuring a set of ancient stone ruins, covered in mysterious hieroglyphics.

    Instead of his customary white robe, he wore a simple brown smock, and a set of brown leather pants. Clothes an ordinary peasant would wear. The crown he normally wore on his head was nowhere to be seen.

    Off in the distance, roughly twenty miles away, an enormous floating edifice could be seen. A massive, dozen mile wide circle of white stone, supported by thousands of streams of white light, floating several hundred meters high in the sky.

    Upon this stone circle were tens of thousands of buildings, pces, and all sorts of structures. A chaotic, expansive city, soaring in the sky. Tens of thousands of figures could be seen, flying in the sky to and fro near the city.

    The illustrious floating capital of the Borrel Autarchy, Heavenseeker City. The holynd of Wizards, where spellcasters went to seek the heavens.

    ¡°Cassiera.¡± His voice was warm and gentle as he spoke, motioning off to the side.

    Immediately a figure blurred into existence, the world around her warping as she bowed. Her silky blonde hair and her green eyes added a certain fire to her eager smile, making her appearance one of beauty. She was lean and fit, the curves of her body visible through the tight blue dress she wore.

    ¡°Your highness.¡± The adoration in her voice was thick.

    ¡°Your report.¡± The Wizard King gave her a calm nod.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gained a deeper understanding of the creatures that have caused a disturbance in Fate. At least, of the 32 in worlds under our control.¡± She began, flipping her hair back behind her as she pped her hands. A small sheath of notes appeared that she began to scan through.

    He interrupted her,

    ¡°The casualties first.¡± He asked, his voice steady.

    Cassiera looked down, her eager smile fading.

    ¡°3 Lord ss Wizards, more than 30 Grandmaster ss Wizards, and roughly 220 Master ss Wizards. The number of civilians or those at a lower ss killed in action is expected to number in the hundreds of thousands in wake of the widespread destruction.¡± A hint of sadness filled her tone.

    The Wizard Kings sat calmly, his voice not disying a single emotion as he heard her report.

    ¡°I see.¡± The immediacy of this threat seemed to be much higher than previously thought.

    ¡°27 of the 32 Anomalies, as we have taken to calling them, possess clear Lord ss strength, ranging from the early stage to the peak Pseudo-King ss. All of them possess incredibly powerful bloodlines, many of them ancient and thought extinct. Some, perhaps all, of them appear to possess the ability to transform their physical body.¡± She said, frowning,

    ¡°They are not only incredibly strong, but Fate itself seems to warp around them, usually in their favor. This has made it exceptionally difficult for any of the teams the Departments sent out to capture any of them. Spells go slightly awry, coincidences ur, luck seems to turn just right for them.¡± She continued,

    ¡°Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to track Lord ss figures through Fate for any extended period of time, and as a result several of the Anomalies have escaped from our sight. We are currently working to track them.¡± She waved her hands forward as she added,

    ¡°The manner in which they arrived here set off faint waves through Fate, and we are attempting to pinpoint their locations in this manner, though we estimate these waves will die down in roughly a week.¡±

    ¡°Not a single one was captured, despite the casualties? Were any of them killed?¡± Telmon¡¯s voice was dangerously calm.

    ¡°Yes sir. The Lord ss Volcanic Wizard Petryon perished taking out an Anomaly that had the bloodline of an Ancient Boorakian Wood Giant, also at the Lord ss. The corpse of the beast is currently being transported towards the Capital.¡± Cassiera bowed her head again, trembling,

    Telmon simply nced at her, taking the information in before waving his hand,

    ¡°The other 5?¡±

    Cassiera bit her lip as she responded,

    ¡°Three of them we were unable to find at all, and believe they have either gone dormant or decided to hide themselves and seeded. One of them we aren¡¯t quite sure on its strength. The reports I¡¯ve gleaned from our Fate Wizards in the area indicate its a Lord ss Draconic beast¡­ an incredibly odd one. But¡­ From my own investigation into Fate¡­¡± She shrugged,

    ¡°I detected remnants of a Mid King ss Aura.¡±

    Telmon frowned when he heard this,

    ¡°What was so odd about it? Are you certain of the Aura remnants?¡± A Mid King ss beast¡­ this could prove troublesome for even some of the Department Heads. Beasts that had powerful bloodlines were very difficult to deal with.

    ¡°Yes, absolutely certain. As for why it was odd¡­ apparently when they discovered it, it was found singing a song in an unknownnguage while dancing around a fire¡­¡±

    The Wizard King stared at her for a brief moment, blinking his eyes several times.

    ¡°Dancing around a fire¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, dancing around a fire.¡± She responded promptly.

    ¡°While singing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, while singing.¡± She responded again, just as prompt.

    He rubbed his forehead again, closing his eyes, sighing deeply,

    ¡°What team is in the area of that particr Anomaly?¡±

    ¡°The Lord ss Wizard Hadrion, the Rising Star of the ck Lightning Department. He is all the way on the outer world of Hasnorth, sir. Two additional teams are expected to arrive to assist him, from the Sundering Department and the Darkness Department.¡± She responded promptly.

    Telmon closed his eyes, and then opened them, a deadly light gleaming in them.

    ¡°Send an order through Fate when we are done talking. Which Fate Wizard does he have by his side? I remember him. It was¡­ Larah, right? The 5th disciple of your 3rd disciple?¡± He rubbed his forehead again, a tired look appearing on his face.

    ¡°Tell him he is to pull back, immediately. Order the same to all teams that are attempting to engage this threat. No Lord ss Wizard is to go at any Anomaly without at least 4 other Lord ss Wizards to assist. As for the potential King ss, only Department Heads are to engage with it.¡± His words were full of authority, shaking the air itself.

    ¡°My message might not make it through in time, due to how far away he is.¡± Cassiera said, bowing her head.

    Telmon waved his hand, indicating it wasn¡¯t a problem. He then turned, and looked at Cassiera with a question in his eyes.

    ¡°Thest one?¡±

    The beautiful, blondehaired woman¡¯s mouth twisted,

    ¡°Thest one¡­ was found on the Major of Norra, near our border with the Graal Alliance. Two Lord ss Wizards, Antdre from the Gravity Department and Ormon from the Diamond Department, went to engage it simultaneously.¡± She paused briefly,

    ¡°They were both killed in action. The Anomaly there appears to be a King ss beast that is at the very peak, almost Pseudo-Angelic ss, with the bloodline of a Divine Golden Lion.¡± She looked at him.

    The Wizard King blinked slowly, and then folded his hands together slowly. His eyes shivered with emotion at the mention of word ¡®divine,¡¯

    ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°It left a message after it killed them, dered with enough force that roughly ten thousand nearby civilians died from the yell alone.¡± She motioned with her hands at the notes she held,

    ¡°It said ¡®Tell the Firstborn that I, the Secondborn, will being for my rightful title.¡¯ Promptly after that, it went on a rampage killing thousands of beasts in the wild. Its activities after that we are unsure of, save that it left Norra headed in the direction of thes controlled by the Graal Alliance.¡±

    Telmon took a few moments to think, his eyes cool.

    ¡°Inform the Department Heads they are to take action immediately to target these threats and eliminate them. Each Department is to avoid leaking information and causing a panic. In addition, tell the Royal Knights to appear before me in the throne room.¡± He sighed, shaking his head,

    ¡°I would move personally if I could¡­I have a bad feeling about this.¡± He turned, looking out into the distance at something not visible.

    ¡°Send your messages first, and then continue your report. How have the Draconic Tribes and the Graal Alliance reacted? Have the Shades or Nobles made any movements?¡±

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: The Calm before the Storm

    ¡°Huff, huff-¡± Dorian wheezed as he continued loping forward, his long legs eating up the miles as he ran south. He constantly panted, his eyes filled with exhaustion. On the bright side, dragons apparently didn¡¯t sweat, and gave off heat by panting, so at least he wasn¡¯t covered in sweat.

    asionally he¡¯d leap up into the air, using his wings to glide forward and cover a couple dozen meters.

    It waste evening, and he¡¯d been moving for hours.

    As a Master ss beast, Dorian¡¯s body was incredibly robust. In addition, hisrge size meant his stride was huge, and he¡¯d managed to cover arge amount of distance in a very short time.

    The Thousand Oak Forest was veryrge, and teeming with life. Most of the beasts in there, however, had avoided Dorian once they heard himing. Thanks to that, he hadn¡¯t encountered any other beasts, and managed to make it through without trouble.

    Below the Thousand Oak Forest was arge savanna, long, rustling grasnds that stretched for miles, dotted asionally with a few trees.

    This area was, ording to William, inhabited by many other humans.

    Indeed, as Dorian was running, he¡¯d spotted a few of what looked like tribes of wandering nomads, setting up for the evening or night. They wore simple brown clothes, some with colorful details or additions. They all seemed to be rather short, even the tallest standing only five and a half feet tall.

    The more south he went, the more civilized thend became around him.

    He¡¯d already been forced to deviate from his path, to avoid charging too close to what looked like a small vige surrounded by a high wooden wall. He¡¯d already crossed several earthen roads, and made sure to avoid them at all costs.

    He had yet to run into any patrols, but he was sure they existed somewhere. Beasts no doubt came wondering into these convertednds, though they were far enough from the forests that he had yet to see any beast above Earth ss. In fact, of the few deer or other creatures he¡¯d encountered, most of them had been Mortal ss.

    Directly at the center of Dorian¡¯s sight, in the fading evening light, was his goal, motivating him onward.

    In the distance, an enormous pir ofnd rose into the sky, where it disappeared inside a massive, blue portal. Even from the distance Dorian could make out faint distortions in space around the edges of this portal, the rippling spatial storms he had heard about.

    The pir ofnd rose dozens of miles into the air before vanishing inside the portal, obscured from his sight.

    He¡¯s first spotted it more than an hour back. The massive edifice was visible from a huge distance away, a gargantuanndmark that was easy to track.

    He took another deep breath, feeling the exhaustion in his body almost overwhelm him.

    Thought he could see the giant World Bridge, he was still very far away from it. He would copse from exhaustion first if he tried to reach it in one go.

    Mentally, he cursed at himself for not thinking to absorb some type of flying creature¡¯s bloodline. If his current form was capable of true flight, he¡¯d most likely be able to reach the Bridge with ease.

    He shook his head. There was no use worrying over what he couldn¡¯t change.

    The widespread savanna had eventually been reced byrge treks of farnd, stretching over for miles.

    It was bing harder and harder to avoid contact with other people.

    ¡°How much time do I have¡­¡± He muttered quietly, his eyes narrowed.

    His Soul was giving off very faint waves that trembled through Fate, apparently, ording to that old Wizard. Those waves were slowly dying down, and once they finished it would be much, much harder to track him purely using Fate.

    The old Wizard had put up some type of spell to protect him from being tracked, but that would onlyst a day or two.

    He needed to make the most of this head start he¡¯d been given.

    Several more minutes passed. Gradually, Dorian¡¯s breath grew more and more ragged. His lungs felt as if they were on fire, and each step as if weighed down by a thousand pounds.

    Finally, he came to a stop, breathing heavily.

    He was crouched down, next to the edge of a veryrge farming plot. It seemed the entire area around here had been localized and used for farnd. He¡¯d just crossed another section of farnd, doing his best not to ruin any crops.

    As heid down, resting, he considered switching forms.

    His Myyr Dragon form was 3 meters tall and had quite the imposing appearance. In his Red Smander form, he¡¯d still look dangerous, but he¡¯d be less noticeable. He also might be able to throw off his pursuers since they were looking for a small dragon.

    ¡®Ausra, can I switch to a brand new form while my bloodline growth isn¡¯tplete yet?¡¯ He asked a question he hadn¡¯t considered. He¡¯d only switched into his Myyr Dragon bloodline after he¡¯d already finished growing as a Red Smander. If he wanted to take on a new form, say one of those wolf bloodlines he¡¯d absorbed, it would be before he finished growing his Myyr Dragon form.

    ¡®Yes, but all the energy you¡¯ve stored to increase its growth will be applied to whatever form you switch to.¡¯ The energy stored in his Soul Spell Matrix remained stored until it was enough to advance a Growth Stage. He had over a thousand points of energy stored in his Soul right now, and if he used all of it on a form he wouldn¡¯t use, it would be quite a waste.

    He frowned. Exhaustion dampened his mind, however, making it hard toe up with a clear decision.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± He grumbled aloud, shaking and stretching his body, still catching his breath.

    His Myyr Dragon form was his strongest one right now, and his fastest one. He would just stay in it till he got closer to the World Bridge, and then switch to hide from the people hunting him.

    He slowly got to his feet, feeling his body shake. He looked down at his arms, and then shook his head.

    He was powerful, but he was not invincible. He needed to rest and recover. After running hundreds of miles in only a few hours, he was bordering on fainting from exhaustion.

    Dorian took a moment, scanning the nearby farnd.

    Everything around him was t. Brown dirt, some green grass, and lots of nted crops of what looked like golden wheat. asionally he¡¯d pass a small outcropping of trees, but most of thend here had been cleared away.

    This appeared to be a particrlyrge farm, sorge that he could only barely spot a small building, several miles off to the south where the owners must live.

    He was at the edge of this farm, between this one and the one behind him.

    He sighed, and then looked down to the dirt ground beneath him.

    ¡°Fine.¡± He stabbed down with his ws, and quickly ripped out arge section of dirt, making arge hole.

    As long as his hulking form wasn¡¯t visible from a distance, he should be fine. He grabbed ahold of arge chunk of the dirt as he mbered into the hole, dragging it over his scales to hide himself.

    It was a poor job, and would probably fool no one, especially considering his head and neck were still above ground. However, it would work for now, and he was just far enough under that his head wasn¡¯t visible above the various stalks of wheat.

    He drew his scaly arms over his head, and nuzzled in, falling asleep almost instantly, the fatigue he¡¯d beenbatting finally overwhelming him.

    He¡¯d climb the Bridge tomorrow.

    ..

    ¡°I can¡¯t get a direct trace.¡± Larah¡¯s voice was filled with frustration as she gestured angrily, ring at the damaged valley.

    They had directly flown into the valley between the shattered peaks, wasting no time at all. As they were lowering down, arge, Grandmaster ss ck Fanged Panther hadunched at them, antagonized.

    William had watched in awe as the man known as Lord Hadrion destroyed it with a casual wave of his hand, not even a full spell.

    A deadly ray of ck lightning had flung off his body, striking and incinerating the beast in an instant.

    He had gulped when he saw this, his body tingling. He got the sense that the man before him was a deadly predator.

    ¡°Is there no change in the dragon¡¯s block on Fate?¡± Lord Hadrion responded as he squatted down, looking at a collection of ash and half burnt sticks. He picked up a piece, studying it closely.

    The Grandmaster Fate Wizard paused, and then concentrated, her eyes gaining a white glow. After a few seconds, she stopped, sighing.

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t, apart from it weakening slightly. It won¡¯t hold out much longer, but I¡¯ll only be able to get a general zone of where it is, around twenty or thirty miles wide. The waves in Fate have died down too much.¡± Larah replied, shaking her head. She turned, then, to look at William, her eyes inquisitive.

    ¡°Are you absolutely sure there is nothing you can remember?¡± Her voice was cold and stern, tinged with annoyance.

    William shook his head, not a single emotion betraying him,

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s like I said happened, Commander Larah.¡± After learning she was a Grandmaster ss Wizard, especially one that studied Fate Magic, he had be extremely nervous. Despite that, he had stuck to his decision,

    ¡°I was hit by that Blood Magic attack and knocked unconscious. I was barely able to get a healing spell off. I don¡¯t remember anything after that, I barely survived as it is.¡± His voice was calm, and he ended it with a shudder, touching his body gingerly.

    He wasn¡¯t going to say anything about the dragon.

    He owed these people nothing. What good woulde of pleasing them? It¡¯s not like they would ask him to officially join a team. Why would they even want a Wood Magic Wizard, after all?

    As for the inheritance he gained: That was his secret, and he had no intentions of letting anyone know about it until he was ready.

    That dragon had saved his life. These people were part of the group that had abandoned him.

    As for currying favor with his family¡­ his eyes hardened at the thought.

    None of the Robel Family Wizards or warriors were even here with them now. The leader of this group, Lord Hadrion, hadn¡¯t allowed it.

    William wasn¡¯t sure what he would do in the future¡­ But he was certain of one thing.

    He was done living at the beck and call of a family that didn¡¯t want him. He would live his own life, for now, following his own decisions.

    This simple thought had proven incredibly freeing for him, lightening a load he hadn¡¯t even known was present on his mind.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Larah grunted, tugging at her red hair in frustration.

    ¡°It will take at least half a day, maybe more, before I¡¯ll be able to point us in its direction.¡± She turned and looked at Lord Hadrion apologetically.

    The man looked up at her from the burnt out fire, and then up at the sky, taking a deep breath and releasing it.

    ¡°If I was an intelligent beast running away from hunters¡­ where would I go?¡± He said aloud, rubbing his chin.

    He stood up, and then slowly turned to the south, his eyes gleaming. He paused and then turned to the northeast, a frown appearing on his face.

    ¡°If it can block you from scrying Fate, even only temporarily, then it is a creature that is at least at the Lord ss and quite intelligent too. With that in mind, there is really only one possibility. It is fleeing for one of the World Bridges, where that type of tracking is near impossible. It must be aware that stronger forces are hunting for it.¡± He broke down the situation, his gruff voice continuing,

    ¡°There are two World Bridges within two thousand miles of here. The third World Bridge is on the other side of the world, nearly 12,000 miles away.¡± He pped his hands together, nodding sharply.

    ¡°It is either heading for the Bridge to Mesor, or the Bridge to Taprisha. If it goes to Mesor, hunting it down will prove easy enough with the support the ck Lightning Department Headquarters can provide, just a single world away. If it goes to Taprisha, however¡­¡± He frowned, shaking his head.

    Larah nodded, responding,

    ¡°Yes, my worries too. The Aurelius Family won¡¯t just sit by, especially after two of their own were killed. This could get messy if the Nobles get involved.¡± Even the Wizard King Telmon wouldn¡¯t willingly contend against the Vampire Families, not when he was already shing with the Draconic Tribes and the reformed Graal Alliance.

    Hadrion shrugged.

    ¡°It is what it is. We¡¯ll fly through the night and cut it off at the World Bridge, informing the Tandor Empire to be on the watch for a small, green-scaled drake.¡± He nodded as he continued,

    ¡°Larah, send a message to one of your Fate Wizards in the Obsidia River Empire capital. Have one of your Fate Wizards join a caravan towards the ck Lightning Headquarters, informing them in case it takes that route. Even if they¡¯re only Master ss, they should still be able to send a message while a single away.¡± The dark energy that flowed around his body seemed to quiver, bing more concentrated,

    ¡°We will know for sure which way it went once its protection from Fate wears off. No one can block Fate forever, not even a Lord ss beast.¡± He muttered,

    ¡°Also, ready yourself to meet the teams from the Darkness and Sundering Departments. It seems we won¡¯t beat them out after all.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Rising

    ¡°Heeeeeello! Hello! Hello! How¡¯s the killing, Little Haddy?¡± A loud, boisterous yell greeted Lord Hadrion as he floated at the base of the World Bridge to Taprisha, the early morning light pouring down on him. Hadrion sighed.

    ¡°Eren. It¡¯s been a while.¡± He slowly turned to look at the being that was approaching him.

    Standing roughly 3 meters tall, covered in rippling muscles, with skin that was a very dull red, the being before him looked nothing like a Wizard. The long orange robe he wore did little to convince onlookers. A heavy, sharp aura seemed to emanate off of him, as if he was about to slice apart space itself.

    Yet, despite his appearance, Eren Kirstein was one of the most aplished Lord ss Wizards in the Sundering Department. He also wasn¡¯t a human.

    He was, instead, a member of the Titan Race.

    Titans were humanoids that were renowned for their ferocious strength and enormous stature. Eren was robust even among Titans, a veritable noble of his race. In sheer strength alone he measured up to a peak Grandmaster ss beast.

    While the Borrel Autarchy was dominated by Humans, andrgely considered a ¡®Human¡¯ kingdom or ce of rule, that didn¡¯t mean other races weren¡¯t allowed to live here. Far from it, the Wizard King Telmon, over the course of his nearly 400 year reign, had implemented sweeping changes in regards to how race as treated.

    No matter what skin color, or creed, you believed in or had, all races and kinds were wee in the Autarchy.

    The Sundering Department was a Department renowned for having nonhuman Wizards,rgely due to the type of Magic itself. Sundering Magic was one of the most offensive styles of magic in existence. Many beasts or nonhumans appreciated this type of magic, and the overwhelming attacks contained within.

    The chief reason, however, was the strain Sundering Magic had on the body. Casting even the most basic spells required a very robust physical form, but rtively low requirements in terms of magic sensitivity.

    Hadrion had recently killed a member of the Sundering Department, another Titan, but one that was suspected of, and eventually proven to be, a traitor. The battle had proven fierce, one that destroyed an entire mountain range, and earned him a huge amount of merit.

    As a result, however, his rtionship with the Sundering Department had soured. Even if the Titan was a traitor, the fact that he killed a member of their Department, and a fellow nonhuman, had spurred resentment.

    ¡°Hahaha, yes it is! Yes it has!¡± The Titan had an odd manner of speaking, where he repeated himself for emphasis. A fierce grin shined on his mostly humanoid face as he red at Hadrion. He had a short nose that had been broken before, a strong jawline, and powerful, piercing red eyes. His short, white hair was stark, and stood out. His tone was decidedly unfriendly.

    Eren was currently floating on arge, ten meter long ck metal de, in mid-air. A trio of beautiful women stood behind him, two dressed in the customary blue robes of the Fate Department, while one wearing a set of ck leather armor that he didn¡¯t recognize. Faintly, he detected traces of Curse Magic from her. He wrinkled his nose at the scent.

    ¡°So where is this little beasty?¡± Eren pped his hands together, his eyes darting to the left and right.

    ¡°You have your own team, yes? Find him yourself.¡± Hadrion¡¯s voice was calm and gruff. Having other Lord ss Wizards with him would only be a good thing if he trusted them.

    ¡°Yessss, exactly. To each our own.¡± Another voice chimed in as another figure appeared. A man wearing a full set of ck robes, with a high ck belt wrapped around him. His face was covered with a simple dark mask and hood, blocking his appearance.

    His words slurred, slightly, as he spoke, a result of some unknown injury.

    He was floating in the air, only half visible. His form was shrouded in darkness, and no one else appeared to be with him.

    ¡°Shadow Mask.¡± He nodded, acknowledging the Lord ss Darkness Wizard.

    The Darkness and Sundering Department were the two closest Departments to his own, the ck Lightning Department. He knew almost all of his fellow Lord ss Wizards in each Department, having encountered many of them before on various missions.

    ¡°You all may ssstay here assss the rearguard. My sshadowsss will hunt the beassst down and find it. Your sservicessss are unneeded.¡± Shadow Mask¡¯s voice was raspy, and filled with arrogance.

    ¡°Haha! Haha! Haha! Not a bad idea, Little Masky! Let this be a hunt for the records! Apetition!¡± The Titan Eren broke in, smiling ferociously. Neither he nor Shadow Mask appeared to be taking this quite seriously.

    Shadow Mask didn¡¯t deign to respond, instead vanishing from sight. The Titan Eren gave Hadrion a derisive look before turning, his enormous flying sword floating off towards the nearby Capital of the Tandor Empire, Yum City.

    Hadrion sighed again and shrugged, twitching his fingers. All around him, spreading out for miles, several small ck lightning bolts shed.

    After flying all the way to the World Bridge, Hadrion had set up aplexwork of lightning particles, stretching into a huge, invisible bubble that surrounded the entireplex.

    The spell, known as Lightning Magic: Electric Field, was normally one that could stretch a few miles at most. He¡¯d been forced to use Lightning Magic: Greater Amplify, to stretch it. Maintaining such a spell was tiring, but he had no other reasonable way to watch the massive World Bridge that existed for dozens of miles.

    Any creature that moved into or out of the World Bridge he was immediately aware of. The field also served to create an odd, unsettling feeling that drove away most wildlife, leaving only those that were at the Earth ss or above. This particr World Bridge was set like an enormous savanna, unlike therge river the World Bridge to Mesor held.

    His electric field not only covered the surface, but also several miles into the sky, and underground.

    He felt an ache in his eyes. He rubbed them and waved a finger. Immediately, a small, glowing white pill appeared in his hand. A famed ¡®Light Pill¡¯ produced by practitioners of Light Magic. Light Magic and White Magic were the two styles of magic thatpeted for the crown of ¡®Greatest Healing Magic.¡¯

    Light Pills were imbued with the essence of a high ss healing spell, and could be used to replenish one¡¯s energy. This particr one was created by a Grandmaster ss Light Wizard, requiring an entire day¡¯s focus.

    Using them to replenish one¡¯s energy to avoid sleep was an absurd expense, but he had little choice.

    He¡¯d spread out his men, 6 Grandmaster ss ck Lightning Wizards, and a dozen Master ss ck Lightning Wizards, to help surround the huge World Bridge, but he didn¡¯t trust anyone but himself to maintain aplete.

    Larah¡¯s Fate Wizards were either working to find the drake, or resting. The block on fate was weakening, but it was gradually bing harder to pinpoint the dragon.

    They¡¯d managed to determine it was within a few hundred miles of the Bridge, but that was it.

    For now¡­ they would have to wait.

    ..

    In a small inn in Yum City, a mid-sized private bedroom currently fluttered with light.

    Blinding white light covered William¡¯s form as he floated in the air, feeling an incredible transformation rock his soul. Tens of thousands of symbols fluttered around his Soul Spell Matrix, unfolding intoplex patterns and mysterious shapes.

    His eyes shined as he felt his body tremble, ecstasy and joy flooding him.

    Tentatively, a small barrier of energy began to wrap around him, a transparent, almost invisibleyer of protection. As this appeared, his Soul underwent a qualitative change, bing several times stronger.

    He had just undergone a baptism of thews of magic, and broken into the Master ss.

    The past day and night had been a transformative one for him.

    After being forced to move alongside Lord Hadrion and the team hunting down that dragon, William had been unceremoniously dumped off in Yum City, the Capital of the Tandor Empire, extremely far away from his home in the Obsidia River Empire.

    During the trip here, and the entire night, William had stayed up going over the inheritance he had received from that strange fallen Wizard.

    The more of the knowledge he read and absorbed from the cluster of symbols in his soul, the more and more it made sense. The unorthodox method of studying Light Magic had appeared strange in his eyes, at first. But after constant exposure, his general understanding of magic had begun to change.

    Every spell became a song to him, one of beauty and mystery. Combining symbols in one manner or another was like creating a beautiful painting, and marveling at it.

    The dead Wizard¡¯s past experiences in regards to Light Magic had flooded into his mind, the exact knowledge he needed to know appearing when he needed it. He was like a sponge, soaking up information at an incredible rate.

    He managed to break through the Mortal ss, the Earth ss, and the Sky ss in a single night.

    He relied upon his soul already being at the Sky ss to survive the brunt of this breakthrough. And, despite only then being at Sky ss, his understanding of Light Magic had managed to reach the Master ss before he was forced to stop, his head threatening to implode.

    Each ss beyond Master ss, he knew, would require step by step growth. He¡¯d only managed to break so in his understanding so quickly thanks to his soul already being at Sky ss.

    Still, to do this all in a single night¡­ the powers gifted by the fallen Wizard in his inheritance were truly absurd.

    ¡°Incredible.¡± He muttered, waving his hands together. A beam of light jumped from one hand to another, moving at a fantastic speed. This beam was about the size of his hand, but only a few inches thick.

    This was a spell the fallen Angelic ss Wizard had created on his own. A fantastic transport spell called Light Magic: Riding Light.

    He looked across the small beam and held it in his hand for a second, looking at his room.

    It wasn¡¯t toorge, only about 8 meters across. A private, inn bedroom, with a small nightstand, a bed, and a few paintings on the wall. A hard wood floor covered by a in rug. Nothing luxurious.

    He flicked his hand forward.

    As he did so, the small beam of light in his hand shot forward andnded on the opposite side of the room.

    As soon as itnded, almost instantaneously, his body vanished and reappeared, in the spot where he had sent the light beam.

    ¡°Awesome!¡± William grinned, pumping his fist in the air. Light Magic was truly amazing!

    As he considered this, his mind went to how he had obtained this, and his smile lessened. He looked down at his hands, and then clenched them, a decision made in his heart.

    He would not let that dragon walk into this trap if he had a say in this.

    ..

    In a small, random field two dozen miles north of Yum City, a three meter tall green scaled dragon appeared, rising in the early morning light. Dirt brushed off his scales, cascading down in a flood.

    ¡°Mmmm.¡± Dorian yawned and stretched his draconic form, feeling a deep warmth in his scales. He pulled a random Magic Herb out of the Spatial Pouch he¡¯d tied around his neck, sating his appetite and thirst. Magic Herbs truly were a miracle food you could live entirely off of.

    He then turned towards the south, where the massive pir ofnd that was the World Bridge was located.

    His eyes shed. Instead of asking Ausra to do anything, he willed his body to change.

    Gradually his body began to shift, the green scales twisting, his arms and legs distorting. In just a few split seconds, his enormous 3 meter tall body shrank to a much smaller, barely 1 meter tall Red Smander. In length, he was about 2 meters long, with heavy, ted red scales and a line of sharp spikes down his spine.

    His Elder Smander form.

    ¡°Weraagisf!¡± (It worked!) He said aloud,pletely butchering the words as he tried to speak. He realized, to his consternation, that he couldn¡¯t speak like normal in his Red Smander form. The vocal chords of a Red Smander were odd and didn¡¯t quite allow for it.

    He¡¯d graduallye to sense that all the abilities Ausra had were actually his own,ing from his Soul Spell Matrix. Even Ausra itself was merely a construct of his own power.

    If he was being attacked, it would be far too dangerous to have to ask Ausra to change one of his forms to another.

    Rather, just by using his will, he could cause his forms to change.

    He smiled, his teeth pulled up in a snarl on his Smander form, and began to run south, in a path that would circle the Capital and head straight for the World Bridge, doing his best to look like a wild beast.

    ..

    Floating several miles in front of the World Bridge, in the direction of Yum City, were a cohort ofrge, ck metal swords with several figures standing on them.

    Most of the figures were humans, but three wererge, red skinned Titans. Some wore loose orange robes while others were dressed in tight fitting ck metal armor. All three titans were dressed in a full suit of ck armor, reinforced by what appeared to be thousands of tiny swords linked together.

    Eren hummed happily to himself as he folded his hands together, looking in the direction of the city. He was sitting on the edge of his floating de, his legs hanging off.

    ¡°Your Lordship.¡± One of the beautiful trio of women standing on his de stepped forward next to him. Her blue robes swayed slowly, clinging tightly to her body.

    ¡°Yes? Yes. Yes, Mayne.¡± He replied, his eyes shining.

    ¡°I can¡¯t determine an exact location, but we know the disturbance in Fate is somewhere within a hundred miles of here.¡± Her voice was calm, matching her peaceful blue eyes.

    ¡°I see, I see.¡± Eren¡¯s voice rumbled. Small, tiny des floated above his head, transparent and ephemeral. He scratched at his head, ruffling his white hair.

    ¡°It is apetition now.¡± He stretched his arms, his muscles bulging. A small smile appeared on his face as he stood up, looking towards his subordinates.

    ¡°ATTENTION!¡± His voice boomed out, an explosive one full of authority and power. Instantly all the Wizards on flying swords turned and bowed slightly, at attention. A powerful, sharp Aura spread off of Eren, his strength as a Lord ss Wizard fully revealed.

    The three Titans floated to the front of the crowd, bending down on one knee before him.

    ¡°Mayne. Greta.¡± He called out, waving with his hands. Immediately the woman wearing a set of tight ck leather armor stepped forward, standing next to Mayne.

    ¡°You two will go with Byrus and take the western side of the Bridge. Laura, you will stay with me in the center. Ugdol and Barrack you two will take the eastern side. Everyone else pair up with your usual team leaders.¡± His voice shook the air as the Wizards began to split apart, gathering behind the three Titans.

    ¡°We are on the watch for a small, green scaled drake. It is wily, and powerful. If you see it, you are not to engage it, but to instead send a Shearing de into the air.¡± He pped his hands together, making a sound much like thunder.

    ¡°Move out!¡±

    ..

    ¡°Go my beautiesss¡­ sssearch the ssshadowss¡­ find the green ssscaled dragon¡­¡± A ck robed man stood floating on a disk of darkness, several miles above the ground. Darkness flowed about him like a river as several shadow forms broke off, hundreds of them sting downward.

    ¡°Find it¡­¡±

    .

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Connection Shattered

    William shivered as he looked back at the city wall. The sun beat down on him, the midmorning light heating the day. He turned around, his eyes steely as he studied the massive World Bridge.

    The dragon was almost certainly going somewhere towards this World Bridge.

    He closed his eyes for a moment before folding his hands together.

    ¡°Light Magic: Disturbing Light.¡± A golden beam of light sted out of his eyes and then quickly vanished, spreading an invisible over everything in his vision. He stretched this as far as he could, managing to wrap it around the pir and base of the World Bridge.

    This spell was like draping a nket overrge area. He couldn¡¯t see or hear anything through it, but if there was some type of notable disturbance, like a powerful spell cast, he would instantly feel the ripples through the.

    It was a Master ss Spell, and one of only four at that level that he knew how to cast. Even if he had much of the knowledge and experience of the old Light Wizard, he still needed to practice before he could ess much of the old man¡¯s spellbook.

    Thankfully, this spell was energy efficient, and he could maintain for several hours, even half a day if he needed to. He sat down on the ground outside the wall as he set to wait.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what he would do if the dragon was unable to escape¡­ but he would do something. He¡¯d figure out what exactlyter.

    ..

    ¡°Oh my-¡±

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    ¡°Guards! A beast!¡±

    Dorian ignored the burst of screams as he thundered across one of the paths leading to the capital, wincing slightly.

    He¡¯d already past half the enormous city, sticking several miles off to the side. While the route he was taking was a bit out of the way from where he¡¯d been, the World Bridge was still directly in front of them, purely due to how massive it was.

    Unfortunately, the closer he got to civilization, the more and more people there were.

    He¡¯d been lucky to avoid any groups so far, but his luck had finally faded as the day drew onward, and morning drew close to afternoon.

    Arge caravan was currently moving down a long, paved stone road towards one of the western gates of Yum City. They were only four or five miles out, and the city was readily visible.

    There were around a dozen individual wagons in this caravan, all made from sort of dark red metal. The wheels on each caravan were pitch ck, and each one was drawn forward by a horse covered in dark blue scales. Several men and women wearing brown leather armor could be seen, riding along leisurely next to the wagons on small brown horses.

    A unique sight in Dorian¡¯s opinion, reminding him of the caravans he¡¯d heard about riding off in the Old West, albeit with a few fantasy elements and colors added in.

    He sighed as he leapt up, high, into the air, flying over one of the wagons and crossing the road.

    He¡¯d tried to stick to cover as he circled the city, avoiding being out in the open. The area in the immediate vicinity of the city was all grassy ins, with a few small forests. Farnd only started to appear about a dozen miles out.

    He had just exited one of the small forests when he¡¯d spotted the caravan, roughly two dozen meters away.

    The caravan had spotted him at the same time, as he hurtled forward at a very fast pace.

    ¡°Fire Magic: Fireball!¡± One young looking Wizard, wearing a set of loose brown robes, hurled a ball of mes at Dorian¡¯s back as he leapt the caravan, just barely missing him.

    As a Red Smander, Dorian was resistant to heat, so even if it had managed tond, it wouldn¡¯t have done much to him. Still, he gave the wizard a sidelong re, as he escaped past the caravan, running at full speed.

    The caravan was in disarray, several of the warriors on horseback spreading out. Two Wizards were escorting it, both at the Earth ss. One a Fire Wizard, and the other a Lightning Wizard.

    They watched with a sense of loss as the Smander ran off, unable to make heads or tails of the situation.

    ..

    ¡°There¡¯s a disturbance down off to the side there.¡± The Titan Byrus¡¯ voice was rugged as it stood, floating upon a giant sword. His eyes were piercing and alert, however, staring off several miles into the distance.

    Three other giants swords floated in the air, bearing various human Wizards. Byrus¡¯ was the leader of this group, a direct subordinate of Eren, and a Grandmaster Sundering Wizard.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a wild animal fleeing from a caravan. It looks like a Red Smander, or a Fire Lizard.¡± Mayne¡¯s voice rose into the air as the Grandmaster Fate Wizard carefully studied the ground, a frown marring her beautiful face.

    Byrus grunted, and then shrugged, his shoulders rolling back in an odd looking fashion.

    ¡°Whatever. Greta, Numor, go check it out and kill it to be safe. The rest of you continue to spread out and be on alert. Cover the next thirty miles. Be on the watch for a green scaled dragon. Report back if anything odd happens wit-¡±

    The ck armored girl, Greta, interrupted the Titan.

    ¡°I¡¯m not under yourmand, Byrus. I¡¯ll check it out myself.¡± Her voice was cool and cutting, disdain heavy in her voice as she spun around, leaping off the enormous sword. ck miasma seemed to flow around her, forming a small tform that soared through the air.

    Byrus rolled his eyes, and motioned for Numor, one of the human Wizards, toe back.

    ¡°Arrogant witch. Just wait till you fall out of his Lordship¡¯s favor¡­¡± He shook his head, ¡°Whatever. Leave her.¡±

    ¡°Keep spreading out, and maintain a clear perimeter. Remember, a small green scaled drake is the target.¡±

    ..

    Dorian¡¯s ws sank into the earth and then propelled himself forward, using every bit of momentum he could muster.

    His Elder Red Smander form was much stronger than it had previously been, due to the fact that his soul was at the Master ss. The stronger his soul, the more powerful his physical forms would be, even ones that normally finished their growth at a lower ss.

    ording to Ausra, the density of his muscle fibers and overall strength had now reached just the minimum to be considered a Master ss beast.

    He ducked under a few branches as he charged back into a small, grouped forest once more, rxing slightly as he came under cover, hidden from the sky above.

    Just as he was about to charge through a thicket in the midst of the forest, a sort of sixth sense in the back of his head tingled. An incredibly odd feeling that he couldn¡¯t quite describe, but one that made him freeze and then dodge to the left.

    WHOOSH

    A split secondter a ck stream of gas stabbed into the ground where he had been, shaped like a spear. It maintained its spear shape despite its gaseous state, giving off an incredibly unsettling feeling.

    ¡°Oh? You dodged that?¡± A woman with long ck hair, dressed in tight, ck leather armornded on the ground next to the spear, picking it up. She had fine, delicate facial features, with dark blue eyes that gleamed.

    Dorian tumbled and rolled on the ground, twisting his body to a stop as he turned to stare at her, on alert. As he did so, he felt his Spatial Pouch slide off,nding on the ground behind him.

    ¡®Damnit. Is she with the ones hunting me? I¡¯m in a different form!¡¯ He thought, rattling his ws.

    ¡°What?¡± Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she looked at the pouch that had fallen off him in confusion before she smiled, shaking her head, her mouth twisting into a grin,¡±Interesting. Let¡¯s see you dodge these.¡±

    She folded her hands together, and muttered something.

    An instantter, a dozen spears made of ck gas rose into the air, all pointing to aim at Dorian.

    ¡®Ausra, what the hell is this?¡¯ He asked, his body trembling at the dangerous feeling those spears gave him.

    ¡®Some derivation of Curse Magic, focused more on physicalbat. The woman appears to be a human at the peak of Master ss, specializing in this type of magic.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice was cool. The Genie in his Soul Spell Matrix didn¡¯t have much information on things unrted to bloodlines, and couldn¡¯t give a more detailed exnation.

    Before he could ask any more questions, the dozen or so spears of darkness shot forward, rocketing towards him and his surroundings. They were directed so that no matter which direction he dodged, at least one would m into him.

    Dorian did the only thing he could think of, and threw himself forward.

    WHOOSH

    The spears of ck gas shot past him, none of them managing to hit him. However, some of the ck miasma from the spears spread into the air as they moved by, andnded on him.

    Instantly, he felt a horrible feeling of sickness, as if he was about to throw up. A terrible headache formed, and his vision grew slightly blurry.

    ¡®Ausra?! How do I shake this? I thought I was immune to poison?¡¯ He mentally yelped, his thoughts racing ahead of him.

    ¡®You¡¯ve suffered some type of Curse, a debilitating one.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s reply was quick.

    ¡®How do I break it?¡¯ His reply was equally fast, the entire conversationsting only a split second.

    ¡®For temporary Curses, you need to force the spellcaster unconscious, or move out of range of the attacker. For permanent Curses, you will need to kill the Wizard that unleashed the curse or break the Curse directly with another Curse Magic practitioner or some type of healer.¡¯

    ¡®What type is this?¡¯ He mentally queried, his heart pounding. The effects of this Curse were extremely unpleasant.

    ¡®I do not have enough information to urately judge.¡¯

    By the time he¡¯d finished talking to Ausra, Dorian hadpletely moved forward out of range of the ck spears of gas, and was only half a dozen or so meters from the Curse Magic Wizard.

    The woman¡¯s lip curled up in a sneer.

    ¡°Damn rat.¡± She folded her hands together, readying herself to cast another spell.

    Time seemed to slow down for Dorian, his heart pounding unnaturally fast, as he realized how dangerous a situation he was in.

    He could very well die in mere seconds. His body was already starting to shudder, the effects of the Curse weakening him. If one of those ck spears had managed tond on his body¡­ he would probably already be dead.

    He did the only thing he could think of.

    His chest swelled up as he rumbled forward, hurtling towards the female Wizard.

    ¡®Lesser Emerald mes.¡¯

    A st of green mes spread forward, engulfing the Curse Wizard. The green mes clung to, and surrounded, her body, sping on to the innate barrier Master ss Wizards had. Colliding with that barrier at point nk range.

    And melting through it.

    ¡°Draconic Fire?! That¡¯s imposs-¡± Greta¡¯sst words were cut off, a look of sheer terror appearing on her face, as the mes finished melting through her barrier, and mmed directly into her.

    Killing her instantly.

    A split momentter, Dorian felt the Curse on his body lift, restoring him to his normal condition.

    Dorian stumbled to a half, tripping and stepping through the green mes as he forced himself to slow down. His chest was warm, and a feeling of tiredness settled on his shoulders at using the Ability.

    He froze for a moment, slowly turning his head and staring at the corpse of the once beautiful female Wizard, still burning with his Lesser Emerald mes that were only now starting to go out as they ran out of energy. They emitted no smoke, and the energy within them was extremely contained.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, thergest superpower was the Borrel Autarchy, controlling a bit more than 10,000 worlds.

    The secondrgest power was the Draconic Tribes. Between all 12 Tribes, they controlled roughly 7,900 worlds. An enormous number that, while less than their human counterparts, was still massive in scope.

    One of the key reasons why the Draconic Tribes were so powerful was because of the awe inspiring Abilities that almost all Draconic Bloodlines had.

    Draconic Fire, in its various iterations, was a particrly well known Ability.

    All types of Draconic Fire were incredibly potent, many with unique characteristics. One thing all types of Draconic Fire had inmon, however, was that the mes were devastatingly effective in shredding the innate barriers made of innate energy that protected Wizards at the Master ss and above.

    It was because of this that even the most confident of Wizards would learn several defensive spells, especially in situations where they may face off against Dragons from the Draconic Tribes.

    Dorian took a deep breath, his heart trembling as he stared at the body. He swallowed hard, his eyes unwavering.

    He closed them for a long few seconds, and then opened them again.

    This was the first time he had ever killed a human being.

    The abruptness of everything was unsettling, it had happened so fast.

    He took another deep breath and then let it out. He then bowed his head towards the corpse of the woman for a brief second before turning around, and continuing his jog towards the World Bridge.

    There was no time to waste or squander. He couldn¡¯t afford to let himself get emotional right now. He could still very well die here.

    He snagged his Spatial Pouch on the way, deciding to tuck it into his armpit, tying it around his arm and shoulder to hide it. He didn¡¯t want it damaged, and now that he considered it, a wild beast running around with a Spatial Pouch was probably an unusual sight.

    Dorian then lowered his pace slightly, making it look as if he was just a wild animal out prowling. His eyes were narrowed, and his mood grim.

    He was only a few miles away.

    ..

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The huge Lord ss Titan Eren felt a tiny signal go off in his mind, as if some connection had just been shattered. He frowned, looking up from his constant examination of the world below him, near the capital of the Tandor Empire.

    He scanned the skies to the left and right. He didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary.

    He motioned behind him,

    ¡°Laura. Laura, Laura. Do a quick scan of Fate on your sister and Greta. Also for Byrus, Ugdol, and Barrack. Let me know if there is anything amiss.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Escape

    Floating high in the sky in front of one side of the World Bridge, Lord Hadrion flicked his fingers, tracking every single creature that crossed onto the World Bridge. His invisiblework of lightning particles vibrated asionally, indicating the presence or movements of various beings.

    ¡°Lord.¡± Larah¡¯s voice called out as she floated up in front of him, standing upon what appeared to be a transparent, flying loom. Her clothes fluttered in the light breeze as she flew up, giving her an almost ethereal appearance.

    ¡°Larah. Has there been a change?¡± Hadrion¡¯s voice was raw, exhaustion seeping through. Maintaining his electric field constantly drew on his attention, and even if he could maintain his energy levels, it was incredibly straining on his mind. Light Pills could only do so much.

    ¡°Yes, Lord Hadrion. The protection blocking the dragon off from Fate is fading, almostpletely. It will be possible to do a Foretelling in just minutes.¡± Excitement rose up, a rare emotion from the normally cid Fate Grandmaster.

    ¡°Prepare for it immediately. Let¡¯s find the disturbance and end this mess.¡± He said, rubbing his eyes. He was ready for this ordeal to be over.

    Larah nodded and sat down on her floating loom. She then folded her hands together, and began to cast a spell.

    Vaguely, around a hundred meters away, a small blob of shadow could just barely be seen, wavering in and out of reality, eavesdropping on the conversation.

    ..

    Themotion the fight with the Curse Wizard had raised was rtively small. Thanks to the cover of trees, and the quiet nature of both of their attacks, Dorian¡¯s battle with the Master ss Curse Wizard had passed unceremoniously.

    He¡¯d managed to dash away from the scene of the fight undiscovered, leaving behind the remnants. There was no time to hide anything or to try and bury the body. He also noted that whenever he used his Lesser Emerald mes, just like with the Forest Boar, any blood within the creature would be seared away.

    Dorian could absorb a bloodline in a variety of ways, he¡¯d found, through experimentation with the wild animals he¡¯d hunted. He could simply eat the creature, and absorb the bloodline by eating it. He could simply make contact with the bloodline by touching it to his skin, and absorb it that way. He also found that he could concentrate his soul, and extend a small amount of energy outward, and absorb bloodlines through that tendril of energy.

    The fastest way was to simply eat a creature. Absorbing bloodlines by touch took time to absorb anyrge amount, and absorbing bloodlines through a tendril of energy was straining on his mind.

    He shrugged, shaking the thoughts about bloodlines from his mind.

    His Lesser Emerald mes were very strong, and dangerous, but it had its downsides as well. He wondered how powerful the non-lesser version of Emerald mes would be.

    From the Wizard¡¯s reaction, the fact that he was able to cast these mes while in his Red Smander form had been extremely astonishing. It could serve as a powerful surprise weapon in the future, he realized, his thoughts grim.

    As he moved forward, getting closer to the World Bridge, he began to notice something odd happening around him.

    At first, he thought it was just his imagination, a vague image at the corner of his eye.

    But, gradually, he realized that the movement he was seeing was real.

    As he ran forward, various dark patches of shadows seemed to be twisting and moving about thend. The shapes they morphed into were seemingly random, and these odd distortions moved in weird, jumping movements.

    His heart dropped as he saw this, his mind going to the people that were chasing him.

    ¡®Act natural. Calm down.¡¯ He forced himself to rx, analyzing the situation.

    ¡®They most likely don¡¯t they know you are a Red Smander. At most, they are looking for a baby dragon right now. Probably. Focus.¡¯ He reset his outlook, forcibly calming down. That woman had only attacked him after he caused a ruckus near that caravan. It was possible, and even quite likely, that they didn¡¯t know he was a Red Smander.

    Eventually they¡¯d find her corpse¡­ But he hadn¡¯t had a choice. He needed to keep moving.

    As Dorian made his way to the World Bridge, he passed directly by a pair of these odd twisting shadows.

    The darkness seemed to turn and zoom towards him, in a threatening manner.

    The moment he saw this he immediately raised his chest in a snarl, holding his ws in the air. He activated his me ws Ability as he did so, cutting towards the shadow.

    Instead of mming into him, the shadow froze, and then seemed to twist around, moving past him and ignoring him.

    Dorian snarled at it again for good measure before dimming his ability, his eyes sharp.

    ¡®Act like a Red Smander.¡¯ He thought, wrinkling his nose. He stamped his feet a few times before turning back in the direction of the World Bridge. He also let out a few blood-curdling growls.

    Just like that, he sessfully managed to evade the detection of the various shadows that were swarming across the ground near the World Bridge.

    In what felt like no time at all, Dorian managed to arrive at the base of the massive World Bridge, a long, stretching savanna made up of bright green grass, with a few low hills or small forests dispersed.

    Looking up at the World Bridge was incredibly disorienting. It was a huge pir ofnd that rose straight upward, into a chaotic looking portal where space itself was ruptured at the edges.

    As he reached the base, Dorian felt gravity begin to shift. His entire body tingled as the direction of down change, transforming to be at the center of the enormous World Bridge.

    The feeling was incredibly unsettling, and an experience Dorian had never felt before.

    At the same time, he felt a heavy, threatening feeling, as if he was about to be struck by lightning. His eyes widened as he spun around, trying to focus on the threat.

    After several moments, nothing happened. The same threatening feeling was there, but no one was visible in his sights. No matter what he did, the feeling remained unchanged and nothing appeared.

    After a few moments he grunted and then continued moving forward, trying to casually act like a Smander.

    ..

    Hadrion continued to scan any of the creatures moving onto the World Bridge, his eyes alert. The electric field continued to drive away the weak or easily frightened beasts, leaving only those that were brave or chose to ignore it.

    He felt a strong, at least Sky ss, Iron Condor fly on the opposite side of the Bridge, twitching slightly as it came into contact with his field. A few Earth ss Spring Deer moved in a herd and quickly fled onto the bridge, running away from the electric field.

    Most of the weak beasts had fled away from the bridge, his electric field scaring them off.

    His eyes narrowed briefly as he considered a Red Smander, a particrly strong and powerful looking one, mber onto the Bridge only a few miles away from him. It was pretty rare to see any Red Smander that managed to grow that much, he noted. It must be at least at the Earth ss, maybe even the Sky ss.

    His focus was interrupted as Larah chimed in,

    ¡°I¡¯m getting a reading¡­ I¡¯m getting a reading!¡± Her voice was ecstatic. Hadrion¡¯s eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists, a hint of excitement rising in him.

    ¡°It¡¯s close to the Bridge¡­ The protection is almost faded¡­ it¡¯s about to break!¡± She breathlessly uttered, white light glowing from her eyes.

    ..

    Dorian took a deep breath, and then steeled himself. He turned back behind him once and bowed his head slightly. Grateful not only to have a second chance at life, but for the various things and people he had encountered or experienced. Even the bad.

    Today had been a hard day, but it was one he would walk away from in one piece it seemed.

    ..

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it! I¡¯ve broken through!¡± Larah cried out, and then immediately focused on casting her Foretelling, following the strands of Fate that connected to Dorian.

    ¡°Quickly, pinpoint the location of the dragon.¡± Hadrion urged, small ck lightning bolts starting to form around his head. He nced at the Red Smander again, his focus drawn to thest thing he¡¯d detected.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying¡­ Almost there¡­¡± She responded, raising her hands. Faint symbols appeared in the air.

    ..

    Dorian took his first steps onto the World Bridge.

    It felt to him, if he was being honest, like he was walking forward normally. Gravity felt the same, in a downward direction towards the center of the World Bridge, and the savanna unfolded in front of him, peaceful looking. Now that he was up close, he could see a few jagged lines cut into it, remnants from the infrequent spatial storms that very rarely stretched down to the base of the World Bridge.

    He began to lumber forward, shaking off the eerie feeling that he was about to be struck by lightning as he charged his way up the World Bridge.

    ..

    ¡°Here it is! He¡¯s¡­¡± Larah paused, her mouth twisting. A look of confusion was visible underneath the white light in her eyes as she opened her mouth, nothinging out of it.

    Hadrion¡¯s eyes cooled, the ck lightning bolts fading away from his head.

    ¡°He¡¯s what?¡± Hadrion asked, rubbing his hands.

    ¡°ording to Fate¡­ The green scaled dragon is still at least a dozen miles away.¡± She continued, a downtrodden look on her face.

    ¡°At least, Fate indicates itsst location was around that distance from here, many minutes, maybe hours, ago. The lines in Fate are particrly confusing, and obfuscated. It¡¯s very confusing- it makes no sense.¡± Larah raised her handsmely, the white light fading from them.

    Hadrion sighed, and then went back to tending his field,

    ¡°Keep your focus and don¡¯t be discouraged. It¡¯s a Lord ss beast, it¡¯s bound to be hard to find it.¡±

    ..

    Dorian smiled victoriously as the feeling of lightning perched, about to strike, faded away.

    He¡¯d made it!

    He looked up at the unfolding savanna and began rushing forward, eager to fully enter the World Bridge. As long as he was on here, Fate would operate weirdly, and he¡¯d be able to easily escape.

    He was off to explore this universe, with a mission to be as strong as possible, so that he could live up to his morals. His eyes glinted with determination.

    Above him, or, rather, directly in front of him, the portal that connected the World Bridge to this world fluttered, a wavering mass of spatial tears.

    Dorian studied it as he loped forward, his eyes alert.

    ..

    ¡°Lord Eren¡­¡± Laura¡¯s voice was quiet as she spoke, shaking. She trembled upon the Titan¡¯s flying sword, her eyes downcast.

    ¡°Laura? Laura.¡± Eren looked up from his scanning of the forest below, turning his head slowly. Perhaps unconsciously, he tensed up as he stared at her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± His voice was calm and steady.

    ¡°I¡¯ve checked the Fate of everyone. Your Titan subordinates are fine, as is Mayne. Greta, however¡­¡± She paused, her voice trembling.

    ¡°What. Is. It.¡± His voice didn¡¯t contain a trace of mirth, his eyes boring into Laura without emotion.

    ¡°Her Fate¡­ I can no longer read her future. Her Thread¡­ is no more. I have herst location, however.¡± Laura gulped, her body shaking.

    Eren¡¯s eyes widened. His fists trembled as a heavy Aura began to surround him. A dozen emotions shed across his face as his mouth twitched up in a snarl. Laura¡¯s face flushed red in light of this, as if she was about to copse.

    Just as quickly, this Aura was contained, tightly controlled by Eren as he stepped forward, catching Laura.

    ¡°Shh. Shh. It¡¯s okay.¡± The way he spoke was odd, his tone unnaturally calm. He held her gently, patting her head softly. His eyes remained emotionless.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He continued,

    ¡°Lead me to her.¡±

    ..

    Larah sighed, frustration filling her heart. She simply could not understand the signals Fate was giving her when it came to the green scaled dragon they were hunting.

    Just as she was about to try again, however, her eyes glowed a purple color, and she abruptly froze.

    She proceeded to kneel on her floating loom immediately, her voice filled with respect as she caught Lord Hadrion¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just received a directmand from the Headquarters.¡±

    .</h4>

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Giving Death

    The Lord ss ck Lightning Wizard stood still, his eyes widening. An order from the Headquarters sent from this distance? Even sending an order from a single world away required an extremely skilled Fate Wizard. The ck Lightning Headquarters was at least two worlds away, and across one of the longest World Bridges in the 30,000 Worlds.

    That could only mean this message had been sent by someone that was at least a Pseudo-King ss Fate Wizard at the bare minimum¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s from the Fate Headquarters, on the order of the Wizard King himself.¡±

    Lord Hadrion blinked, and then put his full focus and attention on Larah, no longer wasting his time with stray thoughts,

    ¡°Ry it, immediately.¡±

    Immediately Larah began to speak,

    ..

    ¡°A Mid King ssss? All teams are to pull back immediately?¡± Shadow Mask¡¯s eyes widened, and he immediately pped his hands together, darkness rushing towards him as he floated in midair. He stood flying where he had been this entire time, gazing down upon the world while his shadowy creations searched for the green scaled dragon.

    Shadow Mask¡¯s eyes widened even further as he listened in to the report Larah was telling Lord Hadrion. A directmand, sent down from the Mad King himself.

    The shadowy blob that was eavesdropping on Lord Hadrion and Larah vanished, dissipating in the air.

    ¡°Come, my ssshadowssss. Retreat immediately. We are¡­ leaving¡­¡± The dark figure pulled out without a second thought, his only concern his own safety.

    ..

    ¡°We are to pull back immediately? The beast is suspected to be a King ss Dragon?!¡± Eren¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he listened to Laura¡¯s report, one of his two Grandmaster Fate Wizards. He was currently standing in a small, forested area on the ground.

    Behind him, pale-faced and frozen still, not daring to move, stood the form of Byrus, one of his Titan subordinates, and Mayne, his other Grandmaster Fate Wizard, as well as a few subordinate Wizards.

    Just moments ago, Larah, the Grandmaster Fate Wizard by Hadrion¡¯s side, had sent one of his own a message through Fate, informing Laura and Mayne of the orders from the Wizard King himself.

    The huge Titan shook with rage as he stared down at a small, burnt corpse, an insane light glowing in his eyes. Laura continued to ry the message.

    ¡°It can transform?¡± As he heard this tidbit from his Fate Wizardpanion, a deadly calm seemed to suffuse the Titan. A light of understanding appeared in his eyes.

    He slowly turned to the south, towards the direction of the World Bridge.

    ¡°If it truly was a King ss beast, there is no way it would be running away¡­ It would simply destroy anything in its way.¡± He clenched his fists, unwilling to back down.

    ¡°Sundering Magic: Bore.¡±

    BOOM

    With a casual wave of his hands, the forest before him was obliterated, three dozen trees sted into wooden shreds, clearing out of the way. His subordinates all stumbled backwards, the small shockwave from the strike knocking against them.

    Before Eren, in clear view, was the enormousnd pir that was the World Bridge.

    He turned away from the World Bridge and walked over to the burnt corpse lying on the ground. His massive, three meter form shivered as he crouched down, kneeling.

    ¡°My beautiful Greta¡­¡± He hugged the corpse gingerly, his hands moving with care. He held her body to his chest for a brief moment, a single tear falling down his cheek.

    A long moment passed as the enormous Titany still.

    Eventually, he ced the corpse down, wiping the tear from his face. His eyes were cold and dispassionate as he looked down at the burnt body.

    ¡°Sundering Magic: Hand.¡± As soon as he spoke aloud, holding his hands together to cast a spell, a powerful, transparent image of a hand appeared, floating in mid-air.

    He motioned with his own hands, causing the giant magic hand to stab into the ground scooping out a huge, two meter wide and long hole.

    He picked the corpse up and ced it in the hole, and then motioned again, causing the corpse to be buriedpletely.

    From a Spatial Pouch he had attached to his waist, he withdrew a long, silver sword, easily a meter and a half long in length, with a gleaming edge. He stepped to the front of the grave and stabbed it into the ground, just off from the body.

    ¡°This day. This day. On this day, let it be known that Greta, my darling Greta, died.¡± His voice was choked with emotion.

    ¡°On this day.¡± All of the surrounding beings, whether they be man or Titan, bowed their heads in respect.

    Slowly, an extremely heavy Aura began to form, on the palm of Eren¡¯s hand. He held onto the sword as he formed this Aura, transferring it to the sword.

    Gradually, this Aura spread to the surroundings, imbuing a Lord ss Aura within the area, driving away any nearby wildlife.

    Any being that could give off an Aura was one that was incredibly powerful, at the least at Lord ss. An Aura was seen, in general, as a physical manifestation of might. The stronger one¡¯s Aura, the stronger one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix, and therefore the stronger any being¡¯s overall might.

    Any creature that sensed a being with a powerful Aura would retreat, their natural self-preservation instincts firing.

    At higher levels, an Aura could even be used to physically attack an enemy.

    Eren sighed, deeply. His eyes turned pitch ck as he slowly shifted away from the grave, gazing south.

    An almighty, powerful aura began to gather about him as he stared at the enormous pir, small des of energy forming around his head.

    He pped his hands together.

    ¡°Sundering Magic: Ruler¡¯s Eyes.¡± Redst sted out of the Titan¡¯s eyes as he took on a mystical appearance, floating in the air off the ground. Eren¡¯s face moved up and down thend pir, as if searching for something.

    After a few intense, split seconds, Eren smiled cruelly, no mirth visible on his lips.

    ¡°CONDENSE!¡± He shouted out, holding his bulging arms wide.

    Gradually, his 3 meter tall body began to shrink, condensing in on itself. His extremely muscr form shifted inward as his body shrank, bing incredibly strong.

    From a monstrous 3 meters tall to a much more normal 2 meters tall, Eren transformed, his robes shrinking with him.

    The innate Ability that powerful Titans gained, known simply as Condense, and one of the reasons Titans were a dominant, fierce race despite their low numbers and rtively low sensitivity to magic.

    By condensing their enormous body¡¯s to a smaller size, Titans were able to massively increase their strength and durability. The only cost was the rather fierce drain on one¡¯s energy.

    Eren, a Titan with a Lord ss Soul Spell Matrix, could only maintain this form for around 30 minutes.

    Still, in his eyes, that was plenty of time.

    ¡°Sundering Magic: Heart Seeking Spear.¡± In Eren¡¯s hands, a slim, deadly spear made of pure, white light formed. It gave off a powerful, rippling Aura, one that pressed down on everyone nearby.

    His form shivered and vanished as he sted forward, heading towards the World Bridge at a breakneck pace, leaving behind his subordinates.

    ..

    William¡¯s eyes opened wide as he felt his spell explode into smithereens, enormous waves of energy wracking his vision. His heart dropped with fear as he felt the overwhelming aura that had appeared, almost as if it was bursting apart the heavens themselves.

    He swallowed hard as he held his right hand out, gritting his teeth with determination. He traced the Aura, his sensitivity to magic reaching its peak.

    ¡°It¡¯s now or never.¡± He made his choice. That dragon had given him this new life.

    ¡°Light Magic: Heaven¡¯s Armor.¡± He cast one spell, feeling a huge amount of energy drain from him. Magic, glowing white armor descended, covering his body.

    ¡°Light Magic: Disturbing Light¡± He threw a beam of light towards the World Bridge, and vanished.

    ..

    ¡®I¡¯m getting close.¡¯ Dorian thought as he rushed upward.

    His mbering Red Smander legs ate up the miles in no time at all. He had already scaled two thirds of the height of the visible portion of the World Bridge, and was nearing the area where the portal existed, transporting the World Bridge into fractured space.

    The closer he got to this section of the bridge, the more uneasy he felt.

    The edges of the portals were quite far from the bridge. He couldn¡¯t judge it urately, but he guessed they were at least a mile or two away, maybe three.

    As he studied them, trying to get a better understanding, once again he felt an odd, tingling sensation in the back of his mind, like a sixth sense going off, warning him.

    He looked around, unsure what to do.

    A split secondter, a huge shockwave mmed into him, sting him a hundred meters away. Rocky debris, dirt, and grass rained down, cascading in the air in a chaotic mess, while a few nearby trees shuddered and snapped, broken.

    Dorian had no time to react at all as hended down hard, smashing into the ground. He managed to cover his face with his arms, but the rest of his body was peppered with shards of rock, several of them stabbing into his arms and legs.

    His mind was dazed and everything blurry as he tried to focus, looking towards the source of the shockwave.

    A huge, fifty meter wide web of cracks, centered at arge ten meter wide crater had formed on the World Bridge. Dust and debris rose from the crater, painting the air a dim brown.

    Standing in the midst of this crater was a red-skinned muscr humanoid with short white hair, wielding a glowing white spear, emitting an Aura that was devastatingly powerful. The air itself seemed to twist and distort very slightly around him.

    ¡°YOU! KILLER! OF! MY! GRETA!¡± A powerful voice thundered out, shocking Dorian once more due to its sheer volume. He felt his eardrums tremble and rupture slightly, his body automatically regenerating them.

    Even if he wanted to, Dorian waspletely unable to physically react for a brief moment. Despite the fact that he had been on guard, carefully looking at his environment, the sheer surprise and impact on his body sent him temporarily into shock.

    The power that the being in the crater held was simply too great.

    ¡°DIE!¡±

    In the instant that the red-skinned man yelled out, several things happened.

    The red-skinned man¡¯s arm blurred as it threw the white spear it held in its hand forward. The spear twisted in midair, shivering along its entire length as it zed directly towards Dorian.

    Dorian managed to recover enough to forcibly activate the remaining King ss Aura remnants in his Soul, unleashing a powerful, Aura that mmed back into the one the attacker was giving off.

    At the same time, he made his body transform, knowing he¡¯d been found out. Using his practice from before, he willed his body to shift into his much stronger Myyr Dragon form, without having to waste time telling Ausra.

    The transformation took only an instant, his Red Smander form stretching and expanding, elongating to that of a 3 meterrge emerald-scaled dragon.

    The Aura he unleashed caused the man to stumble back, his eyes shaking. He leapt backwards more than a hundred meters, temporarily retreating.

    The white spear crossed the distance between Dorian and the red-skinned man in a fraction of a second.

    Before that fraction of a second ended, however, another person appeared.

    A man wearing a te of glowing, white armor, giving off a faint, calming light, came into existence right in front of the flying spear, just a few meters away from Dorian. The man¡¯s hands were held out in front of him, as if he was trying to block the spear. He looked like a heavenly angel from legend, mysterious and calm.

    THUD

    WHOOSH

    The spear collided with the figure in white armor, slipping between his hands. Immediately the man was thrown backwards, colliding with Dorian. The armor seemed to absorb the majority of the force, causing Dorian to fall only a few meters. A small shockwave rang out at the impact and speed of the attack.

    A ringing sound echoed in his ears as his visions wavered and then restored itself, his hearing gradually creeping back.

    Dorian, for the second time, struggled to his feet, his heart pounding. He continued to give off the awe inspiring Aura of a King ss beast, the remnants he had absorbed from the dead Wizard¡¯s bones. He nced around blearily, trying to get his bearings.

    The man who had saved his lifey on the ground next to him, arge white spear struck through his chest. His white armor was crumbling, glowing particles from it dissipating in the air. After a moment, the spear vanished.

    Slowly, that glowing white armor faded.

    Revealing a face Dorian recognized.

    A slim, handsome face with piercing blue eyes and a warm, friendly smile. The face of the Wizard he had saved, left behind in that forest.

    He stared at the man inplete shock.

    ¡°William?¡± He sputtered out, in disbelief,

    ¡°You saved me?¡±

    William Robel nced up, an exhausted look in his eyes. His face was pale as he grabbed at his chest. The spear had drilled arge hole straight through his heart, shattering his innate barrier in an instant, even through the strongest protective spell he knew how to cast. Blood began to spurt from the wound, a gruesome sight.

    He shrugged as he looked at Dorian.

    ¡°Yea-yeah,¡± He coughed, blood spattering out of his lips,

    ¡°Yeah, I did. Though it might all be pointless in the end. I did.¡± The young Wizard in his twenties gave him a crimson smile, filled with pride.

    ¡°Why?¡± The only question Dorian could think of as he stared at Will, his draconic body shaking.

    The Wizard gave him an evenrger smile,

    ¡°Because it felt like the right thing to do.¡±

    His eyes gradually closed, and his headid back.

    His chest rose once more, and then fell.

    And did not rise again.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: Taking Life

    The human brain can survive anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes after the cessation of blood cirction and breathing.

    Any amount longer than this will cause permanent injury or death.

    Dorian had learned this tidbit in a health ss he had taken, back on earth when he was in college. He didn¡¯t know if the same logic applied here, in the strange universe.

    This thought rocked in his mind as he stared at William¡¯s body, shaken to his very core.

    A man, almost a stranger, had just given his life to protect him. True, he¡¯d saved this man¡¯s life earlier, but he hadn¡¯t expected anything from back from William.

    To have someone sacrifice their life to protect you¡­ it was a feeling he had never experienced before.

    Time seemed to slow down as he slowly looked up, looking towards the red-skinned man that had just attacked.

    And then back to William¡¯s unmoving body.

    Dorian¡¯s heart seemed to freeze.

    He felt his mind enter a cool, calm state. He began to analyze everything around him, his thoughts racing at a supernatural speed.

    ¡®Power¡­ Power.¡¯

    ¡®I need power.¡¯

    ¡®If I had power, none of this would have happened.¡¯

    ¡®NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.¡¯ His thoughts began to be confused, his mind trembling, his cool mental state melting.

    ¡®I need power. I. Need. Power.¡¯ His soul itself began to tremble,

    He could not protect himself. He could not protect others.

    Someone had already died, to protect him.

    ¡®I just wanted to live.¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t want anyone to die for me.¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t want any of this.¡¯

    ¡®I DID NOT WANT ANY OF THIS.¡¯ His voice screamed inside his head, reverberating throughout his soul.

    His eyes began to emit a small, white light that gave off a very minute, pure aura.

    Something inside Dorian snapped.

    ¡®My soul twists Fate,¡¯ He thought, staring back up at the red-skinned man, ¡®Fate is affected by my will. MY WILL.¡¯

    Faint reverberations began to emanate from his soul, so faint as to be indiscernible, even to Dorian himself.

    ¡®COME FORWARD.¡¯

    ..

    ¡°Shit.¡± Eren muttered, his normally red face flushed a dark shade, fear and anger mixed between him.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually a King ss beast.¡± The Aura the dragon gave off in front of him was impossible to mistake. The red haze that was starting to descend, the primal fear he felt in his bones. It¡¯s true, draconic form had been revealed, shedding the Red Smander disguise.

    Every single cell in his body was screaming at him to flee, to get away.

    His chest heaved as he stared at the emerald-scaled dragon, his desire for vengeance fighting powerfully in him.

    ¡°It¡¯s still there¡­ Maybe it¡¯s weakened?¡± Even under the extreme terror inflicted by such a powerful King ss Aura, Eren was still a Lord ss Titan. As he looked at the creature before him, he couldn¡¯t sense a powerful physical threat.

    However, it had blocked hisst attack so easily, forcing some type of floating protection puppet or something in front of itself.

    As his body trembled, a thought struck him.

    If he wanted to kill this creature, he would need to get up close and personal. He¡¯d use the most powerful spell he knew.

    He needed to step forward, and physically engage the dragon, taking it out once and for all.

    It would block any long range attacks he sent at it. He needed to make use of his powerful physique, and cripple it in one blow.

    ¡°Sundering Magic: Osiren¡¯s Lance.¡± A Lord ss spell, one that took almost all the energy he had left. Osiren¡¯s Lance was a spell entirely focused on piercing. Unlike other spells, this one didn¡¯t devastate the surroundings, its area of effect was quite small.

    It was simply good at one thing.

    Piercing through anything and everything.

    In his hand, a short, rednce appeared. One that gave off just the faintest hint of Aura.

    One of his greatest spells.

    Eren snarled as he looked towards the foul beast, his eyes red with rage.

    He would give this everything he had.

    ..

    Dorian watched dispassionately as the red-skinned man leapt forward, his body blurring. The man¡¯s movements were incredibly fast, arriving in front of his draconic body in an instant. Small craters formed in the ground as the red-skinned mannded, crashing down a meter from him.

    Even if he had wanted to dodge, he would have been physically unable to.

    ¡®This appears to be a Lord ss Titan, in its Condensed form.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, informing him of what he was facing in the split second before he was attacked.

    ¡°DIE BEAST!¡± The Titan¡¯s voice was incredibly loud as he thrust forward with a gleaming, rednce.

    Ance that plunged directly into Dorian¡¯s chest.

    The feeling of being stabbed felt, to Dorian, as if he had just been punched. He could feel the muscles in his chest twist in pain, ck blood bursting out of his mouth as one of his lungs was pierced, just barely missing his heart. His body was smashed backwards several meters by the force of the impact, but the spear remained within him, as did the being in front of him.

    The red spear pierced cleanly through him without even the faintest hint of resistance, still clutched in the Titan¡¯s hand. It was almost like his scales, bones, and muscles didn¡¯t exist at all, and the spear was simply stabbing into the air.

    Behind Dorian, a small, 4-inch-wide tunnel formed in the World Bridge as an incredibly powerful force shot forward from the spear, annihting rock, stone, and anything that got in its way for nearly 3 miles.

    ¡°argh!¡± Even more blood exploded out of his mouth as the man twisted thence, ring down at him.

    Dorian looked at the Titan, his draconic mouth stretched up in a twisted, mirthless grin,

    ¡°You should have gone for the head.¡±

    ¡®AUSRA, ABSORB HIM.¡¯ He mentally roared.

    ¡®The safeguards left by Hi-¡® Ausra began to respond.

    ¡®ABSORB. HIM.¡¯ Dorian cut Ausra off, takingmand and willing with every fiber of his being.

    A blinding sh of white light shot out from the very depths of his Soul, obeying hismands.

    One of his two remaining Absorptions activated.

    This lightpletely epassed the red-skinned man in front of him.

    The moment it did, a look of sheer terror and horror appeared on the red-skinned man¡¯s face.

    ¡°What?! Magic?! Divin-?!¡± Before he could finish speaking, his body seemed to shiver.

    A momentter, the red-skinned man fell apart, his body turned to ash.

    Dying without a chance to resist.

    Thence in Dorian¡¯s chest vanished instantly, only the gaping wound remaining.

    As the red-skinned man died, Dorian felt somethinge crashing down upon his soul.

    An enormous, heavy weight, crushing down onto him. As if a thousand mountains were perched upon his shoulders, holding up the weight of the world. The very essence of his body and soul seemed to creak, about to snap.

    He ignored this feeling as he dragged his body forward to lie on the ground, next to William¡¯s body.

    He rested his right w on Williams chest, looking at the gruesome hole in his chest.

    The Wizard¡¯s body was ruined, perhaps irreparably. His entire heart had been destroyed, as had much of his chest and lungs.

    It didn¡¯t matter that he wasn¡¯t breathing, or blood wasn¡¯t circting. There was no chance this body of his would be able to survive.

    ¡®Ausra. How can I save him?¡¯ He calmly asked, ignoring the searing pain that was starting to wrack him.

    ¡®Your soul is currently undergoing a form of Discordancy! Death is imm-¡® Ausra responded, warning him,

    ¡®Ausra. How do I save him?¡¯ He asked a second time, this time using his full force of will.

    Ausra¡¯s voice in his head seemed to freeze, and then began answering,

    ¡®His body is damaged beyond repair. His entire neural system has been heavily injured, most of his organs have failed, and his heart and lungs are destroyed. He is beyond saving.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s reply was cold.

    Dorian felt another wave of pain wash over him, almost knocking him unconscious.

    Instinctively, he knew what was happening.

    He had Absorbed the the energy and the bloodline of a Lord ss Titan. A being that was far, far too powerful for him to safely absorb right now. The sheer energy was overwhelming his soul as it tried to integrate, and slowly killing him.

    As this wave of pain hit him, a series of thoughts or concepts ran through his mind.

    The pure, unadulterated energy barreling outside his soul that was under his control.

    That William¡¯s body was ruined, and he was dying, but like any other being, his soul, and his Soul Spell Matrix should still be present, intangible but within him.

    The fact that that ancient Wizard he¡¯d met had lived for hundreds of years, ording to him, with just his Soul and Soul Spell Matrix.

    An idea began to take root.

    He began to focus his will,manding the awe-inspiring power that was trying to merge with his soul to flush, out from his being, the collection of energy and blood forming into a ball of dark red light in front of him.

    As he did so, he felt the incredible pain that had suffused his body lessen, the agony and trembling he had set to almost vanishingpletely.

    ¡®Danger! The risks of removing an Absorbed part are unknown, it is unknown what will happen with your intangible connection, the safegua-¡± Ausra¡¯s voice began to ring out in his mind.

    He ignored the genie¡¯s warning as he looked forward, intently at William¡¯s body.

    ¡®Work.¡¯ He willed, his mind focused. Once more, minute, faint reverberations shook out from his soul, indiscernible even to him.

    ¡®Combine. Absorb together. COMBINE!¡¯ His mental voice grew louder and louder as the small ball of dark red light began to vibrate.

    For a single second it seemed frozen still, and an instantter it shot forward, crashing into William¡¯s chest.

    A tense moment passed. Dorian felt blood begin to spurt out of therge hole in his chest, his body trying to regenerate from the fatal wound. He began to be lightheaded, his head starting to feel dizzy.

    Gradually, a new orb of light began to emerge from William¡¯s chest. One that was faintly transparent.

    Arge, foot long transparent red orb. One that seemed to be covering, like a cocoon, a much smaller, opaque, white orb.

    As soon as this orb finished emerging, it snapped backwards as if on a string towards Dorian, colliding with his own chest, and seamlessly slipping inside.

    Instantly his mind felt a connection form. This orb of light mentally appeared next to his own intangible soul, side by side.

    No longer did it try to overwhelm his soul.

    As soon as it settled in sessfully, Dorian felt a warm, calming stream of energy seep into his Soul, much less than the amount from before, but still a huge amount.

    Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind,

    ¡®Evolving to Myyr Dragon¡¯s 3rd G-¡® Ausra cut herself off, abruptly, and then continued,

    ¡®Evolving to Myyr Dragon¡¯s 4th Growth Stage.¡¯

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: A Victory Moving Forward ¨C End of Volume 1

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Hadrion¡¯s voice was quiet, tinged with a hint of shock as he felt Eren¡¯s presence disappear.

    Eren was a brutal opponent, extremely focused on physicalbat and spells that involved that, as were many members of the Sundering Department. Even Hadrion, if he were to face up against him, would be unsure if he woulde out on top. In his Condensed form, he was physically as as strong as a Pseudo-Lord ss beast, at the least.

    ¡°Lo-Lord?¡± Larah¡¯s voice showed her shock deeply, her normally cid appearance nowhere to be seen.

    The battle had started and ended in an instant, from Hadrion¡¯s point of view. He had sensed Eren let loose, releasing his Aura fully. Just momentster the Sundering Titan hadnded on the World Bridge, and attacked the disturbance in fate, somehow knowing what form it had hidden itself in.

    A devastating, overpowering King ss Aura had been released, mming into Hadrion a split secondter.

    Just moments after that¡­ Eren¡¯s presence disappearedpletely.

    He was killed, without so much as a whimper.

    ¡°Signal to everyone. We are leaving, immediately. Right now, tell them to drop everything. A full scale retreat.¡± With a wave of his hand, Hadrion cancelled the electric field he had been maintaining, taking onest nce at the World Bridge. Off in the distance, several miles up the bridge, he could just barely make out the scene of Eren¡¯s death.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell off of this godforsaken.¡±

    ..

    ¡®Evolving to Myyr Dragon¡¯s 4th Growth Stage.¡¯

    Dorian felt his body flex and elongate, blinding light shing around him. His body stretched, growing from three meters tall to a hulking four and a half meters tall. His green scales took on an even more luscious color, glimmering and shining as his arms and legs lengthened. His wings expanded, growing into the full, several meter long wings a grown Myyr Dragon possessed, incapable of flight, but capable of long distance gliding.

    He felt his bones grow outward and then seem to shrink in on themselves, condensing. The muscle fibers throughout his body grew tougher, and tighter, growing in power. He felt a raw, virile sense of strength in his body.

    In his head, a mental screen popped up.

    -Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Myyr Dragon-

    Growth Progress ¨C 6,232/0 ¨C

    Quickly followed by another screen:

    ¨C

    Ability: Emerald mes (3/3)

    Description: Emerald mes that sear through metal with ease, an Ability found only within members of the Draconic Tribe. The mes are aspected to the being that released them, and cannot damage oneself. Fully mastered.

    ¨C

    He pulled up his mental status first, before fully reading over the other updates.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 82%

    ¨C

    After his body Evolved, reaching the fully grown stage of a Myyr Dragon, he had healed from his injuries. It seemed that anytime he evolved forms, any physical injuries he sustained were rejuvenated.

    His soul had expanded as well, his Soul Spell Matrix reaching the Grandmaster ss.

    What separated a Master ss beast from a Grandmaster ss beast?

    As Dorian looked around him, he instinctively realized the difference.

    It was a matter of perception.

    His body had be stronger, he could feel that. The power in a fully grown Myyr Dragon was substantial.

    But as he looked at the world around him, he realized his perception had changed.

    It was like the world was running at a slightly slower pace. He could make out finer details in his surroundings, the rity of reality had increased. His perception of time had directly been spread up, vastly increasing his reaction speed, and his own personal abilities.

    He couldn¡¯t put a direct number to how much his perception of time had changed. But it was at least half again what it had been previously.

    He raised one of his green scaled arms in front of him, ncing at the gleaming ws for a second. The sharp edges looked intimidating.

    His Lesser Emerald mes had grown with his body into the full fledged Emerald mes of a Myyr Dragon, a powerful fire that was effective in melting metal. He didn¡¯t know how strong they were now, but he figured he would test that when the time came.

    What was most on his mind, however, was therge red orb that had settled next to his soul within him.

    ¡®Ausra,¡¯ He said mentally, his eyes cool,

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    Ausra was silent for a moment before replying,

    ¡®I am unsure. I do not have enough data to reliably make a statement of fact.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, but if you had to guess, what does it appear to be?¡¯ He frowned.

    ¡®It appears that you have managed to remove the soul and Soul Spell Matrix of a human being at the Master ss. Not only have you safely removed it, you have stored it next to your own soul, using the remnants of a Lord ss Titan¡¯s soul and energy to shield it from decay.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    Dorian clenched his ws together, a grim smile appearing on his snarling visage.

    ¡®How can I move the soul into a new body?¡¯ He queried.

    Ausra was silent for a moment once more, as if trying toe up with a response.

    ¡®The data I have leads me to no reliable conclusi-¡®

    ¡®If we had to guess, Ausra.¡¯ He cut the genie off impatiently.

    ¡®To restore a physical form to a being that is only a soul and Soul Spell Matrix would be difficult. Creating a body that matches the wavelength of a creature¡¯s soul is not easy. The circtory, endocrine, muscr, lymphatic, and nervous system must be perfectly in tune with the being¡¯s soul. A single mistake will lead to Discordancy, and the soul rejecting the body and perishing.¡¯ Ausra began,

    Dorian paused, thinking over what Ausra said.

    ¡®But it is something I can do?¡¯ He asked.

    ¡®Your Soul Spell Matrix is specialized for transformations of flesh and bloodlines. It is entirely geared towards your own unique soul, however. With that said¡­ it should be feasible to use your Soul Spell Matrix to create a new body for this Master ss lost soul.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s heart flipped as heard this. Ausra continued,

    ¡®However. This was not the intended purpose of your Soul Spell Matrix. Creating such a form would require you topletely remove any trace of your own soul from it, and painstakingly craft it to match the wavelength of the lost soul.¡¯ Mentally, an image of the pale, white orb appeared in his mind.

    ¡®Something cannot be created from nothing. Creating a new Master ss form and cleansing it of your own presence is something you would need to do manually, and would require a gargantuan amount of energy.¡¯

    Dorian nodded, unsurprised,

    ¡®How much energy?¡¯

    ¡®I cannot currentlypute a reliable figure. You currently have 6,232 units of energy stored in your soul. Evolving a form to the Master ss normally would require around 3,000 ¨C 15,000 units of energy, depending on the scale of the bloodline.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®Topletely create a brand new form to match this Master ss Soul Spell Matrix will require at least a thousand times this amount of energy.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock as he learned the total value.

    Taking 3,000 to 15,000 and multiplying it by a thousand¡­ would mean he would need millions of units of energy to bring William back.

    ¡®This range of energy is almost equal to the cost of Evolving a Grandmaster ss beast to the Lord ss by using one¡¯s bloodline. Evolving to the Grandmaster ss, the same ss as your Myyr Dragon¡¯s 4th Growth Stage, costs approximately 50,000 to 100,000 units of energy. ¡®

    Dorian hadpletely skipped over the Myyr Dragon¡¯s 3rd Growth Stage, and hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to see the energy values he¡¯d need to Evolve. He¡¯d assumed that the third Growth Stage would be Grandmaster ss, but apparently he¡¯d been wrong.

    ¡®What ss was my 3rd Growth Stage at?¡¯ He asked.

    ¡®The Pseudo-Grandmaster ss. Between each ss, there is a stage where one has almost reached the peak, and is close to stepping into the next ss, but not quite equal to a beast at the next level. These levels are known as Pesudo-sses.¡¯ Ausra shared more information.

    Dorian focused back on the massive amount of energy he would need. Achieving such a substantial amount was incredibly daunting.

    Without asking, however, Ausra added an extra note,

    ¡®The energy barrier protecting the lost soul from decay is a temporary measure that will dissipate in around 13 months. It is impossible to replenish. I will be able to make a more urate estimate as time goes on¡¯

    His eyes widened at that, and he asked the obvious question,

    ¡®What happens when the barrier fades and its not protected from decay?¡¯

    ¡®The soul and Soul Spell Matrix will slowly dissipate, falling apart and vanishing from this world. What happens to it after is unknown.¡¯ Ausra answered.

    Dorian exhaled sharply, air sting out of his draconic snout. He took a deep breath and then sighed, rubbing his forehead out of habit, though taking care not to stab himself this time.

    Eating Magic Herbs or hunting low ss beasts wouldn¡¯t get him that much energy in time. He needed to obtain a huge, massive amount.

    ¡®Ausra, how much energy would I get from hunting and absorbing a Lord ss creature.¡¯ His eyes were calm as he asked, contemting his future.

    ¡®Roughly 50,000 to 65,000 units of energy, though this can vary wildly for beings that study magic. If you use yourst Absorption, you should obtain roughly two to three times as much energy from the being, based on your past metrics .¡¯ The genie replied cooly.

    If he chose to get the energy by hunting, he¡¯d need to hunt down and kill dozens of Lord ss beasts, powerful creatures that were extremely rare in the wild.

    He had already almost died facing down a single Lord ss Titan, though one that was a Wizard. The only reason he survived at all was because he used one of the Absorptions he hade into this world with.

    And now he only had a single one left.

    Even Ausra didn¡¯t quite know what his Absorptions were or how they functioned, so as far as he knew now, there was no way to replenish them.

    Dorian sighed. He took a break from asking Ausra questions, looking over at William¡¯s dead body.

    He walked up next to it. Blood had pooled all around it, the massive hole in the chest causing the rest of his torso to cave in. A gruesome sight.

    He slid a w into the pool of blood, absorbing it in case he needed it to create William¡¯s new body.

    He then stabbed his ws into the ground next to the body, ripping up arge chunk of earth with a casual wave. Dust and debris shot up into the air, temporarily blinding him. He shook his head, clearing his eyes.

    He picked up William¡¯s body respectfully, and ced it in the grave. He looked down at William¡¯s body onest time.

    He bowed his head, and stayed bowed for a full ten seconds.

    And then slowly rose, his eyes glimmering. He shoveled the dirt he¡¯d scooped out over the grave, burying William¡¯s corpse, and then smoothened out the top.

    Gently, he unleashed a small stream of Emerald mes, melting the earth together into a tough, rocky surface. He carved a small English W into the ground, and bowed his head one more time.

    ¡°Just wait a little while, friend.¡± He said, his voice quiet, ¡°I won¡¯t thank you now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll thank youter, face to face.¡±

    As he finished making William¡¯s makeshift grave, a spark of an idea lit up in his mind.

    It might be impossible to gather all that energy by hunting beasts¡­ but what if he tapped into a massive store of treasure? He could absorb energy from magic treasures, and things of that nature.

    The map the ancient Wizard had nted in his mind appeared again, knowledge about a massive, gargantuan store of magic treasure, locked away on a forbidding, in a ce called the Ember Gorge.

    A grim smile formed on his face as he looked up at the World Bridge he was standing on, a n forming in his head.

    ¡°Just you wait.¡±

    ¨C The End of Volume 1 ¨C

    ¨C Stats ¨C

    Number of Chapters: 27

    Word count: ~65,000 Words

    Avg. Word/Chapter ¨C ~2,400

    Total Views ¨C 1,250,000

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: A New Form ¨C Beginning of Volume 2

    The echoing booms of thunder rang out across a pitch ck sky, rumbling the air itself. Chaotic gusts of wing rattled off against a dark, forbidding castle, set atop a lonely teau.

    The teau protruded alone from an enormous ocean, the only visiblend for dozens of miles. It wasrge, spanning seven or eight miles in width and length, and several hundred meters up above the sea below.

    Huge waves crashed to and fro near this teau, frothing waves that tried to wear away the stone that had stood for tens of thousands of years.

    Atop the dark teau was a small, dark forest, and arge, expansive castle made out of a strange, ck material, glistening even through the dark, overcast sky above. Severalrge spires shot up from the castle, giving it a magnificent appearance.

    In a room at the center of this castle, the sounds of the outside world could barely be heard. Only a few faint rumblings indicated the presence of thunder at all, most of the noise smoothened out.

    This room was well lit, contrary to the dark exterior of the castle. Arge, stylized wooden table at three meters acrossy at the center of this room, its circr shape resembling the shape of the room itself, arge circle.

    Ornamental sets of armor decorated the sides of this chamber, interspersed betweenrge tapestries depicting scenes of battle. Overhead several chandleries were set in the ceiling, glowing and giving off light.

    Atop the round table at the center of the room was a massive chart, covered with tens of thousands of small circles, and tens of thousands of lines, drawn from circle to circle.

    A man wearing a smooth pair of ck leather pants, and a rxed grey vest with a white undershirt stood, with a ss of wine in his hand, staring at this map. His handsome face, with a smooth jawline and piercing green eyes, made him look the very picture of elegance. His long white hair was wrapped up, atop his head in a bun, with an ornamental needle keeping it in ce.

    The man smiled, drawing a sip from the ss of wine in his hand, revealing two sets of pointed teeth.

    ¡°Ahh. A most excellent vintage. Is it from Touranat?¡± Marcus Aurelius, the Head of the Aurelius Family, said aloud, staring at theplex map.

    ¡°Yes, milord, first created 936 years ago, by the Petruscent Kingdom¡¯s finest winemaker.¡± From the shadows that covered the edges of the room, a woman emerged, wearing a tight, form fitting red dress. She had brilliant ck hair that rolled off her shoulders, carrying herself with an elegant and powerful air. She smiled as she spoke, her beautiful lips warming while her purple eyes gleamed.

    ¡°But¡­¡± The woman said as she stepped forward, giving Marcus a light bow.

    ¡°But?¡± Marcus turned slowly, the very picture of a powerful Vampire ruler. His eyes gave off a sense of endless mystery, a dark stranger in the night.

    ¡°But you really should consider your health, milord. Drinking so much in the evening is bad for your livelihood, I¡¯ve heard from the humans, and don¡¯t you remember what happened on the Vixoriant when you got drunk and destroyed half of the Augustus Ancestral Castle-¡± The beautiful woman began, her eyes earnest.

    ¡°Julia.¡± Marcus cut her off, still maintaining his powerful image.

    ¡°Milord, I¡¯m just saying we really should consider th-¡±

    ¡°Julia.¡± His voice contained iron in it as he spoke again, turning to re at her,

    ¡°Woman, I just- you know what- okay. Okay. We¡¯re doing this again.¡± He gave her a second re,

    ¡°Go, off back to the shadows with you.¡± He waved his free hand at her dismissively, motioning for her to step backwards.

    Julia rolled her eyes as she turned around, and marched back into the darkness at the edge of the room. She stood at the very border, still in in sight.

    Marcus sighed deeply, and then looked back down at the map before him. He slowly moved the wine ss in his hand, sinking in to the mood of the moment. A majestic air seemed to gather around him as he leaned forward, dignity wrapped around him like a cloak.

    He slowly raised it to his lips, drinking it slightly, his movements full of calm assurance.

    ¡°Ahh. A most excellent vintage. Is it from Touranat?¡± He said, his eyes studying the map before him.

    ¡°Milord, do we really have time for thi-¡±

    ¡°WOMAN! I AM 7,000 YEARS OLD, I HAVE TIME FOR EVERYTHING!¡±

    Marcus red back at the darkness, and then gave up on the moment, turning around and setting his wine ss down with a small smile. He wiped the smile away from his face as he turned around and gave Julia another re for good measure.

    ¡°Alright,e forth. What¡¯s thetest?¡± He asked, his voice calm. All of a sudden, a powerful, almost overwhelming Aura seemed to flow around his body, tightly constrained. Authority rolled off his voice as he spoke, any faint traces of mirth dying offpletely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just heard word from Brutus on his and Gaia¡¯s investigation of the Anomaly on Hasnorth.¡± Julia began, rubbing her nose slightly askance at Marcus,

    Marcus frowned, folding his hands together,

    ¡°They survived?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, though Gaia had her soulbound Blood Beast destroyed.¡± Julia responded.

    Marcus nodded, his eyes shing, a hint of pleasure in them,

    ¡°That¡¯s what happened to Galeria on Paxtol, and Septimius on Yabound. These Anomalies really do possess the ability to destroy anything rted to blood.¡± Marcus picked up the ss of wine, swirling it lightly in his hand.

    ¡°Almost as if they are our natural predators.¡± He contemted the thought for a moment,

    ¡°But how did these two survive?¡± He had received previous reports unfolding over the past week, of the investigative teams he had dispatched meeting terrible ends. It had only been a preliminary investigation, and the teams were only to take action if they felt confident.

    Yet these vile creatures had destroyed them without mercy. He silently grit his teeth, a seed of anger long since nted.

    If he had known they were this powerful ahead of time¡­ it was a moot point. Who could have expected this?

    ¡°It was a very odd situation, sir¡­ The Anomaly in question apparently let them go.¡± Julia responded with a shrug.

    ¡°It¡­ let them go?¡± He looked at his assistant and Spymaster, taken aback.

    ¡°Yes sir. It also scared off a group of humans before, and didn¡¯t take action unless provoked. This is all ording to the report Brutus has sent and sworn by.¡±

    ¡°It showed mercy¡­ Huh. How very odd.¡± Marcus swirled the ss of wine again.

    ¡°Julia.¡± He spoke aloud, abruptly,

    ¡°Yes, milord.¡± She responded, focusing on him.

    Marcus¡¯ voice took on a grand air as he began to speak, a sense of majesty flowing from him,

    ¡°Send out mymand. The Reavers are to appear to the castle the first thing tomorrow morning. I refuse to ept that we vampires, the dominant species, the protectors, have a natural predator. Fate may twist in their favor, but even Fate cannot stop overwhelming power. A river must bend and flow, at the will of thend around it.¡±

    A small breeze blew out as he finished speaking, the needle holding his long white hair up falling out, setting his hair to flutter like a godly phoenix shaking its feathers. His eyes pierced forward with the resolve of a unstoppable lion, powerful and mighty.

    Julia sighed,

    ¡°Milord, this world is trapped in eternal evening and has no morning.¡±

    The Vampire Highlord seemed to dete slightly,

    ¡°Ah, then have them arrive first thing in the evening.¡±

    ¡°Milord¡­ It¡¯s always evening here¡­ there can be no first thing in the evening¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ..

    Far away from the trapped in eternal evening, a hulking, four and a half meter dragon stood tall, shaking its luscious green scales. Its long, spiked green tail shined brightly in the morning light, giving off a deadly gleam. A set of wings stood attached to its body, long enough to glide with, but too short to achieve true flight. The dragon had a pair of muscr, scaled arms ending in sharp looking ws.

    This dragon was currently standing atop a small cliff, overlooking arge, widespread savanna. The odd thing about this savanna was that if one looked off to the left or right, instead of directly forward in the direction Dorian was looking, very gradually, the world seemed to curve.

    The sky above this savanna was even odder. At first nce, it appeared like a normal, everyday blue sky. If one studied it, however, one could see odd distortions permeating the air. Sometimes small ripples would appear, almost as if the sky above was constantly being torn apart and then almost immediately repaired.

    Dorian took a deep breath, tasting the morning air with a hint of a smile.

    It felt good to be alive.

    Sure, he had a lot of things weighing him down. But, right now, he was alive.

    And that was a thing to celebrate.

    He smiled wider.

    ¡®Alright Ausra, give it to me.¡¯ He said, continuing a discussion he¡¯d been having with the genie in his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡®It is possible tobine your Red Smander bloodline with your Myyr Dragon bloodline. However, the Myyr Dragon bloodline reaches its growth potential in the Grandmaster ss, whereas the Red Smander maximizes at very peak of Sky ss. Your own Red Smander form was only able to reach Master ss due to your Master ss Soul.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®Combining such a low level Bloodline with your Myyr Dragon form will almost certainly weaken it, and result in a waste of energy.¡¯

    Dorian mulled over the words of the genie, and eventually nodded, hisrge draconic head bobbing up and down.

    What Ausra said made sense. There was nothing particrly rare or powerful about his Red Smander form. It had a decent amount of strength and regenerative abilities for its level, but it was nothingpared to his Myyr Dragon form.

    He couldn¡¯t fault the Smander for that, however. Without the first Red Smander he found, he¡¯d never have been able to create his current strongest form, and might not even be alive today.

    ¡®Hmm, alright. Let me see my status once more.¡¯

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 97%

    ¨C

    ¡®And my Growth Stage.¡¯ He mentally added.

    Another screen popped up in his head.

    ¨C

    -Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Myyr Dragon-

    Growth Progress ¨C 6,232/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ He contemted what to do for a few seconds before making a decision.

    ¡®My Red Smander form isn¡¯t good enough to work with, and my Myyr Dragon form is maxed out.¡¯ He began, thinking it through,

    ¡®It¡¯s time to choose a new form to Evolve to.¡¯

    ¡®Ausra, pull up a list of all the bloodlines I have, minus any useless or worthless ones.¡¯

    ¨C

    ¨C Bloodlines Stored ¨C

    Red Smander

    Forested Ancient Snake

    Hollow Lizard (Degraded)

    Brown Treasure m

    Myyr Dragon

    Golem Wolf

    ck Mire Wolf

    White Rain Wolf

    Virulent Wolf

    True Vampire

    Titan

    Human

    ¨C

    He was presented with a long list of bloodlines, far too many for him to simply focus on all at once.

    ¡®Ausra, show only the Bloodlines that have the potential to naturally evolve to the Lord ss.¡¯ He ordered, his heart hopeful.

    ¡®You have no bloodlines with natural Lord ss potential stored.¡¯

    Dorian sighed, and then shrugged, an odd motion in hisrge draconic figure. It had been worth a shot.

    ¡®Fine, show only Grandmaster ss bloodlines.¡¯

    The screen in his mind blurred for a moment and then reappeared.

    ¨C

    ¨C Bloodlines Stored ¨C

    Myyr Dragon

    True Vampire

    Titan

    Virulent Wolf

    ¨C

    Dorian looked over the choices.

    ¡®Ausra, can you give me a general definition of each bloodline?¡¯

    Instead of responding, several screens appeared in Dorian¡¯s mind, answering his question.

    ¨C

    ¨C Myyr Dragon ¨C

    A creature renowned for it¡¯s lustrous green scales. It is a draconic creature, with a draconic form. As an adult, its height normally reaches around 4 meters tall, not including its flight-incapable wings. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss

    ¨C True Vampire ¨C

    A powerful humanoid being, renowned for its powerful sense of perception and innate talent in regards to Blood Magic. True Vampires possess powerful regenerative properties, as well as a strong physical form. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss.

    ¨C Titan ¨C

    A powerful humanoid being, renowned for its sheer physical strength, and its unique Ability known as Condense. Titans possess mid to strong regenerative properties, as well as an enormously powerful physical form, rivaling Pseudo-Lord ss beings when Condensed. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss.

    ¨C Virulent Wolf ¨C

    A resilient wolf-type creature, renowned for its incredible regenerative properties and its unique healing Ability known as Restore. These wolves have an incredibly powerful life force. Valued for their rare bloodline, these creatures are often harvested and used in magic spells. Virulent Wolves possess incredibly powerful regenerative properties, but weak physical strength, and are easily captured. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss.

    ¨C

    Dorian looked over all the information he had been presented with, and then nodded his head, making a decision.

    ¡®Alright, Ausra, I¡¯ve made my choice.¡¯

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Third Evolution ¨C (Hidden for spoilers)

    The first one Dorian struck from the list was the Virulent Wolf. It was true that the Wolf seemed to have some incredibly useful abilities and powers, and its powerful regeneration would no doubt be a huge boon.

    But what Dorian needed most right now was power. Pure, unadulterated strength.

    He only had one Absorption left, and he couldn¡¯t rely on that to save him. The King ss Aura he¡¯d stored up was all gone. He¡¯d used it up in a rush when he was fighting that Titan, and nearly died.

    He mentally berated himself for this. He might¡¯ve been able to get some more use out of it if he¡¯d been more careful. The sheer shock and surprise of the attack had forced his hand, however.

    Next, Dorian looked between the two other choices.

    Bing a Vampire, or bing a Titan.

    After a few moments of consideration, the choice became clear to him.

    He would first be a Titan.

    Those Vampire Nobles had been very powerful when he faced off against them, and he had personally witnessed their awe-inspiring Blood Magic.

    But Dorian knew his limits. From what he knew, it took years to get anywhere serious with magic, and even if he gained an innate sense for it, it would still take time for him to take full advantage of it. He¡¯d never practiced magic before, after all.

    Magic, through the baptism of thews of the universe, could lift a creature above its normal limit of growth. But it required a great deal of understanding and time.

    Vampires were strong, but it was clear that in sheer power, Titans held an advantage.

    Especially with the Ability Titans¡¯ held.

    ¡®Ausra. Evolve me into a Titan.¡¯

    A sh of light surrounded him, and he abruptly found himself in a misty whitendscape. His Evolution Space, an intangible mental area where he would begin to Evolve.

    In the real world, it would simply appear as if he was dozing. Time ran oddly in his Evolution Space, his thoughts elerated.

    A ball of light appeared in front of him, Ausra¡¯s form.

    A visualization of a Titan appeared in front of Dorian. A huge, brawny humanoid with light red skin, and shocking white hair. It was covered with muscles, and just by looking at it, Dorian felt a sense of dominance.

    His eyes glinted.

    ¡®Evolve me into it, Ausra!¡¯

    A pair of mental updates appeared in his mind.

    ¨C

    -Absorbing Titan bloodline-

    ¨C

    -Body Reconstruction in progress-

    ¨C

    A brief period of time passed, but what seemed like forever for Dorian.

    His enormous, hulking draconic body shifted and transformed, copsing inward. The entire process took only a few seconds, but any onlooker watching would have been horrified. Muscles twisted, bones curled, it was an incredibly odd sight.

    His went from a huge 4 and a half meters to a diminutive half a meter.

    A small form, covered in smooth, light red skin with a slightly chubby but adorable face. He had a small nose and a strong chin, with calm brown eyes. Tiny muscles could be seen bulging on his arms, giving him a somewhat fierce look.

    ¨C

    -Titan ¨C Growth Stage: (1/4) Titan Child ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 6,232/2,200 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian looked down at his tiny body in consternation.

    ¡®After Evolving, your soul requires a short period of time to adapt to a new form. Because your soul is at the Grandmaster ss, this adaptation period is reduced to 6 hours. The stronger your soul, the less the adaptation period.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    Dorian sighed. He had forgotten about this.

    Thankfully, he could still feel a powerful strength resting within him. Despite being in the body of a child, Titan children were strong. In addition, his Soul Spell Matrix was at the Grandmaster ss. That greatly boosted the base strength of any form he was in.

    A small breeze rolled by, across the small cliff he was standing on, making Dorian shiver and start.

    As he looked down again, he realized something else he had forgotten.

    He waspletely naked.

    ..

    Helena Aurelius paced back and forth outside Highlord Marcus¡¯ Map Room, her mouth twisting.

    She felt as if her stomach was on fire with nervousness. She clutched at the sides of her long ck dress, stretching it to make sure it fit her slim form perfectly. She pulled a small mirror out of a Spatial Ring she owned, checking her appearance. She frowned as she saw what looked like a smudge on her pale, delicate face, wiping at it.

    A few more minutes passed while she stewed outside, walking back and forth.

    A rumbling sound rang out as therge door to the map room began to open, revealing a few familiar faces.

    Trajan, Tacitus, Probus¡­ she gave them a sidelong nce as they left the room. Each of the Vampire Nobles were dressed in sharp looking suits, a mysterious air of elegance found in their bearing. Powerful Auras shed around them as they left, a fierce sense of purpose emanating forward.

    Powerful Wizards, and all members of the Aurelius Reavers.

    Members of the Aurelius Reavers were the strongest group of Wizards in the Aurelius Family, apart from the four Family Generals, and Marcus himself. Even the weakest vampire in the Reavers was at the Lord ss.

    The Reavers acted as the arms and legs of the Highlord, and of the Family, personally enforcing his will.

    Helena also happened to be a member of the Aurelius Reavers, a title she bore with joy.

    ¡°Helena. You may enter.¡± A beautiful and elegant looking woman appeared at the front of the door, motioning for her to enter.

    Julia, the Spymaster for Highlord Marcus, and, rumors had it, his secret lover.

    Helena gulped and then gained control of herself, giving Julia an austere nod, stepping forward.

    Unfortunately, she was so focused on having that air of elegance that the other Vampires had, she didn¡¯t notice that the Map Room was set slightly lower than the outside hallway, and that she needed to step down.

    ¡°Eek!¡± Her foot slipped, and she began to fall forward, her tight dress limiting her movements.

    The instant she began falling, she automatically twisted her body, shifting her foot forward as her training took over. Her arm raised upward in a supernaturally fast movement, adjusting her bnce by offsetting her weight.

    She managed to perfectly regain her footing in a split second. She then continued walking into the room, as if nothing happened.

    ¡®Helena! You idiot! Oh my gosh!¡¯ She mentally berated herself, embarrassment trying to force its way onto her face.

    She held her emotions down with an iron grip, however, doing everything she could to not make more of a fool of herself.

    ¡°Oh? Everything okay, Helena?¡± A warm, powerful voice rumbled through the air to Helena.

    Internally, Helena blushed with shame, her nervousness almost overwhelming her.

    ¡°Highlord Marcus. Everything is fine.¡± She bowed down smoothly, staring up at the Highlord with a demure expression.

    ¡°You called for me?¡± She looked up at the Highlord, the protector of her Family, and the man she respected the most in this world. His eyes were like fathomless pits, unending pools of mysterious darkness and light. Every movement the man made was calcted and immacte, the very picture of vampiric perfection.

    She shivered very slightly as she stared at the man, unconsciously clenching her fists.

    Marcus gave her a warm smile,

    ¡°Yes, I have a new mission for you, my dear.¡±

    ..

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea sending out Helena?¡± Julia queried as she finished closing the Map Room door.

    Helena had left, walking away from the room with an excited, but nervous, kick in her step.

    Marcus picked up his customary ss of wine, swirling it about in his hand again, one of his habits.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the perfect choice. She is far stronger than she believes, and if that Anomaly does turn out to be different from the rest¡­¡± Marcus nodded,

    ¡°The girl just needs to build up her confidence. She sets far too high a bar for herself.¡±

    Julia walked up next to him and nodded, cing her hands on Marcus¡¯ shoulders, starting to massage them,

    ¡°She was there when you fought against the Shade King.¡± Julia traced her hand across the front of his chest. Underneath her fingers, she felt the outline of an enormous ck scar, burnt into Marcus¡¯ torso. Her eyes tightened.

    Marcus shrugged.

    ¡°It was my own fault for letting my guard down-¡± He began, but was immediately cut off by the woman at his side.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been injured in your duel with Telmon-¡± Julia responded, her voice heated.

    ¡°Hardly a duel, now was it? All three of us went at him-¡± He cut her off back,

    ¡°Only because he is a freak of nature. No single being would dare to take on the Mad King alone.¡± Julia cut him off once more, and then red at him, daring him to respond.

    Marcus held his hands up in defeat, and then sighed, shaking his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. That man is more of a monster than any beast I¡¯ve faced. For any single Vampire to want to challenge him¡­¡±

    He sighed again,

    ¡°That is, indeed, too high a bar to set.¡±

    ..

    The World Bridge to Taprisha was not the most popr World Bridge, and it was one of the smaller ones. Very few people chose to live on it, due to its scale, and the fact that almost the entirety of it was made up of a long, wavering savanna, interspersed with a few rivers.

    Rain, and other types of weather, were umon on World Bridges, but did asionally spawn, created from the ether by thews of the universe.

    It was Dorian¡¯s luck, good or bad, that arge, expansive rainstorm had started to sweep over the World Bridge, letting loose a thinyer of water.

    It had been several hours since Dorian had transformed into a baby Titan. In that time, he had continued his journey, traveling forward on the World Bridge.

    Despite being in such a young form, he still had the physical strength in the range of the Sky ss thanks to his powerful, Grandmaster ss Soul Spell Matrix.

    This meant he could still take huge, leaping steps, and cover arge amount of distance in a short period of time.

    Dorian smiled andughed as he looked up at the twisting rainclouds in the sky above, enjoying the feeling of water falling on his face and his body. It was the first time he¡¯d experienced rain sinceing to this universe.

    He frowned after a moment, however, hearing something on the very edge of his sense of hearing, through the loud rain.

    He looked off into the distance a few miles to his left. Very faintly, he could make out a caravan.

    In the hours he¡¯d been running on the World Bridge, Dorian had already passed over eight separate caravans. A few of them had been small, four or five wagons long, with only a few guards. Several others, however, had been huge, massive trains of colorful wagons, dozens or even hundreds of sets long, swarming in protective guards and Wizards.

    This particr caravan in the distance was one of the smaller ones. And, like the other smaller caravans he had seen, this one seemed to be one that wasn¡¯t run by humans.

    Instead, the denizens leading the caravan, ording to what Ausra had told him, were members of the Aeth race.

    Almost identical in appearance to humans, but with pointed ears, and slightly paler skin. They had delicate features, and all of them and piercing violet eyes and blonde hair. Renowned for their beauty, the Aeth were one of the moremon humanoid species in the 30,000 Worlds.

    They looked almost exactly like what Dorian imagined Elves would look like, though known in this universe by a different name.

    Members of the Titan race possessed extremely powerful bodies, and one of the perks of such a body was the greatly enhanced vision that came with it.

    Even from this distance in the middle of a rainstorm, Dorian could still get a rtively clear image.

    The small, six wagon long Aeth caravan was being overrun by several ck, burly bear-like creatures. The guards protecting it were fighting back to defend it, but being overpowered.

    Dorian frowned when he saw this, clenching his tiny fists.

    He didn¡¯t hesitate as he began to run forward, his eyes gleaming.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: Meeting

    ¡®Ausra, you said they¡¯re what ss, again?¡¯ Dorian queried, loping towards the caravan. The savanna grass rustled under his feet, slightly muddy thanks to the pouring rain.

    ¡®Sky ss Great ck Bears. Rtively strong beasts that aremon to many worlds. They maximize their growth at the Sky ss. They possess a rtively widespread Ability known as Great Strength.¡¯ Ausra responded.

    As soon as he had spotted the bears, he had sent Ausra a mental question. The response he got back was one that made him smile.

    He had two ways to get stronger. The first was to find strong bloodlines, and evolve into them. This would strengthen his Soul Spell Matrix, and he could then use the more powerful form, or toss it in the mix to create a hybrid.

    He could only safely mix bloodlines he had fully grown. His Soul Spell Matrix needed to fully adapt to a bloodline and have its growth and information fully recorded before he could attempt to create a hybrid with it.

    ording to Ausra, however, hybrid beasts weren¡¯t necessarily stronger, and some bloodlines might simply overpower others.

    The other way he had to get stronger was much simpler.

    Any time he learned an Ability, that Ability was engraved in his Soul Spell Matrix, and one he could always activate, no matter his form.

    If he kept stacking more and more useful Abilities¡­ a clear path to power opened up to him.

    If he jumped in to save the Aeth caravan, he might expose himself to the people hunting him, if they nned on continuing after he killed the Titan.

    They might not know he was a Titan right now, but there was no telling.

    Still, the opportunity to snag a good Ability, here and now, was too big to skip on. He probably would¡¯ve still helped them out even if there wasn¡¯t a good Ability up for grab, but he ignored that, shrugging.

    He also felt, for some strange reason, that he was strangely drawn to the caravan. He couldn¡¯t tell why. He hadn¡¯t felt this feeling from any of the other caravans.

    ¡°With great poweres great responsibility.¡± He said out loud, nodding his head. His voice was high pitched and came out a little odd sounding. He wasn¡¯t fully used to this new form.

    He flexed his fingers and readied himself, nearing the caravan.

    ..

    ¡°Get to the front! Quickly!¡± Lor yelled out, sping his hands in front of him. He readied himself to cast a spell, looking for an opening as his fellow guards defended against the wild beast attack. His pale face was even paler in light of the attack, his delicate lips pulled up in a fierce frown.

    He used his elbow to wipe some of the rainwater out of his eyes, the equivalent of adrenaline for Aethmen pumping through his veins.

    Today was turning out to be an awful day.

    After checking in with the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, he and his men had taken amission to transport a pair of merchants to Taprisha. It was a simple journey, along a rtively safe route. The merchants wanted privacy, so they moved in a small group.

    The World Bridge to Taprisha was one of the safer ones, and while beasts of all kinds did flock the savanna grounds, very few would have the guts to attack a caravan, even a small one.

    To have a group of Sky ss beasts attack a caravan along this route was practically unheard of. Especially in this godforsaken rain.

    ¡°Gravity Magic: Ten Ton Blow!¡± He cast a spell out, sending one of the five huge bears attacking them flying. Arge ball of air had beenpressed and then sted forward, knocking against the 2 and a half meter tall brute with the force of ten tons.

    ck blood burst as the bear¡¯s shoulder caved in, cracking sounds ringing out. Lor watched, however, as the bear¡¯s shoulders and arm began to reform themselves, healing to a perfect condition.

    ¡°How?!¡± He sputtered, cursing his terrible luck.

    These appeared to be Great ck Bears, but they must be some other rare breed. He had never heard of a Great ck Bear that possessed the power to instantly regenerate.

    There were 10 armed fighters in his troupe, all at the Sky ss, and just one other Wizard. Unfortunately, Lizzy, the other Wizard, had fallen ill and had stayed back on Hasnorth, leaving him as the sole backup.

    ¡°Hiyaaah!¡±

    ¡°Arrrgh!¡±

    ¡°Buck, get back!¡±

    The yells of some of his fighters rang out as they tried to stall the bears, and were smashed backward. The white leather armor his men wore was designed to protect against physical impacts, magically enhanced. In the face of the bear¡¯s attacks, however, it seemed to crumple almost too easily.

    ¡°Protect the passengers!¡± Lor sputtered out, gathering himself to cast another spell.

    Unfortunately, his men had fallen into disarray as the bears overran them, smashing several of them backward. Half of his fighters were on the ground, groaning in pain and unable to stand.

    One of the bears, thergest of the group, hurtled towards one of the wagons at the front, arge, painted ck wagon with enchanted grey wheels. The wagon carrying the passengers they weremissioned to protect.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ..

    The closer Dorian got to the caravan, the more and more he felt drawn here. As if he had some connection. It was incredibly unsettling to him.

    Thanks to his diminutive form, the ongoing fight, and the downpour, none of the bears or Aethmen had noticed his arrival.

    The Aeth warriors were geared up in white leather armor, stained grey or beige by dust and time, and armed with deadly swords or iron maces. Half of them were lying on the ground, either dead or injured, while the rest were desperately fighting against the attacking Great ck Bears.

    Dorian saw a single Aethman dressed in travel-stained grey robes, giving off the appearance of a Wizard.

    As he finished taking everything in, he saw one of the bears break past the defensive line, and charge towards one of the caravan wagons. It threw up dirt, grass, and mud as its paws tore up the ground, hurtling it forward.

    Dorian clenched his fist and then leaped forward. As he did so, he activated his me ws Ability.

    In his Titan form, it made both of his hands glow a fiery red, and feel faintly ufortable. Steam rose from them as his now ming hands collided with the rain. The slight, ufortable feeling made him frown. It seemed even though he could ess the Ability, not all Abilities would work perfectly in every form.

    He shook the thought from his head as he sailed through the air, smashing towards the huge bear.

    ..

    Lor called on everything he had, sping his hands as he tried to send a Gravity Wave over and disrupt the Great ck Bear before it killed their clients.

    If they failed to at least protect their charges, they would be expelled from the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance without a second thought. He had built his entire livelihood on getting epted into the prestigious, extremely famous organization, and while he might only be on the very lowest rung, it was still a rung he took great pride in.

    He absolutely could not fail this. As long as he could save the merchants, and make it out of here alive, everything could be salvaged. His heart was wracked with pain, however, at the sight of his injured men. He knew he couldn¡¯t save them all.

    He also knew there was no way he could cast his spell in time.

    He watched in helpless horror as the bear mmed down next to the wagon, and began to charge into it.

    At least, that was what it tried to do.

    Before it managed to even scratch the surface of the passenger wagon, Lor froze, staring at the most absurd thing he had ever seen in his life.

    A naked, red-skinned toddler sailing through the rain with hands that appeared to be on fire.

    The toddler smashed down hard on the ground next to the wagon and stepped forward, punching the Great ck Bear with his bare hands.

    THUD

    A punch that sent the Great ck Bear flying several meters backward, a huge hole in the center of its chest. ck blood seeped out of parts of the hole, burnt skin sealing off most of the damage.

    His men that were still fighting all turned and stared, as did the attacking bears, turning creepily in unison.

    The naked toddlernded on the ground without a hitch, looking down at his own hands as if in surprise, before turning towards Lor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This Godly Dra- This Godly Titan is here to save you!¡±

    ..

    Dorian gave the Wizard a reassuring smile, unaware of how unnerving his actions and appearance made him seem.

    He knew his body was at the Sky ss in terms of strength, thanks to Ausra telling him, because of his Grandmaster ss Soul Spell Matrix. He hadn¡¯t been aware, however, of truly strong he was. Titans, even young Titans, were unusually strong.

    Having so much power concentrated in such a tiny body was a deadlybination.

    He felt a little energy drain from his body from his usage of his me ws Ability. The Great ck Bear was amon beast with a decent level of strength, but a pitiful defense apparently. He had sted through it like it wasn¡¯t even there.

    Even if its Soul Spell Matrix was on the same ss as his, if it couldn¡¯t protect itself, mighty strength meant nothing.

    The rest of the bears had all frozen, and then backed off from the fight, turning and staring at Dorian almost as one. He noticed this out of the corner of his eye. It was vaguely creepy.

    He ignored this, however, and the stares of the warriors and the Wizard as he stalked forward towards the body of the bear, intent on absorbing enough of its blood to have its bloodline. The prize he wanted here.

    As he moved forward, a warning yell caught his attention,

    ¡°Watch out! It can regenerate!¡± The Aethman Wizard waved his hands frantically at Dorian as he stepped forward, a look of concentration appearing on his face. The other Aeth guards began to retreat near the Wizard, moving towards the wagon Dorian was next to. They were on guard, to both the bears and to Dorian.

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Dorian stared down at the body of the huge bear in shock. Before his very eyes, the gaping hole in its chest was slowly closing. Flesh writhed, tissues and muscles stretching out and expanding as it patched itself together. The burnt skin rose up from the sides of the injury, pushed off.

    ¡®What?! Ausra, howe it can regenerate?!¡¯ He mentally queried, shocked. His Red Smander form was supposed to have decent regeneration for a Sky ss beast, but that only meant it could scab over wounds quickly, and heal smaller injuries fast.

    Topletely regenerate a gaping hole at center mass¡­ That was a huge jump.

    ¡®¡­I do not know. Everything seems to indicate that this is a Sky ss Great ck Bear. Great ck Bears do not normally possess the ability to regenerate at such scale.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s reply gave him no answer.

    The bear restored itselfpletely and stood up, its body rising. As it did so, Dorian realized the strange connection he felt wasn¡¯t to the caravan.

    It was to this bear right in front of him.

    Dorian jumped backward a few steps, holding his still ming hands before him.

    Instead of attacking, the bear just turned and looked at Dorian. Its fur-covered snout twisted up in what appeared to be a smile as it shook out its fur and rubbed its ws together, shaking off dirt and water.

    And then began to speak.

    ¡°I spread ten thousand clones in every direction, across sixteens now, but I can¡¯t believe I found yet another one of us within only a couple weeks. Fate really does draw us together, huh?¡± The bear¡¯s voice had a deep timbre to it and was apanied by an odd, keening noise. It gave Dorian an attempt at a winning smile, which, on a bear, could only be described as unbearably horrifying,

    ¡°You are the third one of us I¡¯ve found.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ What?¡± Dorian stuttered back, takenpletely aback, as he stared at the odd talking bear. The fur on its body had reformed by now, covering up the ce Dorian had punched through.

    The bear rolled its eyes,

    ¡°You¡¯re the third one of us I¡¯ve found. You must be a lower number, huh?¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what the bear meant, his body tingling as he went on full alert.

    ¡°I am the ThirtySixth-Born, but you can call me Mello.¡±

    ¡°What number are you?¡±

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: sh

    Dorian had a split second to react.

    This was his first time ever meeting another member of the Flock. As he took an instant to think up what to say, he went over what the bear had said.

    It had sent out ¡®ten thousand clones.¡¯ Even if all the other members of the Flock had started out like him, with nothing, it still shouldn¡¯t be only at the Sky ss after the time they¡¯d been alive.

    Therefore, this must be one of its clones. And if it sent out ten thousand of them¡­ there was no way each clone would be super strong.

    He had casually sted it back with a single punch while using his me ws Ability. Though it had regenerated, he didn¡¯t feel very threatened by the bear in front of him. He mentally nodded as he ran over these facts in his head,ing to a decision.

    He either told the bear he was the Firstborn, lied and picked a different number¡­ or didn¡¯t give a number at all.

    ¡°What number am I? Hmph. Only trash would depend on their number for strength. You may call me Dorian.¡± Dorian¡¯s voice was domineering, hedged with confidence. Perhaps he should have used a fake name, but he mentally shrugged. No one here knew his name yet.

    He decided to bluff his way through, instead of revealing he was the Firstborn. He felt like it¡¯d be better to hide that particr fact until he was extremely powerful. Bearing such a title would no doubt attract the eyes, and perhaps envy, of other members of the Flock.

    Their goal here, at least the one set by the Godking, was to create the perfect being. There was no telling whether other members would be friendly or not.

    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± The bear nodded its head, seeming to take what Dorian said in stride.

    ¡°That form¡­ a Titan? I see, you must still be in the one hour adaptation period, huh? Not a bad form, thoughcking in beauty.¡± It studied Dorian¡¯s tiny body, an odd look for such arge bear.

    It was then that Dorian remembered he was in a humanoid form, and also naked. He blushed slightly, unable to stop himself. At least his skin was red and hid the blush. His form was that of a toddler right now, so it hardly mattered. But still, he couldn¡¯t help himself. Some core habits died hard.

    ¡°Well, Dorian, I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡± The bear continued,

    ¡°I¡¯m building an allianc-¡±

    Before it could finish speaking, however, a yell interrupted it.

    ¡°DIE MONSTER!¡±

    WHOOSH

    An invisible bolt of force sted forward, about a meter above Dorian¡¯s head, and mmed into the bear. This bolt of force was powerful, strong enough that it severed the Sky ss bear¡¯s body in two, obliterating it. ck blood spattered the air as the top half of the bear was sent flying, its lower half falling to the ground a few meters away.

    Dorian¡¯s mouth twitched in shock as he mentally berated himself. He had almost forgotten about the Wizard behind him.

    Several of the warriors ran forward, surrounding the lead wagon and staring at Dorian. A few of them held their swords towards him, on guard, while the others ran to tend to the downed fighters.

    The Wizard stepped forward, a look of exhaustion in his face as he looked down at Dorian, confusion, curiosity, and alertness mixed on his face.

    Off in the distance, several of the bears copsed onto the ground, leaving only a single bear remaining standing.

    ¡°Now that was uncalled for, huh, Wizard?¡± The same deep voice with an odd keening background rang out as thest bear walked forward, ring at the Wizard that had just killed the first bear.

    ¡°All I did was try to kill you and absorb your bloodline.¡± Mello shook his head sadly as he rolled his shoulders, adjusting, and turning his attention back to Dorian. The constant drizzle of rain began to lessen, changing to just asional droplets.

    The Aethmen, guards and Wizard alike, stared at the bear in shock and horror. The Wizard shook with fatigue as he sped his hands together, looking as if he might keel over in moments.

    ¡°Like I said, Dorian, my new friend. I am building an alliance between members of the Flock. We all possess powerful Abilities and bloodlines. While our goal is ultimately the same, there is no reason we cannot ally together to ughter any in our path. The 30,000 Worlds are far from friendly to us, and standing alone is a foolish option.¡± The bear smiled, its sharp teeth gleaming.

    As it spoke, it began to step forward, towards the guards and Wizard surrounding the wagon. Its body expanded slightly as its muscles grew, mighty strength concentrating in them. Its eyes shed a dark red, threatening,

    ¡°As for you maggots¡­ Your bloodlines will make a fine addition to my collect-¡±

    THWUCK

    THUD

    Mello¡¯s voice cut off as the huge bear was sent flying, its right arm disintegrated due to the force of Dorian¡¯s blow.

    In the moment that the bear had started to run forward, to attack the guards and Wizard, Dorian had stepped forward and intercepted it.

    ck blood seeped out of its arm as the bear flipped through the air andnded roughly, crashing into the ground. It twisted to its feet in an instant, the fur on its neck raised as it red daggers at Dorian.

    ¡°You dare to attack me?!¡± Mello¡¯s voice was filled barely hidden rage. At the same time, however, a slight hesitance could be seen in his eyes.

    ¡°Are you gonna do something? Or just stand there and bleed?¡± Overwhelming confidence dripped off every word Dorian said as he stepped forward, stamping the ground hard and causing cracks to appear.

    Was it better to be friends with a killer? Or to be feared by a killer?

    Dorian¡¯s mood was grim as he faked an image of a mighty figure, his head held high.

    If he was truly a powerful beast, there would be no reason he would deign to ally with someone weaker than him, nor would he show even a single sign of fear. This first impression was incredibly important to maintain, especially if he encountered this member of the Flock, or any of its allies, ever again.

    There was a chance that Mello was being honest in his attempt to ally with him. But this was a kill or be killed world, and Dorian doubted whether the bear¡¯s intentions would remain good.

    And, regardless of everything, wanton ughter was wrong. Killing in self-defense was understandable, but attacking innocent people just because? That crossed his bottom line and wasn¡¯t something he would allow.

    Mello¡¯s bear snout twisted in a cruel smirk,

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just like number 11, huh? Just because you started strong means nothing and-¡±

    Before the bear could finish speaking, Dorianunched himself forward at it. A look of rage appeared in Mello¡¯s eyes as he snarled, his body trembling. The bear stabbed its ws forward, intent on impaling Dorian¡¯s tiny body.

    Before he reached the bear, however, Dorian smiled. A warm feeling rose in his chest.

    He then spat out a huge wave of mes, glowing a bright emerald green.

    Mello¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock and rage as he saw the Draconic Fire zing towards him.

    ¡°You bast-¡± The bear¡¯sst words were cut off as the green mes collided with him, and killed the bear instantly, searing itpletely.

    THUD

    The corpse of the bear fell to the ground, burntpletely through. Its entire body was melted, not a single spot left unscarred. The smell of burnt flesh rustled into the air,batting the tangy scent of rain.

    After his Emerald mes reached their maxed out growth level, they had be stronger, and more powerful. Their potency was, in Dorian¡¯s opinion, scary strong.

    And these were only the mes of a Grandmaster ss Dragon. He shuddered as he thought of the power a Lord ss Dragon would hold.

    A sudden stillness swept over the caravan as the green mes burning on the body of the bear began to go out slowly, sizzling in the light rainfall.

    Dorian slowly turned to look at the various Aethmen, and then gave them a friendly wave.

    ¡°Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?¡±

    ..

    ¡°That sly bastard¡­¡± Mello rumbled, an undercurrent of anger crackling out and creating a miniature shockwave.

    A huge wave of water sted outward from the small ind he had been meditating on, shaking the confines of the mid-sizedke. A hint of a Lord ss Aura snapped outward, sending any nearby beasts fleeing.

    The ind was only a dozen or so meters wide, with a single, small tree slightly off center. Brown dirt and rock cluttered the rest of the ind, giving it a wild appearance.

    The ind was set in the middle of an 800-meter wideke, shaped like a circle. Theke water was a deep, dark blue, filled with small aquatic life, and a few Earth ss Aqua Turtles. Theke was surrounded by arge forest, about two dozen miles away from the grand city of Mill, thergest city in the Bullion Kingdom of the Yelter.

    A normally peaceful, tranquil area, hidden away, with nothing interesting in it.

    Mello calmed down as he quickly regained control of his emotions. His humanoid body trembled as he folded his hands tighter, the blue skin and scales that covered him shivering. His dark green eyes glimmered in the afternoon light, however, his anger still burning.

    His appearance was very simr to the race of beings known as Aeth, save for his delicate blue skin and scales, and the pair of gills found on the side of his neck.

    Mello knew he needed to keep a low profile on Yelter.

    It was a world controlled by the Aurelius Family, and his own encounters with those damned Vampires had already proven annoying enough.

    Even though he was a very powerful Pseudo-King ss Beast, his strength was stretched thin at the moment.

    He shook his head as he looked down at his humanoid form. It was a weak pittance whenpared to the majestic, beautiful form he had been gifted by the Godking. He shuddered with pleasure as he remembered his strong, powerful neck, those luscious blue scales and that beautiful mouth full of thousands of sharp teeth.

    It nearly brought a tear to his eye.

    But, s, when he used his Ten Thousand Heads Ability, it was impossible to project himself at full strength. This Sea Aeth form was barely a tolerable substitute. He had wanted to have one of his clones bring back a bloodline from one of those Aeth¡¯s and that damned bastard has interrupted him.

    It mattered little, he would just target a different caravan. Still¡­

    ¡°Just like the EleventhBorn. Arrogant but powerful.¡± He muttered, his eyes grim.

    Should he send over a few clones to attack Dorian? He might force it to reveal its true form, and if he got lucky, snag some of its powerful original form¡¯s bloodline. He had a couple decent Pseudo-Lord ss clones on Taprisha, after all, there was a chance.

    He shook his head after a moment, the memory of those Draconic mes washing over him burned into his mind.

    He tried to go over the information stored in his Soul Spell Matrix to match the Ability, but found too many possibilities. He smashed his fist down on the small ind in frustration, causing it to sink slightly deeper into theke, its earthen foundations cracking.

    At least he had been able to identify the form the new Flock-member held as a Titan. That was valuable information. That meant it would have the Condense Ability soon, making it even stronger.

    It was clear from its actions that it was a high number, probably much higher than he was. It would be foolish to confront him directly.

    He couldn¡¯t urately judge its strength when it was in a new form¡¯s adaptive period, but he guessed that its original form was a Draconic one, and a strong one at that.

    ¡°Just like that arrogant EleventhBorn¡­¡± An odd grin appeared on Mello¡¯s face as he came to a realization,

    ¡°He¡¯s headed to Taprisha, right? That was the direction the Eleventh was heading in¡­ It seems wended in a rtively close cluster.¡± Mello smiled wider.

    ¡°I can work with this.¡±

    ..

    Helena looked around imperiously as she stepped atop the Giant ck Bat, maintaining her calmposure. The beast wasrge and strong, a Grandmaster ss transport beast often used by high-ss members of the Aurelius Family.

    It had a huge wingspan, and its body size alone was nearly ten meters in length and several meters in width. It had ck, leathery skin, and a bulbous, dark face with beady grey eyes.

    The giant bat could carry up to twelve people at once, and fly at an extremely fast speed.

    It was currently standing at the edge of the teau that hosted the Castle of Darkness, the home base of the Aurelius Family, and where her hero, Highlord Marcus, lived.

    She smiled, looking back as a few other members of the Aurelius Family joined her. She didn¡¯t have any personal subordinates, but since she was technically serving under General Carus in the Reavers, she had borrowed a few of his men, including a Blood Tracker, several Grandmaster ss Blood Wizards, and two Blood Killers, powerful assassins that specialized in surprise attacks.

    Blood Trackers were masters of Blood Magic that focused onmunicating with thews of the world in regards to the blood of various creatures. The field of magic was very simr to Fate Magic, but it had its own unique twists and was often paired with physically tracking and finding other clues left behind by a target.

    She finally had a chance to prove herself, especially after her embarrassing performance when the Highlord faced off against the Shade King. She blushed with shame at the mere thought, quickly shaking her head as she regained her focus.

    ¡°Alright, everyone ready up! We¡¯re taking the World Bridge to Torrin, and after that, to Taprisha!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move out!¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Taprisha

    ¡°No, no, you put your foot here, first, you see? Then you step again!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°Now, step with me. A one, and a two, and a one, two, three! Go!¡±

    Dorian smiled as he guided the young girl through the steps, carefully adjusting her movements whenever she made a mistake.

    ¡°And there you have it. That¡¯s called Country Two Step.¡± He said aloud, spinning the twelve-year-old in a twirl.

    It was the day after he saved the Aeth caravan.

    After destroying Mello¡¯sst clone, Dorian had started talking with the Wizard in charge of guarding the caravan, to learn more about where Taprisha, the powers there, and any other relevant information.

    The Wizard had been extremely grateful, but also a bit suspicious and fearful. Regardless, he had answered many of Dorian¡¯s questions, filling a lot of gaps in his knowledge. Assuming everything the man told him was true, which Dorian would check for when he arrived, he was much more prepared.

    He also epted that his previous form, a naked red-skinned toddler, was an extremely odd one.

    Thankfully, the adaption period had finished up shortly after, though during the midst of their conversation.

    He took a moment to nce at his current stage, nodding with appreciation.

    ¨C

    -Titan ¨C Growth Stage: (2/4) Titan Young Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 4,058/8,052 ¨C

    ¨C

    His body was now just over 2 meters tall. Muscles bulged under his skin, making him look like an extremely strong bodybuilder from Earth. His white hair had grown down to his shoulders, smooth and wavy.

    He¡¯d exined his unnatural spurt of growth to the shocked Aethmen by iming he¡¯d been cursed by a Curse Wizard, and that this was his true form.

    He wasn¡¯t quite sure if they fully believed him, but it hardly mattered in the end.

    He¡¯d been gifted him a set of leather pants and a white shirt, a pair that wrapped around his body snugly. The Spatial Pouch he¡¯d tied around his shoulder while traveling was now set at his waist.

    He¡¯d also subtly taken the time to absorb the bloodline of one of the fallen bears when he had a chance.

    In the end, a pair of Aeth traveling merchants, a man named rence and a woman named Jeriah, had exited from the wagon Dorian had stopped the Mello¡¯s clone from destroying, alongside their young daughter Sara.

    As an expression of their thanks, they had gifted Dorian ten gold mints, the mostmon form of currency in the 30,000 Worlds.

    One mint was shaped like a small, thin gold coin, but with a hole in the middle of it. Stacks of gold coins could be tied together with strings, and easily stored in Spatial Pouches or Rings.

    A single mint was worth 100 silver mints, or ten thousand bronze mints.

    In a popr city of a decent kingdom, a city guard would make around 45 silver mints a month, or roughly 150 bronze mints a day.

    A decent meal at a restaurant cost 10 to 15 bronze mints. A good sword, for those that trained physically, would cost 10 to 20 silver mints.

    Some kingdoms would still produce their own currency, and then have exchange rates with the Borrel Autarchy mints, while others simply epted the widespread mints as the norm.

    There were alsorger denominations of gold mints. Instead of being shaped like a regr coin,rger denominations were shaped like miniature kite-shields, around an inch across. They were heavily enchanted and regted with magic, specifically regted by the gargantuan Gold Department of the Borrel Autarchy.

    Each gold shield, as they were called, represented a huge sum of money, some in the millions of gold mints. The gold shields could not only be used as money but, for the ones of higher denominations, they could be used as aids to understanding and sensing thews of magic, due to the special enchantments cast upon them by powerful members of the Gold Department.

    While this might not be the most useful for Wizards at the Lord ss or above, for those below, it could serve as an immense aid.

    The merchants had given him 10 of the individual gold mints, bringing him from a penniless pauper to a rtively wealthy man in an instant.

    Dorian had epted the money without a moment¡¯s hesitation, smiling at them merrily. At least the Titan¡¯s face was close to a human¡¯s, and his smile looked pretty normal.

    After that, Dorian had been faced with two choices.

    He could head out, back to traveling on his own, or stick with the merchants for thest leg of this journey. They were only a day away from the end of the World Bridge, at the rate that the enchanted, self-moving wagons this particr caravan used. The Aeth didn¡¯t like to use horses, or animals in general, for any type of work.

    Dorian had decided to stick with the Aethmen, for one more day, after learning more about the world he was traveling towards. He¡¯d ended up sleeping in a spare tent when they set up shop for the night.

    The World Bridge to Taprisha was, ording to the merchants and Wizard, the entrance to the territory of the Aurelius Family, a powerful family of vampires that controlled arge number of worlds.

    Unlike the World Bridge he had left from on Hasnorth, Taprisha had a World Bridge that was actually watched and guarded.

    Taprisha wasn¡¯t, technically, a world controlled by the Aurelius Family. On paper, the world was a buffer world, which neither the Borrel Autarchy nor the Aurelius Family controlled.

    In reality, however, the Aurelius Family had taken over the, using agents and various allies to keep it under their control. They guarded the world, and wouldn¡¯t allow any outside forces like the Autarchy or the rtively close Shade Commune to gain a foothold.

    The Aurelius Family, unlike the Borrel Autarchy, had no intention in expanding their grasp and was rtively self-contained.

    Thus, the situation on Taprisha was a unique, but stable one.

    Regardless, he was d he was able to sneak in with the merchants. As long as he could subtly move past the border guards, he could just change forms and be on his way, without a worry. The merchants seemed to have far fewer misgivings about Dorian than the Wizard Lor did, so everything worked out. Perhaps his soul twisting Fate had factored in, but Dorian was pleased.

    A few minutes ago, the daughter of the merchants had seen Dorian absentmindedly practicing footwork for a style of dance he knew from Earth and had asked him to teach her it, and hence here he was now.

    ¡°How is this, Master Dorian?¡± The twelve-year-old daughter of the merchants was a sweet girl, with short blonde hair and a young face. There were still a few hours till they arrived at the exit of the World Bridge, so Dorian had decided to teach the girl the ssic style of dance from Earth.

    She did a small spin with her feet, and then stepped forward twice, and back once.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Dorian pped his hands together, giving her a warm smile.

    ¡°Now, whenever you find a good tune, just wait for the beat, and step with it like that! Be sure to teach your friends!¡±

    ¡°Okay! I will!¡± The girl gave him a big smile and then ran off, practicing her footwork all the way to the wagon at the front of the line, where the Wizard and the two merchants rode.

    Dorian watched her go back to her family with a small, wistful smile, his eyes glimmering. He shook his head, however, and sighed deeply.

    Once he made it to Taprisha, he would be one closer to finding the treasure stash tucked away in the Ember Gorge, and saving William.

    He called to mind the possible routes he could take to reach the stash. A mental map of the nearby worlds and World Bridges appeared in his head,pliments of the information the old Wizard had shared with him.

    There were six routes he could take.

    Of the six routes, four of them involved moving through more than 15 differents and World Bridges.

    Thest 2 routes were much smaller. One had 3 worlds he needed to cross, and the other had 5 worlds.

    Dorian focused on these two routes, deciding he would pick one or the other when he learned more about the worlds on each path.

    He was on a rtively strict time limit. If he didn¡¯t sessfully find the treasure stash, and use it to create a body perfect for William within a bit more than a year, Will would die.

    It was a tight schedule and a huge amount of work that would involve quite a bit of danger. It was also the right thing to do.

    He sighed again, and then shrugged. It was what it was. If it was hard work he needed, then it was hard work he¡¯d do.

    With that thought in mind, he settled down in the spare wagon they traveled with in case any of the others broke down, andid back, deciding to rest till they reached the border.

    ..

    The day quickly marched onward, and they arrived at the exit of the World Bridge in no time. Apart from the small rainstorm from the day before and the attack by those bear clones of Mello, nothing of note happened.

    The World Bridge to Taprisha from Hasnorth was a fairly short one, with a pretty normalndscape. A long, sweeping savanna, with a few cliffs and small forests. It would take a normal caravan about a week to cross it.

    Dorian had made fantastic time by dashing through it at full speed before he encountered the Aeth caravan.

    Hasnorth was an outer, or a Lesser World. There were only a few small powers on the, nothing extremely noteworthy. The trade between Hasnorth, and the nations on it, was not extremely expansive.

    Therefore, the number of caravans that would arrive at the entrance to Taprisha, on any given day on this particrly World Bridge, ranged from five to ten. Some Major Worlds ors would have hundreds or even thousands of trading caravans move through World Bridges daily.

    The Tandor Empire was ruled by an Early Lord ss power and had ess to the wide resources in its two thousand miles-wide area, as well as the untamednds around it. But it was still very much a frontier empire, ording to the Aeth traders. As a Lesser World, there just wasn¡¯t too much special about it.

    Lesser Worlds, Major Worlds, and Exotic Worlds. These were the three categories of Worlds in the 30,000 Worlds.

    ording to the merchants, Taprisha was an Exotic World, a world type with a very unusual geography.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the checkpoint, Sir Dorian.¡± One of the guards approached the wagon he was riding in, informing him.

    Dorian nodded. He then got up, stretching his arms as he left the enchanted wagon.

    As he came outside, he gazed upon the enormous, 200-meter tall wall that blocked off the entirety of the exit to the World Bridge.

    It was a pristine white color, gleaming in the afternoon light. He saw several long scars on it, a few of them stretching for miles, caused by the spatial storms that sometimes erupted on World Bridges. The wall itself seemed to be almost a uniform construct, raised by magic of some sort.

    It stretched for miles and miles, all the way out of sight due to the curvature of the many miles-wide World Bridge.

    Directly in front of them was arge, ten-meter wide gate. One of only two entrances to Taprisha on this World Bridge. They were a couple dozen meters away from it, but Dorian could still make out arge group of guards, several of which seemed to be Wizards.

    He looked up, noting that he could only see the huge wall, and not the world beyond it. This particr World Bridge approached Taprisha at a nt, and he was therefore unable to see the past the huge wall cutting off his sight.

    Despite the rtively little trade between the two worlds, there was still a decent sized line, with perhaps two dozen different groups of people ahead of them. There were a few people in wagons or carriages, a couple on horseback or riding some type ofrge, scaled lizard, but most of those waiting seemed to be individuals that traveled on foot.

    He asked one of the caravan guards about this and was told that some warriors ventured out from Taprisha onto the World Bridge seeking certain breeds of beasts that could only be found here for their bloodlines.

    Taprisha was a world under the reign of the Aurelius, andrgely as a result of that, Blood Magic Wizards weremonce here.

    They quickly moved through the line, the process for checking over each group long since streamlined over the years.

    In no time at all, it was the merchant caravan¡¯s turn.

    The guards standing at the gate were all human, with the exception of a single creature that appeared to be made entirely out of some type of grey rock. Dorian was taken aback when he saw the guard move, staring at the creature.

    ¡®A member of the Pyrite race, intelligent beings who possess a unique Soul Spell Matrix and even more unique constitution. This one appears to be at the Sky ss. This creature does not possess blood, and therefore if you wish to absorb it, you will need to first kill it and then absorb its Soul Spell Matrix.¡¯ Ausra came to the rescue, sharing information about it.

    When Dorian absorbed the bloodline of a creature, he was essentially absorbing all the information about that creatures Soul Spell Matrix, the object that defined what a being was.

    If a creature had no blood, then the only method he had to absorb it would be to kill the creature and then use the energy in his soul to absorb any nearby Soul Spell Matrix. He would need to carefully preserve the corpse if he wanted to enact this method. If a body was destroyed or damaged too badly, the soul and Soul Spell Matrix would quickly dissipate, leaving him without a chance to absorb it.

    It was simr to how he managed to pull William¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix out of his corpse and store it next to his soul. Soul Spell Matrix¡¯s were normally invisible and impossible to detect, but the unique powers given to the Flock allowed them to ess them. If William¡¯s body had been damaged further, he might not have been able to save him at all.

    ¡°And who might you be? What is your purpose foring to Taprisha?¡± One of the guards spoke up, a surly looking human with short brown hair, and arge potbelly. They¡¯d already worked through most of the merchant guards.

    ¡°A simple warrior looking to work for the Aurelius family.¡± Dorian smacked his chest as he spoke, his muscles straining in the confines of his skin. It was the excuse he¡¯d decided seemed most reasonable. He had the physique of a warrior, after all.

    ¡°We can vouch for his character and strength. His actions saved us from an attack by some Great ck Bears.¡± One of the two merchants leading the caravan, the male merchant named rence, spoke up and walked towards the guard. The man was lean, with short blonde hair and a delicateplexion.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The guard¡¯s beady eyes nced over Dorian, and in particr over his powerful looking body with a frown.

    ¡°Yes, his valiant efforts are why we are still here today.¡± rence walked up the guard, holding out a hand.

    ¡°I hope we can avoid any trouble over my friend.¡± A glint of gold could just barely be seen as the two shook hands.

    ¡°Of course, of course. How could I fault a brave warrior like yourself?¡± The frown disappeared from the guard¡¯s face as he gave Dorian a warm smile, and waved him forward. Internally, Dorian gained a frown of his own. It seemed petty corruption happened in this world just like it happened on earth, but even more tant.

    ¡°Wee to Taprisha!¡± The rest of the caravan quickly moved forward, making it through the gate.

    Leaving Dorian to have his first gaze on this Exotic World.

    Taprisha, the legendary Archipgo without a Sea.

    He blinked as he looked down the length of the World Bridge. Itnded down on the rest of the, about six miles away, the huge savanna turning into a smooth, rolling in. A huge, at least twenty-mile wide city could be seen just a mile off from the base of the World Bridge, arge collection of white spires shooting off from several pces within the confines.

    Long strips of farnd could be seen surrounding the city for dozens of miles.

    But what most interested Dorian was what was beyond all that.

    Tarpisha was known as an Archipgo without a Sea. This city, and the farnd around it, was located on a giant ind spanning about ny miles. From up high, Dorian could make out the edges of the ind, off to either side.

    However, instead of an ind surrounded by water, the mystical inds on Taprisha were surrounded by nothing but sheer, gaping cliffs.

    Enormous, huge and vast oceans of nothingness that stretched for dozens, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of miles downward. Legends had it that some exposed areas even led to the core of the world itself.

    He blinked as he stared at the horizon, where he could make out one of these oceans of nothingness, with a few other visible inds in the distance. Just staring at it was incredibly unsettling, and instantly made hime to a decision.

    He needed to snag the bloodline of a beast that could fly as soon as possible.

    .

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Potor City

    The Taprisha was an extremely odd one, and its odd shape and design was part of why the Borrel Autarchy didn¡¯t fight for control of it. There were rare resources that could be found at the depths of the oceans of nothingness, but the danger one encountered was rather extreme. From fluctuating heat from the core of the, to strange, earth-dwelling beasts, to devastating and powerful windstorms created by thews of the universe.

    Taprisha had another function, however, that set it aside from others. Arge number of World Bridges connected to Taprisha.

    23 separate World Bridges, connecting world after world, all emerged from various locations on the surface of Taprisha. Taprisha served as one of the better transport worlds if one was trying to get from one ce to another quickly.

    Near each of the 23 World Bridges were massive cities, filled with a countless number of people. There were norge nations ruled by Kings on Taprisha, but, instead, 23 City Lords.

    Each City Lord controlled arge section ofnd, holding sway over any other nearby inds and their resources. All 23 City Lords were either powerful Wizards or had powerful Wizards under them.

    Dorian had just arrived outside the city of Potor, and was, once more, waiting in a line.

    ¡°We¡¯ll ride into the city, and then this is where we part ways, sir Dorian.¡± rence¡¯s voice was soothing and calm, the type of voice that would fit well on a merchant. The Aethman stepped up next to Dorian, giving him a warm smile.

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you again for the sor you provided us. Without your efforts, my wife and my daughter, alongside the guards we hired, would have all perished.¡± Dorian¡¯s actions had indeed saved all of their lives. Miraculously, despite the attack by Mello¡¯s clones, none of the Aeth warriors had died. Several of them were injured, and would need treatment, but nothing urgent.

    ¡°It was nothing.¡± Dorian gave him a warm smile, scratching at his humanoid arms.

    For some reason, he felt vaguely ufortable in a humanoid form. After living as a beast for so long, it was a strange change to look at the world from this perspective.

    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a longing to return to his Myyr Dragon form.

    It was odd. At his core, in his previous life, he had been a human being.

    But what was he right now?

    Even Dorian didn¡¯t know the answer to that question.

    He mused over these thoughts as he waited in line patiently. This would be his first time ever entering a city, and Dorian couldn¡¯t help but be rather excited at seeing how people in this universe lived, and how different it would be.

    ..

    Several thousand meters above, a faint, ck smudge could be seen in thete afternoon light. If one looked closely at this smudge, with a powerful set of eyes, one might notice that this smudge had a pair of wings, blurring in and out of visibility.

    If one had even stronger eyes, one could see a small, crystalline skull, and a set of odd, transparent feathers. The characteristic look of the unusual and exotic creature known as a Crystal Eagle.

    ¡°That must be you, huh? You got here before number eleven.¡± The bird cawed out, its voice twisted and barely understandable.

    ¡°Still in your Titan form¡­ I guess it makes sense since you had to pass the gate. Trying to cross in a beast form would cause a lot of attention.¡± The bird nodded its head sagely as it floated in space, its eyes piercing downwards.

    ¡°But you stuck with those Aethmen, and other humanoids? My foolish, naive brethren. You cannot trust them. Perhaps you can still be saved.¡± A twisted smile appeared on the bird¡¯s face.

    ¡°They are but prey to further our growth to perfection. All of them, training their souls for ripe eating. Humans, Aethmen, Titans, Vampires. There is no point in befriending prey.¡± The bird shook its head,

    ¡°Allow me to help show you their true nature.¡±

    ..

    The guards at the entrance to the city were simr to the guards at the World Bridge. They were mostly human, many of them d in grey leather armor with swords at their waist. Several Wizards stood atop the stone gate, looking down, while a single wizard stood with the guards on the ground.

    The walls of the city were notrge at allpared to the walls blocking the World Bridge. They stood around 13 or 14 meters high, a rtively small height. They were long, however, stretching an immense distance topletely encircle the massive city.

    As Dorian and his group moved to the front of the line he noticed, with a slight start, that the Wizard on the ground wasn¡¯t a human like he originally thought. The slightly grey skin tone, alongside the man¡¯s fine features, gave away the fact that he was a vampire. The same applied to the Wizards atop the entryway. They were all vampires.

    ¡®Right, right.¡¯ He mentally nodded. This was the territory of the Aurelius Family. It was only natural he¡¯d meet more vampires here. They were probably amon sight. He frowned, wondering what happened to the pair of vampires he had sent fleeing earlier.

    ¡°Move along, move along.¡± Their caravan reached the front of the line. Like before, they underwent a simr inspection. The guards were questioned briefly, as were the merchants.

    ¡°Oh a Titan, that¡¯s umon in these parts. What brings you to Potor City?¡± One of the guards asked, waving at him casually.

    Dorian answered the same as before, that he was seeking to work for the Aurelius Family. The guard nodded and asked a few more questions before waving him through. At least he hadn¡¯t needed a bribe to get into the city.

    Despite the guard¡¯s apparentck of care, Dorian didn¡¯t fail to notice that, up above, the Wizards standing atop the gate were watching everyone with eyes that pierced everything. While he wasn¡¯t extremely sensitive to magic, at least not in his Titan form, he could vaguely feel that they were casting spells up there.

    If he had to wager a guess, it was probably some form of magic designed to see through disguises or lies, to hunt out criminals.

    Still, he made it through without a problem.

    What unfolded before his vision as he walked through the gates could only be described as a huge shock.

    People. Countless, huge numbers of people, moving back and forth, in every direction. He saw humans, vampires, more of those Pyrite rockmen, a few groups of Aethmen, even some scaled humanoid which Ausra identified as Dracons.

    A huge variety of people moved along arge, twenty-meter wide road that stretched down and out of sight for miles. This road appeared to be made of paved, grey stone, well worn with time. On either side of the huge road,rge, white or grey stone buildings of a variety of designs could be seen.

    Many of the buildings hadrge signboards floating out over them or over the street. He saw some that advertised cksmith services, others for restaurants or eateries, and still others for inns. He saw a few shops called ¡®Blood Shops¡¯ which he assumed had something to do with the vampires and blood magic, and a few other, lessmon types of shops, like ces to buy robes, other magic ingredients, medicine.

    The next thing he noticed was the noise.

    It was loud.

    People were yelling, talking, crying, calling out numbers, roaring in anger at people in their way. The bustle of wagons or carriages moving down the center of the street, dragged along by magic, horses, scaled lizards, or other types of fantastic creatures. It was a very different sight from even the most crowded of the cities he¡¯d been to back on Earth.

    Dorian had been living off on his own for several weeks now, in the wild.

    The sheer shock of transitioning into a crowded and lively city was jarring to him and stunned him for a split second.

    He snapped out of it quickly, however, regaining his focus.

    ¡°Thank you, again, for the help you provided us. If you need any help while you¡¯re here, please don¡¯t hesitate to find us next to the Heldon Seamstress Shop.¡± The Aeth merchant rence walked up, giving Dorian directions. Behind him stood his wife, and their daughter, moving through the street while they waited for the wagons to pass through the gateway. Their daughter was spinning about, moving her feet to the dance step Dorian taught her. He sent her an approving nod.

    The Aeth greatly valued loyalty and respect. It seemed Dorian had truly made a good impression on this particr pair of merchants, though he wondered if that was his soul twisting Fate at y.

    Even the guard Wizard Lor hade around, giving him a grateful nod and a firm handshake.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Dorian gave them a friendly smile. Maybe he would drop by, though, more likely than not, he would be out of this city in a day or two. Still, the couple was quite nice.

    After exchanging pleasantries, the Aeth merchants left, headed off towards their home with their goods in tow. The Aeth guards moved with them, their mission iplete till they finished transport.

    Dorian watched them go with a feeling of satisfaction. He had, at the minimum, saved their lives and done something good. That was something to be pleased with.

    ¡°Hey out of the way!¡± A rude human passerby interrupted Dorian¡¯s thoughts, knocking into him as he stood off on the side of the street.

    Unfortunately for the passerby, Dorian¡¯s body was extremely heavy. Dorian didn¡¯t budge at all, while the man stumbled, almost falling.

    ¡°Are you alri-¡± The man, dressed in in brown leather pants and a grey shirt, got back up and, after staring at him, left quickly. Dorian shrugged as he watched him go, holding his hands out in a helpless gesture. Was he really that scary looking that people were sent fleeing just from a nce?

    His Titan form wasn¡¯t even fully grown. As a young adult, he looked far closer to a regr human than anything else, just with light red skin and bulging muscles.

    ording to Ausra, his next Growth Stage would send him to the status of being freakishly tall. The Titan Wizard that had attacked him had been in a ¡®Condensed¡¯ form, his body much shorter than it normally would be.

    A fully grown Titan was a hulking monstrosity that would easily tower over regr humans.

    Dorian nced around the crowded street and began walking down it. Several roads branched off the street, leading to other sectors of the city. He¡¯d gotten a general overview of what the city was like from rence, and had an idea of where he wanted to go.

    This was the Main Street of Potor, the first street anyone saw whening in from the World Bridge through the eastern entrance to Potor City. Thousands of shops of various kinds could be found down this many miles long street.

    Most of them were overpriced, however, intent on catching the people traveling between worlds.

    rence had rmended that he go down one of the side streets, to the Northern Sector of the city. Apparently this area catered more towards mercenaries and adventurers, traveling Wizards and warriors.

    He began heading over there with purpose, his eyes gleaming.

    The first ce he¡¯d check out was one of those Blood Magic shops. After all, why go through the trouble of hunting down beasts for their bloodlines when he could just pay for them?

    ¡®Capitalism at its finest.¡¯ He nodded cheerfully.

    ..

    ¡°Well?¡± Ralf Tornstrew looked impatiently at the human standing in front of him. The man wore a nondescript set of clothes, making him look like any other regr person. And as far as Ralf was concerned, he was just like any other human. Bumbling, unable to understand the true elegance of life.

    They were currently in an alley near the city wall.

    ¡°The information you gave us was urate.¡± The human said, looking up. He had a in, forgettable face and a small, brown beard. Well, his face might be memorable, but Ralf couldn¡¯t be bothered with it.

    ¡°He¡¯s a pureblood Titan, with a body that is at least at the Master ss. He is young, not a fully grown adult. He seems inexperienced.¡± The human continued. He was a member of the Potor Scouts Guild, sometimes derisively called the Thieves Guild. Arge band of adventurers who would do anything for gold, well known in Potor.

    Riff-raff, yes, he mentally acknowledged, but they had their uses. Members were adept and agile, able to pick up things with little information to go by. It was why Ralf had a Scout on standby at all times. He shook the thoughts from his mind, however, as he smiled at the man.

    ¡°Excellent work.¡± He hesitated for a brief moment. He¡¯d forgotten the man¡¯s name. Ralf shrugged, continuing,

    ¡°I¡¯ve already paid the guild, you can collect your fees from them.¡± He waved the man away as he left the alley, his eyes gleaming.

    He¡¯d sent the Scout out to check if the tip one of his subordinates had received was true. Ralf was a vampire and a Grandmaster ss Blood Wizard that worked on guard duty on the city walls, a punishment handed down from the City Lord after he was caught embezzling funds for his own experiments. He was stuck up there five days a week, for a minimum of 10 years, forced to scan visitors and search for people attempting to infiltrate the city.

    It had already been 2 years since his service began and he was already bored out of his mind. As a member of the Aurelius Family, fleeing was not an option. Unless he broke through to the Lord ss, he would be stuck here for years more toe.

    However, it seemed his luck had changed. That tip the guards had received had been urate. The Titan that was entering the city wasn¡¯t a regr Titan, but a pureblood one with strength at the Master ss, and it was one traveling alone. Even better, it wasn¡¯t a Wizard. No one would miss it if it disappeared.

    A pureblood Titan with Master ss blood¡­ Just thinking of how useful that blood could be sent shivers down his spine.

    The Titan had entered the city with some Aethmen, however, ording to what the guards had told him. Ralf frowned at this. It seemed he¡¯d need to tie up some loose ends first.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: Setup

    ¡°Mmm!¡± Dorian smacked his lips as he looked down at the te full of grilled ribs, his mouth watering.

    The rich smell of the meat, thered in some type of exotic sauce, gave off a tangy scent mixed with the warm bread off next to it.

    He tore off one of the ribs and bit down hard, his hard Titan teeth smashing up the bone and meat together. It was delicious, the juices flowing and fat melting into his mouth like butter.

    Dorian dived into his food, quickly devouring it. Around him, the busy Blue Dragon Eatery unfolded, with several dozenmon wood tables dotted with customers. He took a moment to take a sip of water, feeling its cool, refreshing taste.

    Half the water used in Potor was apparently created, and sold, by Water Wizards. The other half was found using deep underground wells to source them, from the asional rainstorm, or from any stray rivers found on the World Bridge.

    Water on the surface of Taprisha was a scant resource. At the bottoms of the oceans of nothingness, there werergekes that could be found. But that could be thousands of meters away from the normal, popted ground level and in areas full of danger.

    A few other customers shot Dorian nces from the side, staring as he ate down his meal voraciously. Most of the customers here were dressed in nicer clothes, either ornamented leather or fine silk. His in and simple leather garments stood out.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Dorian rubbed his stomachfortably, feeling the warm food settle.

    ¡°Delicious!¡± He took another gulp of water and then got up, leaving. You purchased your meal prior to eating it here.

    The food itself had been expensive, costing him half a gold mint, but definitely worth the price.

    As he left the restaurant, he contemted what to do.

    He¡¯d already visited two separate Blood Magic shops, checking out their stock. He¡¯d found, to his disappointment, that while 10 gold mints wasn¡¯t a pitiful amount, and for someone at the Mortal or Earth ss it was a sizable number, it was hardly enough to afford anything decent.

    Even the weakest bloodline the two stores had sold was at the Earth ss, and a single pint cost more than 40 gold mints.

    When Dorian transformed into any bloodline, his powerful soul would automatically boost its strength. That boost could only do so much, however. If the bloodline was one that maxed out at the Earth ss, his soul might not even be able to boost it to Sky ss. The higher the bloodline, the more effectively he could boost its strength.

    The danger in picking a weak from was obvious. If he transformed and was limited to, say, the Earth ss, in strength, it would be very easy for anyone to pick him off.

    His soul was, right now, at the Grandmaster ss.

    Once you reached the Grandmaster ss, and above, each ss was separated by a few inner stages. The Early, Mid, Late, and Peak stages. A person with a Soul Spell Matrix at the Peak Grandmaster ss would have a soul with 6 to 8 times more energy than someone at the Early stage, and would be able to use a muchrger number of Abilities or Spells. Each Stage represented a huge increase in energy.

    These stages were ways a Wizard, or warrior, could track their growth and measure how strong they were.

    Dorian¡¯s own soul was at the Middle Stage of the Grandmaster ss. He mentally called up his status.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 205/212

    ¨C

    The mental screen was a bit different. Dorian, in an effort to gauge how strong he actually was, had asked Ausra to list his energy where 100 points would be the full energy of an Early Grandmaster ss beast or Wizard.

    Under this metric, using his me ws for several minutes cost him about 2 points of energy. Unleashing his Emerald mes cost him about 30 points of energy.

    It was a crude setup, but it helped give him a general idea of his own strength, and that of others.

    Though the Blood Magic shops had outstripped Dorian¡¯s budget, he did gain a valuable piece of information from one of the clerks.

    There was another type of shop he could find here in Potor called a Preservation Store. Not only did these stores cater to people using Blood Magic, selling simr kinds of stock, they also sold perfectly preserved corpses,plete with bloodlines, stored in time. These shops were run by Wizards who dabbled in Time Magic, and it was entirely possible the Soul Spell Matrixes of the fallen creatures were still lingering.

    As long as he could enter the shop and get near some of those preserved corpses¡­ Who said he¡¯d have to pay for anything, right?

    A tiny voice in his heart, one that sounded much like his mother, yelled at him for even considering stealing. He ignored that voice with a grim shrug. He had few options here, and he¡¯d make a mental note to repay anything he stole back in the future. Besides, they most likely couldn¡¯t even ess or use the Soul Spell Matrix of the fallen creatures, so it was a grey area for him.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just stand there!¡± Dorian blinked as someone rudely yelled at him. He had just left the restaurant and was standing off on the side of the street, but already busy people were brushing past him in a hurry. Whenever those people took a good look at him, however, most of them paled and back off, not pursuing the encounter.

    The culture of this city seemed to be incredibly fast-paced. Everyone was constantly moving, whether off to explore nearby inds, hunting for resources and beasts in the wild, on expeditions to the dangerous floors of the oceans of nothingness, or traveling on trade routes between other cities.

    No one ever seemed to take the time just to simply live.

    Dorian shook his head. He didn¡¯t like it. He was far more used to the calm, but dangerous, action and rxation in the wilderness.

    He wondered if he would¡¯ve felt the same way if he had been born into this world directly as a human like his previous life, instead of as whatever he was.

    He turned towards the north, deciding to walk towards one of the northern gates to the city while he figured out his ns. As he moved, he vaguely noticed a figure step out directly in front of him, almost as if on purpose.

    ¡°Watch it, buddy!¡±

    Yet another person bumped into him and yelled rudely. Dorian ignored him and continued walking, getting used to how the locals lived.

    This person, however, didn¡¯t walk away like all the others.

    ¡°Hey! I said watch it! You almost killed me there!¡± Dorian felt some arms push into his back, trying to knock him forward. He frowned, and then calm to a halt, feeling the person stumbled backwards.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Iron hedged into his tone as he turned, and then blinked, taken aback.

    A man stood before him, wearing a set of grey leather pants and a fine, ck silk shirt. He was above average height for a human, and well muscled, with a sword at his waist. What stood out, however, was the man¡¯s dark skin color.

    Was he a Dark Elf? Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide in anticipation as he nced up at the man¡¯s ears.

    They were round.

    Ah. He was just ck. Right.

    Dorian mentally berated himself. Now that he thought about it, he could make out a few other dark skinned humans in the crowd. He hadn¡¯t paid particrly close attention to the skin color of most humans, but he could see that around 1 in 10 had darker skin.

    ¡®He¡¯s a human that has no training in magic, but has practiced as a warrior, and has experienced the baptism of thews needed to grow one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix beyond bloodline limits. His strength ces him approximately at the peak of the Earth ss, able to lift several hundred pounds of weight or leave light dents in normal metal.¡¯ Ausra gave a brief breakdown of the man¡¯s strength.

    Instead of responding, the man simply lobbed a punch at Dorian.

    Dorian watched in bemusement as the fist of the fighter punched out andnded on his chest.

    His current physique was at the very peak of Master ss. A wave of his hand could rip a thick tree in half. Even a punch that could dent metal most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to harm his Titan physique.

    And, not unexpectedly, the attacker¡¯s punchnded on his chest and then stopped resoundingly, a cracking noise ringing out.

    ¡°Arrgh!¡± The man bellowed, yelling loudly.

    ¡°Careful, a fight!¡±

    ¡°Guards! Guards!¡±

    Passersby began to spread out, moving away from the encounter as the dark skinned man wailed, clutching at his hand. A few took a closer look at the scene, taking a break from their busy day to watch.

    Dorian frowned at the hubbub and the sheer convenience of the situation. This felt contrived and setup.

    A few moments passed as the man stumbled backwards in pain, clutching at his fist, while the crowd grew, staring in interest.

    Almost as soon as he had the thought, with near perfect timing, a troop of eight guards wearing grey leather armor appeared, wielding broadswords at their waists. The official insignia of the City Lord of Potor, a vague image of a flying bird with a sword grasped in its talon, was emzoned on their chesttes.

    ¡°Alright, move along, folks.¡± Two of the guards broke off from the troop, urging bystanders to keep walking. The crowd that had just started to form dispersed, people returning to their busy lives.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to need toe with us for questioning, sir, for causing such a disturbance on a public street.¡± One of the guards, the apparent head of this troop stepped forward. A grizzled man with wrinkled skin and short brown hair. His voice left no room for negotiation.

    ¡°Really? And what about the man that attacked me?¡± Dorian stared at the guard, his voice calm, only a hint of anger in it. He felt like he was in a movie with someone was trying to hustle him.

    The grizzled guard looked around.

    ¡°What man?¡± The man¡¯s eyes were hard as he motioned for the other guards to surround Dorian.

    Dorian looked around as well, seeing no sign of the man that had attacked him. He blinked in consternation,

    ¡°He was about this tall, an African-America- uh, a dark skinned man, I mean-¡± The guard cut him off before he could finish speaking,

    ¡°Are you going toe with us peacefully, or not? I will only you this once, troublemaker.¡± The guard¡¯s voice was uncaring as he dropped his hand to his sword.

    The other guards had finished surrounding him, all of them with their hands on their weapons. Dorian stared at them, his eyes narrowing to slits.

    This was definitely a setup of some kind. Only: Why? He didn¡¯t even know anyone in the city, yet the guards of the city themselves were arresting him?

    How ridiculous.

    Dorian took a deep breath, and then put on a cheerful smile. A Lord ss Wizard ruled this city. It would be unwise to cause amotion here, out in the open.

    ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

    Well, he thought, cracking his knuckles silently, it seemed like he¡¯d have a chance to test out the new Ability he¡¯d gained quicker than he thought.

    The inherent Ability every Titan gained as they became an adult.

    The ¡®Condense¡¯ Ability.

    ..

    The Torrin was made almost entirely of water, with a few long, branching strips ofnd. It was dominated by members of the Sea Races, like the Sea Aeth, Aquatic Wyverns, the Myra Race, and more.

    Helena smiled as she looked up at the World Bridge they were just entering, giving a small nod to the aquatic world behind her. The world had been a beautiful one to fly through, the exotic clouds and gorgeous water creating quite a sight. It had been rxing, and helped relieve the little bud of stress she¡¯d formed in her heart.

    ¡°Lady Helena, we¡¯ve received word from some of the other Reavers!¡± One of her Blood Wizards stepped forward, a male vampire skilled, and in charge, of long distancemunication for this group. He was gaunt, with a loose robe that made him look almost skeletal.

    Helena looked at the thin man, nodding for him to continue.

    ¡°Trajan and Probus both just arrived on Taprisha ahead of us, and will receive you at the World Bridge entrance from Torrin. Their target is, ording to scouts, making its way there.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Helena muttered, slightly surprised. She only vaguely knew that her target hadst been seen on Hasnorth. She¡¯d received unconfirmed reports from the agents of Spymaster Julia that it was headed towards Taprisha, but that was all. They¡¯d lost track of the Anomaly and she was going to be forced to start hunting for it cold.

    It seemed Trajan and Probus were already hot on the trail of their target and had raced ahead at full speed. The two of them were extremely powerful Pseudo-King ss Wizards that, with their unique style of magic, could match up against a Mid King ss beast together. For them to already be on Taprisha, they must¡¯ve traveled non-stop.

    They were waiting for her, and wanted her aid, though¡­ Their target must be strong enough that they weren¡¯t convinced they could ambush it without letting it escape.

    ¡°How should I respond, Lady Helena?¡± The gaunt vampire asked, his voice respectful.

    ¡°Tell them I¡¯ll be there in¡­¡± She paused for a moment, remembering the distance to Taprisha from here. The World Bridge from the aquatic world of Torrin was a long one, even with their fast transport. She might be able to make it there faster if she traveled on her own but then she¡¯d have to leave behind her subordinates, which wasn¡¯t really an option. She needed them to track her own target.

    ¡°In two days.¡±

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: Condense

    Dorian went with the guards patiently, following their directions. They didn¡¯t ask for the Spatial Pouch he had tucked under his shirt, or even check him for weapons.

    It was a novel experience. He¡¯d never actually been arrested before, or interrogated. They didn¡¯t chain his arms together and didn¡¯t seem to be concerned with him trying to escape. Apparently the authority of the City Lord was unquestioned here.

    They guided him through a maze of streets, towards arge grey stone building.

    The City Lord insignia was emzoned on the front of this building. The location was shaped like a miniature castle, with only slits for windows and thick stone walls blocking off the outside world. The appearance itself was very foreboding.

    He looked at the fierce looking building, and then mentally shrugged. It looked like it would be quite hard to escape from if he was a regr person.

    Dorian waltzed inside alongside the guards. He quickly moved through an entranceway, and then some type of waiting area, down a hallway, and into arge, stone chamber.

    Several tables and chairs were set up in this ten meter by ten-meter room. It was built towards the center of therge building, lit up by several orbs of light installed into torches on the walls.

    At the center of this room was an elegant looking vampire, dressed in a set of ck robes. His lips were thin, and an unknown light gleamed out of his eyes. He looked a bit aged, as far as Dorian could tell, perhaps whatever age represented middle-aged for a Vampire.

    The higher your ss, the longer your lifespan, ording to Ausra. If a human reached the King ss, they could live for hundreds of years, even potentially thousands. Vampires were naturally long-lived on their own, and adding the study of magic to that further slowed their aging.

    Standing behind the ck-robed vampire was another vampire, wearing what looked like a full set of metal armor, except for a helmet. He had piercing red eyes and short brown hair, and was, by far, the most militaristic looking vampire Dorian had seen yet.

    What caught Dorian¡¯s eyes, however, and almost made him stumble in shock were the two figures he saw, standing right next to the two vampires.

    Two Aethmen, one a woman and one a man.

    rence and Jeriah, the two merchants he had arrived here with.

    ¡°Sir! We¡¯ve brought the target after finding him causing a disturbance in the northern sector of the city.¡± The leader of the guards announced as he entered the room, pulling Dorian forward. Or, at least, trying to pull Dorian forward. Dorian¡¯s body weighed several hundred pounds, and even though the guard was at least at the Sky ss, pulling someone as heavy as Dorian would require a solid grip.

    Dorian stepped forward with him, regardless, not wanting to cause a scene yet.

    ¡°Very well. File your report, and then return back to your patrol. You are dismissed.¡± The vampire wearing the set of metal armor ordered, waving the guards away. They shut the door behind them, filing out.

    ¡°What is this? I¡¯ve done nothing wrong.¡± Dorian asked, holding his hands out in front of him.

    The armored vampire turned towards him and stepped forward.

    ¡°I am the Captain of the Guard, and the Adjudicator of the City, Vyers Mikael. Titan, you have been charged with not only assault, but robbery, and attempted murder. Further, you seem to have caused a disturbance in the streets, another crime to your list.¡± His voice boomed outward, a powerful air exploding around him. Dorian could feel the strength ebbing off the man¡¯s body in waves as he red at Dorian, his eyes gleaming red.

    ¡®A Vampire Noble at the peak of the Grandmaster ss. He is not a Wizard, but instead trains in a mystic art designed for vampire warriors.¡¯ Ausra identified the vampire in front of him.

    ¡°As required under Familyw, you have a right to see your users at the time of your arrest.¡± Vyers waved his hand behind him, his eyes focusedpletely on Dorian.

    Dorian turned and stared at the two merchants, his eyes emotionless.

    ¡°That is him, your honor.¡± The female Aeth Jeriah stepped forward, her voice trembling. rence closed his eyes, the picture of a man in fear.

    ¡°Shh, shh, it¡¯s okay.¡± The Wizard standing at the side grabbed ahold of her and pulled her back,forting her.

    Without letting Dorian get a word in, or even asking for his name, the armored vampire continued,

    ¡°You have a right to defend yourself under thew, two days from now on trial. Until then, you are under confinement orders, and will be held here at the City jail.¡± Myer¡¯s eyes were cold as he looked at Dorian, as if already sure of his guilt.

    He pped his hands together. Immediately, several different armed warriors moved into the room, all giving off strong auras.

    ¡°Lock him away.¡±

    ..

    Dorian sat down in a dark cell, several dozen meters underground, alone. His hands were folded together as he sat cross-legged, calmly breathing. His Spatial Pouch had been scanned and searched and then, surprisingly to Dorian, returned to him while he was in his cell with everything still within it.

    There was no one else nearby. His cell and three others were the only ones he could see in the dimly lit underground chamber, and none of the other cells had upants in them. He could vaguely here, up above, the sounds of the guards talking andughing.

    He had let the City guards lead him down, let them chain his hands together with a type of special, magic chains, let them take him all the way down on this charade.

    And all he could feel now was disappointment.

    Mostly in himself.

    He wasn¡¯t a fool. His Soul was powerful, and his physique strong. More than anything, however, Dorian had always had a knack for analyzing situations. When he broke down what he saw in that room, scene by scene, he understood what happened.

    rence had his fists trembling, and looked both terrified and horrified upon seeing him. The same applied to his wife, Jeriah. When Jeriah spoke, her voice had been filled with real hatred and fear. When that Wizard by her side grabbed her, ostensibly tofort her, her trembling had increased slightly, and she had leaned away.

    The signs were small. If he hadn¡¯t known he was innocent, it was possible he would believe they were being honest.

    It was clear they were being forced to do this, against their will. Most likely by that older vampire Wizard. The man had looked at him as if he was looking at a piece of cattle.

    Dorian sighed and rubbed his forehead.

    He was disappointed with himself.

    He had allowed himself to grow friendly with others, letting himself forget that his soul was one that twisted Fate, drawing events and things around him.

    Anyone he befriended would be someone he put in danger.

    He¡¯d seen this before. One innocent being had already died because of him, preserved only in spirit.

    And now, because of him, those kindly Aeth merchants were in danger.

    If he had simply walked away after saving them, none of this would have happened.

    He looked at his rough, red hands, rubbing his palms quietly. He slowly drew his head up, raising his chained arms to around his chest. These were magical chains, ones that adjusted in size to keep a prisoner locked in, no matter how small, or so he¡¯d been told. Most likely made to target Wizards who could change in size, not Titans, but they functioned to lock in both.

    He considered trying to absorb the energy from it for a moment before tossing the idea aside. He¡¯d only managed to absorb energy from a single magic item, a broken ring, and had yet to test it on other items. It wasn¡¯t the right time to test that out, the situation was a bit too vtile.

    He stared at the chains and instead began to gather his breath, focusing.

    Before he did anything else Dorian froze, sensing something moving in the corridor beyond his jail cell.

    He didn¡¯t sense this physically.

    Rather, he felt a stirring of his soul, a physical connection established.

    A warbling, keening cry sounded off, echoing quietly in the underground area.

    ¡°What have we here, Dorian, my friend?¡± In front of Dorian¡¯s eyes, the shadowy figure of a bird appeared. This bird was like no other bird Dorian had seen before, made up of an almost transparent crystal, its shape and function unsettling.

    ¡®A Crystal Eagle, a rtively rare beast that is adept at spreading illusions. It maximizes its growth at the Master ss.¡¯ Ausra chimed in, identifying it.

    ¡°You allowed yourself to be captured, and trapped? By prey?!¡± Dorian recognized the incredulous voice.

    It was the same member of the Flock he had met before, but in a different form. Mello.

    ¡°What I choose to do is what I choose to do. My will is unquestionable.¡± Dorian put up his confident front again, inwardly just feeling tired.

    Mello shrugged, raising its wings in an appeasing gesture, on oddly disconcerting movement whening from a bird.

    ¡°I thought much like you when I first came into existence. I wanted to experience the world around me, and gather allies. To expand and create the perfect being, yes, but with a vast swathe of allies, a grand alliance. Perfection is not found alone.¡± Mello began, his voice sounding majestic and powerful, an enthralling vision in his eyes. He continued, however, shaking his bird head,

    ¡°I was betrayed, attacked by a scourge of those filthy vampires and humans.¡± His eyes shed red,

    ¡°You can¡¯t trust them, any of them. I¡¯ve been watching carefully, Dorian, my friend. Did you not see how those you saved betrayed you, merely to keep their own skin? The sheer unfairness of how the ¡®Justice¡¯ of this reality treats the innocent? There is no such thing as loyalty in this world, not among their kind. This is only a small example.¡± Mello¡¯s voice was filled with disgust,

    ¡°The only ones we can trust are our own.¡± He said, with finality.

    Dorian¡¯s face remained unmoving as Mello¡¯s words washed over him. He stayed quiet.

    Mello sighed,

    ¡°Very well. Then experience it for yourself, like I did. I have other things to attend to, other Flock members to find. If you wish to join my alliance after you ughter your way out, you can find one of my chief clones at the Blue Pce of the Gorral.¡±

    Mello¡¯s body began to waver and started to vanish.

    ¡°Oh, onest thing.¡± Mello¡¯s crystal skull seemed to smile,

    ¡°A rather¡­ unruly member of our brethren will arrive on tomorrow. He¡¯s the same as you, starting with a Draconic form. You might want to watch out.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit of an¡­ odd one. You¡¯ll know when he¡¯s here.¡±

    Mello vanished, leaving Dorian alone in his cell once more.

    ..

    Dorian let a few minutes pass as he thought about what Mello said, and his own feelings. He found that he couldn¡¯te to a conclusion, his thoughts lost and muddled.

    Underneath all of this, a boiling undercurrent of rage had slowly been building. Anger at the injustice he suffered, the injustices he had caused others to suffer, and at injustice in general.

    As he struggled toe to a decision, Dorian realized something, his eyes hardening.

    What he would do in the future, how he felt, all of the confusing thoughts were something he could deal withter.

    ¡®Right now¡¯, he thought, his eyes glowing, ¡®There are other things I need to do. Some people I want to talk to. And a certain Wizard I am going to kill.¡¯

    He looked down at his chains.

    His Emerald mes were a specialized type of Draconic me. While they might be only mediocre whenpared to other types, there was one aspect that they excelled at.

    Melting metal.

    WHOOSH

    A swath of green mes burst from his mouth, sting away at the chains on his hands. A few sparks shout out into the air as the chains began to tremble, the magic in them going haywire.

    boom

    A quiet explosion shook the air as the chains sloughed off, falling to the ground beside him with a solid clunk. He rubbed at his wrists and then stretched his hands, enjoying the freeing feeling.

    He looked over at the thick metal bars blocking up his cage, and then shrugged. Momentster, another swathe of green mes burst out, melting arge metal hole.

    He stepped through the hole, and then looked down the corridor. He could see the entrance to the passageway off to the side, a stone archway that was locked and sealed off.

    Dorian stalked up to it, tying his Spatial Pouch securely to his shoulder. He rested his hands on the stoney surface of the door, feeling it nk.

    ¡°Hup!¡± With a small yell, Dorian smashed his hands into the door, shattering it with a resounding crash. Stone shrapnel exploded as the door copsed, pelting him.

    This opened up to another guardroom he had passed through, and a set of stairs that led upward.

    The guardroom was empty, but he could hear guards running down the stairs due to themotion he caused.

    He smiled, and then willed his body to transform.

    A split second went by, and instead of a two meter tall red Titan, a small, half meter tall green scaled dragon appeared. Dorian¡¯s first form as a Myyr Dragon wyrmling.

    ¡°Condense.¡± Dorian activated the ability he had gained as a Titan.

    ¨C

    Ability: Condense

    Description: The signature Ability of the Titan race, unique to them. This allows a Titan tobine the essence and power of their physical form, vastly increasing their strength, physical endurance, and density, while greatly condensing their height and size.

    ¨C

    Unlike his Emerald mes, this ability didn¡¯t grow in mastery. It was already extremely useful.

    His half a meter long body began to shrink, his already diminutive status as a wyrmling shrinking down to just a mere few inches in size.

    He felt his body grow tougher and stronger, the very scales on his body vastly gaining in defensive strength.

    Instead of a mighty, Grandmaster ss Myyr Dragon, Dorian now looked like a tiny, baby lizard.

    The effects of the Ability were exactly as he had tested before, secretly in the wagon he had ridden in on his own.

    Dorian licked his lips as he snuck up to the stairway, watching as the armored guards all ran past him into the corridor. He heard yells and shouts, the constant footsteps of angry men-at-arms.

    The entire world was incredibly disorienting for him at this height, he noted. Every man looked like a giant, and even the steps he had crawled too looked massive in scale.

    He blinked, shaking himself back into focus. He could only stay in thispressed form for a brief period of time, a dozen minutes at most.

    He had managed to memorize theyout of the building when he was led to his cell, thankfully. He stuck to the sides of shadows and the corners of walls as he began to move, sneaking his way up the stairs, and through the guarded building.

    All the guards and Wizards were in a fury, looking for an escaped Titan.

    No one noticed, or even bothered paying attention, to a tiny, diminutive lizard, sneaking its way out the front door.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: Special Announcement: Reader Suggestions.

    Hi guys! Sorry for everyone that came here expecting a third chapter, my bad. This is, instead, a special announcement.

    I absolutely LOVE all the interaction I get with you guys, and I love seeing how interested you are in my story, and the world and characters I¡¯m creating.

    So I wanted to do a little something special for y¡¯all.

    I have this entire story outlined and plotted out. I know how it will end, I know how each volume will go, and I know where and what will happen.

    That said¡­ There is still quite a bit of wiggle room in terms of the powers I give to certain enemies and allies, the Abilities certain characters have, the type of beast or forms certain Anomalies take, and the design of certain Exotic Worlds. I have plotted down general ideas, but these can be adapted without changing my vision for the story.

    I want to give you all the opportunity to not only make this a story you are reading, but a story *you are part of* as well!

    So, this is the ce to leave any suggestions you may have ?

    Everyone, look through thements, and like the ideas you want included, or leavements of your own!

    I can¡¯t promise I will include anything, but if certain ideas/powers fit perfectly into the plot, I would love to make this story one that is inclusive of said ideas! Amunity project ?

    I thought this would be a fun way to interact with you all, my reader base. Let me know what you think!

    I¡¯lle check everything out tomorrow morning and read through what people like/want ? I¡¯ll try to read every singlement.

    ~ AuthorWiz

 Chapter 37 - Sneaking

    Chapter 37: Sneaking

    Ralf Tornstrew looked at the Spatial Pouch he¡¯d picked up, subtly hiding it in his robes. He¡¯d cast a quick spell, trying to find clues near the Titan¡¯s cell, and it¡¯d popped up, hidden under the stairs. His eyes shed, his visage on the surface grim.

    He was currently in the underground sector of the City Guardhouse, which also functioned as a secure jail for criminals with great strength. There hadn¡¯t been an escapee from here in dozens of years.

    A couple other guardsmen could be seen, moving about the scene trying to find clues.

    He¡¯d gone through all the effort to threaten those Aeth merchants and have that Titan arrested, purely so he could get ahold of its pure bloodline, but in the end, it had somehow escaped.

    This smacked of something dangerous. It was unnatural that a Titan that didn¡¯t even practice magic would have such capabilities.

    Ralf was nearly 400 years old. Not oldpared to some of the monsters of the Family, but considering the average vampire lived for 600 years, his age was up there. The only reason he didn¡¯t look decrepit was because he was a Grandmaster ss Wizard.

    He didn¡¯t get this old by being stupid.

    ¡®Does he have allies that I don¡¯t know of?¡¯ The only thing he could think up. There was no other way the Titan escaped, realistically. They¡¯d found signs of the cuffs melted by some type of intense me.

    Also, why did it leave its Spatial Pouch, if it was able to escape? A possibility red up in his mind.

    For some types of Space Magic, teleportation and opening portals to escape ces was possible. Some of the lower level spells didn¡¯t allow one to bring any magic objects with you. A Spatial Pouch was a prime example.

    He¡¯d already searched through the Spatial Pouch before. It was full of Magic Herbs, many that he didn¡¯t even recognize. An exotic variety, but nothing he noticed was super valuable.

    Familyw dictated that everything was to be returned to the prisoner, so he¡¯d been helpless at pilfering away the pouch before.

    Now, however, he didn¡¯t mind holding on to it.

    He frowned intensely as he considered the possibility that the Titan had hidden allies he was unaware of.

    It was possible his scheme to threaten those merchants could be unveiled. If Vyers learned of it, it was the same thing as the City Lord learning, and he was already not in the good graces of the City Lord.

    Should he kill them? No, it was too difficult to kill someone with an established residence in the city and get away with it. Both of the merchants were registered to the City, and their death would be investigated.

    ¡®Damn.¡¯ He¡¯d seriously miscalcted.

    ¡®Wait!¡¯ Hope lit up in him. That Titan had gone out of his way to save those merchants when they were attacked on the World Bridge, ording to the Aethmen. It was possible he¡¯d seek out the merchants now.

    All he needed to do was order some of his men among the guardsmen to follow him, ostensibly to protect the Aethmen. As long as the Titan was recaptured or killed on record, everything would be fine. As of right now, they¡¯d lost all traces of the Titan.

    He smiled grimly, and began walking upstairs.

    ..

    Dorian panted quietly, lying down on top of a roof. He had changed back into his Titan form, though not willingly. He could only maintain his condensed form for a brief period of time, and he could only suppress his growth, when in his Myyr Dragon form, for a limited period of time as well. Maintaining either cost a great deal of energy.

    The stronger your form, the more energy you required to suppress it to a previous Growth Stage.

    He was naked, once more, his clothes left behind inside his Spatial Pouch. He sighed, hoping he¡¯d be able to get it back eventually. He¡¯d tucked it under the stairs when he left, but wasn¡¯t sure if it wouldst. He hadn¡¯t had many options.

    It was his own fault for letting himself get captured. Trusting in the honesty of others was a mistake.

    He was about a mile and a half away from the stone prison he¡¯d been in, atop a residential roof. The day had faded to night outside, the darkness lit up by a single moon, far above, giving the world an eerie, dim gleam.

    He was exhausted, and just wanted to eat some food and then sleep. His stomach rumbled, however, unfortunately reminding him that that wasn¡¯t something he could do right now.

    He began suppressing his Titan form, feeling his body shift back to that of a small child¡¯s.

    He frowned as he felt his form shift. He immediately released it.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 35/212

    ¨C

    Even though his Growth Stage wasn¡¯t very high, his normal Titan form was still a Master ss beast. Suppressing it to the first stage took about 1 unit of energy every 5 minutes. It would sap him dry if he tried to maintain it.

    Further, Titans weren¡¯t exactly amon species in this city. A Titan child would stick out like a sore thumb.

    He needed to eat and regain his energy.

    As he considered this, an idea ran through his head.

    Who said he had to stay as a Titan?

    ¨C

    -Bloodlines Stored-

    Red Smander

    Forested Ancient Snake

    Hollow Lizard (Degraded)

    Brown Treasure m

    Myyr Dragon

    Golem Wolf

    ck Mire Wolf

    White Rain Wolf

    Virulent Wolf

    True Vampire

    Titan

    Human

    ¨C

    If he switched forms now, the energy in his soul would maximize that form. He¡¯d already gotten the Condense Ability, the only reason he¡¯d stay as a Titan would be to finish its growth so he could use its bloodline tobine with others.

    That was a thought for another time, however.

    What would be the best form to choose, in a popted city like this?

    He smiled.

    ¡®Ausra, evolve me into a human.¡¯

    ¡­

    ¨C

    -Absorbing Human bloodline-

    ¨C

    -Body Reconstruction in progress-

    ¨C

    ¨C

    -Human ¨C Growth Stage: (1/2) Human Child ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 4,072/300 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®After Evolving, your soul requires a short period of time to adapt to a new form. Because your soul is at the Grandmaster ss, this adaptation period is reduced to 6 hours. The stronger your soul, the less the adaptation period.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    Dorian¡¯s body morphed into that of a small, naked human being. He had short blonde hair and a cute face, looking as if he was 5 or 6 years old.

    The very image of a random street urchin.

    ¡°Only two Growth Stages?¡± Dorian shook his head. Humans truly had the worst of it, bloodline wise. The fact that they were able to grow powerful enough to dominate the 30,000 Realms as much as they did was an incredible achievement already.

    His powerful Soul boosted the strength of his form. As he stood up on the roof, he moved his arms to the left and right, feeling a certain level of power in them. He was about at the level of an Earth ss beast, he figured. A punch from him could crack a tree, but not break it cleanly in half.

    The City guard would be scrambling around looking for an escaped Titan. Who would pay attention to a random street urchin?

    6 hours in this form was more than enough. His eyes shed as he looked around.

    He was in a small neighborhood within the city. Several dozen residences made of white stone bring, with nted roofs and wooden windows, spread out around him. Most of them were closed up for the night, the inhabitants asleep.

    He moved forward, his stomach rumbling as he guiltily decided to pilfer the kitchens of a few residences.

    ..

    A half hourter.

    Dorian had found a set of loose, in clothes to wear. A small grey shirt, and a tight pair of ck pants. He¡¯d rubbed a bit of dirt and dust on the clothes, making them look old and used. They didn¡¯t perfectly fit, but they were more than enough.

    He¡¯d managed to find arge store of cheese and meat in one of the residences, and eaten his fill. He then slowly began making his way through the dark city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, ducking from alley to alley as he stuck to the shadows.

    The city, at night, was a rtively peaceful one. There were patrols of guards through certain areas, and a strict curfew enforced. These patrols were easy enough to dodge, however, as long as you didn¡¯t stick solely to the streets.

    It was Dorian¡¯s first time really exploring the city on his own. In the daytime, he¡¯d just followed a couple streets to the north side of the city and gotten a bite to eat, after visiting a few of those Blood Magic shops.

    It felt oddly surreal to Dorian.

    As he scaled a wall and climbed upon a house, he felt like he was in an action movie, dashing around in the night.

    Dorian was careful to avoid any areas of the city that looked rich or wealthy. There was no telling if there were magic traps or anything of that nature protecting some houses.

    Eventually, after quite a bit of trial and error, Dorian found his way towards where the merchant couple lived, the directions they gave himing in handy.

    The Aeth merchants lived in a small, residential neighborhood in the city. They were considered a rtively wealthy family, but only to a certain extent. Whenpared to the true nobles in this city, many of whom lived in grand pces or mansions, they could only be considered middle ss.

    Their home was arge, two-story house made from a type of luxurious teak. It had a solid dark blue roof and a few decorative windows. Many of the other homes in this area of the city were of a simr nature.

    Instead of approaching directly, however, Dorian carefully scampered around the area near their house, looking everything over.

    The guards in the city most likely thought he¡¯d try to shore up somewhere and would be hiding away.

    It was possible that they might think he would try to take revenge on the merchants, if they honestly believed the usations against him.

    And, sure enough, as Dorian snuck around, he saw a few armored figures, hiding atop a couple nearby rooftops. When he noticed them, he paid careful attention to not step any closer, hiding out in the distance.

    He began to mentally mark the locations where he saw each guard, keeping a tally.

    As he scanned them all, Dorian saw a figure he recognized.

    Even in the dark, where only the slim moonlight lit up the area, Dorian could still make out the imperious figure of the same vampire Wizard that had grabbed onto one of Jeriah, forcing her, and rence, to lob usations at him.

    The Wizard was sitting down with his hands folded, patiently watching the Aeth Merchant¡¯s home.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes hardened at the sight. He saw several other guards near the vampire, all staking out the residence. He then smiled, and settled down on a different house¡¯s roof, a nted one that had a small cubby, perfect for a small body to hide on.

    When he¡¯d lived in the forest, there were several times he¡¯d sat still for hours, hunting down Red Smanders or other small prey.

    Patience was a virtue that he did notck.

    The Wizard would need to sleep sometime.

    His eyes carefully watched the Wizard as he began to wait, resting his tired body but staying alert.

    ..

    Meanwhile, many miles away from Dorian, across arge gap in the oceans of nothingness that spread around Laprisha, another World Bridge could be seen, connecting down to another tall ind.

    This was the World Bridge from the Lesser World Bantor.

    This iteration of a World Bridge was a long, drawling forest, with a path cut through it for travel.

    The ind the Bridge connected to housed the nearly 30 miles wide City of Morn, one of the 23 City States on Taprisha. It was a sprawling city with arge poption. Another ind quite close to the one that housed Morn contained a huge Darkiron mine spreading more than a hundred miles deep, making the City of Morn one of the most popr ces for Wizards that studied anything rting to Earth Magic to live on Taprisha.

    About two thousand miles up the World Bridge that connected to the City State of Morn, the figure of arge, glowing dragon could be seen, flying high in the sky of the World Bridge. The dragon gave off a near blinding light as it flew, its wings sting out with a bright orange gleam.

    asionally, the scattered space at the edge of the World Bridge would send out small spatial tears towards the dragon. These tears would m into the dragon and then fizzle out, having little effect.

    If one looked closely at this dragon, through the bright light its wings emitted, they would notice that the body of the dragon seemed almost incorporeal. Its snarling, visage, its huge wings, its long tail. This drake was nearly 50 meters long, with a massive wingspan.

    Orange, luminescent mes seemed to fall off behind the dragon each time it pped its wings, leaving a trail of fire high in the sky.

    Out of its snarling visage, if one listened close, a dim, drawling tune could be heard, sung by a voice with a deep, riveting timbre.

    ¡°Oh, weeeeelll, fire is fun and fire is free! What do I love, why it¡¯s fire for me!¡±

    ¡°The closest thing to god is me! And that is why I spread my name!¡±

    ¡°Born the eleventh, with the figure god devised! The prettiest me that god had prized!¡±

    ¡°To hunt for perfection, the ultimate me imagined! That¡¯s why I will find¡­¡± Its voice trailed off.

    The dragon seemed to freeze in mid-air, its eyes opened wide in anger,

    *ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAR*

    It let out a massive roar, unleashing a furious wave of orange fire on the forests below. Thousands of trees exploded into a storm of shrapnel and mes, melting into the rocky earth of the World Bridge below.

    A firestorm whipped up the air, sending out huge gusts of wind for miles. Several thousand more trees were knocked over from the impact of this, snapping into shards of wood. The shockwave from the force of the dragon¡¯s roar knocked tens of thousands of leaves into the air, most of which caught fire in a grand, massive storm of fire that spread out for miles beneath the dragon.

    ¡°Imagined¡­ Imagined¡­¡± The dragon seemed to calm down, getting ahold of its rage as it continued flying.

    ¡°Such a stupid word. Of course nothing good would rhyme with it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh beautiful fire, why I search for thee! To find perfection, I must now see!¡±

    It went back to its singing, meandering its way towards the world of Taprisha.

 Chapter 38 - Target

    Chapter 38: Target

    ¡°Damn.¡± Ralf mmed his hand down on the roof, cracking the te roof tiles in anger. His eyes emanated a cold, blood red light.

    ¡°An entire night wasted, and nothing of it.¡± He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

    He and his men and staked out the house the whole night, waiting for the Titan to show up. They¡¯d gotten zero results, and instead left him exhausted. Ralf rubbed at his eyes, feeling the fatigue behind them.

    ¡°Randall, Borranger.¡± He called out two names quietly, waving his hand forward.

    Immediately, two of his trusted subordinates in the guard appeared. One of them was human, while the other was a vampire.

    While this was under the control of the Aurelius Family, the vast majority of its inhabitants, and most worlds controlled by the Family, were not vampires.

    Vampires were a powerful race, with strength that could grow to high levels without even training in magic. It was aw in this universe that the stronger or more powerful the bloodline of a being was, the harder it was to have offspring.

    Therefore, while the hand of the Aurelius may stretch far, the number of vampires in the Family was not at all thatrge whenpared to humans or the Aeth, or other populous races.

    ¡°Maintain the stakeout just in case, but make contact with the general guard to switch over and let the men rest.¡± Since the Titan hadn¡¯t appeared immediately, he¡¯d need to do this one by the books. Annoyance and worry filled him, alongside regret. If he knew this would¡¯ve been so much trouble, he never would¡¯ve framed the Titan.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    The pair responded with sharp nods, and set to work informing the rest of the guard. Ralf sighed again, and then vanished from the rooftop, slinking off down the side as dawn began to break, headed home. He lived only a short distance away from here. Flying in the city was strictly off limits, and it would be a bit too much to call for a carriage, so he decided to walk.

    ..

    ¡°Finally.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes gleamed as he watched the vampire Wizard break off from the rooftop after hours of observation. His patience had been stretched thin by this point.

    ¡®Ausra, how much time do I have till this form finishes adapting?¡¯ He queried, checking. Humans only had two Growth Stages, and he would maximize their growth immediately, transforming into an adult. He didn¡¯t exactly have the clothes for it, and with daylight unfolding, he could be left in an unpleasant situation.

    ¡®9 minutes and 12 seconds.¡¯ Ausra responded coolly.

    Dorian nodded. He could work with that. He¡¯d probably want to maintain his human form till he got out of the city, all things considered, since the guards were looking for a Titan, and his other forms weren¡¯t really applicable.

    He kept to the shadows as he trailed after the vampire Wizard, keeping his distance. The vampire seemed supremely unconcerned with anyone following him, most likely for good reason. Ausra had himbelled as a Grandmaster ss Wizard. The innate barrier of a Grandmaster ss Wizard could nullify the impact from a thousand pound blow with ease, let alone any thieves or attacks. That,bined with his own physical strength and durability as a vampire, gave considerable cause for confidence.

    ording to Ausra, studying magic could elerate the growth to maturity of any creature with a bloodline that had potential to grow, through thews of this world. It worked differently for different races.

    The moment your Soul Spell Matrix broke through to, say, the Grandmaster ss, your body would immediately start to grow and adapt to that level of power.

    He shook the stray thoughts from his mind as he stalked the vampire through the barest gleaming of dawn.

    Around him, the city was slowlying to life. He could make out several figures starting to walk the streets. Hunters, heading out of the city to hunt beasts on the World Bridge, or to cross over to other inds. Miners crossing to any mines with resources in the vicinity, traders readying their trade or preparing to leave on expeditions.

    He also saw a few beggars, lying on the side of streets or alleyways resting. It seemed poverty was a curse in this world, just as it was back on Earth.

    The world around was starting toe to life.

    No one paid attention to a poorly dressed street urchin, moving off to the side.

    After about five minutes of walking, the vampire Wizard turned into a different residential area, one that was entirely fenced in. A gate blocked off any normal entrance to this exclusive section of the city. Several raised ck walls blocked off passage around the area, leaving the only way in over the wall or through the gate.

    The gate itself seemed to be made of some type of golden metal and gave off a faint, yellow light.

    Past the gate, Dorian could see several luxurious mansions, at least ten of them, many of them veritable pces due to their sheer size, spread a hundred meters out from each other. Trees, a small river, and a few gardens stood between each home, giving the area a natural,fortable look. Not at all as if it was in the middle of a popted city. It was the most luxurious sight he¡¯d seen in the city yet.

    The vampire Dorian was watching cast some sort of spell, and the gate shivered and then opened up, allowing him to pass through. Momentster it closed off, sealing the ce.

    Dorian frowned as he saw this. His eyes trailed up, looking at the walls and above them.

    Just faintly, he could make out an odd distortion in the air.

    He guessed that if he flew over it, it might set off some sort of rm. The gate appeared to be some type of magic object, locking out the way. He didn¡¯t see anyone else moving to or from the gate, it seemed like an exclusivemunity that people would rarely enter or exit. At least, not in the early hours of dawn.

    There were few people moving anywhere near this street. The homes off to his left or right were still closed up, and the street itself nearly empty. There were no shops or anything of that kind in this residential sector of the city.

    As he was considering what to do, an idea popped up in his head.

    He knew he was able to absorb energy from magic objects, and add that to his own store of growth energy. He hadn¡¯t fully tested his ability yet. Now, however, seemed like a prime opportunity. He wasn¡¯t jailed away trying to escape or in any danger. If something went wrong, he¡¯d be able to deal with it safely.

    Dorian smiled, and then shuffled up to the front of the gate.

    He took onest surreptitious look around the street. The grey and white paved stone road was empty for the most part, the nearest pedestrians at least a hundred meters off to his right.

    Slowly, he put his right hand on the gate. He felt a slight tingling feeling as he touched it, and then nothing.

    ¡®Ausra, got any tips on absorbing energy from magic objects?¡¯ A question he felt he should¡¯ve asked far sooner.

    ¡®It is a natural talent unique to your Soul Spell Matrix, and like other skills or Abilities, you simply need to will it to happen.¡¯ Ausra replied punctually.

    Dorian nodded and then turned his focus to the gate before him.

    He stared at it, and then slowly concentrated, willing any energy in the gate to flow into him.

    Gradually, he felt a warm feeling settle in on his right hand. This feeling began to be warmer and warmer. He felt almost as if a connection was starting to form.

    Mentally, in his head, he felt a great big glowing light appear. A huge, massive orb, floating above him. Almost within reach.

    Dorian stared at the orb, and then willed it toe to him.

    And it did.

    All of a sudden, his entire body was suffused in a massive golden light, for the briefest instant. His entire body felt as if it was about to implode, a huge store of energy sting into him. This feelingsted briefly before disappearing without a trace.

    A split secondter¡­ the golden gate in front of him fell apart, copsing into dust. The shimmering, almost invisible shield that covered the walls and the air above them shivered, and then vanished.

    Just after this, Dorian instinctively pulled up his growth status.

    ¨C

    -Human ¨C Growth Stage: (1/2) Human Child ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 59,794/300 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock as he checked the values, and then checked them again in astonishment.

    ¡°I absorbed¡­ around 55,000 units of energy?!¡±

    ..

    Ralf checked his appearance in his entryway mirror, making sure his cor wasn¡¯t set too high. Even though he was home, it wouldn¡¯t do to look poorly dressed. Maintaining one¡¯s appearance was important, especially when you thought no one was looking.

    He had finally made it home after such a grueling evening, and was ready to go to sleep. He moved past the entrance of hisrge mansion, looking at the ornate staircase, white stone statues that adorned his walls, and antique white teak wooden floor. His humble abode was his ce of refuge.

    ¡°Master Tornstrew!¡± Before he could even make it to the grand staircase, one of his subordinates came rushing in. A vampire warrior dressed in ck leather armor, one of his guards. Favian was his name.

    ¡°Yes, Favian?¡± He asked, struggling to keep the irritation out of his voice. The men that guarded his mansion were trained well enough to only disturb him if it was urgent.

    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s Molf sir.¡± Apparently the man¡¯s name was Molf.

    ¡°And, uh, sir! The Protection Spell Field of the 12 Pces has copsed!¡± The vampire continued, his eyes wide.

    Ralf stared at the man, incredulously,

    ¡°It copsed?¡±

    ¡°Yessir, it copsed!¡± The guard replied, nodding his head.

    Ralf kneaded his forehead, feeling a headache trying to force its way in,

    ¡°Favian-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Molf, sir,¡±

    ¡°Molf,¡± He began, ring at the guard for interrupting him,

    ¡°The Protection Spell Field cannot just ¡®copse.¡¯ It was put into ce by amissioned Lord ss Wizard, using 12 Earthen Energy Cores. A meteor lobbed by a Lord ss Fire Wizard couldn¡¯t put a dent in the Spell Field, let alone cause it to copse.¡±

    Molf squirmed, looking ufortable as he responded,

    ¡°Well, uh, sir I know.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± he continued, gesturing towards the front door,

    ¡°It, uh, well, it did.¡±

    Ralf turned towards the front entrance of his house. He blinked and then walked forward, stalking outside, his anger building to a crescendo as he raised his hands up.

    ¡°What in the name of the heaven¡¯s do you¡­¡± His voice trailed off.

    Ralf¡¯s eyes were trained, able to see and detect faint traces of magic.

    And the sky above him was on fire, random magical waves exploding back and forth overhead erratically.

    The perfect image of a copsed Spell Field.

    His jaw dropped, and his hands raised in anger slowly fell as he stared at the dying sky above,

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ..

    ¡°Ulp!¡± Dorian burped, feeling a satisfied feeling in his stomach. Absorbing the energy from that gate had given him a nice and warm full feeling. He smiled as he waltzed into the walled off area, ncing around at the mansions, zeroing in on the one the vampire Wizard had walked into.

    It was arge, three-story tall white mansion made out of some type of special brick. It had several ledges and great long windows. A small moat decorated the outside of it, and arge garden of trees peppered its yard.

    There were only a few minutes till he could switch forms again.

    Dorian gazed at the house, his mouth thin. He then darted off into one of the luscious trees near the entrance, his eyes staying on the house, and began to prepare.

 Chapter 39 - Killing

    Chapter 39: Killing

    Dorian saw a small number of armored men emerge from a few of the mansions or pces, looking up at the sky in confusion. He also saw a few vampires, humans, and even an Aethmen, dressed in fine suits or robes, step out as well, pointing upward.

    He nced up, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. He assumed it had to do with his devouring of the gate. He gave a mental apology to anyone innocent he inconvenienced.

    He also saw, from the mansion he was targeting, the figure of the vampire Wizard emerge, alongside another vampire d in ck leather armor. He red at the man, the bud of anger in him raging forth.

    ¡®Your soul has finished its adaption period.¡¯ Aursa¡¯s voice in his head went off with perfect timing, informing him.

    ¡®Evolving to Human¡¯s 2nd Growth Stage.¡¯

    Immediately, his form began to shift as his human form reached its growthpletion. Thankfully, he was hidden behind arge tree, out of in view.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be an active permitter or guard in this area. The inhabitants probably assumed their magic gate was enough.

    ¨C

    -Human ¨C Growth Stage: (2/2) Human Adult ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 59,494/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    He didn¡¯t even take time to look at his appearance as he immediately switched forms.

    ¨C

    -Titan ¨C Growth Stage: (2/4) Titan Young Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 59,494/8,052 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Evolving to Titan¡¯s 3rd Growth Stage¡¯ Ausra cut herself off, abruptly, and then continued,

    ¡®Evolving to Titan¡¯s 4th Growth Stage.¡¯

    ¨C

    -Titan ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Titan Great Adult-

    ¨C Growth Progress ¨C 624/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian felt his body began to elongate as his Titan form evolved, absorbing almost all of the energy he had gained, leaving him with a pitiful 624 units left. Gradually, his arms and legs began to stretch, as did his chest. He began to grow, transforming into an enormous, 3 meter tall hulking Titan.

    ¡®Condense!¡¯ Before his body finished forming, Dorian activated his Condense Ability, immediately shrinking his height and condensing his figure. An incredible feeling of strength and power rested in his hands as he did so.

    His body that had previously looked like a muscle covered body builder slimmed out. Bulging muscles were reced with lean, tough muscles in his Condensed form, the density of which was mind-boggling.

    He casually waved his hand, feeling as if a light touch from him could easily decimate the tree in front of him.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Grandmaster (Peak)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 814/814

    ¨C

    He smiled as he looked at his status. By evolving his Titan form, his soul had grown from the middle of the Grandmaster ss to the peak! His energy levels had quadrupled.

    He took a brief look around. Once more, he noted that the world around him seemed to have slowed down, just slightly. His perception of time had been enhanced. Compared to before, everything seemed to be moving half again as fast. His visual acuity had jumped an entire realm, letting him pick out things he hadn¡¯t been able to see before.

    As he nced upward, he saw faint distortions in the air. They were almost imperceptible, even with his increased vision, but seemed like writhing snakes, twisting and turning. It seemed the barrier protecting the gate had gone all the way up into the sky.

    As Dorian felt his body reach a perfect condition, he turned his focus to the vampire Wizard that was just now returning back inside his home.

    He rubbed his palms together.

    A momentter, a small lizard could be seen, darting across the grass towards a certain mansion¡­

    ..

    At the same time, as the morning dawn came into its full fruition, its light shined upon the majestic pce at the very center of the city. The City Lord¡¯s Mansion.

    The City Lord of Potor, Uberon Bank, a Lord ss Wizard, looked down at the slim de that had just stabbed through his heart in sheer, utter shock.

    ¡°Marilyn?¡± He sputtered out, red blood bursting from his mouth as he looked at his wife in horror. He had been caughtpletely off guard, the sudden attack somehow piercing through his innate barrier.

    He was standing in his foyer, in the City Lord¡¯s Mansion at the center of Potor City. A grand bookcase lined with ten thousand books set across the wall, rising above the stained oak wood floor. A few small couches rested in front of a lit firece, while a dozen paintings of past City Lords stood ced on the walls, in betweenrge, white windows.

    The Lord ss vampire stumbled down, his hands grabbing ahold of the de. A timeless feeling of exhaustion spread through his body, some type of nefarious poison killing his ability to regenerate.

    His wife was a petite, tan human with long red hair and a buxom figure. Uberon had a variety of tastes, but he¡¯d discovered that humans were his favorite unique choice, in both blood and in bed. He¡¯d married Marilyn, his wife, years ago, binding her to obey his will thanks to the vaunted Control Magic he practiced.

    Of anyone to betray him, she was thest person he would have suspected. The thought ran through his mind, the sheer impossibility of anyone breaking off the Lord ss control spell he¡¯did on her, as his vision began to blur.

    His beautiful, red-haired wife gave him a pitying look.

    ¡°Marilyn is this form¡¯s name no longer.¡± She shook her head, her voice echoing softly in the empty foyer,

    ¡°My name is Mello.¡±

    ..

    Dorian crossed the yard in a few seconds, slinking across a small bridge that crossed over a moat. He snuck inside the house, slipping in through a slightly open window. As he moved in, he noticed a guard standing at attention out front, looking up at the sky above.

    The inside of the home was as luxurious as its exterior. Expensive looking white flooring, fine paintings decorating the walls, marble statues lining the sides of the home, everything looked extravagant and pricey.

    From a room past the entranceway, Dorian could hear a pair of voices talking.

    ¡°¡­and contact the head of the 12 Pces immediately! This is unheard of, a fatal w in the fees I paid.¡± The vampire Wizard¡¯s irate voice rang out, filled with irritation and anger.

    ¡°Yes sir, yes sir.¡± A harried female voice responded.

    A few momentster, an irate looking female vampire wearing a slim, ck gown emerged from a doorway, and headed towards the entrance. Dorian hid behind one of the busts as she left, storming off in a huff.

    He heard a great sigh from the other room.

    His eyes narrowed, Dorian crept down the white hallway and into the entranceway the woman had emerged from.

    He found himself in a grand looking dining room. Arge, brown wooden table was set in the center, while a dozenfortable looking chairs with plush pillows on them surrounded it. Several cabs full of fine cutlery or decorated pieces of jewelry dotted the walls.

    Arge window looked out onto a field full of blue flowers, and the sky above at the end of the room. The vampire Wizard was currently staring outside, his hands crossed behind his back.

    Dorian red at the man. Should he transform and give the Wizard a chance to exin himself first?

    He thought about it for a moment, and then made his decision.

    His small lizard body scuttled across the room in an instant, making almost no noise.

    Despite that, the vampire Wizard came alert, slowly starting to spin around in surprise. Vampires, especially those at a high ss, were known for having adept senses, especially in environments where there was nothing else distracting them. Even the slight sound of Dorian¡¯s ws on the wooden floor was enough.

    As Dorian came up behind the vampire Wizard, he willed himself to transform, but stay Condensed.

    It only took a split second for his Titan form to stretch and emerge, the lean, devastatingly strong Titan form appearing.

    Titans, at the maximum growth of their bloodline, were Grandmaster ss beings at the very peak of the Grandmaster ss.

    When Condensed, their physical strength entered a range where they could be considered Pseudo-Lord ss. At that level, a concentrated punch from a beast could create a five meter wide crater in the ground, a devastatingly powerful blow that could obliterate meters wide trees with a casual touch.

    Dorian¡¯s fistnded on the right shoulder of the vampire Wizard, just as the man was turning around in surprise and confusion.

    BOOM

    The wooden floor beneath Dorian cracked and exploded from the force of his punch as he sent the vampire flying,pletely destroying the dining room. Cutlery, wood, and ss peppered the air as Dorian lifted his arm to cover his face, charging after the vampire Wizard¡¯s figure.

    A huge hole could be seen in the wall in the side of the dining room, leading into a now partially destroyed kitchen. Random foodstuffs could be seen lying around, several packs of fresh fruit mixing with Magic Herbs and a few random strings of meat.

    Dorian burst into this room, and then kept running, seeing another hole in the wall of the once fine looking kitchen. He knocked aside a wooden counter as he ran forward, ncing about to make sure no one else was here.

    As he dived through the second hole, Dorian made out a figure lying on the ground, covered in fallen wooden boards and pieces of stone. He appeared to be in some type of study, a long pair of tables and chairs set with a few books and maps open on them. Several windows lit up the area with the gleaming light of morning.

    He had sent the Wizard flying through the air for roughly twenty meters, though two reinforced walls of stone and wood.

    ¡°Arrgh.¡± Ralf struggled to stand, blood pouring out of his mouth as he looked up blearily, the sheer shock of the attack almost killed him. His prized innate barrier had managed to block a good portion of the impact, but the force of the attack had still been enough to badly injure him.

    ¡°What did you do to the Aeth merchants?¡± Dorian¡¯s voice was cold as he stalked over, not giving the Wizard time to get his bearings. He rubbed his hands together, feeling a raw feeling in them.

    Punching the Wizard had felt like punching an iron wall. His fist had collided with the barrier he knew the Wizard had, and he¡¯d been forced to push through it with all his might. It felt like he was trying to lift up an unbelievably heavy weight.

    The feeling had started to give, after a split second, and his fist managed to make contact with the Wizard. But it had definitely been a close thing.

    ¡°TALK!¡± His voice contained iron as he looked down on the Wizard, cracking his knuckles.

    Faintly, he could hear voices yelling out in the background. The few guards the Wizard had stationed would arrive here soon.

    Ralf red up at the blurry figure of the Titan and then sped his hands together. The blow he¡¯d taken had sapped him of a tenth of his energy. If he took many more like it, he¡¯d be left unable to defend himself.

    ¡°Blood Magic: Scatt-¡±

    Before he could finish speaking, Dorian¡¯s chest heaved forward, and a wave of Emerald mes sted down on the vampire, bursting from his mouth.

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡± The man yelled out, feeling his innate barrier tremble, excruciating pain running through him. The mes began to eat up the raw power his soul pumped into the barrier, starting to melt through it at an incredible rate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk! Please!¡± Ralf screamed out, blood bursting from his nose and dripping down his eyes.

    Dorian pulled back his Emerald mes as his cold eyes red down at the Wizard, merciless.

    ..

    A few minutester, Dorian found himself running from the fancy pce area, carrying the unconscious body of a young, 12-year-old girl.

    He was wearing a set of loose grey leather leggings, strapped in around his legs and a smooth white shirt. A fine, ck ring was set on his hand, gleaming in the morning light.

    After forcing the Wizard to surrender, Dorian had managed to gain a great deal of information.

    The Wizard had kidnapped the daughter of the Aeth merchants, intent on using them to frame Dorian and deal with him using thew. Murdering inhabits in this city was a dangerous hobby, and the Wizard had thought it wiser to simply force them to obey him by using a hostage.

    He nced down at the ring on his finger. It was a rare Spatial Ring, amodity worth tens of thousands of gold mints. It had previously been the treasure of the Wizard, Ralf, as he learned his name was. In it, he found several hundred Magic Herbs, ones he recognized as his own. He also found threebeled boxes filled with blood, a huge store of gold, and several odd ck relics he wasn¡¯t able to decipher.

    ¡®ck Ambian Eagle, Midnight detiger, Ester Ground Dragon.¡¯ He read the names on the boxes aloud. Without even a second of hesitance, he absorbed each bloodline, storing them forter use. He took a moment to analyze the past few minutes.

    After the Wizard had given up his ring, and the information Dorian had wanted, he¡¯d made the Wizard order his guards away and show him where he¡¯d kept the merchant¡¯s daughter, locked away in a sideroom, asleep under a spell that would wear off in a couple hours. He¡¯d then made him lead him to his closet, and stolen several different outfits.

    After that, Dorian had given the man a nk, emotionless stare, and pierced his heart, sting through the Wizard¡¯s already shattered innate barrier.

    The Wizard died with an aggrieved look on his face, passing from this world into the next.

    Dorian looked down at the body of the Wizard. He gave a very slight bow, his eyes calm. He walked up and absorbed the blood of the Wizard, just in case, feeling the energy in the dead man¡¯s body absorb into him.

    ¡°Life is precious. I hope you value yours and spend it more wisely in the next.¡± He nced away from the corpse without feeling anything special.

    The first time he¡¯d killed someone else it had been a shocking urrence that shook him to his core. He¡¯d ignored how it felt, deciding he¡¯d deal with the emotionster.

    Just minutes after that, he¡¯d been forced to kill again, this time a huge, mighty Titan, and he¡¯d watched the closest thing he had to a friend in this world, William, almost die trying to save him.

    As he took a brief moment to look at the dead vampire¡¯s body, mentally, Dorian came to a cold conclusion.

    There were simply people in this universe that needed to be killed. He would not pity them, or let himself feel emotionally torn over killing them.

    If he was to bebelled a murdering devil for doing so¡­ then so be it.

    He looked down at his hands. They were stained with blood, blending in with the red skin he had in this form.

    Almost as if the bloodstains were a part of him now.

    He took a deep breath, and then let it out.

    He turned around, and he did not look back.

    He switched forms, transforming back into his human appearance. His body was well figured, hard muscle outlining and giving him a lean, but buff appearance. He didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter, knowing that the guards were out in force looking for his Titan form.

    He longed to return back to his Myyr Dragon form, or to create a hybrid form using some of his trained bloodlines. He¡¯d gradually found that he hated thisplicated, busy life as a humanoid. People were cruel and conniving, whereas nature felt far more simple to him. At least if someone wanted to kill you, they would just do it openly.

    He then put on a set of the simplest looking clothes from the closet of the Wizard, grabbed the daughter of the merchants, and left, slipping out of the vampire Wizard¡¯s mansion from the back.

    Instead of exiting through the gate, he simply hopped over the side of the stone fence that blocked off the area. Since there was no protective barrier, escaping was easy enough.

    He then began to jog through the city, trying to look casual as he kept the girl on his back, as if he was giving her a piggyback ride.

    Thankfully, the city itself seemed to already be abuzz with confusion, and his odd appearance drew little notice. Large groups of guards were running up and down the streets, hundreds of civilians were standing out, talking inrge groups. He ignored his surroundings as moved down sidestreet after sidestreet, thankful for the lucky break.

    He quickly made his way over to the house of the Aeth merchants, intent on dropping the girl off and ending the poor family¡¯s sorrow.

 Chapter 40 - Relaxation

    Chapter 40: Rxation

    Dorian took a long pull from the ss of red wine in his hand, admiring the smooth taste. He closed his eyes and rxed, listening to the din in themon room of the inn. He took a mental nce at his Growth Status.

    ¨C

    -Human ¨C Growth Stage: (2/2) Human Adult ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 3,229/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    Absorbing the blood and energy of the dead Wizard had proven to be a wise decision. He hadn¡¯t gotten any new bloodlines, but because the Wizard¡¯s body hadn¡¯t been too badly destroyed, he was able to absorb a nice chunk of energy.

    He¡¯d managed to make it to the merchants home in one of the residential districts, and brought their daughter to them. She was still unconscious, a spell that would take a few more hours to wear off, ording to the now dead Wizard Ralf.

    He¡¯d temporarily transformed back into a Titan as he dropped her off.

    When he first scanned the area, he¡¯d found no sign of the guards from before. The neighborhood was virtually deserted, people either boarding up in their homes or gathering inrge groups in the other districts of the town.

    The merchant couple had been overwhelmingly grateful when he arrived. Jeriah had hugged him, and apologized fiercely, exining how she had been forced to use him, while rence simply bowed, his head bent respectfully.

    The two had lovingly hugged onto their daughter with trembling hands.

    Dorian felt a kind of odd pain in his heart. He was partially the cause for their terror and fear.

    He clenched his fist briefly, and then rxed it.

    He may have been partially the cause, but in the end, things had worked out.

    And they worked out because he had strength.

    He had left shortly after, informing them that he had killed the Wizard, and they if the guards came for him, to simply inform them. With the way Fate Magic worked in this world, it was probably possible to tie the death to his Titan form.

    But, so what?

    Dorian looked down at his now human hands with a sardonic smile.

    He wasn¡¯t a Titan anymore.

    He was a human now.

    And tomorrow, he¡¯d probably be something else.

    ¡°Just another form I wear. Whatever I am.¡± He sighed and then shook the thought from his head.

    He took another sip from his wine ss, letting himself have a brief respite.

    After he dropped the merchant¡¯s daughter off, he¡¯d taken the time to find out what all the fuss was.

    To his surprise, the City Lord, a powerful Lord ss Wizard vampire that studied Control Magic, had been murdered, as had his wife.

    Both bodies had been found, dead, andpletely drained of blood, in the City Lord¡¯s mansion at the center of town. Several other guards and a maid had also perished, all of them found with bodies drainedpletely of blood.

    Rumors were spreading of awless vampire going on a rampage, even against his own kind.

    Vampires were extremely powerful in this world. Unlike in the legends of earth, vampires here were not weak to sunlight, nor wooden stakes, nor running water. They were an extremely powerful race with no real weakness at all, not any of the stereotypical ones.

    They still, however, maintained their habit of drawing upon and drinking or eating blood. They didn¡¯t need it to survive, but it was seen as a delicacy.

    The Blood Magic shops that existed in the city not only served the need of Wizards studying Blood Magic, but also the need of vampires picking out fine bloodlines to dine on.

    ¡°Did you hear? The 12 Pces were attacked too!¡±

    ¡°I heard the City Lord was killed by assassins sent from Butrias!¡±

    ¡°It was a silent killer, you hear me! It had to be those damned Shades! One of the Grandmasters of the Guard was killed too!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a criminal Titan on the loose! Maybe it was by that murdering beast!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish, the guard has said its only a Master ss that doesn¡¯t study magic! Even I could kill it!¡±

    ¡°Dave, you can¡¯t even handle a Sky ss beast. How would you kill a Master ss beast?!¡±

    The hubbub of themon room, mostly talking about the killing and Dorian¡¯s own actions, continued onward, noise that didn¡¯t seem intent on stopping anytime soon.

    He was currently sitting downstairs in the Bulky Cat Inn. It was one of the many Inns on the northern side of the city, and full of various hunters and locals. It was a popr ce, specifically for its cheap, but fine, wine and cheese, an unusual pte for an Inn.

    He¡¯d rented a room, shamelessly using the money he¡¯d stolen from the dead vampire. Before resting, however, he¡¯d decided he wanted to rx, and listen to any rumors. He¡¯d drink some wine and get the authentic experience of being in a magic, medieval Innmon room.

    Unfortunately, nobody tried to harass him or attack him, and there were no innocent maidens to be saved from harassment. His fantasy image of what would happen failed to y out. He even tried to use his soul to twist Fate and make it happen, but that failed as well.

    He still wasn¡¯t quite sure how he managed the feeling of Fate twisting, back when he fought against that Titan and William died. He had somehow willed Fate to obey him, and had felt a somewhat imperceptible change.

    He¡¯d been unable to reproduce the same feeling no matter how he tried.

    He drank a bit more wine, feeling it settle warmly in his stomach, next to arge te¡¯s worth of cheese he devoured. He sighed and then stood up, tossing a gold mint on the table.

    He waited for a second to see if any robbers or thieves would try to stalk him after seeing him act so richly.

    He was disappointed once more.

    Reality, it seemed, never turned out quite the way you expected, or wanted.

    He made his way up to his room, and fell into bed, the afternoon light fading into evening as heid down for some well-deserved sleep.

    Tomorrow, he decided, he¡¯d start testing out how tobine bloodlines. Strength was something he urgently needed right now.

    ..

    A World Bridge dominated by mountains stabbed poignantly into the ground, connecting the Exotic Taprisha to the aquatic world of Torrin. This mountain range was one that was heavily infested with beasts of all natures, but also full of bountiful resources. Magic Herbs, rare metals, all sorts of objects that the naturalws of the universe would rece with time.

    It made the City State of Toldrum one of the wealthiest on Taprisha.

    Current, atop one of the many grey mountains in this range, two figures could be seen. Both had elegance appearances, with pierced red eyes, and long brown hair.

    One wore a professional looking set of ck te armor, pressed so tightly to his body it seemed to be molded to him. A long, gleaming ck swordy strapped to his back, without a sheath. His long brown hair was tied up in a bun, in a simr style to the Highlord Marcus.

    The other wore a set of loose ck robes, with a smart-looking ck belt wrapped around him. A wand could be seen strapped to this belt, in a small holster. It had a silver, shining handle.

    As the light of day turned to afternoon, these two figures exchanged nces.

    ¡°What do you think, Trajan?¡± The vampire wearing the te armor asked, flexing his fingers in front of him as he spoke.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be here soon, Probus.¡± Trajan responded, frowning. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the sky, a worried look on his face.

    ¡°This is a test set by the Highlord.¡± He continued, his statement almost a question.

    Probus nodded, rubbing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

    Abruptly, Probus whipped his arm forward, drawing his de in a sh that blurred out so quickly it was almost invisible. He immediately reced the sword on his back, as if it hadn¡¯t moved at all.

    WHOOSH

    Nearly six hundred meters away, a small, almost imperceptible sh of wind mmed into a small, six-inch long green lizard that was crawling up the side of a neighboring mountain.

    A split secondter, the mountain began to rumble. Rocks and dust began to tumble as an entire third of the mountain copsed off to the side, a huge amount of earthen debris and rubble smashing down into the valley below. Arge storm of dust rose into the air, obscuring the now partially destroyed mountain from sight.

    Trajan turned and red at Probus,

    ¡°What the hell was that for?!¡±

    ¡°I saw a lizard.¡± Probus shrugged.

    ¡°AND?!¡± Trajan sputtered out, his eyes widening in rage.

    ¡°Maybe it was an assassin lizard.¡± Probus shrugged for a second time, ¡°You never know with those scaly bastards.¡± He turned to look off into the distance as if he was contemting deep, important philosophical concepts.

    ¡°Probus, you just destroyed an entire mountain BECAUSE OF A LIZARD?!¡± Trajan¡¯s eyes seemed to palpitate as he gestured at the still rising cloud of dust.

    Probus shrugged for the third time and didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°People like you are why the ecosystems of certain worlds are thrown into chaos! You cannot just wantonly destroy environments like this! Think of the native life, the natural process of nature! Why I just¡­¡± Trajan continued to rant, his eyes ring at Probus.

    Probus, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes as he spotted something in the distance. He slowly began to raise his hand to his back while Trajan talked, making minute movements toward his sword.

    ¡°-because think of the catastrophic consequenc-¡± Trajan cut himself off,

    ¡°Probus¡­ Why are you reaching for your sword¡­¡±

    WHOOSH

    The rumbling sounds of a mountain starting to copse rang out once more.

    ¡°PRRROOOOOBBUUUUUSSSSSSSS!¡±

 Chapter 41 - Preparation

    Chapter 41: Preparation

    Highlord Marcus frowned as he looked down at the intelligence reports, the usually jovial light in his eye reced by a cold, hard gleam. He stood in his Map Room, his usual base of operations when he was working.

    ¡°So in total, how many, Julia?¡±

    His beautiful Spymaster stepped forward, her luscious hair shivering as she spoke.

    ¡°On the of Taprisha, 8 Lord ss Wizards, all of them City Lords, or the chief subordinate of a City Lord. On the of Yelter, we lost the Lord ss Chief Wizard of the Bullion Kingdom, and two other Lord ss Wizards. On the of Tomahosh¡­¡± Julia continued, her voice listing a depressingly high number of casualties.

    ¡°39 Lord ss Wizards in total, spread across 18s.¡± She finished, summarizing her results.

    ¡°The treasuries of each Wizard were looted, and their corpses were found drained of blood, as were any other casualties in the near area. None of the killers have been apprehended. None of those that died were Direct Members of the Family.¡±

    ¡°In addition, we have reliable reports of a King ss Transcendent me Dragon appearing on Taprisha, the target you sent Probus and Trajan after. The drake slightly damaged a city it passed over, and then proceeded into the middle of one of the oceans of nothingness.¡±

    A vein in Marcus¡¯ forehead throbbed.

    ¡°A grand conspiracy has taken ce, to disrupt order in thend under my control. To kill so many Lord ss Wizards, all at the same time¡­ I must admire the brilliance of this adversary.¡± His voice was deathly quiet.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Julia¡¯s voice was quiet, her eyes worried.

    ¡°The other notable piece of news is that the Shade King has sent an invitation, making overtures to meet with you.¡± She continued.

    ¡°Now?¡± Marcus took a deep breath, and then calmed down,

    ¡°There are no such things in life as coincidences of this nature. This is clearly rted to the Anomalies that have appeared.¡± His voice was harsh, a jagged edge of anger in it.

    ¡°Where are the Family Generals right now?¡± He queried.

    Julia responded promptly,

    ¡°Pertinax is still on one of the western border worlds, Igbo, that we share with the Caesar Family. There have recently been a few shes there and the situation is still unstable. Balbinus is somewhere in the north, still hunting down the rumors of a King ss Shade Stalker appearing and destroying several kingdoms. Luci is¡­ well, it¡¯s Luci. We don¡¯t really know where she is at the moment.¡±

    Marcus sighed, rubbing his eyes. He picked up a ss of wine, holding it in his hands. He was about to drink from it when he saw the re Julia sent him. He, instead, casually raised it in front of his face to look at, as if that had been his intention the entire time.

    ¡°Damn it. Alright.¡± He nodded,

    ¡°Send the damned Shade King word that we will meet in a few weeks, dy him with something.¡± His eyes sharpened,

    ¡°As for now¡­¡±

    ¡°Let the guard know I¡¯ll be going out.¡±

    ..

    Dim sunlight gleamed through the shuttered windows of Dorian¡¯s Inn room as he blearily came awake, his body rxed and rested. He stretched as he woke up, cracking his knuckles and shaking out his body.

    As he came awake, he looked around the room. It was still the same, standard Inn room. A wooden floor with a ck rug on it, a small wooden nightstand, afortable bed with two grey pillows. A simple, but suitable, bedroom.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He said aloud, getting his mind in gear.

    Now that he was safe and had some time to think, he began to put things in order.

    There were several missions he needed toplete.

    He needed to find out whats were on the two routes he had picked out. William¡¯s soul was safe for thirteen months, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to dy unnecessarily. He didn¡¯t know how dangerous or how much time it might take to cross those 3 or 5s, depending on which route he took. He¡¯d already spent enough time getting to Taprisha, and Potor City, safely, there was no telling how long it would take to make it all the way to the Ember Gorge.

    Dorian looked down at the Spatial Ring, tapping on it lightly. Instantly, a sort of mental tally of everything in it came into his mind. Not like the mental updates he received from Ausra, but more like a simple feeling of knowing what was in it.

    Tens of thousands of gold mints, and, now that he looked, even a few of the higher ss gold shields. Several Thousand-Mint shields, and several Ten-Thousand-Mint shields. A decentlyrge fortune.

    He smiled. With this much wealth, he could probably sweep through those Blood Magic Shops he had visited earlier, and also check out the Preservation Shop he¡¯d heard of to see if there was anything useful there.

    He nodded, putting that second on the agenda.

    The third and final thing for today would be to begin testing how tobine bloodlines. He¡¯d recently grown quite a few of them to their maximum Growth Stage. Ausra had told him he should onlybine bloodlines he had aplete data set for, which mean he needed to grow them fully before he tried tobine them.

    It would be a day of reconnaissance, he decided.

    ..

    Several hourster, Dorian found himself inside a small, local eatery, this one devoted to selling different types of fish, grown specifically for eating in special pools. A furor of worried conversation set the background, people still specting over the death of the City Lord.

    He looked down at the te full of fresh grilled Red Scale Salmon, relishing the scent as he ignored everyone else.

    While he was in a human form, he might as well taste all the delicacies he could manage, he¡¯d decided.

    He¡¯d just finished sweeping through four different Blood Magic stores and was taking a brief respite for lunch before heading to hisst shop, the Tval Preservation Shop.

    The bloodlines sold in the Blood Magic shops were all prohibitively expensive, but Dorian had ample funding, thanks to his recent gains. Unfortunately, the number of bloodlines at a high ss were sorelycking.

    Most of the shops were run by local Wizards orrge scale merchant operations. That said, killing a Grandmaster ss beast and storing its blood was an extremely difficult task for anyone not at the Lord ss.

    On Taprisha, even finding Grandmaster ss beasts would require you to either descend into the oceans of nothingness to search the floor, or to cross over the ocean to find other teau inds that were left in the wild. Very few Grandmaster ss beasts lived on the local World Bridge.

    In either case, the dangers were widespread, and not easy to conquer.

    Dorian hadn¡¯t known how expensive it was to buy even a vial of blood from a Grandmaster ss beast. He¡¯d only ever visited a single shop in a cursory manner. The prices of a Lord ss beast¡¯s blood were so expensive not a single shop had any.

    Still, he managed to secure two separate Grandmaster ss beast bloodlines, a Giant Bore Snake and a Tayzon Rhino, and five Master ss beast bloodlines. His collection was gradually starting to grow, and the options he had expanding even further.

    He decided to focus only on beasts with a higher ss and bloodline, or those with unique Abilities. Those with weaker bloodlines would serve little purpose in making him grow stronger.

    He¡¯d also learned a bit more about the two routes he had avable to him.

    The Ember Gorge was located on an Exotic known as Magmor. The was an extremely odd one covered inrge sweeping seas. These seas weren¡¯t normal, aquatic seas, however.

    They were, instead, enormous seas of molten magma and liquid fire.

    To reach the Magmor, Dorian could take the World Bridge to the aquatic world of Torrin, and then through two Exotics, one Lesser World, and one Major World, before arriving at Magmor.

    Dorian struck this idea from his list immediately when he learned of it.

    Torrin was located only a single world away from the Br. The headquarters of the Aurelius Family was located on Br, and any world close to it was heavily watched. As of right now, Dorian absolutely wanted to avoid any encounters with any powerful groups or forces.

    Instead, he turned to the route with only 3s.

    This route required him to travel across to the City State of Tadega. He would then take the World Bridge to the Exotic World of Blizzaria, named after the constant snowstorms that covered thendscape, through the Lesser World of Paxital, to the Exotic World of Lansc, a world known for its mysterious floating inds.

    He didn¡¯t quite like the idea of traveling through constant snowstorms, but the route itself didn¡¯t seem to be too long of one, and seemed readily achievable.

    Thus, Dorian cemented the n in his mind.

    A few minutester, he left the restaurant, heading for his final destination for the day.

    One of the two famed Preservation Shops in Potor City, the Tval Preservation Shop.

    In no time at all, he reached the shop. It was found near the center of the city, arge, expansive two-story emporium that spanned for nearly sixty meters in length. The outside of the shop was decorated in painted, green wood, depicting various beasts and creatures.

    He walked inside, taking a look around. The shop had several long tables set up in disys, with pictures and writing one each. Arge box stood at the centerpiece of each disy, with a see-through window letting you look at the corpse of the beast inside. There were a few stands withbelled vials of blood on them, and other odds and ends Wizards might need for certain spells or experiments.

    The shop wasn¡¯t crowded, but it wasn¡¯t empty either. There were around thirty customers walking around, going from stand to stand. There were also several intimidating looking muscr guards, wearing grey leather armor standing at the entrance, and a pair of Wizards standing off to the side, watching everything.

    There were five clerks, three human and two Aethmen, wondering about the shop helping various customers.

    Dorian began to look around, scanning the shop for anything useful.

    ¡°Sky ss¡­ Earth ss¡­ Earth ss¡­ oh a Master ss¡­? Hmm¡­¡± He started sorting through each stand, checking over the details on each beast.

    ckville Snakes, Whimper Hippos, Azure Finned Sharks, he found arge variety in selection, all of them pureblood. Mixed blood species weremon in the wild, but pureblood species were more rare, and more sought after. Most of the bloodlines sold in shops were pureblood, or distilled till they were pureblood. So far, however, none of them here had particrly caught his eye.

    Finally, at the end of one of the stands, he found something rather unique.

    ¡°me Elemental ¨C Fire Imp. Master ss.¡± He stopped, staring at it in astonishment. An elemental?

    ¡®me Elementals, creatures born from magic and thews of the universe, have diverse properties and are not amon species. They maximize their growth at the Master ss, but have near perfect affinity for magic rted to elemental fire.¡± Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed, in particr when he heard the words ¡®near perfect affinity.¡¯

    Magic!

    In his time in this world, he hadrgely understood the importance and power magic offered. However, as a reborn human, he was already well aware that his understanding and ability to study magic would be average at best. It could take years to get results in magic, and any training using it would probably be very slow.

    However¡­ what if he had a form with near perfect affinity for studying one type of magic?

    Just like with Abilities, any results you gained in studying magic would stick with you, regardless of the form you were in.

    He smiled. He looked over at the price of the Fire Elemental.

    It was listed at roughly 45,000 gold mints,rgely due to its rarity. After hitting up all those Blood Magic shops, Dorian¡¯s funds had dropped to around 68,000 gold mints, more than enough to afford this.

    He waved his hand at one of the clerks, calling them over. It was an aged human woman wearing a long brown robe. She had long greying hair and a warm smile on her face as she greeted him.

    Dorian jumped straight to the point,

    ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase this set for the me Elemental, and also the set for the pureblood Azure Finned Shark.¡± He didn¡¯t have many aquatic bloodlines, so he figured he might as well snag one while he had the chance, just in case.

    ¡°That will be 59,000 gold mints even, sir. Each body is sealed in Time, with the guarantee of the prestigious O¡¯riel Time Society that your purchase will be satisfactory or your gold will be returned.¡± The clerk added up his total for him, pulling out a clipboard as she began to mark it down.

    ¡°Would you like to have it delivered or any other sid-¡±

    Dorian broke in,

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take it here and now.¡± He didn¡¯t want to have a sales pitch thrown his way.

    A few minutes passed as he moved over to a desk and signed a form, and then paid out the sum required. The process was streamlined, and just a couple minutes after that, Dorian walked out of the shop, the two corpses stored in his Spatial Ring.

    He smiled, pleased with the purchases, and made his way back to his Inn.

    ..

    Dorian sat down on his bed as the afternoon light faded to evening. He took a few deep breaths, gathering his focus.

    The Soul Spell Matrix of the me Elemental had been preserved with its body, and his money had not been wasted. me Elementals didn¡¯t have bloodlines, and therefore could only be absorbed in this manner.

    As for the Azure Finned Shark, he had absorbed it like any other bloodline, storing it safely within his Soul Spell Matrix.

    Now that he had finally settled all of his affairs, it was time to begin his main goal of the day.

    Combining bloodlines.

 Chapter 42 - A Future of Possibilities

    Chapter 42: A Future of Possibilities

    ¡®Ausra, list all the bloodlines I¡¯ve fully grown. List their normal max growth levels too.¡¯ He mentallymanded.

    Any creature, technically, could grow to any ss. However, that was only through studying magic and experiencing the baptism of thews of magic, or through rigorous mystic arts designed for physicalbat. Both options were extremely difficult to pursue, and required intensive knowledge, time, talent, and training.

    Lacking that, most creatures depended on their bloodlines to grow powerful. And every bloodline naturally had a physical limit in which their growth could not exceed, not without outside stimulus.

    ¨C

    Fully Grown Bloodlines

    ¨C

    Red Smander ¨C Sky ss

    Myyr Dragon ¨C Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    Titan ¨C Grandmaster ss ¨C (Peak)

    Human ¨C Earth ss

    ¨C

    ¡°Four, huh?¡± He muttered, rubbing his chin as he looked them over.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see a list of the unused bloodlines, but sort them by ss, and limit it to Master ss at the lowest.¡¯ He continued.

    Immediately, a long list of bloodlines appeared.

    ¨C

    Stored Bloodlines

    ¨C

    Grandmaster ss

    ¨C

    Virulent Wolf ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C True Vampire

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Midnight detiger

    Ester Ground Dragon ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Giant Bore Snake

    Tayzon Rhino

    ¨C

    Master ss

    ¨C

    Golem Wolf ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ck Mire Wolf

    White Rain Wolf ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Fire Imp

    Azure Finned Shark ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Irontooth Horse

    Gorrack Troll ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ck Bellied Tiger

    ¡­etc

    ¨C

    The number of quality bloodlines he¡¯d managed to obtain over the past few days had risen quite nicely. He smiled with anticipation as he looked over them all, ideas already appearing in his mind.

    Master ss bloodlines would be easier to grow topletion, but Grandmaster ss bloodlines would work better inbining to make stronger forms, from what Ausra told him. The higher the ss, the stronger the results.

    Few bloodlines below Master ss would have anything significant or special about them. He¡¯d gone over the lower level bloodlines with Ausra, and none of them had anything that stood out, apart from the Brown Treasure m and the Great ck Bear. He¡¯d consider growing the mter, when his strength was a bit more stable.

    For his Master ss bloodlines, however, he didn¡¯t need to grow all of the bloodlines topletion. Some bloodlines he nned on growing just to nab their natural Ability or Abilities.

    ¡®Ausra, simtebining my Red Smander form with my Myyr Dragon form.¡¯ He ordered, waiting. Ausra could simte hybridbinations for any bloodlines he¡¯d fully grown.

    Immediately, the world around him shifted as his vision was transferred to his Evolution Space, a misty fogscape where he could preview any form before he chose it, if he wanted to.

    Two images popped up in front of him. The physical form of his Red Smander, the powerful looking lizard, and the hulking draconic form of his Myyr Dragon.

    These two figures began to slide towards each other.

    ¡®Calcting the optimal blood mergence level¡­ Running total scan through stored data¡­ Biometrics are in effect, graphing and tracing cross-species transmutation¡­¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice in his head ran through what sounded like a bunch of specialized measurements, though to him personally it sounded like nonsense.

    ¡®New species simted. Applying cross-referenced typical naming sense to this and all future species. Estimates of a creature¡¯s physical appearance, strength, and the logged Abilities it will learn have been predicted with virtually 100% confidence.¡¯

    Soon, a new form appeared in front of Dorian.

    ¨C

    Giant Green Scaled Smander ¨C Grandmaster ss (Early)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 109

    Ability: me ws, Bulk

    ¨C

    This new species has tough defensive scales while a powerful inner and tensile strength. Its durability is its strong suit, as is its powerful size and strength. It is sorelycking in speed, however. Thanks to the increase in growth potential, this creature can enter the Grandmaster ss, increasing its perception of time. It will learn the Ability Bulk, an active magical power that enhances the outer defense of a creature.

    ¨C

    Dorian looked at the new species, a bit disappointed. It was big and tough looking, but not nearly as strong as just the base Myyr Dragon, though the Bulk Ability did sound useful.

    ¡®Simte thebination of a Myyr Dragon and a Titan.¡¯

    A few momentster and Ausra came back with a response,

    ¡®There are two possible permutations, both new species. I will show the data for both.¡¯

    ¨C

    Draconian Titan ¨C Grandmaster ss (Peak)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 894

    Ability: Condense, Emerald mes

    ¨C

    An offshoot of the Titan breed,bined with an ancient species of dragon, Draconian Titans have stronger defensive capabilities whenpared to regr Titans thanks to their tough scales. Their sharp ws on their hands off them a stronger piercing power, and their energy levels are a small amount higher. Their draconic bloodline leaves them with the powerful ability to breathe Emerald mes, while maintaining the Condense Ability all Titans possess.

    ¨C

    Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C Pseudo-Lord ss

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,452

    Ability: Emerald mes

    ¨C

    A previously unseen breed of Myyr Dragon, Giant Myyr Dragons stand a towering 6 and a half meters high. Their increased size folds over into a vast increase in strength and durability. The energy level of a Giant Myyr Dragon is muchrger than that of a regr Myyr Dragon.

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up. His Myyr Dragon form transformed into a Giant Myyr Dragon that was Pseudo-Lord ss! He knew that his normal Titan form reached the Pseudo-Lord ss when Condensed, gaining a huge amount of strength.

    What would happen if he Condensed this giant draconic form?

    As he considered this, he asked Ausra a question.

    ¡®Ausra, what is so special about the Lord ss?¡¯

    ¡®The Lord ss is a veryrge divide between beings of any kind. Lord ss beings are able to gather the energy of the world around them, forming an Aura. To reach the Lord ss, a being needs to gather a certain understanding of the naturalws of the universe, allowing their soul to reach new peaks.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®Beasts with Lord ss bloodlines are exceedingly rare because for one to naturally grow into the Lord ss, one needs to be born with an innate connection to thews of the universe. Any blow from a creature containing the naturalws of the universe will be exceedingly powerful.¡¯

    ¡®That said, even if one has an innate connection to thews of the universe, that is no guarantee that you will reach the Lord ss.¡¯

    ¡®The Soul Spell Matrix you have can allow you to evolve your physical form, but manipting thews of the universe will require your own personal understanding.¡¯

    Dorian frowned.

    It seemed it was possible he could reach the Lord ss, at least in terms of his Soul Spell Matrix, but if he wanted to effectively use that level of power, he¡¯d need to gain an understanding of thews of the universe.

    ¡®Is it possible to match up to attacks using thews of the universe using just physical strength?¡¯ He asked, rubbing his chin. He had little faith in his chances at understanding thews of the universe. It was possible he might be a natural at it, especially if he could find a bloodline with an innate connection to thews, but still¡­

    Ausra was quiet for a moment,

    ¡®Technically, it should be possible, yes. Enough physical strength couldpletely overwhelm even King ss beasts using thews of the universe in their blows, though I have no record of any creature with such unrelenting physical prowess.¡¯ Ausra replied, almost hesitating.

    Dorian smiled. If that was the case, he had no worries. All he needed to do was focus on getting stronger and stronger.

    He considered testing what humans couldbine with before scrapping it.

    ¡®No offense to humans,¡¯ he thought, shaking his head, ¡®but their bloodline is kinda trash. The fact that they were able to pull themselves up to be the dominant species in the 30,000 Worlds just speaks of their incredible determination and ingenuity.¡¯

    ¡®I need to grow more bloodlines.¡¯ Dorian felt an overwhelming urge to grow more and more bloodlines, to create more and more new species. He saw a path for himself right now, to true power.

    He would create a being so physically powerful even other creatures that used thews of the universe to attack him would be unable to scratch him. His eyes shined at the mere thought.

    He would have the power, then, to live by the morals and rules he chose to live by, without fear.

    And anyone that stood in his way¡­ His eyes shed darkly.

    Dorian took a brief moment to look over the current growth energy he had stored in his soul.

    ¨C

    -Human ¨C Growth Stage: (2/2) Human Adult ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 3,229/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®3,229¡­¡¯ He thought, nodding his head. It was enough to evolve a beast, at the least, to the Sky ss.

    ¡®Ausra, Evolve me into a Great ck Bear.¡¯ Since he had the time, right now, the first thing he would do was start racking up useful Abilities.

    The Great ck Bear bloodline he had stolen from one of Mello¡¯s clones had the Ability Great Strength.

    ¨C

    Ability: Great Strength

    Description: A widespread Ability found in a variety of beasts. Actively boosts the physical strength output a being can expend by a moderate, but significant, amount through the mysticws of the universe. Uses a low amount of energy, and can be passively activated for beings at the Grandmaster ss or higher. For those below the Grandmaster ss, it can be activated at will.

    ¨C

    The reason he¡¯d been hellbent on getting the bloodline of those bears was due to their Ability.

    Specifically, the fact that it could be passively activated. Once a being entered the Grandmaster ss, the rate at which they would restore energy to themselves was much faster than, say, a Sky ss beast or Earth ss beast.

    A passive Ability like this was absolutely one he wanted to add to his repertoire.

    ¨C

    -Great ck Bear ¨C Growth Stage: (1/3) Bear Cub ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 3,229/40

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s body began to shift, his human form condensing upon itself downward. ck fur began to cover his skin as he shrank in size, falling to a mere third of a meter in height. His human hands were reced with small, adorable bear ws, his human nose turned into a short bear snout.

    The Spatial Ring he had received from the now dead vampire Wizard Ralf was a special one that would adapt to its user¡¯s finger size. That, apparently, included beasts too, he noted, as he stared at the small ring that gleamed on one of the tiny ws on his right hand.

    If nothing else, he was a fashionable bear cub.

    He smiled. The bear¡¯s bloodline maximized its strength at the Sky ss, it was only natural that its growth stages would require a pittance of energy. He would probably be able to fully Evolve it and gain its natural ability all in a single night.

    ¡®After Evolving, your Soul requires a short period of time to adapt to a new form. Your Soul is currently at the Grandmaster ss Stage. Therefore, you will require roughly 6 hours for your body to fully adapt to this form. The stronger your soul, the less the adaptation period.¡± Ausra¡¯s voice appeared in his head, predictably.

    Dorian nodded. He then waddled over to his bed, and hopped on it, snuggling up in the nkets.

    A future of possibilities was just now opening up to Dorian, and he was ready to greet them.

    But first, he would sleep. He needed to wear off the 6 hour adaptation period, anyway, and doing so in private was his best bet.

    Tomorrow, he would go out into the wilds of Taprisha, and test out his Giant Myyr Dragon form. Testing it inside a room in an Inn seemed¡­ rather inadvisable.

    Soon, the light snores of a bear cub softly rang out from Dorian¡¯s room as the evening quickly turned to night.

 Chapter 43 - The Overbal Canyon

    Chapter 43: The Overbal Canyon

    On a world very far from Taprisha, a roughly 60 meters tall lion, with a beautiful mane that flowed with golden light stood, its head raised forward. The lion had deep, blue eyes that were full of depth, a faint color emanating from within them. Its fur was luxurious, faint sparkles of white light flowing from it. A majestic air of dominance and power rolled after this fantastic beast in devastating waves, distorting the air itself.

    This lion currently stood upon what had once been arge mountain peak. A t, even surface was all that remained, the top of the roughly three thousand meters tall mountain long since hewn off, many years prior.

    ¡°Why do you think we are alive?¡± A deep, enthralling voice rang out from the Divine Golden Lion, causing the air to shiver.

    Another damaged peak, its top portion sliced off to mirror the peak the lion was upon, stood opposite the first. Around these two peaks was arge, empty desert, covered in drifting sands.

    A massive beast, extremely vast in scale,y upon this mountain, staring at the lion.

    Its body was huge, thousands upon thousands of meters long, wrapping around the mountain several times. It was shaped like a vast, enormous snake, with a white, scaled underbelly, but golden fur covering its upper half. A pair ofrge, feathered white wings emerged prominently from the top portion of its long body, currently pulled in tightly. The mouth, and face, of this creature were a pale white, and draconic in nature.

    This was a beast long forgotten from this world. A Heavenly Quetzalcoatl, or Heavenly Feathered Serpent as it was known.

    (Example image ¨C https://.fotoseimagenes/imagenes/full/0/0/6/quetzalcoatl-3.jpg)

    The Quetzalcoatl did not answer, but instead merely flicked its tongue out and back in, its attention perfectly focused on the lion before it.

    ¡°Fourthborn¡­¡± The lion sighed, its eyes turning more focused,

    ¡°I have decided to take a name for myself. No longer shall I be known as Secondborn.¡± The lion continued to speak aloud,

    ¡°If I am to live in this world, I will fulfill the purpose our Father created for us. I will be the perfect being.¡±

    ¡°Not for Father. But by my own will. To reach the culmination of existence, to achieve the unknown.¡± The lion went on, his voice filled with charisma,

    ¡°We are the explorers, Fourthborn! The ones who will take the steps that lead all of existence forward, to bring forth perfection which has never been seen before, ushering in the new Era of reality in which the impossible is possible!¡± The lion seemed to smile, its grand vision expanding outward. White light began to fall upon it, as if the heavens themselves were soaring in approval.

    ¡°I will exceed the purpose Father set for us. I will not be constrained by any being, not even Father.¡±

    ¡°But for that to happen¡­ Fourthborn¡­¡± The lion¡¯s eyes seemed to dim sadly as it turned to look at the serpent.

    ¡°You must be one with me.¡±

    ¡°Every title and bloodline given out by Father must return to me.¡±

    ¡°I, Zero, demand it.¡±

    ..

    ¡°How about a human, a Myyr Dragon, Great ck Bear, and a Titan?¡± Dorian queried, nodding his head.

    ¡®¡­No applicable permutations exist.¡¯ Ausra replied, her voice concise.

    Dorian shrugged, thinking up otherbinations.

    He was currently standing at the edge of the teau that housed the city of Potor, many miles from the city proper.

    After transforming into the Great ck Bear, Dorian had slept through the night. He¡¯d woken up to a fully transformed and evolved Sky ss bear.

    ¨C

    -Great ck Bear ¨C Growth Stage: (3/3) Great Bear ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 2,102/0

    ¨C

    The wooden legs of his bed had, unfortunately, disagreed with the weight of his bear form, and copsed in his sleep. Dorian had winced when he saw this. When he¡¯d informed the Innkeeper, a portly old man with a friendly smile, the man had looked at him in astonishment, and then given him a small round of apuse and a weird nce.

    Dorian had paid for the bed, and ignored the weird look, and left on his way to shop for a few small things.

    He tapped his Spatial Ring now, looking at its contents.

    In particr, a Cloud in a Bottle, a unique type of magic artifact.

    The artifact was expensive, costing him nearly 5,000 gold mints, halving his fortune.

    There were three main ways to get around Taprisha.

    The first was reserved for those less well off. Physically traveling through the bottoms of the oceans of nothingness by taking some of the stone paths hewn into the side of the giant teau.

    Many would travel to the depths looking for fortune, hunting down natural treasures or Magic Herbs spawned by thews of the universe. You could also encounter powerful beasts in the depths, proving an ample supply of food, blood, and hide, creating a thriving economy.

    The second way to get around involved using many of the forms of transport offered by severalpeting organizations. The Grand Wind Alliance, the Potor Space Wizards Association, the Graphal Merchant Group, several differentpanies offered flying transport options to any of the nearby inds, for a price of course.

    Some of the spells they cast could move hundreds or even thousands of people at once, proving a viable method of transport to areas that were high in natural resources or beasts, safer than the dangerous empty ocean floor.

    Thest method of transport was reserved for the wealthy. Using your own means to get around. Whether that meant through personal spells, trained beasts, or magic artifacts.

    The Cloud in a Bottle that Dorian had purchased was a magic artifact hewn from Darkiron, a type of metal extremely conducive towards magic energy. A Wizard that studied Cloud Magic worked with craftsmen to cast the spell Cloud Levitate on the bottle, and store it there. Through some arcane process that Dorian wasn¡¯t familiar with, this artifact could repeatedly cast the spell Cloud Levitate.

    The artifact was reusable, with a short cooldown time. It would let you float upward or downward at a decent rate, and move slowly forward or backward.

    While it had been expensive, Dorian had thought it worth the price, just to have it as an option if he ever needed it, and to provide cover for him if he ever needed to hide or act like a humanoid.

    Dorian pulled out the Cloud in a Bottle, ncing it over. It was, unsurprisingly, shaped like a bottle, but one made out of a ck metal. Strange symbols were carved into it with magic, and arge cloud could be seen, painted on the sign in dark blue.

    ¡°Cloud Levitate.¡± He said aloud, activating the artifact.

    Immediately, a small white cloud began to stream out of the bottle. Dorian felt an innate connection form between his soul and this cloud, as it came under his full control.

    ¡°Woah!¡± He muttered, feeling the strange flow of the cloud¡¯s energy. He instinctively knew how to operate and control it.

    He smiled, and then looked out at the vast ocean of nothingness.

    From so many miles above he could make out virtually nothing on the ground floor, deep and far below. Faint white fog formed about a mile or so down, obscuring his vision.

    About a mile off to his left, he could see a group of miners taking one of the hundreds of stone pathways that had been carved into the side of the teau over the years. There were several rare metal mines down below, owned and guarded by various groups.

    He took a deep breath, quashing the small seed of nervousness in his heart, and then took a few steps backwards. He smiled once more as he looked forward.

    Without a step of hesitation, Dorian broke into a sprint and hurled himself off the edge of the cliff, into the vast ocean of nothingness below.

    ¡°WOOOOOHOOOOO!¡± Dorian couldn¡¯t help but yell out as he rushed through the air in his humanoid form. The feeling of air rushing past him was exhration, especially given the unknown nature of the floor below.

    A few of the people in earshot scaling down the cliff-face gave him odd looks.

    Doran continued to dive downward, keeping the Cloud in a Bottle cloud clung closely to his body. To any of the people nearby, he would seem like a wealthy human diving downwards using magic, nothing out of the ordinary.

    From what Dorian had gathered, the bottom of the oceans of nothingness was around two miles below the visible fog. His body rapidly hurtled towards this fog, almost embracing it.

    After a few more seconds of free fall, Dorian entered the foggy area. As he did so, he put away the Cloud in a Bottle, the protective clouds around his body vanishing.

    ¡®Ausra,bine my Myyr Dragon and Titan bloodlines and transform me into the Giant Myyr Dragon.¡¯ He mentallymanded, a grin appearing on his face.

    A momentter and his body began to transform. His arms and legs began to elongate, densely packed scales starting to cover him. It took only an instant for his body to expand, from his normal human height of just under two meters to a massive, hulking 6 and a half meters tall.

    Luscious green scales shined dimly in the fog as he finished his transformation, bing a huge six and a half meters tall Giant Myyr Dragon. The process had only taken a single second at most.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Dorian felt the wind whip around his muchrger body as he spread out his wings, slowly forcing himself upright. As he did so, he felt a cool, refreshing feeling swarm his mind.

    ¨C

    -Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 2,102/0

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Pseudo-Lord ss

    Health: Perfect

    Maximum Energy: 1,451/1,452

    ¨C

    He had sessfully be a Giant Myyr Dragon. Even better, there didn¡¯t seem to be a soul adaption period needed, and the bloodline was fully grown.

    ¡®Ausra..?¡¯ The question in his mind was implied.

    ¡®When transforming into forms you have created from bloodlines you mastered, your soul will not need to adapt. You have already adapted to the base forms, the hybrid forms are merely an expression of the base. You can always revert back to the base bloodlines.¡¯ Her answer was sinct.

    Dorian soared forward, the wind rushing behind him as he managed a steady gliding speed. He felt himself be drawn forward, floating out into the unknown.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t quite the unknown anymore. Dorian called up a mental image of a map he¡¯d purchased and subsequently memorized.

    He was headed towards a wide canyon found on the floor of the oceans of nothingness, intent on testing out his Giant Myyr Dragon form, to see how powerful he truly was.

    After he woke up, he had run through all the simtions of possiblebinations of the bloodlines he had mastered.

    He had found out, to his surprise, that his human form, the one he thought the weakest, was the one that couldbine the most times. ording to Ausra, humans had the most adaptive body in the 30,000 Worlds in terms of reacting orbining into one thing or another. It was part of why humans were had be so widespread, among other reasons.

    There weren¡¯t any surprise Abilities or particrly powerful forms among any of the otherbinations he tried. With the addition of his Great ck Bear, he was able to create a Scaled ck Bear, a Giant ck Bear, and a ck Bearman, but none of those forms stood out. All of them were limited to the Sky ss, with the exception of the Giant ck Bear which just barely reached the Master ss.

    He¡¯d triedbining more than 2 bloodlines, and found that it was possible, but none of the bloodlines he had right now created anything interesting. Only his human form could merge with two of his other bloodlines, and even then, he only managed to create weak Earth ss forms.

    For the next form he would Evolve into to grow its bloodline, Dorian was currently stuck between two choices.

    On the one hand, he wanted to pick the Fire Elemental so he could take his first steps into studying magic.

    On the other hand, Evolving into a ck Ambian Eagle would give him the ability to have a form that could fly freely, a huge perk.

    He decided to make his choice between the twoter, after testing out his new Giant Myyr Dragon form.

    A minute passed as Dorian soared through the air, gliding quite a distance. The fog around him gradually began to fade away, dissipating as he went lower and lower. The fog only existed in the middle of the oceans of nothingness. The bottom and top halves werepletely mist free.

    Down below, Dorian could make out an unusualndscape.

    A long river streamed through what looked like cracked, broken earth, moving off into the distance. Tens of thousands of odd, grey trees with pale leaves dotted the earthen floor, giving thend an odd appearance.

    Several hundred huge, jutting mountains could be seen, off in front of him on his left. They were shaped like hexagonal cylinders, shooting off from the ground several hundred meters in the air.

    He saw the forms of several different types of beasts moving through the forest or on the collection of jutting mountains. It seemed that, despite the danger, the ground floor of the oceans of nothingness was quite popted.

    He craned his neck backward, looking to his rear.

    A massive, huge wall of stone greeted him, dotted with thousands of wooden or stone carved structures.

    The ¡®ind¡¯ that Potor City was located on was actually an enormous teau. Over the tens of thousands of years of its existence, hundreds of stone pathways had been carved all the way down to the ground floor. Manyrge structures had been installed near the ground floor or a few dozen or hundred meters above it. Merchant shops for the workers or fighters scavenging the ground, healing stations, restaurants, tool shops, and more.

    He could also make out a line of people moving towards one particr jutting mountain, a well-worn path carved into the ground and through the forest towards it. One of the rare metal mines.

    Such an unusual, fantastic world.

    Dorian turned his head back forwards, however, as his eyes rested upon arge collection of very wide cracks in the earth, past the collection of jutting mountains.

    The Overbal Canyon.

    One of the most dangerous zones close to Potor City, it was a huge, thirty-mile wide canyon. Several small oases could be found throughout the canyon, and rare Magic Herbs or other natural treasures were found rtivelymonly here.

    All the Magic Herbs Dorian had ever seen were rtively normal. Some were unusual or exotic, but he had never seen any Magic Herbs that could be called a natural treasure. Those were ones that were imbued with thews of the universe and had exceedingly strange properties.

    This was mostly because Magic Herbs of that nature were extremely rare, and the Elder Mage he had received his initial collection of Magic Herbs from had used up any rare ones he obtained, over the years.

    Some Magic Herbs could go for tens of thousands of gold mints in price, even millions of mints.

    Dorian soared towards the canyon, his body gradually tilting downward as he covered the miles. The widespread forest began to berger andrger in his eyes as he fell close to it, his momentum slowing.

    Soon he was almost touching the tops of the trees he was passing over.

    CRASH

    Dorian¡¯srge draconic form knocked over a dozen of the grey wooden trees as he crashed down hard, unable to find an opening. He heard a few panicked yelps of wild animals fleeing as hended, throwing up a spray of dirt and rock.

    He was about a mile and half off from therge canyon, not too shabby for a mostly blind first jump.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he moved forward, his dragon body rampaging through the forest towards the canyon.

    ..

    Several miles to the west of Dorian, traveling down one of the well-worn paths towards the Overbal Canyon, arge group of vampires, Aethmen, and humans could be seen.

    The men and women in this group all wore dark grey leather armor or robes, clothes that were designed to blend in with the pale color of nature down here on the floors of the oceans of nothingness.

    Two vampires seemed to be in charge, leading this group. Both of them were warriors, wearing dark leather armor. One a male, and one a female.

    The man had the usual elegant appearance most vampires had, the only thing marring it was his clearly many-times broken nose. The female vampire had several long, curled scars tugging at her lips, her dark ck hair wrapped in a tight bun.

    ¡°Who do you think killed the City Lord, Rathven? Which of the Pce Owners do you think will take control? None of them are fully Lord ss yet.¡± The woman asked, scanning the surroundings as she moved forward. Her voice was filled with an undercurrent of worry.

    The male warrior shrugged,

    ¡°It¡¯s not for us Hunters to judge or decide. All we need to do is search for that Golden Fruit that supposedly appeared.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes tightened as he looked off to the east, where the sounds of arge beast crashing through the forest could faintly be heard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±

    .

    Author¡¯s Edits: All Anomaly names will go by ¡°Numberborn¡± instead of ¡°NumberBorn¡± like previously.

 Chapter 44 - Exploring

    Chapter 44: Exploring

    Dorian looked out at the huge, sweeping valley, a small breeze blowing against his chest. He studied the sheer canyon, and sloping grounds off to his sides, nodding his head.

    It reminded him faintly of the Grand Canyon back on Earth, only muchrger. He could see long lines of vegetation, a mix of dark grey and faded green, lining the walls of the canyon. A small river flowed through the very center of the canyon on a long, meandering path that led out of sight.

    He nced down at his ratherrge body. At just a bit shy of 7 meters, Dorian towered above any of the creatures he had met seen so far.

    The Overbal Canyon was a diverse region, filled with many odd caves and rock formations, as well as rare Magic Herbs or resources.

    What interested Dorian most, and the reason he¡¯de out to test his strength, was a specific wild beast known to haunt the canyon.

    An aggressive, Pseudo-Lord ss Sr Rock Lizard.

    Several other Grandmaster ss beasts popted the region, one of the reasons why this area was considered a danger zone.

    But a particrly cranky Sr Rock Lizard was known to thrive in the deepest regions of the Overbal Canyon, attacking anyone that came near it. Therge lizard was vindictive, and would kill other animals simply foring within sight of it, leaving their dead bodies to waste on the ground. It was one of the strongest beasts that could be found on Taprisha.

    It was a perfect match for Dorian. The Sr Rock Lizard was, like him, a rtively slow-moving creature with a hard shell. It was tough and strong, with powerful rending ws. A good beast to test himself on.

    In addition¡­ the Ability the Sr Rock Lizard held was one he absolutely wanted to have.

    An Ability known as Hyperion Beam.

    His eyes flicked to the left and right. He didn¡¯t see any other creatures nearby as he looked down into the canyon.

    He shrugged and began to walk forward, his ck ws sliding over the rocky ground.

    ¡®So, Ausra.¡¯ Dorian thought as he began to make his way along the side of the canyon. He stretched his wings out for a moment, readying himself to glide down.

    ¡®Tell me what you know about the other members of the Flock.¡¯ After meeting Mello, Dorian was well aware that the other Flock members could pose a very real threat to him.

    The City Lord of Potor, a powerful vampire Wizard that studied Control Magic, was killed just the other day in his mansion. Dorian wasn¡¯t sure if this was Mello¡¯s work, but it felt too coincidental to not be.

    It had thrown Potor City into chaos. The sub-leaders of the city, the Wizards of the 12 Pces, were at each other¡¯s throats, vying for control. Several small-scale faction wars had already broken out, leaving an undercurrent of fear throbbing in the city.

    The Wizard Ralf that Dorian had killed had been one of these Pce Masters, albeit one that was being punished by the City Lord, and had been stripped of most of his official duties.

    ¡®You have 87 other siblings, all of whom possess the ability to Evolve and absorb other bloodlines, just like you.¡¯ Ausra replied, her voice cool.

    He nodded. He knew that.

    ¡®What makes them different from me, though? They don¡¯t all have their memories, right?¡¯ He knew he was a bit of a special case.

    ¡®No. Why you have retained your past life¡¯s memories is unknown to me, though His Worship surely nned this.¡¯ Ausra returned.

    ¡®Do they all have an Ausra like you?¡¯ He questioned.

    ¡®No. A Soul Spell Matrix Genie is a construct that requires an incredible understanding of thews of the universe to create. Possessing one before the Angelic ss is normally impossible.¡¯

    Dorian paused at this.

    ¡®Then how do the others absorb bloodlines and create hybrid creatures?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t quite sure he understood.

    ¡®Most likely through a slow process of assimtion, absorbing bloodlines into their main bloodline and fusing with them.¡¯ Ausra responded, enlightening him.

    ¡®Their main bloodline?¡¯ He asked back.

    ¡®Yes, all the other members of the Flock came into existence with a singr main bloodline, to base their evolution off of. Even the weakest member started with at least a Lord ss bloodline.¡¯

    ¡®Only the Firstborn was left to start with no bloodline at all and three stored Absorptions.¡¯

    Dorian frowned, his draconic face scrunching up. Hisrge, wed feet stamped loudly as he barreled forward, alongside the edge of the canyon.

    ¡®Why, though? Why did I start with nothing? Why do I have you?¡¯ He mentally voiced his frustrations.

    ¡®¡­I do not know.¡¯ Ausra replied back, her feminine voice slightly hesitant,

    ¡®I am merely formed from aplex collection of energy and magic. I cannot answer questions I do not have the answer for.¡¯

    He asked a few other questions, finding no other valuable information.

    It seemed the other members of the Flock hade into this world much better off than he had, all of them already possessing at least Lord ss bloodlines.

    He shrugged, though, as he considered the situation. Sure, maybe he didn¡¯t start with the same level of strength as them. But that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t surpass them, and grow strong enough to do what he pleased.

    Besides, there had to be some reason he started out like he did. He just needed to figure it out.

    He nodded his head sharply and then shook the thoughts from his head, taking one more nce at the canyon before him.

    Without another thought he jumped forward, spreading his wings as he began gliding towards the center of the canyon.

    ..

    ¡°Aina¡­¡± Rathven whispered, motioning with his arm for her to step back. His dark leather armor creaked quietly as he wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead, ncing back at his team. They were a group of Hunters, highly skilled and trained warriors, and a few Wizards, that tracked and acquired rare Magic Herbs or natural treasures.

    They had around twenty other Hunters with them, all subordinates of Pce Master Gorth. Gorth was a Pseudo-Lord ss Wizard, and the Wizard most likely to seed thete City Lord.

    They¡¯d been sent out on this mission specifically to find a Golden Apple, reports of which had one spawning deep within the Overbal Canyon. A Golden Apple was a miraculous fruit that carried an innate connection with nature. It would be aspected to one element or another, and was extremely useful for a Wizard studying whatever element it was aspected towards.

    Pce Master Gorth studied Blood Magic, but a specific branch of Blood Magic known as Blood Fire Magic, a fire aspected type. If the Golden Apple was fire aspected, it was quite possible that the Pce Master could use this to help him break fully through to the Lord ss. If not, it could still be used as a valuable trade tool.

    Gorth had obtained this information in absolute secret, paying a prohibitive price for it. As long as they reached the Golden Apple first¡­ Rathven and the rest of the Hunters under the Pce Master would be richly rewarded.

    For now, though, they needed to act like a normal hunting expedition, out searching for treasure. Gorth had sent them out like this before several times, so their actions werepletely normal.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Aina responded, the female vampire¡¯s eyes darting around.

    ¡°There.¡± Rathven pointed in front of them.

    They had quickly entered the Overbal Canyon, and moved as fast as possible into the deeper regions. Large rocks and boulders littered the ground, while a river several hundred meters off to their left streamed through the canyon. Everything seemed rtively peaceful and calm, unlike the multiple attacks from wild beasts they¡¯d suffered in the Pale Forest. In the background, they could hear bestial roars and the sounds of other creatures fighting in the canyon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Brown Boulder Bear.¡± Arge collection of rocks could be seen, vaguely set on the ground in the shape of a sleeping bear. If one studied the rocks, they would notice that a few of them seemed to rise and fall, as if from the breathing of a living animal.

    Aina¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her hand dropped to her waist,nding on two small stone hammers she had belted. A powerful air began to rise around her, the energy of a Grandmaster ss Vampiric Berserker stirring.

    Rathven nodded,

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to take it out now, and any other beasts we encounter. It¡¯s already aware we¡¯re here.¡± Brown Boulder Bears were notoriously watchful of their surroundings. Particrly because they rarely moved unless it was to hunt or protect their territory. They would need to kill it now if they wanted to continue without being stalked by it.

    ..

    *ROOOAAAAR*

    Dorian¡¯s draconic voice sted out as he mmed his right arm against the ck and grey skinned leopard, sending it flying.

    Red blood spattered in the air as the leopardnded down hard, copsing onto the ground roughly 30 meters away. A small storm of dust and crushed rock appeared as it bounced a few times before lying still.

    The corpses of several other ck and grey skinned leopards were visible near Dorian, a full pack of eight of the creatures. They were all roughly two and a half meters tall, with dark spotted fur and long, menacing white fangs.

    He¡¯d been ambushed as he was making his way deeper into therge and wide canyon, while passing under arge stone arch. A pair of the leopards had pounced down on his back out of nowhere, their skin having transformed to blend in to the stone above.

    Dorian¡¯s scales were extremely tough, in their own right, especially when it came to his Giant Myyr Dragon form. Despite that, he had suffered several small injuries, their razor sharp ws cutting into his skin.

    ording to Ausra, these were ck Spotted Leopards, an aggressive beast known for hunting in packs and preying onrger creatures.

    Dorian took in a few ragged breaths, his eyes taut.

    ¨C

    -Absorbing detected bloodlines-

    -Bloodline Origins-

    83% ck Spotted Leopard

    11% White Maned Lion

    4% ck Mantle Leopard

    2% various undetermined bloodlines too small to currently measure.

    ¨C

    He went from corpse to corpse, using his Soul Spell Matrix to absorb their bloodlines. The leopards had certainly been pretty brave, he noted, in attacking him. They were only Master ss beasts, though, admittedly, it was hard to tell if a creature was a Master ss or Grandmaster ss without attacking and finding out.

    ¡®The ck Mantle Leopard has the Ability External Camouge.¡¯ Ausra quickly scanned through the absorbed bloodlines.

    The only reason he¡¯d been injured at all was because he¡¯d failed to detect the leopards. It seemed they¡¯d inherited an Ability from one of their ancestors, and used that to ambush him.

    ¡®Store it forter.¡¯ He put the bloodline away, smiling cheerfully. It almost seemed as if the useful bloodlines and treasures were just walking up to him today. A camouge ability sounded like it could be very useful.

    He shook out his scales, turning to head deeper into the canyon.

    As he was about to keep moving forward, he heard something that caught his attention.

    ¡°¡­quickly, switch left! Jason, Manuel, pull back and hit it there!¡±

    ¡°Keep it in!¡±

    The sounds of a battle taking ce. A few small explosions rocked the air, shaking a few small rocks near Dorian.

    His curiosity overwhelmed him and he turned towards the sounds of the battle, deciding to take a look.

 Chapter 45 - Finding Treasure

    Chapter 45: Finding Treasure

    Dorian snuck his draconic head over a stone ledge, spying down upon a motley crew of Aethmen, humans, and vampires that were engaged in a battle with a trio ofrge creatures that appeared to be made of stone. He was far enough away that his slight movement, even with his big head, would be virtually undetectable, especially to a team in the middle of a battle.

    The three stone creatures resembledrge bears, standing nearly 3 meters tall. There were four Wizards among the group, three of them sending out floating red spears to strike at the bears, while the fourth stood off to the side, not doing anything visible Dorian could tell. The Wizard did have his hands sped together, though, amon gesture for a Wizard casting a spell.

    ¡®Brown Boulder Bears. Master ss ranking beasts that have no Abilities, but a tough exterior that resembles stone.¡¯ Ausra sounded off in his head, informative as usual.

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Dorian took a moment to think,

    ¡®Should I go help?¡¯ He took another moment to look over the data for the bloodline. The defensive strength of his Giant Myyr Dragon scales definitely needed a boost, considering those Master ss leopards had managed to injure him, albeit lightly.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    A shockwave rang through the air as a female vampire wearing ck leather armor swung a small, stone hammer forward, connecting with the side of one of the towering bears.

    The bear was knocked backwards through the air, sailing over a few of the other fighters. Severalrge cracks were revealed on its rocky exterior as it stumbled up, charging back toward the fray.

    He saw another male vampire pull out a long spear out of nowhere, thrashing another one of the bears with ease. Each time his spear collided with the bear, cracks appeared on its rocky exterior and the bear was knocked backwards.

    ¡®They seem like they have the situation under control.¡¯ He shrugged. Master ss beasts were not exactlymon, but he was sure he¡¯d be able to find other Brown Boulder Bears if he truly wanted to.

    ¡®Not my business.¡¯

    He turned around and left.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Wrap it up, guys!¡± Rathven bellowed out, his chest heaving. He wiped a sheen of sweat off his forehead, looking down at the corpse of the Brown Boulder Bear.

    He, a Grandmaster ss Hunter, only barely managed to break the through the bear¡¯s tough exterior. For a Master ss beast they were ridiculously difficult to kill.

    ¡°Dolen, gather up all the blood and store it. We¡¯ll have to leave the bodies, and it¡¯s not like they¡¯re worth much anyway.¡± The meat might be worth something, but with the state they¡¯d left the bodies in, not even a Lord ss Wizard studying Necromantic Magic would be interested in them. The bones would be far toorge to transport.

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± One of the four Wizards among his troop said, an eager Sky ss Wizard that specialized in Blood Magic, like most vampires. He was a bit on the younger side, a rtively new addition to his squad.

    He sighed as he thought about it. His entire hunting troop had taken several losses in the past couple days. The death of the City Lord had shaken the city, and several battles had broken out between the Pce Lords.

    The only reason they had intel on this Golden Apple at all was because of a few pieces of paper Pce Lord Gorth found when looting the remnants of the City Lord¡¯s mansion.

    Serving a Pce Lord was a luxurious job that guaranteed your future, but it also came with danger.

    He turned his focus back to his men, specifically on one Wizard in particr. The only Wizard in the troop that didn¡¯t study Blood Magic.

    Harmen Gobbel, a human Fate Wizard. He wore a set of grey leather armor that blended him in with the other Hunters in the group, making him appear as if he was just a fighter. He wasn¡¯t exactly the bravest of Wizards, but he was the best Fate Wizard serving under Gorth.

    ¡°Alright, Harmen.¡± He nodded at the slightly overweight, blonde-haired man. He pulled out a small, glowing crystal from his Spatial Pouch. It was an artifact created to the specifications Pce Master Gorth had given them, called a Resonance Crystal. ording to him, this would send out a wave of energy that would resonate with the Golden Apple.

    It had a wide search radius of more than ten thousand meters. It was also extremely expensive, and could only be used once. In addition, anyone rtively near the Resonance Crystal would feel the location of the Golden Apple just as strongly as the person holding the crystal would. It was a w that couldn¡¯t be resolved. The crystal needed the range in order to sessfully find the natural treasure.

    Despite the downsides, this was the only realistic way they would find the Golden Apple. Natural treasures emitted practically no aura unless you stood right up next to them, and Gorth didn¡¯t know exactly where the fruit was, only that it existed in the deeper region of the Overbal Canyon.

    ¡°Do a check on the surroundings before we go.¡± He ordered. The resonance created by the crystal was obscure, and few beasts would even be able toprehend it. Only those at the Master ss or above had a chance.

    ¡°Cast Fate for any Master ss wild beasts or stronger. Be specific, search for exactly what I said. Also, do a scan for any humanoids at the Master ss or stronger.¡± Fate was a difficult thing to scan, he was well aware.

    ¡°Ma-Master ss wild beasts or stronger, humanoids at the Master ss or stronger, got it.¡± Harmen nodded, his hands sping together nervously. Ayer of sweat covered the Wizard despite the fact that he did literally nothing in thestbat.

    A few moments passed. White light began to shine from Harmen¡¯s eyes, magic energy swirling about.

    The light gradually faded, and Harmen¡¯s eyes returned to normal.

    ¡°These were thest of them, Ser Rathven.¡± His voice was respectful despite them both technically holding the same rank under Gorth. At least the man was respectful, though his cravenness still made Rathven look down on the Fate Wizard.

    ¡°There are no wi-wild beasts or humanoids at the Master ss or higher in the a-area.¡± He said with a semnce of confidence. His scan of Fate had turned up surprisingly clear results.

    Rathven nodded, pleased. They¡¯d been forced to clear out the Brown Boulder Bears they¡¯d found, but so far those were the only challenging beasts they¡¯d faced. They¡¯d seen a single other potential Master ss beast, but it had fled once it saw the size of their party and felt a few Blood Spears sent out by the troop¡¯s Blood Wizards.

    ¡°Aina.¡± He called out to his trusted partner, waving her over. The female vampire jogged over. She¡¯d been keeping watch while instructing some of the newer Hunters.

    ¡°We¡¯re doing it?¡± Aina¡¯s face scrunched up as she looked at the Resonance Crystal nervously, her stone hammers clutched in her hands.

    Rathven nodded a second time.

    ¡°Everyone, look alive!¡± They needed to move quickly once they felt the resonance. There would be no time to lose, it would onlyst for a limited time.

    He took a deep breath and then crushed the crystal in his hand.

    An instant after, an invisible wave of energy sted out.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Just as Dorian was getting into his groove, starting to rush away from the battle site, an oddly disorienting feeling swept over him.

    He came to a halt, his scaled arms cutting into the stone floor of the canyon as he went on high alert. His eyes darted to the left and right as his giant form trembled, ready to react at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Nothing happened.

    He frowned, taking in his surroundings.

    The deeper he traveled into the canyon, therger andrger the stray or jutting boulders and stones appeared. The path he took was gradually transforming into a maze ofrge, ten to twenty meter stone blocks, dotting the ground all over. Pale green vegetation grew on many, if not all, of the stones, giving this ce an aged, ancient feel.

    For some odd reason, he felt a tingling sensation when he looked to the north, further into the recesses of the danger zone. A tugging sensation, as if something he was looking for was located there.

    ¡°How odd¡­¡± He muttered, his eyes dting slightly.

    ¡®Ausra? Any ideas on this?¡¯ He queried, staring in the direction of the feeling.

    ¡®Gathering information from your senses¡­ It appears to be some type of resonance, created by magic. To either a Magic Herb of some sort, an artifact, or a beast.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s reply took only a scant second to appear.

    ¡°Oh? Alright.¡± He smiled. All of those options sounded eptable to him.

    He craned his neck behind him, looking in the direction of the group he¡¯d spotted.

    There was no way something like this happened out of the blue. It was most likely because of that group behind him, casting some sort of spell.

    Still, if they were going to be polite enough to lead him to some rare treasure or beast¡­ who was he to turn them down? Maybe it was his soul twisting Fate that was responsible for this, but, well, he wasn¡¯t going toin.

    The worst that would happen was that he¡¯d run into the Sr Rock Lizard, the deadliest creature in the area.

    And since that was the whole reason he was here¡­

    Dorian began to barrel forward in the direction of the feeling in his mind. His draconic form leapt from rock to rock, his movements surprisingly fast despite his massive form.

    His Giant Myyr From was definitely slower when it came to quick turns or abrupt movement changes. When it came to overall running speed, however, his huge form made it very easy to pick up a great deal of speed and cover a lot of ground quickly.

    As the rocky pirs and boulders grewrger andrger, Dorian began to glide forward after each jump, his green wings shining with the light that managed to pierce the foggy mist way up above.

    The feeling became more and more certain the closer he got. It grew to be a powerful sense of knowledge, that something valuable was right in front of him.

    By the time he had reached the immediate vicinity where the sensation wasing from, the boulders and pirs of stone now towered forty or fifty meters high, but only half a dozen to a dozen meters thick. They were spread out in haphazard formation, anywhere from ten to forty meters apart, more than enough room for him to slip by.

    He stopped in front of a random looking stone boulder, a smaller one that was only twenty five meters high. It stood well above him, but didn¡¯t look any specialpared to the other nearby rocks.

    He eyed it curiously. The feeling he sensed had drawn him here.

    Not to anything inside the rock formation. But to something underneath it.

    He looked at it and then shrugged. There was no point in dying.

    With a grunted growl, Dorian mmed his nearly seven meter tall draconic body into the stone pir.

    CRASH

    He had underestimated his own strength. A small explosion of stone shrapnel shot out as therge boulder disintegrated, destroyed by his Giant Myyr Dragon form¡¯s crushing strength. He winced as several particrly sharp rocks pinged off his wings, leaving white marks on his scales.

    ¡®At least they didn¡¯t manage to pierce through them.¡¯ He thought. His defense wasn¡¯t entirely worthless.

    He moved his ws out in a sweeping motion, knocking away the cluttered rocks and stray shards of stones hat remained. As he did so, the sensation grew just a little bit stronger.

    He moved aside several more stones, and the sensation reached a crescendo.

    Revealing a pair of softly glowing golden fruits. One glowing with a faint red color, while the other gave off a pale green light. Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as he saw them. This was almost exactly what he¡¯d hoped and imagined a fantasy treasure would look like.

    ¡®Ausra? What are those?¡¯

    .

    .

    .

    Author¡¯s edit:

    POV change indicators will change from ¡°..¡± to ¡°.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..¡± from now on.

    .

 Chapter 46 - Authors Novel Giveaway!

    Chapter 46: Author¡¯s Novel Giveaway!

    Hey guys ? I¡¯m giving away a few free ebook copies of the novel (Abandoned in Time) I finished releasing on Amazon a couple days ago, in a random giveaway!

    Here is the link, for any of you that want a chance at snagging the book for free ? The random giveaway only has a limited number of copies (I have to pay for them) so act fast!

    US Residents ¨C https://.amazon/ga/p/4bab8def58371d4e

    Non-US Residents ¨C For Non-US Residents, leave an email address in ament reply to myment on this chapter, and I¡¯ll randomly select 3 winners to get sent a copy!)

    (Our regr Reborn chapter update will be outter, at approx ~11:30 or 11:45 CST ¨C 2 hours from now.)

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Here is the main book page:

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Synopsis: The Nine Great ns rule the four continents.

    Ten thousand years ago, the Space and Time ns were wiped out, their bloodline powers eliminated and destroyed, decried as evil, fallen ns that made deals with the creatures of the Void.

    Cast out and reced, the world fell into a period of turmoil, where monsters abounded and death gued the continent.

    Now, it is the present.

    The only thing Laujack Draeli Lo¡¯Henson can remember about his past is his rather wordy name. Raised in an orphanage in the Duchy of Snow, Jack lives in Snowbank City and dreams of bing a Hunter, a mighty warrior that ys powerful beasts, a protector of humanity.

    Come and read of a legend unfolding. The tale of thest Lord of Time!

 Chapter 47 - The Appetizer

    Chapter 47: The Appetizer

    ¡®Scanning¡­ These appear to be two Golden Apples, very rare Magic Herbs that form through a dense condensation of thews of the universe.¡¯ Ausra replied, her voice cool.

    ¡®Okay, well, what do they do? What¡¯s special about them?¡¯ He asked, looking at the two small delicacies. He picked the pair up carefully, hisrge ws moving slowly to avoid stabbing them. A faint trail of light emerged from the fruits as they moved, leaving an intangible trail.

    ¡®Golden Apples can be used in a variety of artifacts or medicines, greatly boosting their efficiency. The condensation of thews of the universe in these fruits is vastly higher than regr objects. Eating one of these fruits would cause a baptism of thews of the universe on your soul, aspected to whatever element the fruit holds.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    ¡®Oooh.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes shined. A baptism of thews of the universe! That was what happened to Wizards when they studied one element or another for a long enough period of time, increasing the strength of their Soul Spell Matrix and allowing them to use more powerful spells!

    ¡®Are there any restrictions on using them?¡¯ He asked another question.

    ¡®It would be unwise to experience multiple baptisms of thews of the universe at once, and therefore one fruit should not be consumed within 24 hours of the other, to allow for aplete settlement of the soul.¡¯

    Dorian nodded. It made sense. He then looked from fruit to fruit, his eyes shining.

    ¡®Ausra, what elements do these fruits hold?¡¯

    ¡®The red contains traces of the Element of Fire, while the pale green one contains traces of the Element of Life.¡¯

    ¡®Fire¡¯ Dorian understood, but he paused at hearing about the ¡®Life¡¯ element.

    ¡®What is the Life Element?¡¯

    ¡®The element that is focused around life energy. Common fields of study that derive from the Life element include White Magic, some parts of Light Magic, and Necromantic Magic.¡¯

    ¡®Oooh!¡¯ He mentally eximed. He liked the sound of that.

    Without a second more of hesitation, Dorian tapped into the Storage Ring he¡¯d looped near one of his ws, securing it earlier, and stored the Fire Element Golden Apple.

    He then tossed the Life Element Golden Apple into his mouth, devouring it instantly.

    Immediately a rush of warm energy filled Dorian¡¯s body. Green light suffused his scales, enriching them and imbuing them with power. He felt the organs in his body, the tendons in his arms, the muscles in his wings, every part of him be richer and more full of energy and life. It was a near euphoric feeling, the raw energy flowing through him.

    As he absorbed the fruit, feeling refreshing waves of light soak into him, he pulled up a mental image of his growth status.

    ¨C

    -Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 74,193/0

    ¨C

    ¡°72,000 more units of energy?!¡± He sputtered out loud in astonishment, his eyes opening wide. This was a fantastic find! And, even better, he had another Golden Apple still!

    ¡°Mmm! What a great appetizer!¡± He smacked his lips, feeling the delightful taste still on his tongue.

    Not only were natural treasures unique and powerful finds, they also contained a massive amount of energy. For most people, almost all of this energy was wasted and would dissipate from the fruit upon using it, leaving only the naturalws imbued within it.

    Dorian¡¯s body was unique in that it let him trap the energy, making full use of it.

    The cool,fortable energy remained within him, continuing to refresh his body over and over. He stretched out his scales, his arms and legs shivering. It was such an incredibly pleasant experience.

    Just as he was in the midst of this enjoyment, he noticed a group of motley figures approaching in the distance¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°It should be right around he- Is that a dragon?!¡± Aina¡¯s voice rang out, full of a mix of shock and surprise. There was also an eager undertone of anticipation. The female vampire warrior kept her voice rtively low as she spoke, not wanting to alert the beast before them.

    Rathven and the rest of his Hunters had immediately set out following the trail of the energy resonance after he broke the crystal. They had raced through the Overbal Canyon, not running into any other beasts or creatures thankfully. The Golden Apple had been set only a few thousand meters away, closer than expected.

    As the group arrived, however, they saw a hulking almost 7 meters tall green scaled monstrosity, currently standing exactly where the resonating feeling had arisen from. They came to an abrupt halt roughly a hundred meters away, not daring to advance.

    ¡°Shit. Is it a Draconic Tribe member?¡± Rathven¡¯s face went pale before he shook his head, tossing the thought. The Draconic Tribes were very self-contained within their own territory. Further, the Aurelius Family territory was located on nearly the opposite side of the universe whenpared to the many worlds controlled by the Draconic Tribes.

    ¡°Harmen¡­¡± His eyes spat daggers as he turned to stare at the Fate Wizard among the troop.

    Harmen¡¯s body shook as he held his hands up, stepping backwards.

    ¡°I don¡¯t- I don¡¯t know what it is, Sir Rathven. I checked Fate, it said there were no wild beasts or humanoids at the Master ss or stronger.¡± Sweat dripped down the man¡¯s face as he spoke, a trace of fear in his voice.

    Rathven took a deep breath and then steeled himself, clenching his fists.

    ¡°We need to take it out if we want to get the natural treasure. Its standing right on top of it.¡± Aina whispered to Rathven, her voice shaking with excitement.

    He red at her askance. Aina had always wanted to fight a dragon, having grown up reading tales of powerful vampire queens ying dragons with a wave of their hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon, Aina. A DRAGON.¡± He frowned, feeling a headacheing on. Aina was usually the careful one of the two of them.

    Aina ignored him, turning to the shaking Fate Wizard,

    ¡°Harmen, you¡¯re good at calcting, right? If we go in now, what are our chances against it? It¡¯s clearly not Lord ss.¡± Her voice carried an almost obsessive edge. Dragons were a very umon sight on Taprisha, or any of the nearbys, apart from some types of Ground Dragons.

    Harmen sped his hands together, white light glowing from his eyes.

    Before he could respond, however, Rathven interjected,

    ¡°If we do go in, I will go in first and draw its attention with my Hell Lance. Then the Blood Wizards are to send out screening fire to keep it distracted, while Aina will go in to connect with its jaw for the kill. Everyone else will spread out and approach the beast, not getting too close.¡± He came up with a n in an instant, his long years of experience as a Hunter showing their worth.

    The various Hunters in the group nodded, several of them drawing their swords or various weapons as they looked towards the beast. They needed to secure the natural treasure, and it seemed the only way to it was through this dragon.

    ¡°Harmen, what do you have?¡± Rathven turned his attention to the Fate Wizard.

    ¡°¡­Fate casts an interesting tale. I¡¯ming up with only a bit more than 30% chances of sess with this n.¡±

    Rathven frowned and then turned to look at the giant, towering behemoth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot better odds than I expected. Aina what do you-¡±

    ¡°ALRIGHT! LET¡¯S DO THIS! AIIIINNNNAAAAAAA SILLLLLVERROOCK!¡± Aina¡¯s yell burst through the air as she charged at the dragon, her stone hammers shimmering as she dashed forward. A brave, heroic aura surrounded her, making her seem like a warrior from legend.

    Rathven¡¯s draw dropped,

    ¡°Oh my god. She just ran in.¡± His eyes widened, and he dashed forward, yelling outmands,

    ¡°Stick to the n! Stick to the n!¡±

    ¡°Blood Wizards, cast your spells! Warriors spread out! Move! Move!¡±

    ..

    Dorian watched the small female vampire charge at him, her body blurring forward with each step. Small cracks appeared on the ground as she sted towards him, reminding him of that Titan that he had absorbed.

    ¡®Looks like I did take the treasure they were looking for.¡¯ He thought, shrugging guiltily.

    ¡®Well, firste, first serve, right?¡¯ He didn¡¯t let the thought bother him. No treasure belonged to anyone unless it was already in their hands.

    ¡®A Grandmaster ss Vampire, proficient in some type of mystic martial art. Not a Wizard.¡¯ Ausra identified the vampire as she charged at him. A light glow began to appear around the small stone hammers the scarred vampire wielded, looking vaguely threatening.

    Dorian blinked. His eyes were easily able to follow the vampire despite her movements.

    As she charged, Dorian saw several piercing collections of red light shoot towards him from several figures in the distance, aiming for his chest and wings. He snorted fiercely as he saw this, ducking his massive body low in one quick dodge. He felt more than saw the concentrated energy sear the air above him, the attacks missing him by a meter or two at most.

    Just as the charging vampire warrior came within ten meters of him, Dorian made his move.

    In his Giant Myyr Dragon form, Dorian¡¯s tail had grown, extending to be roughly 10 meters long, ending in a small, bulbous spike that must weigh at least a hundred pounds. The entirety of his tail was covered in scales and minute spikes, giving it a rough and sharp appearance.

    As soon as the attacker came within range, Doran whipped his tail forward. Due to its small size, it moved at an extremely fast speed, mming into the vampire warrior in a split second.

    Despite the surprise nature of his attack, the woman managed to raise her stone hammers up and stop the tail from mming directly into her body.

    Unfortunately for her, that made little difference.

    CRACK

    BOOM

    The sounds of a powerful collision rang out as the female vampire was lifted off of the ground and sent flying into the air, her body mming backwards at an extremely fast speed.

    Dorian watched the woman sail through the sky,nding nearly 40 meters away from where he was standing. A web of cracks spread into the ground as the rocks shended on broke, unable to bear the impact.

    Dorian gave her an admiring nod as she struggled to her feet, covered in dozens of small injuries. The female warrior stood up wobbly, as if she was about to fall.

    She must¡¯ve broken dozens of bones in that impact alone, he thought, ncing at her. Vampires had very powerful regenerative properties, but for her to be alive after that¡­ these mystic martial arts seemed like they would be quite useful. He decided he¡¯d look into themter.

    From the direction the female vampire had charged at him, he saw several other people running towards him and stumbling to a halt. A few of them broke off, running to check on the vampire he had knocked away. The rest simply stared at him, not daring to move forward.

    The Wizards that had sent out those searing sts stopped, their hands trembling as they began to pull back.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Goddammit, Aina!¡± Rathven swore as he ran over to her, motioning for the Hunters to retreat.

    ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s gotta be Pseudo-Lord ss! FALL BACK NOW!¡± He scooped up the tottering Aina in his grasp, mentally berating himself.

    Between the Grandmaster ss and the Pseudo-Lord was a very significant wall of sheer physical strength and energy. This was a bad miscalction on his part. Even if they had stuck to his n, they still would¡¯ve failed.

    He¡¯d thought the only Pseudo-Lord ss beast in the local area was that Sr Rock Lizard. For another one to appear randomly¡­ he cursed his luck.

    As this thought was running through his head, a loud, echoing roar shook the center of the canyon, carrying a heavy, deathly undertone.

    *ROOOOOOAAAAAAR*

    Rathven closed his eyes for a brief second, marveling at the sheer unfairness and back luck he had.

    He recognized the sound of that roar.

    It seemed the world truly wanted him to die today.

    ¡°Everyone, fall back as fast as possible! We drew the attention of the Sr Rock Lizard!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian turned his head away from the crew of humanoids, his eyes alighting on a huge, scaled lizard that was standing on top of one of therge stone pirs, about a thousand meters away.

    He smiled.

    The main course had arrived.

 Chapter 48 - The Main Course

    Chapter 48: The Main Course

    *ROOOOOAAAAAAAR*

    A second, louder roar ripped through the air, filled with power and might. Dorian couldn¡¯t help but shiver slightly as he heard it, the sheer hostility in it intimidating.

    Dark, almost pitch ck scales covered the giant lizard, giving off an almost metallic glint. It stood just a bit shorter than Dorian at around 5 and a half meters, its beady golden eyes ring at him. Small, grey spikes covered its body, going up and down its spine. Instead of strong, rippling muscles, it had a sinewy, lean body, with long ws that ended in a sheer edge.

    ¡®Ausra¡­¡¯ Dorian mentally noted, a frown appearing on his face.

    ¡®I thought this was supposed to be a bulky lizard, like me?¡¯ His tongue flicked out as his eyes met the lizards, tension building.

    ¡®This appears to be a Pseudo-Lord ss Sr Rock Lizard that has undergone some type of mutation. Without a blood sample, I am unable to urately judge what exactly.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    ¡®Damn.¡¯ Things didn¡¯t always go to n. Few people had encountered this beast and lived, the only information he¡¯d had on it was second or thirdhand.

    Abruptly, the lizardunched itself into the air, hurtling toward Dorian. It¡¯s body blurred as it moved, sting off three different pirs in a second, stone shrapnel exploding outward as the boulders disintegrated from the weight of its leap.

    ¡®So be it.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s mouth twisted. His Great Strength Ability was always on now, boosting the physical strength of his already powerful body.

    The lizard mmed down on a stone boulder only a few dozen meters away from Dorian, twisting tounch directly towards him.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see what you can do,¡¯ He grinned,

    ¡®me ws.¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Everyone freeze! Do not move!¡± The vampire leader of the Hunters, Rathven, snapped his fingers, bringing his Hell Lance out of his Spatial Pouch. The powerful spear gleamed in front of him, giving off a faint red light.

    Aina stumbled at his side, withdrawing a small, glowing white pill as she sat down, trying to meditate and heal.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already been spotted by the Sr Rock Lizard. If we run now, it¡¯ll break off from the dragon to kill us.¡± The creature was notoriously vindictive and brutal.

    ¡°The-then what do we do, S-sir?!¡± Harmen¡¯s voice was panicky as he stared up at the two huge beasts, his arms trembling.

    Rathven brought his Hell Lance out in front of him,

    ¡°What can we do?¡± He responded, his eyes bloodshot,

    ¡°We can only pray now, to the shattered Heavens above.¡±

    A momentter, a veritable tsunami of boulders and rocks rained down upon them as the two giant beasts collided.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡± Dorian roared out loud as he felt the Sr Rock Lizard¡¯s ws sink into his side, stabbing into him.

    WHOOSH

    His ming ws sailed downward, slicing and missing once more as the agile lizard twisted, dodging out of range. His ws smashed into the earth, tearing out a several meter wide hole in the ground and throwing up a small storm of dust.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian leapt backwards, his wings spreading widely as he soared into the air, gliding about 15 meters above the ground. He knocked into one of the stone pirs and leapt off it, jumping higher.

    Behind him, he felt a wave of energy vibrate, seeming to condense.

    ¡°Damn.¡± He turned around, digging his ws into the side of the stone pir as he faced the lizard. His body wastched on, hanging off the side of the giant boulder. He immediately took a deep breath, his chest warming.

    He sted out a column of Emerald mes, the deadly Draconic Fire melting through the air.

    Not a secondter, a heavily condensed beam of white energy mmed into his Emerald mes.

    BOOM

    The two energies collided, and instantly exploded on contact, a wave of green fire and white energy splitting the nearby area in two. The mes and white energy split along an even hundred meters long line, cutting severalrge boulders into twain. By now a haze of dust littered the air, the force of the explosions almost masking the area.

    ¡°There it is.¡± His chest heaved as he red at the Sr Rock Lizard.

    The powerful Ability known as Hyperion Beam. ording to Ausra, it was a strange technique that allowed the Lizard to hypercondense energy in the air itself into a deadly orb of energy, and then direct this energy in what was essentiallyser beam.

    It was powerful enough that it could evenly match his Draconic mes, one of the most destructive and powerful Abilities in the 30,000 Worlds.

    ¡°Grr¡­¡± The Sr Rock Lizard let out a guttural snarl as it jumped off of one stone pir up to another, its ws sinking into the rock to give it a stronger grip.

    ¡®It¡¯s smart.¡¯ He thought, shaking out his scales. This was proving to be a tougher challenge than he¡¯d thought.

    All of a sudden, something unexpected happened.

    The lizard¡¯s eyes began to glow a dark green color.

    Dorian blinked and then stared in astonishment as a clump of rock morphed into the air andtched onto his right shoulder. It moved around as if it was a floating liquid, wrapping around his right arm. The instant itnded, it solidified, transforming back into solid rock.

    He snarled as he raised his left arm, ripping the stone chunks off of him. They dropped downward in a shower, peltering the alreadyrgely destroyed ground.

    An instantter, two more arms of stone mmed onto him, mping on both of his shoulders. Dorian flexed his arms, causing the stone to shatter. As soon as he did, however, several more tentacles of stone wrapped on, sealing his arms and legs. Onerge one wrapped around his chest, trying to crush him.

    *ROOAAAR*

    Dorian gave a roar of his own as he twisted his entire body, virtually destroying the pir he was standing on and therge limbs of stone that were wrapped around him. The unrelenting physical strength his body held couldn¡¯t be constrained, the passive Great Strength Ability providing a significant boon.

    THUNK

    He stumbled backwards, his eyes twitching as the world around him all of a sudden seemed to twist. The sounds of his movements, the falling and breaking stones and rock, the guttural growls of the lizard, all of that faded away as a ringing noise took over.

    In the instant that he shattered the stone encasing him, a smaller, more dense pir of stone had jutted forward, mming against the side of his jaw.

    He blinked as he looked dumbly forward, his eyes unfocused.

    Barely glimpsing the Sr Rock Lizard charging a white orb of energy, just a couple dozen meters away, its head leaning slightly up into the air. Streaks of white light zoomed into the orb as it finished growing, forming a meter and a half ball of raw power.

    ¡®Focus. Analyze the situation.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s mind went into overdrive as he forced himself to regain control, ignoring the ringing in his head.

    ¡®CONDENSE.¡¯ He activated his strongest Ability. He¡¯d originally wanted to try defeating the lizard without using it to test the prowess of his new body, but maintaining that now seemed like a bad idea. The lizard was a mutated hybrid of some sort, sticking to his first n would be foolish.

    Dorian¡¯s brawny nearly 7 meters tall body instantly morphed, shrinking inward. Smaller and smaller, meter by meter, his body condensed on itself, dark green scales gleaming.

    It took only a split second for his body size to go from almost 7 hulking meters tall to a much smaller 3 meters, smaller even than his fully grown normal Myyr Dragon form.

    His scales took on a mix of red and green, giving off a vibrant, powerful feeling. His tail had slimmed out even further, while his wings had gained a beautiful, bright red coloring, stretched out above him. Tiny spikes dotted the ends of his wings, sharp edge and deadly.

    An odd, red and green swirl marked his forehead where a pair of horns had appeared, his draconic face pulled up in a snarl revealing hundreds of razor-edged teeth. His arms had gained a pair of ridged spikes up and down them, growing slightly longer, ending in a set of beautiful ck and green ws.

    As he transformed, a small change seemed to take ce in his soul. An intangible, invisible wave spread out as Dorian¡¯s soul seemed to shift as a result of his ¡®Condensing.¡¯

    WHOOSH

    Just as he finished transforming, a beam of pure white light sted through where his chest had been just a moment earlier.

    ¡°Grr¡­¡± Dorian growled, feeling a stinging pain spread through his body. His voice had taken on a throaty, deeper tone, giving off a raw, virile sensation. He nced upward at the source of the stinging feeling.

    A meterrge hole had drilled directly through the top part of his right wing. When he¡¯d finished Condensing, his wings had stretched out above him. The hole was burnedpletely through, faint red markings still glowing at its edges.

    Dorian folded his wings down, wincing slightly.

    As he did so, he noticed that the world around him seemed to have grown slower, by at least half as much.

    The more powerful the energy one¡¯s soul held, the stronger a being¡¯s sense of perception and faster their movements became. The previously hard to track movements of the mutated Sr Rock Lizard were now made clear to Dorian as it dashed frantically toward him in a zigzag fashion, its mouth lunging for his neck.

    Dorian flexed his body. Raw, physical strength flowed through him, far stronger than anything he had ever experienced in his life. He felt incredibly solid, as if nothing in existence could move him.

    He nced at the hulking lizard that was crashing towards him.

    Just as its mouth was a meter away from connecting with his neck, his right arm transformed into a blur whipping up and then down.

    BOOM

    His arm mmed into the neck of the lizard and knocked the brute of a creature downwards, instantly cancelling its momentum. The entire body of the creature sank half a meter into the earth, a small crater of cracks expanding.

    Dorian¡¯s right arm was mped onto the neck of the creature. He looked down at it mercilessly.

    SNIP

    Without a second of hesitation, he sliced the head off the lizard, killing it instantly.

    ¡®Ausra, absorb its bloodline, and Soul Spell Matrix just to be safe.¡¯ He ordered, his mental voice cold.

    As he did so, he blinked, abruptly stopping. He took a moment to stare down at his ws, and then at the lizard. He shook his head in confusion.

    ¡°Wha-what?¡± He grumbled aloud, releasing his Condensed form. His body morphed and elongated back to its regr, hulking size.

    As he did so, his entire mind seemed to rx, returning to normal.

    ¡°What the hell was that? I felt¡­ my mind felt colder.¡± He stuttered, not understanding.

    When he had changed into his Condensed form, his entire mindset felt like it had changed. His actions, the way he moved, everything seemed to be more confident, colder. He couldn¡¯t quite articte how it felt, but he felt as if his entire personality had shifted slightly.

    Before he could dive in-depth on his feelings, an alert went off in his head.

    ¡®Absorbing detected bloodlines¡­¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°We¡¯re all gonna die¡­ we¡¯re all gonna die¡­¡± Harmen¡¯s panicked whispers felt like a yell in the ears of the frozen Hunters as they looked at the awe-inspiring battle before them. Constant explosions, shes of light, and shockwaves had spread out in a matter of seconds, knocking most of them down.

    Rathven looked up at the haze of dust that covered his sight of the dueling creatures as the area abruptly grew silent. The battle before him was one that far surpassed anything he was capable of, even as a Grandmaster ss Hunter. His eyes couldn¡¯t even fully track the movements of the Sr Rock Lizard.

    ¡°What the hell are they¡­¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Thousands of miles away, at a spot far deeper into the oceans of nothingness, a gargantuan valley could be seen.

    This valley was made up of pure, ck bedrock, scarred and cut by tens of thousands of formless shes, created by the windstorms that swept through the area randomly. Hundreds of miles of rock could be seen, all slipping downward in an almost endless hole.

    This hole stretched for thousands of miles. If one were to travel down this hole, bright light would gradually start to emerge from the very bottom, shining upward. This light glowed a pale yellow color and gave off an incredible sense of heat.

    As one went deeper and deeper, this light grew bright and brighter. Soon deep white mes would begin to appear, incinerating even the air itself, burning purely off magic energy. The walls of this hole were searedpletely smooth, not a hint of a gap or hole.

    These white mes gradually began to form together the deeper one got, creating a massive, swirling pale ocean of fire.

    The burning core of the world of Taprisha. A giant orb of pure, white mes that rotated at a slow pace, spanning more than a hundred miles.

    In the midst of this sea of everburning me, a pair of dark, orange orbs could be seen.

    ¡°Oh, I do sense a feeling I know.¡±

    ¡°Mello again? A troublesome fellow.¡±

    ¡°No, it seems different. A brother that¡¯s new!¡±

    ¡°I must share the news, of perfection that is true!¡±

    ¡°For even the brightest fire and ze cannot burn alone!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll share wisdom that I find ever unknown.¡±

 Chapter 49 - The Spoils

    Chapter 49: The Spoils

    ¨C

    -Absorbing detected bloodlines-

    76% Sr Rock Lizard

    14% Unidentified Energy ¨C Traces of Earth Elemental power

    8% Heavy Scaled Lizard

    2% Unidentified Bloodlines

    ¨C

    Dorian ignored the alert for a moment as he raised one of his wed arms to his head.

    ¡®Ausra, what was that? When I entered my Condensed form, it felt like my entire mindset changed slightly.¡¯ He asked, raising the question. He felt at his soul, feeling the cocoon that held William¡¯s soul flutter next to his, unchanged.

    ¡®¡­based on the data I have, it is impossible for me to give a perfect answer. Your soul is abnormal.¡¯ Ausra replied, unhelpfully.

    ¡®Okay, then give me your best guess.¡¯ He returned, taking a nce down at the corpse of the Sr Rock Lizard. The stinging pain in his wings began to fade as they slowly started to regenerate. The warm energy he¡¯d taken in from that Golden Fruit seemed to swarm on his injured wing in particr, speeding up the healing process.

    ¡®Your soul is abnormal.¡¯ Ausra repeated, and then continued, ¡®When you enter your Condensed state, the power of your body greatly increases, as does the power of your soul. This has allowed you to touch upon the doorstep of Lord ss.¡¯

    ¡®However, you have yet toprehend thews of the universe, at least not enough to officially enter Lord ss. The process ofprehending hardens your soul, making it stronger and tougher. Powerful enough to endure manipting thews of the universe to form an Aura.¡¯

    ¡®Despite that, you are forcefully increasing the strength of your body and soul. Therefore, your soul has started to undergo its own hardening and solidification, separate from the normal process.¡¯

    He blinked,

    ¡®Do other Anomalies experience the same thing?¡¯

    ¡®No. They were born with souls sealed anew, washed clean from their past memories and experiences, alongside containing innate Lord or King ss bloodlines. The absolute perfect state of being forprehending thews of the universe. By now, most of them will have gained their own understanding of thews of the universe, a process that, if they kept their previous memories, would normally take decades.¡¯

    Dorian sighed. It felt like he was constantly behind in terms of strength whenpared to the other members of the Flock. He didn¡¯t care that they started stronger than him, but he wanted to have enough power to survive on his own.

    ¡®Fine, whatever.¡¯ He shrugged. It was what it was. He would deal with it.

    Instead, he turned his focus to the bloodline origins of the lizard he¡¯d just absorbed.

    ¡®Um¡­ What?¡¯ He nced at one particr point, confused.

    ¡®Unidentified Energy ¨C Traces of Earth Elemental power? What is this, Ausra?¡¯

    ¡®Approximately 14% of the bloodline within the lizard isposed of a parasitic energy sourceced with Earth Elemental power.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    ¡®Parasitic? In general, exin what this means.¡¯ He responded.

    ¡®Taking in all possibilities, there is a 98% that this Sr Rock Lizard devoured a natural treasure simr to the Golden Apples you found, but one aspected for the Earth Element. Because the lizard does not have a unique Soul Spell Matrix that is able to break down the fruit and transfer certain aspects of its energy, its body began to mutate.¡¯

    ¡®This mutation allowed it to quickly reach the peak of the Grandmaster ss and step into the Pseudo-Lord ss. However, as a result, its mind warped, and it became unreasonably aggressive, defensive of the natural treasure¡¯s point of origin.¡¯

    ¡®The natural treasure it found was probably rted to the two Golden Apples you discovered. When natural treasures form, usually three or four of them will appear in an area at once, condensing from a high concentration of the universalws, though this process is not entirely understood.¡¯

    ¡°Huh.¡± He said aloud, looking down at the corpse of the creature. He hadn¡¯t realized it was so dangerous to eat a natural treasure raw. Well, Ausra would have warned him if it was, so it probably was only dangerous for regr creatures. Still. He shook the thoughts from his head.

    ¡®Can I make use of this energy?¡¯ He asked, curious.

    ¡®The energy has been absorbed in the form of units of energy for growth. The Earth Elemental traces, however, mostly dissipated at the creature¡¯s death.¡¯ Ausra replied coolly.

    Dorian pulled up his Growth Status, checking on his numbers.

    ¨C

    -Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Giant Myyr Dragon ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 96,827/0

    ¨C

    ¡®Awesome!¡¯ He¡¯d gained around 22,000 units of energy. This entire expedition so far had him a grand total of roughly 90,000 units of energy, as well as the other Fire Element Golden Apple and whatever the Life Element energy was doing floating around his body.

    He grinned happily, dancing a little jig. He was making progress, and fast progress at that. If he kept this up, he felt like it wouldn¡¯t be long till he could travel freely and unrestrained.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Do. Not. Move.¡± Rathven motioned quietly, whispering to the rest of his men.

    After the cataclysm battle had ended and the dust had settled, Rathven and his Hunters had mostly copsed, knocked over by debris or the energy explosions of the fight. Several of them were injured, but ally deathly still in terror, not daring to move.

    The Sr Rock Lizard had, unexpectedly, perished. This was, alone, reason for rejoicing. The creature was unreasonably aggressive, and its death meant that the Overbal Canyon would be a much safer ce.

    The beast that had killed it, however, was that ferocious dragon. Rathven had only managed to make out part of the fight, the dust storm raised blocking most it from his vision, but the sheer might the beast disyed was enough to convince him not to make a move.

    His Hell Lancey slumped in his hand while he sat on the ground, the still recovering Aina kneeling next to him.

    The huge, green scaled dragon stood in front of them, just a hundred or so meters, its hulking form looking down at the corpse of the ck-scaled Sr Rock Lizard.

    Rumbling noises began to shake the air as the dragon began to move in odd, twisting motions. Rathven blinked at its movements, not understanding them.

    ¡°What¡­ what the hell is it doing?!¡± Harmen¡¯s panicked voice echoed in Rathven¡¯s ear as the Fate Wizard whispered loudly.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Rathven stared at it, at a loss for words.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Got the energyyy, got the bloooodlinnneeees.¡±

    ¡°Time to go get some get foood, and have a good tiiime.¡± Dorian hummed cheerfully in English as he began walking towards Potor City, smiling cheerfully.

    Today¡¯s mission had been a decided sess. He was ready to go eat something tasty and rest, Evolving a new bloodline while he slept.

    He took a few deep steps and spun around as he walked, throwing in a couple body rolls. It had been a while since he got to dance, and today¡¯s victory had set him in a perfect mood for it.

    Dancing in hisrge, Giant Myyr Dragon form wasn¡¯t as hard as he¡¯d thought it would be. His increased body control and strength made the movements quite easy.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Oh my g-god. It must be a Demon Dragon. This must be some evil ri-ritual.¡± Harmen¡¯s voice shook with fear and despair as he looked at the monstrous figure of the green dragon, its body contorting in odd, peculiar motions. Strange sounds emitted from its mouth, iprehensible and foreign.

    ¡°We¡¯re all go-going to die.¡± Harmen shifted to his knees, bowing his body down as he began to cry quietly.

    ¡°Sh-shattered Hea-Heavens above p-p-please sp-spare me from the v-vile h-hell you have thrown upon us.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Rathven leaned over and smacked the Fate Wizard in the side of his chin, attempting to knock some sense into him. The innate barrier the Wizard had absorbed most of the blow, but his punch got through enough to shock the Wizard.

    Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

    The Fate Wizard¡¯s begging had caught the attention of the green-scaled dragon.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Dorian thought, pausing in his dancing as he looked off to the side.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, those humanoids.¡¯ The group of warriors and a few Wizards that had attacked him earlier were lying on the ground to his side, mostly in shambles. Several of them were clearly badly injured, and the group as a whole looked pretty sad.

    Dorian bared his teeth at them. They had tried to attack him, after all. That said, they did lead him to the Golden Apples, and the Sr Rock Lizard, so he couldn¡¯t be too angry.

    He snorted and gave them a disdainful nce before continuing on his way to Potor City, shamelessly continuing to practice dancing in his new, muchrger draconic form, ignoring them.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°W-we are spared!¡± Harmen shouted victoriously several minutes after the dragon had gone out of eyesight. The rest of the Hunter crew seemed to feel simrly, rejoicing in keeping their lives.

    Rathven wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead, his entire body shivering as he rxed. The tension and fear he¡¯d experienced in the past few minutes had been horrifying. He¡¯d never felt so helpless in his life.

    ¡°Quiet.¡± He motioned with his arms, calling the Hunters to attention. Several of them began to work on treating the injured, getting them medicine and helping carry them.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving. We must report this to the Pce Master.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Hours passed, and Dorian eventually found himself standing next to the side of the teau that held Potor City, far above.

    He had returned to his human form, pulling out a set of clothes from the Spatial Ring he¡¯d looped onto his draconic form. His eyes were spirited as he looked at the crowd near him.

    There were thousands of people milling about. Several huge mines were just a few dozen miles from here, and the transport of people and goods up and down the massive teau was constantly ongoing.

    ¡°Wind Magic tform rides up to Potor, only 25 silver mints per individual, custom rates forrger groups!¡±

    ¡°Customrge-scale transport ofrge corpses, anywhere within 50 miles, only 30 silver mints per hundred pounds!¡±

    ¡°Take the safest walking path to the top, the Minyo Carved Stone Path, only 1 silver mint a head!¡±

    Several Wizards or travelingpanies advertised their services, catering to the groups of warriors that traveled out to hunt for rare beasts or magic herbs, and the many miners that worked in the local mines. The daylight was starting to dim slightly down here, being reced by some type of ever-present glow from the misty fog above them. It seemed it was never truly dark in the oceans of nothingness.

    Dorian could make out hundreds of buildings set into the stone wall, built up along several stone pathways. He saw restaurants, cksmiths, and even a few small inns and many personal residences. It seemed some people preferred to live down here, in the dangerous recesses of the world, rather than the teau above.

    He looked at them all and then shrugged, withdrawing the Cloud in a Bottle artifact he¡¯d purchased. He activated it, drawing upon one of the small, fluffy white clouds.

    Immediately his body began to rise up, floating above the people and shops below. He saw a few curious eyes nce up at him before returning downward, going about their day.

    He fell through the air, passing the heavy mistyer of the underground, and breaking through to the fading afternoon light of the world above.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡± He took a deep breath. The air below the fogyer was somewhat earthy, as if he was in a cave. When he came up here, to the open world, the air had a fresh, natural scent.

    He nodded his head sharply as he flew all the way up the teau,nding on the edge. He saw a few people off to the side, just now starting to descend.

    He ignored them as he began walking towards the city, ready to fill his stomach.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®So Ausra, when the other Flock-members absorb bloodlines, do they still transform like me?¡¯ Dorian asked as he settled into his Inn bedroom.

    It was around an hourter. He¡¯d picked out and eaten an entire roast pig at one of the more well-known restaurants in the city, a ce called the Roasted Spoon. The delicious meat had been mouth-watering and tasted every bit as good as they advertised. It was served with a side of roasted potatoes and greens, and was the best food he¡¯d eaten yet.

    After that, he¡¯d decided to head back to his inn. Tomorrow, he decided he would hit up the local Magic Shops to get the basic reading material he would need to start his study of magic.

    ¡®Correct. Though they have a main bloodline, their soul still needs to adapt to the new form. It is only when they try tobine bloodlines that they must go through a slow process of assimtion.¡¯

    ¡®Without a Soul Spell Matrix Genie like myself, the calctions and biometric data handling needed to sessfullybine bloodlines like you do would be impossible. They must slowlybine the bloodlines through a natural process that adapts certain aspects into their own.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    Dorian frowned, rubbing his chin.

    ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t the Godking give everyone a genie, then? Doesn¡¯t he want to make the perfect being? You¡¯d figure that would help.¡¯

    ¡®It, technically, should be impossible for your soul to bear the strain of housing my construct. Soul Spell Matrix Genies are not amon thing to create or see, even on Angelic ss beings. Anyone below the Angelic ss should experience a massive amount of pressure and have their soul dissipate.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®Your soul is an abnormality, though perhaps this might exin why you still maintain your previous life¡¯s memories.¡¯

    ¡®I see.¡¯ Dorian replied, nodding his head. He didn¡¯t, actually, see, but he knew Ausra wouldn¡¯t be able to exin even if he asked.

    ¡®Alright, well. Let¡¯s take a look at my bloodlines now. Ausra pull up all the unused Grandmaster ss ones.¡¯ With an excess of 90,000 points of energy to spend, Dorian could afford to splurge, and add a powerful new creature to his repertoire.

    ¨C

    Stored Bloodlines

    ¨C

    Grandmaster ss

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard (Pseudo-Lord)

    Virulent Wolf ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C True Vampire

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Midnight detiger

    Ester Ground Dragon ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Giant Bore Snake

    Tayzon Rhino ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Heavy Scaled Lizard

    ¨C

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ He noted the Sr Rock Lizard¡¯s designation.

    ¡®The Pseudo-Lord ss is technically still designated as part of the Grandmaster ss and not a unique ss in its own right. It is more of a level between the Grandmaster and Lord ss.¡¯ Ausra answered his question without him even having to ask it.

    Dorian looked over the list, his eyes glinting. He either went with the Master ss Fire Elemental Imp, to gain a better insight into Fire Magic, or he went with one of these bloodlines to increase his strength.

    ¡®Which to choose¡­¡¯ He muttered, his eyes gleaming.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Many miles away from Dorian, a small teau rose from the oceans of nothingness, ending in a dismal, hundred meter stone tform barren of any wildlife or vegetation. Several long cracks ran through the top of this pir, sunlight beating down on top of it.

    Upon this teau, two figures could be seen.

    ¡°It¡¯s left the hole, Probus. I¡¯ll send word to Helena. She¡¯s near the World Bridge to Hasnorth.¡± A vampire wearing a set of loose ck robes, with a smart-looking ck belt wrapped around him, spoke aloud, his voice calm and confident. A wand could be seen strapped to this belt, in a small holster, gleaming with a silver light. He was currently looking down over the stone tform, at the fog-enshrouded ocean of nothingness below.

    ¡°Good.¡± A ck te armored warrior replied to Trajan, his long brown hair was tied up in a bun and blowing slightly as a breeze swept past them.

    ¡°My sword longs for the taste of blood.¡± His eyes shed, a dark, mysterious light in them as he held up his long, gleaming de, admiring it in his hands.

    Trajan turned to nce at the warrior askance,

    ¡°What? How can your sword long for the taste of blood? It¡¯s just a sword.¡±

    Probus looked up from his de to stare at the Wizard as Trajan continued,

    ¡°Is your sword a vampire too, eh? You could call yourself the vampire swordmaster with a vampire sword. Got a nice ring to it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a metaphor, Trajan.¡± Probus red at him.

    ¡°You just said it because it sounds good, admit it.¡± Trajan responded by giving him a cheeky grin.

    Probus returned back to looking at his sword lovingly as he hooked it onto his back. He then began scanning the sky, as if looking for something.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve got you figured out Probus. That¡¯s what you get fo-¡± Trajan cut himself off, the grin wiping from his face as he red at his fellow vampire,

    ¡°What are you doing right now, Probus?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just standing here. Is that against Family Law now?¡± The vampire warrior continued to look around the sky, his eyes darting to and fro.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re not looking for innocent local wildlife to ughter?¡± Trajan¡¯s words contained a biting edge.

    Probus paused, his eyes wavering for a split second.

    ¡°No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Good because I-¡± Trajan began,

    ¡°I would never kill anything innocent.¡± Probus continued, his eyes zeroing in on a distant ck speck.

    ¡°Yes, that is why I aske-¡± Trajan responded,

    ¡°But if it was an evil, slimy, scaled creature¡­¡± Probus went on, his arm drawing back and grasping firmly onto the hilt of his de.

    ¡°Of course that¡¯s reasona-wait no! That isn¡¯t norm-¡±

    WHOOSH

    A dozen miles away, arge, Master ss White Tailed Eagle fell from the sky, split into two.

    ¡°WHYYYY PROBUS! ¡±

    ¡°THAT WAS A BIRD! IT DIDN¡¯T EVEN HAVE SCALES!¡±

 Chapter 50 - A Calm Night

    Chapter 50: A Calm Night

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    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    ¡®I got it.¡¯ He nodded his head.

    He¡¯d mentallyid out his optimal choices, after consulting Ausra. It was a tough choice.

    He could choose the Master ss ck Mantle Leopard, to gain the External Camouge Ability.

    The Fire Imp to gain an innate connection with Fire Magic, and pave his road to studying magic.

    The ck Ambian Eagle to gain flight.

    The Sr Rock Lizard to gain the Hyperion Beam Ability, and a powerful form to integrate.

    The True Vampire to gain another powerful form, and an innate connection with Blood Magic.

    Or the Virulent Wolf to increase his survivability.

    All the other choices had benefits and possibilities as well, but these were the ones he designated as the most optimal.

    In terms of physical strength, his Giant Myyr Dragon form had the best of it, especially in his Condensed form. He had absolutely pummeled that mutated Sr Rock Lizard at the end. Unless he was facing a Lord ss beast that had some level ofprehension of thews of the universe, he would have nothing to fear.

    What he didn¡¯t have, however, was survivability. Even a few Master ss ck Spotted Leopards were able to pierce through his defensive scales and injure him. The Hyperion Beam of that Sr Rock Lizard could have easily killed him if he hadn¡¯t managed to dodge it. Even then, it still sted through his right wing, injuring him.

    Even now, in his human form, part of his back was still tender. The injury on his wing had mostly healed, but the remnants tranted over into this form when he switched.

    Some of the bloodlines he¡¯d absorbed had some defensive capabilities. The Tayzon Rhino, called the Meng Hao in some regions, was a creature noted for its incredibly thick skin. They wererge, tough creatures with a high level of strength and durability, ones that were incredibly annoying to kill. They had the Ability known as Sharp Horn, which let them increase the sharpness and edge of the giant horn they bore on their head.

    If Dorian absorbed that bloodline into his main form to create a hybrid, he¡¯d most likely gain a good deal of defensive strength.

    But the cost also seemed apparent. The Tayzon Rhino wasn¡¯t exactly the fastest creature, its powerful defensesing with a steep price.

    His newly acquired Heavy Scaled Lizard had a simr problem. It was a great, four-meterrge lizard, practically a dinosaur in Dorian¡¯s eyes, with dark blue scales and muscr arms and legs. It was tough, and durable, but relied on thickyers of scales and blubber to keep it safe.

    Taking in the defensive prowess of either breed would slow him down immensely.

    ¡®Ausra, Evolve me into the Virulent Wolf.¡¯ He made his choice.

    ¨C

    ¨C Virulent Wolf ¨C

    A resilient wolf-type creature, renowned for its incredible regenerative properties and its unique healing Ability known as Restore. These wolves have an incredibly powerful life force. Valued for their rare bloodline, these creatures are often harvested and used in magic spells. Virulent Wolves possess incredibly powerful regenerative properties, but weak physical strength, and are easily captured. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss.

    ¨C

    He pulled up the information on the creature, nodding his head.

    The Virulent Wolf¡¯s regenerative properties were incredibly strong, and they had ess to decent healing Ability known as Restore.

    The downsides of weak physical strength could be easily ignored thanks to his already sizable level of power.

    ¨C

    -Absorbing Virulent Wolf bloodline-

    ¨C

    -Body Reconstruction in progress-

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s body shifted and began to transform, his human features shifting inward. ck fur began to sprout from his body, covering him from head to toe. His spine pulled downward and his face began to elongate.

    In a split second, Dorian transformed into a small, half meter long Virulent Wolf puppy.

    ¨C

    -Virulent Wolf ¨C Growth Stage: (1/4) Wolf Pup ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 96,827/1,800 ¨C

    ¨C

    Ausra¡¯s usual message about his soul adapting rang out in his mind.

    Dorian began to trot around in his room, looking at everything that had be suddenly giant from his perspective.

    He shrugged, a decidedly odd gesture for a wolf pup, and then jumped on his bed.

    ¡®Ausra, this time wake me up before I¡¯m supposed to transform, alright? Don¡¯t just transform me in my sleep.¡¯ Last time he¡¯d broken the bed he¡¯d slept on, and he wanted to avoid a repeat of that. He didn¡¯t know how many more strange nces he could bear from that Innkeeper.

    ¡®As you wish.¡¯

    He smiled at the reply, and then hopped up on his bed, settling into sleep.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    As afternoon faded to evening, and evening faded to night, a small, petite female vampire could be seen, standing alone atop one of the many pces in Potor City.

    Helena tugged at the hem of her dress, making sure she wore it properly as she looked out towards the west. Her eyes gave off a faint, red glow as she focused, trying to look thousands of miles into the distance.

    ¡®Where are you?¡¯

    She sighed.

    A momentter, an aged, gaunt vampire appeared on the pce roof just a few meters away. He wore a loose set of robes, with short white hair and a pale face.

    ¡®Lady Helena.¡¯ The skinny Blood Wizard motioned at her.

    ¡®What did they have to say?¡¯ She responded, shivering in the night air. She wasn¡¯t cold, merely annoyed.

    Her mission was to find the odd Anomaly that was on Hasnorth. She¡¯d gotten sidetracked by agreeing to help out Trajan and Probus as they engaged their target, trying to drive it away.

    The Blood Trackers she¡¯d brought with her had set about trying to find any trace of the Anomaly that they could. They¡¯d gained reports from intelligence sources that it was supposedly fleeing here to Taprisha. It was most likely to be found here in Potor.

    Unfortunately, it felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

    The closest they¡¯d gotten was suspecting that the Anomaly had transformed into a Titan, and was hiding in the city after killing one of the local Pce Masters. Tracking through Fate had proven useless, and the trail had long since grown cold.

    There was the other matter of the Potor City Lord dying. This had made it extremely inconvenient to gather together the local forces as they fought against each other to decide the new City Lord.

    ¡®Their target is fast approaching the city. It will arrive by tomorrow.¡¯ The man¡¯s report was short. Helena gave him a nod and dismissed him with a wave of her hand. He bowed and then left the roof, vanishing into the night.

    ¡®Arrrgh!¡¯ She stamped her foot in frustration.

    As she did so, the roof of the pce creaked, dozens of meter long cracks spreading out. She looked down at the now copsing roof in surprise and guilt.

    Her form vanished and reappeared atop one of the neighboring pces. Twelve of them were gathered all right next to each other, making for convenient perches.

    She pretended to not see the warrior and Wizards that appeared in half a panic, spreading out around the copsing pce roof. Yells and shouts rang out as swords were drawn and spells cast, trying to find the intruder.

    Her gaze returned to look deep into the distance,pletely unperturbed,

    ¡®My Anomaly¡­ where have you gone¡­? Don¡¯t you want to meet me¡­?¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Time passed, and night swiftly began to turn to day.

    ¡®Your body is ready to transform.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice woke Dorian, the early morning light just now gleaming through his shuttered wooden window.

    He yawned, stretching his tiny wolf pup body. It felt luxurious, his bones cracking and warming up. He hopped off the bed, walking around in the Inn bedroom.

    ¡®Alright, alright.¡¯ He¡¯d made Ausra wait a little extra to warn him, wanting to get some sleep in.

    ¡®Evolve me fully.¡¯ He intended topletely integrate his wolf bloodline.

    ¡®Evolving to Virule-¡®

    ¡®Evolving to Virulent Wolf¡¯s 3r-¡®

    ¡®Evolving to Virulent Wolf¡¯s 4th Growth Stage.¡¯ Three quick messages, two of them partially cut off, all appeared in his mind, as he reached the maximum Growth Stage of the Virulent Wolf, expending a huge amount of energy.

    ¨C

    -Virulent Wolf ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Wolf ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 48,882/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s body expanded, growing to stand two meters in height, and several meters in length. His limbs grew longer, bingnky, and covered in even moreyers of ck fur. His snout elongated, and his ws grew sharper.

    As he grew into this form, he felt a powerful feeling of health appear. As if he would never grow sick again, as if every cell in his body was full of energy.

    As this happened, he felt the Life Elemental energy he¡¯d absorbed the other day seem to flow into his body, melding with it.

    ¡®Your Virulent Wolf form has undergone a mutation, consuming the Life Elemental energy in your body. Evolving to its newer form.¡¯

    ¨C

    -Lesser Life Wolf ¨C Growth Stage: (5/5) Elder Wolf ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 48,882/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®What?¡¯ Dorian replied as his body expanded once more, growing to arger, 2 and a half meters in height. His ck fur was reced with a paler, grey fur. His eyes gained a deep, lustrous green color, and his entire body seemed to take on a slight, white halo.

    The feeling of health seemed to grow even stronger.

    ¡®You have gained the Ability Restore.¡¯

    ¡®Your Ability Restore has evolved into the Ability Constant Regeneration.¡¯

    ¨C

    Ability: Constant Regeneration

    A passive Ability that is found among high-level Life Aspected creatures, as well as Trolls, and other beings with powerful life forces, Constant Regeneration draws energy from thews of the universe to provide a consistent and repeated level of regeneration. This Ability can fully restore lost limbs, heal destructive wounds, and restore damaged organs at a moderate pace, drawing only a small amount of energy from the Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¨C

    ¡®Awesome!¡¯ Dorian grinned, his eyes opened wide. He took a few steps, feeling the strength in this body.

    ¡®Ausra, what ss is a Lesser Life Wolf?¡¯ He asked, pleased. He¡¯d known it was possible for a beast to mutate, but this was the first time he¡¯d experienced it. Eating that Life Element Golden Apple had proven unexpectedly rewarding.

    ¡®The Peak of the Grandmaster ss.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    Dorian shrugged, still pleased. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be a Lord ss, but still. The original Virulent Wolf had maximized its growth at the beginning of the Grandmaster ss. For its new form to reach the Peak of the Grandmaster ss, it was already fantastic.

    ¡®Okay.¡¯ He immediately began to n, continuing as he ordered,

    ¡®Ausra, run simtions on all forms it can merge with. Discard any weak forms, and show the ones with the most merged bloodlines or the strongest.¡¯

    ¡®Acknowledge. Scanning¡­ gathering data¡­ one moment.¡¯ Ausra replied coolly.

    ¡®Complete. I have found three results.¡¯

    ¨C

    -Combining: Titan Bloodline, Human Bloodline, and Lesser Life Wolf Bloodline-

    ¨C

    Lesser Life Werewolf ¨C Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 521

    Ability: Condense, Constant Regeneration

    ¨C

    A previously undiscovered species, Lesser Life Werewolves are a weaker breed rted to the legendary Lord ss Werewolf. While they don¡¯t possess the same gics as the powerful Werewolf race, their racial simrities are undeniable. Containing a powerful form of regeneration and virile strength, these creatures are not to be trifled with. These beasts have powerful physical strength, but maximize their growth at a rtively low level, hampering their potential.

    ¨C

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .

    ¨C

    -Combining: Great ck Bear Bloodline, Lesser Life Wolf Bloodline, and Myyr Dragon Bloodline-

    ¨C

    Undying Green Scaled Bear- Grandmaster ss (Peak)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 922

    Ability: Great Strength, Constant Regeneration, Emerald mes, Long wed Strike

    ¨C

    A previously undiscovered species, Undying Green Scaled Bears are durable and strong, with powerful regenerative abilities. The faint traces of draconic blood gives them ess to the Emerald mes Ability, making them a deadly foe for any encounter. They maximize their growth at the Peak of the Grandmaster ss. The Ability Long wed Strike allows them tounch a long-range attack, making up for their slower speed.

    ¨C

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .

    ¨C

    -Combining: Human Bloodline, Lesser Life Wolf Bloodline, Giant Myyr Dragon Bloodline

    ¨C

    Lesser Throne Demon ¨C Pseudo-Lord ss

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,945

    Ability: Constant Regeneration, Demonic Eyes, Condense

    ¨C

    Lesser Throne Demons are a rare, mutated offshoot of the mostly extinct race of Demons. Talented at Life Aspected Magic, these demonic creatures were extremely difficult to kill, and hold an incredibly virile life force. Throne Demons originally came into existence from experiments on members of the Draconic Race. As a result of this, and the resulting wars with the Draconic Tribe, Throne Demons, and the Demon Race in general, fell to near extinction.

    ¨C

    Dorian looked over the three species listed, his smile growing on each one.

    ¡®Powerful!¡¯ Even the weakest of the three options was at the middle of the Grandmaster ss.

    The more and more creature¡¯s bloodlines he absorbed, the better and stronger evolutions Ausra could calcte.

    The Lesser Life Werewolf sounded interesting, especially the mention of its rtionship to the legendary ¡®Werewolf¡¯ which was a Lord ss bloodline that he¡¯d not seen or heard of yet. The long ranged Ability of the Undying Green Scaled Bear had its perks, and the form, in general, sounded like a powerful tank.

    But what most delighted Dorian was hisst choice. The Lesser Throne Demon.

    With a Maximum Energy Level of 2,945, choosing it would make his soul far stronger! Energy Levels, ording to Ausra, were amon way to understand the total strength of a creature. The more powerful your soul, the faster and stronger a creature typically was.

    A being¡¯s perception of time was tied to the Energy Level of their Soul.

    A Lord ss being would have a Maximum Energy at least at 5,000. His Lesser Throne Demon was already more than halfway to that.

    The Energy Level of a creature itself didn¡¯t decide everything. Being able to infuse thews of the universe into a blow could increase the power behind an attack by a factor of ten, or even more.

    Still, the stronger his physical form got, the easier it would be for him tost and survive in this world.

    Evolving to any hybrid form would cost him a certain amount of energy, and he didn¡¯t want to be wasteful. His choice here, however, was clear.

    ¡®Ausra, Evolve me into the Lesser Throne Demon.¡¯

    .

    .

    Author¡¯s Edits:

    Made a retroactive change that I forgot to put in. When Dorian made his Giant Myyr Dragon hybrid, it should¡¯ve cost him arge amount of energy, ~2,000 points. Went back and changed this.

    ..

 Chapter 51 - Arrival

    Chapter 51: Arrival

    When Dorianbined bloodlines that he¡¯d already fully grown, he would automatically start at the mostplete Growth Stage, as far as he was aware. It would cost him some amount of energy to fuse the bloodlines, but apart from that, he didn¡¯t need time for his soul to adapt, he was ready to go instantly.

    Dorian¡¯s body began to shift, transforming from the Lesser Life Wolf form. His fur changed for slim, gleaming scales colored a faded green shade. His body shifted and expanded, turning into a bipedal, vaguely humanoid creature. His face became one that was vaguely draconic, with two small horns sticking out of his head. A sharp set of small spikes moved up and down his spine, protruding slightly.

    Thick, but dense, muscles bulged in his arms, giving him a powerful appearance. His wolf paws transformed into scaled hands, ending in short, pointed ws.

    ¡°Ahh.¡± Dorian breathed out, his scaled face flush.

    ¨C

    ¨C Lesser Throne Demon ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Throne Elder ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 45,602/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    He¡¯d used up about 3,000 growth energy points to merge the bloodlines for this form. He paused for a moment, bringing up his status.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Grandmaster ss (Pseudo-Lord)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 2,945/2,945

    ¨C

    He nced over it, nodding in satisfaction. His soul had grown stronger yet again. As he did so, a mental notification popped up inside his mind.

    ¨C

    ¨C New Ability Gained ¨C

    Ability: Demonic Eyes (2/2)

    Description: A passive Ability unique to members of the Demonic Race. Demons have the ability to see through illusions and to see when there is little or no light. In addition, members of the Demon Race have enhanced vision that allows them to see great distances, and have increased visual acuity. This Ability grows in mastery.

    ¨C

    ¡°Oh?¡± He said aloud as he finished reading over the ability. He tested it, staring at his scaled hand. He moved his hand from side to side, at a fast speed.

    Every single movement his hand made was in perfect detail in his eyes, unable to escape his vision.

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± As he was looking this over, Ausra spoke up in Dorian¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Certain Abilities will sometimes have unique interactions in certain forms. In your Lesser Throne Demon form, the ¡®Condense¡¯ Ability does not function like it normally does.¡¯ Ausra gave him a warning.

    Dorian listened, waiting. Ausra didn¡¯t say anything else. He rolled his eyes.

    ¡®And?¡¯ He mentallymanded her to exin.

    ¡®Lesser Throne Demons have the ability to give off a Life Aura. It is simr to the Aura a Lord ss being can give off, except instead of an Aura created through thews of the universe, it is an Aura formed from thetent Life Energy in a Lesser Throne Demon. It has no offensive capabilities, and will feel slightly off whenpared to actual Lord ss Auras.¡¯

    Dorian listened to what she said and then turned his focus inward. Over the past several weeks, Dorian had gained an almostplete control and awareness of every aspect of his body as he switched forms.

    As he focused on his body, he could feel a powerful energy flowing through the veins of his current form. Full of furious, powerful vibrancy, painting an image of colorful explosive light in his mind.

    It was very simr to the Life elemental energy he had absorbed from before, but this time it waspletely under his control. He felt as if he could move this energy anywhere within his body,bining it with his Constant Regeneration for a powerful effect.

    ¡°I see,¡± He began, practicing moving the energy in his body around, ¡°So what happens if I Condense it?¡±

    ¡®The Life Energy in your body will start tobust at an extremely fast rate. At the same time, it will temporarily boost your physical strength, perception of time, and durability by veryrge amounts.¡¯

    ¡°Ohh, I like the sound of that. So it¡¯s like my regr Condense, but an upgraded version of it that only works if I have Life Energy flowing through my body. What is the downside?¡± He queried.

    ¡®The Life Energy of a normal Lesser Throne Demon is not unlimited. Condensing burns that Life Energy up and puts an enormous strain on the body, badly damaging the gic makeup of the Demon. This normally takes weeks or even months to repair, even with their powerful regenerative capabilities.¡¯ Ausra began,

    ¡®However, with your unique Soul Spell Matrix, gic damage is easily repairable as long as you switch forms. Most of the normal damage and injuries you take will remain consistent through transformations, due to the unavoidablews of the universe.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®Your Soul Spell Matrix can nullify any gic damage, allowing you to sidestep this downside, though it will cost some amount of energy points.¡¯

    ¡°Not bad.¡± He could deal with that.

    He began to walk around his room, getting used to his new form. He stood just under 2 meters tall, not an intimidating size at all. His entire body was covered with small grayish-green scales, sleek and gleaming.

    He put on a set of loose ck pants and a grey shirt, figuring he¡¯d blend in more if he wore clothes.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He could speak like normal. He felt at the two small horns on his head and then shrugged.

    He hadn¡¯t met anyone that was a member of the Demon race, he hadn¡¯t even heard or read anything about them. However, with how many races existed that he¡¯d seen so far, he figured he wouldn¡¯t stand out too much. He didn¡¯t look too different from some of the Lizardmen he¡¯d seen in the city.

    He was probably fine, he thought, nodding his head as he went over his new form. He was d he¡¯d picked the Virulent Wolf, and gained so much from its subsequent transformations. His second choice, the Fire Imp, would have been a powerful aid, but how could itpare to his Lesser Throne Demon evolution?

    Sure, Fire Imps were extremely resistant to heat and other aspects of Fire or me Magic, but what were the odds that he would have immediately been able to put that form to good use right after picking it? It could wait a day.

    Just as he was thinking this, a rumbling explosion shook the air, very far from Dorian.

    BOOM

    A huge shockwave blew open his wooden shudders, almost stunning him as he turned around. He leaned his body to the left, watching the wooden shutters fly past him.

    He jumped up to the window, looking out up at the sky.

    Around half a dozen miles from the city wall, a vast ball of fire could be seen, expanding in a gargantuan explosion that was at least two miles wide. Brilliant orange light emerged from this st, violent gusts of wind mming into the city.

    Bright beams of fire seemed to shoot straight up into the air from the meteor of me, giving off an even more brilliant light.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s the end of the world!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    In the background, the screams and yells of people in the street echoed as panic set in. Pedestrians rushed into each other as they fled in the direction opposite the explosion, merchants abandoning their wares, Wizards casting spells to protect themselves or aid them in fleeing.

    Dorian, meanwhile, just stared at the deadly meteor, the biggest he had ever seen in his life.

    ¡°What the-?¡±

    Before he could finish the thought, a painfully loud voice echoed across the city, a fierce, mighty yell.

    ¡°MY DEAR BROTHER, I HAVE COME TO GREET YOU!¡±

    ¡°PLEASE COME OUT, LEST I BURN THIS CITY ANEW!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Damn.¡± Helena, a powerful vampire sent by Highlord Marcus to track down Dorian, stared up at the massive fireball that had appeared to the west of the city, biting her bottom lip. She winced as she heard several harsh, Draconic sybles shake through the air, indecipherable unless one spoke Draconic.

    She had been pacing back and forth on the western city wall, waiting for herrades. They were supposed to arrive shortly, ording to one of her Blood Wizards.

    ¡°Gordon. Where are Trajan and Probus?¡± She asked her gaunt Wizard underling, turning her eyes to the left. Several of her men, well, technically General Carus¡¯ men that she had borrowed, stood there at attention, waiting for her orders. Her Blood Trackers weren¡¯t present, still out hunting for traces of their Anomaly in the city.

    ¡°Lady Helena. They should arrive shortly. They did not give a specific time.¡± The Wizard Gordon stepped forward, his voice apologetic.

    Meanwhile, the massive, two miles wide ball of fire began to shoot towards the city, giving off an unholy amount of heat.

    Helena moved her eyes past the iing fireball.

    In the distance, she could make out a roughly 50 meters long dragon, glowing with orange light. Faint trails of fire fled from its wings as it soared. These same orange mes seemed to sheath its entire body, like a warm,fortable nket.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± She stamped her foot down in anger, but at thest second caught herself, freezing before it could make contact. She remembered when she identally caused the 6th Pce of Potor City to cave in, destroying its central roof.

    She¡¯d managed to me it on the Anomaly they were chasing, saving the Aurelius Family some face after her subordinates met with all the Pce Masters, trying to gather intel.

    Several hurried movements caught her eye as she stood frozen.

    She looked up, staring at her subordinates.

    All of them had jumped backwards several meters, one of the Wizards even going so far as to begin to cast a defensive spell. They looked palefaced and fearful, watching her every movement.

    She gave them an annoyed re and then turned her attention to the fireball that was two-thirds of the way to the city.

    ¡°It¡¯s King ss, and a true, powerful King ss. Gordon, send word to Trajan and Probus that they need to get here as soon as possible.¡± A powerful Aura began to gather around her as she spoke, her words containing pure authority. This Aura gave off a sense of martial might, of physical prowess that could not be stopped.

    ¡°I will engage it for as long as I can. There are too many innocents here.¡±

    Helena leapt up into the air, sailing through till shended on the ground, three hundred meters away from the city walls. The air around her turned a strange red color, her Aura seeping outwards as she red at the miles wide fireball bearing down on her.

    It was like a giant meteor, obliterating everything in its path. The ground in front of her seemed to melt away as the huge star of me roasted by.

    Helena sped her hands together,

    ¡°Impact Magic: Royal Impact Series Number Six.¡± Her eyes glowed a brilliant white shade as she squared up, shifting her body slightly to the side. She pulled her right arm back. As she did so, two circles of white light formed in the air, one about two meters across, and the other three meters across, surrounding the first one. Muscles began to bulge and swell on her arms.

    ¡°Grand Meteor Impact.¡± She punched forward.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide as he heard the message, instantly understanding what was happening. He jumped out his window and pulled himself onto the roof, readying himself to run away.

    ¡®This must be the Eleventhborn that Mello mentioned. How did he find me?!¡¯ He frowned, his mind racing as a sense of danger overwhelmed him.

    Before he could think any further, another shockwave almost knocked him off his feet.

    Before his eyes, the massive fireball that had been bearing down on the city abruptly split and fell apart, arge hole drilling through the center of it. Stray blobs of fire shot in all directions, raining down upon the ground outside Potor City for miles. A few of the higher set balls of fire rained down in the city, setting several residences on fire.

    The entire horizon had transformed into a massive, zing storm of fire, stretching for miles. The raw heat of the ze washed over the city, smothering everyone.

    Thousands of Wizards in the city began casting spells, designed to protect themselves, their charges, and their homes. Every man fought for himself, the situation devolving into a chaotic one.

    Without a City Lord to cement leadership, the defense ns of the city rapidly fell apart.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Dorian stared at the apocalyptic scene in horror. This level of power¡­ this was ridiculous. How could one being be this powerful?

    ¡®Think, Dorian. Think.¡¯ He forced himself to calm down, analyzing the situation.

    A member of the Flock was here, and it was able to trace him. If he stayed in the city, it would keep attacking and ughter thousands. Someone had just blocked its attack, but was unable to stop it entirely. Still, they were able to put up a fight.

    ¡®Think. I need to survive this.¡¯

    The Flock member wanted to meet him. As his mind raced ahead of him, a rough n gradually began to form. He needed more information to be sure it would work¡­ but it was better than nothing.

    He opened his eyes, a determined look in them.

    ¡®Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡¯ He leapt away from the roof, headed towards the origin of the firestorm without a shred of hesitation.

 Chapter 52 - Interlude/Side Chapter: Lost letters and found poetry

    Chapter 52: Interlude/Side Chapter: Lost letters and found poetry

    ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C

    Excerpt from the Written Poetry of the Anomalous Anomaly, year unknown.

    ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C

    ¨C

    A Dancing Fox, A New Dawn

    ¨C

    Sunlight beckons, a new dawn¡¯s day,

    Chasing away the dark night¡¯s grey.

    .

    Proud hills and white forests covered the eye,

    A frozen world beneath a bold blue sky.

    .

    In this new dawn, there danced a white fox,

    In glittering snow, and ice, and frost.

    .

    From tree to tree, from hill to hill,

    The fox danced wherever she will.

    .

    Come dawn,e noon, the fox yet spun,

    A dance of joy, a dance of fun.

    .

    Now marches on, the evening¡¯s dark,

    Does that free dance yet fall apart?

    .

    Nay, that white fox dances true,

    From dawn to dusk, she begins anew.

    .

    And as the light yet fades to grey,

    That fox prepares a new dawn¡¯s day.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C

    Excerpt from assorted letters found in the ruins of the World Sealed From Time, author unknown.

    ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C ¡ª¨C

    ¨C

    Life

    ¨C

    Life is pretty rough, not always fair and not always fun,

    Remember, my friend, that after darkness doese the Sun.

    .

    Look not to the darkness, send your eyes to the sky,

    Best friend, smile, and think, the adventures we will fly!

    .

    For yes life can be rough, but it can also be great,

    The mystery, the wonder, don¡¯t tarry or bete!

    .

    Dance with a smile, spin with a grin,

    Fight off the sad, know you will win!

    .

    I¡¯ve got faith in you, shrimp, you¡¯re a trooper, you are,

    Things have been rough, but I know you¡¯ll make it quite far.

    .

    So yes, fickle life, is it a dream or a curse?

    Let the light in you grow, happy feelings do nurse!

 Chapter 53 - Meeting

    Chapter 53: Meeting

    Note: There appears to be some sort of Mobile bug some readers are getting that makes chapters not have paragraph spacing. I¡¯m not sure exactly what is happening, but there isn¡¯t any way for me to fix this. I¡¯m sorry to any readers experiencing it!

    ¡ª

    ¡°Oho? What¡¯s this? My first fire was broken?¡±

    ¡°Not bad, fair maiden. My respect, you¡¯ve earned a token!¡±

    ¡°But wisdom is what I seek, like these words I do share!¡±

    ¡°Please, share your knowledge on perfection, without a care!¡±

    The dragon¡¯s words echoed in her ears, this time in anguage she understood.

    Helena grit her teeth, her arms held up in a guard position as the massive, orange dragonnded on the ground in front of her, a long trail of mes searing the air behind it. Its head turned to focus down on her, at a slight angle. Its form seemed almost incorporeal, a mixture of energy, mes, and flesh that was almost indistinguishable.

    Not only that, the air around it vibrated with a raw sense of almighty power. The Aura of a King ss beast.

    The Lord ss and the King ss. The two levels were both insanely strong, inparison to weaker creatures.

    But between the two sses, there lied an incredible gap.

    A Lord ss being was one that had gained enough of an understanding of thews of the universe to imbue at least one Law into their Aura.

    Helena had gained an understanding of the Law of Might. A Universal Law that focused entirely on massive strength, on achieving the ultimate source of power, by imbuing one¡¯s attacks with the very essence of Might.

    She studied Impact Magic, one of the three Great Physical Magics, apart from Sundering Magic and Piercing Magic. She had gained her understanding of the Law of Might from her studies and from livebat.

    She was a powerful vampire that had trained her body to the very limit, practicing 14 hours every single day against countless powerful opponents and foes.

    As a child, she was hailed as a genius, a prodigy without equal in terms of physical prowess.

    She¡¯d trained every single day of her life for the past 47 years, a young age for a vampire, with a singr goal in mind.

    To be strong enough to fight for her hero, Highlord Marcus. A man who¡¯d sacrificed everything to protect her, and her Family.

    She was a powerful, Pseudo-King ss Wizard and warrior, with the elite Aurelius Family blood running through her veins.

    And as she stood looking up at the ephemeral face of the dragon before her, she truly realized the difference between the Lord ss and the King ss.

    Achieving the Lord ss merely required one to be able to imbue thews of the universe into one¡¯s attacks. In Helena¡¯s case, the Law of Might. Her understanding had reached a point where she could borrow certain aspects and energy from this Universal Law, integrating it into her attacks. The more she practiced, the stronger her soul would grow, and the stronger her Energy Level would be.

    Achieving the King ss was a little different.

    Instead of just being able to borrow strength from a Law¡­

    One had topletely master it.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®With the Demonic Eyes Ability, my scanning capacity has been greatly enhanced. Scanning the creatures before you now¡­¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in Dorian¡¯s head.

    Before Dorian stood a female vampire, with rather muscr arms, wearing a slim, tight fitting ck dress. She had short, ck hair, and the air around her seemed to distort slightly, a hazy red aura surrounding her.

    Not too far away from her was a giant, several meters tall dragon, dwarfing the small vampire fighter. The dragon had bright, orange scales and was covered in writhing mes. The air around the leviathan seemed to be on fire as well, a strange Aura covering it.

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 98,235

    ¨C

    Species: Transcendent me Dragon

    ss ¨C King ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 847,395

    ¨C

    ¡°Oh my god, are you freakin¡¯ kidding me?!¡± Dorian¡¯s mouth fell down in shock as he stared at the energy figures.

    He had just been celebrating reaching an Energy Level of almost 3,000.

    Yet even the weakest of the fighters before him had an incredible Energy Level of almost 100,000.

    And the evenrger dragon had a mind-boggling Energy Level approaching 850,000.

    He was standing on the western wall of the city, breathing slightly hard from exertion. Aftering up with a general n, he had dashed in the direction of the fireball, moving as fast as he could. The entire city was thrown into chaos at the moment, and no one paid attention to a slim, scaled humanoid running across the city.

    In his Lesser Throne Demon form, jumping from house to house continuously was no problem. he was far faster and more agile than he was in his Giant Myyr Dragon form, though he missed the wings he¡¯d used for gliding.

    It had taken him only a brief period of time to cross the miles wide city and arrive at the wall.

    The guards and fighters that normally patrolled the wall had long since fled, as had most of the wizards in the face of the seemingly unblockable attack. It made it rather convenient for him to stand here, though, so he wasn¡¯tining.

    ¡°Woah!¡± A rippling explosion tore through the air as, a few hundred meters from Dorian, the female vampire warrior began to engage the dragon.

    Even with his vastly enhanced visual acuity and enhanced body, Dorian could only just barely make out the movements of the warrior. She moved incredibly quickly, in extremely fast bursts, unleashing a deluge of blows towards the huge dragon.

    Every time she punched forward, two glowing white circles would appear, near her arms.

    Dorian couldn¡¯t actually see anything leave her hand as she punched, but he could sense and hear the shockwaves created from each attack. A dozenrge craters soon formed in the ground, dirt and rock exploding outward up into the air.

    Blow after blow rained down upon the dragon, colliding with theyer of mes protecting it. Several of these punches actually forced the drake back several meters.

    A deep, thundering voice rang out,

    ¡°Your strength is good, it¡¯s true, but its perfection iscking.¡±

    ¡°Allow me to show you true fire, embers that are cracking!¡±

    The mighty dragon pped itsrge wings, causing it to soar backwards thirty meters. As it did so, its chest heaved.

    The air shook for the briefest instant.

    A momentter, a pure, white beam of light bast forth from the dragon¡¯s mouth. This beam was at least three meters across, and shot forward at a blurringly fast speed.

    The female vampire, meanwhile, seemed to have guessed the dragon¡¯s intent, and had dodged to the left just in time before it unleashed its attack. The beam moved so quickly that by the time Dorian was able to register its existence, it had already passed.

    It mmed into the ground, melting through rock and stone, and pierced through the entire, roughly 80 miles wide teau that housed Potor City. A long, smooth tunnel of melted rock and air formed,pletely seared through. The female vampire was sent tumbling through the air before stopping herself, turning to face the dragon.

    ¡°Hahaha, my beam fire is strong, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Created from my study of me, it is quite hot!¡±

    The dragon¡¯s odd, rhyming way of speaking washed over Dorian as it paused, looking at the vampire expectantly, as if waiting for something.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Just a few moments earlier:

    Helena¡¯s chest heaved, her entire body trembling. Every single sense in her was yelling at her to scream, to run away. That if she stayed, only certain death was left for her.

    It was the same feeling she got when she had faced General Carus.

    ¡®You can do this! You need to!¡¯ Her inner voice rang out as she forced herself to dodge to the side, to keep moving and not let the dragon lock on to her.

    It was extremely powerful, yes, but it was a known fact that therger you were, the harder it was to move fast or agilely. Her small, lithe form gave her a big advantage in terms of pure, raw speed.

    She knew, right here and now, that she needed to stop this dragon for as long as possible. If she didn¡¯t, it would almost certainly continue its attack on the city.

    ¡®Should I go lower in the Royal Series?¡¯ She thought, her mind perturbed.

    The Royal Impact Series was a series of spells created by the forefather of Impact Magic, Immanuel Hope. Each number in the series was a unique and powerful spell that carried massive amounts of force.

    ¡®No.¡¯ She shook her head. Grand Meteor, the 6th Impact, was already her limit. Her arms were already throbbing from having unleashed it, and half a dozen other Impact Spells.

    As she was thinking this, the giant dragon spoke aloud,

    ¡°Your strength is good, its true, but its perfection iscking.¡±

    ¡°Allow me to show you true fire, embers that are cracking!¡±

    Its head zeroed in directly on her as it leapt backwards, its great wings fluttering. It began to raise its chest and head.

    As it did so, the sixth sense that Helena had trained from over 40 years of practice andbat came into y. A deepset premonition overtook her.

    DEATH

    If she did not move now, she would die.

    ¡°Impact Magic: Royal Impact Series Twelve.¡± She cast a spell that she had already stored up the energy for, able to release it with a single thought.

    ¡°World Waterfall Impact.¡±

    The force of a vast, miles wide waterfall concentrated just to her right as she let the spell loose. Immediately, her body jerked in the opposite direction, a sonic boom echoing out as she forcibly dodged, moving almost instantaneously. Several of her ribs cracked at the impact, unable to bear the blow.

    Not a split secondter, a blinding beam of light shot into where she¡¯d been standing.

    A virtual wave of heat washed over Helena, melting through her innate barrier. She felt her skin burn as she covered her eyes, protecting herself.

    THUD

    Her body rolled and tumbled on the ground, sliding for a good dozen meters before she managed to smash her right leg down, nting it a foot deep into the earth, stopping herself. She coughed up blood as she forcibly hauled herself to her feet, her eyes watering.

    ¡®Crap.¡¯ Her injuries were severe. Her entire body had been burned, the flesh seared red. She¡¯d protected her eyes, but her arms, legs, and torso were in constant pain. She almost fainted at the agony, but forced herself to stand, raising her hands in a guarded position.

    A snarl appeared on her face as a crazed light appeared in her eyes.

    If she was to die, then she should give it everything she had, even her life. She would not fail the Highlord.

    ¡°Hahaha, my beam fire is strong, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Created from my study of me, it is quite hot!¡±

    The dragon spoke yet again, its voice deep and powerful. Helena listened to the words, and then shook her head angrily. It sounded like it was mocking her struggles against its vast, overwhelming strength.

    As she looked up at its arrogant, draconic face standing far overhead, she made a mental decision.

    Her body was currently trying to shut down, the severe damage she¡¯d suffered almost fatal. The situation looked hopeless.

    She would need to give everything she had.

    ¡°Impact Magic: Royal Impact Series Number 3.¡± Her hands shook as she sped them together, preparing to unleash a spell she knew her body couldn¡¯t survive.

    Energy began to gather in her arms as she readied herself.

    Before she could fully cast the spell, prepared to sacrifice her life and perish, another voice yelled out, full of cool confidence.

    ¡°Ho, my fellow brother! Fair tidings to thee!¡±

    ¡°Your mes contain powerful might, I do there see!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian¡¯s voice echoed as he finished yelling and walked up to the side of the city wall.

    He clenched his fists nervously as he jumped through the air,nding down hard on the ground outside the city wall. He cleared his throat, almost tripping as he did so. The ground near the city wall was cluttered with rocks and debris.

    The air here was almost unbearable, the ungodly heat washing over him like magma slogging off a volcano. He felt his entire body seem to shrink together, his scales merging to shrug off the heat.

    The hulking brute of a dragon turned its attention away from the female vampire, its head cocking to the side as it looked at Dorian¡¯s diminutive figure. Dorian felt that a simr innate connection he had felt with Melloing off of the dragon before him, though one that felt very slightly different.

    ¡°Ah hello! Greetings fellow brother!¡± The dragon¡¯s massive figure shook, the powerfulyers of me around it expanding slightly. Abruptly it began to transform, shrinking inward.

    In just a scant moment, its massive, 50 meters long form shrank to a much smaller, 8 and a half meters long form, only around fourish meters high. About the same size as Dorian¡¯s regr Myyr Dragon form.

    The hazy Aura of orange fire stayed around it, however, giving off a feeling of raw, dominating power.

    ¡°I¡¯ll shrink, lest my mes do smother.¡± The dragon¡¯s voice was higher pitched now as it flew forward,nding a half dozen or so meters from Dorian. It continued its rhyming speech, not giving him a chance to respond,

    ¡°I¡¯vee with a question, fair brother, to ask.¡±

    ¡°Wisdom I do seek, a most difficult task.¡±

    ¡°We search and journey for perfection, to achieve the unachievable.¡±

    ¡°But what is perfection? I look to conceive the inconceivable.¡±

    The dragon¡¯s head nodded as it paused, its eyes growing distant.

    Dorian stayed focused on it every movement, listening to every word its spoke. His n was growing more and more solid as his understanding of the dragon grew.

    The Eleventhborn continued, his words growing louder and louder. Every line he said conveyed a certain degree of power, authority, and importance, as if they held incredible meaning and passion.

    ¡°In my short life, I¡¯ve heard certain words of wisdom.¡±

    ¡°That perfection is in fire, conveyed deeply with rhythm.¡±

    ¡°So I ask you, to now, speak words in return.¡±

    ¡°Is perfection found in that which must burn?¡±

 Chapter 54 - Giving Aid

    Chapter 54: Giving Aid

    Important Note:

    I might take a break Friday, and not post a chapter.

    Over the past month, I¡¯ve written an average of 4,000 words a day, every day ? An achievement I¡¯m proud of, for managing to work in so much time to expand my story. But also one that has, admittedly, been a bit tiring and taken its toll.

    So, if there is no chapter on Friday, don¡¯t be surprised! (putting this here at the top so people will see it).

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    The dragon¡¯s voice was great and terrible in Dorian¡¯s ears, containing a majestic air that could not be mimicked. It looked at him, its eyes full of expectation.

    Dorian kept his cool, a small smile appearing on his face. A peaceful, white Aura began to spread out from him as he focused on the Life Energy running in his veins, activating its fake Aura. He needed to remain calm.

    ¡°Words of wisdom you ask for, and words of wisdom I will share.¡± He began, mimicking the poetic phrasing the Eleventhborn used.

    ¡°Hear as I speak to you, my fellow flock member, with care.¡± His rhyme was simr to one the dragon had said, catching its attention.

    The dragon gave him a quiet nod, its legs settling down as it waited. The entire situation felt incredibly surreal to Dorian, but he didn¡¯t let himself slip up.

    This dragon only spoke in poems. It appeared to have some sort of fixation on rhythm and rhyme. He¡¯d instantly made the decision to speak back in rhyme, figuring it would put him on good terms. As he¡¯d realized this, and listened to the question the Eleventhborn had asked of him, an old, worn poem from Earth came to mind.

    His voice full of confidence, Dorian began to speak,

    ¡°Some say the world will end in fire,

    Some say in ice.

    From what I¡¯ve tasted of desire

    I hold with those who favor fire.

    But if it had to perish twice,

    I think I know enough of hate

    To say that for destruction ice

    Is also great

    And would suffice.¡±

    It was a poem by the great wordsmith Robert Frost from Earth, one that had stuck with Dorian from a college literature ss. He spoke confidently, giving the words a smooth flow, his sole goal to make the dragon to calm down, and stop unleashing its fiery attacks.

    The dragon stared at Dorian, its eyes opened wide. It stood absolutely still, unmoving as its mind went over the words he shared.

    The pulsing Life Aura Dorian had unleashed gave his words an almost mystic feel, giving them more impact than they would otherwise.

    A tense moment passed as the dragon stayed still, unmoving.

    A few seconds after, just as the moment was fading, something unexpected happened.

    It started to rain.

    Dorian blinked, keeping his focus locked on the dragon in front of him. Water dripped down his scaled face and body, soaking his arms.

    The Eleventhborn turned its head up towards the sky, staring at the vast clouds that had appeared out of nowhere.

    As the rain fell, a small, glowing blue light covered the trembling form of the badly injured female vampire off to Dorian¡¯s left.

    The dragon in front of Dorian seemed to smile as it turned its head back towards him.

    ¡°Young brother, I must give word to say.¡±

    ¡°It seems some rats havee out to y.¡±

    ¡°The words you¡¯ve shared have touched my heart.¡±

    ¡°But then for now, we must step apart.¡±

    The dragon leapt backwards, its wings unfolding as its body size expanded, back to its huge, 50 meter long form. Orange mes flew from its wings, the ever-present heat around it forming a small inferno.

    A split secondter, a weird echo rang out. Dorian clutched at his ears, looking around as he jumped backwards, stumbling to the ground.

    His vision wavered, everything around him starting to look rather¡­ odd. He put his scaled hands on the ground, forcibly making himself shake off the disorientation.

    He looked up to see a madhouse.

    The rain that had started falling now seemed to be falling in hundreds of different directions. The water swirled as it moved chaotically, forming into gargantuan streams that moved in strange, ever-shifting patterns.

    Before Dorian¡¯s eyes even the simple color of the rain began to change. Brilliant greens, deep blues, dark reds, and ascending yellows, a myriad of colors exploded forth, each one seeking to outdo the other.

    And, all as one, these streams of water began tosh out at the Eleventhborn.

    ¡°More people havee to defend the city?¡± He observed, his eyes scanning the environment.

    It took him only a brief moment to spot a duo of vampires that had appeared next to the injured female vampire.

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 101,535

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 105,908

    ¨C

    ¡°Two more strong ones.¡± He muttered softly. One of them was dressed in a set of slim robes and had a small wand in his hand. He appeared to be directing the streams of water, magical energy flowing off him in waves.

    The other was a warrior wearing slim, ck armor that clung to him tightly, with long brown hair tied up in a bun. His hand was raised above his shoulder, holding on to the hilt of a long, gleaming de.

    Right now, with his level of strength, there was no way he could interfere in a fight.

    The Maximum Energy Level of a being was highly corrted with the overall power that being held. It was a direct measure of the Soul and Soul Spell Matrix. The stronger one¡¯s Soul was, the more powerful their physique, perception of time, or Abilities would be.

    Therefore, he shrugged, and skipped about 100 meters off to the side before sitting down on the ground, and waiting, analyzing everything.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Trajan how much longer can your Chaos Rain keep it trapped.¡± Probus asked, his eyes narrowing as he stared at their target.

    ¡°Approxima-¡± Trajan began, his eyes glowing. He was immediately cut off.

    ROAAAAAR

    The colorful streams of rain exploded into clouds of steam as several spouts of orange fire shot out, shooting into the sky.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re pathetic, nevermind.¡± Probus shrugged, stepping forward. As he did so, an Aura began to form around him, faint gray light appearing. His entire physical form seemed to be¡­ sharper, as if he could split a mountain with a light touch.

    ¡°Listen here you little shi-¡± Trajan began, his eyes sparking.

    Before he could finish, Probus jumped up into the air, his body soaring towards the huge, flying dragon. The grey light that surrounded him began to grow more concentrated, causing the air around him to shimmer.

    ¡°You moron! Rain Magic: Time Chained Torrent!¡± The Wizard yelled at Probus and cast a spell simultaneously, causing all the normal rain that was still falling to abruptly begin to fall in slow motion.

    Everything that the rain touched began to slow down, the physical movements visually slowing.

    Debris or rocks that were still falling from the arms of water that Trajan had spawned floated slowly downward, almost hanging in the air. The torrents of fire looked incredibly odd as their movements slowed to a crawl.

    Probus was unaffected, the Wizard taking great care to exclude him. Despite the show they put on, they both moved with confidence and familiarity, signs of long practice together.

    The massive dragon looked at the rain with curiosity, watching as it fell and touched him. Immediately its body began to slow, though only slightly, the mes that covered it dimming just the slightest bit.

    Still, it was enough for Probus.

    ¡°I am a simple man¡­¡± His eyes began to gloss over as he stared at the beast.

    ¡°I see a lizard¡­ I cut. I see a slimy bastard¡­ I cut.¡± The air around the hand clutching the hilt of his sword on his back began to tremble.

    ¡°I see a dragon¡­¡± His words carried a sense of finality.

    ¡°I cut.¡±

    WHOOSH

    Without uttering a spell of any sort, Probus¡¯ arm whipped forward, moving so quickly the air he disced with his arm¡¯s movement created a small sonic boom.

    He put his full strength into this attack. This, right here, was the target they were to hunt down. A powerful, irrational King ss dragon that had killed or maimed several members of the Aurelius Family, and spread a massive amount of destruction.

    He held back nothing.

    After all, what kind of idiot would wait till thest second to go all out?

    Such a mentality would lead to an early death.

    A nearly invisible de of light shot forth, splitting the air. This de moved without making a sound, cutting through the slowed raindrops in an almost mystic fashion.

    It seemed to move slow¡­ but at the same time, incredibly fast.

    The near-invisible de of light mmed into the massive dragon before it had time to react.

    BOOM

    KSSHHHH

    Probusnded on the ground hard, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the result, displeased.

    The giant Transcendent me Dragon and been knocked backwards nearly 600 meters. A huge, gaping wound could be seen, spurting red blood drawn from its right shoulder down to its left leg.

    A long, stretching crater could be seen in the ground, the power from Probus¡¯ sh slicing apart and incinerating any rock or stone it came into contact with. Dust and random rocks could be seen, shooting into the air in slow motion under the effect of Trajan¡¯s spell.

    ¡°It took your full strength sh.¡± Trajan appeared next to Probus, several glowing blue shields shimmering in the air in front of him.

    ¡°It took my full strength sh.¡± Probus nodded in agreement, his voice carrying a tinge of disappointment. He¡¯d imbued his attack with everything he¡¯d gained in his studies of the Law of Cutting, one of the more abstruse,plexws.

    There were very few things he could not cut in half.

    The sheer physical durability of that dragon was on another level.

    ¡°GOOD SLASH, YOUNG WARRIOR. I COMMEND THY COURAGE.¡±

    ¡°BUT NOW, MEET PERFECTION, LET MY FIRES FLOURISH!¡±

    The voice of the Anomaly rang out, sting into their ears as it shook off the remnants of Probus¡¯ sh, fires swarming around it once more. Gradually, above its head, a massive orb of fire was starting to form, growing and expanding. Deep, orange and red mes blurred together in a massive mixture, giving off an ungodly amount of heat.

    ¡°This is going to get ugly.¡± Probus¡¯ voice waspletely serious as he reced his de on his back, blinking slowly.

    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Trajan stared at the attack, palefaced with a horrifying realization,

    ¡°Think of what this will do to the environment!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian mentally cursed his good nature as he ran towards the downed female vampire warrior. Why couldn¡¯t he have been born a shameless, evil viin?

    Helping her would be dangerous and could get him killed.

    But even so¡­ he couldn¡¯t just leave her to die. Not when the reason all of this was happening was because of him.

    Off to the side, the two vampires had rushed forward to engage the dragon as it was in the midst of creating another massive fireball. They suffered no time for distraction, putting their full focus on the dragon they were facing.

    He had already witnessed their incredible strength. That single sh from the sword wielding vampire had carved out a huge crevice in the earth itself, and moved faster than Dorian was physically capable of seeing at his current level.

    His mind raced ahead of him as he began to adapt his n.

    When the two parties were engaging, and the reason why Dorian was rushing over, he had noticed the female vampire had fallen over from the corner of his eyesight, blood spurting from her mouth.

    Her copsed form had gone unnoticed by herrades as they engaged the Eleventhborn, intent on stopping it.

    ¡°If only I managed to convince it to stop fighting then¡­¡± He muttered, swearing mentally.

    At the least, he¡¯d managed to talk to it. Their attack on the dragon had happened at a bad time.

    Though, perhaps from the dragon¡¯s perspective, it had happened at an opportune time. It seemed to be on some sort of mad quest to show off its ideal of perfection, or to gain wisdom from others on what perfection was.

    His body heaved with exertion from the instantaneous sprint as he mmed down,nding next to the body of the vampire warrior.

    Now that he was up close, Dorian saw her injuries in person. He had to force himself not to gag.

    Her entire body waspletely seared, save for a few spots on her face and eyes. Her slim, ck dress had mostly melted off, disintegrating, and long, horrifying burns covered every inch of her. A light blue aura hovered around her, giving off a cool feeling.

    ¡®Ausra! What exactly is wrong with her?¡¯ He had once aided William in healing from a fatal injury by giving up some blood from one of his draconic forms. There might be some way he could help heal this injured vampire, if he knew more about her wounds.

    Vampires had a powerful ability to regenerate. Even if she was badly burned like this, she should still be able to heal from it. Her wounds must be far worse than was visible.

    The only reason she got so badly wounded was because of him, and her brave sacrifice in protecting the city.

    If he hadn¡¯t stayed here in a popted city, this never would have happened. This was his fault. He clenched his fists at the realization, tossing the thought to the side for now.

    ¡®She has suffered multiple degree burns on roughly 88% of her body. Her internal organs have started to fail, the extreme damage she has suffered beginning to overwhelm her natural regenerative process. She appears to have consumed multiple healing medicines in an attempt to heal the injuries, but has only managed to stave them off.¡¯

    Ausra continued,

    ¡®Some type of restorative water-based spell has been applied to her. However, the burns she¡¯s suffered seem to carry the power of Law within them, and are not ones that can be easily healed.¡¯

    ¡®Is there anything I can do?¡¯ Dorian queried, staring at the shivering body of the dying vampire.

    Ausra was silent for a moment.

    ¡®There is a possibility¡­¡¯ Ausra began, taking another moment as if calcting.

    ¡®Yes?¡¯ Dorian urged.

    ¡®The Fire Element Golden Apple you obtained has the condensed energy of the Universal Law of Fire within it. If you eat it now, absorbing its energy, you may also be able to draw in the remnants of Law energy in the female vampire¡¯s wounds. With the Life Energy in your Lesser Life Demon form as a counterweight, it¡¯s possible you could pull out the Fire Energy and allow her to survive.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®The Life Elemental energy from the Life Element Golden Apple has already been absorbed and transformed to your own energy. You should be safe to absorb the remaining natural treasure.¡¯

    Dorian blinked, his mind racing.

    This was an absolutely awful time to sit down and absorb a rare and powerful natural treasure. He had no idea how the Eleventhborn would react, or the vampires that were now engaging it.

    But it seemed there was no other way to save her unless he was willing to take this risk.

    He looked down at the shivering form of the female vampire, watching her wheeze and cough, her tiny body shaking.

    He sighed, feeling tired.

    It was the right thing to do.

    Without hesitation, he pulled out the Fire Element Golden Apple from his Spatial Ring, and swallowed it whole.

 Chapter 55 - Lord Class

    Chapter 55: Lord ss

    Heat.

    Powerful, flowing heat rushed through his veins, like a zing inferno spreading from his heart to every inch of his body. Molten magma, liquid fire, any and every description that came to Dorian¡¯s mind seemed to fit as he felt the raw power moving within him.

    At the same time, however, he didn¡¯t experience pain or feel burned. It was powerful, and hot, but afortable kind of hot. One that was under his control.

    As the energy moved about within him, he detected another, simr energy next to him.

    Within the injured female vampire.

    He also felt a second energy source, this one extremely vast in scale.

    He looked towards it, staring at the massive Transcendent me Dragon.

    Several small typhoons of water were currently smashing against the dragon as it formed a gargantuan ball of fire overhead, growingrger andrger every second. A huge cage of water was also forming in the sky overhead, floating above the growing meteor.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    The air seemed to split apart as the warrior of the two vampires attacking the Eleventhborn unleashed attack after attack, de strikes mming into the body of the dragon. The mes that covered the dragon managed to absorb most of the impact, this time prepared for the attacks, but several small wounds still appeared on its body, its incorporeal form shivering.

    Small spurts of blood dripped from its body before immediately evaporating in the heat.

    Dorian spared them a single worried nce before he turned his full focus and attention on the vampire next to him.

    ¡®Ausra, how do I absorb the energy in her?¡¯ He asked, his thoughts hurried. The female vampire clearly didn¡¯t have long to live.

    Someone that was brave enough to give her life protecting innocents was absolutely someone worth saving in his eyes.

    ¡®ce your hands on her and simply will the energy to flow within you, concentrating the Fire Elemental energy in your body to flow towards your hands.¡¯ Ausra replied quickly.

    Dorian did as she said. He ced his scaled hands on each shoulder of the vampire woman, concentrating. He focused his full will on his hands, ordering the fiery energy raging in his body to move there.

    Gradually, his hands began to grow warm. Slight particles of steam rose from them, the still ongoing rain drizzling. A faint, red glow appeared.

    Slowly, Dorian started to feel a connection with the woman in front of him. His soul shivered slightly as that connection began to expand, bing aware of every inch of the woman¡¯s body.

    He winced as he sensed her horrid injuries. As his awareness spread, he felt the same fiery energy in his body running through hers.

    When this energy was in her, however, it moved without care for her organs or blood. It was ravaging every cell in her body, rampaging without care.

    He frowned fiercely as he felt this.

    ¡®Come. Come to me.¡¯ His words were infused with his will, flowing out from his mind. They echoed forth, into the very core of the woman before him.

    The woman¡¯s body shuddered. Abruptly, the rampaging fire energy within her began to move, drawn towards Dorian¡¯s hands. It was like he had opened a hole in a container of water, the energy slowly draining out of her and flowing into him.

    This energy was readily absorbed by his body, bing arger andrger store of power.

    A sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead as he continued, his entire mind focused on saving the female warrior.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Probus, my¡¯s charged!¡± Trajan called out, his eyes bloodshot as he controlled the Great Rain Typhoons he¡¯d spawned, mming them against the dragon over and over. Small beams of fire constantly sted his way, forcing him to dodge repeatedly as the drake looked at him, annoyed.

    It was still charging its massive fireball, one that had spread to be at least 3 miles wide now, floating high in the sky. Instead of trying to directly attack them, it was mostly ignoring them, creating its own super attack.

    It was a true King ss beast. His Great Rain Typhoons could only distract it and weaken its fire defenses, enough for Probus to cut through them. One of his strongest spells could do basically no real damage to it.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Probus yelled out as he unleashed several more de attacks, muscles in his right arm bulging as his sword blurred, moving so quickly it was nearly impossible to track. He began to move backwards, lining himself up between the city and the dragon. The sharp Aura around him began to condense, bing stronger and stronger.

    All they¡¯d done was manage to injure it, repeatedly. With the raw, virile energy a King ss beast had, it would regenerate from the wounds they¡¯d left it without fail if they gave it time.

    Trajan nodded, his eyes narrowed. He had taken all of this into ount.

    He nced up briefly, looking at the massive, watery that was forming above the dragon¡¯s fireball. His arms shook as he maintained his focus.

    His Empyrean Rain Net.

    It was a King ss spell, and casting it had cost him two-thirds of his energy. He barely had enough left in him to dodge and manipte those typhoons.

    ¡°Keep focus fo-¡± He cut himself off, his eyes widening in shock.

    A massive outburst of fiery energy had appeared in his senses, directly behind him.

    He spun around, his attention split between maintaining his, controlling the typhoons, and whatever had appeared behind him.

    Back where they¡¯d left Helena to recover, under the protection of his Blue Healing Rain, a small ball of fire had sted into the air, giving off a heavy, pure feeling of fire.

    That ball of fire had emerged from a scaled humanoid who was clutching into Helena¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Is that a Demon?! What?!¡± His eyes opened wide in shock and confusion, and a mild bit of pleasure that a species he thought was extinct had reappeared.

    Before he could do anything else, however, the giant dragon above them spoke aloud.

    ¡°YOU¡¯VE HIT ME, AND HAD YOUR TURN!¡±

    ¡°NOW I COMMAND: THE WORLD SHALL BURN!¡±

    The gargantuan ball of fire it had spawned was unleashed.

    It spanned at least five miles in scale. Boiling fire zing trails of infernal heat, it was a miniature sun unto itself, a devastating star of me that would incinerate anything in its path. The air around it distorted and shivered under the vast influence of the dragon¡¯s attack, the power inherent in it simply too strong.

    An attack of this scale could devastate the entire city behind them. In fact, it could decimate the entire teau this city rested on. The sheer might within it was ridiculous.

    Trajan dropped his typhoons and spun back, his eyes closing as he sped his hands together.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Empyrean Rain Net ¨C SEAL!¡±

    Thest bit of energy left in him vanished, spent up as he finished casting his spell and yelled aloud.

    ¡°PROBUS, CUT THE PLAN, SAVE HELENA!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian¡¯s vision had been reced by a thousand lines of red light.

    Everywhere he looked, the red lines seemed to pull and tug, showing different levels of heat, of energy, of power.

    Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind,

    ¡®Your current form¡¯s Life Elemental energy is interacting with the Fire Elemental energy, and overloading your system. The energy has been sessfully absorbed, but your current form is unable to bear the brunt of the heat.¡¯

    His Lesser Throne Demon form was powerful, but it wasn¡¯t designed to handle raw, Elemental Fire energy. The Fire Energy was unlike the Life Energy. It was dangerous and wild, full of powerful heat. Even with his Life Energy acting as a baseline and protecting him, his body still couldn¡¯t bear it.

    If it had just been the energy from the Golden Apple, Dorian might have been able to handle it. Ausra was able to direct that energy and help him control it.

    The energy he absorbed from the female vampire, however, was like a deadly poison, running wild and rampant. It was nearly uncontroble.

    His eyes shook as he tried to gain control of the power, feeling it start to go wild inside him. His entire body began to shake.

    ¡®Ah-okay.¡¯ He mentally sputtered, letting go of the female vampire. He had sessfully managed to pull all the fire energy out of her body.

    As he let go, he vaguely saw her open her eyes wide, blinking and staring up at him.

    Dorian fell to the ground and instantly assumed a sitting position, meditating.

    ¡®Control it. Control. I must control it.¡¯ His mind concentrated, doing everything he could to will the virile energy to stop.

    Hepletely ignored his surroundings, focused only on himself.

    In the sky above, the apocalyptic meteor of fire was currently being surrounded by a massive, blue. A hurricane of white steam sted out, spreading across the sky as these two forces collided, sending the entire area into a storm of fog.

    Gradually, Dorian¡¯s faded green scales began to take on a red tinge. He gave off heat, steam escaping from his body.

    ¡®It¡¯s not working.¡¯ He instantly came to the conclusion as he felt his body start to turn, the effects of the energy beginning to damage him. Even with his near perfect self-control, he was unable to get a full handle of the Fire Energy.

    ¡®Very well, then, n B.¡¯ He didn¡¯t hesitate, his head nodding sharply as he went with his backup n,

    ¡®Ausra, Evolve me into a Fire Imp.¡¯

    ¡®Evolving¡­¡¯

    His entire body shifted, the red lights shing in his eyes as his form began to transform.

    The Life Aura that surrounded him began to turn inward and vanish as his body changed shape.

    His body began to grow smaller, condensing inward to roughly a meter. His wed hands began to shift, bing tiny, incorporeal me-hands. Streams of warm fire began to wrap around his body. His head began to glow a bright orange, transforming into a mass of mes.

    Before he even finished transforming, however, a notification appeared in his head.

    ¡®Your Fire Imp form has undergone a mutation, consistent with the Fire Elemental energy in your body alongside traces of the Law of Fire.¡¯

    ¡®This mutation has set off a chain reaction in your soul. If this is not addressed, there is a nonzero chance your soul will dissipate.¡¯

    His eyes shed.

    ¡®How do I address this?¡¯ His head was starting to feel hazy, the colossal heat running in his body making him feel as if everything seemed a bit odd. His mind was unstable, the world around him feeling as if it wasn¡¯t quite real.

    ¡®It is rmended tobine your Fire Imp bloodline with your Lesser Throne Demon bloodline. If you infuse your remaining Energy Points, I should be able to extrapte a validbination and avoid the soul adaptation period without too many serious side effects.¡¯

    ¡®Do it.¡¯ Maybe he would waste his points, but that was better than dying. This had turned out a bit more dangerous than he thought it would be.

    ¡®Acknowledged.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind as she responded.

    ¡®Combining bloodlines.¡¯

    His half-formed Fire Imp body vibrated and then began to expand, from its diminutive meter tall height to a taller two and a half meters in scale. Pain began to radiate from Dorian¡¯s body as his arms and legs twisted, changing.

    His skin turned pitch ck, darker than night. His hands transformed back into humanoid hands, maintaining the same coal ck color. His feet became vaguely humanoid, but with three ws instead of toes. A ck, humanoid mask covered his face, with small strings of ck fire rising off it. Behind that mask, an enormous ball of fire constantly exploded, lighting his shoulders and head constantly ame.

    His arms were covered in a pair of ck gauntlets, with red fire rising out from the end of each, where his elbows were. Two sets of simr gauntlets covered his lower legs, small gouts of fire expanding from his knees.

    (Image: https://.epicpath.org/images/thumb/1/17/Ifrit4.png/500px-Ifrit4.png)

    His new form virtually radiated power and heat.

    ¡®Combinationplete. New form acquired.¡¯

    A small blip of information appeared in Dorian¡¯s mind as he closed his eyes, feeling a sense of might within him.

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 10,565

    Ability: Fire Sense, Life Sense, Demonic Eyes, Constant Regeneration

    Powerful demons born with an innate connection to the Elements of both Fire and Life. The exact origin of the Ifrit is unknown, but the raw power of this species is inarguable. They have the ability to constantly heal from injuries, drawing upon the energy of the universe around them to restore their wounds. Nearly immune to fire based attacks.

    (Note: The Maximum Energy Level, in this context, is the strongest a creature can be through natural growth. Training in mystic martial arts or magic can greatly enhance the strength of a creature beyond their normal limits.)

    ¨C

    ¡®Your soul has forcibly epted the adaptation and grown your new bloodline to its maximum Growth Stage, using up the absorbed Elemental Energy. Due to the resulting bacsh, you will fall unconscious in roughly 11 minutes. The risk of death for this transformation was approximately 7%, but has sessfully been avoided.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s was cool in Dorian¡¯s mind.

    Dorian opened his eyes, small mes gleaming out of them.

    ¡®Got it.¡¯ He eyes narrowed as he took in the situation before him.

    He needed to act fast.

 Chapter 56 - Standing Alone

    Chapter 56: Standing Alone

    All Helena could feel was unending fire and pain, racking her body over and over. Constant torture that dug cinders into her mind, leaving behind embers that seared her soul, over and over.

    It was the worst agony she had ever felt in her life.

    ¡®FOCUS HELENA!¡¯ She mentally yelled, trying to will her body to heal. The natural regeneration of a vampire was fearsome, especially for her, a Pseudo-King ss vampire.

    The searing beam that dragon had sent out was far too powerful for her defenses to handle. She had managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but even the damage from just the air around it was too much.

    The beam of fire the Transcendent me Dragon had spat was made up of pure, concentrated Fire Energy, derived from the Law of Fire. It was an attack one could use only if one had obtainedplete mastery of a Law, the bar for entering the King ss.

    A bar that Helena had been trying to surpass for a decade now, and constantly failed. The biggest failure of her life.

    Over and over the pain washed upon her soul, smashing into her, burning her, trying to make her give up. Her strength of will began to waver, tears forming in her eyes as the world began to transform into ckness.

    ¡®No¡­ please no¡­¡¯ Her voice began to lose its edge, bing small.

    ¡®Please¡­ I cannot fail now¡­¡¯ Memories began to sh through her.

    Memories of her growing up in the Aurelius Family. Of her loving parents, two rtively normal vampires that served as bookkeepers in one of the Family headquarters.

    Memories of them dying before her eyes during the Invasion of Light by the Shade Commune, more than 40 years ago. Her pitiful weakness, unable to so much as raise a hand to protect them.

    Memories of being alone, of being captured, taken to be a ve.

    Memories of her hero, Highlord Marcus, saving her, but suffering a terrible wound in return.

    His gentle smile as blood spurted from a horrid sh on his chest, a wound that was cursed to never fully heal.

    Memories of the constant years she had trained, over and over, never letting herself ck off. All for the chance to redeem herself, to protect the man that would give up everything to protect her.

    And now¡­ in the end¡­

    She could not even protect herself.

    She had failed.

    Guilt, shame, rage, anger, despair, loss.

    A plethora of emotions washed over her as darkness began to take over.

    The world began to close itself off from her.

    And, once more¡­

    She was alone.

    ¡®Please.¡¯

    As her consciousness began to fade, she sent out onest, quiet call, begging.

    ¡®Please help me.¡¯

    Silence greeted her.

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®Come.¡¯

    Just as she¡¯d lost all hope, a voice appeared in Helena¡¯s consciousness. An honest, powerful voice, full of confidence, care, and sadness, the emotions in it visible to Helena. It rocked her to her core, flowing through every fiber of her being.

    Like a beam of light in a sea of darkness, this voice called out to Helena, echoing through her soul.

    ¡®Come to me.¡¯

    Helena¡¯s eyes opened up, a burning light appearing in them once more.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Ifrit ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 0/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    His forced emergency transformation had allowed him to fully grow his bloodline, in addition to skipping the soul adaptation period, though risking death in the process, as well as forcing him to fall unconscious in a few minutes. If he hadn¡¯t just swallowed a natural treasure, he had no doubt that such a risk would have ultimately killed him.

    Dorian pushed the information to the side as he blinked, looking forward.

    The world around him had transformed into a maze of steam. White fog that littered the sky, obscuring his vision.

    That fog rapidly faded, however, as an enormous, gaping meteor of me mmed into the ground in front of him and began hurtling toward the city. Bright streaks of orange fire exploded off of it, rippling in the air.

    Dorian stared up at the giant ball of me, his eyes calm as he analyzed everything.

    His senses had grown stronger in his new form. In particr, his ability to sense energy.

    He could tell that this vast meteor of me had been weakened, its attack power reduced by roughly two-thirds of its peak.

    Despite that, if the ball of fire was left unchecked, it would st into the city, and devastate it, wiping out hundreds of thousands of lives.

    He had approximately six seconds to react.

    He took a deep breath and stepped forward, his fists clenched.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .

    Probus threw himself forward, his body moving so quickly it was a blur. The sharp Aura that surrounded him cut the air in front of him, allowing him to reduce the tug of friction, and vastly increase his speed.

    It took him only a split second to appear next to the downed Helena, and the creature that was attacking her.

    His eyes were cold as he mmed down, cracks appearing in the earth due to the force of hisnding.

    The attacker appeared to be some type of humanoid, with pitch ck skin. It was oddly built, with a mass of mesing from its head, arms, and knees.

    It was emanating a dangerous air, but, for some odd reason, stopping its attack on Helena, and instead looking up at the massive ball of fire that was rushing towards them.

    ¡®Trajan couldn¡¯t stop it?¡¯ Probus was temporarily shocked as he came to the realization.

    Trajan¡¯s Empyrean Rain Net was a King ss spell that was incredibly powerful. Its strongest use was in sealing the energy of a creature or object.

    Their original n was for Trajan to seal the Anomaly, and for him to slice it apart. Trajan¡¯s would reduce the defenses of the beast to virtually nothing, while his de strikes would literally rip it apart.

    A simple n, but it is often the simplest of ns that seeded.

    They had killed two other King ss opponents using this method. His own pure, physical mightbined with Trajan¡¯s tactical spells made them an incredibly potent duo, albeit one withpletely different focuses.

    Right now, however, their n had been thrown into chaos due to the appearance of the creature standing near Helena.

    No, he realized, as his mind processed all these thoughts in a split second.

    Even if this humanoid hadn¡¯t appeared, they still would have failed. Trajan¡¯s spell somehow failed to seal the attack of the Anomaly, meaning the wouldn¡¯t havended on it anyway. Some sort of colossal mistake must have taken ce.

    The city was lost.

    His sword technique was powerful, but he had no confidence in splitting an attack of this scale.

    He needed to save Helena and get out of the way.

    First, though, he¡¯d take care of her attacker.

    His hand rested on the hilt of his de as he turned towards the distracted creature, his eyes cold.

    Just as he was about to strike, he felt a handtch onto his foot, tugging him backwards.

    He looked down in surprise as he saw the still recovering face of Helena shake her head fiercely, blood spurting from her lips as her body trembled.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®It broke through my.¡¯ Trajan stumbled backwards, his eyes fogged. His body shook with exhaustion as he looked up at the fireball headed towards the city, his mind aze with a single thought.

    ¡®How?¡¯

    His Empyrean Rain Net had never failed him. It was an incrediblyplex spell, but one that perfectly matched the Law of Rain that he studied, a Law that branched off from the Law of Water. It was extremely powerful, and its strongest ability lied in Sealing things.

    His senses were incredibly intuned with his when he cast it, the spell under hisplete control.

    He hadmanded the fully charged to descend, intending on Sealing the Fire Energy in the Anomaly¡¯s attack and using it to help power his to trap the great dragon. This would leave it vulnerable, for a brief period of time, to Probus¡¯ nk sh Sword Style.

    The n should have been foolproof.

    Yet, at the exact moment that his had made contact with the gaping ball of fire, something odd had happened.

    The rampant energy in the huge ze had seemed to shift, slightly.

    A good deal of that energy collided with the and was subsequently Sealed.

    But at least a third of it somehow managed to slip through, and continue unabated.

    It was something that should have been impossible.

    His was by no means perfect. He considered himself a master in using the spell, and was able to, on average, seal 98% of the energy of any being or object. If he was extremely unlucky, it was possible he¡¯d only seal 95% or 94%.

    But, somehow, his had seemed to almost willingly miss a massive part of the energy, Sealing only around 67% or 68% of it.

    Somehow, through sheer luck or fate, roughly 32% to 33% of the energy in the attack had managed to slip through,pletely undeterred.

    As he looked at the fireball ze by, his hands fell to the side, listless.

    He had failed, for the first time in his life.

    The ever-present gleam of mirth he always shared with Probus seemed to fade from his eyes as he watched the attack fly towards the city, towards the unwitting civilians, unable toe up with a response.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Three seconds had passed.

    In that time, Dorian had activated his Condense Ability and dashed forward, charging towards the fireball. It had beenunched down at an angle, and was now zing along next to the ground towards the city.

    His Ifrit form was powerful, and had a mix of Fire Energy and Life Energy running through its veins. Using the Condense Ability had a simr function for if he used it in his Lesser Throne Demon form.

    The raw Elemental Energy running in his veins Condensed, vastly increasing his power.

    ¨C

    Increased Energy Level: 54,027

    ¨C

    A small notification appeared in his mind, informing him of how strong he roughly was in this Condensed form.

    Far stronger than he had previously been, his body containing a huge level of strength.

    The Energy Level of a creature was a good estimate for the raw power it held. For virtually all beings, this included the power of Law that they infused into their attacks and soul.

    The physique of a being could only be so powerful, after all. This was themonly epted belief in the 30,000 Worlds.

    Only by using the power of Law could one vastly increase the power of their soul, their Soul Spell Matrix, and their strength, usually through magic or mystic martial arts.

    Dorian¡¯s Energy Level represented the maximum amount of raw, physical strength he could output, without borrowing energy from thews of the universe. He currently was unable to use the power of Law, having never gotten the chance to actually take the time needed to study it.

    As he analyzed the notification, his face remained neutral. His Condensed form was strong, but barely half as strong as the female warrior that had gotten nearly destroyed by the dragon with ease.

    Two seconds remained till the massive fireball reached him, the time slightly lessened due to him rushing towards it.

    He currently stood roughly 800 meters away from the city wall, his feet firmly nting into the ground.

    He took a deep breath as he looked up at the giant ze, his heart steady.

    When he had gained this form, the body of an Ifrit, and the instinctive knowledge that came with it, Dorian had instantly adapted his ns, knowing what he needed to do.

    Ifrits, in terms of physical prowess, were not particrly mighty Demons among the mostly extinct Demon Race.

    Their natural physical growth put their strength, at maximum, to around the Early Lord ss. Compared to other Lord ss or even King ss Demons, they were quite weak.

    That said, they did have a specialty, an aspect that set them apart.

    Their mastery of Life Energy gave them incredibly powerful regenerative capabilities, as well as innate ability to learn Life Magic and its rted fields.

    But, more specifically, their incredible mastery of Fire Energy gave them virtual immunity to fire based attacks.

    And, even more then that, it gave them incredible control over the element of Fire.

    In the past, thousands of years ago when Demons walked the 30,000 worlds, the mighty Ifrits of old were known by a different name to some.

    The Rulers of me.

    A second passed.

    Dorian raised his armored hands upward, fiercely feeling the devastating heat in the mes that were crashing towards him.

    His concentration didn¡¯t waver as he bent his knees slightly, and took one final breath.

    Thest second faded.

    The world seemed to stand still as the gargantuan meteor of fire mmed into the proud figure of a single Ifrit, standing alone in the face of death.

 Chapter 57 - Success - End of Volume 2

    Chapter 57: Sess ¨C End of Volume 2

    The moment Dorian¡¯s hands touched the fireball, a near invisibleyer of energy seemed to coat the front of the massive meteor.

    The intangible Ability Ifrits held. Fire Sense, the Ability to manipte and sense fire. It was a stronger version of the power Fire Imps and the Fire Aspected creatures held.

    It allowed Dorian totch onto the meteor of me as if it were a solid object. The energy wasn¡¯t something Dorian could absorb, it was directed and powerful, unlike the remnant energy on the female vampire¡¯s body.

    Dorian¡¯s arms trembled as he leaned forward, muscles bulging. His legs dug into the ground, sinking an entire foot into the rocky earth. The stone beneath him cracked and shattered, stone and debris flying into the air.

    WHOOOSH

    In a single second Dorian¡¯s body smashed backwards 50 meters. His legs were firmly dug into the earth, and as a result he left two 50 meter long gouges in the ground. He pulled up every iota of strength he had as he pushed back against the meteor, the unforgiving heat searing forth.

    ¡®It¡¯s heavy.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s mind was hazy as he was pushed back another 50 meters. In his Condensed form, his body was far stronger and far more resilient, allowing him to survive the burden he was holding, at least for now.

    This giant meteor had an incredible amount of force behind it, as well as the searing heat infused with the Power of Law. A regr creature would be incinerated merely by touching it. Even in his Condensed form, the only reason Dorian was able to handle it was because of his unique race, as an Ifrit.

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡±

    Dorian yelled out loud as he was thrown back another hundred meters, the gouges in the earth expanding. His arms had grown numb, as had his legs. His bones were starting to creak, dangerously close to breaking. Blood began to seep out of a few small cracks on his skin, vaporizing instantly in the heat.

    ¡®It¡¯s too much.¡¯ He thought, panting. His eyes were beginning to cloud over, his mind close to copsing. The awe-inspiring heat and pressure was far too much for him to bear.

    ¡®I can¡¯t stop this.¡¯ The realization dawned on him.

    The attack was simply too strong.

    ¡®Everyone in the city is going to die because of me.¡¯

    His body was pushed back another hundred meters.

    And then another hundred meters.

    Halfway to the city wall.

    Fire zed out of his arms and legs, a physical sign of exertion as he struggled and strained, to no avail.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯ He refused to give up.

    His mind raced ahead of him, analyzing everything. His hazy mental state made thinking difficult, fogging up his head. As he struggled to stop the meteor, a stray thought popped up.

    A vision of one of his first Physics lessons.

    The memory was blurry, but one point stood out in particr to Dorian.

    ¡®An object in motion will remain in motion, unless acted upon by an external force.¡¯

    Newton¡¯s First Law of Motion.

    This massive meteor was heading straight for the city.

    If Dorian wanted to stop it, he would have to create an equal amount of force. A sheer impossibility for him.

    But what if he didn¡¯t try to stop it at all?

    Stopping it may be impossible for him¡­

    But what about simply changing the direction it was moving in, just slightly? The motion of the fireball was purely forward, with no downward impetus. Any downward force it had had been neutralized when it collided with the ground and began zing forward.

    His consciousnesstched onto the idea like a lost man at sea grasped onto a lifeboat, refusing to let go.

    His legs still dug into the ground, steam escaping out of them due to exertion.

    However, instead of trying to forcibly stop the fireball, he began to focus his entire strength on sting it upwards.

    The momentum of the meteor was focused straight towards the city.

    Dorian¡¯s sank deeper into the ground as he lifted with all his might, willing his body to pull out his everyst reserve. His lungs heaved and his vision wentpletely ck, blinded from the effort as he raised the enormous, gaping fireball above him, and physically threw it upward.

    The earth below him had transformed into a massive, twenty meter wide crater, the entire weight of the meteor resting on Dorian¡¯s shoulders for the briefest moment.

    WHOOSH

    He copsed, falling to the ground. His vision remained ck, his body trembling from exertion.

    A ringing noise echoed in his hears as his vision gradually returned. He coughed up blood as he forced himself to stand, maintaining his Condensed state.

    As his sight restored itself, he turned himself around, his heart in his throat as he looked at the city behind him.

    The colossal meteor of me that had threatened to annihte the city, and everyone in it, was zing through just barely a hundred meters above the city. The distance was expanding as it moved higher and higher, redirected because of Dorian¡¯s efforts.

    The powerful heat it sent off injured some, but due to the distance, and because the attack was weakened, the number of casualties was drastically low.

    A few pce towers exploded, destroyed in the ze, but the majority of the city was left unscathed.

    ¡®Hah!¡¯ Dorian mentally cheered, a rush of happiness buzzing into his mind.

    He put a serious face on, however, as he turned around, looking towards the direction where the fireball hade from.

    At arge dragon covered in brilliant orange mes.

    ¡°Brother, what is this? You stopped my attack?¡±

    ¡°My perfection for them, you have taken it back?¡±

    The Eleventhborn¡¯s voice was strangely calm as it flew down andnded, ignoring the vampires. It still gave off a mighty, arrogant Aura, one that waspletely unperturbed. The injuries it had taken had already fully healed, not a trace of blood on it.

    Dorian stepped forward towards the great, zing drake, his voice calm and collected. His body¡¯s condition was anything but good, suffering several cracked bones and torn muscles. He ignored all of that, however, putting on a facade of confidence.

    Words seemed to flow from his tongue as he responded to the dragon, responding in kind.

    ¡°My brother, we journey for perfection, yes, it is true.

    But what is perfection if it¡¯s shared with just a few?

    Spreading pain and death, the sins we rue.

    It cheapens perfection, for me and for you.

    You could burn your mes, and spread them anew.

    Or stop, and consider, the things we might do.

    Perhaps perfection can be found in fire, a ze askew.

    But what of Ice? Earth? Light? Other elements in lieu.

    Consider this, then, before you ze your debut.

    Seek perfection without killing, a simple breakthrough.¡±

    As thest words left his mouth, Dorian felt a twisting sensation spread over him.

    Reality began to distort, for just the briefest moment before his eyes. Dorian felt his soul seem to shake, a feeling he had felt once before.

    The feeling vanished as quickly as it came, almostpletely undetectable.

    The giant dragon stood facing Dorian. It was silent for a few moments, its gaze boring into Dorian as if it could see his very soul.

    The crackles of the various fires spread out, echoing in the still air. In the background, Dorian could make out screams and yells inside the city as people cowered in terror, the massive fireball that had just passed shocking many.

    The mighty Aura that surrounded the Eleventhborn abruptly began to fade.

    ¡°Your words¡­ I must consider. You have given me thought.¡±

    ¡°A battle was had, one that was hard fought.¡±

    ¡°A journey, I shall take, to seek for perfection.¡±

    ¡°Other elements I shall seek, the peak I shall threaten.¡±

    The enormous dragon flushed its wings out as its voice thundered, shaking the air itself. Streams of orange fire sted off its wings behind it in a hundred meter wide pir.

    ¡°Younger brother, stay strong, and may your journey hold true.¡±

    ¡°To a world of ice I shall travel, I bid you adieu.¡±

    The Eleventhborn leapt up into the air, its wings zing behind it. A small tornado of fire scattered around the air below it, buffeting Dorian slightly.

    WHOOSH

    He forced himself to hold his footing as he watched the great dragon take off, his confident visage never cracking.

    Internally, he wasn¡¯t panicking either. He was simply too tired to care anymore.

    The massive drake flew high into the sky and began to turn, its body shimmering as it left the area, heading off towards another City State, towards a distant World Bridge.

    Dorian watched the drake fly off, slowly turning into a dot in the distance.

    He smiled, looking down at his fists.

    He¡¯d won.

    Fatigue and exhaustion began to crash down upon him. A few mental alerts went off in his head as Ausra informed him he was about to fall unconscious, partly due to a bacsh from his forced Evolution growth. There was no risk of death from this, but falling unconscious in this form outside the city wasn¡¯t exactly an ideal situation.

    His body twisted back toward the city as he began to copse, unconsciousness sweeping over him.

    Thest thing he saw before darkness took over was an image of that female vampire he had saved rushing towards him, blood spurting out of her mouth as she ignored her injuries to catch him before he hit the ground.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a world far from Taprisha¡­

    Tens of thousands of stone towers rose into the sky, several dozen meters thick, and hundreds of meters high. Each tower was built out of a pure, ck rock, worn down by the passage of time and the ever-present wind that blew on this world.

    Fog covered the base of these stone towers, enshrouding them in mystery. Many of the towers were hollow inside, carved and used, in the past, as dwelling ces. Mysterious symbols covered the hollow towers, from anguage long since lost to the 30,000 Worlds.

    The ruins of a civilization from long ago.

    Perched on the top of one of these stone towers, a small, diminutive figure could be seen. A ck skinned humanoid, with long, pointed ears, and bright blue hair. A calm, peaceful air rose around this creature as it looked out at the towers that stretched all the way to the horizon.

    ¡°Ahh. I see you finally found your way to me.¡± The ck skinned humanoid sighed and stood up, stretching its body as it turned around.

    On another stone tower, just a few dozen meters away, a second figure shimmered into existence.

    A vampire wearing a smooth pair of ck leather pants, and a rxed grey vest with a white undershirt. A smooth jawline and piercing green eyesplemented his handsome face, one that was currently cold and merciless. His long white hair was wrapped up, atop his head in a bun, with an ornamental needle keeping it in ce.

    ¡°Highlord Marcus, I presume. Leader of the Aurelius Family of vampires.¡± The ck skinned humanoid said, nodding his head.

    The vampire¡¯s face twitched, an uncontrolled hint of fury instantly buried.

    Highlord Marcus spoke aloud,

    ¡°Give me a single reason why I shouldn¡¯t bury your soul here and now, cretin. The chaos and death you have spread in my realm is uneptable.¡± His voice boomed out as he spoke, shimmering forth with such force that the air around him visible distorted.

    As he spoke, a pure, glowing red halo appeared above his head. This halo gave off no aura or air of its own, yet the simple appearance of it held a feeling of solidness and power that could not be ignored.

    The ck skinned humanoid smiled, unfazed by the raw power and fury the vampire was releasing.

    ¡°Because, dear Highlord, you cannot.¡± The creature continued,

    ¡°I have thousands of clones. My true form could be any single one, to track them all would be a sheer impossibility.¡± The ck skinned humanoid shook his head,

    ¡°The chaos and death your realm has experienced certainly has been horrid.¡± He gave the vampire a sympathetic look,

    ¡°Neither of us want that to continue.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, dear Highlord, I was hoping you and I coulde to an arrangement.¡±

    The ck skinned humanoid was silent as it looked at the Highlord patiently. Its eyes gleamed with an unknown light.

    Highlord Marcus¡¯ fist shook for an instant with rage before he regained control of his emotions. His voice raged out as he demanded,

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The ck skinned humanoid smiled once more,

    ¡°My name is Mello.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The End of Volume 2

    ¨C Stats ¨C

    Number of Chapters: 29

    Word count: ~65,000 Words

    Avg. Word/Chapter ¨C ~2,150

    Total Views ¨C 2,540,000

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    IMPORTANT DISCUSSION HERE:

    I¡¯ve so far released 2 books (volumes) of Reborn here on AllNovelFullpletely for free (Each one more or less equal to a regr book in effort and length). I¡¯ve received tips along the way, and for that I am eternally grateful, but I wanted to open up with y¡¯all.

    Am I going Premium right now?

    No.

    Book 3 will be 100% free as well.

    Will I eventually go Premium in the future?

    I have signed a contract with WebNovel, and, as an author, I do want to mize my writing, and make it a career, so yes, eventually I will go Premium.

    How much will each book (volume) cost when I do go Premium?

    In total, going by the length that I write, each Premium book (volume) will cost around ~$5 to $6 (spread out over many days of posting via Spirit Stones). That¡¯s decently cheap for a regr novel, at least in the western world.

    I know that not everyone can afford to buy Premium chapters, but, thankfully, daily Spirit Stones exist! You should be able to continue unlocking my story for free using those! (though I won¡¯t get anything from that).

    I wanted to be fully open with y¡¯all, and let you all know about this. It¡¯s not something to worry about now, and I 100% promise the next book (the uing volume 3) will be 100% free as well.

    But after that, I may indeed go premium, so I, the Author, can turn my writing into more of a career!

    What does that mean for the story?

    Faster updates! Once I go Premium, I will most likely disable tipping, and instead give us Mass Release Fridays (though maybe not every Friday)! Where I will upload 2-4 extra Bonus Chapters, all at once!

    FAQ: How much longer is the story?

    Long. Hundreds of chapters more are nned, as Dorian grows mightier and faces off against the other Anomalies and beings in this world. I can¡¯t give an exact number, but at a minimum, expect 300-500+ chapters. Perhaps even more if I expand the nned plot after (there is potential for this, but only if it maintains my cohesive vision).

    If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

    Lastly: I will be taking a 2-3 day break, this time a real one! I¡¯ve written a ton in the past month, and I¡¯ve LOVED it, and I can¡¯t wait to write more.

    I will see you all again soon, with ourtest volume ? Thank you so much for all the support, thements, and the nice reviews ?

 Chapter 58 - Backlash - Start of Volume 3

    Chapter 58: Bacsh ¨C Start of Volume 3

    Note: I¡¯ve gone back and begun editing the previous volumes, fixing typos and the like.

    I should be finished editing within 3 days. Just a mini update.

    Here we go, starting Volume 3! Expect daily updates, every single day without fail.

    Who¡¯s ready?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Arge, deep blueke spread out for miles, teeming with life. Healthy, well-kept oak trees surrounded theke, nted amongstrge swathes of bright green grass. Arge river connected to the north of thiske, rustling past peacefully in the mid-morning light.

    To the west of thiske was a small keep, built out of aged grey stone. Rustic wooden tforms surrounded the edges of this castle, a restoration process clearly ongoing. A paved stone path led to the entrance of the keep. The path moved off in the other direction towards a popted city, many miles from here.

    Atop the highest point in this castle a gpole rose, bearing arge, lightly glowing white g, white sparks flowing from it. Six golden circles crossed each other on this g, forming a unique shape.

    A small wooden boat floated near the center of theke. Aboard that wooden boat were two figures.

    One was an aged, elderly man, muscr and bulky despite his elderly status. He had tan, leathery skin, and a wizened face. He waspletely bald, with a grand and long, bushy white beard. A kind smile could be seen on his face as he held onto a ck fishing rod, pulling on it slightly.

    He wore a set of simple white robes, adorned with small golden patterns on the edges. A ne hung around his neck, with an icon of a golden sun hung at its base. He gave off the aura of a priest or holy man.

    The only thing that separated him from being a human was the small, ck aura that rose from his hands.

    The tell-tale sign of the Shade race, a race of humanoids that looked virtually identical to humans except for the Dark Points found on the back of each hand, and the fact that they didn¡¯t bleed red, but instead, ck blood mixed with strange, ck energy.

    The other man on the boat had a younger appearance, his face unlined by age. He had the same tan skin, and was also muscr, but more of a lean kind of muscr. Instead of an adorned white robe, he wore a set of faded grey leather armor, the insignia of a golden sun emzoned upon it. The same ne of a golden sun rested around his neck.

    His hands were wrapped, hiding the Dark Point that each Shade had, causing the ck aura to dissipate.

    He was currently waiting patiently as he looked at the aged, white robed man in front of him.

    The older of the two spoke aloud, pulling slightly on the fishing rod in his hands,

    ¡°You doubt the direction of the Church, Isaac?¡± His voice was deep and enthralling, full of charisma and warmth. He looked at the younger man, giving him a kind smile.

    ¡°No, High Priest.¡± Isaac said, bowing his head apologetically.

    ¡°I merely do not see the point in aiding that¡­ creature.¡± He gestured vaguely back at the castle off to the side of theke.

    The old man smiled again,

    ¡°I understand your worries, Isaac. With his Highness Keldon off shing with the Aurelius and Augustus Families, we are spread thin at the moment.¡± He paused, setting the fishing rod down to the side, and turning to give his full attention.

    ¡°The way to salvation is not always a clear path. Obstacles will appear, whether through our own thoughts, or through the actions of others.¡± He raised his hands as he spoke, his eyes radiating light and passion,

    ¡°We Shades are a race others imed must live in darkness, decrying us as evil for tens of thousands of years. Yet now? The Church of Light has spread to all of the Shade Race, and salvation is at hand for all. We are mightier than we have ever been before.¡± He continued,

    ¡°Peace dominates thend. Every man and woman is treated equally, everyone has enough food to eat and water to drink. very is abolished, and crime has widely fallen. No longer are we forced to live under the rule of others.¡± He nodded his head,

    ¡°Our job is not an easy one, Isaac. To spread the Word of Light to all is our calling. Many of our missionaries have fallen in the field, killed by those who would silence the Word.¡± He sighed, real and tangible sadness infused within his voice.

    ¡°I understand that.¡± Isaac broke in, his body trembling as he was caught up in the charisma of the High Priest,

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how that creature fits in with the Word. Why we must hunt down other beasts for it? The Word of Light doesn¡¯t condone pointless killing.¡± A confused expression donned his face.

    The High Priest simply smiled once again,

    ¡°What the Church needs, right now, is a symbol, young Isaac. Something themon people can look up to, and know that only by believing in the Light can they find salvation. After all, without themon people, what are we?¡± His eyes glinted, continuing,

    ¡°And we have been given an opportunity, praise the Light in its infinite benevolence, to create that symbol.¡± He nodded his head sharply,

    ¡°All we must do is help the Twentiethborn reach its highest form.¡±

    ¡°We shall help it be a true Angel of Light, and spread the Word of Light to all.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian blinked, soft white and red light causing him to stir awake.

    His consciousness came awake instantly, the usual bleariness caused from waking up absent. Dorian looked around in confusion, scanning his surroundings.

    All around him, an expansive, white stone floor spread out, seamless, with no cracks or imperfections. In the distance, the horizon gradually faded into white fog, making this world seem endless. Far, up above, a small, glowing red orb could be seen.

    Every direction he looked, endless white nothingness spread out. The only thing on this world was him, and the stone floor beneath him, and the red orb giving off light above.

    ¡®Initializing soul scanning metrics¡­ Soul Spell Matrix repair process preliminary scan engaged.¡¯

    Ausra¡¯s familiar voice rang out in Dorian¡¯s head.

    ¡®Where am I, Ausra? What is happening?¡¯ He asked aloud. The area looked somewhat familiar, the white fog in the distance simr to the Evolution Space he could envision with his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡®Your body suffered an enormous amount of strain. The injuries you suffered were severe, including highly damaging gic corruption due to your use of Condensed Elemental Energy. In addition, your soul was injured due to you forcibly ignoring the soul adaptation period andbining unadapted forms.¡¯ Ausra began, her voice rattling off information cooly,

    ¡®Due to this, your mind and body have entered a dormant state. Because of ack of energy, your Soul Spell Matrix is repairing the damage by drawing on the natural energy of the world around you.¡¯

    Dorian blinked as he heard his situation, sighing. It seemed he¡¯d managed to survive, but only just barely.

    ¡®The injury to the soul is fully treatable, but only if you remain in a dormant state. If you choose to awaken now, the injury may remain permanent, and limit your future growth, in addition to a nonzero chance of death.¡¯ Ausra finished.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ He shrugged. It didn¡¯t seem he had much choice here. He¡¯d made his decisions, and maybe others, if they were in his ce, would think they were foolish. But he would stick by his morals. This was a life he¡¯d live with no regrets.

    ¡®So where, exactly, is this?¡¯ He repeated his question.

    ¡®Your consciousness is resting within the nucleus of your Soul Spell Matrix. This is a representation of it, created from your own expectations. It is under your control.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s answer was concise.

    He looked around, again noting theck of¡­ well, anything really. He nced upward at the red orb in the sky, about twenty meters above him.

    ¡®Is that William?¡¯ William¡¯s soul was encased in a cocoon of energy, protected from dissipation. He had around a year till that energy fell apart, and William died for real. If he didn¡¯t manage to make William a body that perfectly matched his soul¡¯s wavelength¡­ that would be it for him.

    The only reason William had ended up as he was was because of his brave sacrifice, saving Dorian¡¯s life.

    Come hell or high water, there was no way Dorian wouldn¡¯t do his damnedest to save him in return.

    ¡®Yes. The cocoon of energy encasing the soul of the human you saved is currently bonded just outside of the nucleus of your Soul Spell Matrix.¡¯ Ausra replied, echoing in his head. Unlike when he was in his Evolution Space, he couldn¡¯t see the ball of light that represented Ausra here.

    ¡®Okay. What is this form?¡¯ He queried, rubbing his chin. He looked down at his body, staring at it.

    His form was that of a human. He held his hands up in front of him, waving in front of his face.

    He wasn¡¯t super muscr or super thin, though he wasn¡¯t overweight either. He was slightly lean, with short brown hair, and piercing blue eyes.

    ¡®This is how you envision your soul.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    ¡®Huh.¡¯ He looked himself up and down.

    Ever since he¡¯de to this strange universe, his view of himself had always felt as if it was changing. He felt like he didn¡¯t blend in with other humans well anymore, as if he was out of ce.

    At his core, however, he still stuck to the morals he¡¯d held in his previous life.

    He shrugged. At the end of the day, it hardly mattered. His real form was a body that could be anything. Perhaps some part of him was still clinging to the idea of being a human. Perhaps one day he would return here, and his soul would no longer look human, but like something else.

    So many strange things had happened in this new, odd universe, he was no longer ready to discount anything.

    ¡®I have finished running my scan on the damage to your soul and physical form. Would you like to engage the repair process?¡¯ Ausra replied, her voice cool.

    ¡®Yes. How long will it take?¡¯ Dorian queried.

    ¡®Estimating¡­ iplete data does not allow an urate assessment, save for a reliable im that less than a month is required, in real time.¡¯ Ausra responded.

    ¡®In real time?¡¯ The end of what his Soul Spell Matrix genie said caught his attention.

    ¡®Yes, in real time. Time within the nucleus of your Soul Spell Matrix operates oddly. When the Godking created your Soul Spell Matrix, he drew upon the forces of creation itself, allowing you to bend reality and Evolve. Because your consciousness is stored here, your perception of time passing will flow with the distortions present in your Soul Spell Matrix. A real day could pass in a single hour here, or much longer.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, what does that mean, though? How long am I going to be stuck here?¡¯ He looked around the endless white expanse, a hint of worry and irritation in his heart. It seemed like he might be forced to live in boredom for a few weeks or even a month.

    ¡®I am unable to provide a reliable estimate. The repair process will require the full engagement of my construct, I am unable to provide real time estimates.¡¯

    Dorian paused at her words, frowning.

    ¡®Alright, well, you might as well get us started. The sooner we can get past this, the better.¡¯

    ¡®Acknowledged. Engaging the repair process.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out, and then vanished.

    The world around Dorian shed for just the briefest moment.

    And then everything returned to stillness.

    ¡®Ausra?¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    He was greeted with silence. The genie was fully engaged in repairing the damage to his soul, unable to respond or reply to him.

    ¡®Ah, alright. I guess I¡¯m my own for a bit, huh?¡¯ He shrugged. He looked around the endless white expanse, and then up at the glowing red orb that represented William. He nodded, and then looked around.

    ¡®Well, I might as well see what I can do here.¡¯

    .

 Chapter 59 - Waiting

    Chapter 59: Waiting

    Dorian raised his hands, looking at the endless white rock that stretched off into the distance.

    ording to Ausra, this world here was under his control. She didn¡¯t give him any specifics, but he had gained an innate understanding of what that meant.

    He looked closely at the stone floor in front of him and mentally willed the rock to pull up.

    Immediately, a small, two meter tall pir of stone rose into the air, about as wide as an arm¡¯s length. It shared the same in white color as almost everything else.

    ¡®Ooh.¡¯ Dorian muttered as he felt the strange movement. It felt like he was controlling a tendril of energy, and that by willing that energy to move, he was able to change thendscape around him.

    ¡°Huh! Hah!¡± He grunted aloud as he waved his hands, causing two more pirs of stone to rise up.

    He grinned, and then looked out off to his left at the empty expanse.

    ¡°RISE!¡± He yelled aloud, using the fullest extent of his will.

    Immediately, a thousand stone pirs shot into the air, spaced evenly apart from each other. When they all rose in unison, a grating noise echoed in the air.

    ¡°Kinda cool.¡± Dorian leapt up atop one of the pirs.

    Despite this just being his consciousness, he still maintained the same sense of bnce and movement he would in a regr body. He jumped from pir to pir, practicing his movements.

    Gravity seemed to operate here like it did on the twos and World Bridge he traveled on, roughly at a level equivalent to Earth. He tried willing it to change, but failed. It seemed he didn¡¯t control everything here.

    ¡°Well, I guess I can practice running and dodging while I wait.¡± He shrugged and stepped forward again, jumping from pir to pir. He might as well be productive with his time.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hey William!¡± Dorian wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead as he spoke, settling down on the ground next to the forest of stone pirs. He then looked at his hand askance. The sweat he¡¯d wiped had vanished.

    His consciousness could get tired like his physical body, and he would feel all the same aches and the needs to rest. If he believed sweat would appear, it seemed it would actually appear here. It was quite odd.

    ¡°It¡¯s been 6 hours now. You¡¯re the only person here with me, so I figured I¡¯d say hi.¡± Dorian continued, looking up at therge, lightly glowing red orb up in the sky.

    ¡°I seem to have gained some sort of innate sense for time passing. I know exactly how long I¡¯ve been here, down to the minute, even if I don¡¯t keep track.¡± He rubbed his chin,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can hear me up there, or if you ever will hear this. But thanks for saving my life.¡± He nodded his head,

    ¡°I know my words right now might not mean much, but I¡¯ll try to do the same back.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hey William! We¡¯re on Day 2 down here. I wish I could ask Ausra how the repair process is going. It kinda sucks being left all alone down here. It must be hard for you up there.¡± Dorian¡¯s voice was confident, full of cheer. He was currently standing on a small mountain of stone pirs, looking up at the red orb in the sky.

    After learning he could manipte thendscape, Dorian had spent the entire next day practicing on creating stone creations from the ground. He¡¯d so far willed a miles wide forest of stone pirs to exist, as well as threerge mountains, also made out of stone pirs.

    As he looked over them, he shook his head. He¡¯d stuck to using stone pirs to see how it would look as an artistic statement.

    And it looked atrocious.

    Well. He never imed to be much of an artist.

    He¡¯d test out some other shapester.

    ¡°Hup!¡± He jumped into the air,nding on a nearby pir as he began racing through them.

    ¡°Parkour!¡± He jumped again, this time backflipping to a second pir.

    Unfortunately, he slipped as he tried totch on, his leg sliding. He tumbled and fell off the side of several other stone pirs before he forced himself to stop, hugging the side of one of therger ones.

    ¡°Oww.¡± He could still feel pain here, apparently. Or maybe he was only willing the pain to appear, because of his expectations? It was confusing.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll try some stone spheres next, maybe practice my bnce dancing on them. I¡¯ll check back inter!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hey William! It¡¯s been seven pretty dull days now. I figure Ausra must be getting close to finishing the repair process on my soul, which is exciting. For me and for you, after all.¡± Dorian smiled as he looked up at William¡¯s dormant soul, rxing on the smooth floor of the expanse.

    Off to his side, hundreds of random geometric shapes could be seen, various experiments of what he could and could not do. The white rock all looked uniform, but his myriad of designs had lived the ce up a little.

    ¡°We¡¯re kinda simr in that regard now, aren¡¯t we? Me with my damaged soul, you with your damaged body. Well, destroyed, non-existent body. Okay, not the best metaphor, my bad.¡± He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡± Every twelve to sixteen hours, Dorian had discovered his consciousness needed to rest and rejuvenate, just as if he was in a regr body.

    The temperature here was cid, neither warm nor cold, and while the floor looked ufortable, it actually felt fine.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hey William. We just hit one month that I¡¯ve been stuck down here. Exactly 30 days. Having each monthst exactly 30 days in the 30,000 Worlds is a pretty smart idea. Can you imagine how much of a pain it would be if the months ended randomly, like on the 28th, or 31st?¡± Dorian¡¯s voice was calm and collected as he sat, his legs crossed, looking down from the tform he was on.

    He¡¯d begun practicing creating exact shapes by using his will. The sheer boredom of being stuck here, in this dull, unending world was starting to get to him. He couldn¡¯t do anything else here, no matter how he tried.

    In front of him were a set of tall, oak trees, standing roughly eight to nine meters each in height. Dorian looked at them proudly. They looked almost life-like, very realistic to the eye.

    He stepped up to one of them, kicking off with his legs against it and jumping to another. His movements were quick and agile, his practice over thest month showing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Ausra will finish the repair process soon. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of thinking,tely, and I can¡¯t wait to get back to the outside world. Life down here is pretty monotonous.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check back inter.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hey William. How are you? I¡¯m doing okay.¡± Dorian¡¯s voice sounded tired.

    ¡°It¡¯s been three months now.¡±

    In front of Dorian, a small forest spread out. Not one of stone pirs, but actual, life-like replicas of trees. Several hundred of them, giving the world a fairly realistic appearance, if one ignored color.

    A carved river moved through this small forest, realistic depictions of rocks, ruffling waves, and currents spreading along it.

    ¡°This is really hard, William. I hate not being able to talk to anyone or anything. I didn¡¯t realize how much I relied upon Ausra, just to have another being to talk with.¡± He continued speaking, his eyes distant,

    ¡°I¡¯m okay though, don¡¯t you fret. I¡¯ll be getting you fixed up soon. I¡¯m sure Ausra is almost done.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hey Will.¡± His voice was haggard, as he spoke, looking up at the glowing, never changing red orb,

    ¡°I stopped counting the days. I think it¡¯s bad for my mental health.¡±

    Around Dorian, a fully fledged forest stretched for miles. Realistic down to tiny details, the forest teemed with unmoving life. Carved depictions of squirrels and deer dotted the woods, alongside other small wildlife.

    In front of Dorian was a picture of a Forest Boar, arge, 2 and a half meter tall creature that looked like a bull. A pair of firm white tusks stuck out of its brutish mouth, giving it an intimidating appearance.

    It was one of the creatures Dorian had encountered in the past, when he was trying to escape from Hasnorth.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad the Godking didn¡¯t create subsidized mental healthcare alongside my Soul Spell Matrix.¡± He muttered, rubbing his hands.

    ¡°I can¡¯t actually forget the time,¡± Dorian sighed,

    ¡°It¡¯s been six months now Will.¡±

    ¡°Six months.¡±

    Dorian was quiet for a long moment.

    He sat down on the ground, turning around and leaning against the leg of therge, stone image of the Forest Boar.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you Will.¡± He said, breathing in heavily,

    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here so long, I feel like I¡¯ve started to forget what its like to not be here. All I see here is unending white rock, in every direction, fading into that fog. I tried walking towards the fog, but I can never seem to reach it. I just move farther from where I started.¡± He sighed, looking through the forest.

    Past the edge of the stone woods, arge collection of stone pirs could be seen. The ones he¡¯d formed when he first got here, crude andrge. Some shaped like mountains, others dotted randomly.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, though, Will. I¡¯ll tough it out. It¡¯s hard, it¡¯s really, really hard, but I¡¯m not a quitter.¡± He put on a smile as he looked up at the red orb, glowing up above,

    ¡°I¡¯ll check inter!¡± He gave the orb a thumbs up.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°¡­¡± Dorian was silent as he gazed up at William¡¯s dormant soul, his eyes gleaming.

    ¡°Hi Will.¡± He spoke for the first time in several months. His voice sounded strange in his ears, echoing oddly.

    ¡°Today marks a year since Ausra left to repair my soul.¡± He spoke again, tasting the words as they left his mouth. He felt disconnected from them.

    The small forest he¡¯d created had transformed into a massive one. Hundreds of creatures could be seen in it, some big while somerge. From Lesser Throne Demons and Ifrits to Red Smanders and Brown Treasure ms, a wide variety of every type of being Dorian had absorbed.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to lose faith, Will.¡± His voice was a whisper,

    ¡°It¡¯s so hard, Will. Being here alone. I want to give up, Will.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so hard.¡±

    He was silent for a time.

    ¡°But if I give up, I might die.¡± His eyes gleamed as he looked up at the red orb.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re depending on me. I won¡¯t give up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s really hard doing this alone.¡±

    He took a deep, ragged breath.

    ¡°But I¡¯m okay.¡± He shook his head, putting on a smile,

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Arge forest stretched for dozens of miles. Thousands of intricately carved stone creatures flocked within the forest, some in trees or small rivers, others hiding behind stones or near boulders.

    Next to this forest was a massive mountain range, filled with dozens of mountains. Some had precocious cliffs, while others long, sloping sides. Powerful beasts could be seen, standing frozen amidst the area, looking ferocious.

    A man could be seen, standing in front of one of these creatures. A powerful looking creature that looked like a dinosaur, with thick, bulging legs and a mouth full of sharp teeth, standing a giant ten meters tall.

    ¡°A Grandmaster ss Green Scaled Ground Dragon.¡± Dorian stared at the creature as he moved his finger, willing some of the stone to fall away, perfectly capturing the image of the beast.

    ¡°You were one of the first dangerous creatures I met.¡± He smiled as he called up the memory of him hiding in fear as the giant dinosaur passed by. He really shouldn¡¯t be smiling at it, but going over any of his old memories made him smile now.

    He was confident that the him of now could easily trounce the beast, using his Ifrit form.

    He looked away from the huge predator, towards a much smaller carving. A small, four legged creature with a collection of leaves shaped like a closed bud on its back.

    ¡°And this is a Bulbasaur.¡± He jumped over towards the Pokemon.

    ¡°Use Vine Whip!¡± He yelled out amand towards his creation, looking at it expectantly.

    It didn¡¯t move.

    He smiled ruefully.

    They never moved.

    Or spoke.

    Or did anything, unless he willed it.

    His smile faded as he looked away from the ferocious predator and the small Pokemon, both perched on the side of the mountain, and back up towards the ever-present red orb in the sky.

    He was silent for a few minutes. Those minutes then faded to a dozen, and from a dozen to an hour as he stared up at the red orb.

    ¡°It¡¯s been five years now, Will.¡± Dorian¡¯s voice was quiet. He waited several more minutes before he continued,

    ¡°I wonder how much time has passed in the real world.¡±

    Dorian turned away from the beast, looked up at the distant mountain peak.

    He hunched down and then exploded upward, his legs sending him flying with what should have been an impossible amount of force.

    His vast practice over thest several years had honed his will, and his control of his will. He¡¯d realized that the only thing that limited him hear was his imagination and willpower. If he wanted to be as strong as a god, then he would be as strong as a god.

    There were some things he couldn¡¯t change. The gravity, for one. For another, he was unable to add color to this world. He also couldn¡¯t go too high into the sky, no matter how or what he built. After about two miles, he slowly began to hit some type of mental barrier that he was unable to breach.

    Still, he thought, as he sailed high into the sky,nding atop the mountain peak. His experience inmanding his physical form, and using his will, had grown quite a bit. He didn¡¯t know if it would ever be useful if he made it back to the real world, but at least it was something.

    Dorian sat down on the peak, looking over the huge, widespread forest, and the mountains off behind him and to either side.

    He looked back up at the floating, still orb.

    ¡°I¡¯m still here, Will. I¡¯m still here.¡± Dorian wondered, sometimes, on his darker days, why he hadn¡¯t gone insane. Perhaps his mind or soul had been strengthened in his new Evolved forms, making him more resilient.

    Every day he stayed in here simply staying sane became harder and harder. For some reason, though, he felt as if his consciousness was growing stronger with each passing day. This careful bnce made him just barely able to handle everything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but I am.¡±

    ¡°I am no hero. Just a few years ago I was a normal human.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I¡¯ll be here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I can take this.¡±

    He paused for a moment from his monologue, his fists clenching,

    ¡°But I will not give up.¡± He closed his eyes. A single tear fell down his face, one that quickly vanished.

    ¡°I will never give up.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    After 8 years, 221 days, 13 hours, and 47 minutes in the distorted time of his Soul Spell Matrix, an old, once-familiar voice rang out in Dorian¡¯s head once more,

    ¡®Soul repairplete. Waking the host from dormancy.¡¯

    .

 Chapter 60 - Awakening

    Chapter 60: Awakening

    A gentle breeze rattling a pair of well made wooden shutters, ever so lightly, woke Dorian up.

    He instantly came awake, stumbling to his feet as he looked around in panic. His mind became incredibly on edge, every muscle in his body tensing.

    Colors! He was surrounded by colors!

    His chest heaved as he looked around the furnished room, soaking in the sight of everything.

    A very faint rattling sound rang out again, drawing his attention to the closed window behind him. Pale gleams of moonlight could be seen, dropping down from one of the faint moons that orbited Taprisha, in the chaotic space above.

    ¡°Is this a dream?¡± He pushed his hands up into the air, waving them back and forth. They began to shake as they moved, his nervous excitement overwhelming him.

    Dorian looked at his hands. They were pitch ck, with small ws on the end of each of them. The hands of an Ifrit.

    He knelt down, putting his trembling hands on the ground, feeling the texture of the rug that covered the wooden floor.

    The room he was in had a nice, quilted bed, one he had just beenying in. A small, dark orange rug decorated the floor. A pair of wooden nightstands stood on either side of the bed, with a couple of simple tapestries decorating the walls. A quaint, nice but simple room.

    ¡®It¡¯s soft.¡¯ He thought, a smile slowly appearing on his face. He poked it a few times before running over to the window, throwing open the shudder.

    Cool, pale moonlight drifted into the room, revealing the crowded city of Potor.

    Dorian stared at everything, half afraid it would all vanish as he took in all the colors and sights. A cold breeze brushed against his skin, setting him shivering.

    Ecstasy, pure unbridled ecstasy ran through his veins. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, barely able to control himself.

    ¡°I made it back, Will.¡±

    ¡®Your soul has been fully repaired.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    ¡°Ausra.¡± Dorian couldn¡¯t keep the smile off his face as he heard the voice, the first voice he had heard in so long.

    ¡°Hahahaha! You punk! It¡¯s good to see you again!¡±

    Ausra didn¡¯t reply.

    All of a sudden, a rush of memories flooded into Dorian¡¯s mind. A deluge that happened in an instant. From hising to this world, to taking on his first form, to William dying to protect him, to meeting Mello, to stopping the Eleventhborn¡¯s fearsome attack, all of these memories swarmed his head.

    He experienced them almost as if he was reliving them, all in a single split second.

    ¡°Arrgh.¡± He fell backwards onto the soft rug, clutching at his head. He identally stabbed his forehead slightly, forgetting he had ws in his Ifrit form. Faint sparks of fire red up from his arms and legs. The mes on his Ifrit form¡¯s head zed silently and mysteriously. They didn¡¯t seem to actually burn anything, but were more present in a spiritual form.

    ¡®Your body is now undergoing a gic repair process. Due to consistent treatment over the past week in real time, the process is vastly sped up. It will finish within 6 days. Switching forms will reset the repair process.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind once again.

    ¡°Ahh. Okay, okay, hold on. Only a week has passed?¡± Dorian stumbled back to his feet, blinking blearily. His head felt cluttered. He winced in pain.

    Gradually that pain faded away, the regenerative powers of his Ifrit form, and the Life Energy in its veins,ing to his aid.

    He took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly.

    He was back.

    He felt like tearing up, all of a sudden. The constant fear that had gued his heart for the past several years faded away, reced by such relief he couldn¡¯t even begin to describe it.

    ¡°Never again.¡± He muttered, shaking his head vehemently.

    ¡°I am never doing that again.¡±

    ¡°Ausra, show me my status.¡±

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss

    Health: Good (Undergoing Gic Repair)

    Energy: 880/10,565

    ¨C

    He mentally nced over his status. It was what he expected, from the memories of before. The only thing odd was the energy part of his status. It was abnormally low.

    As he looked at it, he paused.

    He looked at his body, and then sat down, crossing his legs.

    ¡°I still have my memories of the inner area of my Soul Spell Matrix.¡± He muttered, resting his elbow on his knee as he sank into thought.

    ¡°I lived in that ce for several years. Alone. Well, Will was there. Kind of.¡± He shrugged,

    ¡°But I made it back out.¡± He continued,

    ¡°It was horrifying and horrible, at the same time. Any regr person would have gone insane.¡± He nodded,

    ¡°But I don¡¯t feel insane.¡± He looked around the room, his eyes filled with a deep, inner fire,

    ¡°I feel confident, and strong. As if I¡¯ve grown more assured.¡±

    Dorian couldn¡¯t quite exin the feeling. The past 8 years in that mental prison had been hellish for him, but had seemed to fly by like a dream. Instead of horribly traumatizing him like he would expect, he felt as if his soul had grown stronger, letting him deal with the horror and grow from it. The memories weighed down on him, but they did not paralyze him.

    ¡°Ausra, is there anything unusual about my soul?¡± He asked, abruptly. He¡¯d gained a bit of a habit of talking to himself over the past several mental years, he¡¯d almost forgotten Ausra was back with him.

    ¡®Fate twists around your soul. Repairing or reconnecting injured parts of your soul is the limit of my capabilities. I do not possess the power to scan it in depth.¡± The reply he got wasckluster.

    ¡°Alright, whatever.¡± She was exactly as he remembered. Helpful most the time, but at other timescking.

    ¡°Why is my energy so low?¡± He scanned his body, closing his eyes. At his core, he felt tired still, as if he needed more rest.

    ¡°The gic damage your body suffered is still being rectified. Until it does, you are unable to make a full recovery.¡± Ausra replied, concisely.

    He mentally pulled up his Growth Status, the once familiar thoughtsing naturally to him again.

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Ifrit ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 0/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡°0 still huh?¡± He noted, sighing. It wasn¡¯t unexpected. He began running over what to do, trying to get back into the groove of being in the outside world again.

    ¡®While you were unconscious, your body underwent consistent treatment. Thanks to this, the amount of time and energy needed to rectify the gic damage was vastly reduced, but all energy points you may have gained from this were used up.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®You can absorb energy and store it like you normally would, as of right now. No more energy is needed for the repair process.¡¯

    It seemed all he needed now was time to make a full recovery.

    Dorian took a look around the room. His thoughts went astray as he studied the texture of the quilt bed, looking at the myriad of colors. He studied it, following the wavering trails of linen.

    It was beautiful, in its own, simple way.

    Even with having his memories forcefully relived, and his soul strengthening, he still couldn¡¯t shake the effects his mental imprisonment had left him with, not fully.

    He sighed, however, focusing back on the present.

    ¡°It seems those vampires saved me.¡± He distinctly remembered the female vampire he¡¯d saved rushing to catch him as he fell. They hadn¡¯t been ungrateful after all, and seemed to have helped rescue him. The constant treatment to heal his wounded body probably fell on their shoulders most likely.

    He looked outside at the sleeping city once more, and then turned back to his bed. His body was tired, but he couldn¡¯t make himself sleep right now. The sheer wonder of being back in his body, in a world of sound and color, was too much to resist.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go out.¡± He nodded his head as he fully opened the shutters. He reached up with his hands and pulled himself onto the side of the inn, his body moving agilely and quickly.

    He was on the top floor of a three-story establishment. He leapt up to the roof in one smooth motion, taking care not to clip the sides of the Inn.

    The cool night air ran flush against his skin. As an Ifrit, he was very sensitive to the temperature changes around him. Very small, dim mes were visible on his elbows, knees, and head, mostly dormant unless he was inbat.

    ¡°Ahh.¡± He took a deep breath, taking in the scene around him.

    He appeared to be in the middle of the city, in one of the nicer, but not fancy, Inns. He looked around at the other homes, shops, and buildings closed up for the night, soaking in the sights. He teared up slightly at the sight, the wonderful shapes and colors a myriad that he hadn¡¯t seen in far too long.

    He wrinkled his nose, however, at the smell. Even here in one of the nicer parts of the city, there was a faintly distasteful scent. About what he¡¯d expected in a city.

    ¡°Hello.¡± A voice broke into his concentration, causing him to spin around in panic. He hadn¡¯t detected or sensed anyone on the roof. It was arge, thirty meter wide tform, mostly t.

    A small form was huddled on one side of the roof, a figure that was now standing up, giving him a small nod.

    ¡°It¡¯s great to see that you finally woke up.¡± A feminine voice rang out as the female vampire Dorian had saved walked towards him, giving him a cautious wave.

    ¡°Thank you for saving mest week. My name is Helena.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Probus. We¡¯ll y it by ear, trust me. When have I ever let you down?¡± Trajan¡¯s voice projected supreme confidence as he fiddled with a ring on his hand, looking around nervously. The vampire Wizard blinked his eyes as he focused, concentrating.

    He was currently in one of the waiting rooms in the austere Castle of Darkness, the headquarters of the Aurelius Family. The room was ornate, decorated with ck and grey tapestries and portraits of previous vampires in history.

    It had been a week since their sh with the Anomaly they were targeting. Their expedition had been a preliminary one, and the possibility of failure had been something they epted.

    The extent of their failure, however, was unprecedented. At least, it was to Trajan.

    A vampire warrior dressed in form-fitting ck armor sat on a couch near the Wizard. The powerful swordmaster Probus.

    ¡°I seem to recall someone being in charge of stopping a certain giant fireball and failing, no?¡± Probus returned, not deigning to nce at the Wizard.

    ¡°That was hardly my fault. The Anomalies twist Fate around them, and if anything, you should have expected that. So really it¡¯s your fault.¡± Trajan returned, shamelessly,

    ¡°Thankfully I was prepared, with my emergency countermeasures.¡±

    Probus looked at Trajan askance.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even know the Demon Race had surviving members. How can that Demon possibility count as a countermeasure?¡±

    Trajan smiled and held his hands in front of him, snapping his fingers twice and then slowly letting them fall.

    ¡°Magic.¡±

    Probus rolled his eyes and snorted,

    ¡°I trust you about as far as I can throw you.¡±

    Trajan smiled wider, replying,

    ¡°That would imply a considerable amount of trust. I¡¯m a lightweight, after all. You see this physique? That¡¯s what you get if you eat environmentally friendly.¡± He motioned at his lean figure, turning from side to side to model.

    Probus rolled his eyes again,

    ¡°We are not having this talk agai-¡±

    ¡°The Highlord will see you now.¡± A voice interjected, breaking into the conversation.

    Probus and Trajan stopped talking, turning to look at one of the doors that led to the waiting room.

    The beautiful red-headed assistant and Spymaster to the Highlord stood in the doorway, giving them a cool smile, and then gestured for them to follow her.

    Trajan gulped and walked along with Probus into the room, ready to report to the Highlord.

 Chapter 61 - A Question

    Chapter 61: A Question

    I know some people are a bit antsy: Don¡¯t fret, the pace will start to pick up again soon ? Feel free to take a couple days off, and thene back when I¡¯ve released 3/4/5 chapters ?

    I decided to host a small poll, to let you readers decide a couple character names, for some fun interaction :)! Vote in this poll here: https://.strawpoll.me/16493343

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°¡­and that is our full report.¡± Trajan gave a sharp nod as he finished speaking, his eyes glued to the figure of the well dressed Highlord. He didn¡¯t give off a hint of the nervousness he felt.

    The Highlord was an incredibly powerful and intimidating vampire. Trajan kept his every cell focused on the powerful man as he spoke, not daring to tear his eyes away for a second.

    ¡°I see.¡± Highlord Marcus was currently standing near therge map of the 30,000 worlds,id out along a sizable table. A small ss of wine rested in his hand, one he swirled lightly. The air around him seemed to solidify as he continued,

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you tracked down your Anomaly, found Helena who engaged with it and lost, and then you engaged with it and also lost, but in the end were saved by a mysterious Demon, a species previously thought extinct, who somehow convinced the Anomaly to leave, by speaking in Draconic or a simrnguage that you could not understand?¡± His voice was cold and calm, the image of a powerful leader.

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Probus answered, his voice full ofplete confidence. Trajan sent him a sidelong re. Trajan himself had been the one making all the decisions, so if anyone was at fault, it wouldn¡¯t be Probus.

    ¡°And that you left Helena, who was injured but also healed by that mysterious Demon, alone with this mysterious Demon, one that you, again, have never met before?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Probus responded instantly, bearing a cheerful smile. Trajan sent him a second re.

    The dark vampire ruler was quiet for a moment. He swilled the wine around in his wine ss, contemting. Trajan felt his heart shiver.

    ¡°Well, that seems quite reasonable to me. She¡¯s a strong, independent vampire, and if she opted to stay behind, she has her own reasons. She¡¯s a member of the Reavers, just like you.¡± Highlord Marcus nodded his head, turning back to look at them.

    ¡°I thin-

    ¡°A-HEM.¡± Before the Highlord could continue, a loud coughing noise interrupted their conversation.

    The red headed Spymaster of the Highlord was currently ring at him, giving him a deathly stare.

    Marcus rolled his eyes, but instantly resumed his lordly appearance, looking at his confused subordinates.

    ¡°Next time, however, be sure to check the extent of her injuries, as you should for anyrade, and vet the unknown humanoid better.¡±

    Trajan bowed his head slightly, nodding. Probus did the same, a small smirk on his face. Trajan made a mental note to bring up the deteriorating ecosystem of the O¡¯val Valley World. Probus hated being lectured on environmental prevention.

    ¡°Now, with that out of the way, I have a new mission for you. Forget about the Anomalies for now. We are no longer targeting them.¡± Marcus continued, a ck look appearing in his eyes. His demeanor seemed to be stricter, edged with darkness.

    ¡°The Shade King hasunched an offensive against us and the Augustus Family controlled territories. You are to join up with the leader of the Reavers, General Carus, on the World Petir, and ready yourselves.¡± Carus, the leader of the Reavers, technically wasn¡¯t one of the Three Family Generals. He was every bit as strong as one, however, a deadly force in his own right. An extremely powerful King ss expert.

    The three powerful Vampire Families. The Augustus Family, the Caesar Family, and their own Aurelius Family.

    Their rtionship with the Caesar Family was strained, due to personal conflicts, but they had an asionally friendly alliance with the Augustus Family.

    In the face of any conflict with outsiders, however, the Vampire Nobles would forget their grudges and be a close-knit group, refusing to budge even an inch.

    Marcus closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them, looking tired.

    ¡°War is upon us, once more.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°It¡¯s great to see that you finally woke up.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for saving mest week. My name is Helena.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s heart calmed down as he stared at the Vampire Noble, his eyes narrowed. He remembered her. She was the one he¡¯d saved, the warrior who selflessly defended the innocents in the city.

    She looked lean and wiry, but also quite pretty. She wore a slim, blue dress tonight, one that finely ented her petite figure. Just her standing gave off a feeling of strength, her presence incredibly forceful.

    For her, he had a great deal of respect.

    ¡°How should I respond, William?¡± He muttered out of habit, thinking up a response.

    Helena stared at him in confusion.

    ¡°How should- who? William? What?¡±

    Dorian blinked. Right. She could hear him if he spoke aloud. He mentally shrugged, epting it for what it was.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dorian.¡± He took a few steps forward, sticking his hand out in a friendly gesture.

    Helena walked right up towards him, taking his hand without a trace of nervousness or caution. She smiled warmly as they shook hands.

    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Talking with someone else felt odd after so much time spent on his own. Despite that, he relished the moment. Not having toe up with responses for the other person made the conversation extremely pleasant.

    Helena nodded,

    ¡°Have your injuries healed? When we got to you, you were badly wounded, and before we could do anything, you fell unconscious. I had some of my Wizards work on trying to restore you, but the injuries on your body seemed to be ones that needed time.¡± She began, gesturing down below them, where her subordinates were sleeping. She had picked out an unassuming, but nice, Inn, near the middle of the city to stay at.

    Dorian nodded, looking at his hands. He still felt tired, but his injuries were mostly gone.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. My body will take about a week to fully heal from this weakened state, but I should be fine.¡± He tried to think up something else to say. Talking to real people was harder than he remembered.

    Helena looked at him.

    Dorian looked back.

    Silence swooped in on the moment.

    Feeling as if he should say something, he gestured upward.

    ¡°Pretty stars out tonight, huh?¡± He went with a line he vaguely remembered using on Earth before that had never let him down.

    ¡°Stars?¡± Helena looked up at the almostpletely empty night sky.

    The 30,000 World didn¡¯t have stars, save for a mystical sun and mystical moon that orbited in the chaotic space near each world.

    Dorian blinked and then mentally smacked himself. He felt like a teenager.

    ¡°You going out of your way to protect the innocents in this city from that fearsome dragon really impressed me.¡± Dorian began, looking off to the side at the sleeping city.

    ¡°It takes a lot of guts to do something like that.¡±

    Helena turned with him, her eyes distant. She sighed.

    ¡°It was my responsibility. Protecting the territories of the Aurelius Family is part of my duty.¡±

    ¡°Still.¡± Dorian responded, shrugging,

    ¡°You still did it. That¡¯s more than most could say.¡±

    Helena smiled as she looked at him and responded,

    ¡°Well, what about you? You not only managed to heal me and save my life, but also blocked that huge fireball, and saved the city.¡± She waved her hand to the west, where the battle had taken ce.

    ¡°What made you act?¡± Her voice was filled with an intenseyer of curiosity. Dorian got the feeling that his response here would mean a lot to her.

    ¡°Why did I act?¡± He spoke aloud, rubbing his chin. He shrugged,

    ¡°It felt like the right thing to do.¡± The Eleventhborn was only here because of him, after all. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t just let hundreds of thousands of innocent people die for no reason if he could stop it.

    Helena blinked, staring at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s it? You didn¡¯t fight seeking a reward? You weren¡¯t sent here by the Highlord?¡± Joining the Aurelius Family as an Internal Member was very difficult, but had plenty of benefits. Usually new members either had to be powerful vampires, or beings thatmitted grand feats in service of the Family.

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t turn down any rewards if they¡¯re being offered.¡± He smiled cheekily,

    ¡°Ah, about that Highlord.¡± A stray thought appeared in his mind.

    ¡°His name is Marcus Aurelius, right?¡± He looked at Helena, his eyes shining.

    Helena nodded, still dazed from his answer.

    ¡°And the other Vampire Families, they¡¯re the Caesar Family, and the Augustus Family, right?¡±

    She nodded again.

    Dorian frowned.

    ¡°What? Is something wrong?¡± She noticed his expression.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just the names¡­¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°What about them?¡±

    ¡°They feel¡­zy.¡±

    Helena stared at him oddly.

    ¡°Well, I suppose there can only be so many names in the world.¡± He shrugged a second time.

    There was silence again for a brief moment as the two souls stared out over the moonlit city, quiet. Dorian studied the glimmering lights, the softly moving breeze, taking in everything. All the colors and noises were joyful to him, proof that he was no longer in that mental prison. He could faintly make out a few burnt areas, portions of the city damaged from the battle.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Helena began, before pausing, biting her lip. Her voice sounded troubled.

    ¡°You..?¡± Dorian gave her a smile. He was quite content just standing in the presence of another being. He felt supremely unconcerned.

    If the vampires had wanted to kill or capture him, they already would have. In his current weakened state, there was nothing he could do to stop them right now, so he decided he might as well just enjoy being alive.

    She turned to look directly at Dorian, a small smile on her face.

    ¡°My mother told me, when I was very young, that sometimes the best way to clear your mind is to talk to a stranger.¡± She waved at him,

    ¡°Do you mind if I share my troubles with you, Dorian? You saved my life, so I don¡¯t exactly consider us strangers, but the point still remains.¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± He gave her a reassuring smile.

    The more he talked to the vampire warrior he saved, the younger he felt like she seemed. One moment she was a proud warrior, and the next she came off as a nervous, youngdy. She was also quite forward and direct, not that he wasining.

    ¡°I was sent on a mission to hunt down a creature, an Anomaly, one among many that have caused a huge stir in the 30,000 Worlds. My mission was to find that creature, make contact with it, and if possible, make ite back with me to meet the Highlord.¡± Her voice was cool,

    ¡°If I take that Anomaly back with me, I fear¡­ no, I know that it won¡¯t be able to move freely for a long time. The Highlord is kind and wise, but extremely protective. We¡¯ve already lost arge number of our men and women to the other Anomalies, and while the Anomaly I¡¯m hunting is an unusual one, that won¡¯t change his mind.¡±

    Helena sat down at the edge of the roof, folding her hands together and resting her chin on them as she gazed out over the city.

    Blood began to pump loudly through Dorian¡¯s veins as he heard the words she spoke, his body tensing up. He remained calm, however, giving her a small nod.

    She sighed,

    ¡°But what if that Anomaly was very different from the others? It was kind and strong, even going so far as to protect the innocent, without wish for a reward. Even going so far as to save my life.¡± Her face scrunched up as her and Dorian¡¯s eyes crossed, a tingle of electricity seemed to sh between them.

    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±

    Dorian shrugged, tossing off the tension that covered him as he responded,

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard a question if you really think about it.¡± He sat down next to her, gazing out over the city as she had.

    ¡°Just do the right thing, whatever that may be.¡±

    Silence came once again.

    ¡°Just do the right thing, huh?¡± Helena whispered after a few minutes, an indecipherable look appearing on her face as she struggled with her thoughts.

    Dorian simply nodded, enjoying the beauty of the world around him.

    The night passed, just like that. Two lone figures sitting atop an empty roof, staring out at a scarred city full of sleeping souls.

 Chapter 62 - Willpower

    Chapter 62: Willpower

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding a striking blow. He tried to lean backwards to avoid the second strike, but slipped slightly, his foot skittering on the rocky ground.

    WHACK

    ¡°Ow.¡± Dorian muttered as he was knocked backwards, flipping over andnding smoothly. He smiled, however, relishing the pain. Every experience was a joy to him right now.

    ¡°You need to keep your focus on your surroundings as well as your enemy. You also need to keep your guard up.¡± A stern, but warm, voice lectured Dorian.

    The lean figure of Helena looked at him with a small smile of her own, waving at him toe at her again.

    It had been two days since he¡¯d woken up.

    Dorian was stuck in his Ifrit form for several more days, waiting on the gic damage his body had undergone to fully heal. He had already elerated it as fast as he could, and couldn¡¯t make it go by any faster.

    The first day, Dorian had simply walked around the city.

    He explored various nooks and crannies, watching people move about on their day. Everyone here moved in a hurry, rushing from ce to ce without pause. The rapid-fire style of life in the city was incredibly refreshing and amusing to watch.

    He¡¯d also visited a couple restaurants, trying out delicious delicacies that set his mouth to watering.

    It was a luxurious, rxing day.

    As for Helena¡­ She had set a tail on him, but other than that, had taken no action. She¡¯d made it clear she knew he was an ¡®Anomaly,¡¯ what he gathered people called members of the Flock, but done nothing else. He was unsure if he¡¯d convinced her, but knew there was nothing he could do in the meantime.

    Till he was able to switch forms, it would be too easy to track him.

    On the second day, Dorian had spent it much like the first. He also went to a few Blood Magic shops, and a Preservation Shop, looking for new bloodlines. He didn¡¯t find any that caught his fancy, not after he¡¯d already swept through once before, but had kept prowling.

    He also acquired some basic instruction manuals on studying magic.

    Ifrits had a natural sense for Life Magic rted fields and an even stronger sense for Fire Magic rted fields.

    Since he couldn¡¯t switch forms right now, Dorian decided he might as well start studying magic. The opportunity to cast Spells was too much to pass up, especially after he saw how powerful Wizards were.

    Since Fire Magic was his strongest field, he decided to start with that first.

    Studying magic in the 30,000 Worlds was aplex, but popr, field. The concept was rather simple.

    The more Spells you cast, the more energy would flow through your soul. Eventually, enough energy would flow through it that you would experience a ¡®baptism of thews of magic,¡¯ allowing your Soul Spell Matrix to grow in size and energy, to the next ss.

    The study of magic could not be rushed. It was a step by step process that required gradual growth.

    Casting Spells was somewhat simr to using Abilities, Dorian had found. The difference lied in the fact that in order to cast a Spell, Dorian had to consciously imagine and form magic symbols, willing them tobine in certain patterns.

    When using an Ability, Dorian just needed to focus on the Ability and will it to activate. The rest of the process was automatic.

    Casting a Spell required far more concentration and active effort.

    Dorian had found that he seemed to be a natural at it, however.

    He¡¯d only studied magic for a single day, but in that time, he had managed to cast a single, low level Mortal ss Spell, the Warm Hands Spell. A cantrip that allowed a Wizard to warm their hands to an unusually high degree.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly the most powerful spell, and could hardly be used to attack. But it was still progress.

    Most Wizards took at least a month or two of study before they could perform their first Spell. Many practiced using the energy in their Soul Spell Matrix, visualizing theplex magic symbols, and moving their will.

    Dorian found that the only hard part, for him, when it came to magic was theplex patterns and symbols he needed to visualize.

    Moving energy from his Soul Spell Matrix was something he was already used to, and in terms of practice with his will, Dorian could be considered at least an expert. He¡¯d spent 8 years alone practicing nothing but using his will.

    He was on his third day now, and currently in a practice spar against Helena.

    He¡¯d decided in the morning that he was going to go out on an excursion from the city, down to the floor of the oceans of nothingness below. He wanted to actively test casting Spells in the wild and to test out his Ifrit form.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Good (Undergoing Gic Repair)

    Energy: 2,482/10,565

    ¨C

    His Energy had recovered to a strong enough state that he was unworried by anyone below the Lord ss.

    When he had started heading out of the city, the tail following him had vanished. Just a few minutester, Helena herself had appeared next to him, dering that she would apany him.

    He hadn¡¯t had much choice in the matter, so he¡¯d epted it for what it was, giving her a winning smile.

    One thing led to another, and they had found themselves down on the ground level, far below the city of Potor.

    Dorian had set off exploring into one of the nearby forests, and almost immediately been ambushed by a random beast. An Earth ss Rock Panther.

    He¡¯d dispatched it with ease, but Helena, after watching him fight, had shaken her head and taken him aside.

    ording to her, his style ofbat was like ¡®watching a drunk moose try to build a house.¡¯ A rather unique metaphor.

    And they were now about twenty minutes in to her teaching him how to fight. She had insisted on it, dering that if he was unable to fight properly, he would die an early death.

    She sounded quite tough when she spoke, but Dorian felt an undercurrent of care in her. He found it quite sweet.

    That said, she was holding nothing back.

    ¡°Like this?¡± Dorian raised his ck Ifrit arms, leaning forward slightly. He looked at the slim Noble, his eyes gleaming.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She took a step forward slowly.

    Every movement she made was perfectly controlled. Not a single point was wasted. The exacting precision she moved her body with was at a level even Dorian was unable to match.

    Her arms blurred as she entered range of Dorian,shing out.

    He knew she was purposefully slowing her attacks to make it easier for him to respond. Despite that, her unerring uracy made her movements almost impossible to dodge, even when slowed down.

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ He observed, twisting his body to the side. As he did so, he punched out with his right arm, in a straight movement she taught him.

    ording to her, the best use of his physique would be for simple, explosive attacks. Small jabs or light attacks would equate to almost nothing to strong beings in the 30,000 Worlds.

    Like a river flowing around a boulder, Helena evaded Dorian¡¯s attack simply be shifting her head to the side, despite moving at a visibly slow pace. Dorian could see where she was going, but every time he tried to hit her, he just barely missed.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian felt a blownd against the side of his chest, flipping him backwards. He twisted his body in the air once again, turning over as he faced her.

    ¡°Keep your focus! Block or dodge my attacks, and wait for an opportunity to counterattack!¡±

    Helena was unrelenting in her charge, already rushing towards him again. This practice session was something she was takingpletely seriously, as was Dorian. The opportunity to spar and learn from a warrior like her was a rare thing.

    As her right arm blurred forward towards him once more, Dorian red at it in irritation.

    He knew what he needed to do to stop the attack. He simply couldn¡¯t respond fast enough. And, when he did respond in time, his fists seemed to just barely miss her as she dodged, leaving only a millimeter of room.

    Already, just from this, Dorian could tell she was a genius in terms of physicalbat. There was no way he¡¯d be able to beat her right now, or even match up or defend against her, not when it came to technique.

    ¡®Miss, dammit.¡¯ He raised his right hand but continued to re at her arm that was punching forward, his enhanced visual acuity in this form just barely allowing him to make it out.

    As he red at her offending arm, Dorian felt a strange stirring in his soul. A twisting feeling, one he had felt twice before. Once when he was fighting that Titan back on the World Bridge from Hasnorth, and once when he was convincing the Eleventhborn to leave.

    Both times the feeling had gone forward without direct control or direction from Dorian.

    Now, however, he consciously sensed the feeling, the odd, distorted sensation deep within him.

    His powerful control of his will ran flush within him as he stared at Helena¡¯s attack, and willed it to miss him.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt energy leave his body.

    At the same time, Helena¡¯s fist was about tond on his side once more, sending him flying. Dorian was twisting his body as much as he could, trying to lean out of the way of the attack.

    The air seemed to shiver just slightly.

    Helena¡¯s fist sailed a bare millimeter away from Dorian¡¯s side, missing him by a hair.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Dorian yelled aloud in victory, bearing his teeth in a grin.

    SMACK

    A second after, however, Dorian was sent tumbling through the air as Helena spun around, bringing her left leg upward in a swift strike that knocked him away. He mentally cursed as hended down hard, jumping upwards almost immediately.

    Helena had paused, looking at her hands in astonishment. Dorian grinned, enjoying her surprise.

    ¡°I dodged your attack, huh? Surprising, eh? My skill surprises even myself.¡± He continued to grin shamelessly. As he did so, he mentally checked his status again.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Good (Undergoing Gic Repair)

    Energy: 2,394/10,565

    ¨C

    His mind raced ahead of him as he realized what he¡¯d done.

    Dorian knew that his soul was a unique one that had the ability to ¡®Twist Fate.¡¯ It meant people and things would be drawn to him, luck, or misfortune, would happen to him in excessive amounts.

    All the Anomalies had unique souls that could ¡®Twist Fate¡¯ to various degrees. Dorian was unsure on the strength of each, but Ausra imed they weren¡¯t all equal. Some souls would be better able to ¡®Twist Fate¡¯ than others.

    When Dorian put the full force of his will on willing something to change, he had felt his soul seem to vibrate, and then use up some of the energy he had within it. His long practice and experience in using his will had just barely allowed him to sense and control the sensation.

    As soon as that had happened, reality itself had changed.

    Helena¡¯s attack, which had a 100% chance of smashing into him, had missed.

    It wasn¡¯t her full power strike, not even a tenth of her full power and speed since she didn¡¯t use magic, and making it miss had cost him almost 100 points of energy, a notable amount.

    Still, Dorian¡¯s mind was blown away as he realized what he had done.

    He had changed reality by simply willing it to change.

    ¡®Incredible.¡¯ That was the only thought that dominated his mind at this moment.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Helena continued to look at her hands, confusion coloring her voice.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t dodge my attack. I¡­ missed?¡± She clenched her fist and then red at it as if it had betrayed her.

    She then looked askance at Dorian, her face scrunching up as she stared daggers at him.

    ¡°Did you..?¡±

    ¡°Did I what, Smalls?¡± He kept up his grin as he called her by a nickname, continuing,

    ¡°Perhaps you just missed because of my dodging expertise, no? In my homnd, I was nicknamed the King of Dodging, after all.¡± He boasted, patting his chest.

    ¡°Homework assignments, ss attendance, bills, sess in life, you name it, I dodged it.¡±

    Helena¡¯s face just looked even more confused as she looked back at him, and then down at her hands.

    She then rolled her eyes and jumped forward,

    ¡°Back to practice!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Gerulf Aldric rubbed his hands together, watching as dark essence rose off from his Dark Points. He sighed deeply, feeling exhaustion seep bone deep into him.

    He was a member of one of the four Axios Teams under the directmand of the High Priest of the Church of Light. A Peak Lord ss Wizard specializing in Piercing Magic, he was the Subleader of the nine man team.

    His muscr, two meter tall body shivered in the cold air, his short brown hair wafting in the breeze. His face was tough and weathered, lined with both age and experience. He wore a set of warm looking white leather hides, acting as armor.

    He looked out across the snowyndscape of Blizzaria. The Exotic World of Snow.

    This world had another nickname, one that was far more ominous.

    The World Where the Dead Walked.

    ¡°Careful, gentleman.¡± Siegfried¡¯s calm voice rang out, raising catching his attention. The Wizard, and the leader of their Axios team, was standing off to the side, his small form wrapped up and covered by a pair of white robes and nkets.

    ¡°Ready up.¡± Gerulf yelled aloud as well, cursing their current mission.

    They were the enforcers of the church, as well as the defenders. Their mission was to protect the Shade Race and the Shade Commune.

    He was a soldier defending the freedom and survival of his race, the noblest cause there could be.

    Not a damned hunter.

    Yet here he was, in this godforsaken frozen world, trying to hunt down and capture a damned fox of all things.

    They¡¯d been on for several days now, searching and hunting. They had two Shades that could scry Fate on the squad, but even then, they had made little progress.

    Partly because of how low-key they were acting.

    Blizzaria was not a world where even Pseudo-King ss Wizards like Siegfried would want to draw attention.

    ¡°Something is approaching!¡±

    The world around Gerulf was covered in pristine white snow. They were currently on the surface of the world, in the middle of arge mountain range on one of the many shifting continents that covered the. Above them, the sky was covered in visible distortions, spatial fracturesshing out and asionally tearing into the ground nearby.

    Travel on the surface of this was extremely dangerous. They had onlye up to cross from one tunnel to another, per the map the High Priest had provided their team with.

    If they wanted to make any progress, they would need to dive back underground again, into thework of shifting tunnels.

    Into the confines where the Dead moved.

    Gerulf¡¯s eyes strained as he looked out into the distance. Constant snowstorms covered the surface of Blizzaria, reducing visibility to just a mile or two, even for a powerful Lord ss Wizard and fighter like him.

    He heard it before he saw it.

    A loud, echoing voice ringing out, in simple Common.

    ¡°Oh snow I see, and snow I found!¡±

    ¡°Beauty of ice, and fire abound!¡±

    ¡°But who is this, new creatures in the cold without a care?¡±

    ¡°Celebrate, my new friends! For it is perfection I will share!¡±

    .

 Chapter 63 - Identity

    Chapter 63: Identity

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know what you are?¡±

    Dorian swatted aside a few grey branches as he trotted through the dense forest, his eyes roving ahead of him.

    An hour had passed. They¡¯d sparred for several rounds, with Helena giving him solid advice and tips on how to guard and hold himself inbat. Many of the concepts she¡¯d shared with him centered around being aware of his surroundings, on how to properly respond or react to an enemy attacking in a certain way, or other more detailed topics.

    Though they¡¯d only sparred for an hour, Dorian had soaked up all the knowledge she shared.

    Some of what she taught wouldn¡¯t always apply. For example, in his Giant Myyr Dragon form, he would be far less able to agilely use footwork to dodge a blow. He had no doubt that he would pick up some other,rger forms as time went on.

    Still, this was the first time he¡¯d ever gotten any actual practice or teaching in regards tobat. He felt tougher already.

    He¡¯d also experimented more with using his will to twist Fate.

    It seemed this was the inherent ability his unique soul gave him. There were certain downsides: for example, it was easier to track him through Fate. But the upsides seemed to make that far worth it.

    Just by using his will, reality would bend along his wishes.

    During thebat with Helena, three times he¡¯d managed to just barely evade an attack she sent out. The first time had cost him nearly 100 points of energy, while the second took around 130 and the third around 280.

    Her first attack had been almost the same as the second. Only, when she noticed she was missing, she had adjusted the trajectory of her strike slightly. She still missed, but it cost Dorian more energy to make her miss.

    The same thing happened with the third blow, though this time she tried harder.

    From this, Dorian learned that the energy he needed to change reality was directly rted to the impact his change would have.

    ¡°No.¡± Dorian answered, shrugging.

    ¡°I was brought into this world from nothing. I have no real parents here, no real family, except the others.¡± He¡¯d opened up to her, a bit, as they¡¯d traveled deeper into the forest.

    He didn¡¯t feel threatened at all by her, and sharing a bit about himself and the others didn¡¯t bother him. He decided to keep the fact that he was from Earth a secret. Anything that wasn¡¯tmon knowledge for the other Anomalies was something he should keep quiet on.

    Too much odd magic existed, who knew if someone could spy on him from afar or look into the past.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Helena¡¯s response was quiet.

    Dorian ducked under arge branch, his eyes catching hold of a small, grey squirrel moving along its length. The squirrel had tough, leathery grey hide and looked rather ferocious for its small size.

    Creatures down here at the floor of the ocean of nothingness were stronger, and more dangerous than most surface creatures. Simply surviving down here necessitated that.

    ¡°What about you, shorty?¡± He asked back, taking his eyes off the squirrel to nce back at the vampire.

    She was journeying alongside him as they walked deeper into the forest. Dorian wanted to test out his newfound skills on any beasts that attacked him.

    Or, as he was secretly hoping, a band of robbers or thieves. He could dispense justice, and get some practice in against real opponents.

    ¡°My parents were both killed when I was young.¡± She talked nonchntly, as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. A small wave of emotion swept over her voice as she talked, however, belying her casualness.

    Dorian stopped, his eyes widening. He turned fully around.

    She had stopped as well, her eyes full of confusion.

    Dorian walked up and gave her a hug.

    In the split second before he was about to hug her, unbeknownst to Dorian, her arms blurred as if she was about to rip out his throat. At thest instant, however, she stopped, continuing to stare at him, frozen.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. That must¡¯ve been really hard.¡± The emotion in her voice made it clear that the thoughts still pained her. Dorian did the only thing he could think of, and hugged her.

    After a moment, she hugged him back, ever so slightly.

    ¡°Life can be pretty unfair.¡± He let her go, giving her a sharp nod,

    ¡°But you just gotta keep toughin¡¯ through it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re smiling down on you from above.¡±

    Helena¡¯s face was indecipherable as she stared at him. After a moment, she nodded slightly, casting her eyes away.

    A few seconds passed in silence as they resumed walking.

    ¡°So howe you¡¯re such a good fighter?¡± Dorian asked, after a while, breaking the silence. Helena was incredibly skilled, from Dorian¡¯syperson perspective. She seemed to have an innate understanding for anything rting tobat.

    Helena shrugged,

    ¡°It¡¯s because I need to be. I have a single goal in this life.¡± She said, her voice starting to brim with passion.

    ¡°And that is to defeat a certain man.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian said, curious,

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The man closest to bing a God.¡± Helena began, her fists clenching as she spoke,

    ¡°The strongest Wizard, and warrior, in existence.¡±

    ¡°The being that injured and cut off the path to Ascendancy for Highlord Marcus.¡± Her eyes shed with anger,

    ¡°The Mad King Telmon.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°What do you think Cassiera? Should I put the vase here, or over here?¡± Arthur Telmon, known to most simply as the Wizard King Telmon, nced at therge, white vase with a worried look. The ornate flowery design on it was simple, but beautiful, and gave off a holy aura.

    His violet eyes were gleamed with a strange light, while his strong jaw and small nose gave him a masculine, handsome appearance. A long, red scar ran down the length of his right cheek onto his neck, and a set of muscr shoulders. A small golden crown rested upon his head.

    The white robe he wore, adorned with a ck colored insignia of a wizard¡¯s spellbook, was currently pulled up tightly as he looked around therge garden he was standing in, shrugging.

    It was an expansive, mystical garden. Hundreds of trees, bushes, and exotic nts lined a grey stone path, filling the area with a sense of magic and health. Magic Herbs of all sorts and types cluttered the area, a veritable fortress of wealth and ntlife.

    ¡°Oh your Highness¡­¡± Cassiera¡¯s slim form shivered into existence, the tight blue dress she wore entuating her curves as she spoke with adoration.

    ¡°It looks perfect there!¡± She gushed.

    Telmon frowned.

    ¡°Cassiera, I¡¯m still holding it.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded her head,

    ¡°You are indeed, your highness. Your observing eyes are as sharp as ever.¡± She waspletely serious.

    He nced at her through narrowed eyes.

    ¡°What about here?¡± He put it in his other hand.

    ¡°Perfection.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± He ced it on his right knee, holding it up.

    ¡°Beauty untold.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± He ced it on his head.

    ¡°The fallen Gods have blessed your wisdom.¡±

    He sighed and set the vase down, ring at her.

    ¡°Are you just saying that as an excuse topliment me?¡±

    ¡°Wh-what, yo-your Majesty!¡± Cassiera blushed as she spoke, her eyes darting around.

    She was an incredibly smart woman, the leader of the Fate Department. A devout and powerful Wizard, there were few as tactical and cunning as she. That was, if she was facing anyone but Telmon.

    ¡°Nevermind, nevermind.¡± He shook his head, forcing himself not to smile. He¡¯d stop teasing her for now.

    He blinked, however, freezing as a message magically entered his ears.

    A grim smiled donned his face.

    ¡°Come, Cassiera. It seems the corpse of that Anomaly has arrived.¡± A while ago one of his Wizards had perished killing one of the invading Anomalies. Since then, the remaining creatures had caused chaos and destruction to spread throughout the 30,000 Worlds.

    They still knew very little about these creatures. Having the corpse to examine might be able to answer many of the questions Telmon had.

    Telmon casually waved his hand.

    In an instant, reality warped and he and Cassiera vanished, reappearing several miles away in arge, grey chamber.

    This chamber stretched at least a hundred meters in length, and several hundred in width, and was shaped like arge rectangle. It was hewn from the earth, set underground, many miles below the surface. Severalrge, glowing orbs of light decorated the sides of the mostly empty chamber, lighting it up.

    Arge, shing portal could be seen at one end of the chamber. From this portal, a small troop of Wizards could be seen emerging. They wore an odd assortment of colored robes, indicating various departments. The Wave Department, the Light Department, the Sound Department, the Gravity Department, and a few others. Most of them seemed to be middle-aged or older, all powerful Lord ss Wizards. Several of them were even Pseudo-King ss.

    There were very few King ss Wizards in existence, even for the massive, gargantuan Borrel Autarchy. Lord ss Wizards made up the lion¡¯s share of his forces.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± A representative came forth from the group of Wizards. A Pseudo-King ss Wizard that Telmon recognized. An elderly member of the Gravity Department, Gwentel Tolm. He had short white hair and a small beard, his figure carrying forward with pride.

    ¡°My condolences about Antdre.¡± Telmon began.

    Antdre was one of the Lord ss Wizards that had died against the self-dered ¡®Secondborn,¡¯ a fearsome lion that had since vanished, one of the other Anomalies they had lost track of. Telmon had an impable memory, and recalled that Gwentel had been friends with him. They were both members of the Gravity Department.

    ¡°He died a Wizard¡¯s death.¡± The representative was somber as he replied, a tinge of sadness in his tone. He continued, not pausing, a hint of anger in his voice,

    ¡°We have sessfully brought forth the corpse of the fallen Anomaly.¡± Gwentel waved his hand.

    Immediately, a huge corpse appeared in the air. A massive, thirty meter tall vaguely humanoid creature. Its entire body seemed to be made out of ckened wood, covered in hundreds of burn marks and scars. Its long arms were ckened, but covered in what appeared to berge, wooden tes. The face of the creature was almost non-existent. Instead of having facial features, it was just an oddly unsettling empty mask. No eyes, no mouth, just a nk te.

    A small, wooden crown rested atop its head, also partially burnt.

    The exact description of an Ancient Boorakian Wood Giant, a powerful Lord ss beast thought extinct.

    ¡°I see.¡± Telmon stared at it, his eyes cool. The Lord ss Volcanic Wizard Petryon, a man with a promising future, had died to kill this beast.

    He blinked as he looked at it.

    ¡°It was a difficult journey, but we managed to safel-¡± Gwentel began, but was cut off.

    ¡°It¡¯s not dead.¡± Telmon waved his hand. The wooden corpse flung through the air,nding down about a hundred meters away from them. Cassiera¡¯s body shimmered out of existence as she hid away, obeying a mentalmand Telmon sent.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Gwentel looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°I said: It¡¯s not dead.¡± Telmon jumped up into the air, his voice rxed.

    A glowing, white halo appeared, hovering around the Wizard King¡¯s forehead. The air around him remained perfectly calm and stable, not a hint of anything present.

    ¡°How foolish of you, Anomaly.¡± A small smile appeared on his face,

    ¡°To willingly give yourself up to me.¡± He waved his hand again,

    ¡°Are you going to wait there doing nothing? Or¡­?¡± As he spoke, a beam of white energy shot forward, intent on sting into the giant wooden corpse.

    Gwentel, and the rest of the Lord ss Wizards, all looked on in confusion. At the same time, they began to cast several defensive spells, protecting themselves just in case.

    At thest second, the enormous wooden corpse shivered. Abruptly, its body jerked backwards, flipping over as it cackled,

    ¡°Ohhhh, hahahaha! You saw through me! Hahaha! How delightful!¡± Its voice was piercing and high pitched, an irritating whine.

    As it spoke, its body began to transform, the burnt skin slogging off, revealing a in, brown wooden exterior.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t an Ancient Boorkian Wood Giant, are you?¡± Telmon responded, folding his hands together quietly.

    ¡°Hahaha, maybe, maybe not? Why does it matter? What is perfection without a little fun?¡± Itughed as it spoke. After it finished talking, it mmed its foot down, an incredibly dense Aura bursting forth from it. Brown light shed out, coloring the air around it.

    ¡°I, the Seventhborn, shall show you the fun inherent in perfection! Hahahaha!¡± Its voice took on an insane edge. Tens of thousands of wooden roots began to explode from its body, shivering forth with an incredibly dense air of power.

    A faint, brown image of a Halo formed around the head of the huge, hulking wooden creature.

    ¡°Pseu-Pseudo Angelic ss!¡± Gwentel¡¯s face paled as he looked on in shock, his body blurring as he retreated backwards for the portal. It was a well-known fact that if a human faced a powerful bloodline beast of the same ss, they would be easily trounced.

    The bodies of most beasts were simply far, far too strong whenpared to humanity. Even with magic topensate, the powerful Abilities most creatures had made each battle a tough one.

    A Pseudo-Angelic ss Beast was considered a match for an Angelic ss Human Wizard.

    ¡°You are mighty, Wizard King, so I¡¯ve heard! Let us have a mighty fun battle! Hahahaha!¡±

    The tentacles of wood began to tear into space itself as they shot towards Telmon. Spatial fractures appeared, distorting the vision of everyone present. The Aura that wrapped around the wood was corrosive, painful to even look at.

    Telmon shook his head,

    ¡°Arrogance.¡± He snapped his fingers.

    Immediately, an invisible barrier appeared around him. As the thousands of tentacles mmed into this barrier, they nced off it, the spatial fractures twisting and falling out of existence.

    ¡°I will share something fun with you, my foolish friend.¡± He smiled,

    ¡°Through my research, I¡¯ve made several discoveries and established hundreds of theories. One of those theories is about existence itself.¡±

    ¡°It is my firm belief that everything in existence is made up of tiny, minuscule particles. Every single thing, from you and your form, to me and mine.¡±

    ¡°Everything in reality can be singled out and humbled down to a collection of numbers and data, representing the whole. Tiny minute particles, moving with purpose and energy.¡±

    By now, the thousands of wooden tentacles hadpleted bounced off the invisible barrier that protected Telmon. They instead began to surround him, hundreds of spatial tears ripping apart reality itself as they tried to rain down upon him.

    The other Wizards had long since retreated through the still open portal, making a safe escape during the fight. They would prove useless in a match of such power and scale, and made the wise decision to get out of the way.

    ¡°Hahahahaha! Die! Copse! Tear! Such fun! I waited so long for this!¡± The Seventhborn¡¯s insane voice sang out over the chaotic screams of space as more and more tears appeared.

    ¡°Do you know what that knowledge means, my foolish friend?¡± Telmon continued, unperturbed.

    ¡°It means there is nothing in existence that can hinder me.¡± He sped his hands together.

    ¡°Creation Magic.¡± He began, casting a spell. His eyes glowed with white light,

    ¡°Atomic Deconstruction.¡±

    WHOOSH

    Everything around Telmon transformed into ash.

    The thousands of tentacles, the stone floor, everything within a hundred meters of him transformed into small, grey particles of ash.

    The massive wooden body of the Sevenborn was the only thing left within a hundred meter gap, all of its wooden tentacles severed.

    ¡°Creation Magic: Universal Space Prison.¡± Telmon waved his hands casually, casting another spell.

    Immediately, the space where the Anomaly was standing in shock was sealed off, vanishing from reality as he imprisoned the creature.

    Telmon sighed with disappointment as he looked around at the now badly marred room. Thousands of gaping scars could be seen, the damaging spatial waves wrecking the underground transport chamber. The portal his Wizards had used to get here had long since been destroyed.

    ¡°How boring.¡± He shook his head,

    ¡°Cassiera, get the Earth Department to fix this ce up. Also, have the Space Department work on establishing a new Network Portal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian settled downfortably into bed, stretching his tired muscles.

    He¡¯d gotten into several fights as he traveled through the forest, various savage beasts trying to kill him. He¡¯d managed to practice several of the tips Helena had given him, slowlyying a foundation for his own martial skill. He hadn¡¯t acquired any unique or powerful bloodlines, but the experience and knowledge he gained made it a worthwhile venture.

    Tomorrow, he decided, he would begin his final preparations.

    It was time he left for the next world on his list, to journey towards the Ember Gorge, and create a new body for William.

    .

 Chapter 64 - Something Goes Right

    Chapter 64: Something Goes Right

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Good (Undergoing Gic Repair)

    Energy: 4,723/10,565

    ¨C

    Dorian smiled, pleased, as he looked at his status.

    He had recovered nearly half his full strength. In fact, his current strength now already exceeded that of his previous form, his Lesser Throne Demon.

    Lesser Throne Demons could be considered a closely rted brother of the Ifrit Race.

    The Demon Race was an ancient race, full of a myriad of rted, demonic creatures. All Demons were aspected towards one element or another.

    The Ifrit Race was part of the original, ancient Demon Race, a race that came into existence long ago, their origin unknown. The Demon Race had only fallen to extinction rtively recently, several hundreds of years ago.

    Lesser Throne Demons, unlike Ifrits, were a created race, formed through experimentation with the bloodlines of other creatures, notably Dragons. They were naturally weaker.

    Dorian shook the thoughts from his mind as he focused on the tasks at hand.

    He was sitting in his Inn bedroom, at the Bover Watch Inn. The owner of the Inn, a retired swordmaster named Genjio, was a member of the Aurelius Family. Helena had acquired rooms there for him, and her squad, for free.

    Spread out on the rug in front of him was a collection of paper.

    He had gathered all the information he could about his nned route.

    He¡¯d briefly reconsidered the route that took him through the Aurelius Family headquarters before tossing it aside. The security on the World Bridges along that route would be far too tedious, and it would, in general, be far too dangerous.

    He¡¯d decided to stick to his original n.

    His next destination was Blizzaria. Also known as the World where the Dead Walked.

    It had a corny name, sounding much like a B-tier horror flick from Earth. Still, Dorian treated itpletely seriously, learning what he was up against.

    ording to his research, Blizzaria was home to two separate fallen civilizations. One was the nearly extinct race known as Giants, while the other was the fully extinct race of Grakons.

    Giants, like their name implied, were gargantuan beings. Some of them had appearances simr to humans, others had appearances with huge, curled horns, or massive, hulking arms. Arge variety of shapes and formsbined within the Giant Race.

    Their one simrity, however, was their massive, massive size. Even the smallest Giant stood 10 meters tall. The tallest Giants could reach recorded heights of nearly 100 meters tall, towering behemoths that feared nothing.

    Grakons, on the other hand, were much more normal sized, standing about a meter taller than a regr human. They looked simr to the mythical Minotaurs from Earth¡¯s legends, except instead of covered in fur, they were covered in dark ck scales. They had a supernatural Ability known as Expand.

    Their Expand Ability, the only race of creatures known to have it, allowed them to vastly increase their size and strength for short periods of time.

    The ancient races were bitter enemies and worse rivals for thousands of years.

    The exact history of how these two civilizations died off was lost to history.

    All that was known, now, was that the dead members of both races walked the snowynds of Blizzaria, cursed to live out their existence as unfeeling constructs.

    How they came to be there, walking as the dead, was also a mystery.

    Once he¡¯d learned all of this, Dorian had once again seriously reconsidered his route.

    The phantoms of the dead that haunted this Exotic World ranged from mighty to weak. Even King ss undead could be found here.

    Neither the Borrel Autarchy, the Shade Commune, or the Aurelius Family, all the nearby powers, wanted to deal with the, and it was left to the wilds.

    After a while, however, he¡¯d shaken his head, determined.

    Helena had been quite clear and open with him. There was no realistic chance that the leader of the Aurelius Family would allow him to walk free, not after his brethren had already killed untold innocents.

    Further, while he wanted to trust Helena, and genuinely believed her good intentions, he had no illusions about the reality of this world. The female warrior was good natured and kind, but there was little chance the leader of such a massive power would reflect that same nature, in Dorian¡¯s opinion.

    It was possible¡­ but it was a risk he didn¡¯t want to take.

    That said, his only other viable choice was also a dangerous risk. Traveling through a haunted world full of powerful undead¡­ it wasn¡¯t exactly an ideal situation.

    He sighed. All of this was incredibly stressful.

    His stomach rumbled as he was in mid-thought, distracting him. He looked down, and then grinned, tossing aside the stress.

    He had time. He could afford a day to think it over.

    With that in mind he stood up, storing all the papers in his Spatial Ring. He turned and left his room, and then downstairs to leave the Inn, heading off somewhere to eat.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a frozen world far away¡­

    Gerulf Aldric groaned as he came to, pain slowly forcing him awake. He blinked his eyes blearily as the world around him came into focus.

    Arge, expansive stone cave spread out around him, filled with icicles and glowing chunks of white crystal. The cavern was tall, the cave roof stretching up at least a hundred meters. It was a huge underground chamber, one that had severalrge entrances and exits.

    Despite its sheer size, the room was mostly empty. Only stctites, icicles, and glowing crystals decorated it.

    The temperature was cold, but not the brutally cold weather of the surface.

    Gerulf shivered as he forced himself to stand, feeling his condition. He was injured, his body covered in severalrge burns. His right leg was broken, and it felt like he¡¯d strained his left arm.

    He withdrew a Grandmaster ss Light Pill from one of his Spatial Rings, swallowing it down without hesitation. He sighed as he felt the infinitelyfortable healing magic wash over him, his injuries and wounds starting to restore.

    His memories gradually began to return to him.

    They had been crossing the surface, following a map to get to one of the three major cave systems. Travel on the surface for extended periods was suicidal, and therefore they could only hunt for their target in the caves. They were trailing the damned fox at a rtively decent pace, but still had yet to find it.

    When they were almost finished crossing over, they had encountered a creature.

    He groaned as he remembered it.

    A massive, hulking dragon covered in bright orange mes. Its sheer force of presence was overwhelming. It was a mighty King ss beast, well stronger than them.

    If that had just been it, they could¡¯ve dealt with it. Their Axios team had fought, and won, against King ss beasts before.

    What was infuriating about this one was its incredible luck, and its annoying intelligence.

    The drake had, for some reason, started rhyming at them.

    As soon as they saw it, they¡¯dunched several defensive, slowing, and attacking spells, hoping to slow the drake before it got the upper hand.

    Unfortunately, every single spell they cast at the dragon miraculously missed. Not a single spell managed to hit.

    And it wasn¡¯t forck of trying. Even Gerulf hadunched one of his own trusted Piercing Spells, his Ten Mile Lance.

    Yet, somehow, his attack missed.

    It should have been impossible. How could an attack moving in a straight line at a target that was standing still miss?

    The gargantuan dragon didn¡¯t cast any spell or use magic to block the attacks.

    They just¡­ missed. Through sheer luck.

    It was infuriating.

    And then it rhymed at them again.

    And then it threw an enormous meteor of me at them.

    ¡°Arrrgh.¡± He clutched at his head, feeling a massive headacheing on. The healing magic from the Light Pill swarmed up to stave it off.

    ¡°Who¡¯s still with us?¡± Siegfried¡¯s voice rang out in the distance, echoing.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Gerulf bellowed shaking himself out. Dried blood, burnt skin, and ice sloughed off him.

    ¡°Jasper¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Mika here!¡±

    ¡°Tillow here!¡±

    A deluge of voices sounded off as the various members of the Axios team came to.

    Gerulf saw them all beginning to congregate in the center of the room, and walked towards them, limping slightly. The healing magic was still doing its work.

    They¡¯d managed to beat a quick escape from the giant dragon, fleeing towards one of the entrances to the North Cave System. It seemed they¡¯d sessfully made it, but not before it lobbed off one more of its huge, scathing attacks, injuring most of them.

    ¡°Three, four, five, six¡­¡± Siegfried counted off the members there, and then sighed.

    ¡°It seems we lost Parmon, Pavil, and Gora.¡±

    A small moment of silence formed. The Axios members were all fighters for the Church that knew death was a constantpanion. They operated under dangerous conditions performing the most dangerous missions the church had.

    Still, to lose threepanions so abruptly¡­ Gerulf sent up a quiet prayer, blessing their souls to live in the paradise of Light. He hadn¡¯t been particrly close to any of the fallen. In fact, the only Wizard he was close with on the team was Siegfried.

    He¡¯d lost too many friends by being close to them to allow himself to open up so easily these days.

    Gerulf looked around. There were only six of them left. Each of them wore a set of white leather hides, the hide of a White Winter Bull, a type of beast known for its warmth retention as well as tough defensive skin. They had two female Shades, and four males, if he counted himself.

    Most of them were swathed in white furs or scarves, hiding their appearances. The bitter cold of Blizzaria was hellish, even for them. Several of them were injured, some worse off than Gerulf. None of them seemed to have been crippled, thankfully, and with the powerful healing magic they had in the form of the Church¡¯s Light Pills, they would all make it.

    It was only the unfortunate three that hadn¡¯t managed to dodge the brunt of that Dragon¡¯s fire that had apparently perished.

    The strange attack had been imbued with not only the Law of Fire, but also the inherent essence of Dragonfire. It had melted through his innate barrier as if it didn¡¯t exist.

    Siegfried, a small Wizard adept in Steel Magic, was the only Wizard other than Gerulf who kept his face uncovered. He had a slim, pale face with warm green eyes and a small nose. His weak chin made him seem weak, but as the only Pseudo-King ss Wizard among them, he was anything but.

    ¡°We lost our scryers.¡± Mika, one of the female Shades spoke up. She was adept in Light Magic, a Lord ss like Gerulf.

    ¡°Damn it! How are we supposed to find that murdering bitc-¡±

    ¡°Language Jasper!¡± Gerulf interrupted the other Light Wizard among the group, ring at him. Jasper rolled his eyes and waved his hands in surrender, apologizing.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Without our scryers, we have no real chance of finding the Lightsworn Fox.¡± He began, his voice gruff.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s take a minute.¡± Siegfried began, waving his hands at them. The two long nkets he wrapped himself in ruffled slightly.

    ¡°I think our first priority is to rest and recover.¡± His words carried a certain level of authority. As the ranking member, and leader of their Axios team, his words werew.

    With that said, heid down on the floor in front of them, wrapping his head over with one of his nkets.

    And promptly fell asleep.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Gerulf sighed and covered his face with his hands. Siegfried was a smart and powerful Wizard, with a good head for tactics. If anything, he had only a single w¡­

    ¡°He went to sleep again.¡±

    ¡°Such an unreliable¡­¡±

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    A deluge of voices cast out as the other Axios team membersined.

    The Steel Wizard was famous for his rather odd¡­ sleeping habits.

    ¡°Alright. Jasper you carry him.¡± Gerulf tookmand. Once Siegfried went to sleep, waking him was like trying to wake the dead.

    Actually, Gerulf thought, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings. Even the dead were easier to wake. There were certainly enough of them roaming thesends to prove that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. We¡¯ve already drawn too much attention here.¡± He took over as he usually did, waving the group together.

    ¡°We know where the fox is trying to get to, so all is not lost. We¡¯ll just head directly for the Western Cave System, and the Ice Keep, and cut it off there.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°MMmm!¡± Dorian smacked his lips as he tasted the roasted duck, his mouth enjoying the juicy, warm vors of the meat. He scarfed down a slice of buttered bread, relishing the taste as he ate his meal.

    He¡¯d found yet another restaurant to go to, this one well known for their roast duck.

    And Dorian found that their reputation was well deserved. The food was as delicious as it was advertised to be.

    It was a traditional looking restaurant, with several worn, but ornate tables. It wasn¡¯t extremely fancy, but it wasn¡¯t a run-down ce. A fewrge murals of fierce, rippling winds coated the walls, referencing the mysterious windstorms that asionally swept through Taprisha¡¯s ground level.

    Dorian had yet to experience them, but had read about them. Fierce winds whipping about like swords, tearing apart anything in their path. It was a good thing the storms were quite rare.

    Every single table was taken up currently, most byrge groups. Everyone here seemed to have a certain level of wealth, all of them dressed finely. Dorian nced down at his worn, brown leather robe, one provided to him by Helena. It fit his Ifrit form better than anything else, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a nice outfit.

    Thatbined with his rather odd appearance made him stand out a bit. Not that he particrly cared.

    As he kept himself distracted, still mulling over his decisions, in the background, he vaguely heard a disturbance.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care! We¡¯re eating here, and we will ce our orders now!¡± A young man¡¯s voice rang out as he waltzed into the dining room, apanied by several well dressed other men, and a few giggling girls. They all had fine hair, wore fancyce or silk clothes, and were decorated in jewelry.

    A pair of solemn looking ck robed Wizards followed behind the speaker, a bored expression on their face. The speaker was a young man, around 18 or 19, wearing a set of ornate golden robes. He had short brown hair, and fine facial features that gave him an authoritative look.

    The slightly grey skin tone of all the young men and women gave away that they were all Vampire Nobles.

    ¡°Please, noble sir! All our tables are currently taken, and there is a fifteen minute wait already! We don¡¯t have anything avail-¡± A portly man came in after them. He was the man in charge of the front of the restaurant, the same man that had seated Dorian. He wore a set of loose white pants and a grey shirt, with the name of the restaurant, the Wind Willow Eatery, emzoned on it.

    ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s your honor for my presence to grace this establishment.¡± The young vampire smiled as his eyes scanned the restaurant, ncing over all the other finely dressed merchants or Wizards. Many of them were looking on in disapproval that he ignored.

    His eyes finallynded on the table Dorian was eating at, all alone. His Ifrit form was small, and rather unintimidating to those unaware of the history of the extinct species.

    The vampire youth smiled.

    ¡°I see an open space right there!¡± The vampire walked forward, stopping directly in front of Dorian. He tossed a pair of silver coins onto the table.

    ¡°Consider your meal paid for by me, the second son of the 5th Pce Master. Get lost.¡± He waved his hand for Dorian to leave, turning to look back at his group of followers with a smile.

    Dorian swallowed the meat he was chewing, blinking as he looked at the silver coins, and then at the arrogant noble before him.

    After all this time visiting random expensive restaurants, hoping to run into an interesting fantasy situation like a mugging or rescuing a damsel in distress, it had finally happened.

    Someone had finally tried to arrogantly kick him out and take his ce.

    He felt himself start to tear up, looking at the vampire gratefully.

    After all that stress and worry trying to make a decision, it seemed at least something in his day had gone right.

 Chapter 65 - Setting Off for Blizzaria

    Chapter 65: Setting Off for Blizzaria

    Back on Earth, when Dorian managed to find free time from his studies, one of his favorite habits was to sit down on afy couch and read a book.

    While he wouldn¡¯t call himself a bookworm, Dorian had read quite a few adventure or fantasy books in his time. From powerful wizards going on quests to y evil to chivalrous knights fighting to save the day.

    One thingmon to many of the stories he had read were random encounters happening in restaurants or inns.

    A part of Dorian had always wanted to experience something like that, ever since he transported to this fantastic universe.

    Unfortunately, reality proved that situations like that don¡¯t happen as often as the books he read made them seem.

    Until today.

    He teared up slightly, gratefulness overwhelming him. For the young vampire to go out of his way to fulfill one of Dorian¡¯s fantasies, it truly touched his heart.

    As these thoughts crossed his mind, the arrogant vampire turned back to look at him, an annoyed look crossing his face.

    ¡°That means leave, goblinoid.¡± His group of followers all tittered, several of the girls outright giggling.

    ¡®Goblinoid?¡¯ Dorian thought, a rueful smile covering his face.

    His current form, as an Ifrit, was a quite umon one. When he wasn¡¯t enraged, the fires on him burned very low, barely visible. His appearance was rather unintimidating, and unless one was a historian or environmentalist, it was unlikely he¡¯d be recognized as a member of the extinct Demon race.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that, young noble.¡± Dorian responded calmly, nudging the silver coins the noble had ced down. They were different from the ¡®mints¡¯ the Barrel Autarchy used as currency, but of roughly equivalent value, forged by the local branches of the Aurelius Family. Most ces would ept both forms of currency.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my meal.¡± He motioned at his te. He had only devoured most of the roasted duck and bread, and still had some leftover.

    The vampire rolled his eyes, uncaring.

    ¡°I think you have.¡± He said cheerfully, and then reached over,tching onto Dorian¡¯s right shoulder.

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Sky ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 31

    ¨C

    Dorian couldn¡¯t help but smirk slightly at the energy value, as he had Ausra scan the noble. The energy level was set so that an Early Grandmaster ss being would have 100 points of energy.

    With a maximum energy level of 31, the vampire in front of him was about on the level of his Red Smander form.

    The muscles on the young vampire¡¯s arms bulged as he heaved, trying to pull Dorian up and out of his seat. His arm moved in a practiced motion, as if he was used to picking people up and tossing them aside.

    Dorian didn¡¯t budge.

    He turned to look at the arm on his shoulder in amusement.

    And then back at the arrogant noble.

    ¡°Hup. Whooo.¡± The vampire jumped back as they made eye contact, his eyes bleeding rage,

    ¡°A heavy one, huh?¡± He sputtered, slightly embarrassed at being shown up in front of his followers.

    ¡°Fine, have it your way, peasant.¡± The vampire leaned forward, punching towards Dorian¡¯s head.

    Dorian nodded in approval. This was just how many fantasy stories yed out.

    The punch from the vampire was painfully slow in Dorian¡¯s eyes. He watched as it cut towards his head, and then slightly leaned out of the way. It breezed past him, missing by a few millimeters.

    One of the two Wizards guarding the Vampire saw this. Out of the corner of his eye, Dorian made out his widening eyes, and panicked hand motions as he began casting a spell.

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Master ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 82

    ¨C

    ¡®Oh, Master ss guards. Not even Grandmaster ss, huh? I guess he cheaped out on protecting his son.¡¯ He¡¯d caught that the vampire here was the second son of the Fifth Pce Master, one of the strongest Grandmaster ss vampires in the city.

    Dorian turned his focus back towards the vampire attacking him, smiling.

    Since he had been attacked, he needed to respond in kind. This needed to be a learning experience for the arrogant noble. Otherwise, how was he to grow from his faults, and be an upstanding member of society?

    ¡®A light blow on the chest should do.¡¯ Hezilyshed his arm forward, smacking against the vampire¡¯s chest.

    Unfortunately, Dorian miscalcted slightly. While his control of his strength and body was abnormally high, he was still adapting to his current physical form, especially while it was undergoing gic repair.

    He also overestimated the ability of the vampire to take a blow. He was too used to facing down stronger opponents like Helena, and those that had an innate barrier protecting them.

    When his armnded on the vampire, the arrogant noble¡¯s eyes widened in horror.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    A split secondter the vampire vanished, crashing through the front entrance of the store, and sailing off into the street. Broken bits of wood and ss showered down near the entryway, raising a ruckus.

    From outside, yells of outrage and confusion began to echo forth as amotion was raised.

    ¡°Oh dear.¡± This wasn¡¯t part of the script, Dorian thought, looking down at his arm as if it had betrayed him.

    ¡°How dare you! Blood Magic: Blood Chains!¡± One of the two Master ss Wizard guards of the noble finished casting his spell,unching a group of blood chains at Dorian. The chains quickly surrounded his body, three inch thick clumps of blood red light, glowing faintly. The other Master ss Wizard dashed outside, heading towards where their charge had vanished too.

    ¡°Whelp.¡± Dorian shrugged. His casual shrugging shattered the magical blood chains apart, obliterating the spell. Shards of red light and matter scattered down, falling to the floor.

    The followers of the noble all shrieked out in horror and began to flee. The other onlookers in the restaurant stood frozen, not wanting to get involved.

    ¡°A million apologies.¡± Dorian turned to look at the portly man that greeted and sat people, withdrawing several gold mints from his Spatial Ring, the equivalent of gold coins, and cing them on the table. He hadn¡¯t meant to damage the shop. Its traditional, old-timey feel had been quiteforting to Dorian.

    ¡°S-stop right there!¡± The Master ss Wizard sputtered, his eyes going red as he began to cast another spell.

    Dorian sighed again. This wasn¡¯t nearly as entertaining as he¡¯d thought it would be.

    His body blurred as he stepped forward, appearing next to the Wizard. He punched out against the vampire¡¯s chin, before the Wizard could react. This time, he was a bit more careful, taking extra care to control his strength.

    The innate barrier all Master ss Wizards and above held trembled and fell apart under the force of Dorian¡¯s blow.

    Instantly the vampire copsed, knocked unconscious.

    Dorian caught his body as he fell, setting it gently down. With the powerful regenerative capabilities vampires had, the Wizards should be fine. He probably wouldn¡¯t even be unconscious for that long.

    He then turned and walked out of the establishment, stepping over the ruined front entrance. He sighed again. He really hadn¡¯t wanted to damage such a nice, traditional store. It was his own fault for being too eager.

    Across the street, the young master that he had knocked away wasying on the ground, in the midst of the wreckage of a small wooden, wagon. His body had intercepted the wagon, partially destroying it. The owners of the wagon were nowhere to be seen.

    The arrogant noble was surrounded by a red glow as the other Master ss Wizard focused on trying to heal him. Blood pooled out of the mouth of the young vampire as hey there, his arms and legs shaking.

    The Wizard guard swore, cursing the cheapness of the Fifth Pce Master. They hadn¡¯t been provided with any healing medicines or tools, and he hadn¡¯t thought to bring any of his own with him on such amon excursion. He had a few tools he could use with his Blood Magic, but he didn¡¯t own any rare or expensive healing objects.

    Contrary to Dorian¡¯s expectations, there was no crowd watching. Most people had deserted the scene or walked away quickly, the chances of getting caught up in the fight too risky.

    ¡°It¡­ it smiled¡­ a monster! A¡­ monster!¡± The stuttering voice of the noble rang out as he shook, his body trembling. After a few seconds he fell unconscious, his body resting as his mouth gaped open.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Dorian raised his hand, and then lowered itmely, not knowing what to say. He had only wanted to teach him a small lesson, and had almost identally killed the noble instead.

    ¡°There it is!¡± One of the followers of the arrogant noble shrieked, pointing to look at Dorian. The group had followed the vampire outside, and were standing near him as the guard of the Wizard fixed him up.

    By the time the Master ss Wizard turned around, Dorian¡¯s body shivered and vanished, disappearing from the scene as if he had never been.

    As the Wizard turned back, frantically trying to heal the guard, from out of nowhere a glowing white pill shot forward, andnded in the mouth of the arrogant noble. Light, cooling warmth spread out as the Light Pill activated, and began to heal the injured vampire.

    The Master ss Wizard looked around gratefully, but found a mostly empty street, devoid of anyone but him, the young master¡¯s followers, and a few pedestrians far away.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian sighed, sitting back atop the roof of his Inn. Several hours had passed since he¡¯d knocked away the young vampire, trying to teach him a lesson, and caused a greatmotion.

    Still, he thought, shrugging mentally, it had been an experience worth having. At the least, he didn¡¯t regret his actions. Things hadn¡¯t gone to n, but it was still an interesting situation.

    Life in this fantasy world was infinitely more fun than living in that mental prison.

    ¡°Heyo, Dorian.¡± Helena¡¯s voice softly echoed out as she appeared next to him, her forming in out of nowhere.

    Dorian didn¡¯t bat an eye, used to her appearing and vanishing.

    ¡°Heyo Helena.¡± He returned her greeting, giving her a casual wave.

    ¡°My men reported what happened to you in the city. I had the guards settle the incident, and have settled things with the Fifth Pce Master.¡± She said, walking over and sitting down next to him. Internally, she was grateful this happened to the Fifth Pce Master, and not the Sixth. She was almost caught identally causing the Sixth Pce¡¯s roof to copse a few days ago, and couldn¡¯t help but to squirm in guilt whenever she saw him.

    As she thought this, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Dorian. She had med that incident on the escaped Titan that had caused trouble in the city. A Titan that had vanished out of nowhere. From the reports she¡¯d gotten about the Anomalies, they could transform their physical forms into any creature they seemed toe in contact with.

    And the Anomaly she was hunting hade into contact with a Titan¡­

    As she realized she had inadvertently framed Dorian for a huge crime, and inspired arge scale, and currently ongoing, manhunt, she blushed, quickly staring off into the distance so Dorian wouldn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°Thanks. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Though, all things considered, he was nning on leaving soon, so it didn¡¯t matter too much in the end.

    Helena forced herself through her emotions, deciding to change the subject.

    ¡°I had a question for you.¡± She said, forcibly gaining control of herself.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian turned. He blinked as he looked at her. Her face was scrunched up, cutely, and seemed to have a faint red tone, almost as if she was blushing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you for taking action against the arrogant fool.¡± She began, gesturing with her hands out towards the city.

    ¡°Far too many young vampires think they are gods, and need to be taught a fierce lesson, or killed.¡± Her eyes were harsh,

    ¡°After you smacked the second son of the Pce Master, however, my men reported that you took care to not injure his guards, and even helped heal the arrogant vampire. If not for your actions, the foolish noble would be down with permanent injuries, forever unable to grow in strength. A just punishment, in my opinion, for daring to nder the vampire race with such base actions.¡±

    Her eyes were full of curiosity as she looked at Dorian,

    ¡°I might have just killed him outright.¡± She shrugged.

    Dorian stared back, shaking his head. He understood Helena¡¯s way of thinking, but found it very foreign from his own,

    ¡°I simply wanted to teach him a small lesson, and give him a wake-up call. I hoped to make him see the error of his ways, at least to some small degree, or put him on that path. Not to kill him or ruin his life.¡± Perhaps his lesson might not be as poignant, but everyone deserved a second chance.

    Helena gave him an odd look,

    ¡°But what if he doesn¡¯t see the error of his ways? Then your lesson would be wasted, and killing him would have saved you far more trouble.¡±

    Dorian shook his head,

    ¡°Perhaps, but that wouldn¡¯t be the right thing to do, and I believe everyone deserves another chance to redeem themselves.¡±

    Helena¡¯s eyes lit up,

    ¡°You said that before. About doing the right thing.¡± She began, looking at him.

    Dorian nodded, waiting.

    ¡°What if you were in a situation where there is no right thing to do? Where no matter what choice you make, it has consequences that are wrong?¡± She finished, folding her hands together. Her tone was strained and tight.

    He took a deep breath, considering her words.

    ¡°I would look at the situation, and then at my heart, and force there to be a right choice to make, and take that.¡± He nodded confidently.

    She stared at him in confusion,

    ¡°But, I mean, what if there is no right choice?¡±

    ¡°I would force there to be a right choice.¡±

    She held her hands up in exasperation,

    ¡°You can¡¯t just force reality to change. What if you were stuck in a situation where it was impossible to pick the right choice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d find a way to make the situation not impossible, and then take the right way.¡± Dorian replied, nodding for a second time.

    Helena red at him.

    Dorian couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. His eyes turned serious, however, as he continued,

    ¡°Sometimes life will throw you curveballs. You just need to take each obstacle one step at a time, analyze it, and cross over it. I am confident that I will find a right choice, no matter what situation I will be in.¡±

    Helena was silent for a time, considering his words.

    Dorian was as well, looking out over the city as the evening light around him began to fade.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a curveball?¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian took a deep breath as he looked back at the city behind him.

    The towering walls of Potor City gleamed dully in the early morning light. He clenched his fists and then gave the city a small nod. It had been a part of his life in this world.

    A part that it was time to leave behind.

    ¡°The World Bridge to Blizzaria is located near the City State of Hebbedon.¡± Dorian muttered aloud, ncing over a small map he¡¯d purchased. His Ifrit form was currently dressed in a slightly nicer brown robe, looking less like a poor peasant and more like down on his luck merchant.

    He looked up, over to one of the edges of the teau. Severalrge shops and organizations had set up transportpanies on the edge, for those seeking to travel from one ce to another.

    Dorian smiled as he began walking towards one in particr, the Golden Carpet Travel Company.

    It was time he set off for a new world.

 Chapter 66 - Travel

    Chapter 66: Travel

    ¡°So we¡¯re just letting it go?¡± One of the Blood Wizards following Helena sputtered, a middle-aged vampire with greying brown hair and a stern appearance. Dolovin Peytrach, a powerful Grandmaster ss vampire, one of the stronger ones she¡¯d brought with her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Helena¡¯s voice was cold as she looked out at the lonely figure of Dorian, walking away from the city walls.

    ¡°Do not question my will.¡± Her voice was filled with steel as she turned and looked at her subordinate, or, rather, General Carus¡¯ subordinate that she had borrowed.

    The middle-aged vampire backed down, waving his hands in the air in surrender.

    Helena¡¯s thoughts shed back to the conversation she had had with Dorian, just an hour or so prior.

    The early light of dawn had just been creeping over the horizon when he appeared, once more on the roof.

    Helena had a habit of standing off on her own, meditating or lost in her own thoughts. She enjoyed being in ces with few people, and in a busy city like this, a secluded roof was the best she could manage.

    The scene opened up in her mind, Dorian¡¯s lithe, ck bodynding on the roof in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m nning on leaving.¡± The Anomal-, no, she corrected herself, Dorian, said, giving her a friendly smile.

    Helena stared back, unsure on how to respond.

    ¡°Where to?¡± She eventually returned.

    Dorian sighed, sitting down on the edge of the roof. The normally bustling city was just starting to wake up, still quiet in the early light.

    ¡°I have a friend I need to save, and a journey I need to go on in order to save him.¡± His reply had been simple.

    When he spoke, however, his back had bowed, as if he was carrying a heavy weight upon his shoulders. He took another deep breath, shrugging and shaking his head.

    Helena shivered when she saw this, her heart beating fast. She reached out a hand, wanting toy it on his shoulder andfort him.

    She froze halfway, looking down at her arm. What was she doing?

    She had only just met him a few days ago, when he rescued her. She blushed furiously. What was she thinking? She took her hand back, slowly.

    He wasn¡¯t even a vampire.

    As she was struggling with her thoughts, Dorian continued,

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but it¡¯s a journey I must take.¡± He continued,

    ¡°Nothing in life is ever easy, though, eh? If things were, everyone would be sessful, and everything would be perfect.¡±

    He turned to look at her.

    Helena¡¯s face was a picture of calm, not a hint of blush on it as she responded,

    ¡°No. Things in life are never easy.¡± Her mind went to her own goals and aspirations. To her constant training, and the solitude she enforced on herself in order to grow stronger.

    Silence reigned for a moment, an unspoken agreement forming between them.

    ¡°Will I ever see you again?¡± Helena asked, her voice a whisper. She mentally cursed at herself again. She felt like a small child again, not a powerful warrior.

    Over the past few days, she had talked to this strange man for hours. Sometimes they talked about the future, but other times they talked about the past. He was funny and smart, silly but also fierce.

    What she admired most about him was his unwavering confidence and his refusal to do wrong, no matter what. She had never met someone quite like him.

    Sometimes it seemed like a bit much, in her opinion. His goals and aspirations seemed impossible. Life was very grey, how could anyone stick to a truly clean path? He was so stubborn.

    For some reason, though, she felt as if she had faith in him.

    If anyone could do it, it was him.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied, standing up from the side of the inn. He smiled again warmly, and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her in a big bear hug,

    ¡°We¡¯re friends now, aren¡¯t we? Friends always cross paths again.¡± His words had shocked her. Helena wasn¡¯t a social person, and for almost her entire life, she had dedicated herself to training her body and strength, to be the ultimate weapon. Friends¡­ She had no truly close friends, not after her parents died.

    She stood there, stunned, as he hugged her and then let go, turning around with a wave to leave the roof.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Helena snapped back to the present, her eyes watering as she looked at Dorian.

    She bit her lip, watching his form grow smaller and smaller in the distance.

    She clenched her fists, her mind going to her goal once more. The obsessive target she must reach, to defeat the Wizard King.

    ¡°We will meet again, Dorian.¡± She whispered,

    ¡°Friend.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian stamped his feet on the giant carpet, settling infortably. He nced around at the other passengers, marveling at the magic artifact he was sitting on.

    A giant, enormous carpet that, through magic, was able to fly, moving at extremely fast speeds.

    He¡¯d purchased a ticket to board one of the Grand Carpets the Golden Carpet Travel Company offered rides on.

    Travel, on Taprisha, was a lucrative endeavor. Unlike the minor of Hasnorth, Taprisha was a famed Exotic World, with a variety of powerful characters on it. Money follows money, and many lucrative businesses existed here.

    The Golden Carpet Travel Company was one such business, widespread across Taprisha, run by a Psuedo-Lord ss Wizard specializing in Wind Magic and artifact creation.

    Dorian looked off the edge of the carpet, several meters to his right, watching as they blurred past several clouds. They moved at an incredibly fast speed, zing across the surface of Taprisha on a predetermined route. Wind brushed up against the carpet and split off from it, unable to harass the passengers on board.

    He enjoyed the sights immensely, letting his eyes run over the everchanging clouds around him.

    The massive artifact was expensive to maintain, and had cost Dorian 50 gold mints just to purchase a seat on, despite there being more than a hundred other passengers on board. It was also the fastest way Dorian saw that he could get around.

    Off on the front of the gold carpet, two Wind Wizards could be seen, one operating the giant artifact while the other on standby, as a backup and as a guard.

    He cast his mind back as he meditated on the carpet, thinking about Helena briefly.

    He smiled. He had made his second friend in this world. She was an interesting one, that was for sure, but Dorian could feel her good spirit, and good intentions. She was also pretty cute, a thought Dorian immediately shook from his head.

    The people that came near him would constantly be put in danger. He couldn¡¯t afford to get close to someone. He had already seen what happened with Will.

    He sighed.

    ¡°How are you holding up, Will?¡± He muttered, ncing upward. There was no glowing red orb above his head, but he felt Will¡¯s presence in the back of his soul, dormant, unmoving.

    ¡°Stay strong, Will. I¡¯m on my way.¡±

    Undergoing such a journey, and so many risks, just to save the life of someone he only knew briefly¡­ there were very few people, Dorian thought, that would be willing to do what he was doing.

    Will had saved his life, however, and he had made a promise. And he would fulfill that promise. It was, as he always reminded himself, the right thing to do.

    ¡°Bleh.¡± He¡¯d said that expression so many times in it felt like it was starting to get old.

    ¡°The correct action to take. The just way of doing something. The superb manner of advancing a move.¡± He tossed out a few alternative ways to say it.

    A few of the passengers sitting near him, mostly humans with a few of those rock humanoids he¡¯d seen, nced at him askance as he talked up into the air at no one.

    Dorian ignored them,pletely unperturbed.

    The rest of the flight passed in what felt like nothing, but was actually a couple of hours, crossing thousands of miles. They didn¡¯t encounter any dangerous beasts or anything remotely dangerous, the route plotted by knowledgeable Wizards to purposefully avoid anything harmful. It was a fairly peaceful journey.

    Dorian soon arrived at the edge of the teau that housed the City State of Hebbedon.

    The city itself didn¡¯t look anything special. Dorian could make outrge, grey walls, blocking off outsiders surrounding it. Several towering spires could be seen at the middle of the city, made of some bright, white stone.

    ording to the information he¡¯d gained, it was a city run by humans, one of the few not controlled by powerful vampires on Taprisha. There were several merchant groups that were based here that would regrly send excursions out along the World Bridge to Blizzaria, to hunt for rare treasures, resources, and Magic Herbs that could be found on Blizzaria and the bridge to it.

    As Dorian disembarked from the giant flying carpet, leaping off in a single jump, he eyed the city briefly.

    He then turned towards the huge World Bridge that towered in his sight.

    The World Bridge to Blizzaria pired upward, a massive column ofnd, covered in forests and trees. The entirety of this World Bridge was full of a single enormous forest, with dozens of rivers spreading through it.

    He took onest nce at the City State before deciding to ignore it.

    He had wasted too much time already, and he needed to keep moving. If the city had been a vampire run city, full of Blood Magic shops, he might have reconsidered, just to see if he could snag any useful bloodlines.

    Lacking that¡­ It was time he got moving. Joining a merchant¡¯s caravan would merely slow him down. He needed to reach Blizzaria, and navigate through the Western Cave System over to the World Bridge to Paxital.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Good (Undergoing Gic Repair)

    Energy: 9,223/10,565

    ¨C

    He smiled. He had almost fully recovered his strength, faster than Ausra had estimated it would take him.

    Soon, he¡¯d be able to transform again, and make use of his other forms, as well as work on absorbing and growing a new form. He was also curious to see if he couldbine his Ifrit Bloodline with any of his other forms.

    As these thoughts crossed his mind, Dorian began to make big, leaping jumps, sting off towards the World Bridge.

    He began practicing his Warm Hands Spell as ran, determined to fully solidify his magic training, and move on to the next Spell.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡± A small, dainty humanoid wheezed out deep breaths, her body shaking as she checked herself for injuries. Her long, lustrous silver hair gleamed in the brightly lit underground chamber, the glowing clusters of crystal lighting the walls around her. It was a decent sized room, at least twenty meters across and thirty meters long. The floor and sides of the room were covered in patches of cold, blue ice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not injured any worse.¡± The girl spoke aloud, her voice full of relief. Her breath formed into fog, a small cloud that dissipated in the air in front of her.

    creeeak

    She spun around, raising her arms at the ready as a noise echoed through the small cavern she was standing in. Small pointed teeth revealed themselves as she bared her mouth in a snarl, donning a fierce expression.

    Slowly, a small rock rolled to the ground, discharged by shifting ice. She breathed a sigh of relief, shaking her head.

    She nced over her body again, double checking it for any new wounds.

    She had a small figure, just a few inches over 5 feet tall. She was wrapped up in a form fitting white cloak, showing off her petite figure. This cloak had several long tears in it, exposing milky white skin. Despite that, she seemed unaffected by the bitter cold around her.

    Her face was small, almost identical to that of a human¡¯s, save for the beautiful, glowing silver pupils she possessed and the two small, tufted fox ears that emerged from her long silver hair.

    The Humanoid Form, an Ability several extremely rare and powerful beasts possessed to transform into a bipedal form, of a Lightsworn Fox.

    ¡°They¡¯re still following me.¡± She muttered, clutching at her side to check on an injury, several cracked bones that were still healing.

    ¡°They can¡¯t track me through Fate if I stay like this.¡± She looked over her arms and body, shaking her head in disapproval and pouting,

    ¡°So ugly.¡±

    GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

    A low, rumbling roar echoed, shaking through the cavern the girl was staying in. She shuddered as she heard it, jumping up and hiding in a small cubby near the roof of the cave room.

    ¡°I made it to the western system¡­ all I need to do is reach the Ice Keep, and everything will be fine.¡± She snuggled into the small hole,

    ¡°A little rest first never hurt nobody though.¡±

 Chapter 67 - Magic

    Chapter 67: Magic

    (ignore this if you don¡¯t read thements daily)

    AuthorWiz¡¯s Comment: First. (don¡¯t forget to vote your Power Stones!)

    The Comment Camping Sect can¡¯t take Firstment if I leave thement in the chapter, now can they?

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian looked up at the towering World Bridge, his feet itching. The huge structure was awe-inspiring. This was the second World Bridge he had seen, but that didn¡¯t shake his amazement. Such arge pir ofnd, shooting straight up into the air was incredible to look at.

    The twisted gravity at the base of the World Bridge was another odd, but fascinating function.

    He had a bit more time, now, to safely observe his surroundings than he had thest time he was walking on a new World Bridge.

    As he continued jogging forward in great leaping bounds, he paid close attention as he reached the base of the World Bridge.

    Gravity began to shift, going from down being towards the center of Taprisha, to pulling towards the center of the World Bridge.

    Dorian shook his head in amazement as he began to go up the edifice, taking a moment to look back at Taprisha.

    It was actually rather disorienting, he noted.

    He felt like he was in the movie Inception from Earth. The of Taprisha, and the teau that held the City State of Hebbedon looked like a giant wall spreading out off behind him, while the ground he stood at felt firmly like the normal ground.

    A long, widespread forest spread about before Dorian as he began to scale the World Bridge. Thick foliage and trees scattered in every direction, teeming with life. He saw several different breeds of deer, bears, and other types of wildlife, already in just a few minutes of travel.

    After moving for around a mile, he made it to one of therge rivers that were present on the World Bridge. A clear, rushing stream that stretched around 12 meters wide.

    He leapt over the stream in one massive jump,ughing with exhration. The sheer fact that he could leap so far was a massive rush to him.

    On the other side of the stream was a wide, 10 meter wide cut stone road, paved by the City State of Hebbedon. It was the mostmonly used road for travel to Blizzaria.

    Up ahead, Dorian could make out arge, stone gate, protruding at the edge of the portal that connected the World Bridge to Taprisha.

    It seemed that, just like Potor City, Hebbedon protected its borders just as strongly.

    The wall was around 22 or 23 meters wide, built out of a faded, greying stone. Dorian could make out several groups of people milling about near the entrance of the wall, waiting to pass through it.

    He began to run forward, staring intensely at the wall in front of him.

    As his pace began to pick up, he began to go all out, stroking his muscles to the extreme.

    When he was just a hundred meters from the wall, a few shouts rang out as various guards and Wizards spotted him. Some of the groups waiting in line turned and stared at him askance. Some of them were fighters or Wizards, heading off for Blizzaria in groups sent by merchants, but many of them were also simple hunters or gatherers, intent on searching the World Bridge itself for resources.

    Dorian ignored that as he took one final sprint forward and then bent down, his knees trembling with energy.

    ¡°Haaa!¡±

    With an explosive yell, Dorian sted into the air, rocketing straight upward.

    As he flew, he drew upon his will.

    He willed himself to fly further, focusing his soul on pulling out every possible iota of force possible.

    His body shivered slightly, and Dorian felt, for an instant, some type of outside force sweep over him.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian¡¯s body soared up high into the air, flying far higher than he had expected. His mouth fell open in shock as he found himself nearly 100 meters in the air.

    ¡°Oh dear.¡± He muttered, looking down at the distant ground.

    Dorian could leap supernaturally high in his Ifrit form, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he could leap 22 meters high vertically. Therefore he¡¯d decided to test using his will and twisting Fate, giving himself a bit of a boost.

    He hadn¡¯t actually tried this before, and now, as he looked at the sheer height he was starting to fall from, he mentally swore to test every skill or power he had before he used it.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Dorian yelped out involuntarily as he crashed down towards the ground, well past the checkpoint. mes burst from his knees and arms as he strained, readying himself to collide with the stone floor.

    BOOM

    Doriannded down hard a good dozen or so meters away from the road, thankfully not impaled on a tree. A small, five meter wide crater of rock and dirt formed as the impact kicked up a cloud of dust, sending stone shrapnel out flying.

    Hended on one knee, with his right arm nting firmly into the ground beneath him. The ssic superheronding pose from Earth.

    He winced as he felt at his knees. Landing like this hurt a lot more than the movies made it look. Thankfully his body slowly began to regenerate from any damage left behind by the impact.

    At least hisnding looked cool, he mentallyforted himself.

    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± A voice sputtered out.

    Dorian looked up, startled.

    He hadnded around 30 meters away from a group of fighters, all dressed in faded blue armor. Several of them had bows on their backs, and they all looked worn and weathered. A group of hunters, setting off to make the day¡¯s catch.

    The group stared at Dorian in shock. A few of them had drawn des or knives, blocking the shrapnel that shot their way.

    ¡°My bad.¡± Dorian nodded apologetically. Before they could respond he made his escape, dashing up the World Bridge, leaving the group ck-jawed in astonishment, staring at the crater he left behind.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . ..

    Dorian covered the ground at a voracious pace. In six hours, he¡¯d easily moved more than 600 miles across the bridge.

    Along the way, he constantly practiced his Warm Hands Spell, and, finally, to his great delight, he managed to sessfully master casting the Spell.

    While it was merely a weaker version of his own me ws Ability, it was still an achievement.

    In terms of magic, mastering a Spell merely meant one was able to cast it adeptly, in the minimal amount of time necessary, without straining one¡¯s soul.

    Dorian¡¯s soul was already very powerful. Thanks to that, he could easily bear the strain of casting multiple spells and practicing them, over and over.

    Practicing Spells for a long enough time would concentrate thews of the universe near one¡¯s soul, as you constantly used energy from it, over and over. This was what people referred to as a ¡®baptism¡¯ of thews of the universe.

    This not only allowed one to gradually increase the level of their Soul Spell Matrix, but it made it easier for them to cast Spells of a certain Element, making it take less concentration and use less energy.

    As one progressed in the study of magic, eventually they would begin to gain an understanding of thews of the universe that touched their soul. To break their Soul Spell Matrix through to the Lord ss, one would need to pick a single Law among the infinite number and study it intensively, gaining enough of an understanding to form an ¡®Aura.¡¯

    Most Wizards studiedws that were rted to the type of magic they studied.

    For example, Helena focused on the Law of Might, a Law closely rted to the field of Impact Magic that she studied.

    Dorian¡¯s soul was strong, and thanks to the innate powers of his Ifrit form, his soul was as equipped to handle the Element of Fire as a Sky ss Fire Wizard. In terms of the Element of Life, he was at roughly the level of an Earth ss Life Wizard, despite never having cast a Life Spell.

    Casting stronger spells withoutying a strong foundation could lead to him damaging his soul as his inexperience caused a bacsh. Just because his Soul Spell Matrix was at the Lord ss didn¡¯t mean he could ignore thews of this universe.

    However, thanks to his unique form, all he needed to do, before he reached the Sky ss in terms of Spellcasting, was memorize the Spells and practice them enough to get the hang of them.

    His soul was already strong enough to cast more powerful Spells, allowing him to skip past slowly leveling his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded his head as he paused briefly,

    ¡°The next Spell I¡¯ll focus on will be this one.¡± He sped his hands together.

    ¡°Fire Magic: Fire Flower.¡± Atop his hand, a small blob of fire that looked like a sad, defeated flower formed. Red sparks sh off it as it almost immediately went up in smoke, leaving behind a few embers that quickly faded.

    The Warm Hands Spell had been a Mortal ss Spell. His Fire Flower Spell was also a Mortal ss Spell, but one at the very peak of the Mortal ss.

    He needed to guide the energy in the spell to flow into the shape of a small lily, forming aplete ¡®Fire Flower.¡¯

    It was quite a bit moreplicated than the Warm Hands Spell.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± As Dorian cast the spell a second time, he felt an odd connection with the energy he needed to guide.

    ¡°Just like this?¡± His will took over as he focused, swiftly controlling the energy. It came to himpletely naturally, as if he had done this many times before.

    WHOOSH

    A small, delicate lily of fire appeared in Dorian¡¯s hand.

    He had seeded on his second try.

    If any Fire Wizard had been in the vicinity and learned of this, they might have dropped dead in sheer shock. It was amonly epted fact that the moreplex a spell, the more time it took to master and cast it.

    ¡°It¡¯s just like that, huh?¡± Dorian realized, staring at the fire in delight. He continued his loping pace as he practiced his magic, moving along the stone road next to the river with no issues. He had yet to encounter any groups that would cause trouble, or marauding beasts.

    Spells that required him to guide or control the energy in his Soul, he discovered, came to him naturally. Unlike the Warm Hands Spell which focused mostly on him forming a mental image of his hands, and forming several mental symbols in his head at once, the Fire Flower Spell had arger focus on adeptly moving energy.

    And for Dorian, who was trapped alone in a mental prison where the only thing he could practice for almost 9 years was using his will and guiding around strings of energy¡­ it was like throwing a fish into the sea, and challenging it to swim.

    In a short span of fifteen minutes, Dorian managed to reach a level where he could easily cast the Fire Flower Spell.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Dorianughed out loud, pleased beyond belief. He made a mental note to focus more on mastering Fire Magic Spells that required moving energy around. It seemed he would have an innate advantage now, thanks to his handy experience.

    That said, living in that mental prison had still been hell, and he would never do so again, no matter what benefits he could obtain from it. He would never allow his soul to fracture to that point again.

    ¡°Fire Magic: Fire Sword.¡± Dorian sped his hands together as he attempted to cast his first Earth ss Fire Spell. He had around five dozen other Spells he could study, gathered from his various excursions into Magic Shops in Potor.

    WHOOSH

    A small beam of fire fizzled in Dorian¡¯s hands and then vanished in a puff of smoke. Dorian flexed his hand, frowning. He winced, feeling a spike of pain in his head that quickly vanished.

    Theplexity of an Earth ss Spell was several times that of a Mortal ss Spell. He would need to keep practicing this Spell before he could use it at will. While his innate energy control would give him an advantage, he still needed to take things step by step.

    ¡°A little annoying, but what can you do.¡± He shrugged, preparing to cast the spell a second time.

    If any Fire Wizard witnessed Dorianining about how this was slowing him down, they might have tried to wring out his neck then and there. The huge advantages Dorian had were already elerating his growth in magic at an unheard of degree.

    As he was readying himself, a mental alert went off in Dorian¡¯s head.

    ¨C

    Gic Repair Complete ¨C Ifrit form fully adapted ¨C Data fully gathered

    ¨C

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian pulled up his status.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 10,167/10,565

    ¨C

    Besides some energy he¡¯d used for casting spells, running, or drawing upon his will to twist Fate and jump that wall, Dorian was fully restored.

    He grinned, pleased. He pulled up a list of his current, stored bloodlines that he hadn¡¯t used yet. He made the list show only the Grandmaster ss bloodlines. Weaker bloodlines wouldn¡¯t generally have thatrge an effect or have useful Abilities, though he¡¯d double check at least the Master ss onester. There was no harm in being careful.

    (Author¡¯s note:The ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C are just to separate bloodlines, and make them easier to see.)

    ¨C

    Stored Bloodlines

    ¨C

    Grandmaster ss

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard (Pseudo-Lord)

    True Vampire ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Heavy Scaled Lizard

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Midnight detiger

    Ester Ground Dragon ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Giant Bore Snake

    Tayzon Rhino

    ¨C

    ¡°Excellent.¡± He nced over them. He would need to pick one to Evolve into when he settled down to rest, picking up new Abilities and a new form.

    First, however, there was something else he needed to check,

    ¡°Ausra, do a full scan and run of all bloodlines my Ifrit Form canbine with, and list out the possible hybrid forms.¡±

 Chapter 68 - New Forms and New Abilities

    Chapter 68: New Forms and New Abilities

    ¡®Scanning¡­ gathering data and cross-referencing¡­¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in Dorian¡¯s mind.

    A few moments passed. Dorian yed around with a ming lily while he waited, admiring the elegance of the small, fiery flower.

    Ausra eventually returned with a response,

    ¡®Some of your bloodlines already have traces present within your Ifrit form, or parts of the bloodlines have been used to create your Ifrit form. The effect these bloodlines can have are somewhat limited. However, by increasing their concentration, alongside mixing other bloodlines, three viable transformations have be avable.¡±

    ¨C

    -Combining: Ifrit Bloodline and Human Bloodline-

    ¨C

    Demonic Human (Fire) ¨C Grandmaster ss (Peak)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 998

    Ability: Fire Sense, Constant Regeneration

    ¨C

    The human race is one of the most adaptive in the 30,000 Worlds. During the First Great War, tens of thousands of years ago, the ancient Demon Race experimented upon thousands of species, creating new breeds of Demons. One of these was the Demonic Human Race. A humanoid that is mixed with the base blood of any type of ancient Demon, these creatures possess skin color that matches the Element they are Aspected towards.

    Demonic Humans Aspected towards the Element of Fire are resilient, agile, and strong, with the ability to regenerate from grievous wounds with ease. Their main weakness is an unstable life essence leading to a vastly reduced lifespan of roughly 3 years, and the inability to grow past the Grandmaster ss, no matter the training.

    ¨C

    ¨C

    -Combining: Ifrit Bloodline and Human Bloodline-

    ¨C

    Demonic Human (Life) ¨C Grandmaster ss (Pseudo-Lord)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,782

    Ability: Life Sense, Constant Regeneration

    ¨C

    The human race is one of the most adaptive in the 30,000 Worlds. During the First Great War, tens of thousands of years ago, the ancient Demon Race experimented upon thousands of species, creating new breeds of Demons. One of these was the Demonic Human Race. A humanoid that is mixed with the base blood of any type of ancient Demon, these creatures possess skin color that matches the Element they are Aspected towards.

    Demonic Humans Aspected towards the Element of Life are durable and swift, with the ability to regenerate from grievous wounds with ease. The main weakness of most Demonic Humans has been partially rectified by their strong connection to the Element of Life. Unfortunately, the species still remains trapped in growth, unable to traverse beyond the Grandmaster ss.

    ¨C

    ¨C

    -Combining: Ifrit Bloodline, Human Bloodline, Giant Myyr Dragon Bloodline, Titan Bloodline-

    ¨C

    Berserker Demon (Unstable) ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 33,376

    Ability: Constant Rage, Constant Regeneration, Moving Force

    ¨C

    A never before seen species of Demon formed by mixing several bloodlines together, Berserker Demons are ferocious beasts that hold incredible natural strength. In terms of raw, physical might, Berserker Demons are stronger than many Peak Lord ss beasts, as long as their blows aren¡¯t infused with the Power of Law.

    Unlike most beasts with an energy level rated at the Lord ss, Berserker Demons are unable to perceive thews of the universe,rgely due to their unstable state of mind, and the Ability Constant Rage preventing them from calming down.

    Berserker Demons have hulking, four meter tall ck bodies, with eight powerful arms, and a long, tactile tail. Despite their inability to perceive thews of the universe, Elemental Fire energy runs within their veins, granting their attacks a fiery edge, and giving them resistance to fire based Spells or Abilities.

    (Author¡¯s Note: Image inspiration ¨C https://i.imgur/ceeix2w.jpg (won¡¯t open in App))

    This form has an ¡®Unstable¡¯ Bloodline. It is rmended tobine this form with other Bloodlines to stabilize its form before using it for extended periods of time. Long-term usage of this form may have detrimental side effects andes with a certain level of risk.

    ¨C

    Dorian grinned, pleasantly surprised. The first two Demonic Human forms sounded interesting, though not particrly noteworthy.

    Thest form, however, of the Berserker Demon, greatly intrigued him.

    Its maximum energy level was more than triple his current Ifrit form!

    However, as he read it over, he frowned, noting the negatives. It seemed this form was unstable, and came with various downsides. It was extremely powerful, physically, but if he made use of it, his mind would be in a constant state of rage.

    The Constant Rage Ability did just that, in fact. Force him to stay enraged. It came with the perk of enhancing his physical strength to the limit, allowing him to draw out the maximum level of power from his body. But the mindless anger was a huge negative.

    ¡°Ausra, can I remove passive Abilities?¡± If he was stuck with that forever, there was no way he could choose this form.

    ¡®Yes, you can remove any Passive Ability you have gained at will. However, you cannot remove Passive Abilities that are tied to a specific form.¡¯

    He grimaced. It seemed he¡¯d have to keep the Constant Rage Ability anytime he was in that form.

    He mentally looked over the other new Ability of the Berserker Demon, the Moving Force Ability.

    ¨C

    Ability: Moving Force

    An ability unique to the newly created race of Berserker Demons, these creatures have the unique power to draw upon the energy of the world to increase their momentum. This drawing on is done subconsciously as they move forward, increasing in power and strength the longer they run undisturbed. The only real limit to this technique is the physical strain it forces upon the user.

    ¨C

    This,bined with the already powerful physical strength of the Berserker Demon, would make the form a deadly threat.

    Especially when Dorianbined that with his own powers. His passive Great Strength Ability, his Emerald mes, his Condense Ability, and his skills and experience. He was slowly building up his strength.

    He nodded.

    ¡°Ausra,bine the bloodlines to form the Berserker Demon. However, don¡¯t Evolve me into it yet, just have it ready.¡±

    ¡®Acknowledged.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind as she set to work, setting up the form for him.

    A few seconds went by.

    ¡®The task isplete.¡¯

    He smiled. At the least, he had added a new trump card to his deck, even if one with significant negatives. He¡¯d try out the Abilities it had when he used the new form, testing itter.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± He frowned, moving on past that. He needed to pick a new Bloodline to develop. He nced over his selections before making a decision.

    ¡°Ausra, Evolve me into a ck Ambian Eagle.¡±

    Now that he finally had some time to rx, Dorian went with what he considered the most useful of his current Bloodlines.

    One that would grant him the Ability to fly.

    ¨C

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 263

    Ability: Steady Wings, Basic Maic Maniption

    ¨C

    ck Ambian Eagles are a rare breed of nocturnal birds. They possess a keen eyesight, allowing them full night vision, as well asrge, deadly talons, that can easily pierce through rock and stone. Powerful predators known to hauntrge forested areas, they typically prey upon other bird-type beasts, cutting them down out of the sky in dive-bombing attacks.

    They stand two meters tall, and roughly four meters long, with a wide, 20 meter wingspan. They are covered in dense, ck metal feathers that are as tough and tensile as iron. Their Ability Maic Maniption allows them to manipte their feathers, shooting them off at targets.

    ¨C

    A constant frustration over the past several weeks was the fact that his ability to travel was greatly limited. His Myyr Dragon forms didn¡¯t possess the ability to fly, only to glide.

    Dorian¡¯s body began to transform, his ck skinned Ifrit form shrinking inward as it morphed, in a split second, into the body of a small, adorable baby eagle. He was about half a meter tall, covered in ck feathers and a sharp, brown beak. His eyes were beady and ck.

    ¡®Chirp!¡¯

    ¨C

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C Growth Stage: (1/4) Baby Eaglet ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 1,810/1662 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®After Evolving, your soul requires a short period of time to adapt to a new form. Because your soul is at the Lord ss, this adaptation period is reduced to 1 hour. The stronger your soul, the less the adaptation period.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    ¡°Oh, right. I just need 1 hour.¡± Dorian smiled, pleased. He¡¯d forgotten that as his soul grew stronger, the adaptation period grew shorter. 1 hour was basically nothing.

    Thankfully, the energy he¡¯d managed to store up over the past few days was enough to Evolve him to the Second Growth Stage too, something he would take advantage of as soon as possible.

    He nced over the Steady Wings Ability. It was simply a passive Ability that gave his ck Ambian Eagle form a natural and powerful control over its wings.

    The Maic Maniption Ability was a bit more interesting.

    ¨C

    Ability: Basic Maic Maniption

    A mostly passive Abilitymon in Metal Aspected beasts, this allows a beast a certain level of control over maic substances. Closely rted to the Law of Metal and the Law of Maism. This Ability¡¯s strength is directly proportional to the power of a creature¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¨C

    ¡®Ooh.¡¯ Dorian internally muttered, intrigued. He looked down at his tiny body, feeling a connection with the feathers he wore. It was, as the Ability stated, a passive connection, where he felt as if he could move them with just a bit of effort.

    He concentrated. A secondter, three feathers flew off his wings, small, sharp a few inch long pieces of metal (7cm).

    WHOOSH

    Dorian shot them forward.

    They blurred as they shot across the empty road andnded, all three slicing halfway into a random tree. The tree shook slightly at the impact, a few green leaves falling down.

    ¡®Interesting.¡¯ He found that moving the feathers was very simr to using his will. He needed to focus, and direct the energy in his Soul Spell Matrix, shooting them off.

    Going in a single direction or simply floating seemed to be the limit of the Ability, however. Dorian found that no matter how much he tried, getting the feathers to turn while using the Ability was extremely difficult.

    It seemed he¡¯d need a more advanced version of the Ability if he wanted full control.

    ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll grow this bird fully, and then after that, we¡¯ll go for the Sr Rock Lizard.¡¯ He needed the utility of a creature that could fly, but he badly wanted the attack power of the Sr Rock Lizard.

    He nodded, and then looked up at the sky. A deep excitement began to race through him. He was about to fulfill one of his dreams.

    To fly freely and soar through the sky.

    Dorian shook just at the thought.

    Without any more hesitation, apart from making sure his Spatial Ring was secure,tched into one of his talons, Dorianunched himself into the air.

    A small gust of wing smashed down as he broke above the treeline, air streaming past him. As his wings ran flush, some of his natural instincts in this form took over.

    Dorian shot off into the sky.

    ¡®Wooo!¡¯ He mentally yelled in delight, exhrated. His eyesight in this form was slightly changed, letting him more easily focus in on things that were far away. Whenbined with his Demonic Sight, his field of vision was expanded even further.

    He could make out small, tiny creatures, moving in the underbrush or trees down below.

    Dorian pped his wings harder, going higher and higher.

    The wind whipped past him even harder as he soared, floating high above the world below. His wings and face were aerodynamic, perfectly proportioned to let him skim through the air.

    ¡®Wow.¡¯ His only thought centered around how incredible this was.

    The ground beneath him became tiny, the World Bridge itself fully visible. The pir ofnd was rtively small in width, only around 50 miles wide. Dorian could make out the rounding shape of it as he flew higher and higher.

    CRACK

    A loud noise jarred Dorian from his delight. A sixth sense in him seemed to warn him to dodge, one that he followed as he twisted, hurling his body downward.

    Not a momentter, as Dorian spun around to see what was happening, a small, almost invisible spatial tear ripped apart the spot where he had been flying.

    Spatial tears were cracks in the air itself, caused by fluctuating space. They were incredibly dangerous, full of random amounts of Elemental Energy. They healed up almost instantly, the energy moving forward in ever-closing new cracks.

    ¡®Oh right.¡¯ Dorian pped his wings as he regained control, flying much lower.

    The World Bridges were surrounded by massive spatial tunnels. Outside these tunnels, millions of spatial cracks swarmed, obliterating anything nearby.

    If one strayed too close to the edge of a World Bridge, the spatial cracks could be drawn to your form. Each crack was deadly, and Dorian had no intention of experiencing the danger of one.

    He took care to fly just a couple miles above the World Bridge. Any farther than that and he would be too close to the spatial cracks.

    Still, as Dorian began to fly forward, he settled back into his mood of enjoyment.

    The ground rushed by underneath him.

    He was flying. A dream almost every human had, at one point in their life. To throw off the chains of gravity and sail among the sky.

    He took a few minutes simply to enjoy the sensation.

    As he flew, he noted his speed. In his current form, he was actually slower than when he was in his Ifrit form, running on the ground.

    He nodded, epting the fact. This was only the first Growth Stage of the ck Ambian Eagle, it was natural for it to be a bit slower.

    The miles passed by beneath him, regardless. Flying animals were not supermon on World Bridges, partly due to the presence of the spatial cracks at the edge of the bridges.

    After a few more minutes, Dorian saw arge group of mercenaries, trudging down below. There must¡¯ve been 40 of them, all dressed in dark green and blue armor or robes.

    A troupe headed for Blizzaria, he gathered. He¡¯d seen dozens of other groups when he was running in his Ifrit form earlier. There must¡¯ve been thousands all headed off for the Exotic World, seeking to find the treasures and rare resources present on it.

    From the info Dorian had gained, Blizzaria was indeed full of treasure. The ruins of the fallen civilizations were rife with old treasuries, rare Magic Herbs, rare minerals, and natural treasures.

    They were also full of danger.

    Dorian mentally began to go over his route, in preparation. He was only around a day and a half away from Blizzaria, going by his current speed.

    Blizzaria was one of the smallers, only spanning a few thousand miles wide. Its surface was covered in harsh snowstorms, rife with dangerous phenomena.

    The only truly safe routes were to travel through one of the three enormous, cave systems that spanned the entire.

    Dorian¡¯s route would take him through the Western Cave System. He needed to pass through the heart of the fallen civilization of Giants, along a dangerous route, to reach the World Bridge to Paxital, his next destination.

    The underground caves were very different from Earth¡¯s caves. Many of the chambers were literally miles wide and tall, enormous caverns that looked as if they should¡¯ve caved in long ago.

    There were cramped, small caves, simr to Earth¡¯s here too, but also many of the giant, wide-open passages. Dorian didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have any problems using any of hisrger forms here, especially considering the towering Giants that used to call this world home.

    As his thoughts were running over his ns, he spotted another group, down below him.

    His eyes zeroed in on the movement, revealing a quartet of human hunters. They were currentlyughing, sitting around as they looked at an animal lying down on the ground in front of them.

    Each hunter wore a brown set of leather, with a small de strapped to their sides. They all looked muscr and strong, like powerful fighters.

    He had Ausra scan them, and found that they were all Sky ss warriors, following some rudimentary mystic martial art. His understanding of mystic martial arts was rather low, since he¡¯d never obtained any manuals on them or studied them, but he knew from his general research that mystic martial arts were simr to studying magic.

    They were just a dumbed down version that required intense physical training, repeatedly, to make up for theck of casting spells, and slowly increase the strength of one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix.

    A small, green skinned deer, covered in bloody wounds was struggling at the center of the hunters. Several small knives were stuck in it.

    Dorian frowned when he saw this. Or, rather, he tried to frown. His ck Ambian Eagle form wasn¡¯t exactly one that he could easily make expressions with due to its beak.

    He was just about to dive down, and tell the hunters off, when he froze, lost in thoughts for a moment.

    What was the point in stopping these hunters? Was he going to attack them for simply hunting a deer, a prey animal, for its meat?

    Was he going to kill anyone that ate meat at all? He himself ate meat, and had hunted other animals before.

    Was he any better than them in that regard?

    Killing was not always wrong, and he drew the line at intelligence, self defense, or necessity. But where, exactly, was that line?

    Some of what he had talked about with Helena struggled forth within him.

    He could not save everyone. This world, this reality, was cruel. The mighty ruled, while the weak gave way.

    Was he going to go out of his way to stop every single grievance he saw?

    It might just prove a huge waste of time, and slow him down from his other ns. He might even be putting William¡¯s life at risk, just to help others.

    What should he do?

    Dorian¡¯s heart grew chaotic as these thoughts all crashed down on him at once.

    For the first moment in a long time, he felt incredibly unsure of what to do, and where he should go.

    ¡®What am I?¡­¡¯ He thought, feeling a sense of loss.

    As his mind became a mess, he strangely felt himself recede, his memories going back to his life on earth.

    To a day where he had talked with his father.

    His dad had told him something that stuck with him, on that day.

    ¡°Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is around.¡±

    Dorian looked down at the struggling dear, his force of will rising within him.

    ¡®What they¡¯re doing to that deer is wrong.¡¯ He thought, watching as they threw another dagger into the small deer andughed, essentially torturing it.

    They weren¡¯t just hunting it. He wouldn¡¯t stop them if that was all.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need to make it moreplicated than that.¡¯ His heart found peace,

    ¡®If someone does something wrong before me, I will stop it. Simple as that.¡¯ He nodded,

    His eyes zeroed in on the warriors as he entered into a dive bomb, hurtling towards them, immediately taking action.

    ¡®Simple as that.¡¯

 Chapter 69 - Taking Root

    Chapter 69: Taking Root

    WHOOSH

    Dorian cut down through the air at a breakneck speed, his body blurring as he moved.

    ck Ambian Eaglets, the young form he was currently in, were strong for their age, ssed at roughly the Earth ss.

    With Dorian¡¯s powerful Lord ss soul acting as a backdrop, however, his current physical form was at the peak of the Sky ss, and this wasn¡¯t counting the Great Strength Passive Ability he had always on.

    As he came towards the hunters, he overheard a brief portion of their discussion. His ck Ambian Eagle form had supernatural hearing, in addition to its powerful eyesight, boosted to very high levels thanks to his Lord ss Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡°..try to hit its shoulders, cut off movem..¡±

    ¡°Nice throw! Go fo..¡±

    THWUCK

    Doriannded right atop one of the hunters, his body colliding with a resounding echo.

    He grunted as he felt the impact, shrugging it off as he sent the hunter flying.

    ¡°Arrgh!¡±

    ¡°Who- whoa! B-beast attack!¡±

    ¡°Swords up!¡±

    ¡°Kill it!¡±

    The trio of other hunters all turned away from the wounded deer in panic. Two of them unstrapped bows, while the third drew a sword and lunged forward towards Dorian.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Dorian couldn¡¯t speak in this form, but he could still snort.

    He took a deep breath, and a secondter, a billowing cloud of emerald green mes washed into the air, just above the hunters.

    The dragonfire smoldered, incredible heat and energy sted off into the sky.

    ¡°Oh my god?!¡±

    ¡°A Phoenix?!¡±

    ¡°Nobody move!¡±

    They all froze, including the hunter Dorian had mmed into. des and bows fell out of limp wrists as the hunters looked on at him in terror.

    Dorian slowly walked forward, a dark mood building around him as he looked at the small deer.

    It was panting lightly, blood dripping down its lips. Several long and small wounds covered it, with two particrlyrge ones on its lower back.

    They were ying with it, rather cruelly.

    ¡®A Green Deer, an Earth ss beast. It has suffered severe injuries, and its life-force has drained. It is beyond healing.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice echoed in his head.

    Dorian frowned, or, rather tried to, once again his eagle form not allowing any real facial expression.

    He drooped out one of his wings, touching the deer carefully.

    It wheezed and struggled faintly before giving up, going back to its sad panting.

    ¡°W-what do we do?¡± The panicked whispers of one of the hunters caught his ear.

    ¡°It, I think it wants the deer?¡± Another began, before being cut off as Dorian looked up, angrily yelling,

    ¡°CAWWWWWWW!¡± His words didn¡¯t make any sense, but his tone was clear, as he looked from the deer, with its grievous injuries, and then back to the hunters, several times.

    ¡°I, I think it¡¯s mad at us?¡± Another hunter said, his voice tinged with confusion.

    Dorian just red at them. He then looked upward, letting loose another billow of Emerald mes.

    The hunters cowered, looking terrified.

    ¡°Oh great Phoenix, please forgive us. We will never repeat our foolish actions again.¡± The quartet dropped their weapons and stepped backwards, all of them beginning to beat a fast retreat. They yelled out apologies over and over, professing their loyalty as they ran away.

    Dorian watched them flee, his feelings mixed. At least the terror he¡¯d inspired should have some impact he hoped.

    ¡°Wheeze.¡±

    He looked down at the dying deer as it coughed, its body shivering. It trembled onest time, and theny still, dead.

    He sighed. In the end, it was just a deer, and the only thing it could do was struggle before it died. A sad, painful death. His heart went out to it, even if it wasn¡¯t particrly intelligent. No creature should have to suffer torture of any kind.

    As he was sighing, feeling morose, he caught something, on the very edge of his supernatural, heavily boosted hearing. He only caught it because he¡¯d kept his attention honed in on the hunters, tracking them.

    As they fled several hundred meters away, they seemed to grow a bit more confident, feeling as if they¡¯d managed to get away.

    ¡°Da-Daryl.¡± One of the hunters spat out as his chest heaved, catching his breath,

    ¡°We gotta go back for our stuff. I can¡¯t leave my Burwood Bow there, or my Tallendel Sword.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my Ironwood Bow is there, that cost me a pretty penny.¡±

    ¡°Yea-¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡± The apparent leader of the hunters, Daryl spat out, cursing.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid bird, a strong one. Those mes were something else, it might be a Peak Sky ss, or even Early Master ss. We¡¯ll just wait for it to leave.¡± He motioned for his men to settle down, staying low.

    Dorian snorted, rolling his eyes. They were certainly quite fearless. A smolder of anger still sizzled in his heart as he looked down at the poor, torn corpse of the deer, and sighed once more.

    Everyone deserved a second chance. He firmly believed that.

    Animal cruelty was wrong, but he wasn¡¯t just going to murder them for harming a deer. He¡¯d killed plenty of deer in his time, though he¡¯d never tortured one.

    Just as he was shing his wings, preparing to take off, he overheard one more portion of the conversation,

    ¡°Damn thing acting like a knight-in-shining-armor, for a damned deer.¡± One of the hunters cursed, audibly spitting to the side.

    Dorian made out a small string of agreements from the hunters.

    ¡°Let¡¯s string up a dozen more deer on the way back, what do you sayds?¡± The leader of the hunters, Daryl said, his voice holding a cheery edge.

    Quiet, hushedughter broke out.

    ¡°Shh, shh, keep it down. We¡¯ll have our fun once it¡¯s gone. Let¡¯s give it fifteen minutes before we go check on the gear. Silence for now.¡± Daryl ordered, his voicemanding.

    Dorian froze, mid-takeoff.

    He slowly lowered his wings, turning his head to face the direction, several hundred meters away, where the men were talking. He couldn¡¯t see them from this distance, the dozens of trees between them blocking off his vision.

    He stared in their direction, however, his movements calm.

    A long moment passed.

    ¡®William.¡¯ Dorian mentally stated,

    ¡®William, what did I do wrong?¡¯

    ¡®I gave them a second chance.¡¯

    His wings started to tremble. His whole body shook for a moment.

    ¡®I gave them a second chance, Will.¡¯

    ¡®But they aren¡¯t taking it.¡¯

    All of a sudden, Dorian felt as if he was alone again.

    Back in the mental prison inside his head, where he had stayed for years.

    Talking to no one but William, trying to figure out life, his goals, his aspirations. What he would do when he left.

    ¡®I¡¯m doing the right thing, Will.¡¯ Dorian said again, his wings still shaking.

    ¡®BUT THEY AREN¡¯T TAKING IT.¡¯ His voice thundered in his consciousness, his emotions whishing to extremes. For some odd reason, Dorian felt like he was unable topletely control his emotions.

    This was the first time, since he¡¯d left his mental prison, that he¡¯d encountered a situation like this. His mind shook briefly.

    He had done everything right. But still failed.

    Deep down in the recesses of his mind, something inside him, something delicate and worn away by years of constant loneliness, seemed to crack. Some part of his soul seemed to react to this, unbeknownst to Dorian, tiny dark tendrils in his mind very, very slowly starting to spread.

    Abruptly, he began tough.

    A vast, wonderful feeling of rxation and exhration filled Dorian as heughed out loud, an odd, keening noise whening from a ck Ambian Eagle.

    ¡®I figured it out, Will. There is always a right answer. If this one didn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll just make my own.¡¯ He felt like a heavy load had been lifted from his shoulders.

    As he spoke, his mind entered an odd state. He almost felt like he wasn¡¯t entirely in control of his body.

    Abruptly, he raised one of his wings, feeling the innate, maic properties inherent in his metal feathers. He focused his will on this connection, selecting four feathers in particr.

    WHOOSH

    His Basic Maic Maniption Ability was a powerful one that scaled with the strength of a being¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix. For Dorian, who had a Lord ss Soul Spell Matrix, the energy he could output if he went all out was far, far higher than that of a regr ck Ambian Eagle.

    With his supernatural hearing and senses to aid him, four gleaming, ck feathers shot through the forest. They pierced through half a dozen trees, slicing into and out of them as if they weren¡¯t even there.

    THWUCK

    THUWCK

    THUWCK

    THUWCK

    Four dark metal feathers mmed directly into the heads of each of the four hunters.

    Killing them instantly.

    ¡®If they won¡¯t ept the mercy I give them, then I shall show them a different type of mercy.¡¯

    The four hunters copsed, falling to the ground. A few leaves scattered as they fell, slouching over in death, the faces of the hunters frozen in mirth.

    Onest, long moment passed.

    Dorian stood alone, next to the corpse of the deer, staring off towards the lifeless bodies of the hunters.

    He blinked several times, feeling as if he had just woken up, for some odd reason.

    ¡®Right, Will? They wouldn¡¯t change.¡¯ He nodded halfheartedly, looking around the forest.

    ¡®Right. I gave them a chance, Will.¡¯ He nodded again, this time more assuredly.

    He turned and bowed towards the dead hunters.

    ¡®Life is precious. Value yours more wisely next time.¡¯ He gave onest stiff nod, and then gathered his wings under him,unching himself into the air, deciding to leave all of this behind.

    ¡®Come, Will. Let¡¯s keep going. We¡¯ll reach Blizzaria by nightfall.¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¨C

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C Growth Stage: (2/4) Young Adult Eagle ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 412/4,484 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Dorian rubbed his chin as he looked at the required energy values he would need to advance his ck Ambian Eagle form. He¡¯d gained a bit more energy, thanks to some hunting and snacking on a Magic Herb from his Spatial Ring.

    He was back in his Ifrit form and feeling better than ever. For the first time in what felt like a while, Dorian felt as if he didn¡¯t have a single worry weighing him down. Even his current journey and quest to save Will didn¡¯t feel like a chore, but instead a happy experience waiting to happen.

    He smiled, unable to help himself.

    ¡°I can¡¯tbine my ck Ambian Eagle with my other bloodlines till I fully grow it.¡± He muttered, frowning halfheartedly. He rubbed his chin again, thinking over his options.

    Night spread out around him; several hours had passed. He was currently standing atop arge tree, looking off into the distance.

    About a dozen miles from Dorian, a huge, gaping portal shimmered. The edge of the World Bridge.

    The entrance to Blizzaria.

    Even from around a dozen miles away from the portal, Dorian could still feel a cold breeze, shuddering through the forested area.

    His Ifrit form was Aspected towards Fire and Life. It was incredibly resistant to both.

    It also happened, however, that because of that, he was able to handle cold weather reliably. The fiery heat and life energy within him made his body resistant to the icy air.

    His body would use up a bit more energy, however, and gaining a form that was naturally adaptive to cold areas was on Dorian¡¯s checklist. But it wasn¡¯t an urgent need.

    He shrugged,

    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s just go, we¡¯ll figure it out on the way.¡±

    Dorian leapt up into the air, crashing through the sky as he began to run off towards the end of the World Bridge. He called to mind the map he¡¯d memorized, readying himself to enter theplex cave system.

    Charging bravely towards a new world.

 Chapter 70 - Veritas

    Chapter 70: Veritas

    Dorian was greeted by a wall of white.

    Brilliant white snow, whipping about in the fierce winds, tore into him and everything near him. Cold, bitterly cold air shed down on him, making him shiver even in his Ifrit form. His breath froze the moment it left his mouth, transforming not just into white fog, but directly into ice.

    KEEEEEEEE

    The snowstorm echoed out with an odd, irritating whine, constantly ringing in the background.

    He smiled, enjoying the unique experience, even in his difort.

    Internally, Dorian stoked thetent Fire Energy and Life Energy in his veins. The small fires that burned permanently on his elbows, knees, and head grew fiercer, forcing a current of warmth around him.

    ¡°Show me my status.¡±

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 10,540/10,580 (Draining 0.03% per minute)

    ¨C

    ¡°Oh?¡± He smiled, noticing that his maximum energy level had risen as a result of the constant magic practice he¡¯d been undergoing. The increase was rather small, but it showed how constant training could increase your strength and the power of your Soul Spell Matrix. Once he started practicing stronger spells, the increase would no doubt berger.

    Keeping himself warm was draining about 3 points of energy per minute. Not a crazyrge amount, but a noticeable drain. He raised the priority of getting a form that adapted to the cold a little higher.

    Dorian began jogging. He was still on the World Bridge. However, he¡¯d moved past the opening portal that connected the World Bridge to the, from the huge spatial tunnel. The bitter cold here, when he was exposed directly to the weather of the, was ferocious.

    The World Bridge grew narrower and narrower as it drew closer to the surface, thousands of years of extreme weather wearing it away. The center of a World Bridge was said to be impossibly dense, and impossible to cut through, but the outside edges could still take damage. It went from tens of miles wide to just a few miles, to just a thousand meters (0.6 miles).

    Visibility was reduced to almost nothing. He could barely see 10 meters in front of him, even with his powerful eyesight. The forests that covered the World Bridge were nowhere to be seen, long since wiped out. All that was left was barren stone, scarred and worn away.

    He squinted as he ran forward, going over the information he¡¯d memorized.

    The World Bridge from Taprisha to Blizzaria descended directly into the Western Cave System. The part of the Bridge that Dorian was on was exposed to the dangerous weather of the surface.

    The bridge itself actually moved into the massive cavern. This was partly the reason teams from Taprisha would seek out the cave system for its rare treasures.

    As long as you stayed on the World Bridge and went straight forward, you would end up in the cave system, and avoid the dangerous surface. Gravity and other functions operated weird around the World Bridges. This acted like a somewhat effective shield against the dangerous weather of Blizzaria.

    Spatial storms were a rtivelymon sight on the surface world of Blizzaria, alongside storms where the temperature could drop far below freezing, to dangerously low levels.

    Even now, as Dorian moved forward, he could feel the air growing colder and colder.

    Soon he was draining 4 points of energy per minute. This climbed to 5, and then kept increasing all the way up to 10 the closer he got to the surface, and the less the unique gravity and phenomena of the World Bridge came into effect.

    Dorian felt his movements seem to grow slightly slower. The world itself seemed to have slowed down to some degree, due to the mysterious weather that was currently storming all around him.

    ¡®You are currently caught within a Distorted Field Storm. Rmendation: Leave the Distorted Field.¡¯ Ausra sent him a notification.

    Dorian grunted and rolled his eyes. If he could leave the Field just like that, he would.

    He¡¯d read up about this in his research. A Distorted Field was an area where functions like gravity, time, and temperature would shift, operating oddly. On Blizzaria, this meant time literally moved slower or faster, while temperatures would plummet.

    Even on the World Bridge he was still being affected.

    A few minutes passed as Dorian continued jogging downward, bearing the brunt of the storm. He maintained his steady state of mind, keeping his cool.

    Gradually, just as the effects of the storm were growing worse, the light around Dorian shifted.

    The blinding white snowstorm that was constantly harassing him began to die down, reced by a dimmer, but still white light. The constant snow began to fall away, the background noise fading.

    His vision gradually cleared up. As it grew clear, he almost jumped backward, startled as he looked at what was in front of him.

    The gaping mouth of a huge, gargantuan dragon.

    Dorian blinked, his heart dropping for a second before he recognized what it was.

    It wasn¡¯t an actual dragon, but simply a carving of one. A carving done on a grand, vast scale.

    All he could see of the statue was its enormous mouth, its domineering eyes, and a portion of its shoulders. The open mouth alone stretched up nearly a thousand meters in height, set into a widespread, rocky stone floor, covered in ice.

    The entire statue appeared to be buried almost entirely in the ground, but sunken into a type of depression, shielding it from the brunt of the weather above him.

    The World Bridge Dorian was on ended about a hundred meters away from this gaping dragon carving.

    Dorian reached the base of the World Bridge and jumped off, a slight feeling of disorientation washing over him as gravity shifted towards the center of the instead of the World Bridge.

    He¡¯d read about this. This was the entrance to the Western Cave System in this area.

    The Dragon¡¯s Mouth. A gargantuan carving created by the Grakon Race, for reasons unknown.

    He needed to go into it, and take a long, underground passage more than one hundred miles forward, to the ruins of the City Icicar. From there, there were several possible routes he could take that would lead him to the underground ruins of Dragonmount City.

    The World Bridge to Paxital was found not far from those ruins.

    He nodded his head with determination, and ran forward, his eyes unwavering.

    Unbeknownst to him, as he moved through the entrance of the massive cavern, far above him arge, hulking 3 meter tall creature turned to look at him.

    Covered in ck metal tes that seemed to resemble scales, the odd-looking humanoid had a simr appearance to Earth¡¯s Minotaurs, with the head of a bull, a humanoid set of arms and chest, and hooved legs like that of a horse. A deathly aura hung around it as its head followed Dorian, from standing atop the inside of the giant carving of a dragon.

    It wielded a massive, ancient looking greatsword on its back, a weapon that was easily as tall as Dorian in his Ifrit form.

    (Image (but no halo and ck scales) ¨C http://pandius/10025092196939f91cf_o.jpg)

    As Dorian sprinted past it, heading deeper into the cave, the Grakon snorted, its ageless eyes shing as it began to jump down.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Well, Probus, this is it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m finally dying.¡±

    Trajan¡¯s voice was filled with despair as hey on the ground, his eyes closed. A small field of blue flowers spread out around him, in the center of arge, open field.

    ¡°A most tragic ending.¡± Probus returned, his body leaning up against a small boulder, the only rock in this field. His swordy on the ground next to him, also leaning against the rock. His voice was calm.

    ¡°It¡¯s all over for me.¡± Trajan said, letting out a wheezing gasp.

    ¡°I will carry your story forward a thousand generations.¡± Probus replied,pletely serious.

    ¡°Tell my wife and kids I love them.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a wife and kids.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then tell my family.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t your family disown you?¡±

    ¡°Tell my fellow environmentalists.¡±

    ¡°What fellow environmentalists? You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve heard of.¡±

    ¡°And people wonder why our worlds have fallen into such disrepair¡­¡± Trajan muttered, his voice slowly fading away as he shook his head.

    Beyond the small, open field of blue flowers, thousands of corpses could be seen, littering the floor. The entire grassy ins, in arge, thousand meter wide circle, was covered in ck blood and essence, dead warriors, Wizards, and assassins all over the ground.

    Huge, enormous cuts could be seen, earth torn asunder the assault of mighty blows in several ces. High, up above, severalrge rain clouds could be seen, slowly fading away.

    The scenes of a battle that had recently ended.

    Silence reigned for a brief moment.

    ¡°We¡¯d best prepare. The damned King of the Shades is bound to send forth a few more prongs.¡± Probus was the one to speak, this time, his voice cool.

    ¡°Doubtlessly.¡± Trajan responded, not moving from his perch on the ground,

    ¡°This is the third attack on us already.¡± He shook his head as he continued,

    ¡°I got a message from our favorite red-headed Spymaster that said there were four other attacks. The Shades have finally started testing our defenses again en masse.¡± He sighed,

    ¡°All for what? Who cares if they control another world, or we do.¡±

    Trajan¡¯s body began to shiver as he stood up, stretching.

    Probus shrugged,

    ¡°Ambition is the curse and blessing of great men, whether they be Vampire or Shade, Aeth or Human, Dragon or Beast.¡± He hooked his de onto his back as he finished speaking, however, his eyes bing alert.

    Trajan spun around, looking off into the distance.

    The field they were standing on had a special name. The Field of Moria.

    It was a special area right next to the World Bridge to Plumadone, a world controlled by the Aurelius Family.

    The Field of Moria was unique in that anyone that stepped within range of the small, blue flowers that decorated it would gain a mysterious ability to be aware of their surroundings, for anything within 20 miles.

    Wizards had oft-debated how this came to be, both vampires and other races, but the field was considered a special zone, and its unique ability was used as an observation point.

    No one could move onto the World Bridge to Plumadone without passing through the awareness of everyone in the Field of Moria.

    Probus and Trajan had been assigned to act as a vanguard here, with several of the other members of the Reavers spread out on other worlds, forming a protective shield.

    The Aurelius Family preferred to use powerful elites to defend theirnd, wiping out any attackers. Probus and Trajan in particr were used to working alone.

    Despite their preference, Highlord Marcus had forcibly arranged severalrge troops of their forces, thousands of Grandmaster ss Wizards and warriors, to stand defensively on the World Bridge.

    Vampires were one of the leading races in the 30,000 Worlds for good reason. Through natural growth and training, any Vampire could reach the Grandmaster ss, with very few exceptions. This gave them a huge advantage, in terms of physique and power.

    For the human race, only elite experts could reach the Master ss, and move up to the Grandmaster ss. Further, only one in a hundred humans could be a Wizard at all.

    For Vampires, every single member of the race had the natural potential to reach the Grandmaster ss, simply by staying alive.

    With that said, to reach a full growth cycle, a vampire would need to grow hundreds and hundreds of years old, sometimes even thousands if they did not train. Vampires were not immortal, and idents or sickness could ovee even the greatest regenerative powers.

    Vampires that trained, in either magic or mystic martial arts, would be far, far stronger than those that didn¡¯t. Still, the average vampire vastly outstripped the average human in physical power and ability.

    Thergest advantage humans had was their ingenuity, refusal to give up, and vast, vast numbers. There was no race in existence, apart from some breeds of small bugs or fish, that outnumbered the Human Race. A single vampire generation could span five hundred years, a time where more than fifteen human generations could follow.

    Shades were closer to humans than vampires in that regard. Their natural growth limited them to the Sky ss at best. They bred quickly, and had rtively short lifespans,pared to vampires, most only living for 200-300 years.

    Inbat, however, they were ferocious, and their powerful aptitude for magic of almost all kinds, especially Darkness Aspected Magic, made them a dangerous foe.

    ¡°What do you think it is this time? Another scouting army?¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was calm. They had already dealt with thousands of attacking enemies, all without breaking a sweat or relying upon their own men back on the World Bridge.

    Most of their opponents had been at the Sky ss or Master ss, decently powerful for a Shade, butpared to his Pseudo-King ss strength¡­ they were nothing special.

    ¡°Perhaps. The Shade King appears to care little for his men¡¯s lives. Rather distasteful.¡± Probus replied, his hand resting upon the hilt of his de.

    A hundred meters in front of them, a bright, glowing white portal appeared, shimmering into existence in the field. A standard transport portal, created through the use of Space Magic.

    Trajan¡¯s eyes tightened. He made a motion with his hand, casting a small spell to alert the soldiers on the World Bridge. If needed, he and Probus could beat a hasty retreat in seconds.

    There were no Lord ss vampires among their forces, but over 2,000 Grandmaster ss Wizards and even more warriors. Many of them had formed intorge groups, working in perfect unison gained over hundreds of years of training.

    The portal shed once more, and then vanished, revealing the silhouette of a single being.

    A hooded woman, floating half a meter above the ground. Her eyes glowed a faint white color, and an almost holy aura seemed to surround her. Instead of a regr pair of legs, her lower half was insubstantial, made up of shimmering clouds of grey light, with a few small wavering tendrils of smoke drifting to and fro.

    In the woman¡¯s right hand, she wielded a long sword that seemed forged from molten light, while her left hand was sheathed in brilliant white and red spiritual fire.

    Her face appeared to be human, bearing a calm, beautiful appearance.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/Teiop8a.jpg)

    Trajan¡¯s eyes opened wide as he stared at the odd woman, at a loss. Probus merely grunted, his hand tightening on the hilt of his de.

    The woman spoke,

    ¡°Rejoice, mortals, for I havee to spread The Truth.¡± Her voice was ephemeral, containing a mysterious power, as she continued,

    ¡°The Truth shall prevail. Justice shall prevail. Those in the Light shall live forever.¡± Her words sang out, full of warmth and care, giving out a sense of her showing real concern for them.

    Trajan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he replied,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re actually chock full of truth here. Truth about pollution, dying ecosystems, careless littering. You¡¯ll have toe backter.¡± He waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°Yeah, Plumadone is closed right now.¡± Probus added, his voice full of iron.

    Trajan nodded and shrugged apologetically, holding his arms out wide as if it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    The floating woman simply gave a small smile, her eyes glowing brighter, as she gently replied,

    ¡°You are lying.¡±

    ¡°You cannot lie to me.¡±

    ¡°I am Veritas. And today you will learn The Truth.¡±

    She smiled a little wider, the gentle look in her eyes growing more intense,

    ¡°For only in The Truth can you find perfection.¡±

    .

 Chapter 71 - Encounter

    Chapter 71: Encounter

    Dorian took a deep breath, taking in the earthy scent of the cave.

    The insides of the cavern were, as written down, huge. The stone ceiling was roughly four to five hundred meters above his head, with a few long stctites hanging from it. The walls were a dark brown, coated with clear or light blue ice, and arge number of glowing crystals.

    ¨C

    Pourmaline Rock Crystal

    Amon crystal formation supported by thews of the universe. These crystals output arge amount of light by absorbing minute amounts of energy in their surroundings. They are mostmonly found in caves or underground areas.

    ¨C

    Ausra had listed what they were in the vast stores of data imprinted on Dorian¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix.

    Before him was a long, carved stone road, mostly worn away by the passage of time. He saw a few side passages pop up on his right and left, smaller caves of varying sizes. Some of them opening up hundreds of meters high, others just a few dozen meters.

    Directly in front of him, the massive passage continued, unabated. The mostly worn away road was around two hundred meters wide, while the huge cavern itself must¡¯ve been at least a thousand meters wide. Large rock formations, stgmites, and various chunks of crystals and ice decorated the areas to the side of therge road, in random patterns.

    This was the Great Road to Icicar. As long as he moved straight down it, he¡¯d reach the ruins of the city in around 30 miles.

    Dorian smiled. He flexed his arms in front of him, feeling a certain level oftent strength.

    For some reason, he felt fantastic. His control of his body and physical form seemed to have grown to new heights. Even better, as he perceived the world around him, he felt like he¡¯d grown much more in tune to everything. His senses had grown much stronger, and his perception of time seemed to have increased to some degree.

    ¡®Maybe I¡¯m really just settling into this new form, huh?¡¯ He¡¯d only been in his Ifrit form for around a week or so. If it kept up like this, however, he had no problems at all staying in this form for a while.

    As he was smiling about this, his newfound senses warned him of a creature charging at him from behind. Though the being was moving extremely quickly, Dorian caught the quick thud of its feet on the ground behind him.

    Without even turning around, Dorian leapt up into the air, doing a backflip. As he sailed through, his body turned, twisting to look at the enemy rushing at him.

    A massive, ck-scaled minotaur crashed down directly where Dorian had been standing, its muscr arms mming into the stone floor as it forced itself to halt. It held a long, ck greatsword in its right hand.

    Contrary to Dorian¡¯s expectations, the stone floor remained almostpletely undamaged despite the considerable impact, a few small cracks spreading out. It seemed to be made of some powerfully durable material or enchanted in some manner.

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 28,330

    ¨C

    ¡®Oh, a Grakon.¡¯ He noted, his eyes cool, unsurprised.

    ¡°Ausra? What does the ¡®Desated¡¯ tag mean?¡± He had a pretty good idea already, but figured it was wise to check.

    ¡®The Grakon before you is no longer considered a living creature. Its soul has been forcibly splintered, and it is a remnant of its former self, with less than half its living strength. Its physical form is therefore in a desated, weakened state. It is unable to borrow energy from the Laws of the Universe, or use magic.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    The conversation took only an instant, but in that instant the huge scaled minotaur turned around, its body shivering as it roared.

    ¡°GRRRRRRR!¡±

    Its voice was guttural and deep, primal.

    The creature¡¯s body shivered for a second time, and, abruptly, it expanded, growing from its height of 3 meters to be roughly three times as tall, at 9 meters. Its scales, muscles, bones, everything on it grew with it.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shined when he saw this.

    The ¡®Expand¡¯ Ability in action, the Ability only the Grakon Race held.

    He absolutely needed to snag that.

    ¡°Worry not, Grakon, I will let your broken soul find rest.¡±

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated) (Expanded Form)

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 54,330

    ¨C

    The Grakon lunged forward, this time raising its great de above its head. The sword, Dorian noted, had grown in size with the Grakon, despite not being part of its body.

    As he watched it bring its de towards him, Dorian felt as if his mind had elerated. Every single movement the beast made wasid out before him, almost in slow motion.

    Once again, Dorian marveled at the changes. He felt powerful, the world around him in perfect rity, as if he had just woken up from a slow, sluggish nightmare. The difference between now and just a few days ago was stark to him.

    Dorian sidestepped the heavy greatsword, his eyes tracking it.

    In terms of physique, the Grakon before him undoubtedly outmatched his Ifrit body. His passive Great Strength Ability boosted his strength by a decent amount, around 10% to 20%, but that would hardly be enough to face this creature head on.

    BOOM

    A few small chips of stone shot into the air as the heavy de mmed into it. The tremendous amount of force was barely enough to crack the abnormally tough stone ground.

    As the shockwaves of the attack settled, an idea came to Dorian that felt perfectly natural.

    Dorian activated his me ws Ability, but also simultaneously activated his Emerald mes Ability.

    Before this, Dorian had stuck to using one Ability at a time, for the most part. He¡¯d found it very difficult to concentrate beyond activating one Ability, even with his increased mental power. While activating the Abilities was something that came natural, it still required focus.

    His increased concentration and control, now, however, made it feelughably easy.

    WHOOSH

    Brilliant, emerald green mes swarmed up Dorian¡¯s hands and arms, perfectly mixing with his me ws Ability. These green mesced his hands, and formed w-like shapesing about an inch or so off them (2.5 cm).

    Dorian sprinted forward, kicking off the sword of the Grakon as he did so. His body sailed through the air,nding on one of the bulging biceps of the more or less undead creature.

    Dorian¡¯s right hand plunged into the left shoulder of the Grakon, his Emerald w, as he decided to name it, melting through the outer scales of the creature.

    While his mes managed to pierce through the tough, outer defense of the Grakon, it had taken a second. The defensive prowess of the creature was no joke, and even his Dragonfire couldn¡¯t instantly melt through it.

    ¡°GRAAWWRRRRR!¡±

    The minotaur mmed its head towards Dorian, its horns slicing through the air towards his chest.

    Dorian made a shing motion with his hand, his Emerald w sending out a cutting wave of me, into the shoulder of the Grakon. As he did so, instead of dodging backward, away from the horns of the beast, he jumped forward.

    THUD

    The left arm of the undead Grakon fell to the floor, severed cleanly through by Dorian¡¯s Emerald w. At the same time, the hulking head of the scaled minotaur mmed into where Dorian had been standing just a moment ago.

    The piercing, ck horns of the creature missed Dorian¡¯s body as he sailed through the air by a hair¡¯s breadth, his exact control a thing of beauty.

    For a single moment, Dorian was perched right above the head of the Grakon.

    His eyes shed.

    He instantly cast a spell. One he had been struggling with, the Earth ss me Sword that he had yet to fully cast sessfully.

    The spell came forth before Dorian, and instead of casting it like he normally would, using energy from his Soul Spell Matrix to form the symbols of magic he¡¯d memorized that the spell used, he made a change.

    He manipted the energy of his Emerald mes, and used that as a substitute, forming the spell through it. Something he would have never thought of before, or even known was possible. Dorian mentally willed it to work, enforcing the power of his soul.

    The air seemed to shiver slightly.

    Almost immediately, a glowing, emerald sword of fire appeared in Dorian¡¯s hands, one that was far stronger than the Earth ss Spell would normally be able to create. A sword made of pure dragonfire.

    A sword that Dorian plunged into the skull of the Grakon.

    Dorian flipped over in the air andnded smoothly, his body skittering across the stone floor as he came to a rest. He let go of the Emerald mes that were still coating his arms and hands, feeling thefortable heat fade.

    THUD

    Before him, the body of the huge, hulking Grakon shrank inward, returning to its normal 3 meter height, as it copsed, falling to the ground where ity still.

    Defeated in an instant.

    Dorian smiled.

    A secondter, his eyes opened wide as he looked at his hands in shock, feeling as if he had just woken up from a brief haze.

    ¡°¡­what?¡± He muttered.

    ¡°Did I just do that?¡±

    He had just destroyed a creature that was more than twice as strong as him, and far bigger, with ease. Almost as if he was ying with it. He barely used any energy at all.

    His moves, his attacks, everything came naturally to him, purely by instinct.

    He thought about the tips and tricks that Helena had tried to teach him aboutbat. His actions then not only perfectly matched the advice he¡¯d received, but even seemed to exceed it, moving with a level of strength and grace that could not be matched just by talent.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± He muttered again. He smiled after a moment. This wasn¡¯t a negative development at all, in the grand scheme of things.

    ¡°Ausra, has anything unusual happened to my mind or soul?¡± He asked aloud, his eyes cool as he began to walk forward, looking at the corpse of the dead Grakon.

    ¡®¡­Not that I can detect, no.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    Dorian smiled, feeling relieved. It seemed this really just was some type oftent power or instinct that came with his transformations.

    If he could fully master it, and gain awareness of this somehow innate sense ofbat, it could prove truly useful.

    He stopped next to the now dead undead, bowing slightly.

    ¡°I hope you find peace in the next.¡± Its existence as an undead was a torturous one, ording to the research he had done beforeing.

    He crouched down, tapping on its shoulder slightly.

    The creature hadn¡¯t spilled any blood. ording to Ausra, a beast in a desated state had no blood at all.

    ¡°Ausra, is there anything I can absorb here?¡± He queried.

    ¡®Scanning¡­ Yes. The remnants of the Grakon¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix still exist. However, due to its desated status, you can only absorb a portion of this. This Grakon was a Mid Lord ss beast in its prime.¡¯ She replied, her voice ringing quietly in his head.

    ¡°Do it.¡± He returned immediately. It was weakened from Mid Lord to Early Lord ss, and unable to use magic, but was still a powerful fighter. ording to the research Dorian had done, there should be far stronger Grakons here.

    This was only one of the weaker, outer ones. The deeper he got into the cave system, near the heart of their fallen civilization, the stronger foes he would encounter.

    ¡®Absorbing.¡¯

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Ifrit ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 10,281/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian blinked as he looked at his Growth Stage, and, more importantly, the energy added to it. He grinned, pleased.

    These undead Grakons were virtually walking energy points, just begging to be absorbed. If he could take out enough of them, he could go on an Evolving spree, maxing out several forms.

    ¡°What about the Bloodline of the beast?¡± He was able to absorb the Bloodlines of creatures through their Soul Spell Matrix, as well as through their blood itself.

    ¡®It is in a degraded state. If you absorb more versions of a Grakon Soul Spell Matrix, I may be able to piece back together a full replica, and recreate the Bloodline and its various Abilities.¡¯ Ausra returned.

    ¡°Ah. Just like the Myyr Dragon. Got it¡± His Myyr Dragon form had been in a degraded state when he first obtained the bloodline. He¡¯d needed to hunt down several Red Smanders to find traces of the bloodline, working to recreate it.

    thud

    Dorian looked up, a noise catching his attention.

    In the distance, the figures of two more scaled minotaurs appeared, both of them more or less looking identical to the Grakon he had just killed. They must¡¯ve heard the noise his fight with the first one had caused.

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 23,630

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 29,130

    ¨C

    Dorian stood all the way up, stretching his arms, a smile still on his face. Brilliant emerald mes began to coat his arms once more.

    He waved at the approaching Grakons, motioning them forward,

    ¡°Come to papa, my dear energy points.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A small, dainty figure gasped in air, her chest heaving as she ducked over the ruins of a building, throwing herself forward. Her body blurred as she moved extremely quickly, her humanoid form agile.

    In a scant second, she had passed through the ruins of threerge, copsed stone buildings, and hid inside a fourth.

    She was covered in small gashes, drips of blood leaking from them. Slowly, warm light covered these wounds, a gradual healing process starting.

    ¡°I made it.¡± The girl gasped, rubbing the small, tufted fox ears on her head. She took several deep breaths, wiping a sheen of sweat off her forehead.

    She moved over to the edge of the building she was hiding in. She was standing on a faded, upper floor, built entirely out of stone. The roof of the building had partially copsed, leaving it exposed to the elements of the underground cavern.

    She peeked out the exposed gap, smiling dimly.

    A massive, widespread city spread out around her. Tens of thousands of ruined or copsed buildings, covered in the glowing crystals that were found everywhere in the cave. Several giant stgmites and stctites could be seen, sticking up from the ground of the city, or drooping down from the ceiling, far above. Several buildings were built into or carved into these stone edifices, weathering the time far better than their counterparts.

    At the exact center of this city, a cool, moving stream of liquid ice could be seen, falling from the ceiling towards the ground. This liquid ice waterfall, a mystic, magical creation, stretched two hundred meters wide, and continued falling into arge stone pit, streaming off to areas unknown.

    The Lightsworn Fox smiled, the humanoid form she was currently using shivering.

    She had reached her first safe haven, where she would have some respite from her pursuers.

    Even they would have to tread carefully here.

    For, one of the Kings of the fallen Grakon Race ruled this failed city.

    The ruins of the city of Icicar.

 Chapter 72 - Shades

    Chapter 72: Shades

    ¡°Whew.¡± Dorian exhaled, catching his breath as he looked down at the corpses.

    Three dead Grakons littered the ground. All of them, like the ones he had encountered before, were Lord ss, at the Early stage.

    ¡°Absorb em¡¯, Ausra.¡± He ordered as he bent down, kneeling from exertion.

    With these three killed, that would be 8 Grakons he had defeated in total over the past several miles.

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Ifrit ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 86,231/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Dorian muttered as Ausra absorbed the leftover energy points and other remnants.

    He then walked over to the corpse of each Grakon, cing his hand on each of their oversized des.

    ¡°Absorb.¡± He muttered, using his will andmanding the energy in each de toe to him.

    Immediately, a rush of energy filled him as he absorbed thetent power in each of the magic, shapeshifting swords.

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Ifrit ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 91,231/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    He smiled again.

    His store of energy was rapidly rising, something he could make great use of. Grandmaster ss forms usually took around 60,000 points or so to fully max out.

    Dorian considered his quest for a moment. His main goal was to reach the Ember Gorge and gain enough energy to recreate a body for Will. A rough estimate of what this would take, ording to Ausra, could cost up to 15,000,000 points of energy, or even more.

    A massive sum.

    He shook his head as he reached a conclusion. There was no point in saving up his points now. He needed to use everything he had to get stronger, and to increase his chances of being able to survive, and save Will. Stockpiling now would just decrease his odds.

    Dorian tapped his foot against the body of one of the Grakons. One of its scales popped off,nding on the ground. He reached down and picked it up, looking at it closely.

    It was dried out, but still tough and durable. Theck of blood in the bodies of the Grakons greatly lessened their natural defenses.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, blood wasn¡¯t like the blood of earth. The blood of any creature had certain magical properties, identifying it. These magical concepts couldn¡¯t be found anywhere else. Not on their skin, in various muscles, bones, or even in brain matter. Only in the blood itself of the beast, and any traces of blood found in parts of the body.

    Without blood or a Soul Spell Matrix, no matter what parts of a corpse Dorian found, he would forever be unable to transform into its form.

    ¡®Ausra, fully evolve my ck Ambian Eagle form.¡¯ He mentallymanded. His body began to shrink inward as his form changed, bing a young ck Ambian Eagle, about twice asrge as his eaglet form.

    ¡®Acknowledged.¡¯ Ausra cooly replied.

    ¡®Evolving to 3r-¡®

    ¡®Evolving to 4th Growth Stage.¡¯

    ¨C

    ck Ambian Eagle ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Great Eagle ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 50,122/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s body expanded as his physical form grew, elongating. His head reached a new height of nearly three and a half meters, while his wingspan nearly quadrupled. His metal feathers took on a powerful, lustrous glow, having a tensile strength and power not present before.

    Dorian shook his body out as he felt this, greatly pleased. This was a form he could fly with, and feel rtively safe.

    ¡®Ausra, can my ck Ambian Eagle formbine with the Berserker Demon form?¡¯ He queried as he transformed once again, returning back to his Ifrit form.

    Flying in the massive cave was possible, but it would be rtively loud and noticeable, and draw attention.

    As his body returned to his Ifrit form, he scanned his environment, checking to make sure there was nothing trying to sneak up on him.

    ¡®No.¡¯ Ausra replied coolly.

    Dorian sighed, and then shrugged. It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡®Alright, nevermind,¡¯ He began, cracking his fingers,

    ¡®Evolve me into a Sr Rock Lizard.¡¯ Dorian decided to run tests to see what the ck Ambian Eagle couldbine withter. Right now, his biggest priority was power.

    While he¡¯d only managed to cover about 30 miles over the past four hours, a slow pacepared to his normal speed, this wasrgely because of Dorian¡¯s careful nature.

    The Great Road to Icicar was gued with powerful Grakons.

    Over the thousands of years that this Exotic World had existed,rge numbers of the undead Grakons and Giants had been killed or destroyed. Either by hunters or powerful warriors seeking treasure or by powerful people simply passing through.

    This had led to most of the weaker forces being wiped out, leaving mostly only the stronger creatures, at the Lord ss and above.

    The Lord ss was a dividing line for most forces. Most teams of hunters or the like would try to avoid battling with any Lord ss foes, even ones that couldn¡¯t use thews of the universe and were just physically at the Lord ss level.

    For some reason, no matter how many Lord ss Grakons or Giants were killed, there always seemed to be more left. The mystery of Blizzaria, and its strange undead creatures, was an unsolved one.

    Despite this area being gued by powerful creatures, Dorian hade to notice a few things.

    The undead Grakons were not a particrly sensitive race. He had snuck past several groups of six or seven of the undead creatures, choosing to avoid any melees with a number greater than 3, just to be careful.

    As long as he kept low and quiet, it was reasonable, and even expected, that he could slip past the powerful undead.

    He had also snuck past three separate expeditions of hunters, some of them heading into various side-passages that lined the Great Road. Two of the groups had been entirely human, while the third was a smaller one led by a vampire and two Aethmen.

    He decided to avoid interaction with them. He would go his way, and they would go theirs. No need to make things moreplicated than they needed to be.

    He shook the thoughts from his head as he focused on the present. The Sr Rock Lizard was a creature he 100% needed to be and make use of, and starting his growth of it now was important.

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard ¨C Growth Stage: (1/5) Baby Lizard ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 50,122/2,845 ¨C

    ¨C

    He ignored the soul adaptation period warning Ausra gave, focusing on the changes in his body.

    Dorian¡¯s body shook and shrank inward, his physique changing from a powerful Ifrit to a small, baby lizard.

    He was covered in small brown scales, and even as a baby, he had thick, muscr arms, rtive to their tiny size. Hardened scales covered his back and arms, giving him a smallyer of defense.

    His Spatial Ring shrank somewhat, but not enough to stay on his finger. As a result, Dorian looped it around his lizard neck, as if it was a cor or ne.

    ¡°Gweee.¡± He tried to speak aloud, and then shrugged, his small tongue slipping out and tasting the air. He wasn¡¯t able to speak normally in this form.

    ¡®Aw. I didn¡¯t get the Ability yet.¡¯ The biggest reason Dorian was excited for the Sr Rock Lizard bloodline he had was rted to the powerful Ability it held.

    The Hyperion Beam Ability.

    He shrugged. He¡¯d just have to wait out the hour adaptation period to fully grow the form and gain it.

    Dorian began to skitter off, his small lizard form hurtling down the Great Road.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The miles fell away almost as if they didn¡¯t exist, Dorian found. His tiny body was only three and a half inches (~8.5cm) long. Despite that, an impressive amount of power was packed into it, making it reach the peak of Sky ss thanks to his powerful Soul Spell Matrix.

    He ate away at the distance constantly.

    He skipped past several more groups of Grakons, some of them moving inrge patrols, others wandering aimlessly or in patterns Dorian couldn¡¯t understand. A few times he saw some even fighting each other, or making odd gestures as if they weremunicating.

    Hundreds of side caves and caverns broke off from the huge one he was traveling, leading to various hidden houses, homes, and miniature viges. The Western Cave System was once a ce that had been heavily popted.

    The closer he got to Icicar, the more Grakons he encountered, and subsequently avoided.

    As long as he stayed quiet, running on the edge of the Great Road, and hiding in the stone and rock when Grakons were nearby, he remained virtually undetected.

    Dorian had been moving for about 40 minutes, everything so far going perfectly, when it happened.

    He came upon a scene out of nightmare.

    The Great Road would asionally swerve, or take slow, but noticeable curves. It was never a full or sharp turn, but one that curved enough that Dorian would be unable to see far ahead of him. In addition, his baby lizard form was low to the ground, already making visibility a pain, even with his enhanced eyesight.

    He had just been taking one of these corners, his small body hurtling forward, when he forced himself toe to a halt as he stared forward in horror.

    He hade upon a ughter.

    A good dozen or so Grakon corpses could be seen, ripped to shreds and lying in disrepair near the left side of the Great Road. On the right side, however, the side Dorian was on, another collection of corpses could be seen.

    Two vampires, and 13, as Dorian counted them, dead humans. A hunting expedition of sorts. The bodies were spread out, covered in red blood. Dorian could taste the fresh scent of it in the air. They had died rtively recently.

    The only way he was able to tell they were human or vampire was thanks to Ausra scanning them. To Dorian, they were all bloody corpses, covered in so many wounds and melted burns, it almost made him gag.

    Several of them were clutching swords, a few wielding wands or staffs. Ausra stated that most of them had been at the Grandmaster level, a powerful elite team. The two vampires had been Pseudo-Lord ss.

    Thankfully, his baby lizard form seemed to have given him a far stronger stomach than he had had as a human, and he managed to maintain himself.

    ¡®How did they kill the Grakons, though?¡¯ He wondered, turning to look at the dead scaled minotaurs. The weakest among them was bound to be Lord ss. A party of Grandmaster ss humans and vampires should be outmatched by far. There was a reason all the expeditions Dorian had seen were small, secretive ones.

    ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    Dorian skittered off into the rocks on the side, hiding as he heard a voice speak.

    From farther down the road, a figure appeared, covered in white fur garments. Dorian couldn¡¯t make out many details about the being, other than the odd ck smoke that appeared to be rising from the being¡¯s hands, and the corpse it was carrying.

    That and the powerful Aura the being emanated. The unmistakable Aura of a powerful Lord ss being.

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 81,331

    ¨C

    His eyes opened wide at the reading as Ausra scanned the Shade.

    thud

    The Shade threw down the corpse carelessly. It was that of a now dead woman covered in horrific burns. One of therades of the other dead humans and vampires.

    ¡°None of themsted a single blow. How incredibly pathetic. Even the Grakons were better than them.¡± The Shadeughed, his voice full of disdain. He shook his head as he nced over the dead bodies.

    ¡°Though, it was a surprise attack, so perhaps they had some excuse.¡±

    Four more figures, covered in white furs or coats, emerged from the rocky surroundings. Four more Shades.

    No, Dorian thought, five Shades. One of the Shades appeared to be carrying another one of theirrades. The Shade didn¡¯t seem to be injured, but, for some odd reason, appeared to be sleeping.

    ¡°Quiet, Jasper. Let¡¯s keep moving. That was thest of them.¡± One of the other Shades said, his voice gruff. This Shade turned and looked at all the corpses, bowing and folding his hands together for a few moments.

    After that, the Shades turned away from the scene of ughter, ignoring the dead bodies as they left, traveling down the road towards Icicar.

    Dorian clenched his tiny lizard fists as he saw this, a small cinder of anger at injustice lighting in him.

    ¡®Don¡¯t be an idiot, Dorian. You can¡¯t do anything to them.¡¯ He mentally muttered, keeping his eyes on the Shades as they turned into specks in the distance. Still, the ember of resentment and anger at wanton ughter stayed lit in him as he burnt the image of those Shades into his mind, especially the one that hadughed as he threw the corpse.

    He turned to look at the dead bodies with a sigh.

    He then waddled forward out of the stone surroundings, towards the dead Grakons. He might as well make use of the energy and bloodlines they left behind.

 Chapter 73 - A Meeting of Proportions

    Chapter 73: A Meeting of Proportions

    Note: A previous unedited version of this chapter was identally posted (and thanks to website issues on AllNovelFull¡¯s side, not mine, kept up for a while). The correct version has been released, again, after the staff fixed the site. The dy was beyond my control.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    At the same time that Dorian was approaching the corpses of the dead humans and vampires, his baby lizard form scampering across the cold ground, very far away, an epic battle was about to reach its conclusion.

    The Lesser of Te was sparsely popted, and for good reason. The entire world was dominated by a massive, sweeping desert, with a fewrge oases spread out. This was under the control of the Graal Alliance, arge-scale alliance of beasts and beastlike-humanoids that controlled roughly 6,000s.

    On this, a battle had been raging for days, of such devastating proportions that the weather of the entire globe was affected.

    Huge, whirling thunderstorms dominated the sky, crackling with lightning and thunder. Fierce gusts of wind raised sizable sandstorms, throwing the world into chaos.

    On the northern side of the, there existed a small mountain range, with a few hundred mountains spreading out haphazardly. The Poll Mountains.

    This mountain range had radically transformed over thest week.

    Enormous, gaping craters spotted the earth, dozens of mountainspletely destroyed or carved into. Huge holes could be seen drilled into some mountains, while others had their topspletely sheared off.

    A haze of rampant energy covered the area, interacting with the weather and creating lightning storms and dangerous tornadoes.

    At the center of this devastated mountain range, a gargantuan beast could be seen, lying on the ground quietly. White essence bled off this huge creature as it shivered, its head slowly rising.

    Its body was immense, thousands upon thousands of meters long. It was shaped like a vast, enormous snake, with a white, scaled underbelly, but golden fur covering its upper half. A pair ofrge, feathered white wings emerged prominently from the top portion of its long body, currently pulled in tightly. The mouth, and face, of this creature were a pale white, and draconic in nature.

    A Heavenly Quetzalcoatl.

    One that was so badly injured it was unable to move, and slowly dying.

    The feathered serpent¡¯s eyes twitched as its head turned, focusing on a creature off in the distance.

    A 50 meter tall Divine Golden Lion.

    The Secondborn, Zero.

    The lion¡¯s beautiful mane was matted and torn, covered in long tears and burns. Despite that, faint sparks of light flowedfortably from it, maintaining its majestic air, and it stepped forward with confidence.

    A faint, iplete image of a ssy white Halo could be seen, floating around its head.

    ¡°Fourthborn. Your defiance was admirable andsted for several days. But all things muste to an end.¡±

    Zero¡¯s voice was calm and collected, booming out and shaking the air itself as he spoke. He began to slowly walk forward, his eyes zeroing in on the legendary creature.

    The higher ss a Bloodline, the more difficult it was to just absorb it through the blood itself. For Zero to absorb the Heavenly Quetzalcoatl, he would need to absorb the beast en masse after killing it, stealing its Soul Spell Matrix. Some King ss creatures, like the Heavenly Quetzalcoatl, didn¡¯t even bleed blood, while others bled blood, but would require so much to form aplete bloodline that it would essentially require their death, or a long, continuous bleeding session.

    Even then, many King ss bloodlines would lose their magical properties shortly after leaving the body, bing useless. The concentration of power and magic was simply too high for their bloodlines to remain self-contained after leaving their body.

    The Heavenly Quetzalcoatl didn¡¯t respond, remaining silent as it red at the Divine Golden Lion quietly.

    The lion sighed,

    ¡°I understand your view on perfection requires silence. I also understand I will not be able to convince you to give your life up to me willingly.¡± He shook his torn mane quietly,

    ¡°Nevertheless, I must still absorb you. I cannot reach the culmination of existence if I let even a single one of the bloodlines Father gifted the world slip past me.¡± He sighed again, his voice sincere,

    ¡°I am sorry it has to be this way.¡± The lion bowed its head slightly, still walking forward.

    It stopped, just a few dozen meters away from the hulking, thousands of meters long feathered serpent.

    Just as Zero was about to say something further, somethingpletely unexpected happened.

    From out of nowhere, a monkeynded on the ground, between the lion and the dying serpent.

    This monkey was about the size of an average human. It had light brown fur, and was wearing a set of simple red pants and dark brown shoes. Arge, loose ne of red beads, each one the size of a small fist, was wrapped around its neck, and it wielded a long red staff, with a quarter of a meter on each end covered in some mystic, glowing gold material.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/X2tY8ED.jpg)

    Zero stared at the monkey,ing to a halt.

    The monkey stared back.

    The Heavenly Quetzalcoatl tried to stare as well, but fell unconscious instead, its internal injuries forcing it under.

    The monkey spoke,

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you kill this beast, young lion.¡± Its voice was cheerful and sprightly, far belying the serious situation at hand.

    ¡°For if I allow that, I will die.¡± The monkey nodded its head solemnly.

    Zero closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, they glowed with a powerful white light. The air around Zero began to distort, reality itself twisting as a massive amount of energy covered his body.

    ¡°Name thyself, monkey.¡± Zero¡¯s voice was cutting, the sense of might and power that rolled off him an unstoppable wave of Aura.

    The monkey smiled. A rich, blue Halo formed around his head as he stood strong against the heavy Aura, unmoved.

    He returned a sentence with 4 words.

    ¡°I am Sun Wukong.¡±

    Just by speaking those 4 words, the rampart Aura of the Divine Golden Lion, the devastating thunderstorms and weather that was crashing about, everything abruptly froze,ing to a still. The entered a state of deathly stillness, the weather fading.

    As Zero faced off against Sun Wukong.

    A monkey that fought against the Wizard King, and single-handedly forced him to a draw.

    A beast born with a divine Ability never before seen in the 30,000 Worlds.

    The Eyes of God, a power that let him see the best possible course of action in any and every situation, in any moment, and showed him exactly what he needed to do to follow it and seed, as well as the consequences and results. An Ability that not only manipted Fate, but allowed Sun Wukong to see through Fate entirely.

    Sun Wukong, The Monkey King.

    The Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian tapped a toe against one of the Grakon corpses. The now dead undead was covered inrge burns that seared into its body, melting the tough scales that coated it. The corpse was badly mangled, but still very recognizable as a Grakon.

    ¡®Ausra, is the Soul Spell Matrix of the Grakon still present?¡¯ He mentally queried.

    ¡®Scanning¡­¡¯

    ¡®No.¡¯

    Dorian blinked at the unexpected answer. Usually, the Soul Spell Matrix of a beast would remain present after its death, at least for twenty or thirty minutes. After that time period, unless it was preserved with magic, the creature would be liable to have their Matrix dissipate.

    He looked at the corpse, not understanding.

    ¡®Maybe the damage it took was too severe?¡¯ If a body was destroyed badly enough, the Soul Spell Matrix could fall away directly, without staying behind.

    He checked the rest of the Grakons and got the same odd result. The Soul Spell Matrixes, or the splintered remains of them that should be present, were all gone.

    It wasn¡¯t a total waste, however. Dorian managed to find several of the magic sword artifacts the Grakons carried, perfectly intact. He found a couple more that were damaged, but most of them were in fine condition. He quickly absorbed the energy from each of these, pleased with the results.

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard ¨C Growth Stage: (1/5) Baby Lizard ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 58,842/2,845 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Not bad.¡¯ The energy gains were there. He only had about fifteen more minutes till he could work on Evolving his Sr Rock Lizard form.

    Dorian skittered off towards the downed humans and vampires. They were covered in the same type of burn wounds as the Grakons. The injuries were gruesome to look at.

    Much like the Grakons, none of their Soul Spell Matrixes remained either, an oddity. However, their bodies still had blood in them, and Dorian absorbed a few of their bloodlines to check.

    Their bloodlines were still intact, but Dorian already had the species recorded, True Vampire and Human.

    As for artifacts or Spatial Pouches or Rings, anything they had seemed to have been destroyed in the fierce battle. None of their tools were as durable as the magic swords the undead Grakons wielded.

    Dorian bowed his head for a moment of silence in respect for their deaths, and then turned back down the road, slinking off towards Icicar.

    He moved carefully, not wanting to overtake the group of Shades that had left earlier. Despite that, he once more began to eat up the distance, not catching sight of them as he ran. The undead Grakons paid no attention to a tiny baby lizard like him, giving him essentially free reign as long as he was careful.

    His speed now outpaced his speed in his Ifrit form, despite therge gap in size and power. He was able to run at full speed here in his tiny lizard form, unlike his careful prowling as an Ifrit.

    Seconds turned to minutes, and soon thest 15 minutes had passed.

    ¡®Soul Adaptation periodplete.¡¯ Ausra helpfully informed him, her voice ringing softly in his mind.

    By this point, Dorian had managed to cross thest remaining distance down the Great Road, conveniently skipping over a good two hundred or so wandering Grakons. The closer he got the city, therger the groups of Grakons moving about.

    He didn¡¯t find any other expedition teams. Most of the explorers that set off for Blizzaria would stay on the outskirts of the cave systems, exploring the exterior ruins. ording to the map Dorian had obtained, there were plenty of viges and towns in the outer portions of the Western Cave System, many of them rife with natural treasure or rare resources, left behind by the fallen race, or spawned in naturally by nature.

    ¡®Alright. Don¡¯t Evolve me yet.¡¯ Dorian ordered as he looked forward. Ausra could hold off on evolving him for at least a minute or two, as long as he didn¡¯t switch forms, though any longer than that and he¡¯d need to spend energy points suppressing his growth.

    Standing right in front of him was the exit of the Great Road, and the entrance to the Cavern of Ice, where the City Icicar could be found.

    The Great Road was a wide, open and long cave passage. It exited into a vast cavern that stretched for dozens of miles into several directions, with long stgmites and stctites dispersed throughout, creating a huge, open in divide by those pirs. Ice and frost coveredrge portions of the ground, as did the Pourmaline Crystals, lighting the area up.

    The exit was just a hole in the wall, albeit a five hundred meters wide and several hundred meters tall hole in the wall. A few Grakons could be seen standing in the middle of the hole, as if on guard.

    Dorian snuck out past the hole by climbing the side of the cave, his tiny body virtually undetectable. He scampered forward several hundred meters, and then several thousand meters away from the exit, eventually finding himself a safer location.

    A collection of stone ruins, built into the wall of the Cavern of Ice spread out around Dorian as he settled in, sitting atop a small, damaged stone pir. He took off the Spatial Ring he held, cing it on the ground.

    ¡®Evolve me now, Ausra.¡¯ Dorianmanded, now that he was out of sight of any potential enemies.

    ¡®Evolving to the 2nd Gr-

    ¡®Evolving to the 3rd Gro-

    ¡®Evolving to the 4th Growth Stage.¡¯ Ausra ran through three notifications as she responded.

    Dorian¡¯s body immediately began to expand, his tiny lizard-like form rapidly growing in size.

    His scales gained a rich, green color, reminiscent of his Myyr Dragon form. Small spikes appeared on his spine, pointing outward with sharp edges. Muscles began to pack in on his arms and legs, making him look more like a fierce dragon than a lizard.

    His body growth showed thergest change. From a diminutive size barelyrger than a hand to a hulking 4 and a half meters, an explosion of growth resulted as he transformed. A long, whip-like tail formed, ending in a sharp spike.

    ¡°Raaar.¡± Dorian¡¯s throat rumbled as he grunted quietly, a low, guttural sound. He shook out his body, snagging the Spatial Ring he¡¯d set on the ground.

    The stone pir he¡¯d been sitting on copsed slightly, crumbling to the floor. It wasn¡¯t nearly as durable as the Great Road had been.

    ¡°Oh, I can speak?¡± Dorian realized, his smile sharpening as he unintentionally took on a vicious grin. A very human smile on such arge lizard couldn¡¯t help but look terrifying.

    ¡°Raaaaaaar. I am Reptar. Hear me roooaar!¡± He mimed quietly, enjoying the new form.

    ¨C New Ability Gained ¨C

    ¨C

    Ability: Hyperion Beam

    This rare Ability, found in a very limited number of creatures, allows a being to hypercondense energy in the air into a deadly orb of raw power, and then direct this energy in a concentrated beam. The destructive potential of this Ability is dependent on the strength and power of the user, and can be increased indefinitely as long as the user continues to hypercondense energy from the air.

    ¨C

    ¡°Snagged it.¡± Dorian grinned in delight as he felt the knowledge of the Ability settle in on him. This was the only powerful Ability the Sr Rock Lizard had, but one that was well worth acquiring.

    Ever since he¡¯d seen the mutated Sr Rock Lizard shoot what was essentially aser beam at him on Taprisha, Dorian had made a mental promise to acquire that power. Partly because he wanted to be able to shootser beams too, but also partly because he was impressed by how strong an attack it was.

    It matched up evenly with his Emerald mes, which were a type of dragonfire. His Emerald mes were limited in scope, however, while the Hyperion Beam could be charged and shot out to incredible heights of power.

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard ¨C Growth Stage: (4/5) Grown Adult Lizard-

    Growth Progress ¨C 4,124/272,123 ¨C

    ¨C

    Dorian frowned hard when he saw the energy needed to grow thest stage of the Sr Rock Lizard. He remembered, then, that the beast was a Pseudo-Lord ss creature with a bloodline that could naturally reach that level of power.

    Dorian had never actually acquired a bloodline on its own that reached that stage. All of his powerful forms were the result of himbining and experimenting with various bloodlines.

    When hebined bloodlines, he only needed to spend a few thousand points of energy to merge them. No matter how powerful the ss it resulted in, his form would always bepletely maxed out in terms of growth as a result of his unique Soul Spell Matrix.

    He shrugged. He would finish maxing it out while he was traveling, it was not a worry. He had already acquired the most important power from the bloodline anyway.

    Dorian snapped his fingers, and immediately his body shifted once more, shrinking inward as his Ifrit form reappeared.

    His Sr Rock Lizard form was powerful, but ultimately not as strong as his Lord ss Ifrit form. He put his Spatial Ring on his finger, turning his eyes to the west, towards the city he could barely make out in the distance.

    BOOOOOOOM

    THUD

    Just as Dorian was about to set out for it, a resounding shockwave shook the air next to him, sting into him and throwing him backwards.

    Dorian twisted and fell, head over heels as he flew a dozen meters through the stone ruins, smashing into several stone pirs and destroying them. Shards of rock and ice shot into the air, pelting him as he came down.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Dorian agilely twisted his body as he forced himself tond, digging his right wed hand into the ground. He tore a small hole in the stone earth as he came to a forcible stop, looking upward in shock.

    The ruins Dorian had been resting on were built into the side of the huge cavern, right next to one of the manyrge passages that led into it.

    Standing in this passage was thergest creature Dorian had ever seen.

    A one-armed skeleton, covered in ice, stood roughly 220 meters tall, so incredibly gigantic Dorian could not even clearly make out the head of the creature. All he could see were a collection of long, pointed horns, and a strange blue glow that was emanating from the eyes of the creature.

    Wielded in its single arm was an extraordinarilyrge ck de, at least 100 meters long and a half dozen meters wide, that had been thrust into the ground within the ruins. The resulting shockwave from the impact had sent Dorian flying.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/Ny07Rxs.jpg)

    ¨C

    Species: Giant-Four Horned Variant (Desated)

    ss: King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,458,882

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide as he looked at the undead being, his entire body freezing, not daring to move. He drew upon his will, a sheen of sweat covering his Ifrit form¡¯s forehead as he put everything he had into bing as invisible and unnoticeable as possible.

    The enormous skeleton hade to a pause. Its head shifted slightly as it turned, ncing down in Dorian¡¯s direction. The blue glow from its eyes was clearly visible to Dorian, as were the collection of wide horns on its head, giving it a faintly demonic appearance. The back of the creature seemed to bepletely coated in ice, as did parts of its chest, and legs.

    Dorian felt his heart seem to seize over as it looked at him.

    After a split second, the Giant turned away, its attention focused on the city far in the distance.

    It began to step forward, its movements surprisingly quiet for a being sorge as it thudded off, stalking forward towards the city in the distance.

 Chapter 74 - Arrival at Icicar

    Chapter 74: Arrival at Icicar

    Note: For those that didn¡¯t catch it: The previous chapter was originally released in an unedited format, for roughly an hour after release. The correct version of the chapter was reposted after.

    Also: Here is the Discord link ¨C https://discord.gg/CEhpTMD

    For those that want to talk with other readers about the story, theories, suggest artwork or references to be included/referenced, etc.

    ¡ª ¡ª

    Dorian breathed a deep sigh of relief, the horror in his heart fading as he watched the monstrous skeletal Giant move off towards the city.

    He recognized the King ss undead, from the research he¡¯d done beforeing.

    On Blizzaria, there were a nigh uncountable number of Lord ss undead, a testament to how powerful the fallen Grakon and fallen Giant race were. The Western Cave System was originally home to the Grakon Race. Most of the enemies Dorian would encounter would therefore be undead Grakons.

    However, there also existed marauding undead Giants that would sweep through the caves, waging their eternal war against the Grakons. No matter how many Grakons or Giants died, there were always more remaining.

    A few of the undead on the had gained some renown, sticking around for thousands of years.

    The skeletal Giant Dorian had just encountered was one of those legends.

    The One Armed Iron Giant of the fallen Giant Race. A masterful swordsman that, even in death, was still able to grasp hold of the Law of Cutting, and wielded a gargantuan sword made out of Thorin Iron, an extremely rare metal. The same Law the swordwielding vampire that had fought against the Eleventhborn, and one of Helena¡¯s allies, studied.

    The vast majority of the dead on Blizzaria remained unable to touch the Power of Law and had their strength lowered to the Early or Mid Lord ss, through sheer physical strength.

    WHOOSH

    thud

    thud

    thud

    Dorian watched as the right arm of the Iron Giant blurred, flicking its wrist. Despite its huge size, the being moved with a speed that was astonishingly fast.

    Three separate Grakons were sent flying into the air, their bodies torn apart from a single blow.

    The Giant¡¯s arrival had not gone unnoticed, despite its abnormally quiet nature. Dorian could make out several groups of Grakons approaching it fearlessly, their bodies expanding in size as they charged. Some of them grew to be 13 or 14 meters tall, and Dorian even saw one that was roughly 20 meters tall. The closer he got to the city, the stronger undead he saw.

    Despite that, it still remained a fact that no matter how much taller the Grakons made themselves¡­ the Iron Giant stood roughly 220 meters tall.

    Waves of Grakons attacked, and waves of them were destroyed. Dorian eyed the field of mostly destroyed scaled minotaur bodies, looking at the various corpses. Most of them were destroyed beyond use, but he might be able to scavenge some energy.

    THUD

    Dorian blinked as a loud noise rang, off to his right.

    A quartet ofrge, scaled Grakons had appeared, climbing up onto the ruins. Behind them, Dorian could make out at least 20 more Grakons, of varying strengths and size.

    They¡¯d been drawn here by the Giant¡¯s arrival, and seemed to be patrolling where it had emerged from.

    Dorian also noticed that the rocks and ground that the Iron Giant had destroyed when it nted its sword near him were starting to reform and repair themselves, an odd, magical sight he¡¯d heard of in his research. Thends in the cave systems would automatically repair themselves after taking significant damage.

    ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯s not good.¡± Dorian muttered as he and the Grakon made eye contact. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving with exhaustion.

    It had been many hours since hest slept. The sheer effort of transforming, fleeing, and fighting so long was starting to take its toll on him.

    ¡°Grrrrrrrr.¡± The Grakon snorted, raising the same type of greatsword every scaled minotaur seemed to possess.

    Without even waiting for a response, Dorian turned his body and sprinted off away from the Grakon, hurtling towards the edge of the ruins.

    Behind him, he made out the frenzied stomps of the four close Grakons as they gave chase, rushing after him.

    ¡®I won¡¯t outrun them. They¡¯ll just draw the attention of other Grakons in front.¡¯ He swore, turning his head back briefly. The creatures weren¡¯t particrly fast in most cases, but if they were running in a straight line, they could pick up speed quickly.

    ¡®Should I use the Berserker Demon?¡¯ The form remained untested, but was one that he had faith would clean ship with these Grakons, especially if hebined his various Abilities.

    He frowned as he looked around, dismissing the idea.

    More and more Grakons were starting to head towards him here. He didn¡¯t want to risk testing his form in such an unstable environment.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He said aloud, shrugging,

    ¡°n B it is.¡±

    He reached the very edge of the ruins. The stone tform he was standing upon was raised up on the cave wall a good thirty or so meters.

    As he reached the edge, Dorian pulled on every fiber of muscle in his being, hunching downward.

    And then exploded upward, his body hurtling through space as he crashed through the air.

    ¡°Woa-woah!¡± Dorian yelped aloud, a rush of excitement filling him as he sailed through the underground sky, flying high.

    The roof of the cavern he was in was far, far above him, more than a thousand meters away.

    As his bodyunched, he flew at least a hundred meters high in the sky, 130 meters after he considered the boost from the ruins being above the ground floor.

    ¡°GRRRRRR!¡±

    Behind him, he heard the snarling yells of a few of the Grakons as they jumped after him.

    ¡°Switch.¡± Dorian muttered, his eyes shing.

    Immediately, in mid-air, his body morphed and shifted, his Ifrit form transforming as he gained a pair of metallic wings, a sharp beak, and gleaming beady eyes.

    His ck Ambian Eagle form.

    Dorian shook out his feathers and pped harder, pulling himself high into the air as he began to fly.

    Behind him, several of the Grakons had expanded and leapt after him. Unfortunately for them, their sheer body size and the heavy scales that coated them, alongside their huge greatswords, weighed them down. None of them were able to clear 20 meters above the ground, let alone 100 meters.

    Dorian pped harder and harder, enjoying the sensation of flight. He turned his beak back behind him briefly, and then waved a wing back at the falling Grakons as if to say goodbye.

    His body twisted and fell 10 meters through the air before he regained control of himself, remembering he didn¡¯t have hands, and that waving a wing was stupid.

    He soared until he was roughly 700-800 meters high in the air, well above any of the Grakons, or even the Iron Giant down below, but still far from the ceiling up above. He began to coast forward, slowly headed for the ruined city in front of him.

    ¡®Alright, good, good.¡¯ He thought, his eyes gleaming as he began to go over his ns.

    ¡®I can take one of several paths from here.¡¯ He nodded his head, going over the mental map he¡¯d made of Bizzaria.

    He needed to reach Dragonmount City.

    He looked up at Icicar City, his eyes zooming over it.

    It had been an expansive city, with tens of thousands of stone buildings. All of them were oversized, meant for beings quite a bit taller than regr humanoids. Dorian could make out several collections of buildings built into various stgmites and stctites, some high in the air while others low to the ground. There didn¡¯t seem to be any ground ess to the buildings built up into the hanging stctites.

    Most of the buildings were a faded grey color, and in ruins, often covered with ice.

    At the center of the city was the magical stream of liquid ice Dorian had read about.

    It was, to be more specific, real, physical Gworen Ice, magical ice that was frozen to a temperature far below freezing. Just getting too close to the river could freeze a creature to death, let alone getting in it.

    Despite the fact that Gworen Ice was a solid, and not a liquid, it flowed here like regr, unfrozen water due to odd spatial phenomena surrounding the river.

    Physical, solid matter flowing like a liquid. Dorian shook his eagle head as he looked at it, marveling. He still couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around it.

    This river was purported to have been used in the creation of the magic greatswords almost universally used by members of the Grakon race.

    BOOM

    As he was reviewing his ns, a loud explosion drew his ears.

    The Iron Giant had just plunged his sword into the ground, forming arge, 100 meter wide crater, about a thousand meters away from the ruined walls of Icicar.

    At least two dozen Grakons were sent flying, their bodies hurtling through space. Shards of ice and stone ripped into the air, flying out.

    Dorian, 800 meters in the air, was safe and well out of range.

    The Giant stood still for a moment and then held its enormous sword aloft.

    ¡°ROOOOOAAAAARRR!¡±

    It let loose an incredibly loud roar, iprehensible rage and anger infused within it. Dorian trembled in midair, struggling to maintain his focus for a brief moment.

    ¡°GRRRRR!¡±

    A resounding roar was returned, from deep within the city. Dorian twisted to look at the origin of the noise, his eyes alert.

    THUD

    A huge body blurred over the dpidated city walls,nding down several hundred meters away from the city. Dorian¡¯s eyes widened at the sight as he watched the body blur and expand, growing to a massive scale.

    It was a Grakon, butpletely unlike the Grakons he had seen.

    It was far, farrger, standing at least 90 meters in height as it finished expanding, making use of its Ability. It wielded the signature gargantuan greatsword that all Grakons used, holding it aloft and pointing it towards the Iron Giant.

    It was covered in aged, white scales, instead of the gleaming ck scales he had seen on most Grakons, and wore a loose set of grey armor. Around its horned face a long, white cloth was wrapped over its eyes, covering them. The armor and clothes it wore seemed to have expanded in size alongside it.

    ¡®It¡¯s blind? Ah.¡¯ Dorian recognized it from his research.

    It was one of the few Grakons or Giants that was known by actual name, though the origins of the name, or how it came to be known as it, were unknown to Dorian. At least, he couldn¡¯t discover why in the cursory research he¡¯d done.

    The blind Grakon was known as Aristodemus the Coward, the ruler of Icicar City.

    A mighty King ss Grakon.

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss ¨C King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,314,630

    ¨C

    Dorian watched as the two King ss warriors approached each other, the air around them trembling.

    He also noticed that the ground and the massive crater formed by the Iron Giant was slowly starting to repair itself, the broken stone and ice reforming.

    After a second, Dorian turned away and began frantically pping towards Icicar. He realized, then, that he was far too close to the warriors.

    BOOM

    Behind him, Dorian felt more than heard a concussive shockwave spread out as the two King ss fighters mmed into each other, throwing up enormous explosions of ice and stone shrapnel.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Dorian¡¯s body twisted and turned as a chaotic flurry of air currents ran flush against him, a battle of vast scale taking ce behind him. He struggled to maintain himself, his body beginning to nosedive. Even his Steady Wings Ability was of little use, the unreasonable currents throwing everything asunder.

    Arcs of wind shed out in random intervals as the two swordmasters sent out riveting attacks, splitting the air. Both of the ancient warriors had studied the Law of Cutting, and infused their understandings of that Law into their strikes, giving them devastatingly powerful potential.

    Colossal, gaping holes were carved into the ground and ice nearby, several stctites and stgmitespletely severed.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Dorian swore, and then shifted forms as he was whished downward, unable to maintain flight. Perhaps if he¡¯d been born a ck Ambian Eagle, his natural flight instincts could have saved him. As it was, even with the innate understanding he gained for flying in this form, he didn¡¯t consider himself an expert.

    Dorian¡¯s body expanded, growing to stand more than 6 and a half meters tall as he transformed into his Giant Myyr Dragon form.

    If there was one form Dorian was confident could take falling a great distance without serious injury, it was his huge, resilient Giant Myyr Dragon form.

    The wind buffeted Dorian brutally as he tried to hold his wings out, hisrge body shuddering back and forth. He had managed to fly over Icicar City in the midst of his struggles and was hurtling down towards it.

    At the moment, he was roughly two hundred meters above the city and descending fast.

    As he sailed downward, he felt an odd, tingling sensation. One that went to his core, his soul. This sensation drew him forward, and slightly changed the path he was falling in, as if he was being drawn by Fate somewhere, through the effects of his abnormal soul.

    A few more seconds passed as Dorian tried to gain control of himself.

    At the veryst second, just a few dozen meters above the ground, Dorian managed to right himself, the chaotic winds dying down as he reached just above the city proper.

    Unfortunately, all he managed to do was slow his descent. He winced as his Giant Myyr Dragon form smashed down hard into one of the stone houses, obliterating it.

    THUD

    ¡®OWWWW!¡¯ He mentally swore as he collided with one of the many houses, feelingrge amounts of stone rip into his scales. Warm blood poured out as he came to a rest, covered in bruises and small injuries. A small cloud of grey dust rose into the air, obscuring his vision.

    ¡®Switch.¡¯ He mentally cursed, feeling his body shift.

    He returned to his Ifrit form.

    Dorian winced as he got to his feet. The injuries from his Giant Myyr Dragon form transferred to his Ifrit form, leaving him in a pretty injured state. His right arm felt as if it was broken and he¡¯d cracked at least three ribs, if not broken them as well. Apart from that, as well as the bruises and scratches that covered his body, he was in a good condition

    His regeneration kicked in as his body set about repairing. Dorian took a few breaths, a feeling of tiredness trying to overwhelm him.

    He needed to find a ce to hide away and rest.

    He fiddled with his Spatial Ring, making sure it was secure for a brief second. He then looked around, gathering his bearings. He had just caused a disturbance in the city, but he wasn¡¯t particrly worried.

    BOOM

    The sound andmotion of the two King ss warriors fighting was more than enough to drown out any attention he might raise.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± He took a few steps forward, exiting the haze of stone dust as he looked over the ruins of the house he had just destroyed.

    As he finally cleared his vision, he froze, his heart jumping as he discovered a dust-covered figure, standing just a few meters away from him.

    A small, petite girl with a pair of tufted fox ears.

    His mouth dropped open in shock, his mind going to a nation back on Earth that was famous for having creatures that looked just like this in various stories, anime, and manga,

    ¡°Japan..?¡±

 Chapter 75 - Meeting The Lightsworn Fox

    Chapter 75: Meeting The Lightsworn Fox

    Dorian stared at the girl, his eyes wide.

    The girl stared back, slowly backing away from him. As she moved, a white light lit up in her eyes, and a ferocious snarl appeared on her face.

    As she stepped away, Dorian got a better look at her.

    She had a small figure, just a couple inches over 5 feet tall (1.57 meters). She was wrapped up in a form fitting white cloak, showing off her petite figure. This cloak had several long tears in it, exposing pale, milky white skin. Despite that, she seemed unaffected by the bitter cold that was everpresent in the cave system.

    Her face was small, almost identical to that of a human, save for the beautiful, glowing silver pupils she possessed and the two small, tufted fox ears that emerged from her long silver hair.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Dorian held his hands up apologetically, stumbling backwards. His body was still recovering, both from exhaustion and from his injuries.

    In the background, detonation after detonation shook the air, fierce winds whipping through the city as the resounding impacts of the Iron Giant fighting the Grakon King rang out. Dorian was almost drowned out, so fierce and loud were these collisions.

    ¨C

    Species: Lightsworn Fox (Humanoid Form)

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 29,331

    ¨C

    Ausra sent Dorian a notification, pulling up the information on the being before him. As he saw the unique species, he sent Ausra a request, and had her search through his Soul Spell Matrix information listing, to see if the specifics of her species were listed.

    Sessfully, as it turned out. Info on the Lightsworn Fox, alongside tens of thousands of other species, was stored in his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¨C

    Lightsworn Fox ¨C Pseudo-Lord ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,882

    Ability: White wed Strike, Touching Light, Humanoid Form

    A creature of legend, Lightsworn Foxes are abnormally rare. They only have a chance to be born on the Universal Equinox, a day that happens only once every nine hundred and twelve years. Due to their extreme rarity, they are regarded by some as a cursed species, forever unable to find an equal mate, doomed to a life of loneliness.

    This species is especially renowned for its unique Ability, Touching Light, a power that allows users to manipte light as if it was solid or liquid matter. By doing so, any tool crafted would hold incredibly powerful heat signatures, nearly equal to the strongest dragonfire in existence, ckgold mes. The Ability does not grant the user the power to spread widespread destruction as with dragonfire, and the heat signature is self-contained within the crafted tool.

    Spry and wiry, Lightsworn Foxes are extremely fast and capable of agile movements. Their muscles are dense and tensile, concentrating arge amount of strength in a small form. Their regenerative powers are their main weakness, with weak to normal regenerative strength. The Lightsworn Fox maximizes its natural growth at the Pseudo-Lord ss.

    ¨C

    ¡®Wow. That¡¯s a powerful Ability.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he looked over the entire listing of info in a split second, his mind processing all of it innately. He also was surprised by the natural growth of the Lightsworn Fox. For a creature with such a mighty Ability, it was rathercking in natural strength.

    That meant that the Lightsworn Fox before Dorian must¡¯ve wed her way up to her present strength, through tough training and practice. Unlike most humanoids, it was much more efficient for beasts to increase their Energy Level through physical training and practice, as opposed to studying Magic.

    To break through to Lord ss, most beasts would study either inherited memories or mystic arts taught by their parents or seniors. Those with Lord ss bloodlines were usually able to use the innate understanding their bloodline held for one specificw to help break through.

    Lord ss creatures in the wild were extremely rare, however, simply due to how difficult it was to study thews of the universe without guidance.

    Creatures that achieved power on par with Lord ss beasts simply through physical strength and natural growth, without using thews of the universe, were rare. The undead Grakons were one such example, as was Dorian himself.

    His Ifrit bloodline gave him a natural sense for the Law of Fire. However, without guidance on how to study thews of the universe, or intense practice with Fire Magic, he was at a bit of a standstill on achieving an understanding of thatw. He was working on that, by practicing magic, but he had a long way to go.

    He had still managed to forcibly raise his Soul Spell Matrix to the Lord ss using energy points, but he couldn¡¯t be considered on par with the legendary Ifrits of old, the Rulers of me. Most Ifrits of old would only break through to the Lord ss after gaining a deep understanding of the Law of Fire. His unique Soul Spell Matrix gave him a bit of a shortcut.

    He took onest nce at her species info.

    The Humanoid Form Ability, he checked, gave her the power to transform from her normal state, that of a small, white-furred fox, coated in small particles of light, per what Ausra was telling him, to the form he saw right now. It was an Ability shared by many other species.

    The girl red at Dorian, her hands taking on a small, white glow.

    ¡°Another one hunting me as well, huh? Well, you managed to fin-¡± She began, her voice touched with venom.

    ¡°Hey, hey, easy, easy.¡± Dorian held up his hands apologetically, cutting her off,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything. Look, I¡¯m stepping away right now. I didn¡¯t even know you were here.¡± He cursed mentally. What were the odds that hended on the only house with someone in it? What was she even doing here? He tried to re at his soul, ming it for twisting Fate and causing this.

    He stepped backwards.

    At that exact moment, a rumbling boom shook the air. Dorian¡¯s sixth sense went off as he spun around, temporarily ignoring the girl behind him.

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 39,331

    ¨C

    ¡°Ah damn.¡± He swore as the hulking, Expanded form of one of the undead Grakons came into view.

    While themotion he¡¯d raised was negligiblepared to the ongoing battle between the two King ss fighters outside the city, it didn¡¯t mean he would gopletely under the radar. It seemed one of the nearby Grakons that patrolled the city had discovered him.

    There was only one, he noted, checking up and down the street. He breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°GRRR!¡± A rumbling growl burst from the huge Grakon¡¯s mouth as it charged at him, holding its greatsword aloft.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes hardened. Maybe if it had been a living creature he¡¯d react differently, but for the undead, tortured existence this Grakon lived, killing it was a blessing.

    The Lightsworn Fox, meanwhile, didn¡¯t say anything as she jumped several meters backwards,nding at the edge of the destroyed building. Her eyes traced Dorian warily, watching with curiosity while at the same time preparing to make an escape.

    Dorian wasted no time, immediately charging forward. His movements were agile and controlled, holding the same precision and innate battle sense that he had gained a few days ago out of nowhere.

    ¡°Hup!¡± He leapt up into the air.

    As he jumped, the Grakon swung its giant sword down, mming it into the rocky earth. It was aimed at Dorian, but missed by a bare inch thanks to his jump.

    This Grakon¡¯s movements were faster than all the ones that Dorian had faced previously. Despite that, its attacking method was still a crude sh, one that was both predictable and dodgeable.

    BOOM

    THUD

    The sword crashed into the rubble Dorian had formed by wrecking the stone house, splitting it anew and throwing up a second cloud of dust. A small explosion of rock and stone shot shrapnel off into the air.

    One of the pieces of rock shot at just the perfect angle, and stabbed into Dorian¡¯s waist in mid-air, tearing open a small, bloody gash in his side. He winced as he felt it, blood sttering out of his Ifrit form. Even if his movements were perfect, he couldn¡¯t ount for everything.

    He finished his jump and managed to flip all the way above the Grakon,nding just above its head.

    The undead Grakons, he had noticed, went all out with their attacks. As long as you dodged their first attack, they left themselves open for a split second.

    ¡°Emerald mes.¡± Dorian didn¡¯t bother forming a sword of fire this time, instead directly spitting a ball of green dragonfire right onto the skull of the undead Grakon.

    None of the Grakons had the innate barriers powerful Wizards held, or were able to use magic. This made them extremely vulnerable to the destructive properties of dragonfire, even dragonfire that was a bit low on the totem pole like Dorian¡¯s.

    ¡°Grgr¡­¡±

    THUD

    Ast growl escaped the body of the Grakon as it fell to the ground, killed instantly.

    Doriannded on the ground a few steps from it. He immediately walked up to it, absorbing the energy in it, its splintered Soul Spell Matrix, and the energy in its sword in one fell swoop.

    As the energy rushed into him, he felt the exhaustion that had been swooping him get pushed back. He became more alert, his energy levels rising.

    His first few fights with undead Grakons had been stressful and tiring, even with his innate sense ofbat. Now, however, it felt almost too easy.

    ¡®Ahh.¡¯ He thought, feeling thest dregs of exhaustion slip away.

    ¡®If I keep absorbing energy, maybe I¡¯ll never need to sleep again?¡¯ He frowned at the thought. He liked sleeping.

    ¡®Well, anyway, if all my Lord ss opponents were dumb like this, life would truly be easy.¡¯ He thought, smiling. He pulled a small Light Pill out of his Spatial Ring, swallowing it whole. He¡¯d managed to keep his Spatial Ring safe and secure while changing forms, a force of habit now.

    The healing magic would work with his regenerative powers, but it was a rule in the 30,000 Worlds that the stronger a being¡¯s natural regenerative strength, the less effect healing magic would have on them. It was a trade-off of sorts, one dictated by thews of the universe.

    ¡®Maybe I should try switching forms to one that doesn¡¯t heal as quickly?¡¯ He wondered how it would interact, considering his unique Soul Spell Matrix.

    The Lightsworn Fox girl, meanwhile, had her eyes glued to Dorian¡¯s body. When he unleashed his Emerald mes, incinerating the Grakon, her eyes had lit up, a hint of excitement forming in them.

    She jumped down from her perch, approaching Dorian slowly. The white glow faded around her hands, returning to normal.

    Dorian turned around,

    ¡°Look, sorry, I didn¡¯t mea-¡± He began, but, was cut off by her, this time,

    ¡°Thanks for helping kill the Grakon. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to, not without drawing a lot more attention.¡± Her voice was clear and almost song-like, holding a strange melody to it.

    ¡°Ah-yeah, sure. No problem. Sorry Inded on you and broke your house.¡± Dorian returned, a bit surprised.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not really my house, anyway. Sorry for almost attacking you too.¡± She shrugged,

    ¡°I thought you were one of the Shades hunting me, in a different form or something. At least, until I recognized your Dragonform and dragonfire.¡± She shivered as she spoke, her voice filled with a hint of fear. She scanned the environment carefully, almost as if she was checking or waiting on something. She kept ncing at him warily, her guard clearly not lowered.

    ¡®Dragonform?¡¯ He thought, confused. Ausra informed him, a momentter, that it was a power some species held, the Ability to transform into a Draconic form. Not all Draconic beings were true dragons, many just had the ability to take on a dragon form for brief periods.

    It seemed the girl in front of him had mistaken him for a creature like that. Well, he thought, shrugging. He wouldn¡¯t correct her.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I sortanded on the house you were in. Wait, Shades hunting you?¡± As he heard what she said, he frowned, his eyes hardening.

    ¡°Are they a group of powerful, Lord ss Shades? Wearing long white furs?¡± He briefly described the group he had seen near the ughtered expedition.

    The girl nodded, returning her gaze back to him.

    ¡°I spotted them earlier.¡± He muttered, his mood dark,

    ¡°They had just finished ughtering one of the merchant expeditions that went out exploring for treasure. I found them with the already dead corpses, before I could even have a chance to do anything. It was horrible.¡± He sighed. Even if he had been there and seen them attacking, he doubted he could¡¯ve done anything. The Shades he saw might not be as strong as Helena, but they were still stronger than he was currently.

    The Lightsworn Fox blinked, her eyes emotionless for a brief second.

    She then shuddered,

    ¡°That¡¯s them. They¡¯re monsters, the lot of them. They¡¯ve been hunting me, and chased me all the way here.¡± She shuddered again,

    ¡°And I¡¯m not the only one. Apparently they want me for my bloodline, from what I managed to gather while I was fleeing.¡±

    Dorian frowned when he heard this, his mind immediately going to other members of the Flock. Were the Shades working with one of his brothers?

    ¡®It might just be something used in a Blood Magic spell or some type of ritual.¡¯ He thought, rubbing his chin. He couldn¡¯t assume anything. Still, it made perfect sense.

    The bloodline of the Lightsworn Fox was an incredibly rare one, ording to Ausra, and the Ability it had, namely Touching Light, seemed very useful. Even Dorian was tempted by it.

    ¡®Ausra, how much of her blood would I need to obtain the Touching Light Ability?¡¯ He was still working on piecing together a Grakon bloodline for their Expand Ability, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t work on securing another bloodline.

    ¡®Lightsworn Foxes are magical creatures, and their bloodline is blessed by thews of the universe, containing an incredibly powerful Ability. To Absorb its bloodline, you will need to absorb its Soul Spell Matrix. Absorbing its blood alone will carry over an inefficient exchange of information and will fail, unless you bleed it for an extended period of time, at least three weeks.¡¯

    Ausra¡¯s response was rather disappointing. He couldn¡¯t just kill the girl. Well, he could, but there was no way he would stoop that low. He wasn¡¯t a monster.

    ¡®Well, technically I am a monster, right?¡¯ He looked down at his demonic Ifrit ws. He then rolled his eyes at himself.

    He then looked up, realizing that the fox girl had been watching him the entire time, her head tilted slightly to the side in confusion.

    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯m Dorian.¡± He stuck out his hand.

    She stared at his hand for a moment before stepping forward gingerly and taking it.

    ¡°I¡¯m Arial. Arial V¡¯ich.¡±

    They shook hands.

    Just as Dorian was about to continue, about a hundred meters above him, a small orb of darkness appeared, rapidly expanding to about thirty meters wide. Tentacles of darkness shot from the orb, spreading outward.

    ¡°The Shades! Damn, they must¡¯ve picked us out somehow, even through themotion from the battling Kings.¡± Arial swore, her white hands taking on a white glow.

    ¡°Quick! Follow me! They¡¯ll kill you too!¡± She spun around, sprinting towards the center of the city.

    Dorian took onest nce up at the huge orb of darkness, and then sprinted after her, preparing his Berserker Demon form.

 Chapter 76 - Memories

    Chapter 76: Memories

    On another world far away, as Dorian was fleeing from the iing Shades, readying himself to fight, a very different scene was taking ce.

    Marcus Aurelius closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his heart twisting in pain. He exhaled slowly, maintaining his imposingposure.

    A fierce undercurrent of anger throbbed within him as he waved his hand, sending out a small wave of energy.

    A momentter, a shadowy figure emerged in front of him. One of Julia¡¯s, his beautiful Spymaster¡¯s, servants, a Pseudo-Lord ss Vampire specializing in Blood Magic, with a focus onmunication.

    He sighed. He missed Julia. Everything was so much easier when she was around.

    ¡°Are their injuries heble, Damian? What¡¯s the report?¡± His voice spread out in the small, enclosed space.

    He was standing in an elegant, if worn, red tent. Arge table was set in the center, with a fine and detailed map of the 30,000 Worlds, all bunched together. A few chairs dotted the sides of the room, and arge, glowing crystal lit everything up, the night sky outside giving little light.

    A crude rendition of his famous Map Room, built for use out in the field. It was better than nothing.

    ¡°No, Highlord.¡± Damian replied, his head bowed. He was a middle-aged vampire, wrapped uppletely in dark robes. No part of his features was visible.

    ¡°Probus has lost his main armpletely, and no magic or healing tools have the capability of bringing it back. It seems to be some variation of Curse Magic, one our healers have suggested is rted to an inborn Ability the attacking Anomaly held.¡± His voice was cold and mechanical. The best spies had few attachments.

    Marcus closed his eyes briefly. A small, seed of guilt formed within him. He pushed on, ignoring his feelings.

    ¡°And Trajan?¡±

    ¡°His injuries were initially more severe, but we believe it was only because of the fallout from the original, targeted strike.¡± The agent began, continuing,

    ¡°He will never see again.¡±

    ¡°He has, however, regained full use of his voice and mobility.¡±

    The seed of guilt bloomed, tearing at his heart. His hand shook for the briefest instant before he brutally forced his feelings down. He could not afford to allow himself to feel right now.

    ¡°And the remnants of the attack that were initially detected?¡± He queried.

    ¡°We were briefly able to detect traces of the energy, but they seem to have gone dormant. We are working on a way to remove said traces as soon as possible.¡± The spy replied.

    Marcus was quiet for a short moment.

    ¡°No other troops were maimed like this?¡± He said, after a moment, checking to confirm initial reports.

    ¡°No, Highlord.¡±

    ¡°Very well. You are dismissed.¡± Marcus waved his hand out.

    Damian nodded and vanished, stepping out of the tent.

    Marcus looked down at the map in front of him, snapping his fingers. A small, metal cup of wine instantly appeared, one that he held in his hand casually.

    The defense had gone so well. They¡¯d sessfully fended off multiple attacks, with no real losses.

    Until now, when two of his finest Reavers, with great potential, were crippled beyond repair.

    He studied the map closely, his eyes going from to, world to world.

    CRINK

    He stopped his study, looking at the winess in his right hand.

    The cup had crumpledpletely, its fine iron lining caved in and destroyed from the force of his grip. Wine sshed out of it, soaking the floor.

    He stared at the cup for a moment before tossing it to the ground of the tent, ignoring it as he turned around and left.

    Around him, a small town of tents spread out. One of the temporary forward bases set up by his men, on the World Bridge to Plumadone.

    They had avoided creating any magical contracts or buildings that might scar the environment at the request of Trajan.

    Marcus began to walk through the tent, his eyes calm and collected. He slipped past several vampires on patrol, warriors walking about or practicing, sharing jokes or tales with friends. The mood in the camp was somber, but also cheerful. Vampires lived long, dreary existences, and often managed to find humor in even the darkest of times.

    Soon he arrived outside one of the medical tents, a white and red painted tent that wasrger than average. It was the one designated for the two injured Lord ss Vampires, Trajan and Probus.

    He paused at the entrance, catching a conversation at the edge of his hearing,

    ¡°But Trajan, I¡¯m just saying tha-¡± Probus¡¯ curt voice echoed forth, full of annoyance,

    ¡°Probus, look at the facts.¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was full of cheer, belying his horrible injuries,

    ¡°I¡¯m blind now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And Justice is blind, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes but-¡±

    ¡°Therefore I am Justice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how any of this works Traja-¡±

    ¡°Enough of your rebellion, evildoer. Bow to the almighty power of the Environment, Lord of Justice!¡±

    Marcus smiled, unable to help himself. As he heard the resilient camaraderie and cheer in the room, he felt a small part of his heart break. Veins throbbed in his forehead.

    He waved his hand once more.

    Immediately, Damian once again appeared. The agent was tasked with following the Highlord around until his recement came.

    ¡°Damian, send an order to have a message passed to our friend with ten thousand clones.¡± His eyes were cold and still like a frozen sea.

    ¡°Tell him we ept his offer, and wish to implement it immediately.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian sprinted after Arial, dodging and leaping over copsed stone structures. The inner city of Icicar was a giant maze, full ofrge, obstructing stone houses or stores, most of them in a dpidated state.

    As he leapt over one fallen pir, he slipped on a long pool of ice covering what was left of a street.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Just as Dorian caught himself, falling over, two spears of darkness shot through right where his head had been, stabbing into the ground. They exploded into motes of darkness, spreading out over the floor and then vanishing.

    ¡®It seems to be some type of debilitating spell.¡¯ He noted as he felt just a small bit of the effect of the darkness spears, feeling slightly sluggish. They didn¡¯t seem to have any attack power. The ice, at the least, was undamaged.

    ¡®Thanks soul.¡¯ He gave his soul a mental thumbs up, crediting it for twisting Fate and helping him dodge it. The attack hadn¡¯t shown up in his innate sixth sense at all, probably because it wouldn¡¯t do any damage to him.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Arial¡¯s sing-song voice echoed out as she leapt over a small stone hut, dodging down a side street.

    Dorian turned, following her, and immediately realized why she yelled.

    A pair of un-transformed Grakons were walking forward, greatswords on their back.

    ¡°Grrrr.¡±

    ¡°GRGRRRRR!¡±

    The Grakons began to Expand, lunging towards the duo.

    Before they could attack, however, Dorian and Arial had sprinted past, avoiding them entirely.

    ¡°Where are we running to?¡± Dorian yelled out, his eyes focused on the fox girl.

    He had just met her, and didn¡¯t trust her entirely yet. He didn¡¯t think she was an enemy, and it was clear the Shades were trying to take him out too, so he figured running with her wasn¡¯t a bad n for now.

    But only if they had a destination.

    ¡°I know somewhere we can hide from them at! It¡¯s a ce called the Ice Keep at the center of Icicar, near the Traveling Ice Waterfall.¡± She began.

    BOOM

    A small explosion rang out behind him as their pursuers wiped out the pair of Grakons they had passed.

    Above them, the chaotic winds and side effects of the battling King ss fighters continued to echo forth, still providing them with ayer of cover. At the minimum, it would be hard for anyone to navigate through the air when chasing them.

    ¡°The Ice Keep?! Isn¡¯t that where the Grakon King lives?!¡± Aristodemus the Coward, the ruler of Icicar City, was said to live in a fortress of frozen stone and ice, one that was set mostly into the ground. This fortress, ording to Dorian¡¯s research, was indeed next to the giant waterfall of Gworen Ice.

    ¡°Yes, but he is out right now! If we make it inside, I know a way we can lock the Shades up!¡± She responded, her voice hurried.

    Dorian thought for a long moment and then shrugged. He didn¡¯t exactly see many other options right now.

    ¡°Alright. What do we need to do?¡± ording to his research, the Ice Keep was a dangerous area that was nigh on impossible to enter.

    ¡°I can get us through the front gate as long as I have a bit of time. If we want to trap the Shades, however, I¡¯ll need your help¡­¡± She dropped back to run next to him, exining her n quickly.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Gerulf hunched down on the ground, running his fingers over the copsed rubble. A faint imprint of arge dragon could be seen, arge crater smashed into the ground. Nearby, the corpse of a Grakony still, its head incinerated.

    ¡°This is where Jasper set off the warning signal.¡± He said aloud, motioning behind him.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mika, one of the other Shades responded, her voice cool.

    Four of the group of six were here, all having rushed to the location when Jasper set off the alert.

    The Shades had been spread out in key points in the city, constantly scanning and searching for the Lightsworn Fox that had escaped them.

    There were only so many entrances and ways to get to the Ice Keep, and as long as they kept a stern watch, it should¡¯ve been impossible for her to move anywhere undetected.

    They would¡¯ve stayed by the Keep itself, but the danger of getting caught there, as well as the constant Grakon attacks drawing attention and foiling their attempts at hiding, made the option less appealing.

    Who could¡¯ve expected, however, that a massive battle between King ss warriors would take ce, and throw their ns into chaos?

    ¡°Where¡¯s Siegfried?¡± He said aloud, looking around. Only the four of them were here.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably with Jasper, pursuing the fox.¡± One of the other Shades said, shrugging.

    ¡°That or sleeping.¡±

    Gerulf rubbed his forehead, looking around the scene. Rumbling booms shook the air, and asionally sts of wind woulde down, trying to knock them over.

    The noise overhead was too great, and he couldn¡¯t rise into the air in a controlled manner to get a better view of the city.

    ¡°Damn it. Alright, everyone on me. Let¡¯s just head for the Ice Keep and hope they went that way.¡± He swore, cursing their luck. His team members were all elites, they would know how to pressure the target. The Fox was tricky, but in a direct confrontation, they would win. He would just have to pray Jasper and Siegfried had managed to sessfully chase it down, or chase it towards the Ice Keep.

    The Red Portal found there was the only reason the damned fox was on this.

    The troupe set off, rushing towards the center of Icicar City.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°We made it!¡± Arial¡¯s voice trembled out as she and Dorian arrived near the center of the city.

    They had entered arge, open courtyard like area that stretched for several hundred meters. No other buildings or homes could be seen in this area.

    Only the enormous flowing waterfall of ice, and, set in the ground behind this waterfall, the entrance to what looked like an underground dungeon. Arge, stone opening at least 3 dozen meters wide and a dozen meters tall, with cut steps leading downward, to arge gate.

    The waterfall was difficult to look straight at, for some reason. The air around it was distorted and felt dangerous just to be near.

    The home of the Grakon King of Icicar.

    This area was usually patrolled by Grakons. However, with the exit of the Grakon King, most of the patrolling guards had flooded out of the city, moving towards the ongoing battle.

    Dorian and Arial had been forced to duck and dodge many of the patrols.

    The Shades behind them had shown lesser restraint, engaging in several fierce fights. Most of this was Dorian and Arial¡¯s fault, as they startled the Grakons and caused them to transform, making their pursuers run into them.

    ¡°To get us inside, I¡¯ll need to melt open the Ice Lock on the door, but you¡¯ll need to make sure no one disturbs me.¡± Arial yelled out as they dashed forward, circling the giant waterfall.

    A freezing aura washed off the oddly distorting ice waterfall as they moved around it. Odd, crinkling sounds echoed out as the ice flowed downwards, into a deep, fathomless pit below.

    BOOM

    They had just finished circling the waterfall, arriving in front of the entrance to the Ice Keep, when a loud thud caused Dorian to spin around.

    The figures of two Shades appeared, faint specks of darkness rising from their hands. One of them was giving off a pure, clean Aura of white light, while the other gleamed sharply, giving off a heavy, metallic Aura.

    The one with the metallic Aura had a slim, pale face with warm green eyes and a small nose. His weak chin made him seem, well, weak, but Dorian could sense a powerful,tent strength in the Shade.

    The other figure was wrapped up in white furs and robes, his features indistinct.

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 81,331

    ¨C

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 103,266

    ¨C

    ¡°Damn.¡± Dorian looked at their numbers, his eyes unblinking.

    He couldn¡¯t beat them.

    ¡°Please, Dorian! Hold them off as long as you can!¡± Arial¡¯s voice trembled out as she descended to stands next to the entrance to the Ice Keep. On the door, a massive,plicated looking array of symbols was visible, covered in frozen ice.

    The fox girl pped her hands together, an Aura of pure, warm light flooding around her as she drew, seemingly from thin air, a long sword made of pure, gleaming light.

    She then held this sort up against the array of frozen symbols. Odd shes of energy rang out, and a burnt smell appeared as she started breaking into the Ice Keep.

    ¡°Hmph. You murdering scum. We meet again.¡± The Late Lord ss Shade spoke aloud, staring beyond Dorian towards Arial.

    It was at this point that Dorian recognized him, and one of the figures that Ausra gave him.

    It was the same Shade that had callously thrown the freshly dead corpse of that human woman down, back when Dorian found the ughtered expedition.

    ¡°Language Jasper. That is what Gerulf would say, anyway.¡± The Pseudo-King ss Shade said aloud, wagging his fingers at hisrade.

    ¡°Whatever Siegfried.¡± The Shade returned. A secondter, the Shade¡¯s body blurred, white motes of light surrounding it as a spell was secretly activated.

    In a literal instant, before Dorian could physically react, an enormous weight mmed into his chest, sending him flying.

    BOOM

    Dorian¡¯s vision wavered as he mmed into one of the overground stone walls that led down to the entrance of the Ice Keep. He felt several of his bones creak, his entire back feeling as if it was on fire. He coughed, blood spattering from his mouth as he fell to the ground.

    ¡°F-fast.¡± He muttered, his eyes blurred as he looked at the figure of the Shade.

    He had actually managed to register the attack, with the powerful innate senses he¡¯d gained a few days ago.

    His body, however, was far too slow to adapt to those senses, and he had been forced to take the attack before he could even move.

    ¡°My Partial Light-Speed punch is pretty rough to take, huh?¡± Jasper¡¯s voice came out full of mockery as the Shade stared at Dorian, shaking his head.

    ¡°To think that this evil witch had a subordinate here in the city.¡± He shook his head a second time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill it, Jasper.¡± The other Shade appeared, his body blurring as he stopped down, standing next to Jasper.

    ¡°We¡¯ll capture both of them.¡±

    ¡°Evil deserves to be purge-¡±

    ¡°We have our orders, Jasper. Do not question me.¡± The Wizard argued back, turning to re at hisrade.

    Dorian, meanwhile, was still reeling from the impact, his body barely recovering from shock. As he recovered, he felt his mind enter an odd state.

    He looked at the two arguing Shades, and then back at Arial, who was desperately working to cut into the Ice Lock.

    He felt an odd sense of deja vu.

    It was happening, all over again.

    Just like he lost Will.

    He was going to lose again.

    To lose protecting someone he decided to protect.

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t someone he deeply cared for, or even someone that he really knew at all.

    But once more, he had decided to protect someone.

    And he was going to have that taken from him.

    ¡®No¡­ No! NO!¡¯ He muttered, his arms shaking.

    ¡®NO!¡¯

    Deep in the far recesses of Dorian¡¯s mind, the tendrils of darkness that had started to spread a few days ago began to writhe, spreading even further in his soul and mind.

    These tendrils had first appeared right before he snapped, killing those hunters for torturing innocent creatures. A punishment, when Dorian looked back, that felt far too permanent for their crime, but one he was unable to change.

    And now, as Dorian looked at the two Shades, those dark tendrils began to curl, spreading to every single corner of his mind.

    As they moved, Dorian felt his innate sense of battle and control grow stronger and stronger.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    ¡°I WILL NOT ALLOW IT¡± Dorian yelled out loud, his voice booming and echoing, causing the two Shades to turn and look at him in astonishment.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he took full control of his body, willing himself to transform.

    Instantly, his body expanded in size, his arms growing stronger and denser, splitting into two sets of arms, and then four sets. The ck skin of his Ifrit form grew darker and denser. His eyes took on a deep, reddish glow, and he emanated a sense of raw fury.

    ¡®Berserker Demon Evolution sessful.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s notification sounded off in a corner of his mind, one he ignored as he looked at the two Shades in front of him, an incredible feeling of anger sweeping through him.

    At the same time, the tendrils of darkness in Dorian¡¯s mind finished their movements, touching every single part of his brain.

    The moment they finished moving, Dorian¡¯s mind shuddered.

    Abruptly, a flurry of memories filled his brain. Memories of awe-inspiring battles, practice, and training, of thousands of duels and tens of thousands of fights. Wars raging on unending, a hellishndscape of fire, a deluge of memories swarmed into Dorian¡¯s brain.

    Memories belonging to a warrior and Wizard, renowned as a genius above all geniuses.

    An ungodly prodigy obsessed with the concept of achieving perfection.

    A man named Yukeli Shorn.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as heunched himself forward, attacking the Shades.

    .

    .

    .

    Edit: For those who can¡¯t remember, go reread Chapter 1 if you are curious about the first time we have heard the name Yukeli mentioned.

    Also corrected a minor typo where I called Dorian ¡®Jack.¡¯ (whoops).

 Chapter 77 - Clashing with the Shades

    Chapter 77: shing with the Shades

    Powerful rage ran flush in Dorian¡¯s mind, fiery uncontroble anger. His body finished its expansive growth, his fully grown Berserker Form trembling. This new form was unstable, but very physically powerful.

    ¡®Condense.¡¯ While his mind had been torn asunder, both by rage and the thousands of memories that swarmed into his head, Dorian didn¡¯t lose track of the scene at hand.

    Immediately, his hulking, eight armed Berserker Demon form shrank inward, his entire body morphing.

    A magical transformation took ce.

    His 8 arms warped inward, condensing into a single pair. His entire physical form shrank down in size, to a mere 2 meters, a regr height for a humanoid. A small, burning me erupted on his back, and tworge, pointed ck horns sprouted, just above his forehead.

    A terrible concentration of power ran flush in his body, raw physical might condensed to an extreme. His perception of time scaled upward, the world around him slowing down as he grew stronger and stronger.

    As he Condensed, the insane anger faded to a much more manageable level, but still present and influencing his mindset. The Constant Anger Ability that affected the mind of a Berserker Demon was unable to fully activate when he was in his Condensed form.

    Instead of fiery fury, his anger became cool, frozen like his surroundings. His mind sharpened, bing acutely focused on the world around him.

    ¨C

    Increased Energy Level: 69,027

    ¨C

    The mental notification rang out in his mind, informing him of the increase.

    He also received a warning from Ausra. He could only maintain this form for 3 minutes before he would suffer permanent soul fracturing.

    He had 3 minutes to handle this situation.

    His raw, concentrated physical might had reached an absurd level for a humanoid that didn¡¯t use thews of the universe.

    His boosted strength wasn¡¯t quite on par with the two Shades, but it was powerful enough that he couldn¡¯t just be stomped and ignored.

    The Shade that had punched him gave him a re once more, and then vanished. His body blurred as he moved incredibly quickly, particles of light flowing off him. The Aura of this Shade was huddled close around his body, pure and mighty.

    ¡®Just like Isaac during the Mdona War.¡¯ Dorian thought, his eyes cold. He held his arms up, protecting his face.

    Even in his new form, Dorian was still unable to reach the same level of speed as the attacking Shade.

    BOOM

    Dorian¡¯s body hurtled to the left as he felt a huge impact m into his side. It was painful, but his Condensed body was abnormally tough and tensile, his cells literally closer together and denser, making absorbing impacts easier.

    BOOM

    This time a kick, Dorian was able to make out, knocking him up into the air. He grunted as he felt the blow, the incredible speed behind it granting it a massive amount of force.

    He sailed nearly 40 meters high into the sky, in a split second.

    The Shade materialized in front of Dorian, his body still giving off particles of light. His right arm was raised, perched just above Dorian¡¯s chest.

    BOOM

    THUD

    Dorian smashed down onto the ground, arge, 10 meter wide crater forming, sending shards of stone and ice into the air.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 61,027/69,027 (Condensed)

    ¨C

    He called his status to mind. His energy levels were dropping fast. In his Condensed form, they skyrocketed to high levels, but with every blow he took, he would be weaker.

    ¡°Oh, a tough one, huh?¡± The Shade materialized in front of Dorian, shrugging.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Two more blows knocked Dorian around, one smashing into his chest, while the other his back. Each punch was physically impossible for Dorian to make out, the only thing in his vision an afterimage left with motes of sparkling light.

    Even if Dorian had simr Energy Levels, his from his powerful body, while theirs from their use of Laws and magic, he doubted he would be able to reach such a fierce speed. The magic that the Shade used was Light-aspected, and seemed to be focused on zingly fast speed and closebat.

    THUD

    Dorian¡¯s body smashed into a pir that was set in the ground, about a dozen meters from the entrance to the Ice Keep, near where he had been in the beginning. The pir copsed beneath him, but absorbed enough of the force to stop him from flying off.

    Blood spattered from his lips as he coughed, finally sustaining an injury from the repeated blindingly fast attacks.

    However, as he raised his head, throwing himself off the ground, a small smile formed.

    Dorian closed his eyes. Every attack created a mental image of his foe,bining with his knowledge, observations, and experience. He had fought in tens of thousands of battles over the years, against countless foes. This was nothing to him.

    ¡®I can feel you.¡¯

    As more blows rained down on Dorian, knocking him back and forth brutally, Dorian slowly twisted his left arm, cing it precisely at an angle off, exposing his face. He opened his hand, holding it just slightly out.

    His form was limited. There was no chance he could react in time to any of the attacks sent his way. The sheer, raw speed of his attacker outssed him.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he was helpless.

    As another blow mmed into his side, cracking one of his ribs in his Condensed form and sending him soaring several meters, Dorian¡¯s eyes twitched for the briefest second. His smile widened into a blood rictus.

    Dorian closed his hand.

    In the same instant, an enormous blow mmed into the side of his head, almost causing him to fall unconscious. Blood spattered out from his face, his nose breaking.

    However, instead of flying off like before, his entire body jerked, twisting around in mid-air as he came to a stop, his feetnding on the ground.

    ¡°Huh?!¡± Jasper looked down at his leg in shock, motes of white light flowing off his body.

    Dorian¡¯s wed, ck hand hadtched onto it.

    CRUNCH

    ¡°ARRRRRRGH!¡± The Shade screamed in agony as Dorian clenched his hand, breaking past the innate barrier of the Wizard and then breaking the Shade¡¯s right leg in a single motion.

    He then twisted his entire body, slinging the Shade around and mming him into the ground.

    A small, several meters wide crater formed in the ground, a webwork of cracks spreading out at the impact. Bits of ice and rock flung into the air, pelting around.

    Dorian let go of the Shade¡¯s leg, letting it, and the rest of the Shade¡¯s body, fall to the floor, his condition unknown. The Shade¡¯s scream had been cut off, returning to silence as he was mmed into the ground.

    The Shadey still.

    Dorian had noticed that every time the Shade attacked, he left himselfpletely open, judging purely by the afterimage left behind each strike. It was a careless trait, one the Shade must¡¯ve built up due to his incredible speed. In closebat, he¡¯d probably met almost no one that could match him.

    It was true that he couldn¡¯t react in time to any of the Shade¡¯s attacks.

    So, instead, he had waited till he gained an understanding of the Shade¡¯s attack style, and manipted his pattern into attacking his face.

    Maybe he couldn¡¯t move to defend himself in time from any of the attacks. But if all he needed to do was move his hand slightly¡­ That was within his physical capabilities.

    ¡°Your arrogance was your downfall.¡± Dorian spat out some blood from his mouth and then shifted his nose, setting the break.

    ¡°JASPER!¡±

    Dorian leapt backwards, his body twisting out of the way as several steel swords shot through the air towards where he had been standing, narrowly missing him. He backflipped through the air, checking his status as he did so.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 41,027/69,027 (Condensed)

    ¨C

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ He thought, frowning slightly. Just catching all those hits had taken a lot out of him. Thankfully, the fight itself hadsted only around 2 minutes. He still had another minute left.

    ¡°You bastard.¡± A voice full of anger raged out against Dorian, shaking the air as the other Shade sted down in front of him. The Shade¡¯s entire body transformed into a gleaming, metallic form, shining softly. His speed was much more manageable, far slower than the other Shade.

    The Shade¡¯s arms transformed, covered in small, metal spikes. The fighter took up a guarded stance, his fists clenching. Glowing white spikes formed on each knuckle of the Wizard, pointed and dangerous looking.

    Despite the apparent carelessness of the first Shade, the Light Wizard had moved adeptly, and attacked in a trained pattern. They were both clearly seasoned and talented warriors. These Shades seem to have a particr focus on closebat magic, however, Dorian noted, and not on long range attacks.

    That was unfortunate for them.

    ¡®A Steel Wizard, huh?¡¯ He smiled. This was just like Thavin from the Battle of Versaii.

    ¡°Steel Magic: Carrying Punch!¡± The Shade punched out, aimed directly for Dorian¡¯s chest. As he did so, arge Aura of white light appeared on his knuckles. Dorian immediately felt a sense of danger, knowing if that punchnded on him, it would tear right through him, Condensed or not.

    But, unlike the attacks of the other Shade, this punch moved at a far more reasonable speed.

    Dorian twisted his body just slightly to the left. As he did so, he stepped forward, entering the attack range of the Shade.

    His arms seemed to wrap around the iing fist and arm of the attacking Shade as his body blurred. He stepped forward, but at the same time seemed to step to the side, causing the Shade¡¯s fist to just barely miss his chest.

    Dorian¡¯s arms twirled.

    The attacking Shade yelled out loud in pain as he was sent flying, smashing down hard a dozen meters away from Dorian.

    Long, red burn marks marred the metallic arm of the Wizard, seared into his skin, while the arm itself was twisted at a sickening angle, broken.

    Every movement Dorian made held a colossal amount of raw, physical force. The innate barriers of Wizards were powerful but were much better suited at resisting attacks with the power of Law imbued within them.

    They crumpled beneath his sheer physical power almost as if they weren¡¯t there at all.

    ¡°Oh? My Hira-Gira technique only broke your arm, and not your shoulder too?¡± He nodded his head. Thavin had been a Human Steel Wizard, while this Shade was a bit more resilient. His Steel Magic might have a different foundation. He would need to adjust his martial techniques ordingly.

    ¡°Be proud. There are few warriors who stood against the Lord of the Absolute and managed tost beyond a single blow.¡± Though, in his current odd form, it couldn¡¯t be considered a fair fight for Yukeli.

    ¡®Wait. Yukeli. What? Lord of the Absolute? Huh?¡¯ Dorian¡¯s mind reeled all of a sudden as he looked at his hands, and then the downed Shades in shock.

    ¡®What is happening? I did this? The-these aren¡¯t my memories. What?!¡¯ He shook his head, clutching at it with his hands.

    ¡°Dorian, I got it open! Quickly, I can see the rest of them arriving! We can¡¯t take them all at once!¡± Arial¡¯s voice echoed out from behind

    ¡®You have reached your limit in your current form. If you remain Condensed in it any longer, your soul will begin to fracture.¡¯ Ausra notified him.

    ¡°Steel Magic: Steel Pirs!¡± The downed Shade waved his unbroken hand, causing a dozen meter thick pirs of glowing steel to appear, shooting out to surround him and his unconsciousrade.

    At the same time, at the corner of Dorian¡¯s vision, he could make out several blurred forms rushing onto the teau.

    Dorian stumbled backwards on autopilot, switching his body back to his Ifrit form as his mind shuddered in shock. The cold edge of anger left his body as he switched forms, making it much easier for him to think, and realize his actions.

    He turned around, his thoughts confused as he leapt down the sunken stairs, running to the safety offered by the Ice Keep.

    .

    .

    .

    Editing Note: I identally called Dorian ¡®Jack¡¯ in the previous chapter twice. For those that missed, that was a typo that I fixed. There is no Jack here!

    .

 Chapter 78 - Yukeli

    Chapter 78: Yukeli

    Gerulf mmed down on the ground, cracking the ice as hended. The white leather hides that covered his body were glowing, his sharp Aura wrapping around him like a pointednce.

    ¡°Siegfried!¡± He bellowed, charging towards the steel bubble that covered hisrade and Jasper.

    He only barely caught a few hurried movements as their targets fled inside the Ice Keep, the door mming shut behind them.

    In just a few split seconds he sprinted over towards the warping steel pirs, his chest heaving from exertion.

    They had started sprinting here as soon as they found the ce Jasper had set off a Dark Signal Orb, the tell-tale leftover aura still present. They¡¯d charged off towards the Ice Keep, eventually finding a trail of dead Grakons, and faint traces of Slowing Strob Rays, a slowing Darkness Spell that was used to slow enemies. Siegfried had an artifact that allowed him to cast a limited number of those, and hence they knew they were on the right trail.

    As they followed the trail, Gerulf had realized that their targets were purposefully being allowed to head towards the Ice Keep. Siegfried must¡¯ve wanted to wait for all of them to meet up before engaging, standard operating procedure for their team. They would only engage at all if it seemed obvious that the target would escape otherwise.

    ¡°In here.¡± A muffled grunt could be heard from inside the steel pirs.

    A secondter, the steel pirs fell away and melted into dust, revealing an injured Siegfried and an unmoving Jasper.

    ¡°Mika! Get on Jasper, now! He¡¯s hurt bad!¡± Siegfried bellowed, clutching at his own arm. It was twisted off at an angle.

    With only a slight wince, he twisted his arm, setting it correctly into ce. He then withdrew a Light Pill from his Spatial Ring, an expensive Grandmaster ss one. He swallowed it whole, feeling the rush of healing energy rise in him.

    Mika, the other Light Wizard in their troop, rushed over to the still figure of Jasper. Immediately, a pure, Light Aura covered her, giving her an almost angelic appearance. They had two Light Wizards on their team. One that specialized in closebat and speed, Jasper, while the other that specialized in healing magic and long distancebat, Mika.

    ¡°What happened, Siegfried?¡± Gerulf stepped forward as Siegfried sat down, meditating. He motioned with his hands to the two other Shades on their team, directing them to form a secure perimeter.

    ¡°The Fox had a subordinate.¡± The Steel Wizard began, looking at the flesh on his right arm. Four trails were drawn on it, seared and burned a bright red.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem particrly strong. It was tough, defensively, and it had a lot of physical strength, but I couldn¡¯t detect even a hint of an Aura off of it. It¡¯s like the Grakons, physically powerful but that¡¯s it.¡± He waved his hand in the direction of the sunken Ice Keep.

    ¡°It was, however, incredibly skilled in closebat. It was my mistake to rush to engage without the full team, but if we didn¡¯t, they would¡¯ve fled inside the Ice Keep. Well, they did anyway.¡± He sighed, his voice full of frustration.

    Gerulf grunted, turning to look at the entrance to the underground stronghold. A set of cut stone stairs led to the Mystic Door that blocked the Keep off.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Gerulf returned, turning his head to look back out towards the exterior of the city. The racket from the ongoing battle between King ss warriors was continuing unabated.

    ¡°The big Grakon won¡¯t be back here for at least 4 or 5 hours. Their fight willst them that long. We have time.¡± He continued, rubbing his forehead.

    ¡°He¡¯s stable!¡± Mika¡¯s voice interrupted him, the healing Wizard calling out from the side. Siegfried and Gerulf turned to look at Jasper¡¯s downed figure.

    ¡°His right leg is badly broken, and several of his organs ruptured. He¡¯s broken 19 different bones, and the injuries he¡¯s sustained will take a great deal of time to fully heal. However, he is in a stable condition.¡± Her voice was cool as sheid out his injuries.

    ¡°Alright. Good.¡± Siegfried¡¯s voice was full of relief. His eyes hardened as he continued,

    ¡°Gerulf. Start breaking us through that door, your Piercing Magic is our best bet. The Fox can mold light, but there is no chance she can make it through the Red Portal within 4 hours. She might not even be able to melt through to it at all.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian stumbled past the entrance, clutching his head. Gradually, his thoughts were returning to normal as the deluge of memories that had swarmed him seemed to fade, settling in the background.

    ¡®Dorian. I am DORIAN! Not Yukeli!¡¯ He forcefully reasserted himself, his identity wavering for a brief second before wavering down.

    The memories were scattered and disjointed, over what appeared to Dorian to be a period of roughly fifty years of Yukeli¡¯s life. Most of the memories involved constant physical training, fighting, and sparring. Sometimes through huge, epic battles with thousands ofbatants, and other times just a single Wizard or warrior.

    A few, however, were ripped from his childhood.

    Yukeli was a human, born to an impoverished mother and no known father. He had a single older brother, one that was seven years older than him. His family had lived in a poor vige near a wide, open forest teeming with wildlife, in the outskirts of the Kingdom of Binor, on the Tallew.

    The memories about Yukeli¡¯s childhood were scattered and few, but Dorian could already tell that the boy had been born a prodigy. An absolute genius.

    At the age of 1, he could already walk and talk, learning the Commonnguage in a matter of months. At the age of 2, he had be a wordsmith, studying from the few books his family possessed. He had a deep love for poetry and expressed his feelings for the world around him in poems.

    At the age of 3, he had won a great deal of acim and fame for his poetry, all as a mere child. The Lord of the territory he lived in had personally sent a dozen gold coins to reward his mother, allowing them to move into a real house, in a real town and leave the poor outskirt vige. He single-handedly pulled his family out of squalor, a sweet, innocent and cheerful boy.

    At the age of 4, his life took a turn.

    The he lived on was conquered by a race of powerful creatures.

    A varied race of beings known as Demons.

    A mass ughter took ce, as the human race on his home faced extinction.

    And suffered from it.

    Before his eyes, as a pale, trembling 4 year old, hiding in a wooden cupboard in his nice home¡¯s kitchen, Yukeli watched his mother have her heart ripped out.

    His house, and that of many others, were destroyed. Everyone found was killed, usually in cruel, torturous ways. The Demon Race was not a kind race. They were cruel, their nature bloodthirsty and capricious.

    Yukeli hid in the rubble of his home for two days, managing to survive off an old jug of water and a mostly burned collection of hardbread. He dug around slowly, searching desperately for his older brother. He didn¡¯t dare to call out, the Demons still alive and active around him.

    When the Demons moved past his city, moving on to another as they swept over the, he made his escape.

    He fled from his ruined home, scavenging food and water to take with him. He gathered up supplies, eventually managing to find an abandoned Spatial Pouch in a destroyed merchant¡¯s shop and load it up.

    One thing led to another, and he eventually left the city.

    And came upon a scene that was burnt into his mind forever.

    A field of wooden crosses lined the outside of the city wall. Thousands of them, crudely contracted from broken wood, some from stone or metal.

    Each cross held a body on it, a corpse of a human now dead.

    As his eyes trailed over these wooden crosses, his eyes were drawn to a particr one.

    One he stopped in front of, staying quiet for several minutes.

    He had found his missing brother.

    The memories blurred here, skipping past to a scene in a forest, where Yukeli was standing alone, looking down at a sluggish river. His face was marred, tears dripping down it.

    ¡°If I had been stronger, I could have done something.¡± He whispered, his hands clenched.

    ¡°If I had trained, studied magic, I could have done something.¡± His entire body shuddered,

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t good enough.¡±

    The young boy was silent. His shuddering stopped as he forcibly calmed down, his voice taking on a calm edge,

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t good enough.¡±

    ¡°But I will be good enough.¡±

    ¡°You will rue this day.¡± His eyes shed,

    ¡°I will exterminate you.¡±

    ¡°I will exterminate your entire species.¡±

    ¡°I will be more than good enough.¡± His eyes twitched, his voice filling with emotion,

    ¡°I will be so mighty nothing can stand in my way.¡±

    ¡°A good fighter? A strong Wizard?¡±

    ¡°Worthless.¡±

    ¡°I will achieve the pinnacle.¡±

    ¡°I will be perfection itself.¡±

    His entire body shook as he uttered those words, a promise of death, full of power.

    The memories blurred once more after this, skipping and jumping around, sometimes ahead several years. They became more and more scattered, memories of battles and wars.

    Most of the remaining memories were of Yukeli fighting against hundreds, and thousands, of Demons, Humans, Aethmen, Vampires, and beings of varying races in the 30,000 Worlds. Of Yukeli bing a staunch ally of the Draconic Tribes in their war against the Demon race, and a powerful fighter in his own right.

    Yukeli used hundreds of different techniques, studying more than a thousand different Mystic Arts to be a master in closebat. For Magic, he studied multitude of different styles before settling on a single type.

    Fate Magic.

    He further specialized himself in researching specific types of Fate Magic, those centered around the Soul Spell Matrix of a being, the cycle of life, the concept of reincarnation, and a few other rted topics.

    Fate Magic was incrediblyplex and abstruse, difficult to understand for even the most adept Wizards.

    As for thews of the universe, Yukeli discovered a Law that was previously unknown. The Law of the Absolute.

    ¡°Grrr.¡± Dorian growled, taking control and shutting the memories off, leaving them in the back of his head. He put a pause to looking over them, realizing that now was not the time.

    All of this had taken only a few split seconds.

    He blinked as he roused himself, looking around.

    He was in a brightly lit entryway, glowing white torches giving off a magical white me, coating a set of iced over stone walls. The floor beneath him was made of fine, carved stone, and set with ornate patterns of Grakons doing various everyday actions, like walking, eating, sparring.

    It appeared to be some type of hall at the front of this ¡®Ice Keep.¡¯

    THUD

    A resounding boom drew his attention behind him, to the doorway of the mostly underground castle.

    The door to the keep was made of some dark, ck metal. Magical symbols glowed all over it as it mmed shut, the Humanoid Form of the Lightsworn Fox Arial breathing deeply as she leaned against it.

    ¡°We made it.¡± She exhaled, wiping a sheen of sweat off her forehead, her voice full of relief.

    ¡°That will hold for at least a couple of hours.¡±

    A small pause urred as Dorian looked at her, and she looked back at him.

    Dorian took a deep breath, looking around the frozen entryway.

    ¡°So what now? It seems like we just trapped ourselves, with a group of ferocious Shades outside trying to kill us.¡± He held his hands up, waving them around.

    The fox girl bit her lip slightly, turning to look down the hall, towards a stone doorway on the opposite side of the entrance.

    ¡°We need to make it to the bottom of the Ice Keep, towards a secret ce called the Red Portal. It¡¯s a strange, magical device that connects to another, inactive portal hidden away in the sister city of Icicar, Dragonmount City. Specifically, on the tallest hidden mountain in that city, a mountain shrouded from sight in mysterious fog, one almost impossible to see.¡± She said, crossing her arms as she shivered,

    ¡°Mount Tai.¡±

    ¡°If we can make it to there, we can lose thempletely. They have a pair of able Fate Wizards that have been tracking me through Fate, but using the portal will sever that connectionpletely.¡±

    Dorian listened to her exnation, his eyes following her closely.

    ¡°Alright. Assuming this is all true, how do we make it to the Red Portal?¡±

    She smiled,

    ¡°This is where you can help, actually, Dorian. The Red Portal is locked away at the depths of the Ice Keep, behind a huge wall of Gworen Ice. This wall is fed by the Traveling Ice Waterfall, and will repair any damage it takes shortly after taking it.¡± She continued,

    ¡°If we use your dragonfire to keep it from regenerating, and my Sun Sword technique to melt it directly, we should be able to safely push through to it!¡± Arial said confidently, her eyes shining.

    ¡°But first, we need to turn the portal on.¡± She proimed, walking down the hall, away from the entrance. Dorian stood still for a moment before quickly following her.

    She moved confidently through the entrance, to arger, more resplendent hall. Hundreds of tables and chairs were spread out in this hall, some type of great feast room. The cold ice that covered everything gave this room an eerie appearance. All of the chairs and tables were oversized, made for creatures muchrger than them.

    ¡°And how do we do that?¡± Dorian asked, kneading his head.

    ¡°The Throne Room through here has a simple activation circle. All I need to do is break through it with my Sun Sword, and then we wait for a few short hours.¡± She responded, traversing the feast hall.

    ¡°After that, the underbelly of the Keep will open up, and we can find the Portal Room and the waterfall of magic ice blocking it.¡±

    Soon they exited the feast hall, passed down one more frozen corridor, and came into arge, stone room, supported by several grand stone pirs. A long, faded and frozen red carpety down the middle of this room, leading to a raised stone tform where a lone, ck throne sat.

    Arial jumped up onto the tform as soon as she saw it, snapping her fingers. Immediately a glowing sword of light appeared, giving off faint sparks of fiery light. It was almost blindingly bright, Dorian noted, as he stared at it.

    Arial stood perched above the throne for a moment before stabbing her de down into the huge stone chair.

    WHOOSH

    A huge gust of wind burst out of the throne and shook the room, the air knocking around. Dorian stumbled backwards before righting himself, his knees bending.

    He could feel a rush of ancient, magic energy flowing fiercely. The entire keep seemed to shudder, shaking beneath his feet.

    Arial smiled,

    ¡°Now all we need to do is wait and hide.¡±

    .

 Chapter 79 - Breaking In

    Chapter 79: Breaking In

    After stabbing the throne, Arial had asked Dorian to follow her down a long series of passages towards the bowels of the Ice Keep.

    ording to her, this entire underground structure was a no-man¡¯snd that only the powerful blind Grakon King lived in. There were no other Grakons living here, or creatures of any kind at all.

    As they moved, silently traversing long sets of iced-over stairs or empty corridors, Dorian¡¯s thoughts became clouded.

    ¡®Will? What do you think about all of this?¡¯ He thought towards Will¡¯s dormant soul, lying next to his own, rubbing at his forehead.

    The memories he had gained exined a lot to Dorian.

    The innate sense ofbat he¡¯d gained was something that rose from his subconscious. These memories must¡¯ve been stored deep within his soul, and only awakened after something happened to them.

    Dorian was also clear about who they were from.

    His mind went back to the first day he came back to life, in a strange new body, trapped in a ck cage.

    To a powerful, overwhelming and domineering message that had rocked his mind.

    ..

    AH, FIRSTBORN OF MY PERFECT FLOCK. YOU HAVE FINALLY FORMED, AND BROKEN FREE.

    YOU HAVE BEEN CREATED FROM THE ETHER, BY YOUR LORD AND MASTER, THE GODKING YUKELI.

    YOU WILL FOLLOW MY COMMANDS, YOUR SOUL HAS BEEN SEALED. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN THE TIME COMES.

    GROW.

    EVOLVE.

    SOW THE SEEDS OF CHAOS IN THE 30,000 WORLDS.

    YOU, FIRSTBORN, WILL HOLD MY HIGHEST HOPES.

    WHILE I MAY NO LONGER BE ALIVE IN THE DIVINE REALM, MY PLANS WILL CONTINUE UNABATED.

    CHAOS WILL RISE. ORDER WILL FALL. THE CYCLE CONTINUES, UNABATED.

    ..

    A name in that message stood out.

    The ¡®Godking Yukeli.¡¯

    The same name as the man from his memories, Yukeli Shorn.

    ¡®But why? Why do I have his memories?¡¯ He thought, unable to find an answer.

    He didn¡¯t even have all of the memories of the powerful warrior. Many of them were scattered and iplete. The only memories he seemed to have arge amount of were the ones that focused on training and battle.

    He winced. Even thinking about the memories was a bit painful as they tried to surge back up to the forefront of his mind.

    ¡®I am Dorian.¡¯ He muttered in his head, forcing them down for now. When he allowed them to rise forth earlier, his entire sense of identity had fallen into crisis. He felt as if he was starting to lose himself, and be someone else.

    The memories, he noted, held valuable information. The sheer skill of the fallen warrior, the ¡®Lord of the Absolute,¡¯ was incredible, to say the least.

    But what use was power if he had to lose himself for it?

    He sighed.

    ¡®Maybe I can iste the memories? Go over them bit by bit?¡¯ Taking them all in at once was uneptable, as far as he was concerned.

    For now, he would just leave them isted in his mind, pushed to the back. As long as he didn¡¯t will the memories to take over, they seemed content to remain in the back of his mind, not changing his personality.

    ¡®Ausra, who was Yukeli?¡¯ He turned his focus to his Soul Spell Matrix genie.

    ¡®His Worship is His Worship.¡¯ She replied, rather unhelpfully.

    ¡®But he was a human, right? A human that walked the 30,000 Worlds, hundreds of years ago?¡¯ He returned, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡®I can only respond with information I have stored. I do not have an answer to your question.¡¯ She replied calmly.

    He sighed. Well, he hadn¡¯t expected much anyway.

    It was a mystery he would have to figure out on his own.

    The Ice Keep was huge, stretching for miles underground. Dozens of sets of stairs led through twisting and winding corridors, giving it an almost maze-like appearance. The path Dorian took with Arial seemed almost random, yet unerringly led them into a descent.

    The further down they moved, the colder it got, Dorian noted. He was in his Ifrit form, which was resistant to cold to some degree, but even he could feel the decrease in temperature. If it got much colder, it wouldn¡¯t be that much better from being outside the cave, on the surface of the.

    ¡°So how do you know so much about this ce?¡± Dorian asked, his eyes trailing on Arial.

    He still didn¡¯t fully trust her, not after meeting her so randomly. But she didn¡¯t seem to be misleading him, and had helped save his life by letting him hide away in here.

    Arial turned her head back to look at him as they jogged down a long, empty hallway before responding,

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this region ever since I grew up. I was born on the of Paxital.¡± She began, her voice melodic,

    ¡°My blood is special. While the vampires and Blood Wizards from the Three Families are usually more orderly, about 30% of all vampires are rogue, and don¡¯t align themselves with them.¡± She continued,

    ¡°A girl like me needs to know a few good escape routes to survive. This is the first time I¡¯ve been forced to use the Ice Keep route, a dangerous one in its own right, so I don¡¯t know everything. I only know what research has been pulled, beaten, and brought out.¡± She waved her hands around her,

    ¡°Like how to get to the Red Portal and how to activate it.¡±

    Dorian looked at the walls she had waved at. As he stared, he could almost see the energy running flush in them.

    Whatever she had stabbed on that throne had set off a chain of energy, causing the air and walls of the Ice Keep to be full of it. It had an ancient feeling to it. It wasn¡¯t something Dorian could touch or manipte, however. It just seemed to¡­ exist.

    ¡°Well, thanks for helping me.¡± He¡¯d gotten caught up in this mess because of her, but it was his own fault for exposing where she was in the first ce. He¡¯d say they were even in that regard.

    Arial shrugged,

    ¡°You¡¯re helping me back, after all. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve made it to the Ice Keep in one piece, or be able to reach the Red Portal as easily without your help.¡±

    They were silent for a while as they continued to descend. The walls took on a heavier, bluer tint as they moved lower, the stone bing less and less apparent. Everything was lit by eerie, blue light that seemed to be just barely present.

    Every once in a while, they would pause and stop, as Arial checked the path, twisting and turning with a frown, before they continued to jog, moving down different hallways or staircases. It was difficult to move fast in the maze of pathways.

    ¡°So what about this ce, then? Why does that blind Grakon live here?¡± He shifted the topic.

    ¡°Long ago, the Giants and Grakons were constantly at war. Towards the end of their reigns, for unknown reasons, the two races had onest, final war, one to overwhelm all others. A war to end all wars.¡± Arial narrated after studying Dorian for a second,

    ¡°Aristodemus the Coward was a legendary Grakon King, and a member of the Great Grakon Generals, the elite and most powerful members of the Grakon society, ording to the records I¡¯ve read.¡±

    ¡°When the war was at its peak, and had reached a fever pitch, there was a vicious battle that saw horrendous losses on each side. Aristodemus, in a previous battle, had been badly wounded, struck blind by the attack of a Giant Highwarrior.¡±

    ¡°Another Great Grakon General, Eurytus, had been simrly injured.¡±

    ¡°Brutally marred and injured, both Great Grakon Generals retreated back to Icicar under order from the ruler of the Grakon race, to heal from their injuries andter rejoin the war effort.¡±

    ¡°Eurytus, however, changed his mind, defying orders, and left to rejoin the Grakon defense, while Aristodemus continued on to Icicar.¡±

    ¡°The battle he joined was known as the Last Stand of the Grakon armies. It was a brutal battle that saw the death of nearly 80% of the Grakon race. The Giants suffered a simr fate, roughly 75% of their forces wiped out, forcing an end to the war.¡±

    ¡°What happened after that, exactly, is unknown. What is known, however, is that Aristodemus wasbelled a coward by the survivors, shunned and humiliated.¡±

    ¡°As a result of this, of his own race rejecting him, Aristodemus isted himself here, in the Ice Keep, where he spent the rest of his days.¡±

    Dorian was silent as he heard the tale, shivering slightly. The history of this world, even of a single character on this strange, was incredible. Though, in his opinion, this Grakon race sounded rather judgmental. To reject one of your own, humiliating him, for returning on orders to heal¡­ it didn¡¯t feel right to Dorian.

    They continued to descend. They started to find chunks of ice lining hallways, or even standing in the middle of them. Sometimes they ran into an entire wall of ice blocking the way.

    In those situations, Dorian stepped forward, unleashing a small ball of Emerald mes.

    These mes melted the ice instantly, clearing the way.

    He also devoured a Magic Herb from his Spatial Ring, trying to restore his energy. He was running at about 60% strength and felt exhausted.

    Using his Berserker Form had been a chore, especially when he Condensed it.

    His Condense Ability seemed to be a shifting technique that didn¡¯t always operate in the same way.

    When he Condensed some of his more normal forms, like the Giant Myyr Dragon, his body would shift to be smaller, but tougher and stronger, a few slight adjustments here and there.

    When he Condensed his Ifrit form, he would draw upon thetent Elemental Energy in his blood, exploding to great heights of strength, at a cost of damaging his gic bloodline and forcing himself to undergo gic repair.

    When he Condensed his Berserker Demon form, his physical body itself had transformed greatly. The eight arms his Berserker Demon form possessed had shifted to only two arms, and the actual shape of his body had changed.

    ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s because the Berserker Demon is an unstable bloodline?¡¯ He thought, shaking his head. It was yet another mystery to add to the pile.

    His thoughts ran all over the ce as they continued to descend, their progress rtively slow due to the increasingly annoying chunks of ice.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Sessive explosions rang out as Gerulf mmed a long, silvernce into the doorway blocking off the Ice Keep, his chest heaving from exertion.

    ¡°Piercing Magic: Heavy Point!¡± He chanted a spell as he punched forward, mming against the door.

    creeeeak

    An odd, echoing creek sounded off as the door shifted, sparks flying up. The array of symbols on the front of it were cracked, giving off wisps of bright white light.

    ¡°Gerulf, how much longer?¡± Siegfried¡¯s voice called out, ringing above the sounds of Gerulf¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve almost got it!¡± Gerulf called back, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead. The White Winter Bull hides that he wore were in a pile next to him, steam rising off his body. Small bits of Dark essence rose from his exposed Dark Points, the tell-tale sign of a Shade. The essence didn¡¯t contain any energy, and it rising off his body had no effect on him.

    It had been nearly an hour and a half that Gerulf had been going at the enchanted door.

    Even when he infused the Law he studied into his techniques, the Law of Might, one of the mostmonly studied Laws for those specializing in the three Physical Magics, he was only able to chip away at the door¡¯s defenses and halt its regeneration.

    If he stepped away for even a minute, the door would fully restore itself. The odd magic of this world kept things from breaking down far longer than normal, and this door seemed to be taking advantage of that, as well as its own unique magical properties.

    The fact that the Lightsworn Fox had managed to break past the door in mere minutes was proof to the incredible power the species held, at least in regards to their inborn Abilities.

    ¡°Anything else, Jasper?¡± Behind Gerulf, Siegfried was currently talking to the badly injured Light Wizard Shade, Jasper.

    The warrior had recovered enough to regain consciousness and basic mobility, thanks to the efforts of Mika, the other Light Wizard in their troop.

    ¡°No.¡± Jasper¡¯s voice was raspy as he talked, his eyes bloodshot.

    ¡°It was my own fault. The beast was incredibly strong, and I underestimated it. I didn¡¯t sense even a hint of the Power of Law within its blows, only raw physical strength.¡± He shook for a moment beforeying back down on a set of bundled fur coats and hides, pulled from one of the team¡¯s Spatial rings.

    Siegfried nodded his head, letting Jasper rest for the moment. Their opponents were wily.

    His eyes shed.

    No matter how vile or conniving their target was, they would stillplete their mission, or die trying.

    BOOM

    A sh of magic energy shot into the air as a collision echoed out,ing from the entrance to the Ice Keep. Faintly, in the background, the shes of the two giant King ss warriors could still be made out.

    Siegfried smiled.

    ¡°We¡¯re in!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Speaking of fighting, I¡¯ve never seen someone that has a Battleform AND a Dragonform.¡± Arial¡¯s voice echoed out as she responded, in the middle of a conversation about the Shades.

    They had traveled quite a distance and had decided to take a small break, taking a bit of time to rest.

    Dorian had chosen to close his eyes and rx, allowing his exhaustion to slip away slightly while he talked to the fox girl.

    ¡°Mmm, well, you could say I¡¯m a bit unique.¡± He returned, not opening his eyes.

    ¡®Ausra, what¡¯s a Battleform?¡¯ He had a good guess, but wanted to be sure.

    ¡®A unique transformation Ability found in some rare and powerful bloodlines.¡¯ She returned.

    He mentally nodded. It was more or less what he had expected.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡± He tantly lied.

    Silence reigned for a few seconds.

    ¡°I see. Well, what about you, by the way? Why are you here?¡± She continued,

    ¡°The only reason I¡¯m here is to escape from those Shades.¡± Her voice was filled with venom as she talked about her pursuers.

    ¡°Me?¡± He said, thinking his answer over.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off on a journey to save a friend, and find a huge store of treasure.¡± He decided to be honest.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Arial¡¯s voice peaked with curiosity.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to Dragonmount and then Paxital, right?¡± She asked. Dorian had mentioned his destination earlier, when they were talking.

    He grunted his acknowledgement.

    ¡°Then you must be one of the treasure hunters searching for the legendary Ascension Ruins on the of Magmor, huh?¡±

    Dorian blinked in astonishment. The treasure stash he had been given information for¡­ it was indeed located on the of Magmor. Specifically in a location called the Ember Gorge, ording to what the old ghostly Wizard had shared, in what felt like so long ago.

    ¡°People already know about it?¡± He sputtered, his eyes opening in shock.

    Arial gave him an odd look.

    ¡°Of course. All the strong locals in this section of the 30,000 Worlds have heard about the myth of the Ascension Ruins on Magmor. A magical area that is filled with treasure, and, even more enticing for the mighty, contains the recordings and history of various Lord ss, King ss, and even Angelic ss Wizards in their study of Law and journey towards Ascension.¡± She nodded,

    ¡°The only hard part is finding the ruins, which magically shift locations, and actually getting anything out of them. After all, this ce was a creation of one of the greatest Fate Wizards to have walked the 30,000 Worlds.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened, feeling as if his soul was trembling as she spoke, Fate seeming to twist in acknowledgement.

    ¡°The only human to Ascend to the Shattered Heavens within thousands of years.¡± Arial nodded again,

    ¡°Very few have the right to im even part of the treasure or knowledge left behind by the Great Lord of the Absolute.¡±

    BOOM

    Right at that moment, an echoing explosion shook the Ice Keep, resounding all the way to them, deep in the bowels. At the sound of it, Arial sprang up, her eyes glowing.

    ¡°They¡¯ve broken in! Quick, we need to hurry! We¡¯re almost at the Waterfall!¡±

    .

    .

    .

    Author¡¯s Edit: Changed thest line that Arial spoke in the previous chapter to read:

    ¡°Now all we need to do is reach the Waterfall.¡±

    Instead of,

    ¡°Now all we need to do is wait and hide.¡±

    I think this makes it a bit clearer what is happening.

    .

    .

 Chapter 80 - Sun Wukong vs Zero

    Chapter 80: Sun Wukong vs Zero

    On another world, far away.

    Sun Wukong sighed, the blue Halo above his head gleaming softly. The air around him crackled with power as he faced off against an enormous Divine Golden Lion. Behind him, the unconscious form of a giant Heavenly Quetzalcoatl rested, particles of light bleeding off of it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, my friend.¡± Sun Wukong said, his eyes shing.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to walk this path.¡±

    The huge lion simply stared back at the monkey, its entire body tensed.

    ¡°I am Zero.¡± His voice rang out, full of grandeur and might.

    ¡°I-

    ¡°Yes, I know who you are.¡± Sun Wukong cut him off, waving his hand casually. Despite the quiet tone of his voice, his words thundered in the air, a magnificent orchestra of brilliance.

    ¡°More importantly¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you are.¡±

    Sun Wukong stepped forward,

    ¡°I can see through you, my old friend.¡±

    Zero¡¯s eyes took on a red tint as he responded,

    ¡°I wi-¡±

    Before Zero could finish his deration, the body of the Monkey King blurred, his hands sped together as heunched himself forward at the Divine Golden Lion. The staff he wieldedtched onto his back, held secure.

    As he jumped forward, his sped hands writhed.

    ¡°Curse Magic.¡±

    ¡°Release the Seventh Seal: Herculean Strength.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, his right hand hovered over the left side of his chest, right on his heart. He then stabbed down with his fingers, blue light sliding off them to form the shape of a riveting seal. This seal sank into the flesh of his chest, and seemed to react, taking on a dark glow.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s body began to gleam as his muscles bulged, his physical form transforming from that of a small, average-sized monkey to a hulking, 3 meter tall muscr ape. His skin itself stretched outward, veins popping out as every fiber of his being seemed to be energized and mighty.

    ¡°Release the Sixth Seal: Golden Body.¡±

    Another collection of energy swarmed from his hands towards his heart, an image of a seal forming and sinking into his chest.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s body that had bulged out with muscles began to condense, shrinking back down to around 2 meters in height. The air around him seemed to solidify, as if his body had be incredibly dense and was beginning to physically affect the world around him.

    His every movement was imbued with virile energy, derived from the Law of Might, one of the strongest Laws that focused on physical power, and the Law that the Monkey King had masteredpletely.

    All of this took ce in less than a fraction of a second.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s attack in the middle of the lion¡¯s response took Zero byplete surprise.

    BOOOOOOM

    With a resounding impact, Sun Wukong punched Zero in the chest.

    The world seemed to explode around them.

    A colossal, roughly 1000 meter wide crater formed in the ground. Stone and rock shrapnel shot off into the air, while the earth beneath them was obliterated, reduced to dust. Enormous, heaving mountains were thrown up into the sky, cracking and breaking up into smaller pieces at the force of the blow.

    Zero¡¯s 60 meter tall lion form was sent flying, knocked nearly 2,000 meters away. Blood spurted out of the mouth of the immense creature, several of its ribs cracked. Its chest was caved in slightly, the impact breaking past its powerful defenses.

    Before it could keep flying, the giant lion mmed its legs down into the ground, a ferocious growl bursting forth from its lips. An unending stream of gold and white light wrapped around it as it forcibly threw off the impact from the Monkey King.

    Zero¡¯s eyes glowed red as he looked at the diminutive form of the Monkey King. Even from a distance, he could see the air around the powerful creature remaining still, despite the explosive storm raised by the attack.

    Zero locked gazes with the Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance, his eyes shing. A small line of blood dripped down his mouth.

    ¡°You cannot stop destiny, monkey.¡± Zero whispered.

    Sun Wukong raised his right hand in front of him, shifting his body slightly to the side.

    ¡°Release the Fifth Seal: Soul eleration.¡±

    ¡°Release the Fourth Seal: Latent Burn.¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s body shook, outwardly not changing much. His eyes, however, seemed to be endless, gaining a depth that could not be matched. His physical form seemed to be even stronger and mightier, all while standing still.

    Zero¡¯s entire physical form blurred as he raised his legs. A massive ball of energy formed in the air in front of him, made up of pure gold and white power. This energy was condensed from the very air itself around Zero, and the unending supply of energy within him, all in a split second.

    WHOOOOOOOSSH

    This attack took only a split second to summon, yet seemed to tire the giant lion greatly, causing its body to tremble from exertion. The golden light that surrounded it trembled in fury, particles shivering and shuddering.

    A concentrated beam of raw might shot forward, moving at an extremely fast pace. It melted through the air, destroying space itself as it ripped forward.

    An Ability only a Divine Golden Lion possessed, Annihtion Beam.

    This deathly beam of destruction mmed into the waiting hand of Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Shifting Waves: Turn the Sea.¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s hand twisted, ever so slightly.

    The almighty beam of destruction hit that waiting hand and physically turned, sting just to the right of the Monkey King as it was redirected, flying off into the sky high above them.

    Zero¡¯s chest heaved as it stared at the Monkey King, his eyes wide.

    ¡°You cannot defeat me, my lion friend.¡± Sun Wukong¡¯s voice echoed out as he began to step forward. Every step he took formed a hundred meter wide crater, throwing even more stone and rock into the already chaotic air.

    ¡°You can never defeat me.¡± The powerful monkey¡¯s eyes shed, absolute confidence rolling off of him.

    A flurry of emotions passed through Zero¡¯s eyes as he simply looked at the monkey.

    And then turned around, his body blurring as he fled. Golden light shook around the lion¡¯s body, helping it draw every iota of remaining power to move faster, to escape the monstrously powerful monkey.

    Sun Wukong watched it leave, his body gradually returning to its normal state. The rich, blue Halo around his head vanished. The body of the Heavenly Quetzalcoatly on the ground a few thousand meters behind him, having been tossed around due to the force of the battle.

    Several moments passed. By this time, the Divine Golden Lion had retreated more than a thousand miles, reaching a World Bridge that connected to this. The lion had already fled onto it, its body leaking blood that instantly vaporized.

    As soon as Sun Wukong was certain the lion was gone, he fell down on one knee. Blood spurted out of his lips as his body trembled. His hands shook, his entire body shuddering for a moment.

    The powerful, awe-inspiring Aura of the Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance seemed to fade for a brief moment.

    Bing a single monkey standing alone, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.

    ¡°This burden¡­ These hands of mine, they do shake, Master.¡± He muttered, looking at his trembling palms,

    ¡°I am but a simple monkey. Not a divine lion, nor a godly phoenix. Not a fierce dragon, nor a heavenly serpent.¡± He sighed,

    ¡°Just a monkey with a pair of special eyes.¡±

    ¡°I am unworthy.¡±

    He was silent for a long moment.

    ¡°But I will try to stop him, my beautiful Master.¡± He bowed his head as he looked briefly to the sky, his eyes gleaming.

    ¡°You were right, in the end. He has returned. The madness overtook him.¡±

    ¡°I only fear I am not enough.¡±

    He shook his head,

    ¡°You picked an unworthy disciple, Lady Ausra.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®Ausra, does Gworen Ice have any weaknesses?¡¯ Dorian asked as they sprinted down the hallway. The air was growing colder and colder, cold enough that it was causing his energy to drain in order to stay warm.

    The soft, feminine voice of Ausra replied,

    ¡®Extreme heat causes it to evaporate instantly. The magical properties of the ice make it extremely difficult to melt.¡¯

    ¡®Can my Emerald mes melt it?¡¯ He queried.

    Ausra was silent for a moment before responding,

    ¡®To some degree, yes, but very slowly.¡¯

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Dorian thought, considering.

    ording to Arial, the Red Portal was located past a bridge over a thousands-of-meters deep chasm. The Traveling Ice Waterfall swarmed down this chasm, crashing down on the bridge and under it.

    They needed to melt a path through this waterfall and cross the bridge before them. The melted ice would vaporize, while the ice immediately surrounding it would solidify, disrupting the odd spatial phenomena that allowed it to move like a liquid, forming a route they could pass through.

    Several more minutes passed as Dorian and Arial frantically descended. Soon they were forced to melt through several walls of ice, massive chunks that blocked the way entirely instead of just proving irritating.

    Finally, after 15 more minutes of dashing through twisting passages and melting through any obstructing ice, they found themselves standing in a huge underground hall.

    It was the biggest room in the gargantuan underground stronghold that Dorian had seen yet. It must¡¯ve stretched for a thousand meters wide, and hundreds of meters long. Ice coated everything, as expected, but beneath that ice, Dorian could make out dozens of what appeared to be forges, where a cksmith would toil and work, smithing weapons, tools, and armor.

    ¡°We¡¯re here! The Ancient Refinery!¡± Arial yelled. She ran forward, past all the forges and towards the exit on the other side of the room, arge and vast open doorway that stretched all the way to the ceiling nearly a hundred meters above them.

    Beyond that doorway, Dorian could make out a wall of crystalline blue.

    It was cold. Terribly cold. Dorian¡¯s breath froze in front of him as he exhaled, tinkling to the ground as tiny, little pieces of ice. He shivered uncontrobly, unable to help himself.

    He took a deep breath, forcing his body to warm up. He nced at his status as he returned to normal.

    He was draining roughly 10 points of energy a minute. Equal to the worst of being exposed to the brutal surface weather that Dorian had felt while traveling from the World Bridge.

    Dorian ran after her. Eventually, the duo stopped just outside the wide crystalline wall.

    Arial held up a hand, her humanoid form shivering as well. Gradually, a beautiful sword of light formed in her palm, one she held in front of her.

    She jumped forward, stabbing the wall of ice.

    creeeeeaak

    The entire wall exploded into shards of ice, peppering Dorian and Arial with cold, frozen bits of water. He held his hands above his head, shielding him as he looked past the now copsed wall.

    Almost immediately, Dorian had to brace himself to stop from being pushed backwards.

    Past the fallen wall of ice, he was left staring at a long bridge whose end he could not see. The bridge seemed to be made of pure gold and gave off a very faint golden light. It was covered in smooth carvings of Grakons using their enormous des and other Grakons smithing those same swords, showing a constant cycle between the two. From a birth of creation to a mire of destruction.

    There was no frost or ice coating this bridge. The ice that fell from the wall they shattered seemed to melt off the bridge as soon as it touched it.

    Dorian could only see about a dozen meters onto the bridge, where the stone walls to the side still coated it. Past that opening, everything transformed into a chaotic rush of white and blue.

    Rushing down onto the bridge, and sliding off it smoothly, was an unending stream of pure, blue and white ice. This ice held a seemingly incredible force, one that sted into Dorian¡¯s ears now that the restraining ice wall had been destroyed. The sheer fury of the ice as it collided with the magic bridge and ricocheted off was incredible. The raw might of an abnormal force of nature.

    The Traveling Ice Waterfall.

    To reach the Red Portal, they would need to cross past this.

    ¡¯20 points a minute.¡¯ He muttered, shaking his head at the drain. It was ridiculously cold down here. A regr human would freeze to death in merely seconds.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Arial turned to face Dorian, her Sun Sword giving off a warm, yellow glow as she held it in her hand.

    ¡°Ready.¡± Dorian took a deep breath, warmth starting to gather in his chest as he prepared his Emerald mes.

    The duo stepped forward and began to traverse the bridge.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°We¡¯re in! Everyone, move out! Tillow, carry Jasper. We¡¯ll take him with us!¡± Siegfried bellowed as he gave out his orders. There was no safe ce to leave one of theirrades, not out here in this city of death.

    ¡°Mika, use your Light Magic to track the trail they left. No matter how fast they are, the remnant heat signatures should still be present for at least a few more hours in the eyes of thews of the universe.¡± Gerulf shook his head as he heard the Axios Team Leader¡¯s orders.

    To be reduced to tracking via heat signatures. They had truly fallen far. If only their Fate Wizard teammates had survived.

    Still, in a frozen environment like this, especially in the underground stronghold where there was very little physical movement, it should prove an effective tracking method for at least a few hours. After that, though, the trail would fadepletely.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± The Shades rushed into the stronghold, in pursuit of the Lightsworn Fox. The door they damaged and forced open slowly began to regenerate, this time much slower than before. The damage it had suffered consecutively had started to take its toll.

    Their forms vanished as they disappeared, leaving the icy teau abandoned and empty.

    Thus, no one at all was present to notice the resounding battle and shes of the Iron Giant and the fallen Grakon King begin to fade away, the vicious battle drawing to an end.

    An end earlier than expected by all sides.

    Several long minutes passed.

    THUD

    A beaten, bruised figure of a scaled minotaurnded on the empty teau, staring up at the Traveling Ice Waterfall that pierced into the ground from above for a brief moment, the white cloth that was wrapped around its blinded eyes twitching.

    Gradually, the head of the undead Grakon King began to turn, drawn to the slowly regenerating door.

    It cocked its head to the side, an undecipherable expression crossing its face.

    Slowly, it began to walk forward.

 Chapter 81 - The Red Portal

    Chapter 81: The Red Portal

    ¡°Hah!¡± Arial¡¯s yell echoed, quickly drowned out by the ferocious roar of the cascading waterfall as she stabbed forward. A warm, strong Aura surrounded her as she focused, her de of pure light stabbing forward and then expanding.

    WHOOSH

    Steam exploded off the waterfall, vaporized Gworen Ice sting off into the air as her de instantly melted it. At the same time, a chain reaction seemed to spread from her sword, arge section of the waterfall trembling for a brief moment. The previously liquid ice shook and seemed to solidify, the space around it returning to normal for a brief moment.

    ¡°Now Dorian!¡± She called out.

    ¡°Emerald mes!¡±

    Dorian spat out a ball of green dragonfire, covering up the solidified portion directly in front of them. The powerful heat from his mes forced this part of the waterfall to remain solid, not allowing it to transform back into its odd liquid ice form. Space continued to solidify as Dorian focused on it.

    Arial ducked under this frozen ice, into a small, two and a half meterrge opening that had appeared. She continued to stab forward with her sword made of light, searing into the Traveling Ice Waterfall.

    A small path began to open under the frothing rage of the ice.

    Dorian kept up with his Emerald mes. The mes themselves were one of the lowest ranked types of dragonfire, and didn¡¯t require too much energy to operate, rtive to his current Soul Spell Matrix ss.

    WHOOSH

    Gradually, they began making progress. With Arial¡¯s Sun Sword piercing through and melting the ice in their way, and Dorian¡¯s Emerald mes preventing the magic ice from destabilizing, a long, several meters wide path formed, trailing all the way down the bridge.

    The further they walked under the ice waterfall, the colder it got. Ice formed on all sides of them, their breath freezing in the air as they moved. Dorian grunted as he looked at his arms, seeing theyers of cold creep up.

    Minutes slipped by.

    The bridge itself was long, at least a hundred or so meters by Arial¡¯s estimate.

    Dorian turned briefly and nced behind him, frowning. The path they burnt into the waterfall was left open.

    His head whipped back forward as he threw another wave of Emerald mes upward, keeping the roof stable as Arial broke through more of the ice.

    As long as they kept the front part of the ice path stable, the rest of the solidified space would remain, unmoving and unbroken.

    Soon, 15 minutes had slipped by.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the center of the bridge!¡± Arial¡¯s voice was tense as she yelled at Dorian, over the noise of the waterfall.

    The center of the bridge didn¡¯t seem very different to Dorianpared to the rest of it. The only notable change was the small, ck circle they passed over, set into the golden floor.

    Their enemies had yet to arrive.

    More minutes slipped by, and they made more and more progress.

    When they had reached roughly 90% of the way down the bridge, their luck finally ran out.

    WHOOSH

    A sixth sense in the back of Dorian¡¯s mind made him spin around, sending his left hand out in a punch. His movements were graceful and practiced, the memories in the back of his mind stirring.

    CRINK

    A crunching, metallic noise rang out as Dorian smashed a steel bar out of the air, knocking it into the stiff ice wall on his side. It dinged off the frozen ice, falling to the ground with an echo that was drowned out by the waterfall.

    He winced as he nced at his hand briefly, seeing a spot of blood. The steel projectile was infused with a mysterious strength that he couldn¡¯t entirely deflect. The power of Law.

    ¡°Dorian! mes!¡± Arial¡¯s voice called out, in half a panic.

    She was devoting her full concentration and force towards pushing ahead. If she wanted, she could protect herself from the ice while also pushing forward. Her progress would slow immensely without Dorian¡¯s help, however.

    ¡°Enemies!¡± Dorian threw out a ball of Emerald dragonfire, sealing the ces Arial had just melted as she worked closer and closer towards the exit.

    ¡°Damn. We¡¯re almost there!¡± Arial swore aloud and threw herself forward, golden light searing around her as she frantically stabbed through the magical waterfall.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Steel Magic: Core Javelins!¡± Siegfried lobbed a dozen more steel javelins down the dangerous looking waterfall path. He frowned as he watched the ck skinned humanoid at the end of the path deflect them masterfully.

    His Core Javelins were unlike some of his other Steel Spells. They would remain powerful and tough, even if deflected or damaged. Further, they would stay behind even if he was knocked unconscious or ran out of energy, a permanent creation, though the energy in them would dissipate after a few seconds. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to be effective against the ck skinned humanoid.

    ¡°Damn, they¡¯re too far.¡± He muttered, rubbing his eyes. His javelins could only do so much at a distance. He was a closebat specialist, after all.

    ¡°Mika, do you have any Light Spells that carry heat?¡± Their only Light Mage apart from Jasper, who was still out ofmission.

    The group of six shades was currently standing where Dorian had been roughly 45 minutes earlier.

    Their n to track the heat signatures of the Lightsworn Fox and her subordinate had paid off. The subordinate of the Fox was covered in strange mes that, ording to Mika, were constantly raising its temperature tobat the fierce cold. This left a clear heat signature.

    The only initially difficult part was the status of the world around them.

    The air, ground, and walls of the underground fortress were constantly vibrating with energy, making it somewhat difficult to track things.

    Thankfully, after they¡¯d painstakingly tracked the duo for around 15 minutes, they found a clear, melted trail through the fortress, one that was easily trackable. The Fox and her subordinate had been unable to cover their trail with the limited time they¡¯d had.

    Their path was already cleared for them, and the trail obvious. This allowed the Shades to race after the duo at a record pace.

    ¡°No, Siegfried. You know that.¡± She shook her head. All her spells were more focused on healing and support. She had a few attacking spells, but they were purely Light-Aspected.

    Jasper had a selection of targeted Light Spells that carried heat, but almost always stuck to normal closebat in his fighting. With him out ofmission, they didn¡¯t have anyone that could do much to the waterfall.

    ¡°My piercing techniques should be able to disce the ice temporarily if ites falling down. With the path already open, at least myself and one other should be able to flee or move forward.¡± Gerulf offered, waving his hand. Immediately, a glowing white spear appeared, one he pointed towards their targets in the distance.

    ¡°Alright. Mika, Tillow, Bulli ¨C you three are on support at the rear. Jasper stay down and keep recovering. Be ready to help pull us out if need be. Gerulf and I will continue forward alone.¡± His orders rang out with confidence and speed as he began to run forward, stopping just outside of the entrance to the waterfall.

    ¡°Gerulf, keep me covered! I¡¯ll lead us in!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hup! Hup! Hup!¡± Dorian grunted as he deflected steel javelin after steel javelin, his hands starting to burn. He split his concentration between that and throwing his dragonfire up to secure Arial¡¯s progress.

    ¡°Arrgh.¡± He wheezed, a small headache forming as he tried to focus on so many stressful things at once. It wasn¡¯t easy, especially considering the different ways he needed to simultaneously move the energy in his soul for each technique. Still, it was something he could handle, the long training in shaping energy and his will he had practiced in that mental prisoning in handy.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost there!¡± Arial¡¯s sing-song voice rang out as she informed him.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Dorian muttered, turning to share down the frozen pathway. He could make out the figures of two of the Shades chasing then, one of them sending a seemingly unending stream of steel javelins at him. The Shades were moving carefully, unable to sprint forward quickly in the cramped space.

    ¡°Basic Maic Maniption.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s hands wavered as he tried a different method, activating the Ability he gained from his ck Ambian Eagle.

    Immediately, Dorian felt a sense of control spread around him. In particr, he could physically sense the maic properties of the pieces of steel that were hurtling through the air towards him.

    Dorian fixed his eyes on these javelins.

    ¡°Push!¡±

    VRRRRrrrrr

    The shooting steel projectiles made an odd, echoing noise as they veered from their path towards Dorian¡¯s chest, stabbing into the frozen ice off to the side. The javelins pierced through the Gworen Ice, losing themselves in the part of the magical waterfall that was still moving, outside the stabilized space.

    As he pushed against them, Dorian skittered back a step. Using his Ability to redirect the force of the javelin caused an equal amount of force to push against him.

    Dorian grinned.

    ¡°Nice.¡± He muttered, waving away several more projectiles. His Basic Maic Maniption could only move something in a pushing or pulling fashion. However, as long as he leaned to the right or left and pushed off at an angle, it was more than enough to deflect the iing missiles.

    It saved his hands from further injury and made it much easier to handle the attacks.

    ¡°We¡¯re in!¡± Arial¡¯s voice echoed in Dorian¡¯s ears as she dashed forward, jumping off of the bridge, and out of reach from the Traveling Ice Waterfall.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian knocked two more steel projectiles out of his way before quickly following Arial, his chest heaving from exertion. Simultaneously using his Emerald mes to prevent the copse of the ice pathway while using his Basic Maic Maniption to avoid their attackers was incredibly draining.

    ¡°Haah!¡± The sword made of light that Arial wielded transformed into a whip, one that sheshed forward with. The searing light mmed into the sides of the still ice, throwing up steam as it caused the path to partially break apart.

    THUD

    CREEEAK

    Thest 20% or so of the ice pathway copsed, the frozen water returning to its disturbed state.

    The Shades that were chasing them stumbled backwards and stood still for a moment. They were roughly two-thirds of the way across, out of range of the copsing front section.

    The rest of the ice pathway held up, maintaining its integrity. With the work Dorian had put into keeping it stable, it would probablyst for at least a couple more minutes.

    However, with thest section of the pathway already blocked off¡­ the Shades were out of luck.

    A pair of steel javelins shed out at thest moment, soaring into the room towards Dorian. He activated his Basic Maic Maniption Ability again, causing them to veer off and fall to the ground, missing him.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± He fist pumped, falling to one knee as he caught his breath and looked around.

    They¡¯d made it across!

    They were in arge, mostly empty circr room, about 500 hundred meters across. A few grey stone pirs supported a ceiling far overhead, covered in, unsurprisingly, ice. The floor seemed to be made from the same gold material as the bridge, covered in the same carvings. Large chunks of the everpresent frozen ice coatedrge tracts of the floor.

    At the center of this room, set in the ground, was arge, 50 meter wide glowing red portal. The surface of this portal was calm and seemed to have depth, making it appear almost as if it was a still pool of water.

    The fluctuating energy of the world around Dorian seemed to be centered directly on this portal, one that silently radiated with otherworldly power.

    ¡°The Red Portal.¡± Arial¡¯s voice was filled with relief as she looked at it. She then smiled, turning to look at Dorian. The whip in her hand transformed back into its customary sword-made-of-light form.

    As they entered the room, the portal began to glow brighter and brighter, as if activating. They walked towards the center.

    ¡°Excellent! Let¡¯s get out of he-¡±

    ¡°GRRRAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRRRRRR!¡±

    Before Arial could finish speaking, a guttural, powerful roar shook the air, causing both of them to sp their hands over their ears in agony. This roar contained a mysterious power, one full of might and awe.

    A roar that was imbued with the power of a mighty, King ss Aura.

    .

 Chapter 82 - The Darkness Left By Yukeli

    Chapter 82: The Darkness Left By Yukeli

    The roar echoed forth with a might that could not be described.

    ck blood dripped out of Dorian¡¯s ears as he turned around in surprise, his hearing temporarily reduced to a simple ringing noise. His mind was sluggish, his thoughts clouded.

    He turned around, looking blearily at the Traveling Ice Waterfall. The falls was currently wavering, meandering back and forth at the force of the mighty Aura.

    Dorian¡¯s hearing gradually restored itself. He blinked as he cleared his vision, looking back at the Red Portal.

    ¡°The King ss Grakon returned early!¡± Arial swore, her eyes shing. She turned to look at Dorian.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost ready!¡± Arial called out to him, her voice filled with urgency as she waved him over near the side of the portal.

    Dorian winced. Her voice grated in his still-healing ears. He walked up to a spot a few meters away, standing next to the Red Portal.

    The red portal was glowing, bright light emitting from it. It seemed to have destabilized somewhat, however, the force of the King ss Aura messing with its internal energy. Chaotic, red sshes of energy sloshed around within it, looking dangerous.

    The powerful King ss beast seemed distracted by the Shades and the waterfall behind him. They should have just enough time to escape, he thought, his heart pounding, a mixture of excitement and fear.

    ¡°Is it still good to use?¡± He waved his hand at it, trying to force himself to think clearer. The oppressive Aura that was reigning down on him made it hard to concentrate.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Arial walked up next to him, nodding her head.

    THWUCK

    An intense, burning sensation punched through Dorian¡¯s chest, one thatbined with a feeling of pure, unadulterated agony.

    Dorian looked down inplete shock.

    A pure, golden de of light was stabbing out of his chest, pulsating quietly.

    He turned to look to his right, where Arial was standing.

    Her hand was on the grip of the de that had pierced into him.

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    Dorian flew several meters away, the de stabbing into the ground and holding his body still. ck blood burst out of his mouth as the piercing agony ripped through his mind, searing into him. His hands trembled as he tried to clutch at the de, and were subsequently burned.

    The pain was so overwhelming that his mind seemed to reject it, and his body became numb. A burning sensation spread throughout his system, almostpletely paralyzing him.

    ¡°W-w-why?!¡±

    Dorian threw up more blood, his entire body shaking. His vision grew blurry, making it hard to see.

    ¡°I-I helped sa-save you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    He looked at the humanoid Lightsworn Fox, his hands falling away listlessly. He coughed, his chest trembling,

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Arial walked over, looking down at him. She waved her hand, causing the de to fly out of his chest. The burning sensation began to fade as the de was withdrawn, but the grievous injuries remained. His body remained paralyzed, unable to move.

    Arial shook her head,

    ¡°You are far too sweet for this world, my dear Dorian.¡±

    In the background, another powerful yell shook the air, though this one less impactful than the previous one. The blind Grakon King seemed to have engaged with the Shades, a battle that would no doubt be brief considering their differing levels.

    Arial knelt down, stroking his forehead gently.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, but, well, desperate times call for desperate measures. With the Portal like this, it will barely take one of us away safely. More than that risks sending us into the boundaries of chaotic space, to a destination unknown.¡± As she spoke, she turned briefly to look at the red portal. It was still destabilized, but seemed to be, very slowly, bing less chaotic as time went by.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Dorian wheezed, his chest heaving,

    ¡°Yo-you didn¡¯t have to attack me. You could¡¯ve-¡±

    Another coughing fit interrupted his words, ck blood spattering out,

    ¡°You could¡¯ve just left.¡± He red at her, anger filling him as he tried to get over his shock. A fierce, resentful fury that raged in his heart.

    Arial gave him a small smile.

    ¡°My dear Dorian¡­¡± She traced one of her fingers gently across his cheek. Each finger had a small w at the end of it, wrapped in white fur.

    ¡°You seem to be under the illusion that I am a good person.¡±

    She stabbed the tiny w at the end of one of her fingers lightly into Dorian¡¯s cheek. A small trail of blood dripped down his face. Dorian couldn¡¯t even feel it, his body in a terrible state.

    His mind was in shock, making thinking difficult.

    ¡°Bu-but the evil Shades c-chasin-chasing you-¡±

    Arial put a finger over his lips, shaking her head.

    ¡°Evil? My dear boy, the Church of Light is many things, full of self-righteous, holier-than-thou, Priests and arrogant warriors, but, if nothing else, they hold true to their calling. They are far from evil, even to members not of the Shade race. Though, the same can¡¯t quite be said of their dreadful Shade King.¡±

    ¡°No-no. The-the corpses, they ki-killed t-the expedition, humans and vamp-¡± Dorian sputtered, his mind trying to understand the situation.

    ¡°Ohhhh, right.¡± Arial smiled, and then shrugged guiltily, her beautiful sing-song voice tinkling out,

    ¡°That was me.¡±

    Dorian just stared at her in disbelief,

    ¡°N-no, the corpses were fresh, they had just kil-¡± His mind went back to the scene where he had discovered the dead bodies.

    All of them had been freshly killed, at least only a few minutes dead, ording to Ausra¡¯s estimates. There was little room for error, not with his powerful eyes and meticulous Soul Spell Matrix Genie. He also vividly remembered seeing the Shade named Jasper rudely throw one of the dead bodies down.

    ¡°Oh, were they?¡± Arial shrugged, turning around once more to look at the slowly stabilizing Red Portal.

    ¡°Well, this is and of the dead. Death operates oddly here. Corpses decay at a very distorted rate, sometimes fast, sometimes painstakingly slow.¡± She stood up, shaking her head as she looked at Dorian.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed.

    The corpses had allcked Soul Spell Matrixes, something he would normally expect to find on a recently killed body. Further, as his mind focused on his jumbled memories, he realized that all the bodies had been covered in vicious burns.

    Burns that could onlye from some type of fierce weapon, giving off powerful heat.

    A weapon just like the glowing sword of light that Arial was holding.

    He had never actually seen any of the Shades kill any of the humans or vampires there. Only seen them moving some of the bodies, and one of them praying for them.

    His mind reeled as he realized his mistakes.

    Dorian looked at her, not knowing what to say.

    She looked away from the red portal and slowly stared at him, biting her lip. The glowing pool of red energy had just stabilized to a point somewhat simr to how it looked when they first arrived, but still obviously chaotic.

    ¡°me me all you want. My life is a cursed one anyway. Cursed to be forever alone, cursed to be hunted by those stronger than me. Cursed to live in fear, constantly fleeing. Without a family. With no one at all.¡± For the first time, the cheerful facade she wore twisted as her voice filled with emotion, her hands trembling.

    ¡°What could you know of that? Of my pain? Of my eternal loneliness?¡± She continued to look at him silently, her voice vicious. Her entire body shook, small tears appearing in her eyes.

    ¡°There is no being nice in the 30,000 Worlds. Justice does not prevail. Good does not win in the end.¡± She shook her head, clenching her hands into fists.

    ¡°The mighty rule, while the weak give way. That is thew of thisnd.¡±

    A moment passed.

    Arial regained control of herself, her smile returning as she wiped her face.

    ¡°Well, it looks like it¡¯s time for me to go!¡± She stretched her hands.

    ¡°Thanks for bringing up the idea to visit the Magmor! I was getting a bit bored ying around in thend of the Shades, looking for the legendary Ascension Ruins sounds like it could be fun.¡± She shrugged.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill you, I only left you injured after betraying you, so don¡¯t haunt me when you¡¯re dead.¡± Arial jumped backwards, singing out herst words to Dorian as her body vanished into the glowing red portal.

    ¡°Byeeee~¡±

    A bright, red sh of light echoed out as Arial disappeared, leaving Dorian alone.

    The paralysis that had gripped his body gradually began to fade. He went into overdrive as his body tried to restore the horrid injuries he¡¯d suffered, ones that had sapped an incredible amount of energy from him.

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡±

    A faint scream echoed in the background, just barely audible over the crashing waterfall of ice.

    Dorian¡¯s heart was plunged into guilt and rage as he slowly forced himself into a sitting position, throwing up blood once more.

    The dark tentacles in Dorian¡¯s mind that had spread fully began to writhe as his thoughts grew unstable. The memories he had forced to the back of his head, intending to deal withter, began to surge forward.

    A flurry of emotions rushed through him. His mental state, already unstable from the previous fight with the Shades and the strange, new memories, shook.

    Dorian looked at his trembling hands.

    He was too kind. Too trusting. Made assumptions.

    Time, and time again.

    Had he learned nothing?

    Was he going to keep repeating his mistakes? Over and over?

    The air around Dorian shook as his soul trembled, reality itself warping with his mental state. The air around him began to darken.

    Dorian¡¯s body transformed, his Ifrit form changing into his Berserker Demon form, a body that had strong regenerative properties as well as a much higher durability, ones that would surpass his current, and help him heal faster. Raw, furious anger forced its way into his mind as he transformed.

    BOOM

    A shockwave had mmed into him, flipping over his badly injured body.

    The frothing Traveling Ice Waterfall that had been raging down split in two as an enormous, hundred meter long swordpletely separated it, a sword that locked into ce on stone outcroppings that had been hidden in the doorways on each side of the bridge. Arge pathway across the bridge formed as the de settled.

    Dorian stumbled to his feet, clutching at his chest. The paralysis that had gripped his body was mostly shaken away, but the rest of his injuries were still potent, especially the searing hole that was only now healing in the center of his chest.

    thud

    thud

    thud

    A deathly form appeared, at the entrance of therge, circr room.

    The body of a mighty, undead Grakon, standing about 3 meters tall. It was casually carrying the bodies of the 6 Shades in its right arm. One of the Shades appeared to be near death, while the other 5 were still miraculously alive but badly wounded.

    The Grakon paused, its face turning slowly in Dorian¡¯s direction. The white wrapping around its eyes seemed to flutter briefly as it looked directly at him.

    At the same time, the dark tendrils that had spread throughout Dorian¡¯s mind from a hidden part of his soul, many days ago, continued to writhe with abandon. Tendrils that had been warping Dorian¡¯s thoughts from just before he killed those hunters that were torturing a deer, all the way to now. They pierced through his brain, through to his very soul itself.

    And then transformed, swallowing his mindpletely.

    In the deepest recess of Dorian¡¯s mind, a faint, ancient voice whispered towards Dorian¡¯s subconscious,

    ¡®Perfection¡­ seek for it¡­ in chaos.¡¯

    As darkness was taking Dorian¡¯s mind, however, a small, tiny beam of light shot into Dorian¡¯s soul, wavering forth from an unexpected source. From the quiet, resting soul of William. This beam of light buried itself in the core of his mind and soul, vanishing within.

    ¡®Kindness¡­¡¯ Dorian¡¯s was unaware of these happenings as his eyes turned bloodshot, the air around him taking on a dark, heavy edge.

    ¡®Kindness is weakness. Only through strength can I achieve my goals. I tried kindness.¡¯

    ¡®I gave it my everything. And it failed me.¡¯

    ¡®No more.¡¯

    Dorian closed his eyes slowly.

    ¡®No more.¡¯

    ¡®Condense.¡¯

    ¡®Warning! You can only maintain this form for roughly 87 seconds before internal dissolution! It is rmended to revert from this form immediately!¡¯

    He ignored the warning from Ausra as his body transformed, condensing into the unstable, but powerful Condensed Berserker Demon Form.

    As his mind settled, Dorian felt a kind of inner peace surround him.

    The thousands of memories that had jostled into Dorian¡¯s mind instantly exploded forth, and melded, perfectly transforming into his own memories, bing a key, core part of him. They filtered into his thoughts, no longer invasive memories from another man. But, instead, real memories that Dorian felt as his own.

    He opened his eyes and crossed gazes with the blind Grakon.

    And slowly, ever so slowly, a smile appeared on his face.

    .

 Chapter 83 - Dorian vs The King Class Grakon

    Chapter 83: Dorian vs The King ss Grakon

    ¡°Hahaha¡­HAHAHA!¡± Dorianughed out loud, a rush of exhration filling him. Pure, unadulterated confidence ran amok in his mind and heart as he looked at the powerful King ss Grakon before him.

    ¡®Why did I wait so long? Why did I let myself feel so down?¡¯ He shook his head, the pain and guilt from earlier seeming to slough off him.

    All he had, now, was his opponent and himself.

    Nothing else mattered.

    ¨C

    Species: Grakon (Desated) (Weakened)

    ss: King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 864,122

    ¨C

    ¡®The Grakon before you is badly injured, its maximum energy level greatly reduced as a result. Its reserves have been depleted, and it is in a weakened state. It is temporarily unable to Expand.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s cool voice rang out in his head.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Injured

    Energy: 33,287/69,027 (Condensed)

    ¨C

    His energy levels were down to a little less than half, even in his Condensed form. The injuries he¡¯d gained plus his own personal exhaustion had taken their toll, even with the rest he¡¯d gotten.

    Yet, even with all of that, Dorian felt great. Fantastic, even.

    Dorian ran forward. As he moved, he cast a spell.

    ¡°Fire Magic: me Swords.¡± He imbued the des with his Emerald mes Ability, giving them a potent strength.

    ¡°Grrrrr!¡± The Grakon carelessly tossed aside the Shades, holding its hand out. Immediately, the giant sword that had opened up a path through the waterfall flew back into its hands, shrinking to be just a few meters long.

    Shards of ice exploded into the room as the de returned to the Grakon, scattering across the frozen floor. Dorian dodged a pair ofrge shards, his movements agile.

    WHOOSH

    He threw a pair of me swords at the Grakon as he reached around 30 meters in front of it. At this point he mmed his right leg onto the ground, strafing to the side while keeping his distance.

    TINK

    The arms of the Grakon blurred as it twisted, wielding the enormous greatsword like a shield out in front of it. The green des of fire Dorian threw smashed into the sword, dispersing off of it as if they were nothing.

    ¡®Alright, I can¡¯t break that sword.¡¯ Dorian made an immediate judgement call, his eyes cool.

    ¡°GROOOAAAR!¡± The scaled minotaur leapt forward, its body blurring as it charged at Dorian. Two deep imprints of the Grakon¡¯s feet appeared on the golden ground, the force of the jump shattering a nearby clump of ice.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes were glued to its every movement. In his mind, a series of highlyplex, martial techniques rushed to the forefront, knowledge that came to him fluidly and naturally. A set of Mystic Martial Arts that were present in his new memories, ones he felt he had practiced over and over, unerringly, for dozens of years.

    A series of techniques that Dorian had used subconsciously, over the past few days.

    ¡°Shifting Waves: Walking the River.¡± Dorian¡¯s body blurred as he stepped forward, his every movement precise and controlled. As he stepped out, the Grakon¡¯s greatsword cut down directly where he was standing.

    As he moved, energy from his soul flooded into his legs, empowering them. A mental picture of him stepping carefully on the surface of a rushing river appeared in Dorian¡¯s mind.

    Dorian¡¯s body seemed to flicker, vanishing from where he had been standing just an instant ago, and reappearing a meter to the left.

    ¡°Rumbling Earth: Boulder Breaker.¡± Dorian punched out in a simple-looking, straight punch, his arm aimed towards the chest of the Grakon King. His movements were so fast and precise, it should be impossible for the creature to react.

    This punch drew upon the energy of his soul, using his Soul Spell Matrix to power it. As the energy flowed through him, Dorian mentally pictured himself smashing apart a huge, ten meterrge stone boulder.

    BOOM

    The body of the 3 meter tall fighter slid back a dozen meters before it nted its sword in the ground, forcibly halting.

    In the moment just before his fist was about to collide with the exposed chest of the powerful beast, the Grakon had jutted down with its elbow, just barely managing to block Dorian¡¯s strike. Despite that, it couldn¡¯t throw off the force of his attack entirely and was sent flying.

    Dorian frowned for a moment as he saw this. His attack had been aimed precisely and was in a blind spot. Even if the Grakon had an excellent sense of battle, it shouldn¡¯t have been able to block his strike with such precision.

    His eyes glowed with a bright light as he looked at his hands, smiling, exhration filling him as he felt the power of the blow he¡¯d send out.

    Mystic Martial Arts.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, there were two ways for any creature to grow beyond their bloodline limits.

    One way was through theplex study of magic, and the endless Magic Symbols that were used to create spells.

    The other was through Mystic Martial Arts.

    Where magic relied upon the use of Magic Symbolsbined with energy from the Soul Spell Matrix, Mystic Martial Arts relied purely on energy drawn from a warrior¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix, infused into their movements, and willpower.

    With precise control of one¡¯s physical form, and by concentrating energy from one¡¯s soul into one¡¯s movements, a warrior could vastly increase the strength of his blows. In addition, the energy from a Soul Spell Matrix was raw and vtile. By concentrating on certain elements or concepts, one could modify that energy to a small degree, allowing for mystical or magical movements or effects.

    At higher levels, warriors would imbue their attacks with energy borrowed from their surroundings, through the power of Law, bing even stronger.

    Dorian¡¯s soul was adapted for certain levels of Fire and Life Elemental energy, but he had yet to study or even touch upon any of the Laws of the universe. Without a basic foundation to draw upon, he would be unable to safely ess any of the Laws of the universe, even if he had a Lord ss Soul Spell Matrix.

    Still, the memories in his mind, ones that had melded with him, contained a vast, treasure trove of experience using four extremely powerful Mystic Martial Arts in particr, and arge number of other, lesser techniques on the side.

    Shifting Waves, Raging Fires, Rumbling Earth, Thundering Winds.

    ¡°GRRRR!¡± Dorian¡¯s blow had knocked the Grakon King back, but that was it. An attack of that scale could never truly injure it. It bounced back almost immediately, charging at Dorian again.

    As it moved, this time, a heavy, powerful Aura came crashing down on Dorian. Every movement the undead scaled minotaur made was full of incredible strength and gave off a feeling of overwhelming power.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he felt this. He knew this feeling.

    The Law of Might. The same Law that Helena studied.

    This time, instead of just a raw, furious charge, the Grakon moved with intelligence, gaining a certain level of grace. It seemed to be taking Dorian seriously now. Its movement speed ramped up, bing almost too fast for Dorian to react to.

    BOOM

    The Grakon sheared down with its sword, once more mming into where Dorian had been standing.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Three streams of green fire shot out and were all subsequently blocked as the Grakon raised its greatsword, knocking them away in one smooth motion. At the same time, a small shockwave sted out, crashing through the air.

    Dorian flipped over as he skidded across the mostly frozen floor, snarling slightly.

    The undead fighter was clearly experienced. That, in addition to the fact that it was much stronger than him, made for a very irritating opponent.

    ¡®You have 70 seconds until your body suffers irreparable damage. It is rmended to revert from this form immediately!¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out cooly in the back of his head.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes glinted as he flexed his hands, the small, dark condensed skin crinkling slightly. He needed to finish this quickly. He considered his options, briefly. He wondered if an Absorbption would work on an undead creature like this Grakon King. He had onest one remaining. After a moment, however, he shook his head, opting to not use it unless he absolutely had to.

    BOOM

    Dorian flipped off to the side, dodging out of the way once more as the Grakon smashed down where he had been standing. Shards of ice shot out into the air, arge dent left behind by the attack. As he moved, his eyes quickly scanned the entire room, taking in his surroundings.

    The various clumps of ice that covered the floor, the glowing red portal, the group of Shades lying on the ground off to the side, and the steel javelins that the Steel Wizard hadunched earlier.

    He took all of this in in a single split second and instantly came up with a n.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian sprinted away, throwing himself forward as he ran towards the entrance of the room, where the Traveling Ice Waterfall was pounding down on the golden bridge with abandon.

    As he ran forward, he drew upon the energy of his soul, moving his feet in an odd looking pattern.

    ¡°Thundering Winds: Flush Gale.¡±

    Energy flooded into Dorian¡¯s legs, and in his mind, he pictured himself soaring through the sky, moving forward while standing atop a great gust of wind.

    His body disappeared as he moved at an extraordinary speed, crossing over to the entrance roughly 200 meters away in a single movement.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Injured

    Energy: 22,382/69,027 (Condensed)

    ¨C

    Just those few attacks and movements had already cost him an extraordinary amount of energy, Dorian noted, as he checked his status.

    Part of this was because his soul was not used to the energy movements and flows of power he was forcing, leading to an inefficient exchange of energy that he couldn¡¯t avoid. The other part, however, was because of the techniques themselves. Each technique he used was incredibly high level and required arge amount of energy.

    ¡°Basic Maic Maniption.¡± He muttered, activating one of his Abilities. He braced himself as he did so.

    ¡°Pull!¡±

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Two of the steel javelins that one of the Shades had thrown after Dorian soared through the air, mming into his waiting palms. Each javelin was roughly a meter long and weighed at least a hundred pounds (45 kg).

    ¡°Grrrr.¡± The guttural roar of the scaled Grakon rang out as it spun around, facing Dorian unerringly despite its blind state.

    Dorian nodded as he saw this. He was starting to get a feel for the Grakon, a mental image of the powerful, but injured, King ss undead appearing in his mind.

    WHOOSH

    Several streams of glowing emerald fire shot forth as Dorianunched three more dragonfire attacks. These swords of fire contained more energy than the previous ones, giving off a brilliant light.

    ¡°Snort!¡± The undead Grakon flipped its greatsword out in front of itself in one smooth motion, smashing down two of the des of green mes. The third one missed, flying off past it where it collided with arge chunk of ice. Huge gouts of steam exploded out, covering the center of the room behind the Grakon King in a hazy fog that sparkled with remnants of the energy the dragonfire left behind.

    THUD

    The Grakon slid backwards several meters, crushing a clump of ice into shards. It looked down in surprise.

    A steel javelin fell to the floor, just a moment after mming into the right knee of the Grakon, causing it to stumble. Despite the surprise nature of the attack, the javelin was unable to cause the slightest bit of harm to the powerful beast.

    ¡°I see.¡± Dorian muttered, his mind racing.

    He¡¯dunched the steel projectile forward, under the cover of the three ming swords.

    It was still a Late King ss warrior, even if it was one that was weakened and undead. Its physical body was abnormally tough, even considering that it studied the Law of Might, an incredibly strong physicalw that not only boosted physical strength, but at higher levels endurance and defense as well.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect to injure it.¡± He shrugged. The javelin¡¯s purpose was never to injure the Grakon.

    Only to test the theory Dorian hade up with, drawing upon his vastbat experience, from the thousands of memories that had flooded into his brain.

    ¡°You are blind.¡± He muttered, ring at the Grakon as it began to charge towards him.

    ¡°But you can see energy.¡±

    The Grakon¡¯s movements were odd. From Dorian¡¯s observations, it was a keen and talented warrior, with an excellent sense ofbat. It could follow his attacks, and deflect them, even the ones he ced carefully.

    Yet, something as simple as a steel javelin hidden beneath a few des of dragonfire, something that barely qualified as a sneak attack in Dorian¡¯s eyes, had managed to slip through this excellent warrior¡¯s defense.

    Dorian¡¯s intuition told him he was right.

    This Grakon was blind to normal light but could see energy trails, residue, or energy itself clearly. The reason it was unable to deflect such a simple surprise attack, yet was able to keenly detect his well-hidden Boulder Breaker punch, was also clear to him.

    The energy in this particr area was constantly in flux. The entire underground structure was practically vibrating with ancient energy.

    In the undead Grakon King¡¯s eyes, it must be a hellish maze of distortions. The fact that it was able to block Dorian¡¯s attacks, and, indeed mount a powerful offense was credit to the fallen warrior¡¯s own great talent as a fighter.

    But so what?

    Memories of great fighters challenging Dorian ran through his mind in a second. Hundreds of proud sons of heaven, powerful and valiant warriors, to thousands of vile, destructive demons.

    One and all, Dorian had faced down every one.

    And, in his memories, never lost.

    Not even once.

    He was the greatest martial artist to walk the 30,000 Worlds.

    One of the Five Heroes of the Yale Demon Invasion, the Third Great War.

    The Great Lord of the Absolute.

    Dorian clenched his fists as he charged at the Grakon. The Grakon, in turn, continue to charge right at him, leading its attack with its greatsword cutting forward with what seemed like an unstoppable amount of force.

    His mind was cool and collected as he jumped into the air, and simultaneously activated two of his Abilities.

    ¡®Hyperion Beam.¡¯

    ¨C

    Ability: Hyperion Beam

    This rare Ability, found in a very limited number of creatures, allows a being to hypercondense energy in the air into a deadly orb of raw power, and then direct this energy in a concentrated beam. The destructive potential of this Ability is dependent on the strength and power of the user, and can be increased indefinitely as long as the user continues to hypercondense energy from the air.

    ¨C

    A small ball of concentrated energy formed in Dorian¡¯s right hand, twitching in the air as it began to gather power. This ball started to rapidly increase in size.

    ¡®Moving Force.¡¯

    ¨C

    Ability: Moving Force

    An ability unique to the newly created race of Berserker Demons, these creatures have the unique power to draw upon the energy of the world to increase their momentum. This drawing on is done subconsciously as they move forward, increasing in power and strength the longer they run undisturbed. The only real limit to this technique is the physical strain it forces upon the user.

    ¨C

    Every step Dorian took filled his body with an incredible feeling of momentum. His speed picked up as he charged in a straight line, making his movements and power faster and faster.

    In a single second, Dorian and the Grakon King reached each other, crossing a hundred meter gap as if it was nothing.

    WHOOSH

    The giant sword of the Grakon cut towards Dorian¡¯s body, this time moving with unerring uracy. A huge concentration of force was focused on the end of the de, a full powered strike that contained an unbelievable amount of power. The Grakon had put its full strength into this attack, drawing on every part of its damaged body.

    A full powered blow from a Late King ss warrior, imbued with the Law of Might.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes were unmoving as he looked up at the deadly strike, raising his left arm in front of his chest. His right hand still held the charging orb of power.

    ¡®This is going to hurt.¡¯

    ¡°Shifting Waves: Branching Stream.¡±

    BOOM

    THUD

 Chapter 84 - Give and Take

    Chapter 84: Give and Take

    ¡°Shifting Waves: Branching Stream.¡±

    Cool energy rushed from Dorian¡¯s soul, imbuing itself within his left arm. He visualized a river that split into two branching streams, flowing evenly on either side.

    WHOOSH

    The meters long greatsword that the Grakon wielded seemed to expand, growing in scale. The air trembled as it cut down, bearing an unstoppable amount of force, imbued with the Law of Might. The full-powered strike of a King ss fighter.

    This sword pierced straight towards Dorian¡¯s head.

    Dorian¡¯s left arm blurred as he punched forward, vibrating at a very fast frequency.

    The sword and Dorian¡¯s left arm collided.

    BOOM

    THUD

    ¡°Arrrrgh!¡±

    Dorian sailed past the Grakon, crashing through the incredible impact thanks to the power of his Moving Force Ability. His mind shook, however, and the attack from the Grakon physically jarred him, causing the Ability to deactivate.

    He just barely managed to maintain the still charging Hyperion Beam Ability by giving it his full focus, his eyes bloodshot.

    The Grakon King finished charging forward, smashing its legs into the ground as it forcibly came to a halt. Shards of rock and ice shot up in the air as it stopped its charge. Its greatsword was stained with ck blood.

    The Grakon cocked its head as it stared at the floor.

    Specifically, at an arm that had just been sheared off and was lying still, ck blood leaking out of it.

    Dorian¡¯s ck-skinned left arm.

    ¡®Ow dammit-¡® Dorian mentally cut himself off as he forced what was left of his left arm to stop bleeding, scrambling forward. He blocked out his sense of pain, using a mental trick he¡¯d gained over his memories of long years of martial practice.

    No matter how powerful his Mystic Martial Arts, no matter the strength of his Abilities, Dorian could not escape the fact that his Soul Spell Matrix and physical form were only at the Lord ss in terms of strength.

    The gap in strength between an Early Lord ss warrior and a Late King ss warrior was immense.

    The sheer power difference between Dorian and the King ss Grakon was absolutely not something that could be ignored. Now that the Grakon had grown serious, its every movement and attack was one that could obliterate Dorian without resistance. A simple touch from the powerful beast contained the Law of Might, and therefore an incredible amount of force.

    Dorian was well aware of this.

    However, to defeat the King ss Grakon, he needed to charge past it, right here, and right now. He was on a strict time limit.

    Therefore, he did the only thing he could.

    Hepletely redirected the force of the impact, saving his life, but at the cost of losing his left arm.

    ¡®In the end, an injury like this is nothing.¡¯ He thought as his body hurtled forward,forting himself. He could technically heal from any injury using his Soul Spell Matrix, without having to rely on healing spells or medicine at all, though the energy point cost was bound to be prohibitive.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian¡¯s body disappeared into therge cloud of steam that had been kicked up in the center of the room by the streaks of green dragonfire he¡¯d thrown just a few moments earlier. Faint sparks of green energy could still be seen, slowly fading in the steam.

    The Grakon King paused, staring at the cloud of water vapor and energy with confusion. It jogged forward a few steps, holding its greatsword out cautiously in front of it. Its movements were tentative and testing.

    The steam from the melted ice was full of remnant sparks of energy left behind by his Emerald mes. The remnant energy was only there because Dorian overloaded the attack with energy, and would onlyst for fifteen or twenty seconds.

    But that was more than enough for Dorian.

    The Grakon King¡¯s vision allowed it to see the world mired in energy.

    If Dorian¡¯s guess was right¡­ that meant a cloud of steam like this, full of rampant energy, would make him invisible.

    ¡®Charge¡­charge¡­¡¯ Dorian mentally whispered as he looked at his right hand. At the charging orb of rippling ck energy.

    His still-charging Hyperion Beam

    ¡°GRRRR!¡± A loud guttural roar rang out as the Grakon King stepped closer and closer, its movements calm and collected. It began to move forward at a faster pace. It held its greatsword out in front of it, a weapon that was starting to expand in size, growing to be 10 meters long.

    A few seconds passed. The Grakon King had yet to reach the steam and appeared to be waiting for it to die down, instead of rushing in carelessly.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt his arm shiver. The orb of power in his hand had grown and expanded, bing roughly the size of a basketball.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Injured

    Energy: 6,133/69,027 (Condensed)

    ¨C

    He peeked at his status, nodding his head grimly. He could feel the exhaustion, andck of energy, within him. The injuries he¡¯d taken were brutal, and far above what any normal creature could reasonably be expected to survive.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ He thought, his eyes twitching back to the orb of power for a moment before looking out across the steam, at the charging Grakon. His Demonic Eyes gave him an enhanced vision, letting him see through the dense steam as if it didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡®Action.¡¯

    ¡°Emerald mes!¡±

    Dorian spewed out three balls of emerald fire, scattering them up, a meter or two above the steam. Instantly, most of the steam that was high up in the air dissipated, leaving only the bottom portions remaining. The leftover energy from his Ability shivered and fell, causing the steam near his feet to be even denser.

    The Grakon spotted Dorian immediately, and let out a yell, its body blurring as it charged at him. Its heavy, powerful Aura surrounded it, causing it to crack the golden floor as it ran.

    Dorian watched its movements calmly, his right hand shaking slightly. Maintaining the charged Hyperion Beam attack was slowly starting to be more and more difficult.

    THUD

    THUD

    The Grakon charged forward fearlessly, its feet smashing down on the ground.

    When it was just a couple dozen meters away, however, the undead King seemed to trip slightly, as if realizing something. Immediately, it forcibly mmed its sword down, cracking the ground as it jerked to a halt. A small, two meter long gouge was cut in the golden floor as it slid to a stop. A small explosion of wind sted out at the impact, scattering the remaining portions of steam.

    Revealing the glowing Red Portal that stood between Dorian and the Grakon King.

    ¡®Toote.¡¯ Dorian thought, his eyes narrowing on the scaled minotaur,

    ¡®I knew you¡¯d figure it out.¡¯

    ¡°HYPERION BEAM!¡±

    The ball of concentrated power sted forward, cutting through the air in a split second. The energy in this beam of light was hypercondensed, and contained an incredible amount of force. Dorian¡¯s body flew backward as heunched it, the most powerful attack he had ever sent out. He didn¡¯t even bother trying to stand still and bear the bacsh.

    As he was flying back, he activated his Moving Force Ability.

    His beam attack moved with an incredible amount of speed.

    Despite that, despite the surprise nature of the technique and the near instantaneous attack speed, the Grakon King was still a powerful, King ss beast. A legendary fighter that, while now undead and weakened, had at least some of the experience and wisdom it had gained in its living life. Aristodemus the Coward, a Great Grakon General.

    In the moment before the attackunched, the Grakon King managed to predict it and moved to dodge it. In the split second before the Hyperion Beam wouldnd, the fallen General made the determination that letting the attack hit it would be far too dangerous.

    It couldn¡¯t kill the Grakon King. But in the fighter¡¯s current injured state, a blow like this would worsen already dire injuries, and it was possible the humanoid in front of it could manage to defeat it, or worse, escape and besmirch what was left of its honor.

    In that instant, the Grakon King stepped to the side, dodging the attackpletely.

    An oddity arose, however.

    Dorian¡¯s Hyperion Beam wasn¡¯t aimed at the chest, or the neck, or even the head of the Grakon King.

    It was aimed at the right hand of the fallen Great General.

    Specifically, the hand that was holding on to the Grakon King¡¯s sword.

    A sword that was firmly nted in the ground.

    Unable to move the heavy de out of the ground in such a short period, the Grakon King was forced to let go of it for a brief moment as it dodged to the right.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he saw this, his smile widening.

    ¡°Got you.¡±

    ¡°Basic Maic Maniption!¡±

    ¡°PULL!¡±

    THUNK

    A heavy, steel javelin shot forward and mmed into the back of the Grakon King. One Dorian had casually left on the ground earlier, before he charged forward.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian yelled out loud as he physically sted backwards with as much force as possible. His Moving Force Ability made his momentum far more potent,bining with the bacsh from his Hyperion Beam.

    As the steel javelin collided with the back of the Grakon King, Dorian felt his insides seem to twist. He kept ¡®Pulling,¡¯ drawing fully upon his Ability.

    The power from his Moving Force Ability and the momentum of the steel javelin seemed tobine. Dorian¡¯s body twisted and instantly came to a halt, his remaining arm trembling with strain as he stopped, the impact transferring over to the steel javelin as it hit the Grakon King.

    His Basic Maic Maniption Ability allowed Dorian to do two things. He could ¡®Push¡¯ maic objects and he could ¡®Pull¡¯ them. How much he could ¡®Push¡¯ or ¡®Pull¡¯ depended on how much energy he had, but also his own physical state.

    Just like on earth, in the 30,000 Worlds, all energy in a system must be conserved.

    When Dorian ¡®Pushed¡¯ the steel javelins back on the bridge, he was knocked back a step each time, due to him redirecting the force of the impact.

    Likewise, if Dorian was to ¡®Pull¡¯ one of these javelins, while moving backwards at a very fast speed¡­ his own physical force would transfer over.

    And that force was just enough to hurl the Grakon King forward, catching itpletely by surprise.

    ¡°GRRR!¡± The Grakon King spun around, its arms iling as it sailed through the air. It reached out for its de, its hand stretching for it.

    The sword flew towards the Grakon King, exploding from the golden ground as it broke free and started to expand.

    Unfortunately for the Grakon King, it was toote. The second it needed to make the de fly over had cost it.

    The powerful momentum carried it into the Red Portal.

    ¡°GRRRRrrrrrrrr.¡± The guttural roar of the Grakon King was cut off as it fell into the Red Portal, its body beginning to vanish. It iled its arms ineffectually in anger, its sword flying off tond next to the portal.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed darkly as he saw this. His soul trembled as he focused on the portal, his chest heaving.

    ¡°Flicker.¡±

    His mind grew hazy as he put his every inch of willpower into a singlemand.

    The glowing light of the Red Portal seemed to swirl for a brief moment.

    Dorian felt his head grew light as thest remaining bits of energy in him vanished. His soul trembled.

    Fate twisted.

    The body of the Grakon King vanished, transported away.

    But just as the right arm of the Grakon King was falling through the Red Portal, the glowing pool of energy¡­ flickered.

    Temporarily deactivating for just a brief second.

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    A quiet echo rang out as the arm of the Grakon King flew off, crashing down onto the ground near its sword.

    A quiet moment passed as the tension and violence of the moment faded, the bits of remaining steam casually fading away. A sense of calm gradually began to appear.

    Dorian stared at the severed arm of the Grakon King, and then looked at his own arm.

    ¡°An arm for an arm, my friend.¡± Dorian smiled, a small trail of blood leaking from his lips.

    WHOOSH

    The Red Portal reactivated. As it did so, however, chaotic bursts of energy rang out, setting the air astir. The portal itself seemed to have be even more destabilized.

    ¡®Danger! This stronghold has be extremely unstable! I am detecting extremely dangerous levels of energy fluctuations! It is estimated that this underground fortress will detonate in approximately 84 seconds.¡¯

    .<i></i>A</h4>

 Chapter 85 - Leaving

    Chapter 85: Leaving

    ¡¯84 seconds.¡¯ Dorian thought, stumbling slightly. His chest heaved from exertion, exhaustion tugging at him.

    ¡®I took it down.¡¯ Exhration filled him, grim happiness at surviving. He blinked for a moment, however, his thoughts shing slightly.

    ¡®I am¡­ the Great Lord of the Absolute? I am also Dorian. I AM Dorian. Dorian is I.¡¯ He clutched at his head slightly with his remaining arm.

    He could feel those battles, those wars, growing up as a small child.

    Those were HIS scattered, iplete memories. That was HIM.

    At the same time, he was Dorian, a boy born to a loving family on Earth, appearing on this strange world after his death.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Having two sets of memories as his own¡­ It was incredibly disorienting.

    Logically, Dorian knew that he wasn¡¯t that child, that warrior. That those memories might feel like his own, but that they weren¡¯t actually.

    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel every emotion in them, feel the pains of hundreds of battles and the knowledge that came with it.

    ¡°Whatever. Now is not the time.¡± He made an instant determination as he looked at the walls that were starting to tremble. He would fully review all his memoriester.

    Dorian¡¯s body transformed as he slipped back into his Ifrit form, releasing his Condensed Berserker form.

    As he finished, however, his eyes twisted, and he turned to stare at the glowing Red Portal.

    Its energy flow was chaotic, and dangerous, at least ording to Arial.

    But it was the only way out of here that he could reach, in the brief period of time he had left.

    ¡°First things first.¡± He muttered,

    Dorian sprinted over towards where the sword and arm of the undead Grakon King had fallen.

    ¡®Absorb.¡¯

    WHOOSH

    The sword of the Grakon shivered and copsed as Dorian absorbed the energy within it. Right after, Dorian moved to put his arm on therge, scaled arm of the Grakon.

    ¡®Absorb. Ausra see if you can get anything from this.¡¯

    ¡®Scanning¡­¡¯

    ¡®There are strange remnants of energy and power on this arm, as well asrge remnants of a damaged King ss Soul Spell Matrix. There is only a small amount of remnant energy.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed when he heard that.

    ¡®Absorb it, immediately!¡¯ Even if he couldn¡¯t get all of what he wanted, just taking in the small bit of energy would be useful.

    ¡®Absorbing¡­¡¯

    ¡®Afterbining remnant information, the data for the Grakon bloodline has been sessfully reconstructed.¡¯

    ¡®Grakon Bloodline acquired.¡¯

    ¡®You have 62 seconds till the stronghold around you copses.¡¯

    Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head in quick session, sending him a series of notifications. He nced over them all, nodding his head and smiling.

    He¡¯d gotten the Grakon bloodline! Finally!

    He couldn¡¯t wait to grow the bloodline, andbine it with his other forms. Especially for its Expand Ability.

    ¡°Arrrgh.¡± A voice moaning in pain drew Dorian¡¯s attention as he stood up.

    The group of Shades was lying on the ground, bedraggled and tired looking. They were covered in injuries, with most of them unconscious.

    Dorian could see that one of them was awake, the most injured one in the group. The Light Wizard that Dorian had beaten earlier. Jasper was his name, ording to what hisrade had said.

    His face was covered in blood. His skin was pale and sweat covered it. His entire body was shaking as he stared at Dorian, fear in his eyes.

    Dorian slowly walked over, scanning the group. They were all, somehow, still alive.

    ¡°S¡­ st¡­ stay away.¡± Jasper¡¯s voice was raspy as he whispered as loud as he could, one of his arms twitching as he tried to raise it. His body was, unfortunately, in too terrible a condition to move. He could only stare at Dorian in fear and horror.

    Dorian walked over to stand in front of the Light Wizard, ncing down at him.

    In the back of Dorian¡¯s mind, an ancient voice appeared once more. This voice was quiet, inaudible in reality. At a subconscious level, however, the voice could just barely be heard, a pale, wavering whisper,

    ¡®Kill him.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes were still bloodshot as he stared down at the Shade that had attacked him earlier.

    In his mind, that darkness that had spread and was present in every part of his brain, swallowedpletely, seemed to writhe. Dorian¡¯s body was exhausted and drained, vulnerable.

    His right arm moved almost automatically, without thinking, as he grabbed ahold of the powerful Shade, lifting him up by the neck.

    ¡®Kill him.¡¯ The whispering voice echoed quietly, repeating itself,

    ¡®Step into chaos. Seek perfection.¡¯

    ¡°Ulp!¡± Jasper struggled, his eyes twitching as he did everything he could to get out of Dorian¡¯s grasp. He was helpless, his body listless.

    Dorian slowly began to close his hand, choking him.

    A second passed.

    Jasper¡¯s eyes filled with despair as they rolled up in the back of his head, the Shade slipping into unconsciousness.

    ¡®Kill him.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s arm shook as he stared at the Shade he was killing.

    His heart trembled.

    A part of him seemed to be dying inside, yelling at him to stop.

    But the darkness in his head was overwhelming. It drowned out everything, casting aside his emotions, his thoughts, his worries.

    A darkness forced upon Dorian¡¯s soul, out of his control.

    A darkness left behind by a God.

    Dorian felt as if he was starting to lose himself.

    As Dorian¡¯s soul was trembling, something shed out of it.

    A small, gentle spark of light that shed against the darkness, full of hope and light.

    A memory appeared in Dorian¡¯s mind.

    Like a man drowning at sea, Dorian reached out, clinging to this memory, letting it fill him.

    It was a memory full of emotion.

    A memory of a conversation between Dorian, and a Wizard he was on a journey to save.

    William. A friend.

    Sitting in a grassy meadow, surrounded by trees and the remnants of a fierce battle.

    ¨C

    William was staring up at Dorian, from back on the of Hasnorth, when Dorian had been in his Myyr Dragon form.

    ¡°Why did you save me?¡± William¡¯s voice was full of disbelief as he stared at Dorian.

    The mighty looking Myyr Dragon had cocked its head, studying William for a moment before responding,

    ¡°I guess because it felt like the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± William¡¯s face flushed as he struggled to stand up, ring at the dragon in helpless anger.

    ¡°I¡¯m your enemy! I tried to capture you! I even helped lead them to you.¡± As William spoke, his voice¡¯s pitch went up, sputtering,

    ¡°If you were smart, you would kill me right now! How do you know I won¡¯t lead them to you again?!¡±

    A moment passed as William¡¯s words had settled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you won¡¯t lead them to me.¡± Dorian had said, shaking his head, his eyes glinting,

    ¡°But I will live how I choose to live, and not a damn thing in this universe will change that. Maybe I don¡¯t have the strength, right now, to back those words up.¡±

    ¡°But one day I will. What kind of huma-ahem, what kind of Dragon would I be, if I didn¡¯t live up to what I believed in?¡±

    ¨C

    The memory faded, the spark of light slowly fading away.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened, however, as he shook his head, awakening from his stupor, his sense of self firmly returning. The darkness lingered, however, still present in his mind.

    thud

    He let go of the unconscious Shade, dropping him to the floor as he stumbled backwards in confusion.

    ¡°Wh-what the hell was that?''¡±He shook, coughing up a small amount of blood as he looked at his arm. He rubbed his head, feeling sick all of a sudden.

    ¡¯30 seconds till this area copses.¡¯ Ausra interrupted his thoughts with a cool warning.

    ¡°Arrgh.¡± Dorian swore as he knelt down next to the shades again, wondering why every single part of his body seemed to be screaming at him in pain.

    ¡®Absorb.¡¯

    The Shades were covered in blood and injuries. Dorian tapped his ws on several patches of blood, absorbing it.

    ¡®Shade Bloodline acquired.

    As soon as he received the notification, Dorian began to grab the Shades, piling them all on his shoulders and back. His body was one that was abnormally strong in its own right, even in his Ifrit form.

    Despite missing an arm, he should¡¯ve been easily able to carry the weight of the 6 Shades.

    Unfortunately, every step was a trial as Dorian heaved, blood spurting out of his injuries. His body was in the worst condition it had been in yet.

    ¡®Damn. Can¡¯t I go at least one week without getting almost killed?¡¯ He thought, cursing his luck.

    ¡®You have 15 seconds till the area copses.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s chest shook as he dragged himself and the Shades next to the Red Portal. He looked down at the glowing pool of light, one that was shaking back and forth. It would teleport anyone that stepped into it to an unknown location, due to the random energy fluctuations.

    ¡°Godspeed, Shades. You, apparently, were good people, so I will try to let you live. Goodbye.¡± Dorian unceremoniously threw them into the Red Portal, a sense of relief washing over him as he lost the heavy weight.

    At least they wouldn¡¯t get teleported right on top of the angry Grakon King Dorian had sent through it.

    ¡®You have 10 seconds till the area copses.¡¯

    Dorian took onest look around the frozen chamber. The walls were beginning to crack, ice and rock shivering.

    He turned his eyes back to the Red Portal.

    ¡®You have 5 seconds till the area copses.¡¯

    ¡®Please drop me off somewhere where I won¡¯t die.¡¯ Dorian sent up a mental prayer as he hurled himself forward, falling into the Red Portal.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian¡¯s body shivered and vanished.

    BOOM

    Just a few secondster, rampant energy exploded outward as the huge underground chamber and fortress copsed, detonating due to its unstable state. The city of Icicar shifted as a third of its area blew up, sending enormous chunks of ice, stone, and dirt cascading about, damage that even the oddndscape of Blizzaria could not restore.

    Leaving behind a small, red portal that gradually fizzled out, itsst light struggling to live, but slowly fading to darkness.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Many miles away, on a distant.

    Mello rubbed his chin, trying to cover a smile as he looked at the report he had just received. It was made of shing green paper, with blood red words spelled out on it. A magical transcript sent across fate to him, an official offer of alliance.

    He was sitting in a small library in arge, decorated blue mansion, in the middle of Ayborn City, a medium-sized town in a random kingdom, on a random Lesser. Ayborn was dominated by the pointy-eared Aethmen, a prosperous, lively town.

    Mello was currently in his Sea Aethmen form, a small, blue skinned humanoid with gills and slight scales. It was, he had determined, his favorite humanoid form. His main form wasn¡¯t exactly a body he could use everywhere.

    ¡°Number 76. Number 54. Have you two decided on names for yourselves?¡± His voice echoed softly in the small study as he looked over the message.

    The walls of the study were covered in books. There was arge, wooden desk at one end, and a couple sets of chars and armchairs at the other, around a small firece set in the wall.

    Two humanoid figures could be seen sitting on a pair of armchairs a few meters away from him.

    One was demonic looking, with charred grey skin and a wide set of sweeping, edged horns sticking out to either side of its head. Arge, glowing green gem was set on the being¡¯s forehead, giving off a faint gleam of light. Its body was muscr and gave off a feeling of strength. It looked intimidating and deadly, a terrifying opponent.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/Ib2KrbF.jpg) (Can¡¯t open in App)

    The other was coveredpletely, from head to toe, in heavy-ted grey iron armor. Instead of a regr helmet, it wore one that was shaped like that of arge, ferocious iron wolf. The air around this being seemed to be extremely steady and solid. A two-inch (5cm) thick metal broadsword was strapped to his waist.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/0jf8ML9.jpg) (Can¡¯t open in App)

    ¡°Yes.¡± The demonic looking being spoke first,

    ¡°I will be called Xaphan. Keeper of the furnace of Hell, maker of the tools needed to reach perfection and the greatest chef in existence!¡±

    The air shivered as he spoke, twisting and distorting slightly. As if Fate itself was warping.

    Xaphan paused,

    ¡°Well, soon to be maker. I guess. Technically. And I¡¯ll be the best chef in reality as soon as I figure out how to cook properly.¡± The demonic warrior looked downcast.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get there.¡± Mello replied and nodded understandingly, waving his hand encouragingly.

    ¡°And you, Number 54?¡± He looked at the other Flockmember patiently.

    The irond-being took a moment before responding, his voice thundering out,

    ¡°Aron, the demaster. Perfection must be sought by reaching the summit of swordy, to reach a level of skill that cannot be defeated. Skill that is perfection inherent.¡±

    ¡°Good, good! Myrades, your dreams are wonderful! You two are a perfect team!¡± Mello pped his hands together, sharing a genuine smile. His eyes glowed as he looked at them, pleasure shining forth.

    ¡°And now, Xaphan, Aron, I have a mission for the two of you.¡± His eyes glinted,

    ¡°The Highlord of the Aurelius Family has requested our aid, to join a team of his Reavers.¡± He smiled wider,

    ¡°It seems we have another Flockmember to track down and recruit, hiding with the Shade Commune. One that has taken the name Veritas.¡±

    The two Anomalies looked back at Mello, and then at each other, exchanging nces.

    ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t want to join the Alliance?¡± Xaphan asked, waving his hands,

    ¡°That bastard Number 11 certainly didn¡¯t.¡±

    Mello¡¯s eyes took on a cold edge, but his smile never faded,

    ¡°Then we do as we do.¡±

    ¡°Kill it and bring its bloodline back.¡±

    ¡°Understood?¡±

    The two Anomalies nodded and bowed their heads slightly.

    They talked for a few more minutes, discussing the details of the mission. Before long, the duo got up and left, leaving Mello alone in his study.

    He began to hum a small song, smiling as he set down the paper from the Vampires, and picked up another sheet.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    ¡°An Ability that lets you see through Fate? To see every oue in a situation, and be guided down the best path?¡±

    ¡°My, my¡­ Sun Wukong. Your Ability¡­¡±

    ¡°That sounds interesting indeed.¡±

    .

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    I will take only a 1-day break before starting Book 4, since I took a 2-day sick breakst week ?

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The End of Book 3

    ¨C Stats ¨C

    Number of Chapters: 27

    Word count: ~69,000 Words

    Avg. Word/Chapter ¨C ~2,550

    Total Views ¨C 4,640,000

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Important Note:

    As stated several times, Book 1, 2, and 3 (~201,000 words) are all readable without SS :), but Book 4 and beyond will be Premium, so Author-san can earn a living! That means the next chapters will be Premium going forward!

    FAQ:

    How much will each chapter cost?

    Premium chapters are priced at 200 words / 1 SS for all stories that go Premium.

    This applies for all Premium stories, tranted or original ? And it¡¯s the only option us original author¡¯s can choose!

    Therefore, a 2,000 word long chapter = 10 ss.

    A 1,600 word chapter = 8 ss.

    A 2,500 word chapter = 12 ss.

    Etc.

    Just wanted to be open and informative with you all ? No secrets or surprises. I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far!

 Chapter 86 - Developments 2 weeks later

    Chapter 85: Developments

    2 weekster

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Fate moves forward like an unstoppable river. Its progress can swerve, it can have dips or drives, turns or branches, but it can nevere to a still.

    Fate is inevitable. Fate cannot be destroyed. Fate is the bedrock of life itself.

    My Fate is one I have railed against, struggling to surmount.

    It is my greatest failure.

    To have fought against Fate, and realized in my present form, I could do naught but lose.

    I stand here today humbled and determined.

    I will force Fate to bend its knee to me.

    Maybe not now. Maybe not in a hundred years.

    But one day¡­ Fate itself will bend to my will alone.

    - Excerpt from the Shorn Journey, found in the Grand Library of the Wizard King Arthur Telmon

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a far from Blizzaria, a Giant ck Bat shook its wings as it settled down, resting atop a small hill. Tall trees dotted the woondndscape around the hill, quietly teeming with wildlife.

    "Helena, I must say it''s a pleasure having you join us. I haven''t seen you in so long!" A cheerful voice echoed out, disturbing the dying evening light.

    "I mean, you still haven''t seen her yet, have you now Trajan?" Probus'' dry voice cut through the cheer raised by Trajan.

    "What with you being blind and all."

    A moment of silence.

    "Probus, never appear in my sight again. The next time I see you, I will kill you."

    "¡­"

    "He didn''t move at all, did he? He''s still right here."

    "Yep." Helena''s exasperated voice appeared, full of equal parts mild amusement and annoyance.

    "Damn you Probus!"

    A racket broke out as the Wizard and swordmaster broke out into a small duel, light explosions of energy rocking the air.

    Helena sighed as she watched the duo go at it. Despite their injuries and disabilities, the two Pseudo-King ss Vampires seemed only slightly affected. At the least, their ridiculous personalities hadn''t changed a bit.

    She stretched her hands, looking down at her outfit.

    She was wearing a perfect, slim ck dress, covered in a fewce designs and marks. It was fashionable and perfectly entuated her slim figure.

    They were currently waiting to meet up with reinforcements, sent by, of all thing, one of the Anomalies they had originally been hunting.

    A couple of weeks had passed since Trajan and Probus had been injured. The war between the Vampires and Shades had escted only slightly in that time.

    Hundreds of Vampires had been badly injured, and dozens had died. The number of Shade deaths was even greater, in the thousands. The Shades were a far more numerous race than the Vampires, however, and could more easily ept the losses.

    Every single dead Vampire was a bitter loss in Helena''s heart. The Aurelius Family only had so many men and women, spread across a small number of worlds.

    The Shade Commune was spread across roughly 2,000 Worlds. Just in sheer numbers alone, they were heavily outmatched.

    Despite all of that, she was well aware that this was still simply the Shades testing their defenses. The Commune had yet to seriously attack.

    And, as long as Highlord Marcus was around, it was likely they would take their time.

    The Shade King had fought a duel with the Highlord many years ago, and won, just barely, but suffered horrid injuries in the process. Unless the Shade King was confident in taking out the Highlord, the war effort would remain quiet and muted.

    There were multiple factions within the Shade Commune, and it was impossible for the Commune tomit all of their forces. Besides the Shade King, there were the six Dukes of Shadow and the huge Church of Light, both of which held strained rtionships with the Shade King.

    Still, the fact that the Shades weren''t giving up and were simultaneously attacking them and the powerful Augustus Family was worrying.

    She had asked General Carus about it, the leader of the Reavers, and the man in charge of the defensive front, and he had simply told her to focus on her mission.

    She, Trajan, and Probus, alongside a small troop of Blood Wizards, were to join up with a pair of Anomalies and sneak across several worlds on a secret mission to make contact with the Anomaly that had joined the Shades. ording to their Blood Wizard researchers, killing it should restore Trajan''s eyes and Probus''s arm.

    They could use Trajan''s and Probus'' injuries to track the creature through Fate. Then, the Anomalies were supposed to convince it to restore their injuries and defect, and if that failed¡­

    They were to kill it.

    She looked down at her wrist, where a small, in looking bracelet could be seen. It had a carving of a wolf on it.

    ''What if the Anomalies betray us?'' She had asked General Carus, as she was being debriefed.

    General Carus, a big, muscr vampire full of quiet confidence and power, had smiled at her and handed her this artifact.

    ''If that happens, you have been given permission to activate the Capitoline Wolf Bracelet.'' He''d said, nodding at the bracelet.

    Helena''s eyes had widened.

    The Capitoline Wolf Bracelet was one of the Aurelius Family treasures, an ancient magic artifact created thousands and thousands of years ago. It was one of the legacy treasures of the Aurelius Family, and incredibly valuable.

    The mere fact that the Family was handing it over for her to use showed how tense the situation was, and how few Vampires they could spare. Almost every avable Wizard or warrior at the Lord ss was spread out across various worlds to fight the Shades. There was almost no one to spare.

    She sighed, rubbing her forehead, trying to relieve some stress.

    "An Anomaly that can leave such unheble injuries, a powerful being that can steal from Fate itself. This will be a hard foe to talk to or defeat." She muttered aloud, her voice strained.

    Trajan''s voice rang out, full of supreme confidence as hended on the ground in front of her,

    "Never fear, mdy! It''s yet to face the mightiness that is me!"

    "Yes it has-" Probus interjected,nding on the ground near them.

    "Well, it''s never faced me twice." Trajan immediately replied, ring at Probus, or attempting to. It was hard to re without eyes, Trajan hade to realize. Trajan was wearing a fine grey suit that was only slightly damaged. A set of ck cloth was wrapped around where his eyes were, covering up the terrible scar left by the Anomaly.

    Probus smiled back. Unlike Trajan''s finer clothes, Probus wore a simple white shirt and a loose set of ck pants. A sword was strapped to his back, secure and within its sheath. His right sleeve was tied up close to his body, clinging to him, while his remaining arm was scratching his chin as he looked at Trajan.

    "SIIIGGGHH." Helena felt a small headacheing on.

    She shook her head, ignoring them as they bickered. Her thoughts went backward, focusing on a memory from the past.

    Of listening to the kind, charming voice of Dorian. Of his quiet confidence and steady nature. His will to do good and the bravery he held to always do the right thing. Of his simple kindness.

    His bright, cheerful nature filled her heart.

    Her thoughts couldn''t help but slip to him, almost every day now.

    She smiled. Apparently the Anomaly they were tracking was heading towards the world of Magmor, reportedly hunting for something. Dorian was supposed to be going to that world, at some point, to help save his friend.

    She couldn''t wait to see him again.

    She blinked,ing to as she looked around the small campsite. She saw a few of their Blood Wizards making preparations off to the side. There were only three other vampires traveling with them, all at the Grandmaster ss.

    "Let''s try to look professional. Our guests will be here soon."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Far from the waiting vampires, there existed a unique Exotic World.

    A worldposed of enormous mountains, covering the entirendscape. Largekes and rivers were interspersed between certain mountain ranges, but for the most part, the entire globe was covered with misty, mysterious mountains. Some were dotted with trees, others barren and frozen, while still others were dry, and covered in sand.

    The famous Mountainworld of the 30,000 Worlds.

    Home to the headquarters of one of the Draconic Tribes. The Golden me Tribe.

    On one particr grand mountain, one that stretched nearly 5,000 meters high into the sky, a golden-scaled humanoid could be seen, sitting in a meditative pose on the peek. The air around him gleamed with a pure, gold Aura, warming the frozen mountain air.

    Gradually, the man opened his eyes, revealing pure, golden pupils that gleamed with power.

    He sighed.

    "Where did they say the traces were found?" His voice was deep and rich as he called out, echoing down the mountain.

    About five hundred meters away from him stood a beautiful woman with slim, jade-colored scales dotting her appearance. She wore a translucent gown that covered very little, one that drifted faintly in the cold air. A member of the Wise Jade Tribe of the 12 Draconic Tribes.

    "Near the of Magmor." Her voice was surprisingly deep, full of authority and confidence as she continued,

    "For the first time in nearly a thousand years, there have been traces of my Grandmother in Fate."

    Silence resumed as a stiff gust of wind swooped across the mountain, throwing up bits of snow and ice.

    The golden-scaled man sighed,

    "The Head will not like me leaving. Not after the chaos the Red Wing Tribe has caused by allying with those¡­ things."

    "Your Head doesn''t like much of anything, Aiden." The woman replied, a small smile appearing on her face.

    The golden-scaled man smiled back, shaking his head,

    "Magmor? We would need to cross human territory. And isn''t that-"

    She cut him off,

    "Yes, it''s next to the Shades and the Vampires as well. The Ascension Ruins are a huge draw for everyone. Thetter two, however, are at war with each other right now, and will have little time to spare for us."

    "As for the humans¡­" She paused,

    "Well, they may track us, but I doubt they would interfere too much. The ckgold Tribe is still in talks with their leader."

    Aiden took a moment to consider before replying,

    "Alright, Mira. Just this once, I''ll apany you."

    The jade-scaled woman smiled, a hopeful light appearing in her eyes. She jumped up into the air, sailing nearly a hundred meters over tond next to him.

    "Thank you, Aiden." She gave him a hug, her eyes only now revealing a slight gleam of nervousness,

    "I know my Grandmother will smile upon you."

    Aiden shrugged,

    "It''s nothing. Lady Ausra''s disappearance was a loss for all Dragonkind. The Wise Lady was truly the wisest of us all."

    He sighed,

    "Maybe she could think of a way to bring the Tribes back together and stop this unending war."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "So. Seventhborn. I see. You are one of many, but all of you are also one." Arthur Telmon tossed a small, ck shard of metal up and down as he sat on his throne, looking at the being floating in the air in front of him.

    Covered in silver chains, chains that seemed to connect to reality itself, holding the creature suspended in the air, was a brown skinned humanoid. The Humanoid Form of the Ancient Boorkian Wood Giant that he had captured weeks ago. It looked simr to a normal human, just with dark brown eyes covered in leaves, and skin that was covered in small roots.

    It wasn''t actually an Ancient Boorkian Wood Giant. At least, it wasn''t a pure form of that extinct bloodline. It appeared to have been modified, having absorbed various other bloodlines to make it stronger.

    It was an ''Anomaly'' that called itself the Seventhborn.

    "Hahaha¡­" A weakugh escaped the Seventhborn''s mouth.

    "Such fun, Wizard King. You may have captured me¡­ but don''t think this is settled." Its voice held a cheerful edge,

    "There are beings among my brethren far stronger than me. Hahaha¡­ HAHAHA¡­ HAHAHAHA!" Insaneughter burst from its lips,

    "And they wille for me¡­ For without me, none of them can beplete."

    "You will either kill me and release what they want into the ether¡­ or they wille for you¡­"

    "HAHAHAAH!"

    The creature broke back into its insaneughter, its body shaking. The vines and roots that covered it seemed to writhe, trying to tear off the glowing silver chains.

    Arthur Telmon simply nodded his head. He waved his hands, causing the being to vanish, hidden away in a pocket dimension. The throne room returned to silence as it became empty once more, leaving him alone.

    "They wille for me, yes?" He said, his eyes glinting.

    "Good." Telmon looked at the shard of metal in his hand and then clenched it tightly. His arms trembled briefly for a split second.

    "My old friend. My old rival." He whispered, his easygoing voice dangerously calm. A small trail of blood dripped from his hand, the metal he clenched piercing through his skin,

    "It seems I must kill you again."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On Blizzaria, there existed a city known as Dragonmount City. This city was, like many of the underground cities on the, unique in shape and design.

    Severalrge, mist covered mountains were hidden in the mistyndscape of this city. Powerful Grakons patrolledrge sections, constantly moving in random, erratic patterns.

    About a dozen miles away from this city, in one of the caves that led to it, a dim sh of warm red light expanded into the underground air. The light was gone as soon as it appeared, vanishing into nothingness.

    Leaving behind the figure of a one-armed, handsome human, battered and bruised, covered in blood, scratches, and injuries. A small, yellow pill flew up from the man''s arm into his mouth, healing energy spreading within him.

    "Hey! Sarah! Did you see that light?" A young woman''s whisper rang out quietly, not far away.

    "Yes, Miss Parnip." Another female voice responded, full of confidence but also hushed fear.

    Gradually, a group of adventurers appeared. All of them, oddly enough, were female. They all wore silver coats of armor or robes, a mixture of human warriors and Wizards. Seven of the group appeared to be warriors, while 3 were Wizards.

    One girl in particr, one of the 3 Wizards, stood out. The other women in the group were all mean and lean, weathered experts. This girl, however, had a sweet, young face, and appeared to be no older than 18.

    "We''re leaving, Miss Parnip. We can''t afford to go out any further." One of the other Wizards warned as they stepped into the cave where Dorian''s bodyy.

    "Oh my!" The young girl cried out quietly as she saw Dorian''s body, her eyes opening wide.

    Dorian''s eyes opened just slightly, staring at the women. He let out a quiet groan.

    "He''s still alive! Quickly, Marian, Sarah!" Her voice full and eager,

    "We shall save him!"

 Chapter 87 - Leaving Blizzaria

    Chapter 87: Leaving Blizzaria

    Dorian breathed in.

    He exhaled.

    He breathed in again.

    He exhaled again.

    His entire body was a mess of pain.

    He could deal with that.

    What he couldn¡¯t deal with, however, was the feeling of helplessness that swarmed him as he was picked up and carried by the female troop. He felt warm light encircle his battered body, trying to heal his injuries.

    He could take action and defend himself right now if he needed to. But doing so would only worsen his already severe injuries.

    He sighed, checking his status.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Extremely Poor (Repairing)

    Energy: 1,343/11,887

    ¨C

    ¡®Well.¡¯ He winced as he looked at the numbers. It wasn¡¯t surprising. One thing stood out to him, however.

    ¡®My Energy Level grew.¡¯ At least there was a positive here. He¡¯d broken into 11,000, and almost into 12,000. The growth was extremely fast for a normal being, and probably due to the energy that his soul had been forced to bear in his Condensed forms and the various fights that had taken ce.

    If only he could maintain any of his Condensed form¡¯s energy levels permanently. He sighed.

    His unstable Berserker Demon form didn¡¯t carry over it¡¯s Energy Level permanently, at least in regards to his soul. If he could find a way to stabilize it, he would benefit greatly. Its base Energy Level was in excess of 30,000, and would prove a huge increase in strength.

    ¡®Ugh, my head.¡¯ Dorian tried, and failed, to clutch at his head. His right arm screamed at him in agony when he tried to move it, so he left it alone.

    He had jumped into the Red Portal just a few seconds after tossing in the Shades. His veryst memory was of shing lights and pain, his body being tossed around for what seemed like forever, and thennding here, just moments ago.

    ¡®At least I¡¯m in one piece.¡¯ He mentally muttered, his eyes twitching. He seemed to be getting badly injured far too often for his own liking, with jarring repetition, if anything.

    He opened his eyes slightly, ncing at the women that were carrying him.

    ¡®Is my soul the reason they are here? Or that I am here where they are?¡¯ He questioned, wondering. His soul twisted Fate, something that was normally impossible. He mentally nodded. A coincidence like this had to be because of that.

    They were¡­ saving him.

    Dorian had reverted to his human form just before hended. It was a fact that forms with weaker regenerative properties were more strongly affected by healing medicine. It was one of thews of the 30,000 Worlds.

    He had intended to take advantage of this, using one of hisst remaining Light Pills he¡¯d prepared long ago. His wore his Storage Ring on his right hand, and hadn¡¯t needed to pick it up when he lost his arm.

    One of the female Wizards here appeared to study White Magic, and had cast some sort of healing spell on Dorian. Dorian could feel it interacting with the healing magic from the Light Pill,bining to slowly repair the countless injuries that covered his physical form. It kept his body warm,batting the cold that coated the air.

    Apart from his more obvious physical injuries, the biggest loss, in Dorian¡¯s eyes, was his arm.

    ¡®Ausra, what will I need to repair my arm?¡¯ He mental queried. He had learned, through his conversations with his Soul Spell Matrix Genie, that it was possible to restore any injured part of his body if he used energy points.

    ¡®Reforming your severed right arm will take approximately 46 hours, and cost 24,332 points of energy.¡¯ She replied coolly, her voice feminine andforting.

    A bit longer than he had expected, but not unbearable. The energy point expenditure made him wince though. It was only an arm, after all, and it already cost so much? The rules his Soul Spell Matrix had to follow were confusing.

    He mentally shrugged, and then pulled up his current energy point total, checking on it.

    ¨C

    -Human ¨C Growth Stage: (2/2) Human Adult ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 466,128/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®466,000 points?!?!¡¯ Dorian sputtered, his eyes opening wide in shock at the value.

    That was huge!

    He hadn¡¯t had time to check when he absorbed the arm of the undead Grakon King and its de, but he certainly hadn¡¯t expected such a huge sum.

    ¡®Excellent!¡¯ He thought, smiling in flee. His face twitched, however, pain wracking him. He was still injured.

    ¡®Ausra, begin repairing my arm immediately.¡¯ He ordered,manding the Genie. He knew he could simply use his will to focus the energy in his soul, but he liked talking to Ausra, for some strange reason. He felt as if he had a connection with her, even if she was just an emotionless construct of magic.

    ¡®Repair process initializing¡­ Please do not switch forms or the energy used will be lost.¡¯ Ausra stated. A momentter, Dorian felt a warmth in his left shoulder, and an odd, creeping feeling. The healing process had begun.

    With 466,128 energy points, even if he took off the roughly 25,000 points needed to repair his arm, Dorian had more than enough to fully evolve his Sr Rock Lizard form. He could then begin progress on some of his other bloodlines and test out some newbined forms.

    His Grakon bloodline and his Shade bloodline, the two newest one¡¯s he gained, sounded very interesting to Dorian. Thebinations he could gain from them seemed prominent, and the Expand Ability of the Grakon race was incredibly enticing.

    How would it interact with his Condense Ability? Would they cancel out? He had no answers currently.

    ¡®Did I get that many points from the arm? Or from the weapon? Or both?¡¯ Dorian questioned, his eyes shining.

    Regardless, it was a huge gain for him.

    ¡°Quickly Marian! Let¡¯s move!¡± A girlish voice awoke Dorian from his musings.

    He was currently being carried by one of the stocky female warriors.

    If he changed his form now, he would waste the energy he¡¯d spend to repair his body. Plus, healing magic, just like healing medicine, became less effective the stronger the regenerative properties, and stronger a creature in general, was. His human form was one of his weakest forms, which therefore allowed him to heal faster than even his strongest form¡¯s regenerative properties, with the aid of the Light Pill and the healing Spell.

    It would be best to remain in this form for now.

    thud

    thud

    The group of women quickly moved through several small cave passages, following a winding path. Dorian kept his guard up as he was carried, his eyes cool. He watched every movement, preparing himself to make an escape, even in his battered state, if it was required.

    He would not blindly trust people. Not anymore. They seemed to have good intentions, but he couldn¡¯t be too careful.

    ¡®Kill them.¡¯

    Just as he was taking a second to meditate, a voice rudely appeared Dorian¡¯s mind. A quiet whisper, but one that he couldn¡¯t ignore. It seemed to have no origin, yet was firmly rooted within him.

    The darkness that was everywhere in his soul twitched.

    That voice¡­ Dorian¡¯s eyes took on an even colder glint.

    Something was wrong with him.

    When he gained those memories from that other man, memories that were his own now¡­ it felt as if he had gained something else. In fact, it almost felt like this something else had been present with him for a long time.

    And now, he could hear it clearly.

    A voice in his head.

    ¡®Am I crazy? Is this what being crazy feels like?¡¯ He thought, blinking slowly.

    ¡®Is this my thoughts? Is this someone else? Hello?¡¯

    He was greeted with silence. He waited for several seconds, straining his mind and ears. He received no response.

    ¡®Hello? Kill who? These people?¡¯ He opened his eyes, ncing at the women that were carrying him. The warriors were spread out in a wide formation, with several scouting ahead, and a pair scouting behind. Their movements were coordidnated and well practiced. They clearly had a great deal of training.

    They had made it through several smaller passageways and eventually came out onto a long, winding passage that appeared to be carved entirely out of ice. So far they had managed to avoid any patrolling Grakons, their journey safe and quiet. It seemed thesedies knew they of thisnd very well.

    ¡®I¡¯m not going to kill them for nothing.¡¯ He answered his own question and mentally shook his head. If anything, the women here were helping him.

    If he was going crazy, well, he would deal with that when the time came.

    The voice didn¡¯t deign to speak again.

    Gradually, Dorian¡¯s head grew fuzzy as his body repaired itself. He fell into a semi-aware state as he began to rest, the constant awareness and exhaustion of the past several days slowly starting to slough off him.

    Seconds slipped to minutes, and minutes slipped to hours.

    Soon, Dorian awoke from his semi-aware stupor, finding himself in a well-constructed campsite. They were still on Blizzaria, still underground. They appeared to be in some nook or cranny hidden off in the side of one of the caves.

    ¡®Ugh.¡¯ Dorian mentally groaned as he nced around. His body was still sore and in pain, but in a much better condition than before. He could move now, at least.

    He chose to remain still, pretending to be unconscious as he snuck nces at the campsite.

    Most of the warriors appeared to be resting inrge ck tents. Dorian was also in one such tent, one that had an open p, letting out warm swathes of heat to prevent the tent from overheating.

    Heat that wasing from a dimly lit stone in the corner of his tent. This stone appeared to be the size of his head. It was some type of mobile, magic heater.

    His body was resting upon afortable sleeping bag, tucked in and covered with white cloth.

    ¡®Well, they don¡¯t appear to be bad people.¡¯ He thought as he looked over his injuries. He was wrapped all over by white gauze. It appeared to be magical bandages of some sort. At the least, they didn¡¯t get stained by the dirt or blood that had coated him.

    ¡°Miss Parnip, we cannot afford to pick up a stray in such a dangerous area. We are only halfway back to Paxital. I know you¡¯re happy we found the Golden Leaf to cure your father after nearly 3 weeks of searching, but you know we are being hunted-¡± A stern voice began, but was cut off,

    ¡°Marian. I told you my decision. I am a member of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, just like my father. We are obligated to help those that need help, out in the field.¡± A girlish voice responded, one that was filled with iron despite her youth.

    Dorian looked out the p, his eyes alighting on two figures. One was the girl that had order Dorian rescued, while the other was one of the Wizards in the all-female troop.

    ¡°Only in certain circumstances! We are not charities, we are being actively hunt-¡±

    ¡°Marian. My word is final.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was cool,

    ¡°We will take him with us. He won¡¯t wake up till after we reach Excelsior, anyway, not with his injuries. And, if we encounter the dogs sent to stop my father¡¯s recovery, we will kill them all as a matter of course.¡±

    A moment passed as the other, older woman sighed and gave way, holding up her hands in surrender.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he took this in.

    ¡®The Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, huh?¡¯ He knew that name.

    When he rescued a traveling Aethmen caravan and first ran into Mello, back on the World Bridge to Taprisha, he¡¯d learned that the guards had been members of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance.

    Later on, as he was researching the great powers of the 30,000 Worlds, to gain an understanding of this strange universe, he¡¯d read up on the mercenary group.

    The Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance was a massive, sweeping alliance that held allegiance to no particr group. There were Vampires in it, Aethmen in it, Humans in it, Dragons in it. All manners of beasts, humanoids, and more.

    It was the singlergest mercenary group in existence. The leaders of the troop, the Five Mercenary Kings, were all renowned for their great strength inbat.

    ¡®Dammit Fate-twisting soul. Stop bringing stuff like this towards me. I have enough on my te already.¡¯ He mentally shook his fist at his soul, cursing.

    It was clear that the group he was with was little better off than he was, being hunted to prevent some type of healing treasure from being delivered to someone important.

    He sighed and shook his head slightly.

    Dorian slipped back into a meditative rest as he focused on recovery. His body began to restore itself, energy coursing through it as the rest of the women settled in to sleep or stand watch, a calm respite before the storm.

    Bit by bit, the many wounds, scratches, cracked bones, and injuries that dotted Dorian¡¯s body began to heal.

    Time passed as he healed, meditating and putting every iota of his will into healing his battered body.

    In the blink of an eye, six quiet hours had passed, hidden away from the dangerous Grakons that patrolled the underground area.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Fine (Repairing)

    Energy: 4,332/11,887

    ¨C

    ¡°Alright,dies! Let¡¯s keep moving! We¡¯ll reach the World Bridge in 5 hours!¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he came awake and readied himself to be carried like a heroic, but limp, sack of potatoes, prepared for anything.

 Chapter 88 - Crossing the World Bridge thud

    Chapter 88: Crossing the World Bridge thud

    thud

    thud

    Slow and methodical, the troop of female warriors and Wizards plodded forward, covering ground at a constant pace. Dorian was perfectlyfortable being carried, the magic that covered his body making what should¡¯ve been a jarring journey quitefy.

    He had recovered enough to be able to turn his focus to his surroundings. He noticed, as he scanned the fighters, that the boots of each woman gave off a very faint, grayish light. They appeared to erase any traces the women left in the environment, covering their trail.

    His eyes constantly scanned the area as they moved. He forced his body to remain limp despite his rising tension.

    This group was being hunted just like him. They had found some rare treasure, and were taking it back to heal an important figure.

    There wasn¡¯t a doubt in his mind that they would be attacked on the way back.

    The women seemed to be aware of that as well. The warriors of the troop were constantly moving forward and shifting to the sides, maintaining a formation that was on high alert. The Wizards seemed to have set up some magical alert Spell that scanned the environment around them.

    Dorian got his first good nce at the girl that had rescued him about twenty minutes into their journey.

    She was, as she sounded, young. Around 17 or 18 years old, with short blonde hair and a face covered in freckles, alongside a pair of deep blue eyes. The air around her carried a strong, earthy Aura. She appeared to practice some variety of Earth or Rock Magic, Dorian assumed.

    ¡°Be alert!¡± Her voice was young, but not inexperienced. It held amanding edge.

    They had been moving for about thirty-five minutes, crossing over arge, precariously perched stone bridge, when Dorian heard a loud noise.

    A rumbling echo shook the cave as arge chunk of ice copsed. Dorian spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, in-between bits of rock and frozen water being thrown into the air.

    ¡®Here we go!¡¯ His eyes shed as his heart starting to pound, readying himself to activate his Emerald mes.

    ¡°Look ready!¡±

    ¡°To the left!¡±

    The shouts of the female warriors cut quietly into the air as they all turned, preparing for an attack.

    A warm, white light covered the entire group in a protective sheen, while a huge spike of rock floated into existence above the young Wizard leader of the group.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°False rm.¡±

    ¡°Just a random copse.¡±

    ¡°Back to walking,dies.¡±

    The group returned to walking nonchntly, ignoring the copsed ice and stone.

    Dorian¡¯s mouth fell open in shock. He quickly closed it as the warrior carrying him began to tread forward, not wanting to have his jaw smash down.

    He wanted to sputter as his heart calmed down, feeling annoyed. It had just been a false rm. Perhaps he was too tense. The real attack would undoubtedlyeter.

    Roughly an hourter, they were moving down a long, winding cave passage, lit by dimly glowing moss, when an odd, shrieking echo had pushed down upon them.

    The ungodly keen had made Dorian shiver, his eyes opening wide as his heart pounded once more. It sounded like a dangerous, powerful Banshee, as if some type of deadly magical Spell or Ability had been activated.

    ¡®This is it! Hyperion Beam, be ready to start charging!¡¯

    ¡°Look ready, girls!¡± The warriors fanned out, several of them leaping to the walls as they prepared for a charge. The Wizards stepped backwards towards the rear of the group, alongside the girl leader as they prepared themselves.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°False rm again, just an odd gust of wind.¡±

    ¡°Back to walking,dies.¡±

    Two hourster, a boulder copsed and fell from the roof far overhead, almost smashing down on one of the girls near Dorian.

    ¡°Enemy attack!¡±

    ¡°Nevermind, just some grumpy earth.¡±

    ¡°Back to walking.¡±

    A short time after that, a set of stctites has mmed through the air, piercing the ground just a few meters away from the leading scout.

    ¡°An attack?!¡±

    ¡°Look to the front!¡±

    ¡°Or the back!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Nope, just some broken rock.¡±

    ¡°Keep moving.¡±

    Just a little bitter, a huge boulder inexplicably crossed their path, rolling down from one cave passage they were about to cross all the way into another.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    ¡°Is it a diversion?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Nope, just some random rolling boulders.¡±

    ¡°I hear those aremon in thends of the Graal Alliance.¡±

    By the time they reached the exit of the underground Western Cave System, Dorian¡¯s eyes were bloodshot.

    A pebble shifted a slight bit as the women trod up a long, sloping path upward.

    ¡®DON¡¯T YOU FREAKIN¡¯ MOVE A CENTIMETER!¡¯ He red pure fury and death at the small piece of rock as his eyes caught the movement, cursing its ancestors to die as shards of crunched up sand under a toddler¡¯s foot.

    ¡®Twenty-three times! Twenty-three FREAKING times!¡¯ Dorian wanted to leap off the back of the woman carrying him and dance a fiesta in rage. He wanted to walk up to the side of the cave and just punch it in the cave-jugr.

    There were a total of twenty-three times that, while moving with the female troop, some odd, unexined urrence took ce. Stctites dropped, bridges copsed, boulders soared through the air.

    A number of them clear non-natural urrences.

    Any number of which could be a full-fledged enemy attack.

    Yet not a single one of the women warriors or Wizards seem to see anything amiss.

    ¡®Are you FREAKING kidding ME! Just FREAKING attack oh my FREAKING gosh!¡¯ Dorian mentally railed at the injustice of this all.

    ¡®Please. Just attack us.¡¯

    He sent up a mental prayer, his eyes begging for whatever mysterious group of enemies that was stalking them to juste out in the open and try to murder them.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know how much longer I can bear this¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes in mental agony.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, look at thatdies!¡±

    ¡°We made it outpletely unscathed! What luck!¡±

    The young Wizard leader of the troop smiled as she looked at her fighters, her voice exuding confidence and good cheer.

    ¡°Wooo!¡±

    ¡°Long live the Golden Moon!¡±

    A cascade of happy cheers whipped about as the women, and Dorian, exited the Western Cave System and stepped foot onto the World Bridge.

    The World Bridge to Paxital from Blizzaria was like the one Dorian had entered on. It was set underground, connecting directly inside the cave system itself.

    The brutal wind of Blizzaria¡¯s surface immediately assaulted Dorian as they left the cave system.

    The White Wizard among the group had cast the same Spell she had earlier, protecting Dorian from the harsh cold. It couldn¡¯t, however, ck out the raging winds.

    Chaotic bursts of air crashed down upon the group as the scaled the barren World Bridge out of the Western Cave System. The gravity and power of the World Bridge was at its weakest here, and it did little tobat the magic weather.

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®This is the perfect time for an ambush¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, looking hopefully to the left and right in a secretive manner.

    If there was any time to attack a vulnerable group, attacking during the middle of an extremely loud storm of snow and wind would definitely rank near the top.

    ¡®Steady, Dorian.¡¯ His bloodshot eyes darted all over. He watched the Wizards and warriors as they charged up the World Bridge, not a single movement escaping his eyes. Even in his human form, the Demonic Eyes passive Ability he¡¯d gained long ago meant his vision was superb.

    He kept on full alert.

    WHOOSH

    From out of nowhere, a de of ice shot into the middle of the group, almost stabbing the young Wizard leading the women.

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    ¡°Careful!¡±

    The group instantly clustered forward, standing in a small circle while guarding their leader.

    ¡®Finally.¡¯ Dorian muttered in his head, his eyes glistening. The unbearable torture of the past several hours had run him ragged.

    It seemed their unseen enemies were finally making a real move.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sword¡­ made out of pure ice?¡± The young voice of the leader sounded out over the loud wind as she picked up the projectile.

    It was as she described. A sharp, 3 meter de that appeared to have been formed out of ice. It was roughly shaped, but still clearly unnatural.

    The group tensed up, scanning their surroundings. They continued to creep slowly up the World Bridge, noting to a full stop. They were still on the bottom half of the barrenndscape. If they could get higher up, the strange gravity and magic of the World Bridge should make the weather more bearable.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The girl shrugged,

    ¡°Must¡¯ve been formed by luck. Let¡¯s keep on moving,dies.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s body twisted as the warriors broke formation and continued to run up the World Bridge.

    Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned his head towards the girl moving at the center of their formation. The leader.

    His bloodshot eyes trembled slightly,

    ¡®I don¡¯t like you.¡¯

    He red at her for a good twenty seconds before going back to pretending to be unconscious.

    ¡®Whatever. I¡¯m done standing guard. This is ridiculous. Your whole group is ridiculous. This world is ridiculous.¡¯ Dorian red death at the snow-strewn ground beneath him as they thudded forward.

    Nothing in his memories, from earth or from the strange man named Yukeli, could exin any of this.

    ¡®Are they under some type of spell? Is my soul responsible?¡¯ Dorian felt helpless.

    How could they not see all the strangeness that was happening? A de of icended in the center of their group and they thought it was just a random natural urrence?

    Even further¡­ whoever was causing all of these events seemed to be ying along¡­ No actual attacks took ce.

    ¡®William, are you seeing this?¡¯ He muttered in his head, helplessly.

    They should¡¯ve been ambushed a dozen times. This entire situation was ridiculous.

    ¡®Whatever. I give up.¡¯ Dorian closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing on his soul. He wouldn¡¯t waste any more time on whatever was happening right now.

    He focused on healing his body as much as he could. He subtly popped thest Light Pill he had in his Spatial Ring into his mouth, willing his body to recover.

    Just like that, time began to slip by. Dorianpletely ignored the outside world, and before he knew it, the group managed to safely move all the way onto the World Bridge, and cross arge portion of it.

    All without being ambushed a single time.

    The World Bridge to Paxital from Blizzaria was a rather short one. Crossing it would only take a few hours at most. Itsndscape was barren and mostly empty, only a few dangerous crevices dotting it, unlike the lush ins or forests found on other World Bridges.

    ¡°Alright,dies! Here we are! The final stretch!¡± The young female leader¡¯s voice roused Dorian from his meditation. He blinked blearily as he snuck a look around.

    They were on the World Bridge, one that was covered in barren rock. The brutal cold from Blizzaria had long since faded.

    ¡°All we need to do now is reach Excelsior at the base of the Bridge and we¡¯ve made it!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re only minutes away!¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness we didn¡¯t get attacked! What luck!¡±

    Dorian red at the girl out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡®Go away. I refuse to care. You saved me, but this¡­ this¡­¡¯ He sent her another quiet re before quickly ducking his head, not wanting to be spotted awake.

    ¡°Charge forward! Full speed ahead!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, severals away¡­

    BOOM

    A shuddering explosion rang out, shards of rock sting into the air.

    ¡°Aargh!¡± A blood-covered Vampire yelled out in pain as he was sent flying, his entire right shoulder crushed. Bright red blood spurted out of it, a gruesome injury. Hended on the ground at the center of a clearing in arge forest, lit by the wavering moonlight above.

    ¡°Just tell us what we need to know. This doesn¡¯t need to get ugly.¡± A kind, caring voice echoed out as a slim male human stepped forward. He was wearing a green suit, with a set of finece pants. A small hat covered his short brown hair, but not hiding his piercing red eyes. An oddity.

    The biggest oddity in the man¡¯s appearance, however, was the right side of his body.

    The entire right side of his physique appeared to be made out of clear, crystalline diamond, including his physical body as well as the clothes he was wearing.

    ¡°Yes, Vampire.¡± Another human appeared, a gaunt-looking woman covered in multipleyers of twisting water. She seemed to be wrapped in arge, floating bubble of water, shaped like a snake. Underneath the water, a long, blue robe was visible, wrapped around her figure. Her face was tight and lined, stern looking.

    ¡°Where was thest ce you saw those two Anomalies moving?¡±

    As she finished speaking, two incredibly powerful Pseudo-King ss Auras burst forth from her and the well-dressed man, Auras that gave off faint distortions in the air itself. Auras only the most elite of Wizards could give off, those skilled to an enormous degree, capable of fighting foes beyond their level.

    ¡°The Borrel Autarchy demands it.¡±

 Chapter 89 - History

    Chapter 89: History

    Dorian shook his head ruefully as he looked around the quaint bedroom, rxing his tired body. The aches that pained him seemed to fade away as he was once more back in the civilized world.

    As he expected, at this point, the all-female group of warrior and Wizards weren¡¯t attacked in their final brave charge towards the city of Excelsior.

    That wasn¡¯t to say that nothing strange urred. On the contrary, just as they reached about four thousand meters from the city, the earth had seemed to shake.

    A huge spike of stone had jutted up from the World Bridge, piercing into the air near them.

    In an almostical fashion, all the women in the group had spun around, ring at the spike tentatively.

    Dorian didn¡¯t even bother to hear what they said as he shut his ears off, ignoring itpletely.

    Just like all the rest of the strange urrences, nothing came of it. They moved forward,pletely unperturbed. He didn¡¯t even try to re at them, instead epting his fate, and returning to pretending to be a limp sack of potatoes.

    They treated these unnatural urrences with unnerving normality.

    Just like that, Dorian arrived upon the Lesser World of Paxital.

    Paxital was, simr to Taprisha, a type of hub for World Bridges. Twenty separate World Bridges connected to the Lesser World, making it a popr location to travel through, despite its lesser stature.

    The world itself was roughly the size of Earth.

    Excelsior City was located on the continent of Orba, one of the three continents on the.

    Dorian needed to cross Orba, and reach the continent of Pashal. From there he would take the World Bridge to Lansc, an Exotic World.

    Finally, after crossing across Lansc, he would reach the World Bridge to Magmor.

    He could finally bring this journey to save William to an end.

    When they entered into Excelsior, Dorian learned a bit more about his rescuers.

    ¡°Madam Marian. Madam Sarah. Blessed Lady Anabe.¡± The leader of the guard at the gate to Excelsior hand been eminently respectful when he saw the trio.

    Excelsior City was unlike many of the other cities Dorian had visited.

    Instead of massive, hulking walls, Excelsior had silver-colored walls that were barely 4 meters high. There were guards patrolling it, but none of them seemed to be very intent in their duties.

    From what Dorian could see in his limited perch, security seemed veryx for this area.

    ¡°Please, you are always wee here in Excelsior.¡± The Captain of the Guard, a human wearing a vest of white, ted armor, bowed and gestured for the all-female troop to walk forward.

    When Dorian was nning his route to Magmor, he¡¯d done as much research as he could in regards to thes he would visit. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much information about worlds that were more than one away, at least from what Dorian could find back on Taprisha.

    All he knew was that Paxital was a Lesser World that was influenced by the Borel Autarchy, but notpletely controlled by it, and that the world beyond this, Lansc, was an Exotic World famed for its floating inds.

    The guards didn¡¯t question why the women were carrying him, nor did they stop and question any of the warriors. They were simply waved through.

    In no time at all, Dorian found himself where he was now. In an old, wooden bedroom, set with sparse decorations.

    He hadn¡¯t gotten a good look around as he was being carried, not wanting to bring attention to himself. In the city where there were doubtless hundreds of roving eyes staring at their group, he doubted he would be able to get away with much.

    The room had a small wooden dresser to his right, a curtain that was drawn over, blocking out the afternoon light, and a single painting on the wall. Sparse, but neat.

    ¡¯18 hours and 32 minutes remaining till your arm will be fully restored.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, helpfully informative as he sent her a mental query.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ He shrugged, and then shook out his body, standing up.

    His injuries hadrgely restored over the past several hours. He¡¯d used up thest of his Light Pills from his Storage Ring, but they,bined with the healing spell, had put him in near perfect condition.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Good (Repairing)

    Energy: 10,221/11,888

    ¨C

    His status was close to fully restored. He smiled as he stretched, wrapping off much of the white gauze that had covered him.

    ¡°Oh my.¡± Dorian stared at his left arm.

    It was an arm¡­ but it was smaller than his other arm. Like a slightly older baby arm. He flopped it around, staring at it in consternation.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± He shivered, the sensations running through his still-forming arm odd and unsettling.

    If he had to be honest¡­ it was vaguely creepy to look at.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± He rewrapped it in the white gauze it had been covered in. He took out a set of clothes he¡¯d left in his Spatial Ring, putting on a simple pair of brown leather pants, and a grey vest. He took off most of the gauze that was covering him, his injuries mostly healed.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡± His eyes shed. With his strength restored, even in his Human Form, he would still be a force to be reckoned with. In physical strength, he was probably at the Grandmaster ss, but his Abilities would still have the force of a Lord ss beast.

    ¡°18 hours and 32-, oh, 31 now. 31 minutes that I am stuck like this. Alright. I¡¯ll wait to finish growing my Sr Rock Lizard bloodline and test outbinations around then.¡± He looked around,

    ¡°Let¡¯s explore.¡± He nodded his head,

    ¡°First, though.. My memories.¡±

    Dorian took a mental ount of all the new memories that had formed in his head. They felt like a natural part of him, despite the previous jarring unfamiliarity of the strange memories.

    From them, Dorian had gained arge amount of knowledge and experience, specifically in regards to martial arts. A huge amount of battle experience.

    While all of this came naturally to Dorian, it didn¡¯t make him into a godly genius and fighter all at once.

    If the man that held these memories had been fighting that Grakon King, Dorian had no doubt that Yukeli could¡¯ve defeated the undead King handily, without a single injury. The raw skill and fury the man possessed was incredible.

    Dorian had managed to win, but only by relying on the techniques that were present in these memories, and a bit of trickery he thought up himself by using his Abilities. Despite that, he was still badly injured and almost lost.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y it safer next time.¡± He muttered, rubbing his chin with his non-baby hand.

    ¡°Shifting Waves, Raging Fires, Rumbling Earth, Thundering Winds. These are the Four Great Elemental Arts.¡± Dorian spoke aloud as he reviewed the memories, setting them into ce.

    ¡°They were created mainly by Yukeli, but were tested to perfection with a friend of his? A¡­ monkey? How would you test something to perfection that way? And why a monkey?¡± The memories were a bit unclear in that regard. Dorian couldn¡¯t remember any specific names, but he got a vague image of a spry monkey that wielded a staff and practiced the same Four Great Elemental Arts that Yukeli created.

    ¡°And he also incorporated advice he got from another one of his friends. She seems to be a dragon?¡± Again the memories were vague and torn in this area.

    ¡°Well, good job, Yukeli!¡± Dorian gave a thumbs up to his head.

    ¡°Though, considering you have the same name as the Godking that sent me here and are probably the reason I¡¯m here instead of wherever a dead earthling is supposed to go¡­¡± He gave his head a thumbs down as well, this time with the gauze-wrapped baby-hand.

    ¡°Then there are several other martial techniques, like the Hira-Gira Self Defense techniques, the Blokkel Fighting Art, the Poko Mental Manual.¡± He nodded his head. The list went on and on.

    ¡°But those four are the big ones, huh?¡± He nodded. The other techniques saw a lot of use in his memories, especially the Hira-Gira Self Defense techniques, but the Great Four, as the memories referred to the techniques, were the ones used the most.

    In his memories, Dorian could see the man use the power of Law. But he couldn¡¯t actually sense the emanations or process of it, not like he could feel the man guiding the energy in his soul for the Great Four.

    What he could remember, however, was the process leading up to Yukeli obtaining enlightenment in the Law of the Absolute.

    It was a long, drawn out process of meditation, focusing one¡¯s mind on a concept or idea. For Yukeli, his focus was on a single thing.

    Obtaining Absolute Perfection.

    His unwavering determination and refusal to bend led to him discovering a Law that had never been studied or used before.

    ¡®If I want to start studying aw, I need to pick out a concept like that, huh?¡¯ Dorian came to the conclusion. With Yukeli¡¯s memories to refer to, it looked increasingly possible that he would be able to truly step into the Lord ss.

    ¡®But what Law? Should I go for the Law of the Absolute? Or some other Law?¡¯ He frowned. Obtaining enlightenment in the same Law that Yukeli studied seemed rather daunting. It wasn¡¯t aw just anyone could find, even if he had the memories of the man grafted onto him.

    At his core, he was still Dorian.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cross that bridge when I get to it.¡± He grunted, shrugging.

    For now¡­ he would explore where he was, and start preparing to head to Lansc. There was no reason to dally in Paxital.

    His room exited out into a long, wooden hallway, one that was rather cramped at only a meter and a half taller than Dorian. He looked up and down it, not seeing anyone. Several more doors could be seen, evenly dispersed.

    He walked over to a few, peeking in them. They all contained rooms simr to Dorian¡¯s, sparsely decorated. All of them were empty of any inhabitants.

    ¡®Is this some type of servants wing? A barracks? A medical wing?¡¯ He had no answers.

    He walked down the hall and eventually found arger doorway that connected this wing to a main hall of sorts. It was much grander than the hall he had just left.

    The hallway was made out of stone and stretching several meters taller than the wooden one, lit by clumps of glowing yellow rock. Dorian could vaguely hear voices down the right side of the corridor.

    He slowly crept down it, keeping his movements calm and controlled. Soon he found himself standing outside arge wooden door that was covered in ornate engravings.

    ¡°¡­and there wasn¡¯t much else to report.¡± A familiar voice echoed out, the young, cheerful voice of the girl that led the group of women that had rescued him.

    ¡°Did I hear all of that right, Be?¡± An aged, unsteady voice responded.

    ¡°The rate of Lucky Chances increased greatly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, father. After we picked up the Golden Leaf, we were returning back home when we ran into another Lucky Chance. This one appeared in the form of a badly injured man and a sh of red light. I had my women keep him alive and brought here. On the way back, however, we encountered almost 35 separate Lucky Chances, most of them Bad or Neutral Luck as usual.¡±

    Silence dominated the room for a brief moment.

    ¡°That is interesting indeed.¡± The aged voice echoed out, full of wavering excitement,

    ¡°When I heard reports of the cktooth Knives being sent out after you, my heart nearly copsed. About a week and a half ago, however, we heard a report that the entire squadron had been killed, brutally cut into pieces with some type of fierce, unstoppable Fire Magic or weapon. Subsequent investigations were made impossible due to a rampaging Grakon King.¡±

    ¡°Your Luck has truly turned for the better, my daughter! With it like this, restoring me to my prime may be unnecessary after all!¡±

    ¡°It seems the injured man you picked up has some type of elerating effect on your Lucky State. That, or the sh of light you described carried with it other effects that affected your Lucky State.¡±

    ¡°This is fantastic! With this, your chances of evolving your Lucky State to the next level, and growing your Soul Spell Matrix to the peak of Lord ss, or even King ss, will greatly increase!¡±

    ¡°Quick! We will begin our ns immediately! We must take full advantage of this, and head to the Ascension Ruins once again!¡±

    The voices faded away, footsteps echoing out as they left in the opposite direction.

    ¡®Huh.¡¯ He thought, processing what he was heard.

    ¡®Well, it was convenient of them to wait for me to arrive before saying all that.¡¯ He nodded politely in their direction. He wondered if his soul twisting Fate was responsible. Most likely. Coincidences like this didn¡¯t happen randomly, after all.

    ¡®So that exins all those weird incidents we saw while traveling, and why none of those girls cared. She has some type of ¡®Lucky State?¡¯ And the team that was sent after her was murdered by an unstoppable fiery weapon? That sounds like Arial.¡¯ His eyes shed darkly,

    ¡®Especially with the rampaging Grakon King. But that all happened a week and a half ago? How long was I in that Red Portal?¡¯ He rubbed his head.

    THUMP

    Dorian spun around as a noise crossed his ears, startling him.

    On the opposite side of the hallway, a doorway opened up into a small library. Dorian had nced at it as he was walking to the doorway where he heard voices, but mostly ignored it. He didn¡¯t have time to read.

    A dozen or so wooden shelves lined the walls of the small room, full of old books. The room was lit by a pair of glowing yellow rocks, the same kind that lit the stone corridor.

    On the ground in the center of the room was a book that had just fallen. Dorian grew a little lightheaded as he saw it, the darkness in his soul twisting slightly. Faint reverberations in Fate spread out, unbeknownst to him.

    He walked up and picked up the book, staring at it. He read aloud the title.

    ¡°The History of the Third Great Demon War: The Yale Demon Invasion.¡±

    As the book had fallen to the ground, it had opened to a page towards the front of the book.

    ¡°The Five Great Heroes. The greatest warriors and allies on the forces of good. These five heroes fought side by side, standing against the overwhelming Demonic forces, saving the 30,000 Worlds from the chaos of destruction.¡± He read the first paragraph,

    ¡°They were named thus: Yukeli Shorn, the Great Lord of the Absolute. Arthur Telmon, the Godly Wizard. Kdin Break, the Thunder Saint. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Ausra Willow, the Wise Lady.¡±

    ¡°Together, these Great Heroes slew the Emperor of Demons on a secret quest, and saved the 30,000 Worlds from destruction.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide as he read this.

    ¡°Ausra?¡±

    The darkness in his soul shuddered.

    Before he could say anything else, however, a voice jarred him from his thoughts,

    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re awake!¡±

    Dorian spun around,ing face to face with the leader of the female troop that had saved him.

    ¡°Uh, hey.¡± He waved at hermely with his wrapped up baby-hand.

    She stared at him.

    He stared back.

 Chapter 90 - Becoming A Dragon Once Again

    Chapter 90: Bing A Dragon Once Again

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Dorian stretched his arms, looking at his fully grown left arm. It had finally grown all the way back, and he couldn¡¯t be happier.

    After Dorian ran into Anabe, or Be as she went by, in the library, he had had a rather awkward conversation with her. She¡¯d been going back to retrieve some books about the Magmor, and been surprised to see the man she thought was near-fatally injured up and walking.

    Their conversation had been somewhat pleasant, now that he thought back to it.

    ¡°How are you? We found you passed out in the depths of Blizzaria, near death!¡± Her voice had been full of concern.

    Dorian didn¡¯t bat an eye at her tone. Maybe she was being real with him, maybe not. He wouldn¡¯t be fooled again.

    ¡®Kill her.¡¯ The aged voice in his head interjected, wavering into his thoughts.

    ¡®Shut up.¡¯ He mentally returned, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°Um, hello?¡± The girl was still looking at him, now with a confused expression on her face.

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± Dorian held out his hand, giving her a smile,

    ¡°Thanks for rescuing me! I¡¯m Dorian!¡±

    She looked at his gauze-wrapped baby-hand.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Dorian set down the book he was holding and held out his right hand instead. She shook it.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anabe, but you can call me Be.¡±

    They shook hands.

    They talked for a few minutes. Be didn¡¯t try to pry, and only asked questions about his health. Dorian responded mostly neutrally, while asking questions of who she was and where they were.

    He was currently residing in arge mansion near the center of Excelsior. This mansion was owned by a man named Huldon Parnip, a ranking member of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance.

    Huldon was a former Peak Lord ss Wizard, one that specialized in Fate Magic. Specifically, in the research of Luck Magic, a derivation of Fate Magic, and in studying the Law of Luck.

    Both things that were discovered by two of the greatest minds of the 30,000 Worlds nearly a thousand years ago.

    The geniuses that discovered them were none other than Arthur Telmon, the current Wizard King of the Borrel Autarchy, and Yukeli Shorn, a genius martial artist that had vanished many years ago, after virtually wiping out the entire Demon Race. Both Heroes of the Third Great Demon War.

    Be studied the same type of Luck Magic. And, ording to Ausra, she was a Lord ss Wizard stuck in the middle of Lord ss.

    ¡°And so, I¡¯d like to make the offer, if you¡¯ve recovered sufficiently, for you to join us in an expedition to Magmor, to hunt for the Ascension Ruins! Your constitution is an extremely unique one that has the effect of elerating my Lucky State. If youe with us, our chances of sess are greatly increased!¡± Be¡¯s voice was full of excitement,

    ¡°I would never ask this of you for no reward, however,¡± She continued,

    ¡°The danger we would be in, even with my Luck, would be very real. Therefore, you will receive a full third of everything our expedition finds, in addition to a prepayment now of a rare Natural Treasure, a Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf.¡± She gave clear and fair terms, showing her honest intentions.

    Apparently, Be¡¯s father Huldon had discovered an inheritance in the Ascension Ruins many years ago, one that led to his training in Luck Magic and the Law of Luck. Realizing the incredible potential Luck Magic held, Huldon did everything he could to study it.

    His luck came in, and he managed to reach the Peak of the Lord ss, bing a respected Captain in the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance.

    Unfortunately, his luck turned, and he was badly injured, his strength falling to the Grandmaster ss.

    His daughter, Be, seeded him, but had run into trouble trying toplete her study of Luck Magic, and the Law of Luck. Her father had experienced a sort of baptism in the Ascension Ruins, and without that baptism and awareness, it was impossible for Be to be stronger.

    As Dorian heard this all, his face remained emotionless.

    ¡®Is this why I ran into her? Because our Fate is connected? We are both heading for the Ascension Ruins¡­ And her Luck Magic¡­ it sounds a lot like how I twist Fate with my soul¡­ Was it the first iteration of what I am?¡¯ He thought, his mind cluttered.

    For some reason, Dorian was starting to feel as if his life was being guided. As if his every action, fromnding on Hasnorth and reducing Will to learn about the Ascension Ruins, to gaining the memories of Yukeli, to even right now.

    It was almost as if everything had been nned, and he was only following that n.

    It was incredibly unnerving.

    ¡°Can you give me a day to decide?¡± Dorian had responded, trying to make a decision.

    Be had agreed and left him on his own. She hadn¡¯t set any guards on him, and he was ostensibly free to leave or stay as he wished.

    Whether they would track himter was certainly a question, but Dorian would deal with that when he needed to.

    After that, Dorian had returned to his room to rest and meditate, letting his arm heal. Hours slipped by, and soon it became night again. He had meditated on his memories, his ns, and his goals, trying to get a better understanding of who he was and what he was doing here.

    He didn¡¯t find any answers, but he renewed his determination to reach the Ascension Ruins.

    He had a feeling that all of his questions would be answered there.

    Now, he was standing outside, in a secluded corner of theplex where Be and her father lived. It was arge mansion, with several open courtyards full of trees and nts. Night was upon them, the dim moonlight from above sifting down through ayer of clouds.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s Evolve.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as his body transformed. He expanded, his physique shifting to that of the not-fully-grown Sr Rock Lizard.

    He stood a hulking 4 and a half meters tall, with a long, whip-like tail formed, ending in a sharp spike. He was covered in dark scales, with muscles bulging beneath them.

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard ¨C Growth Stage: (4/5) Grown Adult Lizard-

    Growth Progress ¨C 466,217/272,123 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Evolve me, Ausra.¡±

    ¡®Evolving¡­¡¯

    Instantly, Dorian¡¯s body began to expand. He grew to stand nearly 7 meters tall, the spikes on his back and tail growing in size. His scales took on a dark gleam, bing much stronger defensively.

    The fully grown form of a Sr Rock Lizard.

    ¨C

    Sr Rock Lizard ¨C Growth Stage: (5/5) Elder Lizard-

    Growth Progress ¨C 194,094/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Alright!¡¯ Dorian licked his lips, stretching his ws. It felt good to be back in a form that wasn¡¯t a humanoid. This was also his first natural Pseudo-Lord ss form. Its bloodline was bound to be useful!

    ¡®Ausra, run your metrics and tests and show me any goodbinations I can form now. Either those with powerful Abilities, or at the Lord ss or higher.¡¯ He ordered.

    ¡®Acknowledged.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s cool feminine voice rang out in his head.

    As Ausra sent him a return message, Dorian paused, considering the Genie that was present in his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ording to the history book he¡¯d nced through, Ausra shared the same name as one of the five Great Heroes of the Third Demon War. Yukeli, one of the other Great Heroes, was clearly the reason Dorian was here. Instead of vanishing like history imed, he must¡¯ve somehow reached ¡®Ascension¡¯ and be a Godking.

    Dorian wasn¡¯t quite sure what that meant, but it made him nervous. What did the man want of him? Why did he have some of his memories? Was there some greater purpose?

    There was so much he didn¡¯t know. He renewed his determination to reach the Ascension Ruins, not just for Will, but for himself too.

    ¡®Running¡­¡¯ Ausra ran her scan, unaware of Dorian¡¯s musings.

    ¡®4 matching forms have been discovered. Listing now.¡¯

    ¡°Hold on a second, Ausra.¡± He interrupted, his curiosity getting the better of him.

    ¡°Ausra, why are you named Ausra?¡±

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®I have no answer. The data I can ess is insufficient.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice echoed cooly in his head.

    ¡°Do you have any memory at all of anything besides being in my head? Or how about the Godking Yukeli? How do you know him?¡±

    ¡®His Worship is almighty and powerful. I have no answer. The data I can ess is insufficient.¡¯ Ausra replied, patently unhelpful.

    He sighed, frustrated. He hadn¡¯t expected an answer, but still.

    He felt like he was part of a grand puzzle, and just missing a single piece that would let him unravel everything.

    ¡°Fine. Just list the forms.¡±

    ¡®Listing¡­¡¯

    ¨C

    -Combining: Human Bloodline, Ifrit Bloodline, Sr Rock Lizard Bloodline

    ¨C

    High Sun Lizardman ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 15,221

    Ability: Moon Sense, Sun Sense, Flexible Scales

    ¨C

    The High Sun Lizardmen were an ancient, now extinct, race dedicated in their worship of the heavenly bodies. Naturally strong, with highly flexible, defensive scales, High Sun Lizardmen coordinated their powerful physical forms with their adept ability to use magic. They possess inborn instincts in regards to Magic involving the orbiting Moon or Sun of any.

    ¨C

    -Combining: ck Ambian Eagle Bloodline, Sr Rock Lizard Bloodline, Ifrit Bloodline, Titan Bloodline

    ¨C

    Sun Eagle ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 25,221

    Ability: Sun Sense, Steady Wings, Brilliant mes, Constant Regeneration

    ¨C

    Sun Eagles are a rare, nearly extinct species of bird that possess an innate connection with Magic involving the orbiting Sun of any. Tough, with incredible regenerative properties, Sun Eagles are very difficult creatures to injure, or even catch. Standing roughly 4 meters tall, they possess an incrediblyrge wingspan that allows them to travel at very fast speeds. They are also extremely agile, able to move in quick motions or turns with ease.

    Their Brilliant mes Ability allows them to unleash fire that is infused with the power of the Sun. While not equal to the destructive potential of Dragonfire, Brilliant mes carry with them a purifying element, and are effective against many types of undead, dark, or deathly creatures.

    ¨C

    ¨C

    -Combining: Titan Bloodline, Ifrit Bloodline, Sr Rock Lizard Bloodline

    ¨C

    ckmire Demon ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 28,671

    Ability: Fire Sense, Mire Air, Constant Regeneration

    ¨C

    ckmire Demons were huge, Fire-Aspected Demons that stood nearly 12 meters in height. Possessing incredible physical force, ckmire Demons were an opponent that struck fear into the hearts of many a warrior or Wizard. ckmire Demons have the natural Ability to manipte Mire Air, a type of dark Aura that is effective in destroying physical structures. Their Constant Regeneration allows them to shrug off blows and ignore otherwise fatal injuries.

    Despite their powerful strengths, ckmire Demons possess a few notable negatives. They have limited intelligence due to the makeup of their enormous, demonic body, and are unable to make quick movements.

    ¨C

    ¨C

    -Combining: Titan Bloodline, Giant Myyr Dragon Bloodline, Berserker Demon Bloodline, Sr Rock Lizard Bloodline, ck Ambian Eagle Bloodline

    ¨C

    ck-Scaled Rage Dragon ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 39,992

    Ability: Constant Regeneration, Moving Force, Berserk Boost, ck mes, Steady Wings

    ¨C

    ck-Scaled Rage Dragons are a rare breed of the Draconic Race. They stand 7 meters tall and are covered in luscious ck scales. Rage Dragons, as a whole, are renowned for their unstoppable fury and ability to take an incredible amount of damage before sumbing. They are one of the most physically focused Draconic beings in existence. They possess the ck mes Ability, a type of Dragonfire that ranks towards the middle of all Dragonfire.

    ¨C

    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he looked over the list, his jaw dropping. He¡¯d hit the jackpot this time!

    ¡°High Sun Lizardmen have innate senses for certain types of Magic, Sun Eagles can move quickly and use Sun Magic, ckmire Demons are massive and contain great physical strength, while ck-Scaled Rage Dragon¡¯s have stronger Dragonfire and the strongest natural Energy Level of all my forms.¡± He listed the biggest perks of each form out loud, nodding his head.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m already working on one type of magic, I don¡¯t need to focus on another, so the High Sun Lizardman form is out. The ckmire Demon sounds strong, but has too many negatives, and is outssed by the ck-Scaled Rage Dragon. The Sun Eagle is the only other one I¡¯d consider right now, due to its fast movement speed.¡± He scratched his chin.

    ¡°Raw power, or faster movement and dodging?¡± He considered it briefly before shrugging.

    ¡°Why not both?¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Ausra, what will it cost to Evolve and gain the ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form as well as the Sun Eagle form?¡±

    The higher Evolution his bloodlines, the more energy points it cost to fuse them and create thepleted form. At a lower level, these points spent had been negligible, or actually zero in some cases.

    ¡®Approximately 12,000 points to fuse the bloodlines toplete growth.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head. Dorian smiled. He could deal with that.

    He¡¯d invest the remainder of his points into his Grakon Bloodline.

    ¡°Alright, Ausra. Evolve me into the ck-Scaled Rage Dragon! I¡¯ll take on the Sun Eagle form when I need itter.¡±

    ¡®Acknowledged.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s body shed and rapidly began to transform.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The next morning¡­

    Dorian stood before Be in one of the tree-filled courtyards in his human form, wearing a set of slim brown robes. A small de could be seen on his hip, giving him the appearance of an itinerant warrior.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle with you.¡±

    Be¡¯s eyes shed, a bright smile appearing on her face.

    ¡°Excellent! Then, we will set off tomorrow! Don¡¯t worry, my Warrior Women will be sure to protect you!¡±

 Chapter 91 - Surrounded

    Chapter 91: Surrounded

    On the same Dorian was on, several hundred miles to the north of him, arge, white mansion could be seen, set in the deepest recesses of a wooded forest. This mansion was made of a dull, white stone, cracked and faded by time. Severalrge, inset ss windows could be seen, lining the outside.

    A few small dirt trails led away from the mansion out into the forest, but there was no major, visible path that could be seen.

    In arge room at the center of this mansion, a meeting was taking ce. It was, of all things, a dining room. A full table was set, with several delicacies like steamed Blue-Footed Goat leg, roast Manile Deer thigh, and various other delicious types of meat spread out. Fresh bread and cool, refreshing fruits could be seen filling up several porcin bowls.

    A single male human was calmly eating at this table. He wore a simple wool huntsmen¡¯s vest and pants, faded and calm looking, as if he could blend into any area this deep in the forest. His face was lined with age, a small, greying beard borne upon his chin. His eyes were a cid brown, reflecting his peaceful demeanor.

    He was currently holding up a fork, staring at a particrly juicy looking piece of meat. He took a slow bite of it, savoring the juices and fat, before setting it down, wiping his hands on a small napkin.

    ¡°Report, Bathol.¡± His deep voice matched his appearance, not a hint of tension or stress found in it.

    Three other men could be seen standing near the table, looking attentively at the eating hunter. Each of these men wore long brown robes and had faces that were painted over with brown and green paint, making them look virtually indistinguishable.

    ¡°We¡¯ve fully suppressed the Tasman Family. There should be no chance of a resurgence from them. We¡¯ve also managed to influence the Barkel Archives to withdraw their support from the fledging Mans Alliance.¡± One of the three men spoke aloud, stepping forward as he gave his report.

    The woodsmen nodded,

    ¡°Well done.¡± He turned his head slightly, gesturing to the second man.

    ¡°Kylo, your report?¡±

    The second man stepped forward,

    ¡°The Balt Mercenary Team has been sessfully eliminated, with minimal losses. The Merchants Union representing the Kingdom of Sandra has been taken over. But¡­¡± The man paused, looking vaguely ufortable underneath the paint on his face.

    ¡°But?¡± The hunter¡¯s voice was calm, not a hint of emotion in it.

    ¡°But we hit a minor snag in an unexpected ce.¡± Kylo shrugged,

    ¡°We hired the cktooth Knives, a B Rated mercenary team that has acquired some in the southern regions of the continent. Their target was the daughter of retired Captain Huldon from Golden Moon and her ¡®Warrior Women¡¯ team. They¡¯re B- Rated, and with the element of surprise plus the intel we gathered, it should¡¯ve been a done deal.¡± The speaker shrugged again,

    ¡°Unfortunately, the entire crew was wiped out by an unknown threat that we have been unable to trace.¡±

    The hunter frowned slightly when he heard this before his face quickly returned to its cid calm.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    A drop of sweat fell down Kylo¡¯s face.

    ¡°M-my men have made preparations to send two more B Rated teams that we scouted out on short notice after her immediately, and on yourmand-¡±

    ¡°Let me stop you right there, Kylo.¡± The hunter held up his hand, interrupting the speaker,

    ¡°You originally hired a B Rated mercenary team to take out one of the targets, yes?¡± He stared at the second of his subordinates calmly,

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kylo nodded.

    ¡°And now that that the B Rated team failed, you want to send two B Rated teams.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kylo nodded a second time.

    The hunter sighed.

    ¡°And what would you do if those two teams failed? Send three B Rated teams? Maybe a B+ Rated team?¡± The hunter continued, his voice still calm,

    ¡°Incrementally increase the strength of the teams you send after the target at a rate that will just barely match their potential growth or strength gain?¡± A hint of irritation sank into his words.

    ¡°U-uh sir, I don¡¯t think-¡± Before Kylo could respond, however, he was interrupted again.

    ¡°Yes, that appears to be the issue.¡± The hunter waved his hand sharply,

    ¡°If a threat arises, the most basic principle is to stamp it out immediately. Even a minor incident can explode into a major one if not addressed promptly and with full seriousness.¡± His eyes shed,

    ¡°Captain Huldon may be a mere, injured shell of what he once was, but he was still a Captain in Golden Moon that almost reached the King ss. Killing him would spawn an inquiry that would be troublesome to avoid.¡±

    ¡°While we can¡¯t deal with him directly, taking out his lifeline, his daughter and her rising team, is more or less the equivalent of removing the threat he poses.¡±

    ¡°Weeds must be plucked as soon as they are noticed, not allowed to grow. If we are to take control of the shadows of Paxital, we must first snuff out sources of light beyond our control.¡±

    As the hunter finished speaking, a rich, Kingly Aura surround his body.

    He waved his hand, motioning for his subordinates to temporarily leave.

    He sighed as he watched them exit, turning his head to look back at his food. His previously calm face scrunched up in a distorted visage of anger and scorn.

    ¡°I am surrounded by idiots.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°The Way of the Sword is mysterious and wavering, hidden in darkness but also in light.¡± A voice said, full of mysterious confidence.

    ¡°I see great wisdom in your words.¡± Another voice responded.

    ¡°Just simple logic.¡± The first voice replied.

    ¡°You are wise. It is only through swordy that perfection can be reached.¡± The second returned.

    ¡°Of course.¡± The first said.

    ¡°Such a truth is self-evident.¡± The second agreed.

    Probus looked at the heavily armored Anomaly in front of him, small tears in his eyes.

    ¡°Friend!¡±

    ¡°Brother!¡±

    He reached out with his arm, sping hands with the warrior.

    ¡°To have met such a kindred and wise spirit as yourself, this mission is well worth it.¡± Probus¡¯ eyes shed with mystery as he let go of the Anomaly¡¯s arm and looked out into the distant treeline, the air around him shivering.

    ¡°Indeed, never would I have expected to find such an intelligent specimen as yourself. You are clearly the smartest of your team.¡± Aron¡¯s voice boomed with happiness.

    The two warriors, Probus the Vampire swordmaster, and Aron, Number 56 of the Anomalies, smiled at each other and exchanged names.

    They were currently standing on arge hill, overlooking a widespread forest. A small campsite was set up, one of the temporary resting spots put together by the Vampires to prepare for meeting with the reinforcements sent their way.

    They were several worlds away from Magmor, but still a clear shot in the right direction. They had opted to travel through the world containing the Aurelius headquarters, avoiding the dangers of the Blizzaria route.

    At the center of this campsite was arge fire with a steaming, ck pot that was at least a meter wide. Meat and vegetables sizzled on this pot, throwing up a tantalizing scent.

    Two figures were currently standing near this sizzling pot, arguing over it.

    ¡°Are you SERIOUS?! You wiped out an entire herd of ckhoof Deer just to experiment cooking with them?!¡±

    ¡°Sacrifices must be made for me to be the greatest chef in existence. My path is a hard one, but I shall be the true cooking king.¡±

    ¡°Sacrifices?! What did those poor deer ever do to you?!¡±

    ¡°Well, for one thing, they looked tasty. I hunted down all the ones I could find, I would share some pieces with you, but I think I may have wiped them outpletely.¡±

    ¡°YOU WIPED OUT AN ENTIRE SPECIES JUST TO TRY COOKING WITH THEM?!¡±

    Trajan¡¯s yell shook the air as he red at the demonic looking Anomaly he had just met, his arms held up high.

    ¡°Well, yes. I will admit that it was foolish to not preserve more of the meat before I wiped them all out.¡±

    ¡°THAT IS NOT THE KEY PROBLEM HERE!¡±

    Trajan nearly fainted from rage. If he¡¯d had eyes, they would¡¯ve rolled up in the back of his head as he virtually frothed at the mouth.

    Xaphan shrugged,

    ¡°They¡¯re just deer.¡±

    Trajan trembled. He knelt down all of a sudden, picking out a small stick from the fire that was roaring just a couple meters away. His movements were sure and agile, as if he could see. Some magic artifact or spell appeared to be aiding his vision.

    He held the ming stick up and then threw it at himself. It knocked against his robe and fell to the floor.

    ¡°Oh no, Helena, we¡¯ve been betrayed! See the Anomalies attacked us. I guess I¡¯ll have to defend myself!¡± His voice was full of feigned concern as he sped his hands together,

    ¡°Rain Magic: Waterfall Torrent!¡± A huge stream of water shot down from high in the sky, concentrated in a meter wide arm. This stream mmed into the demonic figure of Xaphan, knocking him several dozen meters away down the hill.

    ¡°Hahaha, foolish Wizard!¡± Xaphan¡¯s voice was full of cheer as he blocked the attack, steam rising off his body as he was covered in mes.

    ¡°I will be sure to wipe out two more species, just for you!¡±

    ¡°RAAAAAAA!¡± Trajan¡¯s incoherent yell was full of rage as the two figures began to fight.

    Helena stormed out of one of the tents in the campsite, her eyes bloodshot. Her small button nose wrinkled cutely, her slim lips drawn tight. She wore a tight, blue dress that was covered in frillyce, one she was preparing just to show Dorian. She red at Trajan and Xaphan, and then turned to re at the giggling Probus and Aron, her short, shoulder length ck hair waving slightly.

    She buried her face in her hands,

    ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Out of the way!¡± A loud voice cried out at Dorian, distracting him as he walked down the street.

    Dorian fluidly stepped back and to the side, turning around in bemusement.

    A troop of men carrying a covered pnquin ran past him, jogging down the street. The men carrying the pnquin were all big and muscr, wearing shirts with the emblem of one of the three Lord ss forces that inhabited Excelsior on their chests, that of a broken dagger.

    After meeting up with Be and informing her he would travel with her, Dorian had the rest of the day to do whatever with. He had decided to take that time and spend it exploring the city, looking for things that could prove useful to him.

    There were no Blood Magic or Preservation shops here, not that he could find. Excelsior City was arge city, a popr one full of hundreds of thousands of people.

    There wasn¡¯t, however, any exclusive City Lord. Instead, the city was controlled by the three Lord ss teams or groups that lived in the area, and used this city as a base for their operations.

    The of Paxital, while a Lesser World, had so many connecting World Bridges to useful ces that it wasrgely used as a hub world and a base for many factions of Mercenaries, Magic Groups, or Alliances of various sorts.

    The three Lord ss forces that lived in Excelsior were all mercenary teams that were based here to go on expeditions to Blizzaria and bring in rare resources.

    Be¡¯s Warrior Women team was one of those three, the newest group.

    There used to be a fourth mercenary team, the cktooth Knives, but they had been wiped out in their entirety just a week and a half or so ago. Wiped out by Arial, Dorian suspected, when she arrived through the Red Portal. Dorian appeared to have been stuck through some type of temporal disturbance due to the instability of the portal, and had taken roughly two weeks to make it through.

    ¡°Go on, then.¡± Dorian shrugged as he watched the pnquin run past. The city was bustling, full of liveliness. Merchants barking their wares, warriors and Wizards moving to and fro, chefs, servants, cksmiths, farmers, all sorts and manners of people moving about.

    After Dorian had agreed to join Be, they had talked for a bit about their ns. They were to set off tomorrow morning, moving with a chartered Fast Caravan, a type of magical fast transport artifact, at full speed across the continent to the east. They would travel by ship to the continent of Pashal, where they would travel further east towards the World Bridge that led to Lansc, and from there to Magmor.

    One of the reasons Dorian had opted to travel with them was because it would hide him. He was well aware that as a so-called ¡®Anomaly¡¯ he was being hunted. Blending in and hiding with locals or regr Wizards would provide him with a great deal of cover, especially if he needed to sneak past guards or hunters.

    Dorian didn¡¯t know if it was because of the Luck Magic she studied, but Be seemed to take odd urrences for granted.

    She had noticed that his arm had fully regenerated, healed from being chopped off. His mind shed back as he recalled the short conversation.

    ¡°And that will be the most likely route we will take. It¡¯s possible we may encounter pursuers, but my women and I should be readily able to handle the teams they send after us. We¡¯re only known as a B- Rated mercenary team in the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, after all.¡± Be had been exining more about their n.

    Dorian also learned a bit more about how some powerful groups were ¡®rated¡¯in the 30,000 Worlds. The Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance set a rating scale for any organization or group, and gave them a ¡®rating.¡¯ This applied not only for members of the massive, widespread Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, but for any famous group in general. A B- rated team was one that contained at least two Lord ss Wizards, or five Lord ss fighters.

    She had paused, staring at him in slight confusion,

    ¡°Did you- Weren¡¯t you missing an arm when we rescued you?¡± She eyed him askance.

    Dorian looked over at his arm, and then back to her and shrugged.

    ¡°Yep.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else, unsure what to add.

    She stared at him expectantly.

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    They stared at each other for a few more seconds.

    ¡°And now it¡¯s back?¡±

    ¡°Seems like.¡±

    They stared at each other for a few more seconds.

    Dorian felt as if he had to say something at that point,

    ¡°Maybe it grew back through luck?¡± He didn¡¯t want to reveal anything about his ability to regenerate and his unique Soul Spell Matrix to her if he didn¡¯t have to.

    Be looked at him for another second,

    ¡°Oh yes, of course. Completely reasonable.¡± She nodded as if that made perfect sense, letting it go.

    Dorian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Themon sense of these women seemed to be¡­ rather off.

    The shback to the past ended as Dorianughed aloud, feeling a weight rise from his heart. He smiled. Ever since that voice came into his head, the world had seemed to be a harsher, darker ce. It was nice to take a minute to rx.

    ¡°Oi, you! Hold on a second!¡±

    As Dorian came out of his reverie, he realized he had inadvertently turned off the street he was walking on to a darker, edge alley. Unlike the mostly clean grey streets that could be found paved through Excelsior, the alley he was in was grungy and dirty.

    A pair of muscr men were standing in front of Dorian, shirtless and wearing only a pair of ck, brown pants. One of them cracked their knuckles threateningly, while the other red at Dorian. They both had ugly, forgettable faces that had been injured or broken many times before. Their muscles, however, were very real, as were the scars that covered their bodies.

    The speaker was behind Dorian.

    A well-groomed man in a set of slim blur robes. He had short hair that was spiked at the end, dyed a dark blue color. The air around him seemed to carry a hint of perfume, giving him the appearance of a young master or affluent noble.

    Dorian nced back at the men blocking one section, and then at the man in front of him.

    The two behind him were at the Grandmaster ss, and were clearly weathered fighters. The youth in front of him was a Wizard, ording to Ausra, a Grandmaster ss Wizard, close to Lord ss. He was either older than he appeared, or extremely talented to have reached the Grandmaster ss at such a young age.

    But why were they bothering him? Such a powerful group couldn¡¯t be mere nobodies. It wasn¡¯t as if everyone could reach the Grandmaster ss.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to need to inspect your Spatial Ring, friend.¡± The Wizard began, giving Dorian a small smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve picked up that you¡¯re holding on to a dangerous artifact or treasure. I couldn¡¯t let myself rest if you injured yourself with it.¡± The youth¡¯s eyes shed as he held out his hand.

    Dorian tightened his fists, his eyes narrowing.

    He appeared to be surrounded.

 Chapter 92 - Unexpected

    Chapter 92: Unexpected

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. With a natural treasure like this Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf in your Spatial Ring, alongside the trove of other Magic Herbs you have, there is a nonzero chance of a dangerous interaction or explosion. Here, I have a spare Spatial Pouch you can have.¡±

    Dorian smiled as the friendly Wizard, a man named Quint he learned, handed him back his Spatial Ring, intact with all of his belongings, as well as a gold colored leaf, tinged with red and a small brown pouch.

    ¡®That wasn¡¯t at all how I thought this would go down.¡¯ He mentally shrugged.

    When the Wizard had surrounded him with his bodyguards, essentially ambushing him in the alley, Dorian had prepared himself to smash them away with no regard. He was a powerful, Lord ss expert now. No longer did he need to cower or run.

    His initial expectations had been provenpletely wrong. Back on Earth, he¡¯d read some fantasy stories where thieves would ambush someone in a dark alley, robbing them of their belongings.

    He¡¯d thought he¡¯d found himself in a simr situation. He¡¯d even handed over his ring to see what the Wizard would try.

    He shook his head, smiling slightly. This was real life, after all. Just because he¡¯d read of fantasy situations like that in books on Earth didn¡¯t mean things would go the same way here.

    ¡°My apologies for the rude interruption.¡± The Wizard said, bowing slightly to Dorian.

    ¡°The danger present to you, and to those around you, was too severe.¡±

    Dorian looked down at the Golden Leaf.

    He had been gifted it earlier by Be. It was a rare Natural Treasure, ording to Ausra, one that was imbued with Fire Energy, as well as strings of Life Energy. It was a useful ingredient in forming Pills that healed injuries to the soul, and could also be used to gain a temporary feel for the Law of Fire.

    He didn¡¯t know what he would do with it yet. With his Ifrit form, Dorian didn¡¯t feel like he exactly needed a closer connection to the Law of Fire. Even when he practiced his magic in his other forms, he still maintained a strong connection that vastly elerated his learning speed.

    He could now perfectly cast the Fire Magic: me Swords Spell, an Earth ss Spell. He¡¯d gained such a mastery for it that he feltfortable starting a new spellter on today.

    Fire Magic: zing Sword. Aplex, Sky ss Spell. The first Sky ss Spell he would attempt, skipping over other Earth ss Spells. It was very simr to his me Swords in that he was forming a sword made out of fire. Only, this sword would be muchrger, at nearly 5 meters in length. A powerful, destructive spell.

    The gap in difficulty andplexity between each spell was significant. However, Dorian¡¯s Ifrit form was essentially a cheat when it came to Fire Magic, one that he intended to take full advantage of.

    They weren¡¯t called the Rulers of me for nothing, after all.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. It¡¯s rare to meet someone with real, honest intentions.¡± Dorian spoke aloud, his focus returning to the blue robed Grandmaster Wizard.

    He was honestly surprised by the genuine concern the Wizard showed. After living in the 30,000 Worlds for as long as he had, he¡¯de to expect dishonesty and betrayal.

    If it was real, that was. Dorian couldn¡¯t help but hold a slight seed of doubt.

    ¡°Ah, well.¡± The Wizard began, patting on his shoulders as if to build himself up,

    ¡°As a member of the Free School of Thunder, it is my obligation to warn others of the dangers they may be in.¡± He said grandly. Or, well, he attempted to say grandly. His tone fell rather short, though he gave it a good try. He didn¡¯t quite have a deep enough voice to make it work.

    The name vaguely rang a bell in Dorian¡¯s head. When he¡¯d researched the powers in the 30,000 Worlds, he¡¯d read a few sidenotes about groups that were powerful, but not as significantly powerful as, say, the Borrel Autarchy. The Free School of Thunder was one of them, if he recalled correctly, but he wasn¡¯t too sure. The information he¡¯d read had said little about them.

    ¡°I¡¯d rmend you find a use for that natural treasure as soon as possible. The distinct air it gives off is recognizable to anyone that has spent time with natural treasures before. Less generous souls than me might attempt to take advantage of your low strength.¡± Quint nodded at him, giving him advice.

    Dorian smiled internally. His human form, indeed, didn¡¯t give off a particrly powerful Aura. His true strength, however, was far from weak.

    Still. He appreciated Quint¡¯s kindness.

    ¡°Well, thank you anyway. I will take your words to heart.¡± Dorian shook hands with the odd Wizard.

    ¡°Yes, so will I. They were good words.¡± Quint nodded,pletely serious.

    ¡°Well, I must be off. I have a long journey to make, to and of danger and peril, full of great treasure and wonder. To a set of ruins that are legendary!¡± The Wizard began, his eyes shining.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly when he heard this.

    ¡°Are you, perchance, journeying to the Ascension Ruins on Magmor?¡± He queried.

    Quint gave Dorian a winning smile,

    ¡°No, of course not. Why would I want to go there? I¡¯m obviously going to Blizzaria, to one of the many ancient ruins there. Why else would I be in this city?¡±

    ¡°Um- no- right, yes. Ah. Of course.¡± Dorian stuttered, stumbling over his words in surprise at the abrupt answer. He mentally berated himself. Everyone he met wasn¡¯t going to be heading to the same ce as him. The world didn¡¯t revolve around him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, young man. Just keep up your practice. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll gain the strength to stand on your feet proudly one day, just like me.¡± Quint patted Dorian on the shoulder, ignoring the fact that Quint himself was almost certainly younger than Dorian, and then motioned at his two warriors. In a group they turned around and left the alley, leaving Dorian with a friendly wave.

    Dorian watched them go, his hands held out slightly to the side in consternation. He stored the natural treasure in the Spatial Pouch, after looking it over to make sure it was just a normal pouch. It was. He then shook his head.

    ¡°What an odd fellow. I wonder if their whole School is like that?¡± He shrugged,

    ¡°Well, time to go prepare to leave.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The next day¡­

    ¡°Fire Magic: zing Sword.¡± Dorian sped his hands together as he focused, looking at the air above him.

    A vast number of magic symbols shed through his head, sparkling about with color, light, and energy. He guided the power of his soul into a deep pattern, one he focused on fully.

    Not a momentter, the image of arge, 5 meter long sword of fire began to appear in the air. The sword was roughly a meter thick, shaped like a heavy broadsword. Sparks and embers fluttered off of it, cascading into the air.

    WHOOSH

    The sword copsed in on itself, sending up a small explosion of mes as Dorian¡¯s concentration wavered, missing a single symbol in the chain he was forming.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Dorian watched the mes sh into the air and sparkle, quickly fading behind him as he journeyed forward.

    He was currently sitting down on the edge of arge, floating ship. This ship was made entirely out of wood, a ship very simr to one that William was able to cast. A Wood Magic Spell. The ships were formed by Wood Magic in addition to a special type of magic artifact that allowed for long-term usage.

    This ship was soaring through the sky, following a group of 8 other ships in front of them. Each ship spanned nearly a hundred meters in length, withrge, billowing sails of magic energy propelling them forward.

    ording to Be, this was a chartered ¡®Fast Caravan¡¯ that they had joined. A magical transport service that was operated by a transport group, the Tone Transportation Alliance. They were actually a B+ rated mercenary team that offered protective transportation to anywhere on Paxital, and to many others within range.

    Including even certain regions of Blizzaria.

    Paxital was not controlled by any single great power, partially as a result of its location near the borders of the Shade Commune, one of the small, yet influential, Vampire Families, and the Borrel Autarchy. As a result of that, mercenary groups or smaller powers held a much greater sway.

    While the resources on Paxital weren¡¯t vast, as it was a Lesser World, its function as a hubworld, and nearness to treasure troves like Blizzaria, made it a lucrative location.

    ¡°Woah.¡± Wind whipped past Dorian as he leaned over the rail, watching as the sparks of me fizzled out. His hair in his human form fluttered.

    There was an invisibleyer of energy protecting the ship from any discordant wind as it soared across the continent, flying at a fast speed. With it like this, they would be able to reach the edge of the continent in a mere 2 days, traveling hundreds and thousands of miles with ease andfort.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch that you were a Fire Wizard.¡± A calm voice caught Dorian¡¯s attention as he stepped away from the edge.

    Dorian turned to face the speaker. It was Be, the Luck Wizard.

    He shrugged,

    ¡°There are many things that I am.¡±

    A peaceful calm settled as the echoes of the rushing wind faded from Dorian¡¯s ears. This entire ship had been rented and reserved for their team. The other ships were chartered for different groups or people.

    Excelsior was one of the premier cities on the continent and had arge concentration of powerful figures. Blizzaria wasrgely considered a dangerousnd of treasure and adventure, so it was little surprise.

    As a result, it regrly had caravans like this one moving back and forth between different popr areas.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you something, Be.¡± Dorian continued, turning his full focus to her.

    Be gave him an inquisitive look, and then waved him on,

    ¡°Would you mind telling me a little about your Luck Magic? I¡¯ve never heard of it before and was just curious how it works. It sounds incredible!¡± He put on his best impression of ayman.

    ¡°It sounds like you can change the Fate of anyone at will!¡±

    Be blinked for a moment, lost in thought, before replying,

    ¡°Well, sure. Since you¡¯reing with us, I don¡¯t mind.¡± She nodded,

    ¡°My Luck Magic, and the Law of Luck I study, isn¡¯t as grand as you imagine. It just lets me affect the odds of something happening, as long as it is rted to me. The less something is rted to me, the harder it is to affect it.¡±

    Internally, Dorian narrowed his eyes. It sounded very simr to his own unique soul twisting Fate.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to use, even for me. Breaking into the Lord ss was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and my grandest aplishment in life. My power makes me a perfect support teammate, and is part of why I formed my ¡®Warrior Women¡¯ mercenary team.¡± She continued,

    ¡°My father had his own team, called the ¡®Brash Boys.¡¯ A ridiculous name, I know, but he was a bit ridiculous in his time.¡± She smiled as she talked, her eyes growing distant as she spoke of her father.

    Dorian nodded, listening attentively.

    Meanwhile¡­

    Several thousand meters away, a very different conversation was taking ce.

    ¡°Are you ready, Lord Hadrion?¡± A cynical voice called out,

    ¡°Stop calling me that. I already told you I have nothing to do with that ck Lightning Wizard prodigy.¡± A gruff, older voice responded, full of irritation.

    ¡°You share the same name-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Hadron, damn it. Not Hadrion. Completely different.¡±

    Arge, floating boulder stood roughly two thousand meters in the air, drifting in between a few low clouds. This boulder was nearly 50 meters wide, with argely t top. It appeared to be made of some dark brown rock, and gave off faint particles of energy. A creation of Magic.

    On this rock, arge team of warriors and Wizards milled about, waiting patiently. They all wore ck robes or ck armor, alongside ck masks and hoods, hiding their appearancespletely.

    Two Wizards stood at the front of the group, talking to each other. They appearedrgely the same as the 4 other Wizards in the group. Donning simple ck robes and masks, hiding their appearance.

    Hadron sighed, looking at hisrade,

    ¡°My Collision Magic is far superior to his, anyway, David. I¡¯m just a step away from breaching into the King ss, and dominating on my own.¡± His voice was full of gruff confidence.

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The other Wizard, David, replied, waving his hands in surrender. David paused for a moment, looking around the floating boulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think our forces are a bit overkill? 22 Lord ss warriors, and 6 Lord ss Wizards, including you and I at the Peak? It¡¯s just a small B- team. Hardly worth such a great effort.¡±

    Hadron shrugged,

    ¡°It is what it is. Leader wants no room for error or mistakes. You know how he is about little things. We must be getting close to taking over Paxital.¡±

    ¡°Now¡­¡± Hadron¡¯s eyes shed under his mask as he looked forward, into the distance.

    At a caravan of wooden ships that were soaring through the sky, passing by them right now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it then.¡± He pped his hands loudly, turning to face the other masked warriors and Wizards.

    ¡°Everyone, prepare yourselves to attack! Last warning!¡±

    .

 Chapter 93 - Enemy Attack

    Chapter 93: Enemy Attack

    ¡°He was one of the more renowned warriors to fight in the battle between the Shades and Vampire Families, nearly 50 years ago. He was called ¡®Lucky Seven,¡¯ in honor of his nearplete mastery of the 7 Lucky Strikes technique.¡± Be¡¯s voice was full of pride,

    ¡°He achieved the rank of Captain in the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance after reaching the peak of Lord ss, nearly Pseudo-King. While he couldn¡¯t bepared to those ultimate Peak or Pseudo-King experts that can fight King ss experts, his abilities and techniques made him a bit of a legend.¡±

    Dorian listened to her words attentively. He gave her an encouraging nod as she spoke.

    ¡®The war between the Vampire Families and the Shades 50 years ago, huh?¡¯ Helena had told him that her parents died when she was young. Sheter exined, a little, that there had been a great war, and that they died in an invasion from the Shade Commune.

    That must¡¯ve been what she was referring to.

    His heart went out to her. Despite her physical nature and powerful strength, Dorian felt that she was far too kind for this world. She¡¯d suffered so much.

    ¡°He sounds like a great man.¡± Dorian returned.

    ¡°He was.¡± Be said, smiling somewhat sadly,

    ¡°He still is.¡± She corrected herself,

    ¡°He just has lost a bit of his edge. The injuries he suffered eventually took their toll, as I told you earlier. He lost almost all of his strength due to some type of unknown wound to the soul, something I believe is rted to Luck Magic.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian replied, rubbing his chin,

    ¡°Is it not curable?¡±

    Be shook her head and shrugged,

    ¡°Without information on why he¡¯s injured, treating it is almost impossible. Believe me, Dorian, I¡¯ve tried. We just don¡¯t know what to do to help him.¡± She sighed, frustrated.

    TINK

    Abruptly, a small splinter of wood cracked beneath Be¡¯s feet, startling both Dorian and Be. They both looked down in surprise, staring at the shard of wood. It had broken up from the deck out of nowhere.

    The wood on the deck, and on the entire ship, was magically enhanced and extremely durable, resistant to impacts. For part of it to randomly splinter was very odd.

    Be bent down to pick it up, perturbed.

    WHOOSH

    Just as she was bending over to pick up the splinter and look at it, a metal sword blurred through the air exactly where she had been standing.

    THUNK

    The sword mmed into the wooden ship and sank all the way into the floor, cracking the deck and throwing up shards of wood. Its movement was so fast it was a blur even in Dorian¡¯s eyes.

    Dorian and Be froze for a split second, staring at the sword in astonishment.

    An instantter, Be spun around in the direction it came from, yelling aloud,

    ¡°We are under attack!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°How did that miss?!¡± Hadron¡¯s jaw dropped in astonishment as he looked at the result of his spell, his hands held out to the side.

    He had just cast one of his favorite Spells, Collision Magic: Collision de. Collision Magic was a derivative of Impact Magic that focused on long-range attacks.

    His Collision de Spell formed, andunched, a de made of tough, durable steel at roughly 1,500 miles per hour forward. The technique was incredibly potent in regards to surprise attacks and could cause a huge amount of damage.

    Yet, at the moment that he hadunched his spell, just as he sent it forward, his target had, for some unknown reason, bent down.

    Causing him to miss due to sheer luck.

    ¡°She studies some type of freaky Luck Magic. Who knows? Our cover is blown.¡± David¡¯s voice echoed out as he grabbed ahold of Hadron.

    ¡°What now?¡± The Peak Lord ss Wizard asked Hadron, the leader of the team.

    ¡°Whatever. We attack. Move!¡± Hadron¡¯s voice turned into a yell as he waved his hand,manding the giant boulder they were flying on to rush forward.

    WHOOSH

    They shot through the air, on a direct collision course for the floating wooden ship at the end of the caravan.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Prepare for enemy attack! Ladies, it¡¯s time to WAKE UP AND READY ARMS!¡±

    Be transformed into apletely different person as she took charge of the situation. The air around her trembled with yellow light, a pale Aura forming as she went into full readiness.

    In mere seconds, all the female warriors and Wizards that were part of Be¡¯s party filed out from the underbelly of the ship, pouring onto the deck. Some of them were in various states of dress, wearing nothing but a nightgown and a sword.

    At the same time, two other Wizards appeared, alongside a good dozen or so guards that were already on the ship. They all wore worn grey armor and set up into formation on the brow of the ship. Members of the Tone Transportation Alliance, guards hired to protect each ship in the Fast Caravan.

    ¡°Here theye!¡± Be¡¯s warriors and Wizards split up into their own formation near the front of the ship, the three Wizards standing at the center while a pool of guards spread out, protecting them. A warm yellow light covered all of them in aforting glow, some type of unknown spell.

    ¡°Get below deck Dorian!¡± Be spared a single yell for Dorian as she turned her focus to the south, where a huge chunk of rock was crashing straight towards them.

    Dorian stumbled backwards till he was next to the mast, his eyes wide as he looked around. He zeroed in on the rock that was charging towards them, on a direct collision course.

    His powerful eyesight could make out several figures on the rock, all braced for impact.

    ¡°What the hell? Are they- Are they going to collide with us? In mid-air?!¡± Dorian sputtered, forgetting for a brief moment that he could just transform into a form that could fly away if worst came to worst.

    ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m fine.¡± He said after a second, catching himself.

    ¡®What should I do? If I fight, I might expose myself. I know there are people hunting for us Anomalies¡­¡¯ He was caught in a quandary.

    In the few seconds that Dorian took to think, the boulder crossed the distance between them and the flying ship.

    And collided.

    BOOOM!

    Dorian was flung off his feet, sted backwards as the giant rock mmed into the ship. Enormous chunks of wooden shrapnel shot off into the air, a sickening crunch echoing out as the entire boat tilted dangerously to the right.

    Dorian¡¯s body whipped through the air, smashing into the side of the ship. He felt more than heard the wooden deck crack beneath his back as he bounced off it painfully.

    He sailed towards the edge of the boat, about to pass over it. His eyes opened wide as he saw this, ignoring the pain in his body.

    Just as he was about to fall off the ship, Dorian¡¯s hand cut down towards the wooden railing, reaching to grasp onto it.

    And missed.

    ¡°Ohe on!¡± Dorian yelled out loud, mentally swearing.

    He fellpletely overboard the side of the flying ship.

    His body free fell through the air, tumbling in the wind as he flipped over. The speed he¡¯d been knocked away at had prevented him from standing his ground.

    ¡°Fine.¡± He gave up on hiding,

    ¡°Transform!¡±

    ¡®Ausra, take on my Sun Eagle Form!¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s body shifted and morphed, expanding in size. His human arms lengthened and transformed intorge, feathered brown wings. He gained a sharp, ck and yellow beak, where small yellow mes lingered, running up his head all the way down his spine.

    He grew from his slightly less than 2 meters human height to an expansive 4 meters tall, Sun Eagle. The edges of his wings gave off warm yellow and orange mes, as did the back of his head and spine.

    He felt powerful. Agile. The world around him seemed to transform, no longer an incoherent mess of falling air. But, instead, a world he could soar in and fly freely, one he was inplete control of. He could feel the wind around him, the various paths he could take.

    ¡®Wow. This form is something else.¡¯ He thought, feeling the incredible agility. He pped his wings once, noting the trail of fire he left in the air.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian¡¯s head spun upward as he sensed movement.

    A huge chunk of broken wood and shattered rock was falling directly overhead towards him, just a few dozen meters away. The heavy, dangerous debris had fallen from the still floating ship, crashing down towards the ground below.

    The ship itself was sting forward, rapidly moving away from Dorian despite the dangerous lean it had gained.

    ¡®Nope.¡¯ Dorian flipped over and backed out furiously, pping his wings.

    Immediately his body shot out to the north, sting forward at an extremely fast speed. He almost tripped, somehow, in mid-air, as he regained control of himself, managing to dodge the falling objects.

    His Sun Eagle form came with a natural sense of control and of flight. Even with that, however, he was still, at his core, not a bird. It took him a few moments to adjust as he got a hold of himself. His passive Steady Wings Ability greatly boosted this control.

    ¡®I¡¯m good.¡¯ He thought as he righted himself, and then pped hard, shooting upward. His body blurred as he soared, cutting through the air.

    As he was about to race from the ship, however, he noticed a figure falling down through the air.

    One of Be¡¯s ¡®Women Warriors,¡¯ specifically one of the fighters and not a Wizard. She was falling with only a torn and partially shredded nightgown on, a broadsword wielded in her hand. She was barefoot.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Grandmaster ss (Pseudo-Lord)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,822

    ¨C

    She was about as strong as his Lesser Throne Demon form had been, at least in terms of energy. She must¡¯ve been knocked overboard by the impact like Dorian had been, unable to find solid footing in her nightclothes.

    As soon as Dorian spotted her, the voice in Dorian¡¯s head rang out. A voice that had stayed quiet for a brief period, one he had hoped had gone away.

    ¡®Kill her.¡¯ This voice was a quiet whisper that echoed in his thoughts. As it did so, the dark lines on Dorian¡¯s soul and mind twitched slightly, lines he was unaware of.

    ¡®Go back to being quiet. No one cares about your opinion!¡¯ Dorian brutally forced the thought down, his Eagle face distorting into a snarl. As he forcibly ignored the thought, he noticed that it was harder to force away than before.

    Without a second of hesitation, he dived down towards the falling figure of the female warrior.

    In his Sun Eagle form, he covered the distance in mere seconds. As he got closer, he got a clear look at the face of the female warrior.

    She was a bit older, in herte 30s, with lined cheeks. A small scar ran down her tan neck, and while Dorian wouldn¡¯t call her attractive, she certainly wasn¡¯t ugly, with her short brown hair and calm green eyes.

    Despite starting to fall thousands of meters towards almost certain death, the fighter had a calm look on her face. She was trying to maneuver her body to slow her descent, stretching her arms and legs out wide.

    ¡®Better than I would be.¡¯ Dorian thought, shrugging. At least he would¡¯ve had a Cloud in a Bottle Artifact to use from his Spatial Ring. The women didn¡¯t appear to have anything but her sword with her.

    In a single smooth motion, Dorian slipped under and grabbed the woman, cing her on the lower part of his back, a bit offset to the side so the mes that burned on his spine wouldn¡¯t harm her.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± He squawked out loud. His voice was understandable, just barely, in his Sun Eagle form.

    He then twisted and soared upward, back towards the listing ship.

    The woman looked down at the eagle that had just rescued her in object astonishment. An instantter, she grabbed hold tightly of Dorian¡¯s feathers as he sted upward, her eyes wide. She didn¡¯t seem to question the odd urrence of a giant ming bird rescuing her out of nowhere, surprising no one, Dorian thought.

    ¡®O.¡¯ She was pulling roughly on his feathers. He mentally grumbled at her, but refused to say anything out loud, maintaining his dignity.

    In just a split second, a trail of fire zed into the air as he shot up, reaching the damaged wooden ship. His Sun Eagle form must¡¯ve been at least 3 times as fast as his ck Ambian Eagle. Its muscture and skeletal structure was dense and strong, powered partially by the Elemental Fire Energy that was present within the Eagle.

    Even with a passenger, he could able maneuver and move at a fast pace.

    The scene on the deck was chaotic.

    The collision with the boulder had tossed many of the defenders to the ground. The formations of the two groups were barely sustained, though most of them had managed to stay on the ship itself.

    The attackers were a bit better off in thending, prepared as they were for the collision.

    Though only a few seconds had passed, the battle was already underway.

    BOOM

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Bright shes of light lit up the deck as spells collided. Bright red fire washed against the yellow air that covered Be¡¯s team, trying to incinerate them. The shes of swords and axes rang out as the attacking warriors charged, mming into the defenders.

    The physical strength and might of the attackers were very clear as they easily overpowered the guards set up by the transportpany, knocking them away. They didn¡¯t actually kill any of the guards, however, only sting them to the side.

    The Wizards guarding the ship took a look at this and, of all things, actually retreated, pulling back their forces. Instead of bravely fighting off the attackers, or at least trying, they backed off and retreated towards the rear of the ship.

    In the distance, Dorian could see the other wooden ships turning about and starting to rush towards them. Reinforcements from the full squadron of Wizards and fighters guarding them.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be enough.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he took everything in at once,nding on the edge of the ship. The Women Warrior team member on his back leapt off it in the second Dorian took to look things over, rushing towards her allies.

    A bright sh of green light cut into the air as a giant fist appeared out of nowhere, smashing down on the center of the deck. Two more green shes of light shot from the fist, huge, shivering vines covered in thorns mming into several of the female defenders.

    Warm white light formed into a shield, blocking the vines temporarily as one of the Wizards on Be¡¯s side entered the fray. This shield shook, however, cracking immediately under the pressure. It would break in a second or two.

    A masked Wizard began to walk towards the defending women, raising his hand. A ck metal sword appeared in it, one he pointed directly at Be.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Peak)

    Maximum Energy Level: 87,112

    ¨C

    It was a ssic scene.

    The attackers were overwhelmingly stronger than the defenders. There were far more warriors, and so many of them were much stronger. There was no realistic chance of victory for Be. They were destined to die here.

    ¡®Kill them.¡¯

    ¡®Kill them!¡¯

    ¡®KILL THEM!¡¯

    The darkness in Dorian¡¯s soul writhed as he looked at the attackers, anger filling his heart.

    It wasn¡¯t fair.

    It was never fair.

    But perhaps he could change that.

    ¡°Try picking on someone your own strength.¡±

    Dorian sted forward towards the Peak Lord ss Wizard, his eyes shing with rage.

    ¡®Transform! ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form, go!¡¯

 Chapter 94 - Fighting Back

    Chapter 94: Fighting Back

    ¡°This is going swimmingly.¡± Hadron muttered, ncing around the scene of battle. Bright lights shed as the defensive magic of the Women Warriors team began to fold.

    As the Leader had predicted, the Tone Transportation Alliance folded immediately and retreated upon their attack. With so many Lord ss warriors and Wizards, it was no real question. If he wanted, they could probably annihte the entire caravan of Wizards, though at great loss to themselves.

    That left them with plenty of time to take out their targets and make a quick escape.

    ¡°Collision Magic: Collision de¡± Hadron sped his hands together, quickly putting together a Spell. His Collision de Spell was technically only a Grandmaster ss Spell, but one that increased in strength linearly with the power of his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± He held his hand up, pointing the de at their target. The daughter of the former Captain of the Golden Moon Alliance.

    ¡°ROOOOOOAAAAAAAR!¡±

    An enormous, ear-piercing roar shook the air, stunning Hadron due to its proximity. The sheer, physical presence of the creature that made the roar was overwhelming, its virile strength unbelievable.

    He twisted his body to the side, looking up desperately as he raised his Collision de.

    Even in the depths of a surprise attack, he was still a powerful, Lord ss Wizard, seasoned by many years of tough living and missions.

    ¡°Lau-¡± Before he couldpletely finish casting the spell, he felt an enormous impact on the side of his chest.

    This blow shattered his innate barrier in a literal fraction of a second.

    ¡°Shi-¡± He managed to mutter out the beginning of a word as his body took the impact, and literally exploded into paste, blood spattering everywhere.

    Killed instantly.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®Transform! ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form, let¡¯s go!¡¯ Dorian¡¯s Sun Eagle form instantly shifted, expanding and growing in size to a towering 7 meters. Lustrous, dark scales covered his physical body as it exploded outward, his wings stretching to a muchrger size. Awork of spikes ran up and down his spine, while a long, sinuous tail grew out from his rear.

    He grew a pair of tree-trunk thick arms and legs, bulging with muscles and strength. His wings had stronger, heavier bones in them, changing them into tough, tensile weapons. Tough and strong enough that he could fly with them, albeit at a rather slow pace.

    He became a ck-Scaled Rage Dragon.

    ¡®Ability: Moving Force! Activate!¡¯

    ¡®Ability: Berserker Boost! Activate!¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s body took only an instant to shift forms. In that instant, the Wizard he was charging at managed to twist over, turning to face him.

    He was a Lord ss Wizard, standing at the Peak of Lord ss.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 39,982/39,996

    ¨C

    Dorian was only at the Middle of the Lord ss. In terms of raw energy, he was outssed.

    That said, however, Dorian was a dragon.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, the Energy Level of a being was a good metric for their overall strength. A powerful Wizard had a powerful Soul Spell Matrix, allowing them to cast a variety of devastating Spells.

    The Energy Level of a creature, however, could not ount for everything.

    Between a Titan and a human, if both of them had the same Energy Level, it is an almost certain fact that the Titan will outss the human in power.

    This is due to the power of bloodlines, and physique. A mighty beast will almost always be stronger than a mighty human or humanoid.

    Dorian¡¯s energy level was only at the Middle of Lord ss.

    But he was a dragon.

    Specifically, a ck-Scaled Rage Dragon. A type of creature known for their unstoppable might.

    After the second Dorian took to cross the distance between himself and that Wizard, taking the fighter by surprise, Dorian pped down with his right w, mming it into the Wizard.

    He felt a slight bit of a resistance as the innate barrier of the Wizard struggled against him, and then copsed.

    An instantter, the Wizard died, unable to protect himself.

    This also highlighted the difference between Lord ss Wizards and warriors. Some Spellcasters, like Helena, were capable of facing King ss threats and surviving. Incredibly skilled, agile, and mighty, she was an example of a genius Lord ss Wizard.

    The Wizard before Dorian wasn¡¯t weak. No one that reached the Peak of Lord ss could be. But in terms of skill and technique, he couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Helena.

    Energy Level and ss was a good baseline for strength, but it wasn¡¯t everything.

    BOOM

    The part of the ship that Doriannded on cracked as he knocked the remains of the Wizard away, sending up shards of wood. His abrupt expansion had knocked away several warriors, sending them near the edge of the deck.

    ¡®Kill them! Wee them into the silent embrace of chaos.¡¯ The voice in Dorian¡¯s mind shivered, almost in pleasure, as Dorian attacked.

    He ignored it, turning his focus onto the remaining attackers.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    Dorian felt two blows m into the right side of his body, knocking him towards the Women Warriors team. He winced as he felt it, feeling several of his scales crack. Small trails of blood leaked down his chest and back, tiny puncture wounds dotting his body.

    Two quivering vines, covered in thorns, had just mmed into him. Each vine must¡¯ve been a meter thick, and more than a hundred meters long, shifting and turning in the air like snakes.

    Dorian¡¯s chest heaved as he stood up on his back legs, the wooden deck of the ship buckling slightly more under him.

    ¡®ck mes!¡¯

    ¨C

    Ability: ck mes

    Powerful mes that contain the essence of darkness in them, these mes are deadly and can melt through almost any substance if given enough time. They rank towards the middle in strength in regards to all dragonfire, and can be found in ck Dragons, some breeds of Darkness Dragons, and other darkness or demonic-rted dragons.

    ¨C

    WHOOSH

    A huge fireball of ck mes shot from Dorian¡¯s mouth, mming into the twisting vines. This fireball melted right through the vines, shredding them into two in a second, with only a brief instant of resistance.

    At the same time, Dorian felt several pinpricks of pain.

    ¡°GRR!¡± He let out a loose roar, twisting his body to the side violently.

    BOOOM

    Two Lord ss warriors had plunged their des into his side, rushing up at him. Dorian felt a corrosive strength seem to seep into his blood from one attack, while the other attack carried with it a burning power.

    Dorian¡¯s body knocked them both backwards, sending them near the edge of the ship before they managed to stab into the badly damaged wooden deck, holding on.

    THUD

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡± A heavy impact mmed into Dorian¡¯s back as he turned, cracking at least one or two bones. Dorian spun about yet again,shing forward with his ws against another Lord ss warrior, one that wielded a huge mace.

    He felt a sensation of weakness from this blow, one that seeped into his bones.

    Attack after attack rained down on Dorian as he took a beating, being surrounded on all sides.

    The team he had blindly charged in against was an adept one. While none of them were genius warriors or Wizards, they were all experienced and coordinated fighters.

    In a span of three seconds, Dorian had suffered from nearly a dozen separate attacks.

    The Warrior Women team, meanwhile, were managing to hold on securely, fighting against only a handful of Lord ss warriors, and a single Lord ss Wizard.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed, a bloody rictus of a smile stretching across his face despite the injuries he was taking.

    The info on the Ability he had activated shed into his mind.

    ¨C

    Ability: Berserker Boost

    A mighty, strengthening Ability. The more physical damage one takes while this Ability is active, the greater a creature¡¯s physical strength and power will increase. This mystic Ability is rare and can be found in Rage Dragons, Rage Demons, and Embodiments of Rage or Pride. It draws upon the naturalws of the universe to temporarily adapt the muscr makeup of a being.

    ¨C

    ¡®Power¡­¡¯

    ¡®POWER! Hahahaha!¡¯

    Dorian didn¡¯t feel any of the injuries. Instead, he felt an overwhelming sensation of raw, physical might.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Okay (Injured)

    Energy: 76,224/39,996 (Boosted)

    ¨C

    His eyes shed a second time as he saw his Boosted Energy Level.

    While Energy Levels didn¡¯t mean everything in a battle¡­ Nearly doubling his Energy Level was still an incredible increase in strength.

    Especially when this increase was a direct result of his physical strength increasing due to his Berserker Boost Ability.

    ¡®Condense.¡¯

    Dorian activated his Condense Ability.

    His huge, 7 meter tall stature shrank in an instant, reced with a smooth, 3 meter tall draconic form. His ck scales became denser, his entire body and muscle structure bing tougher and more tensile.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Okay (Injured)

    Energy: 152,224/39,996 (Boosted) (Condensed)

    ¨C

    Dorian blinked.

    The world around him seemed to have slowed down somewhat.

    He looked down at his sleek, shining ck ws, and then around the deck, his eyes widening.

    Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, to some degree.

    ¡®You may only maintain this form for 8 seconds before the strain is too much.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head, helpfully informative.

    ¡®8 seconds?¡¯ Dorian smiled.

    ¡®That¡¯s plenty.¡¯

    His body blurred forward as Dorian shot across the wooden deck,nding in front of the two attackers that he had just knocked away.

    The wooden deck beneath him exploded into shards of wood, two huge imprints of his wed feet damaging it at the force of his leap.

    They were both wearing ck armor and ck masks, covering up every portion of their body. Ausra told him they were both at the Early Lord ss stage, warriors, not Wizards.

    His perception of time had increased with his boosted Energy Level. Thisbined with his vastly increased physical strength in his Condensed form, making it possible for him to maneuver incredibly quickly.

    He wasn¡¯t as fast as the Shade Light Wizard Dorian had fought on Blizzaria, especially not in his draconic form where he couldn¡¯t easily make use of the Mystic Martial Arts left in his memories.

    But he could still move at an extraordinary speed.

    ¡°In your next life, try to not attack innocents.¡± Dorian muttered, his eyes cool.

    SNICK

    SNICK

    Dorian¡¯s ck scaled arms blurred. A momentter, the heads of the two Lord ss warriors fell to the ground, killed before they had a chance to react.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian dodged to the side, running with all of his ws in a serpentine fashion as he ducked under a st of fiery energy.

    As he twisted to look behind him, he saw an enormous, 30-meter tall ball of red fire sting right towards him, shooting across the deck at a speed equal to his own. The ball of mes had been conjured by one of the still living Wizard attacks, forming in an instant.

    ¡®Can¡¯t dodge in time.¡¯ He instantly reached that conclusion. He was fast, but not a God. He could try using some of those Mystic Martial Arts from his memories, but he had a better solution instead.

    ¡®Ifrit form, go!¡¯

    His body transformed, from his Condensed ck-Scaled Rage Dragon to a Condensed Ifrit.

    ¡®You may only maintain this form for 5.5 seconds.¡¯ Ausra helpfully informed him.

    BOOM

    WHOOSH

    The huge ball of bright fire mmed into Dorian¡¯s waiting arms, trying to incinerate him. It gave off a decidedly concentrated and powerful heat, filled with energy from the Law of Fire.

    Dorian smiled slightly as he knocked the entire fireball upward with ease.

    Using a fire-based attack against him? It was like trying to use water to empty out a bathtub. Laughable.

    ¡®ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form, go!¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s Condensed Dragon form sted forward,nding next to the ck robed Wizard that had just attacked him. The Wizard frantically tried to dodge backwards, sping his hands together to cast a Spell.

    Toote, unfortunately for the Wizard.

    ¡°In your next life, don¡¯t lob fireballs at the innocent.¡±

    BOOM

    Dorian¡¯s ws mmed down with full force, breaking past the innate barrier of the Wizard and cutting into his chest with a nigh-unstoppable level of force.

    THUD

    The body of the Wizard mmed backwards, knocking off the mostly destroyed wooden deck before running into the railing on the side of the boat, breaking that, and soaring off into the air.

    ¡°Fall back!¡±

    A panicked yell echoed out as the attackers began to retreat, the warriors disengaging with the Warrior Women squadron and the remaining Wizards stumbling backwards. They all fell back towards the still floating boulder that was currently stuck to the side of the flying ship.

    Dorian watched them go, his chest heaving slightly with exertion.

    His body transformed as he released his Condensed state, the strain threatening to overwhelm him. As he did so, he took a deep breath, stepping back onto his hind feet once more.

    ¡®ck mes!¡¯

    As the attackers began to beat a retreat, Dorianunched onest wave of ck fire at them, melting across the remains of the wooden deck and washing into the huge, floating boulder.

    Thest Dorian saw of the attackers was them fleeing, the huge boulder exploding outward from the ship and shooting off into the sky, coated in ayer of ck dragonfire.

    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Dorian¡¯s breath came in huge gulps as his body shook. His Berserker Boost Ability deactivated as he finished fighting, the impact of his injuries slowly settling in on him.

    ¡°Grr.¡± He shook his body, and then transformed, returning to his human form. The injuries transferred with him, but much smaller in size. As a human, the huge stabs and injuries from the attacks were reduced to small pricks and wounds. The sheer size and might of a dragon was a huge bonus when it came to tanking damage.

    ¡°Ahh. That went well!¡± He stretched his arms out, his heart slowing down as heughed and smiled. The darkness in his mind seemed to have lightened after he killed some of the attackers, making the world around him seem almost cheerful.

    He snapped his fingers a few times, nodding. He didn¡¯t seem to have suffered from any debilitating injuries. He smiled a second time, turning around to look around the badly damaged deck.

    Coming face to face with a group of ck-jawed women, staring at him in sheer shock. Women that were rapidly whispering amongst themselves.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s a Dragon?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, a Dragon saved us?!¡±

    ¡°Praise the Dragon?¡±

    ¡°But why is he naked now?!¡±

    .

    AuthorWiz AuthorWiz Vote ye Power Stones!

    IMPORTANT!

    Hey guys!

    SO! Qidian wanted me to go Premium on V3, not on V4. As you all can tell, I talked with them exining how I told you guys V3 would be released for free!

    And it was! All of you read it without having to unlock it at all!

    However, with that said, I still have to work with them.

    I can¡¯t dy forever/keep free perm.

    So, I wanted to give you a heads up. V 1/2 will always be free to read, but V3 will be made Prem sometime in a couple days.

 Chapter 95 - The Return of the Godly Dragon

    Chapter 95: The Return of the Godly Dragon

    Dorian looked at the giggling team of female fighters and Wizards.

    He then looked down at himself.

    He was indeed naked.

    Whenever he transformed into a different form, it was a simple fact that his clothes didn¡¯t transform with him. His Evolving Soul Spell Matrix was magical, but not that magical.

    Despite his present situation, Dorian felt great. His mind, and mood, were incredibly lifted. For the first time since he was on Blizzaria, the darkness in his head had raised itself, a darkness that had been dragging him down constantly.

    It seemed to go away after he went with what the voice in his head had wanted him to do.

    ¡°Um.¡± Dorian looked at the women. Still naked, of course.

    The women looked back.

    He blinked.

    ¡°DO NOT QUESTION THIS GODLY DRAGON!¡±

    Dorian¡¯s voice boomed out, full of authority and grandeur as he did the only thing he could think of, and struck a majestic pose, his hands on his hips. He poured his every inch of willpower into forcing himself to not blush, demanding Fate obey him in this regard.

    At the same time, he secretly cast the Fire Magic: Fire Flower Spell. He infused the spell with his ck mes, giving them greater potency.

    WHOOSH

    A wreath of dark colored fired burnt into existence, surrounding Dorian in a glorious haze of light. His eyes glowed with mysterious light as he stood looking at the women expectantly, smiling internally. The mes didn¡¯t hurt him, but instead clung to him like ayer of clothes, shaped like various flowers.

    A few of the mes fell off Dorian as he was distracted, slipping down into the bowels of the damaged ship, through the open deck.

    He¡¯d managed to restore his dignity, at least, he thought.

    BOOM

    Before any of the women were able to respond, all of them staring at his now burning, but still naked, body, an echoing boom rang out.

    ¡°Oh no! The ship¡¯s magic has failed!¡±

    The deck of the wooden ship was virtually destroyed, as was much of its internal design.

    Dorian¡¯s ck mes had incinerated arge portion of the deck, especially the ones he¡¯d cast before, and not bothered to check on.

    Thest bit of ck mes he¡¯d just spawned now seemed to have finished the ship off, bring it to a stuttering halt.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Dorian looked down at his feet, and then back up at the Warrior Women,

    ¡°My bad.¡± He scratched his head.

    A secondter, the ship fell apart in mid-air.

    ¡°EEEK!¡±

    ¡°Everyone grab hold!¡±

    ¡°Luck Magic: Lucky Wind!¡±

    The female mercenary team stayed together as the construct of magic dissipated into debris. Be cast some sort of spell, creating afortable looking yellow breeze that seemed to wrap around everyone, holding them tight in the air.

    On the other side of the copsed ship, the team of transport mercenaries had their own protective spells, and managed to rescue all of their own warriors and Wizards, flying aloft in a much smaller, floating wooden vessel.

    None of them bothered to try and rescue Dorian, who promptly fell downwards like a rock.

    The ck mes that covered his body dissipated, revealing him in all of his glory once more. He gave a quick mental re to both groups.

    ¡°I saved both of you, yet you can¡¯t even be bothered to save me¡­ shameless.¡±

    ¡®Sun Eagle form, go!¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s body expanded as he once more transformed into his agile Sun Eagle form. The wind whipped around him as he floated in the air, watching the remaining Fast Caravan ships rush in to the rescue¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The man known simply as Leader looked up at his subordinate calmly. He was sitting in the same location he had been thest time he¡¯d taken their report, at arge mansion hidden in the woods, in a dining room full of delicacies and tasty food.

    ¡°So Hadron was killed, as was Ekens, and several of the Lord ss warriors? The Luck Wizard got away, and sent our forces into disarray?¡± He repeated what he had just been told, his voice dangerously calm.

    ¡°Yes, Leader. A dragon appeared out of nowhere, beyond any reasonable expectations. It was a powerful one, too, that was able to shapeshift and move quickly.¡±

    ¡°Itunched a surprise attack and heavily damaged our forces.¡±

    The speaker was, like most of the men, dressed in a set of ck robes, wearing a ck mask to hide his features.

    The secret organization run by the man known as Leader had hidden identities as a requirement, though most of the Lord ss Wizards and warriors inside it had some degree of fame, and the masks did little to hide that.

    He sighed, rubbing his forehead. His forces were stretched all over Paxital, hedging his control in a wide, sweeping. He maintained his expressionless visage.

    ¡°You are dismissed. Tell the remaining team members they are to rest and recover, and then wait for new orders.¡± He waved his hand at the masked figure.

    The figure bowed and backed out of the dining room, vanishing.

    Leaving the man known as Leader alone.

    He sighed for a second time, his face twisting with raw emotion. His hands trembled.

    ¡°My ns have hit a serious snag. Controlling Paxital has been smooth running up till now.¡± He muttered, his words a quiet, angry whisper.

    He¡¯d been working on this for years. Taking out threats, silencing enemies, cobbling together men and women into a group that held more than 100 Lord ss warriors, and a good dozen or so Lord ss Wizards.

    Not expansive, by any means, but a sizable force, formed from his own ambition. An ambition to control an entire world on his own, and not a useless world. But one with connections, one sought after.

    Paxital, a world that wasn¡¯t controlled by any major power, yet in a pivotal location, was perfect.

    And in a single day, he¡¯d already lost 2 of his Lord ss Wizards, including one at the Peak of Lord ss. A situation that had never happened before. His first significant setback in quite a time.

    The air around the simple looking huntsman twisted, a bright blue Aura appearing. A Kingly, powerful air. This Aura was unique, one that gave off a feeling of majesty and honor.

    A feeling of overwhelming pride.

    Small, demonic scales appeared on the face of the huntsman, transforming with his anger. He went from looking like a regr human to like that of an angry and furious demonic being.

    ¡°Grrr. No. Stop.¡± The hunter¡¯s hands trembled as he grabbed ahold of his chest, forcing himself to calm down.

    The feeling of overwhelming pride remained, however, as he regained control.

    His eyes shed.

    ¡°If you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself.¡±

    He stood up, his eyes slowly turning to the west.

    He nodded,

    ¡°You have to do it yourself.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Oh Naked Godly Dragon-Sama thank you for your rescu-¡±

    ¡°Can you just call me Dorian? Also, what is with this ¡®Sama¡¯ business? That sounds like something from apletely different culture that has nothing to do with yours.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Naked Dorian-Sama-¡±

    ¡°Not better.¡±

    Dorian struggled to not sigh in frustration.

    After he¡¯d saved the women and revealed his Draconic form, the female warriors and Wizards had looked at him with eyes of worship.

    They also seemed to look at their leader, Be, in a simr light, as if crediting her with Dorian¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Lady Anabe, your Lucky Chances have proven too powerful.¡±

    ¡°You have saved us once again!¡±

    The women gushed over their leader.

    They were currently traveling on one of the other wooden vessels in the Fast Caravan. This particr boat was originally chartered by a group of merchants. The merchants had wee the female mercenaries with open arms, a friendly gesture that warmed Dorian¡¯s heart.

    Strong, ranked mercenary teams orpanies were verymon on Paxital, and many of the popted worlds controlled by humans, Dorian learned. For worlds under the control of the Shades or Vampires, or the many Lesser Worlds that held few rare resources, they were a much rarer sight.

    ording to Be, the weakest B- team had at least a single Lord ss Wizard in it. Teams below B ss held no Lord ss Wizards. The strongest ranked teams, the A+ ranked, contained powerful King ss members.

    There were also five legendary S ranked teams, led by the leaders of the Mercenary Alliance, the Five Mercenary Kings.

    Dorian had actually run into a mercenary team before, a group of Aethmen traveling and escorting a caravan to Taprisha. That team had been too weak to be notably ranked, however.

    They were almost at the end of their destination, the edge of the continent, only a couple hours away.

    The transportpany had apologized, and, of all things, given them a full refund. One of the reasons the mercenary team running these caravans was famous was because of the protection they offered.

    Failing to offer protection, even in cases where it was beyond their control, was a breach of contract set by the transport mercenaries. While it might seem unfair to the transport team, terms like that were a staple for protective mercenarypanies, in order to maintain their reputation.

    As a result, they received a full refund.

    Well, the Women Warriors team did.

    Dorian hadn¡¯t paid for anything in the first ce.

    Be looked at Dorian, her eyes misty.

    Dorian looked back, and then nced to the side, feeling a bit out of ce.

    The wind whipped past as their vessel sped along, the fading evening light giving the world a calm, peaceful appearance. They drifted through some low hanging clouds, following a meandering path towards new destinations.

    Be waved away her allies, leaving her alone with Dorian, at the prow of the ship.

    ¡°Truly, thank you, Dorian. I would like to apologize for failing to see the power you hold. I had eyes, but could not see. We thought we would protect you, yet it was you that protected us.¡± Her voice was full of sincerity.

    Dorian shook his head,

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They attacked me as well, I was only defending myself.¡± He also would¡¯ve liked to absorb some growth energy from the foes he¡¯d killed, but unfortunately the ship copsed and he ran out of time. A waste of several Lord ss Soul Spell Matrixes.

    The energy points Dorian absorbed from various creatures or magical artifacts were a staple for his evolution. These points were tied to the life force ortent energy in a creature or artifact.

    ¡°Still. You have my eternal gratitude.¡±

    They were silent for a moment.

    Be then continued,

    ¡°My Women Warriors aren¡¯t able to continue to Magmor right now. Several of them have taken serious injuries that will take time to recover from. We are nning on taking and caravan once we reach the edge of the continent at Tonto City, and lying low for a bit, to avoid our pursuers.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian frowned. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time, he needed to reach Magmor as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take to find the treasure to resurrect William.

    It seemed he would be parting ways with the women, and traveling on his own from here.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Be paused, her mouth twisting slightly, as if making a decision,

    ¡°I know you only came with us because I promised to reward you,¡± She began, motioning with her hands,

    ¡°However, I really don¡¯t have anything else I can give you, to thank you, so I¡¯ve decided to give you all the info we have about the Ascension Ruins. I know it isn¡¯t much, and you might not even decide to go there, but I hope you will ept this.¡± From out of a Spatial Ring, Be handed Dorian a small sheath of papers, full of copied writing.

    Dorian took it, ncing it over briefly. It appeared to be copied from a journal log, describing various events that took ce on Magmor. He epted it, storing it in his own Spatial Ring, one he managed to keep with him through all his transformations due to practice, as well as the Spatial Pouch he¡¯d gained.

    ¡°I will humbly ept it and your thanks.¡± He began, his voice full of grandeur. Since he was ying it up as a Dragon, he might as well go all out.

    As he responded, however, Dorian¡¯s thoughts drifted.

    It had happened again.

    Something in his journey that once more felt predetermined. Because he¡¯d traveled with Be, and saved her, he managed to get information on the ruins he was about to journey towards.

    Something as coincidental as this couldn¡¯t be something left to random chance, even with his soul twisting Fate.

    ¡®What is going on? Is the fallen Godking guiding my path? ording to the message he told me in the beginning, he is probably already dead, so how could he?¡¯

    Dorian didn¡¯t know.

    He felt, however, that all of his questions would be answered, once he reached the Ascension Ruins.

    Be pped her hands together, causing the rest of the women toe forward. They were all smiles as they looked at Dorian, the mood on the ship light and free.

    ¡°Thank you for your service and gratitude,dies.¡± Dorian gave them all a warm, winning smile.

    ¡°Praise the Dragon!¡±

    ¡°We thank you, Dragon-Sama!¡±

    ¡°Praise Naked-Sama!¡±

    ¡°Praise the Godly Naked Dragon!¡±

    Dorian shook his head, smiling. Even their ridiculous names for him couldn¡¯t hamper his good mood.

    He smiled widely, an ideaing to the front of his thoughts. Something to do for the next couple hours they had till they reached their destination.

    ¡°Now, then,dies. Allow this Godly Dragon to teach you a special technique!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called Country Dancing: Three Step Style!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± A petite, pretty girl with tufted fox ears wiped a sheen of sweat off her forehead, taking in several deep breaths as she looked around, gathering her bearings.

    She was standing at the edge of a World Bridge, one made of brown and ck stone, worn and weathered by age, without a trace of vegetation on it. This World Bridge spanned a few thousand meters at its base, one of the smaller World Bridges.

    It connected down directly to arge, empty brownndscape, a ten thousand meters wide ind made of cracked stone and torn earth.

    Beyond that stone, a wide, sweeping ocean of fire and magma spread out. Huge gouts of me exploded into the air, shooting out inrge crescendos of energy and might. Random streams of smoke and steam cascaded up into the sky haphazardly. The air itself vibrated with natural power.

    The Exotic World of Magmor.

    An enormous wave of magma sted up into the air, colliding with the edge of the ind the World Bridge connected to. Off in the distance, several teaus and inds could be seen, some ced much higher than the one the World Bridge connected to.

    Arial smiled,

    ¡°Looks like I made it in one piece.¡±

 Chapter 96 - Casino "Cree!"

    <strong>Chapter 96: Casino</strong>

    "Cree!"

    "Cree!"

    The sounds of various birds squawking loudly echoed in Dorian''s ears as he entered the seaside city, giving the guards a friendly smile.

    The guards waved him forward, staring at him curiously.

    Dorian smiled as he took a deep breath, looking at the bustling city.

    Oceapal City. One of thergest dock cities on the continent, and, in actuality, a City-State in its own right. It controlled thend roughly 40 miles out from the city, a small nation. Despite its small stature, it was a popr, thronging trade area.

    As the city on the westernmost point of the continent of Orba, and one of thergest cities on the coast, many passengers or travelers would stop in Oceapal on their way across the seas to Pashal.

    Dorian needed to cross the more than 1,000 miles wide sea, andnd on Pashal, making his way to a World Bridge in the north.

    "Fresh fish pies! Get your fresh fish pies, right down the street at O''Mans Cookery!"

    "Hunters wee, mercenaries wee, the Olden Inn is the ce for you!"

    "Weapon repairs are discounted for the next 2 days at Beywin''s Smithery! Check it out now!"

    "Dolmin''s Wizarding Repository is now open! Spellbooks, magic artifacts, rare Magic Herbs, they have it all!"

    Dorian ignored the stares of the guard as he stepped forward, listening to the cries of several young looking children standing near the entrance. They were all dressed in in clothes, yelling out instructions or information about local deals. Their faces were grubby, but they held to their duties attentively.

    The group of children all froze when Dorian looked at them, several of them stuttering into silence.

    ''Is my form too noticeable?'' He thought, discontent.

    -

    -Grakon - Growth Stage: (3/5) Grakon Young Adult -

    Growth Progress ¨C 82,552/164,221 -

    -

    Dorian stood a solid 2 and quarter meters tall, lined with dark green scales. He wore arge, brown tunic, covering much of his lower body, while a lined, leather shirt covered his bulging chest. Arge, iron sword was strapped to a brown belt he wore on his waist, courtesy of Be and her team. His Spatial Pouch was attached to it, alongside a few other small, random pouches.

    Unlike some legends of the mythical Minotaur, Dorian had two humanoid feet, not hooves. The feet were scaled, like much of the rest of his body, and ended in small ws. He had the face of a bull, however, with a strong snout and two sharp horns. A burly scaled minotaur.

    After he evolved both his Sun Eagle and ck-Scaled Rage Dragon forms, Dorian had decided to start growing his Grakon form. The Expand Ability it had was too tempting for him to pass up.

    ording to Ausra, he would get the Ability once he reached the 4th Growth Stage of the Grakon, a stage that was still a bit away.

    He shrugged at the price. It was always more expensive to grow brand new forms than tobine forms. It was too bad the forms hebined into usually had nobinations themselves from his stored bloodlines. His Sun Eagle and ck-Scaled Rage Dragon had no validbinations with his current bloodlines or each other.

    Growing a Lord ss bloodline was just as prohibitively expensive as he thought it would be. Still, it was a step he couldn''t avoid.

    "Pfft!" Dorian snorted, smiling as he confidently stepped past the entrance of the city. Beyond a few questions, he had no problems entering. The guards saw creatures of varying races here all the time, and unless one was a wanted criminal, they would stop few people. Oceapal''s status as a traveling and trade city contributed to that attitude.

    He had switched to his Grakon form after he parted ways with Be and the transport team. The Grakon species was extinct, but it wasn''t like there weren''t other creatures or races with simr physiques, scaled or otherwise. What made them most unique was their Expand Ability.

    Their vessels hadnded a few miles out from the city, in a discreet location to respect the privacy of those traveling.

    He smiled at the memory of them parting ways.

    "We will miss you Dragon-Sama!"

    "Thank you for teaching us Country Dancing: Three Step Style!"

    "We will treasure it greatly!"

    The cheers from the girls as they left, several of them on a magically contracted wagon due to their injuries, had been heartwarming. Be had given him a small wave and a nod, her face a bit more reserved. Even the stern Wizard that was always by her side had smiled at Dorian.

    He had only known them for a brief time, but all the ill will he had felt for the ridiculousness of Be''s luck had faded away.

    How could he hate someone who liked to country dance, just like him?

    "Remember! Spread the style to everyone you know! It has my blessing upon it!"

    He did his best to encourage them. One could only improve with practice.

    He began to walk down the front street, passing by the boys advertising various locations.

    Oceapal City was simr to many other cities he had seen. It had grey paved stone roads, various stores and buildings lining each street, usually made of a mixture of wood, stone, and anything in between.

    The air of the city was salty and tangy, the scent of the ocean strongly present. The city was primarily dominated by humans, as were most cities on Paxital. One could still find lizardmen, vampires, shades, and various other creatures, but humans made up more than 80% of the poption.

    ''Alright. First, let''s head to the docks.'' ording to Be, the second step of her journey was to join or charter a ship across the tumultuous sea. Most transportpanies could be found near therge docks of the city.

    Despite the more than thousand miles long journey, it was entirely possible to cross over to Pashal without actually having to step too near the ocean. Many travelers would simply fly across the distance, aboard magical ships that soared through the sky.

    Unlike Blizzaria, or various Exotic or Major Worlds, there was no real danger in flying high in the sky on the Lesser World of Paxital. The strongest creatures one was liable to find in the wild would stand at the Grandmaster ss at the worst, possibly a few rare Pseudo-Lord ss beasts. Those at the Lord ss or higher were extraordinarily rare to find in the wild.

    Dorian moved through the streets with purpose. He drew a few odd nces, and most people would step out of his way when they saw him. His stature wasrge, and he carried himself with confidence.

    His human form waspromised, at least to some degree. He''d decided to use his Grakon form for now, partly because he wanted to, but also partly because it was a new form that no one would recognize.

    ''Maybe I should''ve gone with the Titan, huh? Or something else?'' He thought as he noticed how he intimidated people. While he wasn''t drawing every eye, he wasn''t exactly very subtle either.

    He shrugged and continued to walk through the city.

    After about ten minutes of walking, Dorian had passed through the eastern side of the city, and arrived in the western end, near the docks. The tang of salt on the air was fresh and powerful here, the rippling ocean just beyond sight.

    Everything here seemed to be built out of wood, the houses, the stores, and any nearby buildings. The people moving by wore worn leather or linen outfits, usually grey, brown, or other drab colors.

    asionally he''d see a rich or wealthy merchant or Wizard walk by.

    ''Hmm.'' Dorian looked down one street, and then down another, a bit lost. The street to his left led down a long, winding path full of shops, while the one to his right seemed to lead closer to the docks. He could vaguely hear the cries of sea-faring birds in that direction.

    As he was contemting, Dorian''s senses seemed to go on alert. His eyes were drawn to a small, tunic-d boy. He couldn''t have been older than 7 or 8, with a grubby face and dirty arms. He looked like a random street urchin, walking around aimlessly.

    Dorian watched the urchin subtly.

    ''Huh¡­''

    ''Yep, he''sing towards me, and watching me.'' Dorian mentally nodded, bemused.

    The grubby eight-year-old was subtly making his way towards Dorian, and also sizing him up.

    The street they were on was crowded. While Dorian was standing still, the many sailors, carpenters, cksmiths, and various workers were not, all milling and moving about, the lifeblood of the city.

    ''But why are you picking me out, kid?''

    He decided to stand still, and see what the kid wanted. He pretended to still be studying the streets.

    A few moments passed. A small troupe of dancers walked by, performing some type of dance ritual as they moved down the streets. Dorian paused to look at them, giving them a silent nod of appreciation.

    As he nodded, distracted, Dorian''s acute senses picked up a slight sliver of energy rubbing against him. This energy was calm and peaceful, and didn''t seem to have any direct negative effects.

    It was like a small breeze washed over him, making him pause for a second.

    In that second, he felt a pair of tiny handstch onto one of his pouches.

    Specifically, the Spatial Pouch that had the Golden Leaf in it.

    "Hold on there, kiddo."

    Dorian''s right hand mped onto the arm that was trying to steal his pouch, jerking it away. He turned to look down at the street urchin, a small smile on his face.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" His voice was calm.

    "No-nothing! So-so-sorry sir! I tripped sl-slightly, and f-f-fell!" The boy''s voice was full of fear and terror, though how much of that was real, Dorian couldn''t tell. He squeaked out his response quietly despite his apparent horror, looking at Dorian with his tiny eyes.

    "Ralph! What do you think you''re doing? Don''t bother this gentleman!" An older voice called out, one full of rebuke and concern.

    A middle-aged human, with a balding pate of hair and cid brown eyes, hurriedly walked up next to Dorian, giving him a small bow.

    "A million apologies, milord. Ralph, he has him some bad habits, I hope nothing happened. I will be sure to punish him doubly so, milord." The man scraped and bowed repeatedly, grabbing ahold of the boy''s other arm.

    Dorian watched this all with an amused expression on his face.

    Though, because he was a Grakon, and didn''t exactly have a humanoid face, it might be hard for the duo of thieves in front of him to tell.

    "And what if I want to punish him myself?" Dorian kept his voice silky calm as he returned a response. He had no intention of hurting the boy, but he also didn''t approve of their current actions. Stealing was wrong.

    The middle-aged man''s eyes hardened for a brief second. A momentter, however, he was all smiles.

    "Of course, milord. If you wish to punish this worthless nephew of mine for his foolish actions, by all means. However, I''d like to gift you something aspensation, such that I hope will make up for his foolishness." The older man fished out a small, silver card, one he held up towards Dorian.

    "This is an Invitation Card to the Blue Seal Casino, an elite, exclusive casino run by the Nightlord of Oceapal. A man of your stature clearly belongs at a ce like this. I hope you will humbly ept this card, and let this transgression slide." The balding man bowed once again, his voice deferential.

    "Oh?" Dorian took the card, examining it. It was smooth andcquered, shining dimly in the early afternoon light. On the back, there were various instructions on how to reach the Blue Seal Casino.

    ''A casino, huh?'' Dorian''s eyes lit up.

    ''Even if I want to charter a ship or join a charter, it''ll most likely take a day or two¡­ My soul can twist Fate, right? Where else can I take advantage of that except at a ce where Lady Luck rules supreme.'' He smiled.

    "Alright." He pocketed the card, and let go of the boy''s arm, giving the older man a small nod.

    "I''ll ept this, and visit this casino." If it wasn''t a real casino and was instead a trap¡­ that would be fine too. He was a dragon, after all, and a strong one now. He had nothing to fear.

    The middle-aged man''s eyes shed when he heard that, a cruel gleam of satisfaction appearing and then vanishing instantly as he bowed onest time, thanking Dorian profusely.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    WHOOSH

    A figure blurred into existence,nding down softly in the middle of a grassy meadow. Awork of trees spread out around the figure, a smooth forest only marred by therge crater that was present, just to the left of the figure.

    The wreckage of arge wooden ship could be seen here, burnt and broken up,rge pieces copsed and torn apart. Several trees were copsed under the wreckage, their wooden roots split and ripped up.

    Leader knelt down as he tapped on one piece in particr, one of the ones that had been badly burned.

    His body froze, his every cell going on high alert as he stared at the piece of wood. The demonic scales that he forced away resurfaced, the overwhelming Aura of Pride he held sting outward, full of Kingly might.

    "I sense¡­ A fellow practitioner of the Seven Great?" His voice was full of disbelief,

    "¡­Wrath?"

 Chapter 97 - The Blue Seal Casino

    Chapter 97: The Blue Seal Casino

    ¡°Tomorrow at noon, got it!¡± Dorian smiled as he left the Skycrosser Travel Company dockside headquarters, his steps full of cheer.

    He¡¯d just secured a reservation to board one of the flying vessels that would be crossing the huge sea between this continent and Pashal. The distance was significant, more than 1,000 miles in total.

    He might be able to fly there on his own, if he wanted to, in his Sun Eagle form. However, Dorian didn¡¯t want to risk flying such a long distance, especially when he might get lost. He had never travelled such a long distance by wing or over sea, and felt it wiser to simply wait a day and take one of the magic traveling ships.

    From Pashal he would take the World Bridge to the Exotic World of Lansc. Once on Lansc, he only needed to travel a short distance to reach the World Bridge to Magmor. The two bridges were located close to each other, meaning he could skip over most of Lansc.

    As he judged it, he was only a couple days away from reaching Magmor.

    He clenched his fists.

    ¡®I¡¯m almost there, Will.¡¯ His mind went to the ball of light that contained Will¡¯s soul. It was still covered in a coat of energy, stored safely. He had several months till Will¡¯s soul would be exposed ording to Ausra, but, for some reason, Dorian felt a sense of urgency.

    The quicker he saved Will, the better. There was no reason to dy anything.

    ¡®Almost there.¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A couple of hours had passed, the early afternoon light fading to midafternoon.

    In that time, Dorian had spent the vast majority of his remaining funds, all the gold he had on him, into securing food, supplies, and clothing to store in his Spatial Ring. At the minimum, he would never have any urrences where he was without clothing, and even if their ship became lost at sea, he would have more than enough supplies tost.

    He was a pauper now, Dorian thought with a smile, with barely any gold to his name.

    ¡®Well, I still have my Cloud-in-a-Bottle and that Golden Leaf, as well as those Magic Herbs.¡¯ He still had an odd assortment of Magic Herbs, as well as the magic artifact he¡¯d gained on Taprisha and the Golden Leaf from Be.

    The first two might not be worth much, but the Natural Treasure was bound to be worth a pretty penny. It was Fire Aspected, and could be of use in aiding a Wizard in breaking into the Lord ss or used as a medicinal ingredient for a variety of alchemical products.

    (Author¡¯s Note: Due to popr request ¡°Natural Treasure¡± is now capitalized.)

    Dorian put aside his thoughts of treasure for now, turning to look at the journal logs Be had given him. He had pulled them out of his Spatial Ring andid them out on a dresser in front of him.

    He was standing in a small, wooden inn bedroom. It was sparsely decorated, with only a in bed, a dresser, and a shuttered window on the side. He had rented the room out for the day and night.

    It was time to start preparing to form Will¡¯s body. First, he needed to figure out exactly where he needed to go.

    ¡°The Ascension Ruins can be found in the Ember Gorge.¡± That was what the old Wizard had told Dorian. However, the old, dead Wizard hadn¡¯t been near those ruins in hundreds of years. From what Dorian knew, the Ascension Ruins had existed for almost 1,000 years, created back when Yukeli still walked the 30,000 Worlds.

    It was a grand, coborative effort, and while the exact reasons why the ruins came to be were unknown, the fact that they full of treasure and knowledge was a well-known fact.

    He began reading the journal logs.

    ¡®Log F ¨C Day 4¡¯

    ¡®Our exploration of Magmor, and our continued hunt for the Ascension Ruins alongside the many other glory seekers, has met with failure thus far. The me Empyrean Turtle that carries the ruins on its back moves in an odd, unnerving fashion over the, and has proven very difficult to track.¡¯

    ¡®I will continue this recordter if our journey improves.¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡®Log F ¨C Day 7¡¯

    ¡®We have finally found sess! After allying with the Heldenfelz Hunters, we managed to join a group of nearly 40 other teams at one of the predicted appearance sights of the enormous turtle! As legend had it, the entrance to the Ruins appeared on the back of theva-diving beast, visible for all!¡¯

    ¡®A grand melee broke out at the base of the ruins. The only way to enter is through one of the 10 entrances, and only 6 people can make it through each entrance before the magical connection copses. The mysterious magic that protects it prevents interference, even from the mighty. All are treated equally.¡¯

    ¡®We managed to enter through one of the more dangerous gates, but still scrounged through. The deadly heat that suffused Magmor is put to rest inside these Ruins where I nowy. I will record moreter.¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡®Log F ¨C Day 11¡¯

    ¡®I write this after days of peril. The danger of these ruins is incredible, but so are the rewards! The makers of this ruins created it, it is clear, to help future generations. To guide them on the path to power, to safeguard the future. There are records of the horror of the Third Great War, and the billions and billions that died in them.¡¯

    ¡®Most of the group I was with has been split apart. Many have died, and I am on my own now. However, I managed to stumble upon an inheritance, one to an incredible type of magic and knowledge on an incrediblew. The Law of Luck.¡¯

    ¡®I will now do my best to escape these magical Ruins. I know if I seek deeper for more treasure, I may not lose only my allies, but instead my life.¡¯

    ¡­

    The Logs went into more detail describing some of the dangers the Wizard faced. The former Captain was weaker at the time, only in thete stages of the Master ss. While quite powerfulpared to a normal mortal, whenpared to a Lord ss Wizard, it was nothing special.

    The Ascension Ruins were hidden inside, through some type of magical connection, an enormous, moving King ss beast. And a massive, gargantuan King ss beast, one that can rival Angelic ss beasts, just due to its sheer size.

    ¡®Huh. There¡¯s no mention of the Ember Gorge.¡¯ Unlike the information the Wizard said, there was nothing that talked about the Ember Gorge.

    ¡®Maybe the Ember Gorge is a reference to something inside the Ruins?¡¯ Dorian didn¡¯t know. The old Wizard¡¯s words, and the information he¡¯d shared, had been ambiguous. All he had from him was a mental image of a convoluted map, tucked away in his head.

    Several more minutes passed. Dorian read through all the logs, taking note of everything that might be relevant.

    Be¡¯s father certainly had been lucky even before he discovered the Luck Magic inheritance. His records stated that he nearly died 8 separate times, and many of those around him perished.

    After a while, Dorian sighed, putting down the logs. He had read them in their entirety. They weren¡¯t much, but it gave him a bit of a better idea of what to expect.

    Once he reached Magmor, he¡¯d need to find one of the few Oasis Cities that existed on the Exotic World, cities that stood far above the Magma Sea, and gather intel on when and where the giant turtle would appear next.

    He stored the logs in his Spatial Ring, and then looked outside, through the cracks in the shuttered window.

    It was only midafternoon. He still had all of the evening and night ahead of him before he would leave tomorrow at noon.

    He looked down at the Invitation Card he¡¯d been given by the aging thief.

    ¡°I might as well.¡± He shrugged, standing up. He read the instructions on the back closely as he walked out of his room and the inn, heading towards a destination near the center of the dockside town.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°What has the Silver Moon swept past?¡± A gruff voice called out, raspy and deep.

    ¡°Err.¡± Dorian looked down at the card, reading over the instructions on it.

    ¡°A Golden Silver Thumb.¡± He grunted.

    THUNK

    A grating noise rang out as arge wooden door thumped open, revealing a burly, but well dressed, guard. The man had a clean, well-kept face, and wore a full set of iron armor. He gave Dorian a friendly nod, waving him through.

    ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Dorian thought.

    The doorway was located in a sort of back alley, near the center of the city. The alley was clean, but there was nothing particrly special about it. It was set between arge bakery and a magical florist shop, the first florist shop Dorian had yet seen in this universe, he noted.

    ¡®Can I be a nt? Do nts have bloodlines?¡¯ His Magic Herbs didn¡¯t, but surely there are some mystical nts out there with intelligence, right?

    Dorian pictured himself as a towering oak tree. He could already imagine his powerful stature. He wood intimidate anyone that tried to cut him down, his fierce bark greater than his bite.

    He shook the musings from his head with a smile as he moved through the closed off entrance, taking in rooms before him.

    Behind the magical florist shop had been arge, connecting warehouse. Presumably to store goods for service. From the outside, it looked slightly rundown, but still kept in good condition.

    From the inside, however, an entirely new world was revealed. An opulent, luxurious, expensive world.

    The walls of the warehouse were decorated with gold, iid with glowing crystals. Large, grand paintings could be seen, dispersed evenly along the ten-meter wide warehouse walls, giving an appearance of nobility and wealth.

    The ceiling was painted like that of the open, blue sky, with a few clouds drifting across. Several crystal chandeliers hung from it, glowing with a faint, cool blue light.

    Four dozen tables could be seen, all made from aged and fine wood, many of them carved or tastefully decorated. Various card, dice, and other gambling games could be seen,id out with care.

    The casino was not very crowded. Despite itsrge size, with each table able to seat up to a dozen yers, only about half the tables were upied. There was an employee manning almost every table, all of them dressed in fine red shirts and blue pants, looking prim and professional.

    The guests were a wide and varied collection. Some of them wore fine, silk suits or dressers, while others were d in simple leather or slim metal armor. One and all, however, looking powerful, intimidating, or otherwise wealthy. Dorian saw humans, a pair of vampires, several Aethmen, and more. A variety of culture and life.

    ¡°Wee to the Blue Seal Casino.¡± A smooth voice caught Dorian¡¯s attention as he left the entryway.

    A young, pretty woman walked up to Dorian, wearing a slim ck dress. She had long blonde hair that floated off her shoulders and peaceful brown eyes. She gave off a sweet and simple air, reminding him of Helena a bit.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Dorian gave her a warm smile, forgetting that a smile on his minotaur face was rather intimidating.

    The woman seemed unfazed,

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you here, milord. Would you mind showing me your Invitation Card?¡±

    Dorian handed over the card the aging thief had given him. The woman¡¯s eyes showed no emotion as she looked over it and returned it to him with a charming smile.

    ¡°Wee! All customers can use any and all betting tables. A full exnation of the rules will be given upon request from an attendant. Anything you submit to bet with is final. All prices and appraisals will be done live, and if you disagree with an appraisal, you may call for a manager.¡± The woman¡¯s exnation was smooth and well practiced, as if she had said this many times before.

    Dorian nodded and stepped forward, walking into the grand casino. The air itself seemed to shiver with wealth, the grand sights dazzling Dorian just slightly. Evenpared to the bright lights of the cities on Earth, this casino was a majestic, wealthy sight indeed.

    He looked from table to table, studying the guests and the games themselves.

    A few minutes went by as he walked around.

    None of the games were super familiar to him. However, after studying a few, he managed to pick up on some of the apparent rules.

    In particr, one of the most popr games used by the wealthy and powerful gamblers here appeared to be a game simr to ckjack on earth.

    A deck of cards, numbered 1 to 12, with four different suits, was shuffled. Then, every yer was dealt a pair of cards randomly, as was the dealer. Any yer could request the deck be shuffled again, before or after dealing. yers would then offer a bet, one that the house would match roughly 9/10ths of in value. They could then request to be dealt more cards.

    Winnings and losses would be recorded by the attendant. Anything you won from the house would be paid out as you left the casino.

    The goal of the game was to reach as close to 25 as possible without going over. The closest to 25 would take the entire pot.

    In the deck, however, there also existed four special ¡®King Cards¡¯ and four special ¡®Queen Cards.¡¯ Each ¡®King Card¡¯ could be substituted for either a 1 or a 12, and each ¡®Queen Card¡¯ could be substituted for a 2 or an 11.

    One table near the front of the room seemed to be the most popr. Several other guests were watching over the table, staring. Despite there being twelve spots open to sit at, only 5 people were currently sitting at the table.

    ¡°I will raise the ante before we are dealt for this round. I offer this Lord ss Stabilizing Pill, and a Red Iron Artifact Shield. The Shield, while only usable once, can block and nullify the damage from almost any Lord ss Spell cast by an Early Lord ss Wizard!¡± A cheerful voice rang out as a man dressed in a sharp ck silk suit, in his early twenties, dropped two objects onto the aged wooden table, a pill and a small red shield about the size of a normal hand.

    A pair of girls stood behind the young man, both beautiful and in their early twenties too. Each one wore a long, red dress that clung to their bodies, matching their long red hair.

    ¡°Ooh, raising the stakes, are we, Lord Boyle? Without even seeing our hands? You are quite confident.¡± An aged voice rang out, an elderly looking Vampire Wizard dressed in a long ck robe. In one hand the Vampire was holding a ss of what appeared to be, of all things, milk. Dorian wrinkled his nose. He had never liked milk.

    ¡°I shall match it, lest the youth think us elderly have fallen too far behind.¡± The old Vampire waved his free hand. Immediately, a pair of white magical Pills appeared, floating in the air.

    ¡°Two Lord ss Ironskin Pills.¡±

    Pills, in the 30,000 Worlds, were magical, alchemical creations, infused with magic that offered usually temporary powers or effects. Dorian had already seen the healing magic of the Light Pills he had bought, one of the mostmon types of Pills.

    The other 3 members of the table watched the duel between the two speakers with interest. Two of them were young, simr in age to the first man. They all wore fine silken suits, one a tan color while the other a dark green. Thest member of the table was a bearded man in full, white te armor, bearing a rxed smile as he watched the antics with amusement.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shined as he looked at the Red Iron Artifact Shield, and the three Lord ss Pills ced on the table.

    ¡®Lord ss Pills are extremely expensive, even though these aren¡¯t the most expensive type, Light or Healing Pills¡­ and that Red Iron Artifact Shield looks quite useful too¡­ These guys are rich.¡¯ Most Wizards didn¡¯t rely on Pills or Artifacts inbat, simply due to their sheer cost, beyond use in medicine or healing.

    He smiled.

    ¡°Ah, a betting contest, yes? I love the excitement here. Let me add to it!¡± Dorian waltzed forward, taking a seat at the table, interrupting the tension of the moment.

    The guests watching the faceoff, as well as the young man and the elderly Wizard, turned to look at Dorian, slightly annoyed.

    ¡°Wee to the table, Minotaur.¡± The young man, Lord Boyle, wiped the annoyance off his face as he looked at Dorian with a friendly smile that failed to reach his eyes. He also mistook Dorian for a member of the Minotaur race, a race that existed separate from the Grakons.

    ¡®I mean, I guess I am, kinda?¡¯ The Grakons were very simr to the Minotaurs in appearance. The Grakon Race, however, was a Lord ss bloodline. Normal Minotaurs were only a Master ss bloodline, though they could improve their strength like all beings through hard work.

    ¡°Hmph. Beast. If you wish to enter our bet, then put up the stakes to join.¡± The old Vampire was even less friendly, motioning at him with his free hand.

    Dorian smiled a little wider. He had no intentions of holding back now, not when they were so rude to him.

    Their eyes widened with appreciation as Dorian took out the Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf, cing it on the table.

    ¡°This should be enough to equal them, right?¡± He turned to look at the attendant.

    The attendant, a middle-aged man, gave him a sharp nod.

    ¡°Of course, milord. In fact, you have exceeded the value of their bet-¡±

    Dorian cut him off,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s my first bet here, after all, I might as well make it generous.¡± He smiled at the other two gamblers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y.¡±

    ..

 Chapter 98 - Gambling

    <h2 id="chapter98gambling">Chapter 98: Gambling</h2>

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 84,235

    ¨C

    Dorian nced at the young man known as Lord Boyle, his eyes narrowed just slightly.

    ¡®A Late Lord ss Wizard or fighter, huh?¡¯ He was definitely strong, but he must have some reason for being so wealthy. None of the other Lord ss warriors or Wizards Dorian had met had held anywhere near as cavalier an attitude in regards to wealth as him.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 54,893

    ¨C

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 56,188

    ¨C

    The two girls standing behind him, both in the Lord ss as well, though weaker.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes moved to scan the rest of the table.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 31,221

    ¨C

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 36,172

    ¨C

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 79,773

    ¨C

    The other two humans were very strong for their apparent age, but no real threat. They had an air of affluence and wealth, given off not only by the fine silk clothes they wore, but by their attitudes that caught Dorian¡¯s eyes.

    Not from his own memories. But from the memories of the man known as Yukeli.

    People that gave off an air like that were usually arrogant and wealthy, born into great riches. They¡¯d no doubt reached the Lord ss by leaning upon the support of others. Their future achievements were likely to be very limited, and in actualbat strength, they would most likely bear no threat.

    Thest human, the one wearing the set of armor, was far stronger, and seemed a bit dangerous.

    The old Vampire, however, merited the most concern.

    ¨C

    Species: Aeth Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 81,002

    ¨C

    ¡®A Late Lord ss expert, huh? And an Aeth Vampire? Ah, half Vampire, half Aethmen. The air around him¡­ He¡¯s hiding something. He would be a decently strong Wizard.¡¯ Dorian instantly made the assessment, once more drawing upon Yukeli¡¯s experience. The memories that had merged into his mind were a powerful and clearly useful asset, though they came with a few negatives.

    ¡®Kill them all.¡¯ The voice in his head whispered.

    ¡®I¡¯ll kill you first.¡¯ Dorian swore back, ignoring it.

    The Vampire¡¯s status as a half Aethmen wasn¡¯t apparent at all from his looks.

    Still¡­ Dorian wasn¡¯t worried. He was only a Late Lord ss Wizard. Even as a Vampire, that meant little to Dorian, not when he had his ck-Scaled Dragon form. He didn¡¯t need to act carefully around him.

    ¡°Alright. Everyone, please ce your Ante in the center. The House will record this Ante based on the estimated value. If you have an objection, raise it now.¡± The attendant spoke aloud as he motioned towards a small indent at the center of the table. The table itself was shaped like a letter C, with the attendant standing in the opening.

    As he spoke, he slid over a glowing silver card towards Dorian.

    ¡°As you have not presented a Winnings Card, here is yours for this table. You may turn it in to the manager to im your winnings upon leaving.¡±

    The card was nk, but gave off a faint, magical feeling. Dorian picked it up. It was made out of some tough, metallic substance. He ced his Golden Leaf at the center of the table, alongside the other Aeth Vampire and the man known as Lord Boyle.

    The other gamblers sitting at the table just watched, instead of participating.

    As Dorian finished cing the Golden Leaf, a couple of red numbers appeared on his Winnings Card.

    ¨C

    Posted Pot: 18 Million-Mint Gold Shields

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Gold Shields were the high-level currency of the Borrel Autarchy. Much like how on Earth, one could have a 100 Dor bill, Golden Shields acted as the higher level of currencies. Gold Mints were the Borrel Autarchy form of gold coins.

    That meant that this single bet was valued at 18,000,000 gold coins. A massive sum.

    From what Dorian knew, an Early Lord ss Light Pill, a Pill that could restore a heavily injured Lord ss fighter to his best condition in one to two minutes, cost roughly 1,000,000 gold coins, or only a single Million-Mint Gold Shield.

    Gold coins, and the magic Gold Shields produced by the Borrel Autarchy¡¯s Gold Department, were a widely epted form of currency, even on worlds not controlled by the Borrel Autarchy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y.¡± Once the pot was summarized and valued, the attendant looked at all the guests and smiled. He picked up the deck in his hands and then began the customary shuffle.

    As soon as Dorian saw this, his eyes shed.

    He activated his Will.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    In a room next to the opulent casino area, a resting area could be seen. This room was luxurious, just as wealthy and rich in appearance as the main casino. The walls were decorated with fine stone carvings, while the ground was covered in a lush red carpet. Several long couches were set up, and full of both pillows and scantily d women wearing nothing but panties and loose, open shirts.

    On one couch, in particr, a very overweight human Wizardy, eating a few grapes that were behind fed to him by a pair of the sanctity d women. He was balding and was cleanshaven, but had a set of cold eyes that juxtaposed to his rather inept-looking appearance.

    ¡°Nightlord Javel, one of the new participants has started a rather interesting bet.¡±

    A tall woman wearing acy blue dress announced as she looked down at a glowing mirror. This mirror, instead of showing a reflection, showed a zoomed in image overlooking the casino main floor.

    ¡°Oh? Which new participant?¡±

    Nightlord Javel shifted on his couch, his face a picture of rxation as he fed on a few more grapes. Despite his apparent obesity, the man carried with him an air of opulence and power.

    ¡°An odd Minotaur traveller that was targeted in the streets by one of our lookouts after the Aura of a Natural Treasure was detected. His strength was confirmed to be at the Lord ss, Early or Mid.¡±

    The woman continued, pausing to nce up at the man that ran the streets of Oceapal,

    ¡°He¡¯s joined a table with the other travelers, the Pseudo-King Vampire Wizard and the Thunder Captain from Almeron, as well as a few unimportant humans.¡±

    The obese Nightlord waved at the tall woman to continue,

    ¡°He raised one of the bigger Antes we¡¯ve seen this week, offering a Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf. He didn¡¯t ask to equalize bets with the others, and the full Antees in at an estimated 18 million.¡±

    ¡°Well, now THAT is something.¡± The obese Nightlord stood up, a jovial look on his face as he pushed away a few of the women lying on top of him. He was naked from the waist up, wearing only a pair of ck silk pants.

    ¡°Esmerelda, watch them carefully. Be sure nothing funny happens, with Fate or otherwise. Tell our man to let the round function normally, let one of them win it. A big win will draw in more fish.¡± His voice contained steel in it.

    The tall woman nodded, her eyes returning to focus on the bet. A demure smile appeared on her face as she sped her hands together, preparing to cast a Spell. She didn¡¯t give off a Lord ss Aura, but the air around her seemed very close to it.

    ¡°Of course, Nightlord Javel.¡±

    ¡°Fate Magic: Whispering Eyes.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian¡¯s soul could twist Fate, simply through an extension of his Will. The waves it made in Fate were virtually undetectable, even to him, and didn¡¯t require any magic or Spell to be cast.

    He simply needed to devote the full force of his Will,manding something to turn out one way or another.

    And right now, as the dealer was shuffling the deck, Dorian focused his Will at that target.

    ¡®Fall in my favor.¡¯ His soul trembled.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt some amount of energy leave his body.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 39,632/39,993

    ¨C

    ¡®Around 350 points, huh? That¡¯s more than I thought it would take.¡¯ It was still quite cheap. Many of his stronger Abilities could drain thousands of points of energy, especially all the high-level Mystic Martial Arts from Yukeli¡¯s memories.

    Shuwwffff

    The cards blurred as the dealer shuffled them, his hands adept and skilled. Dorian took a nce at the attendant, scanning him. ording to Ausra, he was a Grandmaster ss human. In fact, all of the attendants here appeared to be either Grandmaster ss or Master ss. The picture of an elite, high-powered squadron.

    Apparently running a casino in a decentlyrge trading and traveling town that saw a huge amount of travelers pass by was quite the lucrative business.

    thwick

    thwick

    thwick

    The attendant dealt the cards out quickly and smoothly, sending them across the table while face down and hidden, while also dealing himself 2 cards as the house. Dorian caught his cards handily, as did the others. They all nced at them.

    ¡®A 10 and a 5, huh?¡¯ Dorian thought, his eyes narrowing. It wasn¡¯t a bad hand, but it also wasn¡¯t perfect.

    ¡°Would any gentlemen like to raise the Ante? If an individual raise is not matched by participants, only the house and the better shall participate in the additional raise.¡± The attendant spoke aloud, nodding at Dorian as he informed him.

    ¡°I¡¯m good for now.¡± Lord Boyle shrugged, casually waving his hand. He stuck his other hand behind him, looping it around the hips of one of the gorgeous redheads. The girl giggled, hugging on tightly to the gambler.

    ¡°No.¡± The Aeth Vampire grunted, revealing nothing about the card¡¯s he¡¯d been dealt.

    ¡°Very well.¡± The attendant then turned towards the human.

    ¡°Deal more or pass?¡± In the game of Winderlim, as it was called, one could ask to be dealt more cards till they went over or were satisfied.

    The human looked at his cards again,

    ¡°Deal me one.¡±

    The dealer obliged, sliding him a new card. It flew smoothly across the table beforending in his palm, face down.

    The human looked at it and then waved him away.

    ¡°Deal more or pass?¡±

    ¡°Deal me one.¡±

    ¡°Deal me one more.¡±

    The Aeth Vampire asked for two cards before passing. It was customary to be dealt at least one card.

    ¡°Deal more or pass?¡± The attendant looked directly at Dorian.

    ¡°Deal me one.¡±

    thwick

    A card slid into Dorian¡¯s waiting hand. He turned it slightly, ncing at it.

    He smiled.

    ¡°Would anyone else like to raise the bet? This is yourst call.¡± The attendant¡¯s voice was calm as he looked from guest to guest.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°The Vampire looks confident.¡±

    ¡°So does the human.¡±

    ¡°What about the strange Minotaur?¡±

    A flurry of quiet whispers could be heard from the watching crowd as they talked about the match, watching with interest.

    Everyone at the table shook their heads in response to the attendant¡¯s question.

    The attendant dealt himself a single card before ncing at the house¡¯s cards. He shook his head, discarding them all. The house had gone over.

    ¡°Then please, reveal your cards.¡±

    ¡°23 here.¡± Lord Boyle flipped his cards over with a hint of dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Not bad, Lord Boyle. Unfortunately, my prowess seems to have overstepped yours.¡± The Aeth Vampire smirked, revealing cards that added up to a total of 24. He ignored Dorian as he began to reach forward for the winnings.

    ¡°As they say, the Vampires always win in the end.¡±

    The human lord turned and gave the Aeth Vampire an amused look,

    ¡°It¡¯s only a few scraps, after all. Nothing to fight over-¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    Dorian interrupted them as he flipped over his cards.

    ¡°I believe that pot is mine, no?¡±

    He flicked his cards forward.

    Revealing a perfect 25.

 Chapter 99 - Another one

    Chapter 99: Another one

    ¡°And we have a winner. Congrattions!¡± The attendant was all smiles as he slid the pot over to Dorian while also picking up the cards, waving at them. The cards floated magically into his hands, removing themselves from the table.

    His Winnings Card magically transformed slightly, the writing changing.

    ¨C

    Stored Sum: 18 Million-Mint Gold Shields

    ¨C

    The Aeth Vampire turned to re at him, his eyes cold,

    ¡°You got lucky, beast. Even a blind, beaten dog can asionally find what his master sets him on the hunt for.¡± His voice actually sounded full of genuine encouragement, only a hint of obvious sarcasm giving away his scorn.

    Dorian smiled wider. He did not like this Vampire, not at all. He reminded Dorian of some of the ruder people he¡¯d met on earth, the type of people that didn¡¯t care at all for you or your life. If they got in an ident with you and nearly killed you due to their drinking and driving, they were the type liable to me you for it.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Then, would you dare to bet again?¡± Dorian waved at the loot he held, his eyes gleaming. A hint of eager excitement had wormed its way into his heart at the rush of winning.

    ¡°Hahahaha WOULD I DARE?¡± The Aeth Vampireughed as if he had heard a hrious joke. The air around him began to vibrate with power, a hint of a deathly Aura appearing.

    ¡°Hey now. Let¡¯s take it easy here.¡±

    The previously quiet fully armored human spoke up, his words full of thunder and might as he broke into the discussion. He gave off an Aura of his own, one full of robust energy, interrupting the Aeth Vampire.

    ¡°Captain Bim. When will you learn to mind your own business?¡± The Aeth Vampire turned its attention over to the armored human. At the same time, however, the Aura that had appeared faded away.

    The Captain held his hands up in surrender as the tension faded, settling back onto his seat.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to rx and y games, right? Let¡¯s y.¡± He smiled warmly.

    ¡°Attention guests. Please remember that acts of violence are forbidden here.¡± The attendant spoke up, his voice not betraying even a hint of nervousness.

    ¡°Fine, fine. I was just talking, I wasn¡¯t doing anything.¡± The Aeth Vampire shrugged, turning to look directly at Dorian.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y again.¡± The Vampire¡¯s eyes stared daggers at him as he continued,

    ¡°This time, I will raise the Ante first.¡±

    The aged Aeth Vampire waved his hand. Immediately, ten glowing white Pills appeared, floating in the air.

    ¡°Twenty Two Ironskin Pills, all Lord ss. I created them myself, and can personally attest to their value and effectiveness. They should be enough to match your Natural Treasure in value.¡± His voice was full of confidence as he stared directly at Dorian.

    ¡°The bet is epted. Will anyone besides the house match it?¡± The attendant motioned with his hand, scooping the Pills into the pot area after examining them and nodding.

    Dorian looked at the Pills.

    ¡®Why, not right?¡¯ Even if he didn¡¯t know their use or need them, he could still sell them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll match it.¡± As he spoke, he nced at his Winnings Card. A few small lines of instruction could be seen on the backside of the card. One of these lines informed him that he couldn¡¯t raise bets with the value of the card and could only use it when he withdrew anything from it.

    Dorian slid forward the Golden Leaf, his smile unbroken.

    ¡°Any other betters?¡±

    The rest of the table passed, all of them watching with interest. The bystanders, a crowd of about 10 well-dressed nobles, Wizards, or merchants, talked quietly behind them, motioning at the Dorian and the Aeth Vampire subtly.

    ¡°Alright. Everyone, please ce your Ante in the center if you have not already done so. The House will record this Ante based on the estimated value. If you have an objection, raise it now.¡±

    ¨C

    Posted Pot: 26 Million-Mint Gold Shields

    Stored Sum: 18 Million-Mint Gold Shields

    ¨C

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Anotherrge bet, eh?¡± The Nightlord looked at the scene in the bowl jovially, his eyes full of cheer. He rubbed his hands in appreciation, as if looking at a delightful fruit ready to be plucked.

    ¡°No need to lose such arge bet twice in a row.¡± He shook his head,

    ¡°Esmerelda.¡± He waved his hand at the tall woman standing next to him,

    ¡°Have the dealer win.¡±

    The tall woman bowed her head to the obese owner of the casino,

    ¡°As youmand.¡± She sped her palms together, preparing a Spell.

    ¡°Fate Magic: Guiding Hands.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian watched as the dealer prepared to shuffle the deck.

    ¡®Bend to my Will! Fall in my favor, once again! But this time, even more dramatically.¡¯ He grinned internally at the thought. This was fun.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt arge amount of energy leave his body, much more than the previous time.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 37,309/39,993

    ¨C

    ¡®2,000 points?!¡¯ His eyes widened imperceptibly. That was huge! Far, far more than the previous attempt! Why was it so much more expensive?!

    thwick

    thwick

    The dealer¡¯s hand blurred as he swiftly dealt Dorian and the Vampire a pair of cards. He then slid two cards down for himself, ncing at them.

    The Vampire looked at his cards as well, a smile appearing on his face. He turned to re at Dorian, apparently nursing a grudge.

    Dorian tapped on his card, but, after a moment, didn¡¯t look at them.

    The people at the table stared at him expectantly. Behind them, the audience of bystanders tittered.

    ¡°Would any gentlemen like to raise the Ante?¡± The dealer asked. Dorian shook his head, as did the Vampire.

    ¡°Well? Are you that afraid of what you¡¯ll see that you can¡¯t even look at your own hand?¡± The Aeth Vampire¡¯s voice was full of scorn as he stared at Dorian¡¯s cards.

    A fewughs broke out, quickly hushed as Dorian¡¯s eyes turned to look at the crowd.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll do something else, instead.¡± Dorian smiled,

    ¡°Something you all can¡¯t.¡± His voice was full of grandeur and mystery as he spoke, continuing,

    ¡°It¡¯s called trusting in the heart of the cards.¡± He nodded sagely, as if his words contained great knowledge, foresight, and wisdom.

    A quiet hush fell over the crowd and those at the table as they stared at Dorian as if he was insane.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ Deal more or pass?¡± The attendant stuttered as he recovered from Dorian¡¯s statements, turning to look at the Aeth Vampire.

    ¡°Deal me one.¡± The Vampire spat, grinning at Dorian as if he was an idiot.

    thwick

    The Aeth Vampire¡¯s smile grew wider as he nced at what he was dealt, and thenid his cards down smoothly. He hesitated for a moment before he waved his hand, motioning for the dealer to move to Dorian.

    ¡°Well, mystery Minotaur? Are you going to drop the facade? Or continue with your ¡®trusting the heart of the cards?''¡± The Aeth Vampireughed cheerfully.

    Dorian shook his head sadly,

    ¡°Ah, to be young again. Your youthful energy has blinded you to true wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Deal more or pass?¡± The attendant interjected, before the Vampire could boil over with rage.

    Dorian looked at him confidently,

    ¡°Deal me one.¡±

    thwick

    A card slid into his hand, leaving him with 3 cards resting under his palm.

    He turned and began to stare at the angry Vampire.

    ¡°Another one.¡±

    thwick

    He nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Another one.¡±

    thwick

    A fifth card slid into his waiting hand.

    ¡°Another one.¡±

    thwick

    ¡°This is ridiculous! He is clearly just stalling to avoid his loss!¡± As the sixth card slid into Dorian¡¯s, the Aeth Vampire exploded with anger, mming his fist onto the table. His voice rang out loudly, full of power and might.

    CREEEAK

    The table shuddered under the impact, but miraculously held together. At the same time, a dozen Auras full of strength burst forth as the nearby guests were startled. Dorian held on tightly to his cards, looking at the Vampire with a bemused expression.

    ¡°EVERYONE PLEASE REMAIN CALM!¡± A far louder voice echoed forth,ing from the back of the room as an obese man appeared, giving off a heavy, powerful Aura. He wore a fine pair of silk pants, and an open, loose vest. One that slid forward and passed between every other raging Aura, full of authority.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Psuedo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 110,292

    ¨C

    ¡°I am the Nightlord here. This is an establishment for calm, rxing y! Please refrain from unleashing your Aura, or any act of violence.¡± The obese man said, holding his hands up and motioning for everyone to rx.

    Gradually, the room settled down, people returning to their gambling and y. Most of the guests acted as if this was a normal urrence, shrugging it off.

    The obese man walked forwarded scanning Dorian¡¯s table with a genial smile.

    ¡°Please, continue your game.¡±

    Dorian nodded,

    ¡°But of course.¡±

    He turned and nced at the Vampire onest time.

    ¡°Another one.¡±

    thwick

    The Vampire¡¯s eyes grew red with rage as he stared at Dorian, unspeakably angry.

    Dorian paused, feeling something as he looked at the seven cards.

    ¡°I¡¯m good now. I¡¯ll pass.¡± He waved at the dealer.

    The attendant nodded, and then nced at his own cards. Imperceptibly, Dorian saw him nce at the obese Nightlord that was watching.

    ¡°I will deal myself one.¡± The dealer dealt himself a card and then nced at it. His eyes shook in shock for a moment before he shrugged.

    ¡°The house has gone over.¡± He discarded the card¡¯s he¡¯d used.

    The obese man¡¯s eyes widened at this, starring at the dealer confusion for a split second before he regained hisposure, watching the yers with a smile as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Please reveal your cards.¡±

    The Vampire snarled as he flipped over his cards, revealing a Queen, a 12, and a 10. A score that added up to 24, near perfect.

    Dorian slowly began to flip over his.

    A 10.

    Another 10.

    At this point, the Vampire burst intoughter.

    ¡°You¡¯re at 20 already?! Hahaha so much for trusting in the heart of the cards!¡±

    Dorian smiled again sagely, flipping over his other cards, one by one.

    Revealing a 1.

    A King, which could substitute as a 1.

    Another 1.

    Another King.

    The Aeth Vampire began to pant as he saw this, disbelief covering his face. The same applied to all of the guests, as well as the obese Nightlord.

    Dorian held his finger on thest card.

    ¡°What do you think the chances are that this card is a 1? Bringing my score to a perfect 25.¡±

    The old Vampire looked as if he was about to spit up blood, his face pallid. The rest of the crowd stood frozen, waiting with bated breath.

    ¡°Impossible.¡±

    Dorian shrugged and flipped the card over.

    Revealing a 1.

    He had scored a perfect 25.

    Stunning the entire audience, both of yers and the crowd.

    ¡°Look¡¯s like it¡¯s my win!¡± Dorian¡¯s right hand snaked forward cheerfully, snatching up the pot in a smooth motion and storing it, along with the rest of his winnings so far, into his Spatial Ring.

    ¡°No way! He cheated! Nightlord! I demand an exnation!¡± The Vampire¡¯s voice sted forward as he mmed his hand on the table once again, his eyes bleeding outrage.

    ¡°What are the odds of that? That does seem incredibly unlikely unless Fate Magic was used.¡± Lord Boyle, who was watching from the side, put forth his own opinion, looking at the empty pot with a dissatisfied expression. Most of the yers nodded agreement, staring at the Nightlord.

    ¡°I was sitting here the whole time, and saw nothing of the sort.¡± The armored human, Captain Bim, shook his head, standing on Dorian¡¯s side. Dorian looked at the man in appreciation for the unexpected support.

    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s take it easy. We¡¯ll have this checked right now. The use of Fate Magic, or any Magic at all, is banned in the Blue Seal Casino.¡± The Nightlord raised up his hands and then motioned to the side. Immediately, a tall woman appeared, wearing a blue dress that was covered ince.

    ¡°This is Esmerelda, one of my Wizards, and an expert in Fate Magic.¡± The Nightlord nodded his obese head in a friendly manner.

    ¡°Esmerelda. Bring out the Fate Siphon.¡± Immediately the woman nodded and brought forth arge bowl full of water.

    At the sight of it, everyone nodded, even the Aeth Vampire. The old Vampire turned to look at Dorian, a vicious smile on his face.

    ¡°For those that are unaware, a Fate Siphon will detect if Fate has been altered or affected in its immediate vicinity. If there are traces of Fate Magic here, it will be detected as soon as the siphon is activated.¡± The obese Nightlord waved his hand,

    ¡°Esmerelda, check it now.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, milord.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, while all of this was going down, a simple looking huntsman brushed some dust off his shoulders, staring back at a few guards he had just talked to.

    ¡°So this is Oceapal City.¡± He looked around, smiling calmly.

    ¡°You¡¯re second on my list of cities to take over.¡± His eyes shed,

    ¡°First, however¡­ My fellow practitioner¡­ where are you? I know you¡¯re here somewhere¡­¡±

    .

 Chapter 100 - Building Up

    Chapter 100: Building Up

    Note: I n on making my chapters slightly shorter, (1600-2000 words/cheaper SS chapters), in the future. I¡¯ll also try to up my release rate, however, in honor of our Patreons and to make up for it ?

    (The SS cost for this chapter is the same with or without this note.)

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Esmerelda, check it now.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, milord.¡±

    Dorian watched it all, his face emotionless. Not that it mattered, in retrospect, considering his face was that of a bull. It wasn¡¯t exactly easy to read emotion on.

    ¡®My soul twisting Fate shouldn¡¯t leave any traces in Fate¡­ right? But what if it does?¡¯ His thoughts were thrown into disarray at the thought.

    ¡®Oh, wait.¡¯ He paused,ing to a realization.

    ¡®Why don¡¯t I just change the Fate of the device checking for changes in Fate?¡¯ He smiled internally,

    ¡®They can¡¯t find any traces I might leave in Fate if I change Fate every time they look. Heh.¡¯

    Dorian stared at the magical artifact bowl, his eyes darting towards it for an instant.

    ¡®Show a result of nothing¡­¡¯

    WHOOSH

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 36,829/39,993

    ¨C

    ¡®About 1,500 points¡­ This is starting to drain me.¡¯

    Using his Will to twist Fate was not an easy thing to do, even with all the practice Dorian had manipting his Will in that mental prison. Because of that practice, he was able to fluidly and smoothly use Will to get exactly what he wanted.

    However, that was only in a calm environment. Using his Will in battle took far more concentration and was far more likely to fail. He found it much easier to just fight using his Abilities.

    ¡®Maybe I need morebat practice.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t been able to fight anything at all in his mental prison.

    The bowl of water that the Fate Wizard was holding began to glow lightly as Dorian watched. It fluttered and moved, small waves shing on its surface.

    All the bystanders watched this tensely. Some exchanged knowing nces, others looked at the bowl and then to Dorian curiously.

    The Aeth Vampire had a hopeful smirk on his face while the rest of the gamblers at the table were simply curious.

    whoosh

    The bowl of blue water fluttered with light, and then gradually turned a pale, grey color.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be.¡±

    ¡°Guess he wasn¡¯t using magic.¡±

    The audience tittered again at the results, the tension that had built up slowly fading off.

    ¡°Grey light indicates that Fate Magic has not been used to alter anything at this table¡­¡± Esmerelda¡¯s voice was slow as she spoke, staring at the results with a hint of confusion.

    ¡°See? I y fair and square.¡± Dorian held his hands up confidently. He didn¡¯t know if messing with Fate from his soul would show up, but it looked like he didn¡¯t need to find out.

    ¡°You still scored two perfect 25¡¯s in a row!¡± The Vampire sputtered.

    ¡°So? You scored two 24¡¯s in a row.¡± Dorian returned.

    The Aeth Vampire sputtered again, ring at Dorian. It was true that they¡¯d both scored the same number twice in a row.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t use sleight-of-han-¡±

    ¡°With what? The deck is magic, right? Ask the dealer.¡± Dorian waved at the attendant.

    ¡°No cards were altered, and every card returns to me after a game is finished. It is impossible to cheat the house.¡± The attendant nodded, his words convincing.

    The Aeth Vampire held his hands up in surrender, angrily standing up from the table. He gave Dorian onest venomous look before stalking off, heading towards a different table.

    Dorian watched him go with amusement. It was his just desserts for being rude.

    ¨C

    Stored Sum: 44 Million-Mint Gold Shields

    ¨C

    He smiled as he looked down at his Winnings Card.

    ¡°Now, would anyone else care to continue?¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Ugh, this heat is godawful.¡± Trajan wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead as he took his first steps off the World Bridge, looking around at the barrenndscape.

    ¡°I find it quitefortable myself. Just imagine yourself being lightly saut¨¦ed in a crisp, fiery grill, imagine the vors, why I-¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you heavens-forsaken Anomaly. Can you think of anything BESIDES food?¡± Trajan turned to re at the Anomaly named Xaphan, his eyes bloodshot.

    The Anomaly bore a demonic appearance but wasn¡¯t actually a Demon. He was an Ain Energy Elemental, a powerful creature that had an internal Energy Core. It mattered little, though, considering the Ain Energy Elementals were also an extinct race.

    ¡°Quiet, you two.¡± Helena rebuked the duo as the rest of the group moved forward, looking around at the fire-coveredndscape. She wore a set of prim, ck leather pants and a shirt, clinging tightly to her petite but muscr body. Several other Vampires stood near her, the Wizards that were helping them track their target.

    They had arrived on Magmor.

    Great spouts ofva sted into the sky from the Magma Sea all around them, the air itself vibrating with natural power.

    ¡°How muchva can you cut with your swordy, Brother Aron?¡±

    ¡°I know not, Brother Probus.¡±

    Thest duo of the team walked at the rear, ncing around the hellishndscape.

    Helena turned to one of the tracking Wizards.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived on the world they should be heading towards.¡± She began, nodding,

    ¡°When should we expect the Shade Anomaly and troop to arrive?¡±

    One of the Vampire Blood Trackers, a middle-aged Vampire wearing a full set of red robes, stepped forward.

    ¡°Within the next 4 days. It could be in 2 days, it could be in 4. The exact time is uncertain, but they should arrive on Magmor soon.¡± His voice was raspy.

    Helena nodded, running her fingers through her hair.

    ¡°Why are they here, on Magmor? Are they actually hunting for something? Are they here for the Ascension Ruins?¡± Some of her Wizards had raised a theory, based on the intelligence they gained, that the Anomaly was hunting for a target of some sort, one that had fled to Magmor. Others believed they were attempting to break into the legendary Ascension Ruins.

    She sighed,

    ¡°Whatever. Everyone ready yourselves. We are going to prepare to move towards one of the Six Oasis Cities, the ckwater Oasis City is close to this World Bridge.¡± Helena waved off into the distance. Vaguely, at least several dozen miles away, arge pir ofnd could be seen, rising into the air far above the Magma Sea. It was reminiscent of the teaus that existed all over Taprisha.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move out!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Several thousand meters away from Helena, a pair of figures watched the team of Anomalies and Vampires move, their eyes narrowed.

    ¡°So that¡¯s them.¡± The speaker was a man whose entire right side of his body was made of pure, crystalline diamond.

    ¡°Yes.¡± A gaunt-looking woman said, tugging at the hem of her long blue dress in distaste. Red dust stained the bottom of it, the haze that was present everywhere in Magmor dirtying her clothes.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send word to my Department Head, and to His Majesty Telmon.¡± The man with a face that was half-diamond responded, his eyes shing.

    ¡°Let us capture these Anomalies in the name of the Borrel Autarchy.¡± His voice was grand, though quiet as he needed to remain hidden. Raw zeal and patriotism filled the undertones of his words.

    ¡°What if the Vampires resist? They appear to be allied with them. I recognize two of them from the Aurelius Reavers.¡± The gaunt woman questioned, rubbing her chin.

    The half-diamond man shrugged,

    ¡°Then we kill them too. We are, technically, still at war with them.¡± His eyes shed,

    ¡°The rule of the Borrel Autarchy is inevitable.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hehehehe.¡± Dorianughed to himself as he looked at his Winnings Card, barely able to conceal his glee.

    ¨C

    Stored Sum: 144 Million-Mint Gold Shields

    ¨C

    ¡®144 Million Gold Coins!¡¯

    It was a ridiculous sum. Far more wealth than he had ever held in his life.

    While such a sum might not be toorge to a random King ss Wizard, to Dorian, who was technically only at the middle of Lord ss, it was a vast amount. With this much money, he could buy a huge amount of supplies, and even look into purchasing Natural Treasures, extremely rare bloodlines, and powerful Artifacts.

    Further, Million-Mint Shields were magical in, and of, themselves. With 144 of them, he¡¯d be able to use them to help study thews of the universe if he wished.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ll get to that when I get to that. I still need to pick a Law, after all.¡¯ He shrugged at the thought.

    He nced down at his Spatial Ring, another smile appearing on his face. He had also acquired arge number of random Lord ss Pills, several odd but unique Artifacts, and a plethora of Gold Shields of various sums.

    He already had 15 Million-Mint Gold Shields.

    ¡®I¡¯m a millionaire now. My dreams of wealth know no bounds.¡¯ He shook his head at his own thoughts.

    He had, essentially, cleaned out several Wizards and guests here in the casino. The number of irritated or angry stares he got from inside the casino was near limitless as he looked around.

    Dorian had been careful, using his Will sparingly. He made sure he lost several times, and only just won more than he lost. Still, he¡¯d gained quite a notable sum, a huge store of treasure.

    ¡®Hmm. I think it¡¯s time to go.¡¯ He nodded to himself. If he stayed any longer, several of the other guests might explode with rage at him.

    ¡°Best wishes, Captain Bim.¡± He gave a friendly nod to one of the few gamblers that was still at the table. The human warrior that had stood on Dorian¡¯s side when he had been used of cheating. Just because of that, he had helped the Captain win several bets of his own.

    ¡°And to you too, friend Dorian!¡± The Captain said cheerfully, giving Dorian a big smile. He was in a great mood.

    Dorian stood up, leaving the splendor of the grand room as he walked towards the entrance. He checked the Winnings Card in his hand, ready to leave.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°How could it show up with no result?!¡± The obese Nightlord Javel mmed his fist down on a table inside the room he used to spy on his guests, his voice full of rage. The scantily d girls that were here previously were nowhere to be seen, vanished in the wake of his anger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, milord.¡± Esmerelda said, her voice cool,

    ¡°As I have said, repeatedly, I altered Fate directly, but it failed. Fate Magic is not perfect, after all. However, this should still have shown up in the Fate Siphon.¡± She held her hands up, at a loss.

    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Javel said, rubbing at his eyes.

    ¡°The Minotaur guest is leaving.¡± Esmerelda abruptly changed the subject, her eyes showing a bit of relief. The Nightlord of the casino had been raging on about this for the past several minutes.

    ¡°His Winnings Card, from his checkout at the front, appears to bear a total of 144 Million-Min-¡±

    ¡°144 Million-Mint Shields?! Are you serious?!¡± Javel jumped up and down, his obese body jiggling.

    ¡°Ridiculous! He¡¯s cleaning us out! Arrrgh!¡±

    Javel had run his business smartly over the years. It was how he reached such a position of power. He didn¡¯t cheat his guests, much, and he kept things within bnce. If someone was on a losing streak, he¡¯d toss them a win through Fate. If someone was on a winning streak, he¡¯d threw them a loss.

    With the huge number of travelers they saw, their exact practices mattered little. There would always be new yers and new guests.

    Javel abruptly calmed down, his eyes shing as he regained hisposure. He was not a child, to be throwing a fit over and over. He was a powerful expert.

    His eyes narrowed,

    ¡°Is that Aeth Vampire still here, Esmerelda?¡±

    ¡°Yes, milord, though he appears to be readying himself to leave.¡± She responded.

    Javel¡¯s eyes shed darkly,

    ¡°Good. As he checks out, send him word through the attendant. Have him told that I wish to meet up with him on the roof, to discuss a piece of vital business.¡±

 Chapter 101 - A Heroic Stand

    Chapter 101: A Heroic Stand

    ¡°Money, money, money!¡± Dorian hummed cheerfully as he exited the Blue Seal Casino, his eyes shining. It felt good to have a huge amount of money in his name.

    That said, he felt a little guilty twisting Fate to win. It wasn¡¯t exactly fair of him, even if it had been a lot of fun. As a kid, back on Earth, he¡¯d always imagined going to a casino, and magically winning over and over. He hadn¡¯t even thought about the ethics of it.

    ¡®Well¡­ I won¡¯t do it again.¡± He thought, guilty, ducking his head slightly. He sent a mental apology to all the well-off Wizards or merchants he might¡¯ve gambled with and beat. He¡¯d try to make up for it in the future, doing good deeds or giving to charity. The poor could use their money far more than they could, most likely.

    He tapped on his Spatial Ring. There were more than 150 Million-Mint Shields in there now. With that kind of wealth, he would be able to do quite a lot of things, in addition to all the other unique Pills and Artifacts he¡¯d obtained.

    He took a brief moment to look up and down the alley. The sounds of people walking and talking echoed in the distance, visible on the streets to either side.

    He frowned. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to the constant attention and being stared at. His Grakon form was really a poor choice.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Dorian walked off to the side of the alley. He nced up and down it.

    It was clear.

    ¡®Red Smander Form, go!¡¯ He¡¯d started to find it easier to switch forms if he mentally named them.

    ¡®Condense! Ausra, suppress my growth!¡¯

    A split secondter, Dorian¡¯s body transformed, his clothes falling away to the floor.

    Revealing a small, adorable looking red lizard, wearing a small Spatial Ring on its right arm, with a Spatial Pouch looped around its back.

    skitter skitter

    The small, baby Red Smander took off across the ground and sank its ws into the side of the florist building. Dorian scaled it in a split second, his body blurring as it soared up the side of the building.

    In just a few moments he was secure on the roof. It was mostly empty, with a fewrge chimneys set into ce, and somerge wooden billboards on the front of the roof area, advertising the magic florist shop.

    Dorian walked out in front of the billboard, looking out across the city area.

    Hundreds of people moved to and fro, going about their daily business. In the center of the city, the hubbub was loud. Everyone had something to do, from the urchins running around on various errands to the businessmen going to meetings, nning out the deliveries of supplies.

    Oceapal City was a trader¡¯s town, and a travelers town, first and foremost. There were always new faces to see, from people traveling on and off world.

    ¡®Hmm. I can maintain this form for a while, thanks to my increased energy stores. Still, I think I¡¯ll switch to my Ifrit form. It¡¯s also a bit noticeable, but should stand out less.¡¯ His towering Grakon form was too out of ce.

    ¡°Just out here.¡± A voice rang out behind Dorian, startling him. He turned to look under the billboard, his tiny lizard feet pittering and pattering.

    There was a hidden entrance on the roof that he hadn¡¯t seen. Part of the roof itself opened up, revealing a wooden trapdoor set into it. A wooden lower could be seen, edging up slightly.

    From thisdder emerged the obese Nightlord that had stood watch over the Fate Wizard, when she was checking the table.

    ¡®Huh? What are they doing here? Did my soul draw them up?¡¯ He wondered, staring at them. He held still, making his presence as small as possible.

    A momentter, a second figure emerged from the roof.

    A well dressed elderly Vampire in a long ck robe. The Aeth Vampire that Dorian had won his bet with and subsequently angered.

    ¡°So what is this business you have to discuss, hmm?¡± The elderly Vampire¡¯s voice rasped out. Dorian made sure to keep absolutely still, not daring to move an inch. Vampires had very powerful sensory abilities.

    ¡°Lord Ru, that is your name, correct?¡± The obese Nightlord Javel began, gesturing respectfully.

    ¡°Ru Nice, yes, though I sometimes go by my middle name, Debut. You may call me Ru.¡± The old Vampire was a bit entric, Dorian thought, watching as he brushed at his robe. A heavy, deathly Aura could be seen around him, ever so faintly. The evening light was fading, but Dorian could still see clearly.

    ¡°Lord Ru, I wish to make a mutual transaction with you.¡± Javel responded, his eyes glinting.

    ¡°It¡¯se to my knowledge that you and I both have amon target we despite. That brutish Minotaur. Through methods unknown, the creature managed to not only cheat you, but my casino as well.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! That damned beast!¡± The Vampire stomped his foot down angrily, his fists clenching as he continued,

    ¡°Oceapal still has itsw-abiding City Lord, does it not? And a troop of Lord ss warriors and Wizards. This is a crime of the highest order!¡±

    ¡°Err, yes, about that.¡± The Obese Nightlord shrugged.

    ¡°The City Lord of Oceapal, Lord Buick, is a Lord ss Wizard as you are aware. As one of the most important cities on the continent, Lord Buick is a Pseudo-King expert with a talented troop of his own behind him.¡±

    ¡°That said¡­ he also happens to abhor gambling, and has made it illegal in Oceapal.¡± The Nightlord shrugged,

    ¡°Hence why my Blue Seal Casino is rather hidden. He is aware of its existence, but as long as we remain off the streets, he takes no action. That also means, however, that he will take no public action to aid us.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Lord Ru squinted at the obese man, and then held his hands out at a loss.

    The obese Nightlord continued,

    ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t actions into our own hands.¡± He dry-washed his hands as he spoke, grinning nefariously.

    ¡°Go on¡­ I¡¯m listening.¡± The old Aeth Vampire said, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°We know where the beast is staying and going. He has a room at the Bakin Bell Inn, and is set to travel on a flying ship with the Skycrosser Travel Company tomorrow at noon.¡±

    ¡°We estimate his strength to be around the middle of Lord ss. My casino¡¯s forces, including myself and several hired Lord ss warriors, can¡¯t exactly go about attacking people freely, not with Lord Buick standing over the city.¡± The obese Wizard shrugged,

    ¡°You, however, are a free agent. A passerby. A dispute between you and another unknown traveller, especially another Lord ss traveller, would resolve, at worse, with you being expelled from the territory.¡±

    The obese Wizard nodded and continued,

    ¡°I will have my men provide you with full support and intelligence, including several useful Artifacts to make everything as easy as possible. All I ask from you is that you return a third of what the beast pilfered.¡±

    A quiet pause as the Aeth Vampire stared at the human, listening to his words.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly as he saw this go down. So it was all a plot to murder him, and take what he rightfully won, he thought, ignoring the fact that had, indeed, actually twisted Fate to win.

    ording to Ausra, when his soul twisted Fate, it should be near enough to undetectable. He hadn¡¯t wanted to test it, but what the obese Wizard was saying now was obviously lies. He was clearly being set up.

    ¡°So? What do you say? We have to act quickly. You get your revenge, and a good deal of wealth, and my casino gets most of what we lost back. A win for everyone. I have no way of double-crossing you, not with Lord Buick in the vicinity.¡± Javel held out his hand, grinning at the Vampire.

    ¡°Partners?¡±

    What happened next caught Dorianpletely by surprise.

    The Aeth Vampire smiled and took the Nightlord¡¯s hand.

    THUD

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡±

    The obese Nightlord yelled out in pain as the Vampire mped down and pulled his wrist out of socket, throwing him to the side.

    The fat on the body of the overweight Wizard jiggled as he crashed into the roof, throwing up splinters of wood.

    In just seconds, six Lord ss warriors appeared, all of them hired mercenaries set to guard the Blue Seal Casino and protect the head Wizard.

    ¡°What kind of person do you think I am?¡± The deathly Aura around the Vampire Wizard red up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just going to murder someone for beating me at cards and losing a pair of bets, especially if you don¡¯t have any proof of them cheating. We all saw that Fate Siphone up with nothing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you run your casino, but I don¡¯t wantonly kill people just because I desire their wealth.¡±

    Dorian nearly teared up,pletely shocked by the Aeth Vampire¡¯s actions.

    ¡®I misjudged you.¡¯ He nodded in solidarity at the old Vampire. ¡®You may be a bit of an ass, but you aren¡¯t a bad person.¡¯

    The obese Nightlord twisted to stand up, his face a mask of pain. A deathly Aura of his own wrapped around him as he red at his attacker. He rubbed at his wrist, setting it painfully back into its socket.

    ¡°You bastard.¡± His eyes shed darkly. A blue sh of light shot from his hand.

    Instantly, a crystalline barrier surrounded the roof of the Blue Seal Casino, blocking it off from the outside.

    ¡°You will do what I want, whether you like it or not.¡± Nightlord Javel¡¯s voice was cold and cruel as he smiled grimly at the Aeth Vampire. Energy flowed around him, a mix of a ck, deathly Aura. Simr in kind to the one the Aeth Vampire held.

    Blue energy and light began to swarm around the crystalline barrier, giving off a feeling of solidness, as if this barrier was extremely tough and durable.

    The Aeth Vampire saw this all, his eyes darkening. He sped his hands together, ck energy forming around his wrists.

    Meanwhile, the six Lord ss warriors stepped forward slowly, holding their swords out in front of them. Blue light surrounded them covering their bodies in a protectiveyer.

    ¡°Hahahaha. This is my home turf, Vampire. There is a reason my casino is known as the Blue Seal Casino. A Grand Seal surrounds it, one that gives me a huge advantage, allowing me to manipte or block off energy. It cost me nearly 120 Million-Mint Shields tomission the creation of this Artifact. You can¡¯t break through it.¡± His voice was cold and cruel, full of mirth.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your chance to work with me willingly. Surrender yourself now, and I will spare you and treat you fairly.¡± The Nightlord motioned with his hands.

    Immediately, the six human Lord ss mercenaries surrounded the Aeth Vampire.

    Lord Ru¡¯s eyes gleamed darkly.

    ¡°Like hell I will, not to you vile beasts.¡± His voice was aged but full of unrelenting pride.

    The Nightlord shrugged,

    ¡°Then you will die, and I¡¯ll make up for my losses with what is left of your belongings.¡±

    The tension of the moment reached an incredible peak, a lopsided battle about to break out.

    At that exact moment, however, the billboard on the front of the roof shivered, and fell over with a loud thump.

    The warriors, Nightlord, and Aeth Vampire all paused, turning to look towards the source of the noise.

    Revealing a proudly standing Dorian, returned to his Grakon form as he puffed out his chest and red at the evil Nightlord.

    ¡°Not on my watch, criminal scum!¡± His voice bellowed out, full of justice and might. He readied himself to attack, going over the form¡¯s he could use without drawing too much attention.

    There was no way he could let the Aeth Vampire be captured or die. Not after all that.

    The groups all just stared at Dorian in shock, their eyes wide.

    ¡®Hold on a second¡­¡¯ He thought, his heart dropping.

    A sinking premonition hit him as he nced down.

    Revealing his perfectly proportioned and muscr, but also highly naked, Grakon body.

    ¡°Dammit, not again!¡±

 Chapter 102 - Battle

    Chapter 102: Battle

    Dorian made a bitter promise that the first thing he was going to do, after he settled this, was go out and find a set of magical clothes. Surely something existed that he could switch onto instantly after changing forms. He was a millionaire now, he would spare no expense.

    That or he would learn some magic technique to create garments.

    ¡®I am not a nudist, dammit.¡¯

    The Nightlord was the first to recover from his shock. He ignored Dorian¡¯s state of undress and immediately barked out amand.

    ¡°Kill the Minotaur! Lord Ru, I have no grudge with you, let us part ways here and now!¡± The Nightlord sped his hands together, ck light flowing from his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can just threaten me and then ignore it, swine!¡± The Aeth Vampire yelled back, sping his own hands as he began to cast a Spell.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 55,221

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 39,221

    ¨C

    Three of the Lord ss warriors were in the Middle Stage of Lord ss, energy level wise, while the other three were in the Early Stage of Lord ss. They moved cohesively as a team, with precise coordination.

    Lord ss warriors were far moremon than Lord ss Wizards,rgely due to how much easier it was to be a powerful warrior versus be a powerful Wizard. Mystic Martial Arts often provided a foundational understanding and made achieving at least a basic understanding in a Law rtively aplishable.

    Unless you were a genius warrior destined for greatness, most Lord ss warriors would form into teams. The mercenary team here hired by the Blue Seal Casino was no different. Powerful warriors gaining wealth to breakthrough in strength in the future, doing whatever odd, or vile, jobs their employer wanted.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw the group break off towards him. He stayed in his Grakon form, his arms twitching.

    ¡®Condense.¡¯

    His body shuddered, bing slightly smaller. His muscles grew denser, the fibers of his bone and skin growing tougher and more tensile. Unlike some of his other forms, there was no raw Elemental Energy flowing in his blood.

    Still, his Grakon form was a powerful one.

    ¨C

    Grakon ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 41,992

    Ability: Expand, Tough Scales, Low-Speed Regeneration

    Standing between 2.5 and 3 meters tall at full growth, Grakons are an ancient, extinct but mighty race. Their appearance consists of the head of a bull ced on the body of a humanoid, covered in dark blue or green scales. Each Grakon possesses an incredible amount of physical strength, one of the very few races that are able to reach the Lord ss through sheer physical power, even without the power of Law.

    Their Low-Speed Regeneration Ability allows them to slowly recover from injuries without treatment, while their Tough Scales Ability increases their physical defense. Their Expand Ability is unique to the Grakon Race. By drawing upon thews of the universe and the energy in their environment, a Grakon can vastly increase their physical size, and as a result, vastly increase their physical power. They were a force to be reckoned with.

    ¨C

    Dorian hadn¡¯t gained the Expand Ability yet, but even without it, his overall strength as a Grakon was considerable.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Early)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 70,882/40,002 (Condensed)

    ¨C

    (Author¡¯s Note: I used to list the Condensed Energy level as part of the base energy in status (current energy/base energy), but decided to change that for rity.)

    ¡°Arrrgh.¡± Dorian grunted out loud as he felt himself grow stronger.

    He hadn¡¯t fully grown his Grakon form, so his base energy level was still at that of his ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form. Further, he wasn¡¯t at his strongest due to having spent quite a bit of energy manipting Fate in the casino.

    Despite that, he was still a lethal force to be reckoned with.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try this out.¡± Dorian grinned. His physical form had shrunk inward to stand just less than 2 meters tall.

    ¡®KILL THEM!¡¯ The voice in his head rang out, one he tried to force to a corner of his mind with a frown.

    ¡°Die beast!¡± The first of the Lord ss warriors rushed in while Dorian was distracted, wielding a long ck broadsword. The de cut towards Dorian, ck smoke slithering off it. The other warriors circled around, leaving Dorian no avenue of escape and forcing a confrontation.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian sidestepped the de, dodging it by mere millimeters thanks to the impressive control of his body he¡¯d gained from both the new memories and from his own practice.

    ¡°Cough!¡± He sputtered and jumped backwards, however, as a trace of the darkness that wafted off the de jumped through the air, stabbing into his mouth.

    ¡°Arrgh!¡± His lungs shivered and he suddenly felt as if he was suffering from some type of debilitating cold.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got him Cursed!¡± The warrior yelled out, falling backwards slightly. Immediately, the waiting fighters rushed in.

    Dorian ducked and weaved, dodging several sword strikes as he stamped backwards.

    ¡®Dammit Dorian, what are you doing?¡¯ He snorted, his eyes glowing.

    Dorian had gained a huge number of techniques and memories as his own. But without conscientious practice, even if he had the memories of a great warrior as a part of him, he wouldn¡¯t truly have the same capabilities. He was, at his core, still Dorian. He needed to learn certain things on his own.

    One thing, in particr, was about the unpredictability and variability of the power of Law.

    ¡°Hira-Gira: Sliding Snake!¡± Dorian¡¯s arms seemed to twist as he flung himself to the left, moving quickly and adeptly.

    One of the warriors, an Early Lord ss fighter, swung downward with what looked like a golden mace.

    Dorian ignored the attack, his arms wrapping around the right arm of the fighter at a blur, using one of the techniques from the memories.

    CRACK

    ¡°Arrrrrgh!¡± The warrior screamed aloud as his body was flung through the air,nding down hard on the roof and smashing it in slightly. His right arm was broken, set at an unsettling angle. The fighter¡¯s eyes rolled up in the back of his head, knocked unconscious by shock and the injury.

    ¡°Cough-cough!¡± Dorian¡¯s chest heaved as he spat out some ck substance, and then spun around.

    ¡°ck mes!¡± A ball of ck fire sted across the roof, forcing all the warriors to dodge backwards.

    ¡°RAAAAR!¡±

    The debilitating sickness in Dorian¡¯s chest was obliterated as he psyched himself up, his body boiling with energy. He snorted a few remnants of the dark substance out of his nose.

    ¡°Easye, easy go.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°He¡¯s broken the Curse!¡±

    ¡°Parnel, cover Raven.¡±

    ¡°Use Group n 3!¡±

    The mercenaries coordinated as they surrounded Dorian again, this time two of them approaching him at once. An Aura of strength burst off these two, both practitioners of the Law of Might.

    ¡®Laws again, huh?¡¯ Dorian narrowed his eyes.

    Laws were the building block of reality in the 30,000 Worlds. A Law was a concept, a rule of reality, that if one believed in strong enough, and gained an understanding of, one could manipte to great effect. For example, by studying the Law of Might, if one understood it well enough, one could use it to gain great power, giving their physical attacks incredible strength.

    Laws were an abstruse, hard to understand concept, but a staple of this reality.

    As the two warriors rushed right at Dorian, their attacks imbued with the Law of Might, Dorian smiled.

    And rushed right back at them.

    ¡®Moving Force, activate! Berserker Boost, activate!¡¯ He activated two of his own Abilities, feeling a menacing power fill him. The Berserker Boost Ability filled his body with angry might, turning any injury or wound he took into power, while the Moving Force Ability made every step he took increase the power of his punches.

    BOOM

    A huge explosion of force obliterated the roof, sending up shards of wood and rock everywhere, revealing the blue barrier set into the roof itself, preventing any attacks from prating the building proper.

    ¡°Arrrrgh!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    THUD

    THUD

    The screams of the two mercenaries ended in two quiet thuds as they were thrown backwards, smashing against the crystalline barrier that covered the area. They slid down it and fell down to the roof where theyid unconscious, knocked out and injured.

    No matter how powerful a Law was, a fighter was only as strong as their understanding of it,bined with their physical might.

    The fighters before Dorian were not weak. They were elite mercenaries, part of a powerful team. They were far stronger than most regr mortals.

    Their understanding of the Law of Might, however, paled inparison to Dorian¡¯s current raw physical strength.

    ¡®KILL THEM! SEEK PERFECTION IN THE CHAOS OF DESTRUCTION!¡¯

    ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Dorian clutched at his head after he sted them away, the voice in his mind screaming at him.

    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ It was bing harder and harder to force it down.

    BOOM

    In the background, the two Wizards were currently staring at each other. Both were practitioners of a simr Law. The Aeth Vampire studied Life Magic, and the Law of Death, while the Nightlord studied Darkness Magic, and the Law of Death.

    The two hade to a standstill, waiting on the other to make the first move. Energy crackled in the air around them.

    The Nightlord was covered in a lightyer of blue energy and seemed perfectly fine, while the Aeth Vampire had several dark wounds staining him, injured.

    ¡°Grand Seal: Transport!¡± After the Nightlord saw the damage Dorian did to the roof, as well as his knocking away of the mercenaries, the obese man frowned. He waved his fingers.

    Immediately, the barrier that surrounded the roof shivered.

    WHOOSH

    The barrier, and everyone in it, teleported.

    Vanishing from the inside of the city, where they would soon start to draw attention, to a predetermined location a dozen miles away, in the middle of a plot of empty farnd.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The man known as Leader walked furtively around the city, irritation filling his eyes. He was currently standing in a random marketce, where peasants were calling their wares.

    ¡®Where is my fellow Great Seven practitioner? Surely he can feel my presence. Is he stronger than me and just ignoring me?¡¯ His thoughts were full of confusion.

    Very few inheritors remained among those that practiced the Seven Great Sins, not after the Destroyer wiped out their ancestors and teachers a thousand years ago. Those that did remain stuck together as allies, for the most part.

    As a King ss inheritor of the Law of Pride, Leader was one of the stronger of the survivors.

    His eyes widened, however, and he spun around, looking towards the center of the city.

    ¡®Wrath! Yes, an inheritor of Wrath! He must be a Senior that is even stronger than me! Though, that is only temporary. My strength will reign supreme in the end.¡¯ A prideful smile appeared on his face. He had met inheritors of every single one of the Great Seven except Wrath.

    His eyes wrinkled, however, as he stared at the center of the city, and then slowly turned, to a spot several miles out from the city.

    ¡®You teleported?¡¯ He shook his head in confusion,

    ¡®Whatever. I wille greet you regardless, Senior. Just a few moments.¡¯

 Chapter 103 - Barrier

    Chapter 103: Barrier

    ¡°The barrier appears to be protecting them.¡± Dorian thought as he looked at the mercenaries he¡¯d downed. He hadn¡¯t held back. They were trying to kill him, after all. Yet, despite his powerful blows, they were merely injured or knocked unconscious.

    The blue light that glowed around their skin was lessening the impact of his attacks.

    That said, it could only do so much. Their strength, like many warriors, came from their uses of the power of Law. Defensively, they were no match for Dorian¡¯s raw physical might.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape by drawing attention to yourself. Not a soul in sight will hear or sense anything that happens out here.¡± The obese Nightlord¡¯s voice was full of irritation as he hissed out harsh words, his hands weaving as he quickly cast a Spell.

    ¡°Darkness Magic: iling Whip!¡±

    WHOOSH

    A fifteen-meter long whip of pure darkness appeared and cut through the air towards Dorian.

    At the same time, the Aeth Vampire Lord Ru sped his own hands together.

    However, before the injured Vampire could get a Spell off, the obese Nightlord punched out with his left hand, his right hand focused on guiding the Darkness Whip he had spawned.

    BOOM

    The blue energy that covered the Nightlord¡¯s body sted out in a jagged square shape, mming into the Aeth Vampire and knocking him backwards, hitting through the innate barrier that protected him.

    BOOM

    A second explosion rang out as the Darkness Whip mmed into the ground where Dorian had been standing. In the instant it pped down, Dorian had spun off to the right, his mind racing ahead of him.

    ¡®I need to break this barrier.¡¯ He thought, his eyes narrowing. He made several quick movements, his legs a blur as he ran past the mercenary that had originally attacked him with some type of Curse.

    He casually punched out with his arm, knocking it against the chin of the fighter. ording to the memories in his head, techniques like that were extremely effective against warriors at this level.

    thud

    The fighter spun around through the air and thennded hard on the ground, instantly knocked out. Once more, the blue energy covering him protected him from the brunt of the impact, leaving him only slightly wounded, though still unconscious.

    The rest of the warriors stood frozen as they nced at the naked scaled Minotaur they were battling.

    ¡°Screw this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±

    The mercenaries backed away, storing their weapons in Spatial Rings as they checked on their downed warriors. After seeing that they were all alive, the fighters retreated, no longer attacking Dorian.

    ¡°Wha-what are you- I order you to attack him!¡± Nightlord Javel¡¯s voice was full of exasperation as he saw this. He¡¯d never lost control of a situation like this.

    ¡°No sir.¡± The apparent leader of the mercenaries, a Mid Lord ss warrior wielding a longsword, spoke up,

    ¡°We were hired to stand basic guard duties for the casino, not to risk our lives trying to assassinate some naked warrior freak, and this is assuredly not casino property.¡±

    The entire crew backed out, standing in a corner of the barrier while the Nightlord yelled at them, irate. The mercenary leader was unrelenting.

    ¡°Ohhhh. Hire a team of mercenaries, she said, it will be cheaper and won¡¯t Lord Buick take issue if you form your own?¡± The Nightlord¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he cursed at the warriors, his voice high pitched he imitated someone else.

    In that time, Dorian had rushed over to the downed Aeth Vampire, helping him stand.

    ¡°Are you alright?!¡±

    The old Vampire was injured, the jarring impact cracking several of his bones. Blood dripped out of his mouth as he got to his feet with Dorian¡¯s help and then reached for his Spatial Ring.

    WHOOSH

    Protective green energy surrounded the Aeth Vampire as he pulled a small, glowing miniature tower out of his Spatial Ring and broke it. He then tossed a Light Pill into his mouth, the healing energy washing over him.

    ¡°Thank you, beast. I forgive you for any of our differences.¡± The Aeth Vampire wheezed out, nodding at Dorian. Blood continued to trickle down his lips, his entire body shaking.

    ¡°How do we break this barrier?¡± Dorian quickly asked, skipping over other questions. The Nightlord was still distracted trying to get his men to fight.

    ¡°We need to create a sufficient amount of force to ovee its defensive interior. We¡¯ll have to depend on you, young Minotaur. My physical strength isn¡¯t what it used to be, and I am an Alchemist, not a fighter.¡± His voice wavered as he motioned at the glowing blue barrier. He then sped his hands together, casting a quick Life Magic Spell that centered around healing his injuries. The Life Magic seemed to contradict the Aura he gave off, but the Spell functioned all the same.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed. From his Spatial Ring, he quickly withdrew a pair of Pills and swallowed them down.

    Immediately, he felt magic energy gleam under his skin, the Lord ss Ironskin Pill he¡¯d swallowed activating. It enhanced his already tough exterior, making him resistant torge impacts or blows.

    The second Pill was another Lord ss one that he¡¯d won. A Lord ss Earthfeet Pill. It gave his body the temporary ability to pull himself towards the ground, making it easier to make quick movements or abrupt turns.

    ¡°Alright. I can do that.¡±

    Dorian bursts into a sprint, ramming himself towards the opposite side of the barrier.

    His Moving Force Ability was still active. He could keep it active almost indefinitely if he was standing still, the Ability itself only drained energy when it was building up his force.

    thud

    thud

    thud

    His footsteps were momentous and menacing, obliterating the ground beneath him with each step. When the barrier had teleported, the Nightlord, in his anger and haste, had misaligned it slightly and sliced off the top of the florist¡¯s roof.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself, you worthless bastards. But know that I will be filing aint.¡± The Nightlord spun around as Dorian charged, cursing at the mercenaries onest time. He couldn¡¯t actually do anything to them, the contract he¡¯d signed did indeed indicate they only had to defend the casino. Killing them would spawn an investigation, and he would be tracked through Fate without a doubt.

    ¡°Darkness Magic: Greater Darkness Spears.¡± In a split second, the obese Nightlord sent out a half dozen spears made of darkness.

    The Aeth Vampire was still recovering, his injuries almost fatal to the point where if he didn¡¯t focus on them, even with the Light Pill he¡¯d swallowed, he could still die.

    Dorian saw the attack out of the corner of his eye. He was already halfway across the barrier, his body a blur.

    He smiled.

    ¡®It¡¯s good to be rich.¡¯

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    A series of explosions rang out as the magical spears made of darkness mmed into the air around Dorian and fizzled out, depleting their energy.

    At the same time, several Artifacts Dorian had pulled out shattered, their energy spent. Small Red Iron Artifact Shields, powerful tools that could release energy barriers strong enough to stop an Early Lord ss level Spell. One of the moremon types of defensive Artifacts used by the extremely wealthy.

    Nightlord Javel was a Pseudo-King ss Darkness Wizard that had built up his strength over time, establishing his own, miniature rule in a popr world traveler¡¯s city. The luxury and power that came with his position, alongside the little to no responsibilities, was incredibly enticing. While he wasn¡¯t the strongest or smartest inbat, the energy of his Soul Spell Matrix was still at the Pseudo-King level of Lord ss.

    He¡¯d built up his strengthrgely through wealth, using every avenue to increase the power of his soul that he could. He had no real chance of breaking through to the King ss, but he was still a force to be reckoned with.

    That said, he was not a God. In the split second he had to cast a Spell, he was forced to go with one of his near instant cast Spell, his Greater Darkness Spears. It wasn¡¯t a particrly powerful Spell, but it was fast.

    Unfortunately for him, Dorian had won several Red Iron Artifact Shields while at the casino. He¡¯d brought them all out as he charged, activating them.

    Four of the six he had won shattered as the spears collided with Dorian, but thest two remained in perfect condition.

    Leaving himpletely unaffected.

    Every step he took powered him up. Dorian¡¯s body was like an unstoppable meteor of force as he crashed into the side of the blue barrier, punching forward with a lethal strike.

    ¡°Rumbling Earth ¨C Boulder Breaker!¡±

    BOOOOOM

    The air in the barrier exploded into ricocheting chaos as energy sted around in a haphazard fashion. The remnants of the roof that Dorian was standing on was pulverized, throwing up a small cloud of wood and stone dust.

    ¡°Wheeze.¡± Dorian coughed as he jumped backwards, his right arm stinging slightly.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± He couldn¡¯t help butugh, feeling euphoric. Throwing a punch that strong felt incredibly good.

    The dust cleared quickly as the air in the sealed off space whipped around.

    Revealing a badly damaged, cracked barrier, but one that was still functioning.

    Previously invisible lines of energy could be seen moving in erratic patterns. Dorian could make out a line of metal and stone ting, set into the barrier and covered in mysterious symbols.

    ¡°You damned bastard! Do you have any idea how expensive this Grand Seal was? It will cost me a fortune to repair that!¡± The Nightlord cursed savagely, the fat on his chin jiggling in his anger.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t break through it?¡± Dorian looked at his arm as if it had betrayed him.

    ¡°OF COURSE YOU DIDN¡¯T BREAK THROUGH IT! I spent more than 100 Million-Mint Shields creating this! This would stall even a King ss warrior!¡± His voice sputtered as he yelled.

    Dorian turned to look at the irate Nightlord.

    ¡°Well, I still broke part of it, no? And I¡¯m not a King ss warrior. Soo¡­¡± He casually held his hands out and shrugged.

    ¡°ARRRGH!¡± The Nightlord almost spewed blood, his eyes nearly rolling up in rage.

    ¡°DIE!¡± He began casting some type of Spell.

    ¡®Dammit, bad Dorian. Don¡¯t antagonize your enemies, smartass.¡¯ He berated himself.

    ¡®Hold on. This is an Artifact, right?¡¯ His eyes widened as he remembered something.

    Back on Taprisha, he had absorbed a huge barrier full of energy, helping Evolve his Titan form. If this whole barrier was a simr type of thing¡­

    His eyes locked in on the exposed metal line.

    He leapt forward, resting his hand on it.

    ¡°Absorb.¡±

    The metal artifact seemed to shiver.

    A secondter, a sh of warm light overtook Dorian as a huge store of energy flowed into his body.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°What kind of barrier is this?¡± Leader said aloud, tapping on it gingerly.

    He was standing in the middle of an abandoned farming plot. Overgrown grass, a few random bushes and weeds, thend around him was barren and rather non-arable. He could see why it was abandoned, returned to the wilds.

    In front of him was arge, glowing blue barrier. It was of raw energy, and reminded him of the barriers powerful Schools, Sects, or Organizations would put up around their main or side bases.

    He punched it lightly, his eyes shing.

    It showed no result.

    ¡®Hmm. The Wrath inheritor is inside.¡¯ He rubbed his chin.

    Leader was technically a Wizard,plete with the innate barrier all Wizards had. But he wasn¡¯t a normal one. The style of magic he practiced was unique.

    He only ever used a single Spell.

    ¡°Summoning Magic: Ruler¡¯s Bow.¡±

    An aged, ck wooden bow appeared in Leader¡¯s hands, one that was covered in mysterious carvings. Faint brown light emanated from this bow, giving it a mystical appearance.

    If anything, Leader was far closer to a warrior than a Wizard.

    A rainbow of colors shed around him as he jumped backwards, a majestic Aura slowly forming around his body. This Aura was held close, not allowed to leak or spill away.

    As this Aura of Pride formed, the air around him seemed to change. The aging man transformed from looking like a simple huntsman to donning the air and might of a powerful ruler. Small ck scales appeared in a few spots on his face, arms, and legs, as held his bow at the ready.

    ¡°A barrier this tough will take a bit of effort to break through. It must be some Artifact to be able to not show anything at all when I touched it.¡± He spoke aloud, his eyes confident,

    ¡°4 full powered shots? Or 3? Hmm, if I use my full strength could I break it in 2? Probabl-¡± Just as he was musing to himself, trying to guess as energy began to swirl around him, charging up, the barrier shuddered.

    And then copsedpletely.

    A huge explosion of light and energy rocked Leader¡¯s eyes, an unexpected st that nearly blinded him. He instantly went on full guard, holding his hands up in a defensive posture as he snarled. His King ss Aura spread out, exploding down on everyone within 100 meters.

    The light faded as soon as it came, leaving Leader stunned. He didn¡¯t allow himself to stay weakened, however, blinking furiously as his vision started to restore itself. Fear filled his heart at the disy of sheer, destructive power.

    An attack of this potency was something that could easily destroy him. Even his towering pride acknowledged that.

    His vision mostly cleared up, revealing the blurry figure of the being that had just obliterated the powerful Artifact barrier with what appeared to be a light touch.

 Chapter 104 - Yukeli Awakens

    Chapter 104: Yukeli Awakens

    Dorian felt as if he was full to bursting. A torrent of energy flooded into his veins, absorbed directly into his soul. This energy boiled and sloshed about, incredibly potent and strong.

    When Dorian absorbed something, what he absorbed was essentially the life energy or stored energy of something. He couldn¡¯t absorb a raw magical attack, for example, in part due to the vtility of its energy, or the energy of a living creature.

    But the cid, still, and ownerless energy of an artifact or a dead creature were fair game.

    That said, it was possible for him to absorb too much energy to safely take in. When that happened, the excess energy would shed off him, sloughing off his body like cascading light.

    ¡®After absorbing 972,094 points of energy, your soul was unable to bear any more strain. The rest of the excess energy has been shed to avoid damaging your soul.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his mind.

    ¡®Evolving to 4th Growth S-¡®

    ¡®Evolving to 5th Growth Stage.¡¯

    ¨C

    -Grakon ¨C Growth Stage: (5/5) Grakon Great Elder ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 208,882/0-

    ¨C

    It cost him more than 750,000 points to fully evolve thest two Stages of his Grakon bloodline. As a Lord ss bloodline, the amount of energy it took to mature was ridiculous, but understandable.

    With that, however, Dorian¡¯s body blurred and transformed. His physical form expanded slightly as he released his Condensed state. A small line of scaled spikes formed on the back of his body, while his muscles bulged evenrger. He stood an intimidating 3 meters in height, full of ferocity and might.

    In terms of raw Energy level, he was now stronger than his ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form.

    That said, a dragon was still a dragon. The size and raw physical might of his draconic form meant that even if his strength in his Grakon form was doubled, his draconic form would still be stronger. Energy levels could only convey so much.

    A rule of thumb some Wizards went by was that, of the more dominant breeds of the Dragon Race, a single Dragon could take on at least 10 Wizards of the same strength, or dozens of warriors. There was a reason the Draconic Tribes ruled over thousands of world despite being so few in number.

    ¡®Expand Ability gained!¡¯

    ¨C

    Ability: Expand

    The signature Ability of the Grakon race, unique to them. This allows a Grakon to absorb energy from the environment, manipting the naturalws of the universe to vastly increase their size. This increase in size scales their physical strength and endurance, greatly increasing their physical might.

    ¨C

    As all of this information rushed into Dorian¡¯s mind, he felt the excess energy continue to flow off his body, giving him a fierce, almost heavenly appearance.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡± He let out a deep breath as his vision became clear.

    He blinked several times, looking out in front of him.

    The barrier hadpletely disintegrated. His eyes now showed him a vision of empty, abandoned farnd, scattered with trees and random bushes or overgrown nts. He spotted arge house and barn in the background.

    More directly, however, Dorian came face to face with another being.

    A man of some sort wielding a long, glowing bow, dressed in the faded clothing of a hunter. A man that was giving off a Kingly Aura, one that threatened to crush Dorian and knock him away.

    ¨C

    Species: Demonic Human (???)

    ss ¨C King ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 632,221

    ¨C

    ¡®DESTROY HIM! NO DEMONS ARE ALLOWED TO SURVIVE! THEY MUST BE EXTINGUISHED IN TOTALITY!¡¯

    The voice in Dorian¡¯s head exploded with an overwhelmingly loud yell that threatened to send him stumbling.

    Dorian blinked, his mind reeling.

    ¡®Where did¡­?¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    As Leader¡¯s vision cleared, his instincts fired up.

    An urge he had not felt in a long time swept over him. An urge to escape immediately, a warning that he was in extreme danger. All the years he had spent in training, slowly mastering the Law of Pride, growing his Soul Spell Matrix, made clear one thing.

    The being before him was an extremely powerful one. And the air it gave off as it looked at him was one of pure, vitriolic hatred and wrath.

    It was clearly the Inheritor of Wrath he had sensed.

    (A/N ¨C Decided to capitalize Inheritor for rity, going forward)

    And it seemed he had annoyed the Inheritor by appearing.

    ¡®It destroyed that barrier just by touching it? Oh god, what level has it reached?!¡¯ He thought, his eyes bloodshot.

    ¡®Pride¡¯s Aura: Super State activate!¡¯ Without hesitation, Leader immediately jumped into one of his strongest states, drawing upon his mastery of the Law of Pride.

    The Law of Pride was aplex Law that was extremely difficult to understand. Roughly 80 years ago, when Leader had been a mere child, an orphan living on the streets, he had made a discovery of an inheritance containing information about this obscure Law in an abandoned chapel.

    He had gone on several journeys, including to one of the ancient sites of the Demon race, deep in thends of the Shade Commune. Through this, he had developed his strength and knowledge, bing one of the Inheritors of Pride.

    The rainbow Aura that surrounded Leader condensed, clinging tightly to his body. The air around him whipped back and forth as the energy directly began to flow into him, vastly increasing his physical strength.

    The ¡®Super State¡¯ of an Inheritor of Pride. His strength, defense, and speed were all vastly increased. In addition, his physical presence became overwhelming. He became a virtual Embodiment of Pride, a simple nce from him containing the weight of a thousand kings.

    WHOOSH

    He locked eyes with the Inheritor of Wrath, holding his bow at the ready.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian locked eyes with the strange hunter in front of him.

    Immediately, he felt as if a colossal weight had mmed into his head. This weight carried with it an unstoppable force and waspletely unexpected, catching Dorian entirely by surprise.

    So much so that he was immediately knocked unconscious.

    His eyes rolled up in the back of his head, and darkness took him.

    As his body was about to copse, however, something strange happened.

    His body tensed up. The air around him seemed to shiver, slightly.

    He froze.

    Slowly, Dorian opened his eyes.

    A pair of dark, cold eyes full of ancient pain and wisdom.

    Eyes that did not belong to Dorian.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡± The being in control of Dorian¡¯s body took a deep, satisfied breath, his entire body shivering.

    ¡°I have returned.¡±

    The world around the being seemed to be flowing in slow motion as he looked around, and then down at himself.

    ¡°Just as I foresaw. Grakon, Titan, a variant Rage Dragon. Everything for my return has been obtained, all I need to do is reach the treasure I left behind on Magmor. The emotions and mission I imbued were enough to temporarily awaken my awareness.¡± He frowned after a moment,

    ¡°But my memories¡­ there seems to have been some type of deviation from the future I nned? Multiple deviations? Is this your doing, Arthur? Or is it you¡­ My love¡­¡± As he was struggling with his thoughts, the presence that was controlling Dorian¡¯s body abruptly looked up.

    Staring at the demonic human that was standing right across from him, wielding a faded longbow. The human was rapidly backing away now, jumping backwards as it notched an arrow made of light and pointed it at him.

    A look of pure rage donned on Dorian¡¯s face, one that was incredibly menacing. The air around the being twisted, darkness manifesting.

    ¡°A Demon¡­¡± His hands shook just slightly before returning to normal.

    ¡°My Soul Spell Matrix is only at the Lord ss and I can¡¯t ess the Absolute, not unless I want to risk soul dissolution¡­ But did you think I couldn¡¯t handle a mere Early King ss Demon..?¡± He whispered to himself quietly.

    ¡°Ability activate, Condense. Ability activate, Expand.¡± He activated two Abilities simultaneously. Raw energy flowed into his veins, both trying to expand and condense his body at the same time.

    The being in control of Dorian¡¯s body merged these two twisting energies perfectly, as if he had done this multiple times before.

    ¡°Abilitiesbine.¡±

    ¡®New Ability gained: Perfect Body.¡¯

    A faint hint of confusion washed over Dorian¡¯s face as he heard a voice speak in his head, naming the Ability he had justbined to create.

    ¡°Ability activate, Perfect Body.¡±

    The twobating energies fully merged, imbuing every inch of Dorian¡¯s body.

    His size neither increased, nor decreased. The air around him did not distort. The rampant energy flooding near him fizzled off, leaving behind a simple, adult Grakon standing calmly.

    He smiled viciously.

    ¡°Suffer my wrath.¡±

    His body vanished, moving so quickly it seemed to teleport.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Suffer my wrath.¡±

    ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Leader¡¯s first thought was one of panic and anger. Anger at himself for feeling fear, panic as he realized how severely he had miscalcted.

    ¡°I am virtually a living Embodiment of Pride, Heavens be damned! If I am to die, I will die on my feet, not my knees!¡± He roared aloud, his eyes alighting.

    ¡°Empyrean Shot!¡± He had loaded an arrow made of pure energy onto his Ruler¡¯s bow. Without hesitation, heunched this arrow now, sting towards the Wrath Inheritor.

    The Inheritor had charged at him with incredible speed, sting forward with precision. Even with his enhanced perception and skill, he could only barely catch a nce of the warrior. His movements were incredibly odd, some type of strange Mystic Martial Art. His feet seemed to cling to the ground, enhancing his already fast movements.

    Despite that, Leader was still an experienced and powerful fighter. A genius, by most standards.

    WHOOSH

    His Empyrean Shot was his strongest technique. It was an attack of devastating power, one he had created through his development.

    It centered around shooting a projectile at such a fast speed that it entered a state of hypervelocity, moving around 3,000 meters per second. Such an impact was devastatingly fast and nearly impossible to dodge.

    He had experimented thousands of times with different materials trying to achieve this state, the hallowed level of hypervelocity, for dozens of years and failed. One day, he had the idea of forming his shot from energy itself.

    It took years and years of practice, and eventually he found that he could only sustain such a powerful shot if he used a bow that was incredibly durable, and capable of firing an arrow made of pure energy.

    Hence, he spent a dozen years learning Summoning Magic, to the point where he could create, from the ether, the Ruler¡¯s Bow.

    Yearster, he sessfully managed to fire a projectile that had reached hypervelocity, and began his journey to rule his own.

    Leader¡¯s arrow shot forward at so fast a speed that even his own eyes could not follow it. The shot zeroed in on exactly where he had seen the Wrath Inheritor running, his body a blur.

    While normal fighters might be unable to track the Inheritor¡¯s movements, Leader thought, his eyes full of relief, I can at least see them.

    tink

    BOOM

    Before his eyes, Leader saw the impossible.

    The Wrath Inheritor seemed to have predicted the arrow he had fired at it, one that moved far too quickly for anyone to reasonably react to it, breaking into hypervelocity.

    In the instant before the arrow was released and then hit, the scaled figure of the Inheritor raised his arm slightly while stamping down with his feet, assuming a martial stance.

    He then twisted his hand slightly.

    And deflected the shot as it hit him.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± Leader¡¯s body flew backwards as the force of firing the shotunched him back into the air. He soared nearly three hundred meters high into the sky, and over a thousand meters backwards.

    Leadernded down hard, cracking the earth as hended in a section of actual, used farnd. His body flopped and skidded to a stop not far from a farmhouse. He threw up dirt and debris, startling a small group of chickens.

    He twisted to his feet, holding his bow at the ready as he turned and stared south.

    WHOOSH

    A figure blurred into existence before his eyes. A figure whose every movement showed off pure grace and undeniable skill, walking with no wasted movements. Perfection.

    A figurepletely unscathed.

    In the background, an enormous explosion could be seen, slowing rising in the distance. The result of his Empyrean Shot, a thousand meter wide explosion of fire and heat as the energy from his hypervelocity shot expanded, desting thendscape.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    The shockwave from the explosion hit him now, sending him to his knees.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t possible¡­¡± He muttered again, his eyes at aplete loss.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± A girl¡¯s screaming voice rang out as a milkmaid rushed from the farmhouse, looking at the explosion in the distance in terror.

    ¡°Not bad for a warm-up strike. Do you have anything better, or is that it?¡± A cold voice emerged from the figure as it stalked forward, stopping a few meters in front of Leader with a small smile.

    It held its hands out to the side,

    ¡°Well? I¡¯m waiting.¡±

    Leader looked on, his arms trembling.

 Chapter 105 - Fighting Back

    Chapter 105: Fighting Back

    ¡°Senior. Forgive my rude appearance.¡±

    Yukeli looked down at the King ss Demon. He could see the pride in its eyes, a pride that bent as it asked for forgiveness. It seemed to think he was its senior.

    ¡®Ah, I do give off faint reverberations of the Law of Wrath because of the Rage Dragon.¡¯ He nodded internally. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the Demon.

    BOOM

    His arms blurred, too quick to trace as he smashed the Demon to the side, throwing it several hundred meters off into the distance. It crashed down through the farmhouse, sending up shards of wood and stone flung into the air.

    ¡°Apologizing won¡¯t make me spare you.¡± His eyes were cold.

    One less Demon in the world was a good thing.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± His eyes twitched, however, as a shrills scream caught his ears. He turned, staring at the figure of a quivering milkmaid.

    A blonde girl standing around five feet tall (152 cm), wearing a pair of worn linens. She had a collection of freckles dotting her face, making her look oddly cute despite the dirt she was covered in. It reminded him of an old friend.

    It was unfortunate that he had to kill her.

    ¡°I cannot allow anything close to a witness to survive seeing me. My apologies. me the chains that are Fate.¡± His eyes were callous as he leaned down and picked her up by the throat.

    The farmer girl clutched at his hand, her voice weak. Her body shook at her panicked movements, desperation filling her eyes as she looked at him with horror.

    Yukeli didn¡¯t hesitate. Without a second thought, he mped down and crushed her throat.

    Or, rather, he tried to.

    ¡°Another life lost on the journey to perfection, your sacrifice will n-¡± Yukeli froze, stopping his monologue as he looked down at his right arm.

    The milkmaid was still clutched in it, scratching uselessly at his hand.

    Her throat was decidedly not crushed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Die.¡± His eyes shed as he put the full force of his strength into the blow, clenching his fist with enough power to crush a metal shield. He felt the energy in his hand surge, trembling.

    Once again, she remained unhurt.

    Yukeli threw the girl down, assuming a martial stance as he looked at her, on full guard. His eyes studied her every movement, not a single thing she did escaping his vision.

    After a moment, however, he paused, confusion filling him.

    ¡°You are just a normal mortal. How can you resist me?!¡± He didn¡¯t understand.

    He leapt forward to stand next to her, moving too quickly to be visibly picked out.

    ¡°Rumbling Earth: Mountain¡¯s Edge.¡±

    His hand cut down in an arc, the side of it taking on an incredibly sharp concentration of energy. His entire stance seemed abnormally solid, as if nothing in the world could stop him.

    WHOOSH

    In midair, before his hand couldnd on the milkmaid, hovering just over her neck, his arm froze.

    A gleam of understanding appeared in Yukeli¡¯s eyes. He smiled. A cold, cruel smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, huh? And you disapprove of my killing her?¡± He spoke aloud, talking to seemingly no one.

    Abruptly, Dorian¡¯s body exploded with energy, the air around him whipping back and forth as an indescribably ancient and mighty Aura surfaced.

    ¡°I AM A GOD! You cannot resist me! You are nothing more than a mortal, a weak human graced by my presence! I HAVE DESTROYED ENTIRE WORLDS! A single life is NOTHING to me!¡± His words shook the air itself.

    The milkmaid trembled on the ground, crying in fear. Yukeli¡¯s arm inched closer, threatening to end her life on the stop.

    His right arm trembled, and after a moment, slowly retracted back, away from the milkmaid¡¯s neck.

    Yukeli shook his head, dissatisfaction present in his eyes,

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to obstruct me at all. More deviations from my nned future¡­¡±

    ¡°For what reason? Why would you fight me? You and I, we are one and the same now. Your Fate is tied to mine. Even if you resist now, in the future, you will willingly join with me.¡± His entire body shook.

    ¡°Leaving a witness alive is like asking to be tracked through Fate. There is no reason to spare her. The mission I gave you was to seek perfection in destruction. Not to spare random farmers. By sparing her, you put yourself, and me, in grave danger.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s body shook. Abruptly, words came from his mouth again. Words that carried a different tone,cking the ancient pain and dissatisfaction of Yukeli.

    Words from Dorian himself.

    ¡°I do- what- I- w-want. Screw off, ghost. Thi-this is my body.¡± Dorian¡¯s words were stifled as he spoke, stuttering out a response.

    Yukeli frowned. His eyes filled with even more displeasure as he felt Dorian slowly starting to take back over, bing fully conscious.

    ¡°You understand nothing. What would you do if that Demon came back over here? Without me, you would be dead.¡±

    ¡°I- I- I plead the Fifth.¡± Dorian sputtered out, trying to re at Yukeli to no avail as he referenced aw from Earth, one about refusing to answer questions. His mind was cluttered, and memories of his life on Earth kept shooting to the forefront, for some odd reason.

    Yukeli didn¡¯t understand, but could tell that he was being mocked.

    His eyes shed onest time as he felt his awareness slipping away. He could only temporarily surface, as a remnant part of the darkness that ran flush in Dorian¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Fine, ¡®Dorian¡¯. Have it your way.¡± When he said Dorian¡¯s name, he twisted it, making it sound off,

    ¡°If you wish to be free of me, continue to the Ascension Ruins on Magmor. Seek the Chamber of Life at the center of the ruins. There, you will obtain what you need to bring back your friend, William.¡± His voice was full of ancient wisdom as he spoke, mysterious and authoritative. Dorian knew, instinctively, that he was not lying.

    ¡°There you will see the answers to all your questions. There you will see the truth.¡±

    ¡°But be warned¡­¡± His voice took on a cruel edge, apletely unworried tone, as if he knew everything would fall in his favor,

    ¡°You may not like what you find.¡±

    WHOOSH

    The darkness in Dorian¡¯s soul fluctuated. Underneath all that darkness, a small light gleamed against it, holding it back from swallowing Dorian¡¯s soulpletely. A gleam of light that originated from William¡¯s dormant soul, long ago.

    Abruptly, Dorian felt himselfpletely in control, Yukeli¡¯s presence vanishing.

    ¡°Huff-huff.¡± Dorian closed his eyes and shuddered for a moment before taking a deep breath, his fists clenched. His heart pounded and slowly began to calm, blood pumping in his veins.

    ¡°Pl-please don¡¯t kill m-m-me!¡±

    A terrified girl¡¯s voice, so quiet it was almost a whisper, caught Dorian¡¯s attention. The milkmaid that Yukeli had tried to murder.

    His eyes shed darkly,

    ¡®You bastard. I see why you grabbed my soul and made a body now. You just wanted to take it over. It¡¯s probably the same for the other Anomalies, huh? Well, don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy.¡¯

    Dorian bent down, holding out his hands,

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt-¡±

    ¡°Please!!¡± The milkmaid¡¯s body shook in terror as she crawled backwards, trembling as Dorian knelt down and got closer. She stared at Dorian, a mix of pure hatred and fear.

    Dorian froze and then slowly backed up. His heart was torn as he looked at the girl, feeling her vitriolic hatred of him.

    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± He bowed deeply and then backed away. There was nothing he could do here.

    He walked a dozen meters away, his eyes pensive. He turned to look into the distance. A huge plume of smoke could be seen rising into the air. Remnants of the attack that Demon had sent off.

    Yukeli had managed to control his body when he was knocked unconscious. Dorian could vaguely remember his actions. He could also feel something now.

    A dark presence, leaning on his mind and soul. He looked at his hands, staring at them.

    The fading evening light cast his hands into shadow, staining them with darkness. It looked almost as if the darkness was truly a part of him now, thest wavering light of the sun desperately struggling to stay alive.

    ¡°I am Dorian¡­¡± He muttered, closing his eyes tight.

    He stood there for a long moment.

    The whimpers of the milkmaid faded away as she made her escape, fleeing. A soft breeze picked up, brushing the air around. The scent of rich earth, fresh wheat, and various animals sailed with the wind.

    After a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked down.

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®Still naked¡­¡¯

    He sighed and pulled out a change of clothes from his Spatial Ring, tossing them on.

    ¡°Lord of Wrath. My humblest apologies.¡± A voice caught Dorian¡¯s attention. He turned.

    It was the Demon Yukeli had fought, the one that wielded a bow. Its outfit was torn, and the scaled humanoid was covered in wounds, blood leaking from his lips. Despite that, his eyes were filled with genuine respect and humbleness, even with the prideful Aura that surrounded it.

    Internally, Dorian felt no fear.

    All he felt was tired. Pulled into a million directions.

    ¡®¡­¡¯ His eyes shed, however, determination filling him.

    He had a mission toplete, and a friend to save. That was all that mattered.

    And nothing would stop him. He was so close.

    He turned to look directly at the Demon. It was time to do what he did best.

    ¡°State your name.¡± His voice took on a grand, ancient tone as he spoke, imitating how Yukeli sounded.

    The Demon¡¯s eyes seemed to gleam as it looked at Dorian, its shoulders heaving in relief slightly.

    ¡°My name is Leader, Lord. An Inheritor of Pride.¡± He bowed his head, just slightly.

    Dorian nodded, his eyes cool.

    ¡°Excellent. Leader, you have passed my test. Your strength is sufficient.¡± His voice boomed out loud,

    ¡°You are to apany this Godly Demon. A trial of grand destiny awaits, one that will change the Fate of the 30,000 Worlds itself!¡± He made his n up as he went along, an idea forming.

    ¡°Anywhere your Lordship wants, I shall apany!¡± Leader¡¯s voice was full of fervor. Despite his prideful nature, Leader respected strength, first and foremost. Finding an Inheritor of the Seven Great that was stronger than him was a first for Leader.

    ¡°Thene.¡± Dorian said, turning to look in the direction of Oceapal City. He spared a nce for the area where the Nightlord had been before turning away. He could vaguely recall a blurred image of the casino owner fleeing in terror when Yukeli scanned the environment.

    ¡°Magmor awaits.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close!¡± One of Helena¡¯s Blood Trackers called out, looking into the distance. The steam from the constant, jostling Magma Sea clouded their vision.

    Magmor was a world that primarily consisted ofva. That said, there were other unique properties to the Exotic World. One of those properties was the thousands of unique ¡®Stone Paths¡¯ that crisscrossed over the world.

    Floating inds and trails of stone that stood above the magma level, ¡®Stone Paths¡¯ were usually somewhat narrow, only a few dozen meters wide, but often tens of thousands of meters long. These paths connected variousrger inds to each other and were used to traverse the mostly barrenva ocean.

    Flight was nearly impossible due to the deadly currents in wind the Magma Sea spawned.

    Helena rubbed her face, wiping away a sheen of sweat. Her eyes were cool as she scanned their surroundings. Behind her, she could hear Trajan and Xaphan bickering, as usual. Probus and Aron were holding up the rear, farther back.

    They were journeying on one of those mystical Stone Paths. It was one made of ck stone, covered in cracks and jutting rocks. asionally they¡¯d pass by Magic Herbs that were heat resistant, sprouting out from cracks and crannies. What Magmorcked in normal vegetation, it made up for in Magic Herbs.

    ¡°Wait! There, right there! We have found our connection! The one that has strong ties to the Shades!¡± The Blood Tracker waved forward, pointing farther down the Stone Path they were trotting on.

    In the distance, they could see a humanoid figure battling against what appeared to be several Magma Giants.

    One of the other unique properties of the Exotic World of Magmor were the unique creatures that lived on it. Some purported that most of the beasts living here weren¡¯t actual beasts at all, but creations of magic that had evolved and run rampant.

    One of those creatures was a Magma Giant. A vaguely humanoid being made of molten magma and rock, they usually stood anywhere from 10 to 20 meters tall and possessed great strength. They were resistant to many types of attacks and could swim or glide over the Magma Sea at great speed. They were dogged hunters that would not stop a chase until they were killed or lost sight of their target.

    (Image ¨Chttps://i.imgur/HK9EBQc.jpg</a>) (Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Helena watched as the humanoid in the distance threw what appeared to be several swords made of pure light at the giant magma creatures. The des sank into the exterior of the Magma Giants beforeing to halt, having little impact.

    BOOM

    An explosion of fire sted out, sending up a huge gout of steam and smoke that rained over the crackling Magma Sea haphazardly.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let our connection die just as we found it.¡¯ Her eyes shed. A momentter, a robust Aura of Might surrounded her body, greatly enhancing her strength and power.

    An Aura that was almost perfected, about to break into the King ss.

    After she talked with Dorian, about life and the future, she had had an epiphany of sorts. Her understanding of the Law of Might had jumped, and everything seemed toe clear to her. She was now only a step away from the King ss.

    WHOOSH

    Helena sailed through the air, her body blurring as she moved forward at extreme speed. In only a couple of split seconds, she managed to cross the distance between herself and their connection.

    The Magma Giants were huge and gave off a heavy sensation of heat. Fire ran flush on their skin, wrapping around them like afortable dress. They each possessed their own unique Aura of Fire,plementing their powers.

    ¡®Oh? She¡¯s a female too?¡¯ She caught a blurry image of the embattled fighter as the humanoid dodged between punches from the towering Magma Giants.

    ¡°Impact Magic: Royal Impact Series Twelve.¡± She sped her hands together and ran up to one of the Giants.

    ¡°World Waterfall Impact.¡±

    BOOM

    The force of a vast, miles wide waterfall mmed into the Giant, throwing it up into the air. An explosion of fire shot out at the collision, one she dodged smoothly by stepping to the right.

    Her attack opened up a gap for the humanoid to escape through, one that the girl promptly utilized.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± A hurried yelp sounded off as the girl jumped through the gap, escaping the surrounding Magma Giants. The girl stumbled as she ran, her body shaking from exhaustion.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Giant¡¯s Fist!¡± Trajan¡¯s voice boomed in the background. A momentter, a colossal fist made of water mmed over Helena¡¯s head, knocking the remaining Giants all backwards into theva.

    ¡°Taste my de, creature!¡± The gruff voice of the Anomaly Aron cut into the air as the rest of their group caught up and engaged the Giants, making short work of them. Their team consisted of elites among elites, even if some of them were injured. They were a force to be reckoned with and wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated by just anything.

    Helena helped the girl to her feet, trying to give her a winning smile.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    The girl was petite, with a pair of fox ears and a pretty appearance. She was covered in sweat, her clothes ripped and torn. She looked up at Helena, gratefulness on her face.

    ¡°Thank you! I was journeying on my own when I ran into trouble and couldn¡¯t shake them. My preparations weren¡¯t enough. Thank you for saving me!!¡± She shook her head, her voice deprecating.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Helena smiled, a memory rising up,

    ¡°It was the right thing to do.¡±

    The two looked at each other.

    ¡°My name is Helena, Helena Aurelius.¡± She held out her hand,

    The petite girl took it, and responded with a smile,

    ¡°Arial. Arial V¡¯ich.¡±

 Chapter 106 - Rest

    Chapter 106: Rest

    ¡°My knowledge of the Seven Great was limited to what was left behind in the inheritance, as well as what I found in the lost Shrine to the Emperor in the Bands of the Shade Commune.¡± Leader¡¯s voice was smooth and enthralling, that of a natural leader,

    ¡°Pride, Greed, Lust, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath. The Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race. Each one unique and diverse, glorious in might and power. While others may decry these Laws as evil, they are merely intangible tools, guided by the user. Evil itself is merely a matter of perspective.¡±

    Dorian nodded his head slightly as he listened to Leader speak.

    They were currently on their way back to Oceapal City. Dorian ran with big, leaping jumps, sprinting over the ground at a fast pace. He made it look casual, as if this was nothing special. Leader followed suit, though he actually was running casually, used to quick movement like this.

    The Nightlord had fled the moment the barrier was broken by Dorian. He hadn¡¯t managed to see what Lord Ru, the Aeth Vampire, had done, but hoped he was okay. He¡¯d taken a moment to check the site of their battle, and had found no one in the vicinity.

    After the battle, Dorian had asked Leader a few questions about the ¡®Seven Great,¡¯ curious as to what exactly that mean. He¡¯d been subtle, acting as if he was testing Leader¡¯s knowledge. He knew that, realistically, there was no chance he could defeat Leader in a battle, even if he went into his Rage Dragon form.

    He¡¯d seen the power and speed the Demon had shown. The fact that Yukeli handled the Demon with such ease spoke more to Yukeli¡¯s ungodly skill and technique than to Leader being easy to beat.

    The Seven Great Sins, or Laws, of the Demon Race were several core concepts or principles that focused on certain desires. These Laws mysteriously interacted with reality, each one granting mystical abilities and powers. They wereplex.

    ording to Leader, the legendary Demon Emperor had somehow mastered all Seven Great Laws, bing an incredibly powerful expert just a step away from Ascendancy. He had fallen in battle to the Great Destroyer.

    The Demon name for Yukeli Shorn. The man that was trying to take over Dorian¡¯s body.

    ¡°The Seven Great Laws are extremelyplex and dangerous for anyone that hasn¡¯t undergone Demonification. Why, I remember back when I was a human how I almost died several times before I managed enough of an understanding to experience a baptism of thews of the universe. It was only when I truly became a Demon that I managed to fully grasp the Law of Pride.¡± His voice was proud as he spoke, detailing his journey.

    The Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race were Laws that Demons held an innate advantage in studying and practice. Leader didn¡¯t know exactly why, only that after he had undergone Demonification, transforming from a regr human to a Demonic Human, he¡¯d had a much easier time studying the Law of Pride.

    Demonification was the process of changing a human to a Demon. Leader had experienced this after journeying to the Shrine of the fallen Demon Emperor. He described it as an agonizing, but joyful, experience, one that opened up entirely new worlds of thought to him.

    ¡°I see, I see.¡± Dorian nodded his head, his voice aged and wise. He was getting better at imitating how Yukeli sounded. That ghostly fellow really had a solid voice, Dorian could appreciate that, even if he was trying to murder Dorian and take his body.

    By the time Leader finished speaking, exining some of his own interpretations of the Seven Great, they had arrived at Oceapal City.

    ¡°Move along, move along!¡± The gate guards ushered them through alongside arge flow of travelers. Entering the city was as easy as it had been before, despite the evening light. Oceapal City had no curfew, unlike many other cities in the 30,000 Worlds. Dorian figured this wasrgely due to its status as a travelers city.

    They continued to talk as they traversed the city.

    ¡°Yes, Great Lord of Wrath. The goal I set for myself was a low one. Merely to control a, hiding away from the major powers. I was blinded by my Pride. Your goal, to restore our fallen Race, is a far greater one than mine!¡±

    Somehow, Leader hade to the conclusion that Dorian wanted to revive the Demon Race to power once more. The man had been struck by fervor, his eyes full of passion.

    ¡®Did Yukeli knock something against his head when they fought?¡¯ Dorian internally eyed the Demon askance.

    Like that, Dorian learned that Leader was in charge of an organization trying to take over the. Leader also was the same man that had ordered the attack on the Women Warrior¡¯s mercenary team. It was how Leader found him. They had a series of connections in Fate now.

    ¡®Huh¡­ So was this all nned?¡¯ Dorian could remember Yukeli talking about how his ns had worked, but also how they had deviated.

    ¡®How much of my life am I even controlling..?¡¯ He clenched his fists briefly. He hated feeling as if he were merely a puppet, controlled by someone else.

    ¡®He isn¡¯t controlling everything. I stopped him from killing that innocent woman.¡¯ His eyes shed as he came to a realization.

    ¡®He might have made ns¡­ but he didn¡¯t foresee everything, and that means I have a chance to escape whatever he has put together.¡¯ He nodded.

    ¡°Great Lord?¡± Leader¡¯s voice drew his attention.

    ¡°Those women you were hunting¡­ allow them to go free. I have ns for them.¡± Dorian responded as they passed down one street and around a corner. They had reached the center region of the city.

    The fading evening light had fully been reced by darkness by now. Despite that, the city was still abuzz with energy and life. There were stone pirs set onto each street that glowed dimly, providing light, while storefronts and businesses that stayed open had glowing torches or crystals, lighting them up.

    Hundreds of mercenaries, wizards, and regr people moved through the streets. Some on their way to business, others to bars or ces to eat.

    ¡°Meet me at the Skycrosser Travel Company headquarters, down by the dock, tomorrow before noon.¡± Dorianmanded Leader, giving him a smart nod. The King ss Demon had bowed slightly and nodded in return, epting themand.

    ¡°But first¡­ follow me for a moment.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ve gained my own subordinate now, too.¡¯ Dorian thought with a small smile. He¡¯d need to be careful, though. Leader was only following him because of Yukeli¡¯s strength, and because he thought he was an Inheritor of one of the Seven Great.

    If he found out Dorian wasn¡¯t really what he seemed¡­

    After a few minutes of walking, Dorian and Leader arrived at the alley the Blue Seal Casino was hidden in.

    His eyes wrinkled as he knocked on the door roughly. He had some unfinished business.

    He received no response.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    BOOM

    thud

    A casual punch sted the door open, revealing the insides of the opulent casino. A few shards of woods sted out, pelting the ground.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Dorian muttered out loud as he walked in, staring.

    There was no one here.

    He looked around, walking up and down the aisles. A slight shifting sound caught his ears and he looked up.

    On the front side of the casino, the side that lined the florist shop, he could see up through the roof. A huge, gaping hole could be seen, stretching over the florist shop. A small breeze wafted in through this hole, stirring the air about.

    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Their battle had destroyed the roof of that shop, and that shop was partially connected with the casino.

    ¡°But everyone is gone?¡± He could understand all the guests leaving. But the casino owner too?

    His body tensed up, for no apparent reason, as if he was in danger. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the casino. He looked up and down it, his gaze searching.

    ¡®Basic Maic Maniption.¡¯ Dorian activated an Ability.

    WHOOSH

    A small, metal coin flew off the ground,nding into his hand. He flipped the coin, rubbing it.

    ¡°No¡­ They can¡¯t have fled that quickly, right?¡± He had seen the Nightlord run away, but at the speed they got back here at, he could only have been here a brief period of time ahead of them. Enough to make everyone leave, sure, but enough to pack up and run?

    ¡°My senses detect several life forms in that direction, Great Lord.¡± Leader spoke up, pointing towards one side of the casino. As an Inheritor of Pride, he had an abnormally strong and sensory physique.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes turned towards the back of the casino. As he looked over there, he realized why he felt so tense.

    He felt like he was being watched.

    Dorian tossed the coin on the ground behind him.

    ¡®Basic Maic Maniption!¡¯ He activated his Ability a second time. This time, instead of pulling the coin towards him, he pushed it as hard as he could.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian¡¯s body flew through the air as the coin sank slightly into the ground. The coin itself wasn¡¯t able to move any deeper, but the force of Dorian¡¯s push had to go somewhere. Thus, he was hurled in the opposite direction.

    thud

    His bodynded down with a thump, smashing against the side wall. Dorian punched out as he crashed into it.

    BOOM

    An explosion of stone and wood shot out as he broke a huge hole in the wall, hisrge Grakon body hurling through it.

    ¡°st!¡±

    Revealing the panicked expression of the obese Nightlord Javel, who was currently having his every treasure packed up and preparing to flee the city. He was apanied by a few of the casino attendants and bouncers, as well the Fate Wizard that had activated that Fate Siphon earlier. The guards from before were nowhere to be seen.

    They appeared to be in the middle of some type of hastily constructed meeting and were in the process of tearing down everything of value in this backroom.

    The room Dorian had burst into was covered in long, soft carpet, with severalrge couches visible. It was warmly lit, some type of resting area. Several empty spots on the walls and floor indicated that rare treasures, paintings, or objects had rested here quite recently.

    ¡°Who do you think-¡±

    ¡°HOLD!¡± Just as the stunned group of attendants was preparing a response, the Nightlord jumped forward, waving them all to silence.

    ¡°My apologies, Milord, for our quick departure.¡± The obese Nightlord¡¯s voice had a nasal undertone as he spoke, jerking his hand at his followers. They all quickly backed away, stepping to the back of the room, out of earshot.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? I seem to recall we didn¡¯t part on good terms.¡± The air around Dorian was full of danger as he stepped forward, his body towering over the Nightlord.

    Leader stepped in through the hole behind Dorian, his eyes cold.

    The obese Wizard¡¯s head bobbed up and down as he apologized, words rushing out of him,

    ¡°Yes, yes, this Wizard was foolish beyond belief. I had eyes but could not see your greatness. I am but a lowly worm.¡± He practically fell to the floor, his words servile. He raised up one of his hands, however, handing Dorian a small, blue ring.

    ¡°I prepared you this gift as an apology. In it are several rare Magic Herbs, numerous Gold Shields, a rare Mistborn Shield Artifact, an-¡±

    ¡°Insufficient.¡± Dorian¡¯s words were cold. He felt genuine anger as he looked down at the man. The Nightlord was a brutal killer that would murder the innocent for profit. If he left the man to live freely, he would just murder more.

    But what else could he do? Dorian¡¯s mind grew cluttered. Would the City Lord even care to arrest him, if he informed the City Lord of his crimes? Simply by the fact that he could operate this barely hidden casino, Dorian doubted the City Lord would even take action.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, more often than not, the mighty ruled, while the weak gave way, as Dorian hade to learn. This wasn¡¯t like Earth, where he could report someone to the police and see them justly punished.

    ¡°Milord it hol-¡± The Nightlord began again, but was interrupted.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    A small explosion shook the air as Leader¡¯s body blurred, his right arm mming into the chest of the obese Nightlord. His attack was so abrupt and sudden, infused with the might of the Law of Pride, that it broke past the Nightlord¡¯s innate barrier.

    ¡°How dare you talk like that to the Great Lord!¡± Leader¡¯s voice was cold and cruel.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    ¡°Ulp!¡±

    ¡°Oh my-!¡±

    ¡°F¡­¡±

    A few panicked, quickly cut off screams rang out as the Nightlord¡¯s body hurtled through the air, smashing into the wall on the opposite side of the room. The attendants had panicked and then froze as Leader¡¯s gaze fell upon them, all of them falling unconscious.

    Even the Fate Wizard that had tested Dorian¡¯s Fate had no defense, falling to the floor in a heap. The inherent power in Leader¡¯s gaze was devastating.

    ¡®Fast¡­¡¯ Dorian couldn¡¯t even see Leader¡¯s movements. His attack had been incredibly fast.

    ¡®How on earth did Yukeli handle him? In terms of physical might and speed, he should be far stronger than my Grakon body thanks to his Law of Pride.¡¯ He thought for a moment.

    ¡®Wait¡­ Yukeli used an Ability I didn¡¯t have at first?¡¯ His memories were vague, but at that moment, as he saw how powerful Leader was, part of his memories came clear.

    ¡®The ¡®Perfect Body¡¯ Ability?¡¯

    Before he could look into it, Leader¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He looked at Dorian guiltily. Leader was standing next to the Nightlord¡¯s body, half of which was stuck in the wall.

    ¡°I killed him.¡± He said apologetically and shrugged.

    ¡®Wow. That was a Pseudo-King ss Wizard with an innate barrier. To kill him in a single attack¡­ my god, how strong is he?!¡¯ Internally, Dorian was almost overwhelmed with shock. Externally, however, he shrugged, keeping up his facade.

    ¡°He was trash to begin with.¡± He tried to act like Yukeli. He walked over to the body, feeling slightly nauseous.

    He picked off a Spatial Ring from the Nightlord¡¯s hand. He¡¯d gained two additional Spatial Rings now.

    He looked over at the unconscious attendants and Wizard. He shook his head and motioned at Leader.

    ¡°Our business here is done. Let us separate for now. We shall meet before noon.¡± He repeated his orders, his voice authoritative.

    ¡°As youmand, Great Lord. I will inform my subordinates of your words, and halt my other ns to avoid drawing attention.¡± Leader bowed slightly, his voice full of passion as his body blurred, vanishing.

    Leaving Dorian alone, staring at the corpse of the Nightlord and the unconscious, fear-struck figures of the various attendants of the casino.

    He rubbed his eyes, feeling tired, all of a sudden.

    Slowly, he turned away from their prone bodies, his back bent slightly as if bearing a heavy weight. His arms shook as he left the casino grounds, exhaustion hitting him.

    It was time to get some well-deserved rest.

 Chapter 107 - New Ability

    <h2 id="chapter107newability">Chapter 107: New Ability</h2>

    Ability: Perfect Body

    An Iplete Divine Ability, the Perfect Body Ability is the unique active Ability of the Six Armed Deva. By drawing heavily on the energy in one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix as well as the natural energy in the surrounding environment, this Ability allows the Six Armed Deva to temporarily enrich and enhance every single cell in their physique. Their defensive prowess, offensive strength, and physical speed are vastly enhanced. Further, this enrichment affects their mental state, allowing them to perceive the world around them at a slower pace while empowering their senses.

    ¨C

    ¡®Wow.¡¯ Dorian thought, looking over the info Ausra had on the Ability Yukeli had used.

    ¡®But when did I gain the Bloodline of a Six Armed Deva?¡¯ He asked in confusion.

    ¡®You do not possess that Bloodline.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head.

    ¡®Then how did I get the Ability?¡¯ Dorian¡¯s memory of what Yukeli had done was rather vague. He could only barely remember him activating the Ability.

    ¡®Multiple Abilities werebined to form it.¡¯ Ausra replied coolly.

    ¡®What?! I can do that?!¡¯ He replied, astounded.

    ¡®If you are aware of the exact energy engravings and symbols required to create and form an Ability and impart it on your soul, and are willing to riskbining multiple Abilities together.¡¯ Ausra responded.

    ¡®Umm, how many engravings does it typically take to create an Ability?¡¯

    ¡®Simple Abilities consist of ten thousands to hundred thousands, while moreplex Abilities consist of millions to billions. These engravings and symbols are also dependent on the makeup of the host¡¯s Soul, and will shift from person to person.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened. That sounded incrediblyplex.

    ¡®And he just did all of that on his own?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, that is correct.¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    Dorian had to hand it to the guy, he was like the records said. An absolute genius.

    He looked over the Ability again, something catching his eye.

    ¡®This is an ¡®Iplete Divine Ability? What does that mean?¡¯ He mentally asked.

    ¡®It means it is a Divine Ability that is iplete.¡¯

    Dorian rolled his eyes at the unhelpful response.

    ¡®What exactly is a Divine Ability?¡¯

    ¡®An Ability that is Divine.¡¯

    Dorian stood up, throwing his hands in the air.

    He was currently standing in the room he¡¯d reserved in the Bakin Bell Inn. It was the morning of the next day. He had several hours till noon came around.

    In that time, he¡¯d decided to go over the treasures he¡¯d gained from the Spatial Rings of the Nightlord, and review what happened with Yukeli. Especially this new Ability he¡¯d gained.

    ¡®And do you have any data on what a Divine Ability does?¡¯ He only barely managed to keep the sarcasm out of his mental voice.

    ¡®Divine Abilities areplex, mystical Abilities that grant abnormally powerful effects. They are far moreplex than all other Abilities. Little else is known about them, information about them is outside of my data.¡¯ This time, he got a real response, albeit one that was not very helpful. Most of it was information he could¡¯ve guessed.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He muttered aloud, looking over the info for his new Ability one more time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to test it outter.¡± He nodded his head.

    He looked over to a small wooden dresser that sat next to the bed he¡¯d slept in. The two Spatial Rings he¡¯d snagged from the Nightlord were there, already searched.

    They were higher quality Spatial Rings than his own, each holding up to 12 cubic meters of space. A rather substantial amount.

    The contents of the rings, however, were very different.

    The ring the Nightlord had wanted to pay him off with contained 20 Million-Mint Gold Shields, about 3 dozen Magic Herbs of varying types, and a few random Artifacts. He recognized a pair of Red Iron Artifact Shields, and there were a few others that looked simr, though he wasn¡¯t quite sure of their function.

    The Magic Herbs, ording to Ausra, were all umon ones that were used in ingredients for Alchemical products. They had at least some value, though to Dorian, due to the energy he could absorb from them, they looked more like food.

    It was only now that Dorian fully realized that the Magic Herbs that old Wizard on Hasnorth had given him to rescue William had actually been mostlymon Herbs, none of them rare or expensive. Many of them had been odd, but none really that valuable.

    ¡®That old bastard.¡¯ He shook his head ruefully and then shrugged,

    ¡®He probably didn¡¯t have anything valuable with him after all that time.¡¯ The old Wizard had been dead a long time, and most of his possessions had most likely been looted by his killers.

    The ring that the Nightlord had kept for himself, on the other hand, was far different, despite their equal sizes.

    Nearly 350 Million-Mint Gold Shields, several glowing swords and several dozen glowing shields, a fewrge chunks of blue crystal, several misceneous artifacts, hundreds of strange looking Magic Herbs.

    ¡®Wow!¡¯ He¡¯d hit the jackpot this time. He held, here, a veritable mountain of wealth, even without being able to identify most of it.

    He slipped both rings onto his right hand, next to his own Spatial Ring, after looking over the treasures for a bit.

    ¡®I need to get them identified. Maybe I should go to some auction of sorts?¡¯ From his research on the 30,000 Worlds, Dorian was aware thatrge-scale auctions were very popr on Major Worlds or certain Exotic Worlds.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He rubbed his chin. He didn¡¯t have time to sell anything here in Oceapal, but perhaps he would once he crossed the sea over to the neighboring continent of Pashal. Pashal was very simr to the continent he was currently on. It wasposed of several dozen small kingdoms or City-States, with no major force in rule or power.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it live.¡± He tossed the thought from his mind with a swish of his hand.

    clink

    Two of the Spatial Rings on his fingers had tapped lightly together. Dorian stared at them for a moment, a new thought entering his mind.

    ¡°What would happen if I put one of these Spatial Rings into the other?¡±

    He looked at the rings closely.

    ¡°Ausra?¡± He asked, hopefully.

    ¡®I have no data tha-¡®

    ¡°Never mind.¡± He sighed, cutting her off.

    He put the two rings next to each other, one in each hand. He slowly began to push them together, his eyes narrowed. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead.

    Just as they were about to touch, he froze.

    ¡°None of those Wizards, or anyone else, ever carry a Spatial Ring inside their Spatial Rings. There¡¯s probably a good reason for that¡­¡± He rubbed his chin.

    ¡°I feel like if I put this ring in that ring, it¡¯ll explode in my face.¡±

    He paused for a moment and then put the rings away, shaking his head.

    ¡°Maybe if I was on someedy show back on earth I¡¯d do it.¡± He shook his hand at the air above him, pretending to rebuke an invisible audience.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve got several hours till noon.¡± He smiled, stretching his fingers,

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good time to pick out my next Evolution and look over mybinations.¡±

    ¡°Ausra, pull up my unused stored bloodlines, at the Master ss and up!¡±

    ¨C

    Stored Bloodlines

    ¨C

    Grandmaster ss

    ¨C

    True Vampire ¨C ¨C ¨C Tayzon Rhino

    Midnight detiger ¨C ¨C ¨C Giant Bore Snake

    Ester Ground Dragon

    ¨C

    Master ss

    ¨C

    Golem Wolf ¨C ¨C ¨C ck Mire Wolf

    White Rain Wolf ¨C ¨C ¨C ck Bellied Tiger

    Azure Finned Shark ¨C ¨C ¨C Irontooth Horse

    Gorrack Troll ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡­etc

    ¨C

    (A/N ¨C If the Author forgot to mention a Bloodline or anything, leave ament so he can correct his mistake!)

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He looked over the list.

    ¡°Ausra, what does the Shade Bloodline I absorbed reach its natural growth potential at?¡± He¡¯d taken in the Bloodline from those downed Shades on Blizzaria before tossing them into the Red Portal.

    ¡®Sky ss. Some variants maximize at the Master ss. The Bloodline you hold maximizes its growth at the Sky ss.¡¯

    He grunted and then looked over his options closely.

    ¡®Ausra, are there any particr Bloodlines that might have powerfulbinations in the future, looking at my current Bloodlines?¡¯ Dorian asked a question he hadn¡¯t thought to ask before, taking on a new track.

    ¡®¡­¡¯ Ausra was silent for a moment before replying,

    ¡®I cannot make aplete estimate based on the data I currently have.¡¯

    ¡®Oh? But you COULD make some type of estimate, then? Just not aplete one?¡¯ He queried back.

    ¡®That is correct.¡¯

    Dorian waited expectantly.

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    He sighed,

    ¡®What is your estimate, then?¡¯

    ¡®Of the Bloodlines you currently hold, I can estimate two of them as having great potential Evolution growth, creating significant Evolution chains.¡¯

    ¡®Your recently acquired Shade Bloodline and the True Vampire Bloodline.¡¯

    ¨C

    True Vampire ¨C Grandmaster ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 613

    Abilities: Blood Sense

    A powerful humanoid being, renowned for its powerful sense of perception and innate talent in regards to Blood Magic. True Vampires possess powerful regenerative properties, as well as a strong physical form. At its highest potential growth stage, it reaches the Grandmaster ss.

    ¨C

    Shade ¨C Sky ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 51

    Abilities: Dark Energy

    A humanoid being, Shades bear a near-identical appearance to the weaker Human Race, though with an average lifespan 2 to 3 times longer. Members of the Shade Race have an above average ability to sense thews of the universe as a result of their passive Dark Energy Ability. A side effect of this Ability leads to what ismonly referred to as a Dark Point on the wrist of each Shade.

    ¨C

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ True Vampire¡¯s had a much higher growth potential, in pure energy levels, but both races had negligible natural strength in Dorian¡¯s eyes.

    ¨C

    -Grakon ¨C Growth Stage: (5/5) Grakon Great Elder ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 248,211/0-

    ¨C

    ¡®I got a nice chunk of energy off that Nightlord. With roughly 250,000 points of energy, I should be able to Evolve both forms, right?¡¯ The True Vampire form was a Grandmaster ss form, which would be pricey, but he should have enough, he figured.

    He rubbed his hands together eagerly.

    ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll evolve those two, and then check the Grakon, True Vampire, and Shade forms all together, to see what new forms they canbine with.¡¯

    His eyes shined.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± He rubbed his hands together again. If nothing else, evolving into different forms with different powers was incredibly intriguing for Dorian, and something that was always enjoyable,

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what I get!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, on a distant World Bridge far, far, away.

    A lean, muscr man sat on a tree branch, looking out over the chaotic space that surrounded the World Bridge above him. He wore a set of faded grey leather armor, the insignia of a golden sun emzoned upon it, with a ne of the same golden sun around his neck. His hands were wrapped up with white cloth, covering his wrists.

    The air around this man seemed to be cleansed and holy, rebuking the advancing darkness of night as thend around him faded to evening. The man¡¯s short brown hair moved slightly as a breeze swept over the area, enhancing his devout appearance

    ¡°We should arrive on Magmor tomorrow morning, Prince Isaac.¡± A voice interrupted this Isaac¡¯s musings as he looked at the sky above him.

    ¡°Thank you for informing me, Jasper. I¡¯m d to see your full recovery.¡± Isaac smiled warmly as he turned to look at the speaker.

    The man wearing a set of tight, white leather armor. He had a handsome face, with long blonde hair that wrapped around his shoulders. His eyes were cold, showing no emotion as bowed slightly.

    ¡°It was all thanks to the High Priest¡¯s personal efforts. If our team hadn¡¯t failed so miserably-¡±

    ¡°It is fine, Jasper. The creature you chased was a treacherous one, and Blizzaria is a dangerousnd, even for me. We can only pray for the members of your team that perished, and those that remain unconscious.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯srade was even more treacherous, a vile monster.¡± Jasper¡¯s voice caught as he spoke, emotion filling him. He vividly remembered the image of that demonic beast grasping onto his throat, choking him into unconsciousness. The horror of that attack was something he would never forget.

    ¡°My apologies, my Prince. My emotions got the better of me.¡± Before Isaac could respond, Jasper stepped back and away. His body shivered, streaks of white light appearing as he vanished in an extremely fast blur.

    Isaac watched him leave, his eyes shifting to look a few dozen meters back, into the wooden clearing where his entourage had set up camp.

    At the center of the camp, he could make out several other Shades. Their group was small, only 6 other Shades apart from himself and Jasper. They had stretched the remaining forces of the High Priest thin, splitting a couple members off from each of his Axios Teams, including the Fourth Axios Team that had been nearly annihted on Blizzaria.

    All of them were at the Lord ss or Pseudo-King ss. Except for himself, of course.

    As the Holy Prince of the Church of Light, it was only expected that he was at the King ss.

    His gaze drifted towards the outskirts of the camp. A small frown appeared on his face as his eyes caught sight of thest figure on their team.

    A hooded woman stood floating half a meter above the ground. Her eyes glowed a faint white color, and an almost holy aura seemed to surround her. Instead of a regr pair of legs, her lower half was insubstantial, made up of shimmering clouds of grey light, with a few small wavering tendrils of smoke drifting to and fro.

    ¡°Veritas.¡± He whispered the name of the Anomaly, his eyes shing darkly for just the briefest moment.

    The woman turned, almost as if she heard him, her eyes staring directly at Isaac¡¯s own. A tense moment passed as the two looked at each other.

    Isaac gave her a warm smile and then looked away, breaking the tension of the moment.

    ¡°You can be an Angel of Light, huh? I guess we¡¯ll see if the High Priest is right about that.¡± He muttered under his breath, looking back up at the sky.

    He sighed,

    ¡°I just hope we can find this fox and get out as quickly as possible.¡± He spoke to himself quietly,

    ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen, right? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re trying to kill a God.¡±

 Chapter 108 - Moving Forward Several hours laterâ€¦

    Chapter 108: Moving Forward Several hourster¡­

    ¡®Running simtions¡­bining Bloodlines¡­¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice echoed in Dorian¡¯s head as he sat in a meditative pose, just returned to his Grakon form.

    He had sessfully Evolved both a True Vampire form and a Shade form. The 1 hour Adaptability period had passed for both, allowing him to return to his Grakon form, his current persona.

    ¡¯67 newbined forms have been gathered.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes opened wide at the huge number.

    ¡°67?!¡± He sputtered out loud, his mouth dropping open in shock. That was huge, far more than any of his previous attempts. Then again, he wasbining three different forms, two of which were supposed to have many possible permutations. When he considered all the Bloodlines he currently had, it wasn¡¯t too surprising a number.

    ¡°Um¡­ okay. How many of those are at the Lord ss or higher?¡± Rarer and more powerful Abilities were almost universally found in creatures with stronger Bloodlines.

    ¡°Calcting¡­ The majority of new forms were at the Master ss or Grandmaster ss. Only a small number, 4, reached the Lord ss in natural strength.¡¯

    Dorian nodded. This was within his expectations. His Grakon Bloodline was powerful, and should make some strong new forms if it foundpatibility, but his other new Bloodlines were only at the Grandmaster and Sky ss.

    ording to Ausra, his Grakon bloodline was strong, but had weakpatibility. It wouldbine with very few other Bloodlines. His True Vampire bloodline, for example, had a very highpatibility. His human bloodline had a near perfectpatibility.

    ¡°Show those to me!¡± He¡¯d go over the weaker formster, just to see if he missed any rare or unique Abilities.

    ¨C

    Combining Grakon Bloodline, Human Bloodline, Titan Bloodline, Great ck Bear Bloodline

    ¨C

    Titanic Brute ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 15,113

    Ability: Weak Constant Regeneration, Great Strength, Expand, wed Strike

    Titanic Brutes are powerful humanoids that can explode with great force. A brand new breed, these humans stand 5 meters tall and are covered in dark ck fur. Their intelligence is rathercking, but in sheer brutality and power, there are few creatures at the same level that can match them.

    ¨C

    Combining True Vampire Bloodline, Human Bloodline, Grakon Bloodline, Lesser Throne Demon Bloodline, Shade Bloodline

    ¨C

    Ancestor Vampire ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 28,164

    Ability: Blood Sense, Constant Regeneration, Bat Transformation, Demonic Eyes, Exuberant Grace

    Ancestor Vampires are an ancient and extinct form of Vampire. They were the originators, the first of the Vampire race. They possess several powerful Abilities that sets them apart from regr True Vampires, and are an innately noble race. Powerful and agile, long-lived and wily, they are a terrible foe to make enemies with. Breeding and conceiving a child is excessively difficult for Ancestor Vampires.

    ¨C

    Combining ck-Scaled Rage Dragon, Giant Myyr Dragon, Sun Eagle, Ifrit Bloodline, Grakon Bloodline

    ¨C

    Giant Fire Wyvern ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 31,884

    Ability: Steady Wings, Fire Sense, Constant Regeneration, me ws, Brilliant mes

    Giant Fire Wyverns are a new breed of Wyvern rted to the Dragon race. Unlike normal Fire Wyverns, Giant Fire Wyverns are massive, standing roughly 18 meters tall. They possess several powerful Abilities and have an innate connection with fire. Their awe-inspiring size grants them a huge presence, as well as raw physical powerparable to that of regr Dragons. Theyck the agility and powerful Dragonfire that the Dragon Race possess, however.

    ¨C

    Combining Berserker Demon, Grakon Bloodline, True Vampire Bloodline, Lesser Throne Demon Bloodline, Human Bloodline, Shade Bloodline

    ¨C

    Wrath Vampire ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 55,884

    Ability: Blood Sense, Strong Constant Regeneration, Bat Transformation, Demonic Eyes, Moving Force, Weakened Magic Sensitivity

    Wrath Vampires are a new breed of Vampire, aspected towards the Law of Wrath. They possess incredible physical strength and agility, as well as an extremely powerful life force, able to take otherwise fatal wounds and shrug them off with ease. Their physical appearance is simr to that of regr True Vampires, save for their vibrant white hair. Their powerful Abilities make them nearly unstoppable when they go on a rampage, able to increase their might with every step.

    What the Wrath Vampire gains in physical might, however, it loses in magical sensitivity, making even casting the most basic of Spells a trial. This does not affect the ability to draw energy from the power of Law.

    ¨C

    ¡°Ooooh.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he looked over them, reading about each of the Lord ss form¡¯s he¡¯d now gained. Each form had its own unique perks and Abilities.

    As he looked over them, he also recognized that he was starting to gain a veryrge collection of forms.

    The more Abilities he gained, the more difficult he found it to find a ce for each one. Inbat, he would be most effective if he focused on practicing certain things. It would be impossible for him to specialize in several dozen different Abilities. While it might seem cool, trying to use so many differing techniques was bound to wear him down.

    ¡®I need to start picking out my own path.¡¯ He thought, nodding his head.

    ¡®A path I¡¯ll walk on to get stronger and stronger. I shouldn¡¯t just blindly rely on better and better forms.¡¯ In his mind, Dorian¡¯s thoughts went to the man named Yukeli.

    Yukeli was a genius warrior of godly talent. He reached that level by specializing in a few techniques. Specifically, in mastering martial arts. He didn¡¯t stretch himself thin by trying to master several forms of Magic or several dozen differing martial arts.

    Instead, he studied everything, andbined what he learned into a few unique techniques.

    ¡®I might not be Yukeli, but I can still specialize and start focusing.¡¯

    The battle with the Demonic Human Leader had made him realize this. Yukeli had been able to easily dominate the powerful Demon despite being limited to Dorian¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix and body.

    ¡®I need to get stronger.¡¯ Dorian clenched his fists. His mind shed back to what Yukeli had told him, when Dorian was taking back control of his body.

    ¡°You understand nothing. What would you do if that Demon came back over here? Without me, you would be dead.¡±

    His eyes glinted.

    He would get stronger.

    ¡°Alright. So what will my path be?¡± He looked over his forms, and then his Abilities. Of the new forms he¡¯s gained, none of them were stronger than his ck-Scaled Rage Dragon. Several of them, however, had unique Abilities, and Dorian could see a lot of potential growth.

    ¡®If I¡¯m going to specialize¡­ I want to have two forms. One that is humanoid, and one that is overwhelmingly powerful.¡¯ He nodded his head.

    ¡®For right now, my ck-Scaled Rage Dragon will suffice for my big form. As for these forms here¡­¡¯

    ¡®The Titanic Brute is okay, but not too specialpared to the rest. Its got physical strength and is a humanoid, but can only do so much. The Ancestor Vampire is much more intriguing. Definitely one of my top choices due to its strange powers and powerful strength.¡¯ He nodded, thinking it over.

    ¡®The Giant Fire Wyvern sounds incredibly intimidating. What would happen if I used my Expand Ability in that form?¡¯ He pictured a massive 200 meterrge Wyvern.

    ¡®For that matter, what would happen if I used the Expand Ability I gained in my ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form?¡¯ He had yet to test it.

    ¡®Well¡­ It¡¯s strong and seems tough, but it falls short of a true Dragon. I don¡¯t need to bother with it.¡¯ He shrugged,

    ¡®That leaves you¡­ a Wrath Vampire.¡¯ He smiled as he looked over it.

    ¡®A super strong Vampire form, a brand new one too, Evolved from my Berserker Demon. It seems to also be strongly rted to the Law of Wrath that Leader thinks I¡¯m studying. It¡¯s very simr to the Ancestor Vampire. However, it can¡¯t use Magic well.¡¯ He rubbed his chin as he considered the tradeoffs.

    ¡®Well, the only Magic I¡¯ve managed to practice to any degree right now is Fire Magic. I can keep my Ifrit form to boost my Fire Magic, this Wrath Vampire for physicalbat as a humanoid, and my ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form for when I need to go all out.¡¯ He pped his hands together, smiling.

    ¡®That¡¯s the n!¡¯

    ¡°Ausra, Evolve me into the Wrath Vampire.¡± He had spent most of his Growth Energy Points on Evolving his True Vampire and Shade forms. Thest of it was just barely enough to form his new Wrath Vampire form.

    His eyes glinted as he transformed.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Ahh. The air smells wonderful.¡±

    Dorian shook his head, back in his Grakon form, as he looked out over the docks. Several miles of constructed wooden walkways, many of them loaded up and down with ships of varying shapes and sizes. Most of them weremercial ships, whether for fishing or transportation.

    The Skycrosser Travel Company headquarters was located just behind him. He had finished checking in for his departure, securing an additional seat for Leader. His newfound wealth made such an acquisition quite easy.

    The area in front of the Skycrosser Travel Company was reserved. Arge, open area on the ocean spread out, filled with no ships and instead two sets ofrge, stone tforms. A few men dressed like sailors stood on each tform, alongside an attendant from the Travel Company.

    He took another look around the busy docks.

    People paced back and forth around him, one and all taking care not to bump into his intimidating Grakon form. He saw old men stretching their limbs as they prepared to head out to sea to go fishing, sailors loading luggage or crates ontorge galleys, boys running around the dock carrying slips of paper messages. It was a chaotic, lively scene.

    Behind him were several dozen other waiting passengers, all here for the same ship. They were a variety of types, from wealthy merchants to hardened warriors, esteemed Wizards to improvised looking elders. Dorian only briefly scanned them, ignoring them for the most part.

    He had expected the docks to smell awful. Yet, surprisingly, the air here carried a fresh scent of the salt and the ocean, a most wee surprise.

    ¡°Your wisdom is boundless, Great Lord of Wrath.¡± Leader¡¯s calm voice caught Dorian¡¯s attention as he responded to his observation. Dorian turned, ncing at him.

    The Demonic Human had returned to his normal looking human appearance. Instead of dressing like a simple huntsman, he was now dressed a as simple sailor. A in, white smock and a pair of worn grey leggings, he looked like the perfect picture of any of the busy sailors rushing about.

    If not for the steady air around him, he would be easily mistaken for a random peasant.

    After Yukeli intimidated Leader with his disy of raw might, the Demonic Human seemed to have well and truly decided to ally himself with Dorian. It wasn¡¯t quite a subordinate rtionship, but more one of unequal partners.

    That said, Dorian had no problems with it. He intended to take full advantage of this to make sure he made it to Magmor safely, and could rescue Will.

    He didn¡¯t reply to Leader, simply looking out at the distant sea. Waves pulled in and out of the dock in a slow, rumbling fashion. He heard cries of seagulls, or beasts like it, echoing above the yells of sailors and workers.

    Several minutes passed in silence as Dorian took in the sights.

    WHOOSH

    Finally, after what flew by as no time at all, arge, gleaming white ship descended from the sky. The galley was huge, easily a hundred meters long and several dozen meters wide. Faint wind blew off from it, scattering in the air.

    ssh

    The vesselnded in the ocean just in front of the Skycrosser Travel Company headquarters, with barely a light ssh. It sank about halfway into the ocean beforeing to a rest, only sending out very minor waves.

    Thunk

    Two long boarding staircases unfolded, one on either side of the vessel. Immediately, people started to descend down the vessel, passengers leaving the ship.

    Eventually, they all filed out, leaving the dock tforms empty.

    ¡°All travelers boarding the Skycrosser Travel Company White Sea Lion, please board now!¡± A loud, booming voice rang out from atop the ship as the Captain of the ship yelled aloud, waving in a friendly manner at Dorian and those behind him. The Captain was a great, barrel-chested, muscr man, with a long, scraggly brown beard and a balding head of hair.

    Dorian nodded and walked forward, headed towards one of the stone tforms that connected to the docks. Leader quickly followed, as did the passengers behind them.

    The attendant on the tform confirmed their identities and they boarded with no issues, smoothly climbing up the boarding staircase.

    ¡°Your rooms are C-5 and C-6.¡± Another attendant greeted them as they boarded, an elderly woman wearing a simple blue smock. She handed them each a key, and gave them a warm smile motioning towards the back of the ship, where the passenger rooms were located.

    ¡°Alr-¡± Dorian began, but before he could finish speaking, was cut off,

    ¡°Savior Dorian!¡± An elderly, familiar voice rang out, interrupting Dorian. Both he and Leader turned,ing face to face with a passenger that had just finished boarding.

    ¡°Oh? Lord Ru?¡± Dorian stared at the Aeth Vampire that he had saved earlier, taken aback.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

 Chapter 109 - Lord Ru, the Alchemist

    Chapter 109: Lord Ru, the Alchemist

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Dorian started in surprise. After Yukeli had taken over, Dorian hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of the Aeth Vampire he had saved. The Nightlord had fled and Dorian assumed the Aeth Vampire had as well, sessfully escaping.

    ¡°Savior Dorian. I never had a chance to give my thanks.¡± The elderly Vampire looked Dorian in the face and bowed stiffly, his eyes resolute.

    ¡°I apologize if I insulted you by demeaning you back at the casino.¡± He bowed a second time.

    ¡°Think nothing of it. I would do the same for anyone in your situation.¡± Dorian waved his hand at him, giving him a smile. It was partly his fault the Aeth Vampire had been caught up in this in the first ce. He also felt slightly guilty for using Fate to win a bunch of the Vampire¡¯s Pills.

    That said, he noticed that the odd Aeth Vampire didn¡¯t apologize for ¡®demeaning him.¡¯ He only apologized for if Dorian felt insulted. Which, honestly, should be rather obvious, in Dorian¡¯s opinion. Who wouldn¡¯t feel insulted if they were being demeaned? He decided to drop it, however.

    ¡°But why are you here? Surely you didn¡¯t board this ship just to thank me?¡± Dorian looked at the Aeth Vampire expectantly.

    Lord Ru returned his stare, his eyes steely.

    ¡°I am not a man to leave a debt I owe unpaid. I would like to offer my services to you to repay the karma we hold.¡± His voice was sure.

    ¡°Services? Karma?¡± Dorian looked at him in bemusement.

    In the background, more passengers began to pile on, several of them heading to their rooms or walking around the deck. The huge ship was quite open, but also manned by several attendants, guards, and sailors. It was powered through magic, an enormous Artifact of some sort, but required simr levels of attention that a regr ship would.

    ¡°I am a firm believer in equal giving and equal taking. The Third Holy Duke of the hidden Elector Kingdom, Bullen Archel, proposed the theory of Karma more than 92,800 years ago. In his theory, he argued that every action we take to affect the Fate of another being creates an intangible string in Fate that connects us to that being, drawing them towards us in Fate.¡± The Aeth Vampire nodded his head,

    ¡°His theory led to the modern understanding of Fate Magic, causing incredible developments to such a degree that Fate Magic is now one of the most widespread forms of Magic. His theory is one that also holds practical wisdom. When someone has done something for you, if you wish to break that Karmic thread, you must pay it back.¡±

    By now, arge number of passengers had boarded the ship and were crowding about the front area. Dorian motioned for Leader to leave them, and then turned and walked over to the railing on the opposite side. The Aeth Vampire followed in tow.

    ¡°Sure, I can understand that.¡± Dorian could, in a way. He knew that people like this existed, even back on earth. Those that couldn¡¯t ept owing something to someone else. Especially someone they considered lesser.

    The Aeth Vampire wasn¡¯t that bad a person, he was actually kind of nice. But also kind of racist too. Though, on the 30,000 Worlds, Dorian supposed racism was a bit more reasonable. Still¡­

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t need toe all the way here and follow me. How did you even know I was boarding here?¡± He gave the elderly Vampire an odd look.

    ¡°The Nightlord informed me. A man I noticed was found dead, earlier this morning, killed in his own base. His subordinates surrounded him and were all unconscious. Supposedly they¡¯re being treated and expected to recover in a few days.¡± The elderly vampire eyed him slightly askance.

    Dorian smiled back, the very picture of innocence. He would not grieve for the death of a man like the Nightlord.

    ¡°And thus, here I am, offering you my services.¡± The Aeth Vampire gave him a sharp nod, as if everything he said was perfectly reasonable.

    ¡°Ah¡­ before that¡­¡± The Aeth Vampire interjected, turning to look Dorian up and down.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­ a bit smaller when Ist saw you?¡± He stared at Dorian in confusion.

    ¡®Oh right.¡¯ Lord Ru had only seen him in his partially grown Grakon form, not his fully grown one.

    ¡°I hit my growth spurtst night.¡± Dorian made up an excuse on the spot.

    ¡°A growth spurt.¡± The elderly Vampire stared at him.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Dorian mentally berated himself for picking such a poor reason, but he was stuck with it now. He gave the Aeth Vampire what he hoped was an earnest look. He still didn¡¯t quite know how to express emotions on his Minotaur-like face.

    ¡°And you grew those spikes, and nearly three hands of height, in a single night.¡± He looked him up and down once more, as if he was a piece of cattle. Dorian resisted the urge to shift ufortably.

    ¡°That sounds about right.¡± Dorian held his hands out as if it was the only possible exnation.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Lord Ru grunted.

    ¡°Well, that seems reasonable to me. You must be a big milk drinker, it¡¯s great for bone growth and development.¡± The Vampire took what Dorian said at face value, nodding agreeably. As he spoke, he pulled out a sk of what, apparently, contained milk, and took a deep draw from it.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even like milk¡­¡¯ Dorian almost sputtered as the Vampire believed what he said. He watched incredulously as the Vampire took a second hit of milk as if it were hard alcohol.

    ¡®Why do I only meet people with zeromon sense?¡¯ He scrubbed at his forehead.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need anything, but what services are you trying to offer?¡± He moved the conversation along, trying to not get sidetracked.

    The Aeth Vampire seemed to draw into himself proudly,

    ¡°Unlike thosemon brutes, I am a student of the arts. A master alchemist, if you will.¡± He smiled with pride as he continued,

    ¡°Those Lord ss Ironskin Pills you won off me were created by no other Alchemist than myself. I am quite aplished in a variety of Pillmaking techniques.¡± The Aeth Vampire boasted shamelessly.

    ¡®Oh, an Alchemist? That¡¯s a rare profession!¡¯ Dorian had never met an Alchemist before, though he¡¯d never gone searching for one either.

    ¡°If you have or want any type of Pill you need created, and have the ingredients prepared, I would be more than willing to work to make you something, to pay back my Karmic debt.¡± Lord Ru proimed, nodding his head sharply.

    ¡°Err.¡± Dorian gave him a friendly smile as he shrugged. There wasn¡¯t really anything he quite nee-

    His line of thought was cut off as he looked down at the Spatial Pouch he had on his waist, where a Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf rested. One that, ording to Be, could be used to gain a closer understanding of the Law of Fire or be used as an ingredient in medicine to treat injuries to the soul.

    ¡®Medicine like that sounds like it could be vitally important in the future¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, his eyes widening as he began to n. He needed to be active, not reactionary anymore. Will was nothing more than a soul right now, it was entirely possible he might need something like this.

    He looked directly at the Aeth Vampire,

    ¡°What do you know about Pills that can treat injuries to the soul?¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Several hundred miles away, on a World Bridge that connected to Paxital from thends of the Borrel Autarchy, a different conversation was taking ce.

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re almost there. Finally off this World Bridge. It¡¯s been quite the journey, Mira.¡± A man whose face was dotted with golden scales spoke aloud as he rxedfortably on a wagon. His legs could be seen leaning halfway off the edge while his head rested on arge pillow. His eyes slowly scanned the environment, enthralling golden pupils that gleamed with power.

    Arge caravan could be seen carrying various goods and items for trade. Paxital was a travelers world that saw a huge amount of trade. Many types of goods couldn¡¯t be stored in Spatial Rings, or were moved in such quantity that it wasn¡¯t economically feasible to be transported in Spatial Rings.

    Spatial Rings, and other variations, were all quite expensive. For anyone that wasn¡¯t a powerful Wizard or warrior, they were a mere pricey legend.

    The golden-scaled many resting in a wagon in this caravan, one that was mostly full of several antique wooden dressers and other old objects.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief to finally have reached Paxital, Aiden.¡± A beautiful woman wearing a semi-translucent gown responded, her long brown hair wrapped up in a braid. Her face and body were dotted with jade-colored scales. She sat in a meditative pose, right next to the golden-scaled man.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong. The turmoil that is overtaking the 30,000 Worlds is quite something. We didn¡¯t encounter a single King from the Borrel Autarchy. Quite the lucky break for us.¡± Aiden nodded casually and continued,

    ¡°Still, we should try to stay under cover.¡±

    A few moments passed as the wagon they rode on bumped and began to move off of the World Bridge. This particr World Bridge was coated in a forest, with a veryrge, 100 meter wide stone path paved through it.

    Aiden turned to look at Mira as they officially entered Paxital,

    ¡°Alright. Any new info?¡± His eyes were inquisitive.

    The beautiful woman motioned with her hand, withdrawing an Artifact of sorts from her Spatial Ring. The Artifact was beautiful to behold, arge, jade-colored scale that had hundreds of intricate patterns carved into it. It fit snugly into the palm of her hand.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mira muttered as her eyes closed, focusing on the scale. It began to emit faint white light.

    ¡°No¡­ everything still appears to be the same.¡±

    Aiden frowned,

    ¡°What about the reports on that lion?¡±

    The Artifact Mira held was a special one unique to her Draconic Tribe. The Wise Jade Tribe was famous for its Artifacts and intelligence. This was known as a Communication Scale, a mystical object that allowed for snippets of information to be transported across worlds.

    There were very few ways to transport information across several worlds in a short period of time. If one was a King ss Fate Wizard, it was possible to simply use magic. For those that weren¡¯t, they could only resort to ingenuity and Magic Artifacts.

    ¡°No¡­ All it says is that an enormous lion with a golden mane attacked one of the headquarters of the Heavy Wing Tribe.¡± She shook her head.

    Aiden scratched at his chin, still frowning,

    ¡°Well, the Heavy Wing Tribe has their Dragon Master, and they are specialized in defense anyway. They¡¯ll be fine. For such a massive beast to initiate an attack, however¡­¡±

    Mira frowned as well, looking directly at Aiden with a worried appearance as she responded,

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s one of those ¡®things?¡¯ Like the one that has allied itself with the Red Wing Tribe? That one called itself the Sixthborn I believe.¡±

    Aiden sighed,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Tribes are at each other¡¯s throats half the time, it¡¯s already a wonder that most of them still cooperate with your Wise Jade Tribe.¡±

    Just as he was about to continue, Mira abruptly held her hand up, her eyes widening.

    ¡°Aiden. I feel her.¡± Her voice caught as she spoke, her body trembling.

    ¡°Huh? You feel who? Your Grandmother? But I thought the presence was on Magmo-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s there too still. But I can feel her, here, on this world. At the least, a fragment of her soul.¡± Mira¡¯s voice was full of excitement as she twisted, looking off to the side.

    Aiden sat up, the rxed appearance he had fading away as he becamepletely serious.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± His voice was calm and controlled.

    ¡°I can sense her presence moving at a fast speed¡­ That way.¡± She pointed in a specific direction.

    Aiden¡¯s eyes gleamed as he looked out, and then paused, mentally referring to a map he¡¯d memorized.

    ¡°That direction holds the White Sea and the continent of Pashal. The World Bridge to Magmor is over there too.¡± He stood up, the air around him taking on a powerful, golden light. He motioned at Mira,

    ¡°Let¡¯s get away from this caravan and transform. We¡¯ll go to the source of her presence immediately.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a world of frozen ice and snow, where the dead walked, a small figure could be seen, walking forward in the midst of a brutal snow storm.

    Snow, ice, rain, hail, sleet, bursting winds, deadly spatial phenomena.

    The weather of Blizzaria¡¯s surface was extremely dangerous.

    Yet, this lone figure seemedpletely unaffected. No heavy Aura blocked the winds and weather. No Spell was cast to disrupt the cruel hail.

    The air and water seemed to flow off this figure naturally.

    If one could pierce through the veil of rain, snow, and hail, they would see a vague, blue light surrounding the head of this figure.

    A dark, glowing blue halo, borne atop the figure of a monkey.

    This monkey was about the size of an average human. It had light brown fur, and was wearing a set of simple red pants and dark brown shoes. Arge, loose ne of red beads, each one the size of a small fist, was wrapped around its neck, and it wielded a long red staff, with a quarter of a meter on each end covered in some mystic, glowing gold material.

    This monkey walked forward through the snow, a calm expression on its face as it looked at something in the distance.

    Through the crushing, deadly weather, a dim, orange light could just barely be seen, more than a thousand meters away.

    As the monkey grew closer, an odd, keening voice could be heard, one that echoed strangely,

    ¡°OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH Well I came to this world looking for snow!¡±

    ¡°And what did I find? Snow up high, and snow down low!¡±

    ¡°To understand the Law of Ice!¡±

    ¡°I must prepare to be quite nice!¡±

    ¡°While fire is hot and fire is free.¡±

    ¡°It cannot be the only thing for me!¡±

    A small smile appeared on the monkey¡¯s face as he heard a deluge of rhymes cut through the air. He quietly whispered to himself,

    ¡°I managed to find you, my new friend.¡± His eyes glowed softly. As he spoke, he clenched his hands tightly and took a deep breath,

    ¡°I will protect you as well.¡±

 Chapter 110 - Shorn Soul Repair Pill

    Chapter 110: Shorn Soul Repair Pill

    ¡°A Yanna Herb, Bullwoth Leaf, Tamda Stem, Gorthin Flower¡­¡± Lord Ru¡¯s voice was filled with excitement as he ran over several of the ingredients in Dorian¡¯s Spatial Ring.

    ¡°You have a veritable Alchemist¡¯s dream collection! So many rare or powerful Magic Herbs!¡± His voice rang out.

    They were currently in Dorian¡¯s rented cabin on board. The cabin was richly decorated, with arge red bed and several nice paintings of various forests or oceans hanging on the walls.

    The ship had lifted off smoothly and set sail. It was powered by Magic, as well as a quartet of Wizards manipting the wind. The huge ship cut through the air with abandon, soaring at a very fast speed.

    Those on board the ship didn¡¯t feel any of the thunderous winds that kept it aloft and pushed it forward, however. For Dorian and the others, it was a smooth, gentle ride. Well worth the price of admission.

    The Skycrosser Travel Company was well respected not only for its speed andfort, but also for its safety. ording to the info Dorian had gathered when he was searching for transport, the Skycrosser Travel Company was the second highest ratedpany for international transport on Paxital.

    The number one rankedpany, the Smooth Wing Transportation Ships, didn¡¯t have any ships avable today. Dorian had been in a rush, so he went with the Skycrosser one.

    It would take them the rest of the day and night to reach Pashal. They would arrive around noon tomorrow, near the Northern side of the continent. The ship they were on would make several stops, eventually dropping Dorian and Leader off in the traveler¡¯s city of Toko. Toko was located in the Kingdom of Jamm, and ruled by a Lord ss Wizard.

    From there, it was only a short journey to the World Bridge that would take them off-world to the Lansc, and an even shorter journey to the World Bridge to Magmor from there.

    ¡°And? Are there any relevant recipes you know?¡± Dorian looked at the Alchemist inquisitively.

    The Aeth Vampire smiled warmly.

    ¡°Yes, yes there are! I have two such recipes that I have beenmissioned to create, in my many years of experience as a Lord ss Alchemists.¡±

    ording to Lord Ru, Alchemists were ranked ording to their skill, not purely their strength. One could be a Lord ss Alchemist without being at the Lord ss. That said, a stronger soul generally made for stronger skill or concentration, and most high-level Alchemists were powerful in strength as well.

    ¡°A Warm Soul Healing Pill and a Shorn Soul Repair Pill.¡± The Alchemist listed off two different Pills.

    Pills, in the 30,000 Worlds, were the magical medicine most used for a variety of things. Dorian had won several unique Pills, each with magical effects and powers. Pills were like Artifacts in that way, but their effects onlysted for a short period of time.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the two?¡± He queried, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°A Warm Soul Healing Pill is suited for slowly repairing any damage a soul has taken. This can soothe injuries and stop soul dissolution. This type of Pill is expensive and difficult to make, but will usually have great effect if given time and a calm, peaceful ce to rest while the process is underway.¡±

    ¡°A Shorn Soul Repair Pill is much more immediate than the Warm Soul Healing Pill. This Pill draws heavily on the energy of the surrounding world, forcibly healing a soul that has been split or injured. This can have negative side effects, and will not heal aspletely as a Warm Soul Healing Pill, but it acts far faster.¡±

    Lord Ru listed the effects of both Pills from memory, his voice sounding almost as if he was speaking by rote. When he talked about medicine, the air about him changed slightly. It felt more professional, more forward and direct.

    ¡°Hmm. And I have the ingredients for both?¡± He responded, eyeing the Aeth Vampire.

    ¡°Correct. The Fire-Aspected Golden Leaf is the key point, while the various rare Magic Herbs you own can make up for the rest with room to spare.¡± Lord Ru returned.

    ¡°What are your chances of sess? Is there any chance you fail?¡± Dorian responded.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lord Ru¡¯s eyes drew together as he sniffed,

    ¡°I am quite the aplished Alchemist, Savior Dorian. I won¡¯t hold your doubt against you since you rescued me, but I have had recruitment offers from every Major Power, including even the Draconic Tribes who don¡¯t really like anyone.¡± The Vampire paused for a moment before continuing, taking a peek at Dorian to see if he had been sufficiently impressed,

    ¡°There is no chance of failure for either Pill, as long as I am given a safe environment to work.¡±

    Dorian held up his hands apologetically,

    ¡°My bad, my bad. I¡¯m super grateful for your offering to help. Onest question,¡± He began, waving his hand,

    ¡°If you were to make one right now, how long would it take?¡±

    ¡°Approximately 8 hours of intense concentration.¡± Lord Ru responded almost immediately, nodding his head,

    ¡°Each Pill is a Lord ss Pill, further they are both what would be ssified as ¡°Late¡± Lord ss Pills. The difficulty in creating a Pill increases with each stage jump. Even for someone as skilled as me, I will need arge amount of time to sessfully forge either Pill.¡±

    Lord Ru had given Dorian a bit of an exnation on how Alchemy and Pillcrafting worked earlier.

    ording to him, he needed tobine all the ingredients in a specific order inside of a ¡®Pill Furnace,¡¯ arge, metal Magic Artifact that looked very simr to a slow cooker or crock-pot from Earth. The Alchemist would send in slivers of energy, guiding the ingredients as they slowly began to meld andbine.

    At the same time, they would add engravings or magic symbols to the Pill, slowly forming the magic creation and power that held the Pill together. It was a long, drawn-out process that sounded incrediblyplex to Dorian.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed,

    ¡°Alright, perfect.¡± He smiled,

    ¡°Then, please make me a Shorn Soul Repair Pill.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Breathe in¡­ breathe out¡­¡± Dorian talked to himself as he exhaled, his eyes calm and rxed.

    Several hours had passed. Leader was off resting while Lord Ru had returned to his own cabin and was in the process of creating a Shorn Soul Repair Pill. Dorian had offloaded all the ingredients the Aeth Vampire had requested, trusting his word.

    The stability of the Skycrosser Travel Company meant there would be no real issues with operating the delicate Pill creation while traveling. They¡¯d already flown hundreds of miles, yet Dorian had failed to feel even the slightest hint of turbulence.

    ¡°Breathe in¡­ breathe out¡­¡± He took several more breaths, calming himself down fully.

    He mentally brought up the information on the Perfect Body Ability.

    ¨C

    Ability: Perfect Body

    An Iplete Divine Ability, the Perfect Body Ability is the unique active Ability of the Six Armed Deva. By drawing heavily on the energy in one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix as well as the natural energy in the surrounding environment, this Ability allows the Six Armed Deva to temporarily enrich and enhance every single cell in their physique. Their defensive prowess, offensive strength, and physical speed are vastly enhanced. Further, this enrichment affects their mental state, allowing them to perceive the world around them at a slower pace while empowering their senses.

    ¨C

    ¡°I need to test this.¡± He couldn¡¯t risk just blindly using the Ability inbat without knowing fully how it worked.

    ¡°Status.¡± He said aloud, calling up another mental picture,

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 40,012/40,012

    ¨C

    (Important Author¡¯s Note: I originally listed the Wrath Vampire with the wrong Energy Level. It was supposed to be, in pure Energy Level, just barely weaker than the ck-Scaled Rage Dragon. I went back and corrected this mistake.)

    ¡°I¡¯m in a perfect condition now.¡± He nodded his head, feeling some nervous jitters. This was, per the Ability description, an ¡®iplete Divine Ability.¡¯

    He took a few more deep breaths.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with.¡±

    ¡°Perfect Body, activate!¡±

    WHOOSH

    Immediately, the world around Dorian seemed to shiver, ever so slightly.

    He blinked.

    When he opened his eyes, the world around him had transformed.

    Color itself seemed to have faded slightly. Everything around him had taken on grey undertones, any bright or warm colors fading.

    The red nket that covered his bed transformed into a far drabber, pale red. Color leeched off of the paintings on the walls, giving them a dreary appearance.

    At the same time, Dorian felt as if the world around him was moving in slow motion.

    Inspiration struck him. He reached over to a dresser that stood next to his bed, where the Spatial Pouch that had carried the Golden Leafy resting. He picked the Spatial Pouch up and, with only a second¡¯s pause, tossed it into the air.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian watched in awe as the pouch slowly fell down, descending at a visibly slowed pace. It was literally falling in slow motion.

    ¡°What? Wow!¡± His perception of time had been increased so much so that the world around him seemed to be operating in slow motion. It was incredible.

    Dorian also noticed that he felt drained after staying in this state for only a few seconds.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 35,882/40,012

    ¨C

    ¡°What?! More than 4,000 points?!¡± His eyes widened in shock as he released the Ability. Immediately, color returned to the world around him, his eyesight bing normal.

    He had only stayed in it for a few seconds, yet the drain had already been enormous.

    ¡®Ausra, can you exin this? Why did it cost so much energy?!¡¯ He sat down on his bed, returning to take several deep breaths.

    ¡®Divine Abilities are unique, and while the Perfect Body Ability is only an iplete Divine Ability, it still has several of the unique functions. The mental image you raise when you activate the Ability, as well as how you move or draw upon the energy of your Soul Spell Matrix, can greatly affect the energy expended.¡¯ Ausra gave him an actually useful reply for once.

    ¡®So how can I make it cheaper, then?¡¯ He responded, frowning.

    ¡®The best solution is to keep practicing. Over time, the mental image you form will adapt naturally, and the expenditure will decrease.¡¯ Ausra returned.

    ¡®Form a mental image and keep practicing, huh?¡¯ He thought, rubbing his eyes.

    ¡®Alright. I can do that.¡¯

    ¡°Perfect Body, activate!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, several hundred miles away¡­

    THWUP

    THWUP

    THWUP

    Two leviathans soared high in the sky, far over a seemingly endless ocean. The sound of these great beasts flying thundered methodically in the fading evening light.

    One stood roughly 35 meters in height and was covered in brilliant golden scales. Its body was lean and powerful, gleaming with a dim light that gave off a feeling of masculine power. Its wings were huge and covered in the same golden scales. A rich, Kingly Aura rolled off this beast in waves.

    (Image ¨Chttps://i.imgur/pvhQ.jpg</a>) (Doesn¡¯t open in App)

    Flying next to the enormous golden scaled dragon was a smaller, more prim dragon.

    Standing only 20 or so meters in height, a dragon covered in faded jade scales cut through the air beside the muchrger gold dragon. Its body and face were vaguely feminine, as was the air it carried itself with. Despite its smaller stature, the dragon gave off its own unique and powerful Kingly Aura, sliding around it.

    (Image ¨Chttps://i.imgur/9n2hU9B.jpg</a>) (Doesn¡¯t open in App)

    The huge, towering gold dragon spoke out loud, its voice a mighty roar.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± He directed his eyes towards his smallerpanion.

    The small, jade scaled dragon turned its head,

    ¡°At our current rate and the rate it¡¯s fleeing¡­ less than 12 hours.¡±

    Her eyes gleamed, a sh of green light shooting from them,

    ¡°We¡¯ll make contact then.¡±

    The two dragons turned and looked forward, their wings pping powerfully as they shot into the distance.

    In the direction of the ship Dorian was flying in.

 Chapter 111 - Attack - End of Volume 4

    Chapter 111: Attack ¨C End of Volume 4

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Many hourster

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On Magmor¡­

    sizzle sizzle

    The sounds of meat cooking rang out, fat melting alongside buttery steak. Warm spices gave off a delicious scent, interwoven with tasty noodles.

    A huge, 2-meterrge iron wok could be seen resting atop a zing fire. Arge, raised up stone outcropping roughly eighty meters wide spread out around the wok, standing hundreds of meters above the Magma Sea down below.

    Several winding stone paths could be seen moving off in various directions, going down towards the surface of Magmor. Tworge stone paths existed from this teau, shooting off into the air towards a huge, massive teau roughly thirty miles in the distance, a teau that spanned several dozen miles.

    A teau that held one of the Six Oasis Cities located on Magmor, the Tomo Oasis City. Each Oasis City was a city in name and scale, and that was it. Outside of each city was awlessnd where anything went. The Exotic World of Magmor was unforgiving and wild.

    The insides of each City were fiercely controlled by local groups, merchants, mercenaries alliances, and the leaders of each City themselves. While crime may go unpunished outside each city, the insides were safe and guarded.

    ¡°Alright, the Wonton Gilbari Noodles are almost done!¡± Xaphan¡¯s cheerful voice cut across the air as the Anomaly looked down at the food he was cooking, a pleased expression on his face.

    ¡°All we need now is for our good friend Probus to return with the ice!¡±

    A small campsite was visible, set up on therge outcropping. Several tents were deployed, and the attendants from the Aurelius Family that hade with Helena could be seen moving about finishing the setup.

    Standing just a few meters away from Xaphan was Trajan, the Rain Wizard. His blinded eyes notwithstanding, he was currently ring at the friendly Anomaly.

    ¡°You are waiting for Probus to return with¡­ ice?¡± His voice was full of exasperation.

    While they are only thirty or so miles from the Tomo Oasis City, Helena had made the elective decision to set up camp outside of it. She had talked with Trajan and Probus about, as well as the two Anomalies they were temporarily allied with.

    Now that they had found the target that the Shades were hunting for, all they needed to do was wait for the Shades to find them. By setting up camp outside, rtively far from help, they had made themselves a lucrative target.

    A target that was prepared to be attacked, however. The outcropping they had chosen might seem like a haphazard, random choice, but it was functionally an outstanding defensive spot.

    Several stone paths lead towards the outcropping, but none of them had sturdy footing. The outcropping wasrge enough to hold all of them and more, but notrge enough to be indefensible.

    There were two stone paths that led up higher into the distance, but neither path had spots where enemies could hide. It was impossible to approach the outcropping without being spotted. The walls of the stone teau they had set up camp on were slightly nted and smooth, making climbing a dangerous chore.

    It wasn¡¯t a perfect setup, but it was an excellent choice to lure an enemy to attack.

    Especially with the secret preparations Trajan had helped Helena prepare.

    ¡°Yes, friend Trajan! He left with Aron to hunt in the wilds for some ice! These Wonton Gilbari Noodles cannot be finished without it, they are one of my masterpieces!¡± Xaphan returned a reply, his voice ever cheerful.

    ¡°Another masterpiece? Isn¡¯t that what you said thest three times you¡¯ve cooked for the team?¡± Trajan had reluctantly epted that Xaphan had be the chef for their alliance. While he didn¡¯t see eye to eye with the Anomaly, he had to respect that his cooking skill was something extraordinary.

    ¡°Everything these hands touch is a masterpiece!¡± Xaphan proimed as he proudly patted himself on the chest.

    Trajan shook his head,

    ¡°Wait- before that. You sent them to find ice?¡± His voice was incredulous.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xaphan nodded as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

    ¡°On Magmor. The of Unending Lava.¡± Trajan returned. He would¡¯ve red if he still had eyes.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Xaphan nodded a second time. As he nodded, he went back to tending to the meal that was being cooked in the wok, carefully guiding it.

    Trajan held his hands out to the side,

    ¡°Are you actually a moron?¡± He sputtered, annoyed,

    ¡°The average temperature of this world is well above the melting point of ice! There is no chance that they will return with any amou-¡±

    ¡°Heyo friend Xaphan!¡± Before Trajan could finish speaking, a familiar voice interrupted him,

    ¡°We have returned victorious! We found a small hidden crater full of centralized Ridian Ice, perfect for cooking!¡±

    Probus waltzed forward as he finished speaking, walking up one of the stone paths. He was apanied by the armor-d Anomaly Aron behind him. Probus carried arge sack on his back, presumably full of the ice he had discovered. Why he didn¡¯t put it in a Spatial Ring only the heavens knew, Trajan thought.

    ¡°Excellent work, friend Probus! What a fortuitous encounter! Luck has turned in our favor!¡± Xaphan waved at Probus in a friendly manner.

    Trajan stared at Probus and then back at Xaphan.

    He rubbed his forehead, mentally swearing.

    Fortuitous encounters like this, where the Anomalies found exactly what they needed just in time, happened with an incredibly irritating frequency. He was aware that each Anomaly had a soul that twisted Fate in their favor, but for it to work for small things like this¡­

    It was like they were the main characters in a story, where everything went right for them.

    He threw his hands up in the air in defeat and spun around, stalking back towards his tent.

    Helena, standing in the opening of her tent a couple dozen meters away, smiled as she watched all of this go down, her eyes warm.

    The alliance they had formed with the Anomalies had gone swimmingly. Both Aron and Xaphan had proven friendly and engaging, both acting inpletely unexpected manners. Aron was devoted to his swordy and got along well with Probus, while Xaphan was focused on cooking and practicing his crafting. While it seemed as if he and Trajan had a tense rtionship, Helena could tell that the two of them enjoyed ying off each other.

    Her eyes hardened as she looked around, her hand clutching at her Spatial Ring tightly.

    She could feel it in her bones.

    Their enemies wereing.

    It would soon be time for them to attack.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°I¡¯ve received word, Wimo.¡± A slim man wearing a green suit, with a set of finece pants, spoke aloud, his voice cool. A small hat covered his short brown hair, unable to cover his piercing red eyes. The entire right side of his physique appeared to be made out of clear, crystalline diamond, including his physical body as well as the clothes he was wearing.

    In his hands was a small, glowing white crystal.

    ¡°Oh, Taemin? What say?¡± A gaunt-looking woman covered in multipleyers of twisting water responded, her voice quiet. She was wrapped in arge, floating bubble of water, shaped like a snake. Underneath the water, a long, blue robe was visible, wrapped around her figure. Her face was tight and lined, stern looking.

    The two Wizards were sitting on the edge of the Tomo teau, therge teau that housed the Tomo Oasis City. They looked out over several dozen winding stone paths that led off into the distance.

    Specifically down one path in particr. In the direction of Helena¡¯s camp.

    ¡°We are to attack immediately. The Department Head himself is on the way here, but we are not to dy or wait.¡± The half-diamond man¡¯s voice was eager as he spoke.

    ¡°Head Jiro ising personally?!¡± Wimo¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. For the Department Head of the Diamond Department, one of the 88 Departments of Magic in the Borrel Autarchy, to be personally making a move¡­

    ¡°Yes! We must not let him down!¡± Taemin¡¯s voice was full of excitement and fervor as he stood up.

    ¡°It is time to attack!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    THUNK

    A resounding boom echoed out as Gerulfnded down on top one of a Magma Giant, his eyes full of fire.

    His muscr, two-meter tall body heaved from exertion while his short brown hair shivered. His face was tough and weathered, lined with both age and experience.

    ¡°Piercing Magic: Ten Mile Lance!¡±

    WHOOSH

    The head of the creature directly exploded, sending out clumps of molten magma and rock in a cascading wave of energy. By that time, however, Gerulf had already flipped off, his chest heaving from exertion.

    BOOM

    An explosion rang out just behind him as Jasper crashed through the air and knocked away another Magma Giant that had been trying to ambush Gerulf.

    ¡°Thanks, Jasper.¡± He grunted, taking in his surroundings.

    ¡°Of course, Gerulf. It¡¯s only you and me here. We need to look after each other.¡± Jasper responded, his voice muted.

    Gerulf frowned ever so slightly at that. Jasper had changed a great deal after the disaster back on Blizzaria.

    Around them, the battle faded away. The team of elite Shades made quick work of the group of Magma Giants that had charged them, annihting it.

    At the back of the group, Gerulf could make out the figures of the Holy Prince and the being known as Veritas watching the fight.

    Gerulf sighed.

    After disaster struck them on Blizzaria, their entire team had been mostly separated. Siegfried was unconscious, as were most of their teammates, and several of the others had died.

    Only Gerulf and Jasper had survived and maintained good health. And, almost immediately, they were conscripted to work with Prince Isaac.

    The Holy Prince was a kind and wise leader, and Gerulf had no issues serving him. After all, they were all trying to protect the Shade Race, their goals aligned.

    It was only that other creature that he found unsettling¡­ that ¡®Veritas.¡¯

    His eyes shed as he stared at the humanoid before turning away.

    It wasn¡¯t his business to question orders. All they needed to do was hunt down that murdering fox, and settle this, once and for all.

    He sighed again.

    ¡®How on earth did we survive?¡¯ All he could remember was being knocked unconscious by that ridiculously tough Grakon King. ording to Jasper, the servant of that Lightsworn Fox had nearly choked him to death, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything before that.

    His entire survival was a huge mystery. One he was grateful for, but one that it seemed might never get solved.

    His thoughts trailed off, however, as amotion drew his attention. In the distance, several of the other Shades on their team were talking excitedly.

    WHOOSH

    Jasper¡¯s body blurred into view, particles of light gleaming around it. His eyes held excitement, however, his fists clenched.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got her!¡± He smiled at Gerulf.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got a lock on the fox!¡±

    Gerulf returned his smile with one that failed to reach his eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± It was. He was ready to catch the murderess and put all of this behind him. Capturing vicious criminals was part of his duties to serve his race, but this had be inarguably tiring.

    ¡°Yes! I will have my revenge soon¡­¡± Jasper¡¯s eyes trembled briefly,

    ¡°It is time for us to attack!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On Paxital¡­

    A huge, golden dragon soared high in the sky, its gaze sweeping below the woodedndscape beneath it. A vast forest spread out, stretching for hundreds of miles up into a snow-strewn northern tundra.

    Next to it, a jade-scaled dragon flew sharply, following therger dragon¡¯s movements.

    ¡°Where is it now, Mira?¡± Aiden asked, his voice bellowing in the air. Because they were so far up, flying several thousand meters high in the sky, not a soul could hear.

    ¡°The signal I¡¯m getting ising from that direction. It¡¯s faint, but it is inescapably my grandmother. It¡¯s definitely her soul wavelength.¡± Mira¡¯s voice was calm and feminine as it slipped from her draconic mouth, her tongue flicking into the air.

    ¡°Right there.¡± She pointed with her snout at a city that was just barely visible, bordering the forest beneath them roughly three dozen miles away.

    ¡°It¡¯sing from right there. It¡¯s in that city.¡±

    Aiden turned to look at the city. It wasn¡¯t close enough for him to see anything beyond that it existed many miles away.

    He grunted,

    ¡°Very well.¡± He pulled his wings back, his body driving forward as he raced towards the city.

    ¡°Let us resolve this mystery now- before we head to Magmor.¡± He continued,

    ¡°It is time weunch an attack!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian smiled as he looked down at his te, pleased. Tworge pancakes covered in warm, buttery syrup, severalrge slices of roasted ham, a small cut of cheese, and two slices of buttered bread.

    All in all, it was a meal Dorian could expect to see even back on earth. In fact, he¡¯d had no idea the 30,000 Worlds even had pancakes, but he wasn¡¯tining.

    He was back in his human form, wearing a set of nice grey pants and a smooth, silk white shirt. Around him, a lively restaurant spread out, serving breakfast food to various travelers and guests. It wasn¡¯t a luxurious restaurant, with wooden tables and a long wooden bar, but it was one that smelled great and had a friendly atmosphere.

    ¡°Mmmm, look at that Leader. See, it¡¯s the simple things in life that make it worth it!¡± Dorian smiled wider as he looked across his table to where the man known as Leader sat, eating his own breakfast.

    He had exined his ability to shift forms rather easily to Leader. He simply told him it was a type of magic he practiced, and Leader epted it without doubting him.

    Magic was versatile and ever-changing in the 30,000 Worlds. Dorian had no doubt that there actually existed Transformation Magic or something that worked like that, so his excuse had been one he was confident in.

    ¡°If you say so, Great Lord.¡± Leader shrugged, wolfing down his meal.

    Dorian shook his head ruefully,

    ¡°You gotta take life slow, Leader. Trust me. Why, we¡¯re only a hop, a jump, and a skip away from Magmor after all.¡± He picked up a knife and fork from the side as he turned back to his te, his eyes gleaming,

    ¡°Enough chit-chat, however.¡± He nodded, his tongue almost falling out of his mouth as he looked at the delicious breakfast,

    ¡°It is time for me to start my assault!¡±

 Chapter 112 - Dragon meets Dragon

    Chapter 112: Dragon meets Dragon

    The Oasis City of Tomo was the grandest of the six Oasis Cities on Magmor. The city itself was huge, dozens of miles wide and long, full of a variety of people. A towering wall of white stone, stained grey from the asional ashfalls from the Magma Sea, protected the city, surrounding it.

    What set Tomo apart from the other Oasis Cities was the man that controlled it.

    Magmor had no ruler or leader, but that didn¡¯t mean that no one of strength lived here.

    Tomo was controlled by a powerful human known as Pavlo, the zing King. A King ss Wizard that studied Magma Magic, a specialized type of Fire Magic. His presence on Magmor was arge reason for its independence. His prowess had made him a bit of a legend that no Major Power wanted to antagonize.

    Pavlo had set up shop here more than 250 years ago, obsessed with both his research of Magma Magic and the legendary Ascension Ruins that served as a perpetual source of mystery and wonder.

    As a high ranking King ss Wizard, Pavlo was extremely powerful. If he had wanted, he could¡¯ve seized control of the other Oasis Cities without issue. He had declined from that, however, in the interest of spurringpetition.

    Pavlo didn¡¯t want to control the or any form of worldly power or possessions. He simply wanted to solve the riddle that was the Ascension Ruins and break into the Angelic ss.

    As part of that, several times a year, when the chance to enter the Ascension Ruins came up, he would host and encourage a hugepetition, hiring teams of mercenaries and Wizards to explore the Ruins while also offeringrge rewards to anyone that could bring back new information.

    And right now, Pavlo could be found sitting upon a small stone chair in a courtyard at the center of the grand Oasis City.

    He had a middle-aged appearance, with a slim chest and a lean, non-muscr physique. He wore a long, red robe and had a face lined with age. Short white hair covered his head, while a sizable mustache was nted firmly on his face.

    In his right hand, he held a glowing red scepter.

    ¡°So you specialize in infiltration and subterfuge, ording to the mercenary records I have of you.¡± His voice was quiet as he spoke. It held no intimidating edge, but behind it, a solid feeling of confidence and strength could be felt.

    ¡°Yes, King Pavlo.¡± Standing in front of the legendary King ss Wizard was a nondescript figure whose face was hidden by a long, ck robe. Their voice was neutral, neither feminine nor masculine.

    ¡°A Wizard such as yourself will be a valuable asset to my Ruin Teams. The Ascension Ruins are going to appear within days, perhaps even hours.¡± Pavlo began, waving the red scepter at the hooded figure,

    ¡°My men have fully vetted your background and confirmed everything. I¡¯ve decided to hire you on. Alongside your presence, we should be able to contest at least half of the spots to enter this time around.¡±

    The ck robed figure seemed to shift slightly. Their face was invisible, but a pleased air seemed to appear around them as the figure looked down.

    ¡°That is excellent news, King Pavlo. I¡¯ve already discussed my payment with you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Everything will be as promised. I do not go back on my word.¡± Pavlo responded, nodding his head nonchntly. He waved his hand to the side, prompting a man forward.

    A Wizard dressed in a tight red suit stood at attention. A fiery, Kingly Aura flowed around this red headed Wizard, giving him a dangerous appearance. His face was handsome, but his eyes cold.

    ¡°This is Henry, the leader of all of the Ruin Teams I¡¯ve formed. You will report directly to him.¡± Pavlo began,

    ¡°Every team member gets their own code name for when they are acting. Have you decided on one?¡±

    The ck robed figure looked up, his or her face still hidden by the hood they wore.

    ¡°Yes, actually, I have.¡± The air seemed to shiver slightly,

    ¡°You may call me Mello.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Ahh, that was tasty!¡± Dorian tapped on his stomachfortably as he rested on his chair, taking in the atmosphere of the restaurant they had stopped at. It was a lively ce, full of mercenaries and other tough-looking fellows. The restaurant had an open, tabled area and a long bar off on the side.

    The pancakes and meat that had rested on his te had been devoured in a matter of moments. They¡¯d been as delicious as he¡¯d hoped for.

    ¡°It was alright.¡± Leader sniffed slightly as he looked down at his te, disdainfully. Most of the food was still on it.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get nning.¡± Dorian replied with a small smile, talking over the quiet din of the restaurant around them.

    ¡°The World Bridge to Lansc is about 60 miles north of here. We can reach that today with ease.¡± Dorian moved his te to the side of the table and began to draw a line on it, showing their route.

    ¡°Once we arrive on Lansc, we take a flying ship over to the World Bridge to Magmor. A quick, hour long flight at most due to how close the two Bridges are.¡± He crossed his finger across the table, drawing towards the edge.

    THUMP

    He tapped his thumb down at the very end.

    ¡°And then we arrive here. Magmor.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes shed,

    ¡°All in all, it should take us one day at the least, two at the most.¡±

    ¡°That sounds agreeable, Great Lord. We willplete your mission and begin the revival of the Demon Race!¡± Leader looked at Dorian with eyes that glowed with fervor. His desire to ally himself with Dorian hadn¡¯t changed a whit. The overwhelming strength Dorian, as Yukeli, disyed was extremely convincing to he who lived by his pride.

    ¡°Alright, so now let¡¯s consider the minutiae. Magmor has sixrge cities spread across its rather small surface. What we need to do¡­¡± Dorian began talking with Leader, exining his ns. Leader responded amicably, adding to the conversation with his own cunning guile. All of his subordinates were to stay behind here on Paxital while he adventured forth with Dorian.

    ring

    The doorway to the restaurant had a small bell attached to it, one that rang out any time someone entered. It rang out just now, tinkling in the background.

    Dorian ignored it, motioning at the table,

    ¡°So the Ascension Ruins are located on the back of some giant turtle, through some type of magical portal setup. The turtle only surfaces and bes essible every couple weeks, at sometimes random intervals. The ruler of Tomo City, the zing King, publicly releases and spreads information on the when and where the turtle will appear, so we don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± He spread his hands wide, tapping with all ten of his fingers,

    ¡°What we need to prepare for is safely securing one of the ten entrances when it does appear.¡± He nodded his head sharply at Leader.

    Leader shrugged back,

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the zing King and I¡¯m sure you could take him. He is no problem.¡± Leader smiled confidently, looking at Dorian with almost puppy dog eyes.

    Dorian stared back. If he became Yukeli again, Dorian was confident he could take on most foes as well. But that entailed a huge risk, and one Dorian wasn¡¯t necessarily willing to ept. He would be putting the lives of anyone around him at risk.

    He also didn¡¯t know how to, or even if he could still switch over personalities. He still had Yukeli¡¯s memories in the back of his head, but he no longer heard that voice talking to him, telling him to kill people. The world around him had be much brighter and lighter without that.

    ¡°The me Empyrean Turtle might be a problem, however.¡± Leader¡¯s voice was brooding as he continued,

    ¡°It¡¯s a gigantic beast that can fight with Angelic ss Wizards ande out ahead. It might prove too difficult for us to handle without sufficient preparation, Great Lord.¡± His words were chosen carefully, as if not to offend Dorian.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but we don¡¯t need to figh-¡±

    THUMP

    Before Dorian could finish speaking, his entire table shook as a hand mmed down on it. His te flipped off of it, flying through the air to knock against the head of a heavyset mercenary sitting a few meters away.

    Dorian turned in surprise, his eyes widening.

    A tall, handsome man wearing a set of golden robes was looking at him. The man had enthralling, golden eyes that gleamed with mystery. Standing next to him was a beautiful woman wearing a semi-translucent gown responded, her long brown hair wrapped up in a braid.

    ¡°Greetings, friend.¡± The man began, his voice rich and full,

    ¡°Apologies for the intrusion but I wan-¡± Before the man could finish, he was abruptly cut off.

    ¡°WHO THE HELL THREW THIS PLATE?!¡± The heavyset mercenary who¡¯d been hit by Dorian¡¯s te spun around, his eyes bloodshot with rage. Dorian could smell alcohol on his breath, even from over here.

    As the man yelled, the area around them quickly cleared, mercenaries and other guests alike stepping away from the fray. Some of them seemed to recognize the big fellow, a small giant of a man that towered nearly seven feet tall. Muscles bulged under the grey leather hides he wore, giving him a tough appearance.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Grandmaster ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 491

    ¨C

    Dorian scanned him in an instant, his passive Demonic Eyes Ability always active and letting Ausra qualify and quantify anyone he looked at.

    ¡®Middle Grandmaster ss? Not too shabby. He appears to be a warrior though, not a Wizard. There really are a ton of decently strong figures on this traveler¡¯s.¡¯ He thought in a split second, turning to look back at the man wearing gold robes.

    ¡°Ah yes, that was me.¡± The golden-eyed man responded, shrugging his hands. His voice dripped with arrogance. His eyes flickered to the side, however, as he nced at the woman standing by his side. His face seemed to tighten and he added a few more words,

    ¡°My apologies.¡± He gave the heavyset mercenary a stiff nod and then turned back to Dorian.

    ¡°As I was saying I-¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can just attack me and ignore me?!¡± The heavyset mercenary lumbered over, holding a mug of beer in his left hand. His eyes shed dangerously as he red at the golden-eyed man.

    The golden-eyed man took a deep breath, his face twitching as he turned back to look at the mercenary.

    ¡°It was not intentiona-¡± He was cut off again.

    The mercenary stepped forward, grabbing ahold of the hem of the golden-eyed man¡¯s robe as he sputtered,

    ¡°Listen up, here, you bastar-¡±

    WHOOSH

    The instant the drunk mercenary grabbed the hem of the man¡¯s clothes, Dorian saw a brief hint of emotion appear in the golden-eyed man¡¯s eyes. An emotion that was alien to Dorian, foreign. Unfeeling, uncaring, a look that stared down at the human as if he was mere prey.

    A split second after, the man¡¯s right arm blurred.

    BOOM

    A resounding impact rang out as the body of the mercenary was flung across the restaurant, crashing through several wooden tables and chairs, throwing up shards of wood. The heavyset man¡¯s body blurred through the air and bulldozed through the wall of the restaurant, leaving a gaping hole.

    His body bounced for about a dozen meters, skittering down a paved stone street and knocking over several passersby beforeing to a rest, covered in blood and wooden shrapnel.

    The entire restaurant fell into a fearful silence at the sign of awe-inspiring might. A secondter, chaos broke out as everyone began to flee, quickly escaping from the area. In the background, yells and shouts broke out as people called for the city guard.

    ¡°Aiden, we agreed that we weren¡¯t going to attack anyo-¡± The woman wearing a translucence gown standing next to him began.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. He¡¯s still alive, I held back enough, see?¡± Aiden cut her off, pointing.

    Dorian turned along with the woman, at a loss, unable to get a word in.

    Just barely, through the gaping hole he had left in the wall, Dorian could make out the figure of the heavyset mercenary. The man had struggled to his knees and was looking down at the ground, somehow still alive. A few bystanders were trying to help him up.

    ¡°Rude and arrogant.¡±

    Dorian turned back around as Leader¡¯s voice echoed in the restaurant, booming with authority.

    Leader¡¯s eyes were cool as he stared at the golden-eyed man, displeasure visible on his face.

    ¡°You disapprove of my methods?¡± The golden-eyed man smiled in amusement, turning to look at Leader.

    ¡°No. You get straight to the point. I admire that. Your unwavering arrogance, however, is your downfall.¡± A powerful, rainbow colored Aura began to wrap around Leader as he spoke, the air around him starting to shiver.

    The golden-eyed man smiled slightly. Small, golden scales began to appear on his face, forming out of nowhere.

    ¡°Oh is that so?¡± The alien emotion returned to the man¡¯s eyes as he replied to Leader, stepping forward so that he was standing just a meter away.

    Leader smiled back, his eyes exemplifying the Prideful Aura around him as he responded, standing up,

    ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t think you can just smash me to the side and ignor-¡±

    BOOOOOOM

    The golden-eyed man¡¯s arm moved too quickly to be seen, not even a blur, as it mmed into Leader¡¯s chest.

    A split secondter, Leader¡¯s body sted outward, hurtling through the air and through the back of the wooden restaurant. He knocked aside a good dozen tables and chairs as if they weighed nothing, destroying them by ident.

    THUD

    Leader¡¯s body flew off into the distance, smashing into the store across the street, a clothing shop of some sort. The storefront exploded from the impact, a mixture of linen and wood thrown into the air. Various screams and yells rang out, joining the general chaos in the background.

    ¨C

    Species: Golden me Dragon (Humanoid Form)

    ss ¨C King ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,047,395

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s heart dropped as scanned the golden-eyed man and looked over the information Ausra picked up.

    ¡®Crap. It¡¯s a dragon. A hostile dragon. And it¡¯s even stronger than thest dragon I saw.¡¯

    His mind raced into overdrive as he began to n, his body tensing up. He raced over the techniques he¡¯d gained from Yukeli, his every Ability and power, trying to think of a way to respond and survive.

    ¡®Don¡¯t I still have onest Absorption?¡¯ He¡¯d never used thest of his three Absorptions.

    Before he could do anything, however, Leader¡¯s voice echoed out into the air as he reappeared, the rainbow Aura that surrounded him pulsing with light.

    ¡°I WILL END YOU!¡± Leader instantly threw himself at the Humanoid Form of the Golden me Dragon. The attack that had knocked him away had taken him by surprise. He wasn¡¯t injured, but his pride had been wounded, the worst possible oue in his eyes.

    ¡°Is that so? Will you, now?¡± The golden-eyed man responded back, stepping forward to greet Leader. A powerful, golden Aura surrounded the man, flush with power.

    ¡°Aiden!¡± The woman in the translucent gown called out, her voice full of concern.

    BOOM

    Leader and the humanoid Dragon collided. Arge wave of force obliterated the floor of the restaurant and everything within several meters. Dorian was knocked backwards from his table, stumbling over several meters before he righted himself in a smooth roll, making use of the instincts he¡¯d gained from Yukeli.

    WHOOSH

    thud

    Dust and wood had been thrown into the air, temporarily blinding him. He coughed a few times, clearing his throat as he looked around blearily.

    The two fighting men were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a huge hole was now visible, in the roof of the restaurant. Timbers of wood leaned out from this hole, cracked and twisted as mid-morning light leaked in.

    Just barely audible, Dorian made out the voices of the two as they yelled at each other.

    ¡°You will fall before me! The Pride of Man cannot be stopped!¡±

    ¡°Pride?! Hahaha, what pride can be stronger than the pride of a Dragon?!¡±

    BOOOOOOOOM

    BOOM

    BOOOOOM

    Several shockwaves shot out, setting the nearly empty restaurant to shaking in the background.

    Despite that, as the two began to fight, Dorian noticed that he didn¡¯t actually feel any ill will from the golden-eyed man. Despite his rather rude attitude, it didn¡¯t appear as if he had actually wanted to attack Dorian.

    ¡°Oh dear.¡±

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    Dorian and the woman wearing the translucent gown eximed at the same time as they looked at the mostly destroyed restaurant and then at each other, exchanging nces.

    They both sighed simultaneously.

 Chapter 113 - A Talk

    Chapter 113: A Talk

    ¡°Dorian.¡± He held out his hand, introducing himself. He hadn¡¯t bothered using his full name, Dorian Wright, for any of his previous introductions, so he wouldn¡¯t start now.

    ¡°Mira.¡± The woman replied, taking his hand and shaking it. Dorian couldn¡¯t sense any ill intent from her either. Instead, she looked at him curiously, her eyes glowing faintly with jade light.

    ¨C

    Species: Wise Jade Dragon (Humanoid Form)

    ss ¨C King ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 497,221

    ¨C

    ¡®Another Dragon¡­ though she¡¯s a bit weaker than the other one. Still much stronger than me. Wow.¡¯ He¡¯d met his first two Dragons on the same day.

    BOOOOM

    Another shockwave rang out from above, shaking the damaged wooden rafters of the restaurant.

    ¡°Ugh. Damn it, Aiden.¡± The beautiful woman swore as she jumped upward, towards the hole in the roof. Her movements were graceful and delicate, a thing of beauty.

    ¡°Sorry. Let¡¯s talk after we stop them.¡± She looked at him apologetically as she sailed onto the roof.

    Dorian looked around at the badly damaged restaurant before shrugging. He jumped up and joined her.

    Two blurred figures could be seen about a hundred meters down the street, jumping and leaping at each other. Everytime they collided, they would destroy anything in their immediate vicinity, sending stone and timber into the air.

    By this point, most of the bystanders had fled. In the distance, Dorian could make out several armored warriors, the City Guard of this city, staring at the scene of battle at a loss.

    Dorian couldn¡¯t me them. A fight of this scale wasn¡¯t something a small city like this could handle. He didn¡¯t even think there were any Lord ss Wizards here at all, not even the local City Lord.

    The difference between the Grandmaster ss and the Lord ss was enormous.

    ¡®Hyperion Beam. Activate!¡¯ Dorian began to draw energy from his surroundings, his eyes calm as he watched the ongoing fight. A small ball of ck energy began to condense, just off of his right hand.

    ¡°AIDEN! Stop fighting! It¡¯s not needed!¡± Her voice held thunder in it as she yelled loudly. She turned and stared at Dorian as he activated his Hyperion Beam Ability, surprise in her eyes.

    BOOOOM

    Several more seconds passed as the two continued to spar. Leader¡¯s eyes were cold as he threw out blow after blow, showing off his hand to handbat skill.

    Aiden, the Golden me Dragon, responded in kind, unleashing blow after blow. Every punch he shot out carried a tremendous amount of force, so much so that Leader chose to dodge and avoid them while counteracting with punches of his own.

    Their movements and blows were far too strong for the surroundings to contain. A full third of the visible street had been torn up by them.

    ¡®How rude¡­¡¯ Dorian mentally thought, staring at the destruction.

    ¡®Do you know how much it cost to pave a road? On earth, it¡¯s like a million dors a mile, and that isn¡¯t even considering the damage you two are doing to the rest of the city.¡¯ He felt mildly displeased. It might be normal for them to disregard the affairs of normal mortals, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a small gripe in his heart.

    ¡®ck mes. Activate!¡¯ The small ball of energy that was constantly increasing was now covered in writhing draconic ck mes.

    ¡°AIDEN, I SAID STOP!¡± Mira¡¯s voice contained a hint of fury as she stamped her foot. An Aura began to form around her, one that carried with it a calm, peaceful feeling, the opposite of her tone.

    ¡°Listen to the girl, lizard. Don¡¯t get cocky or you might die.¡± Leader¡¯s voice contained a hint of mockery as he sted backwards away from the golden-scaled humanoid. He grinned as he spoke, his feet stamping twice as hended down on the paved stone street, the impact putting small cracks in the ground.

    ¡°Do you think I couldn¡¯t destroy you if I wanted to? You are merely an insect to me. The only reason you¡¯re still alive is because I¡¯ve held back.¡± Arrogance and irritation rolled of Aiden¡¯s voice as he spat out a response, his golden eyes shing with real anger.

    ¡°HAH!¡± Leader barked out augh,

    ¡°Is that right?¡± Leader sped his hands together, his eyes turning serious. The colorful Aura that surrounded him began to intensify.

    ¡°Summoning Magic: Ruler¡¯s Bow.¡±

    An aged wooden bow appeared in Leader¡¯s hands.

    Aiden¡¯s eyes shed with fury. Immediately, the golden Aura around him began to intensify, growing stronger and stronger.

    WHOOSH

    Just as the two were about to re-engage, a bar of ck light shot across the street, melting the air between the two. ck mes shot off this bar of light, splintering through the pair and forcibly splitting the two fighters apart.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Leader.¡± Dorian called out, his voice calm and authoritative.

    ¡°As youmand, Great Lord.¡± Leader leapt backwards, the rainbow Aura that surround him ckening. The bow he¡¯d summoned vanished as if it had never been here.

    ¡°Dragonfire?¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the ck mes, and then at Dorian in shock. The golden light surrounding him faded in intensity.

    ¡°Thank you! Aiden, knock it off! We¡¯re here to talk!¡± Mira leapt up into the air,nding down on the ground next to Aiden in a hurry. She put her hands on her chest, ring at him.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Aiden held his hands up, shrugging nonchntly.

    Around them, faint screams and whimpers echoed out as people that had been injured in the fray called for help. More than a dozen shops and homes had been partially destroyed, and much of the stone pavement was devastated. The entire area had been forced into a ruin.

    ¡®Do you all not care for themon people at all? I guess they are Dragons, after all.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s mouth twisted slightly as he saw all of this.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s talk.¡± Aiden waved at Dorian.

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Dorian held his hand up. He then walked over to one of the partially destroyed homes, where he heard cries for help.

    It was the original linen shop that Leader had been smacked into.

    ¡°Arrrgh! Help me, please!¡± A woman¡¯s cries echoed faintly from the smashed wooden storefront.

    Without hesitation, Dorian stepped forward and began tossing aside pieces of wood.

    Even in his Human form, he still had an incredibly robust physique thanks to his Soul Spell Matrix. Moving asiderge chunks of wood that weighed hundreds of pounds was easy.

    It took him just a few seconds to uncover the source of the voice. A middle-aged woman who had been pinned under a broken wooden pir. She looked up at Dorian with eyes full of gratefulness as she thanked him profusely. She was bleeding lightly from a small wound on the forehead, but apart from that seemed to be in good health.

    Dorian helped her out, making sure she was alright.

    Off to the side, he could make out armored warriors creeping in and civilians rushing to help those that had been injured or look over homes that had been damaged.

    He turned to face the golden-eyed man.

    ¡°Help me clear out all the damage you two caused first. Then we will talk.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Miraculously, no one had died as a result of the spar between Leader and Aiden. Several shops and homes were damaged, including the street, but among the bystanders, there were only minor injuries, a few broken bones, and random bruises.

    Dorian had helped rescue everyone, as had Leader, faithfully following him. Mira went off and helped move aside some of the rubble, while Aiden watched coldly for a minute before joining in after Mira red at him.

    Dorian had also settled everything with the guards. He was a rtively wealthy man, now, and directly paid for the damages. Leader was his subordinate, for now, and he held at least some responsibility.

    He also wanted to avoid any confrontations with these strange Dragons and simply settled it out of hand.

    The ruler of the city, a Grandmaster ss Wizard known as Ponto, had gratefully epted the funds, with a stern promise and threat from Dorian to spend it correctly.

    Soon, they relocated, this time to a spot outside the city. The city they¡¯d just left was located in the middle of a huge forest, not too far from the World Bridge to Lansc.

    Right now, they were standing in a small clearing, in between arge collection of dark green trees. The sounds of the forest life spread out around them, teeming.

    ¡°So what is it? Why do you wish to talk to us?¡± Dorian touched his Spatial Ring lightly, making sure it was there. He readied himself to draw upon the Artifacts he¡¯d gained at a moment¡¯s notice, ready for anything. Leader stood next to him, leaning against a small tree.

    The Wise Jade Dragon Mira stepped forward, looking directly at Dorian. The other Dragon, Aiden, stood several meters behind her, his arms crossed as he red at Leader.

    ¡°Would you mind if just us two talked, Dorian?¡± She gestured with her hands at Aiden and Leader.

    Dorian nced at them and then shrugged, nodding.

    Mira withdrew what looked like a small, upside down grey bowl. Some type of Magic Artifact. She tapped the top of the bowl lightly.

    WHOOSH

    A warm grey light spread from the bowl, slowly expanding out in a circr shape. This light moved and expanded, enveloping Dorian and Mira, as well as everything within a couple meters of them.

    The sounds of the forest, the slight breeze that was blowing, the animals and bugs moving about, faded away. The Artifact seemed to create some type of giant bubble that blocked out sound. When the light covered him, he didn¡¯t feel anything strange. Merely, all other sound vanished.

    ¡°Sorry for the trouble, this is a rather private matter that I would like leaked to as few people as possible.¡± Mira gave him an apologetic smile.

    Dorian simply stared at her, his head tilted slightly in confusion.

    ¡°Alright. Well, you have me here. I don¡¯t think I know you, at all, or have any rtion to you.¡± He held his hands to the side,

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± He said, nodding politely.

    Mira took his words and nodded back,

    ¡°You don¡¯t know me. However, you and I, we are connected in Fate.¡± Mira began, staring at him intently. She hesitated for a moment, looking as if she was about to make an important decision,

    ¡°Have you ever heard the name ¡®Lady Ausra¡¯ before?¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°So, Arial. What exactly were you doing out here, all alone?¡± Helena asked, looking at the petite fox girl with a warm smile.

    ¡°Well, I wanted to get a look at the Ascension Ruins and the giant turtle that carries them. The zing King¡¯s public report says that it should be appearing any day now.¡± Arial¡¯s voice came out almost in a sing-song fashion as she responded, smiling back.

    They were both sitting on the ground in Helena¡¯s tent. The tent wasrge, several meters wide. Afortable fur carpet covered the ground, while several glowing magic Ice Rocks lined the sides, keeping it cool. A set of chairs and a table rested in the middle of the tent, ones both of them were sitting at.

    ¡°Oh? I have a friend that wants to do something simr. A worthy reason to be here. You might want to be a bit more careful next time, however, maybe join a team that is intent on exploring it.¡± Helena replied back, picking up a small wine ss from the table in front of her. It was a perfect replica of the wine ss Highlord Marcus used.

    She took a small sip from it, relishing the taste. She tried to relish the taste, anyway. She didn¡¯t actually like wine and thought it tasted gross. The Highlord liked it, however, so there had to be something to it.

    ¡°Hahaha, Helena, you¡¯re not wrong!¡±

    After picking up Arial, Helena had made the elective decision to not inform the fox girl that they were hunting for her. There was no need to exin their purpose, it was much more simple to just keep her here with an excuse.

    Luckily, she hadn¡¯t actually needed to say anything at all. Arial had decided to stay with their camp on her own, instead of continuing on to the Tomo Oasis City on her own. While they were still a few dozen miles from it, those miles were rtively short and safe.

    ¡°I also had a friend who wanted to do the same.¡± The normally sing-song voice of the fox girl seemed to catch as she spoke, a hint of regret, and what Helena thought was self-hatred, present.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find him or her.¡± Helena automatically moved tofort her, picking up on it.

    Just as she was about to continue, an odd, wavering sound echoed in the air, alongside a few shouts.

    KYEEAAAAA

    WHOOSH

    ¡°Careful!¡±

    ¡°We have iing!¡±

    Helena jumped up, her eyes shing,

    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Wait here, Arial!¡± Her voice was rough as she dashed out of the tent, a powerful Aura rippling off her in waves.

    Leaving Arial alone, her hands resting on the table at the center of Helena¡¯s tent.

    A sh of light appeared in her eyes as she looked out the p where Helena had just run. She snapped her fingers lightly.

    Immediately, a small dagger made of pure light appeared, glowing dimly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait¡­ for now.¡± Arial whispered quietly,

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    .

    Author¡¯s Note: We got some really cool fan art today! ?

    Arial ¨Chttps://i.imgur/u0jE6kd.jpg

    Helena ¨Chttps://i.imgur/QP99mwN.jpg

    Big thanks to the artist, Rei Chei!

 Chapter 114 - The Vice-Heads

    Chapter 114: The Vice-Heads

    ¡°Have you ever heard the name ¡®Lady Ausra¡¯ before?¡±

    Dorian stared at Mira, his eyes widening just slightly.

    ¡®Ausra? Do you know her?¡¯ He internally asked the construct in his Soul Spell Matrix a question.

    He received no response, not unexpectedly.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of her. She was one of the Five Great Heroes of the Yale Demon Invasion.¡± Dorian said slowly, studying the Wise Jade Dragon. Despite her almost ethereal, beautiful appearance, the woman in front of him was monstrously strong.

    ¡°Ah, yes, the human name for the Third Demon War.¡± Mira nodded, her appearance dimming slightly, as if recalling unpleasant memories.

    ¡°Do you know anything else about her?¡± Mira continued, giving him a questioning look.

    Dorian shook his head.

    ¡°Well, let me tell you a little, just so this makes sense.¡± Mira gestured with her hand at him,

    ¡°Lady Ausra was a gifted and talented woman, known to the Tribes as the Wise Lady. She was the greatest researcher, the greatest mind that ever lived in the Wise Jade Dragon Tribe.¡± Mira¡¯s voice was full of passion as she spoke of Ausra,

    ¡°She had a grand dream, a goal that was unmatched in history.¡± Her eyes shined as she began to talk,

    ¡°She wanted to create a list of every creature in existence. Their growth limitations, their powers, their Abilities, their descriptions. Topile the knowledge that recorded the features of every single living being.¡±

    ¡°Just the idea itself was something never before attempted. Her ambition leapt above everypetitor, every other researcher. She had always focused on the biggest picture, the world itself.¡±

    ¡°How can wee to terms with any being if we do not first understand who and what they are?¡±

    Mira finished talking for a moment, slightly breathless. Her eyes kept glowing, however, the passion and adoration she held for Lady Ausra clear.

    ¡®A list of every creature in existence? Defining their Abilities, their powers?¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened.

    That sounded like exactly what his Soul Spell Matrix had.

    ¡°This was her life¡¯s work. Lady Ausra was unique among the Wise Jade Dragon Tribe. She was born with a special Ability that allowed her to draw information from Fate itself, in a manner unlike that of normal Fate Wizards. She used this, alongside her fastidious research over hundreds of years, topile her list.¡± Mira nodded her head as she continued,

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Third Demon War broke out, interrupting her work. Her list remained unfinished, as far as the Wise Jade Dragon Tribe is concerned. Everything that followed thereafter is history. She joined up with an elite team of geniuses, widely respected across all races, to strike down the powerful Demon Emperor.¡±

    ¡°After that, she vanished, never to be seen again.¡± Mira finished her speech, her eyes glistening with emotion.

    A quiet moment of silence reigned as she caught herself, looking at Dorian.

    ¡°And that brings me to you.¡± She took a step forward, standing just a few feet from him.

    ¡°You see, Lady Ausra was my grandmother. And while other races might not know this, us Wise Jade Dragons are unique. We all have an inborn connection with others of our kind. We can innately sense when one of our own is near us.¡± She tapped a finger lightly on Dorian¡¯s chest.

    ¡°And right now¡­ I can sense traces of my grandmother within you.¡±

    Her eyes were calm as she looked at Dorian,

    ¡°What rtion do you have with my grandmother? Who are you?¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Helena rushed out of the tent, her heart racing. Blood pounded in her ears as she went on full alert, scanning her surroundings.

    A webwork of energy was visible, surrounding the entire teau.

    ¡°They triggered the shield outline.¡± Trajan¡¯s voice carried a hint of calm excitement as he sauntered towards Helena, Probus right behind him. The two Anomalies stood at the center of the camp, the armored Aron resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, while the chef Xaphan was looking at the sky curiously.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Helena barked out amand as her Vampire subordinates appeared. They were all at the Grandmaster ss, specialized Blood Trackers or Wizards that could manipte Fate.

    They wouldn¡¯t prove useful in any high-levelbat, but they were part of the reason they¡¯d managed to find Arial.

    ¡°They should be approaching from the south.¡± One of the Wizards said, pointing down one of the winding stone paths that approached their outcropping.

    Helena turned, holding her hands at the ready. She tapped on her Spatial Ring lightly, remembering the Artifact she had tucked away, gifted to her by General Carus.

    ¡®¡­I can only use it if I absolutely need to.¡¯ She nodded to herself.

    As everyone in the group turned to look at one of the winding stone paths, in the distance, two figures appeared.

    Helena¡¯s eyes narrowed as she saw them.

    ¡®They aren¡¯t the Shades¡­¡¯

    One was a man and the other was a woman. The man had an odd appearance, with half of his body covered in some type of tight crystal armor, while the woman had a far more normal look, simply wearing a long dress.

    ¡®They¡¯re strong though. Pseudo-King.¡¯ The two figures were not holding back at all. Even from several hundred meters away, each of them was bursting forth with a powerful Aura.

    WHOOSH

    An Aura of Helena¡¯s own burst out, rocketing into the air with power as she disyed her Law of Might for all to see. Her Aura was a dominating one, just a step away from the King ss.

    ¡°Halt! Why are you here? What do you want?¡± Trajan yelled aloud as he released an Aura of his own, his Law of Rain bursting forth in the hot air. The deadly heat of Magmor only slightly affected his strength, the Power of Law was not something regr nature could disperse.

    The two figures, man and woman, stopped about a dozen meters from the web of energy that surrounded their campsite. The electrical ward had been set up using a few cantrips by the Grandmaster ss Wizards under Helena. It had no real offensive or defensive power, but was great at enemy detection.

    ¡°Greetings, Aurelius Family Reavers.¡± The man that was half covered in crystal armor spoke first. As Helena looked at him, she realized that the glistening crystals that covered the right side of his body weren¡¯t armor.

    They were actually a physical part of him. She shuddered slightly at the sight.

    ¡°I bring you a warm wee from the Borrel Autarchy.¡± His voice boomed out loud, shaking the air with power. He took several steps forward, stopping just outside of the web of energy.

    Helena studied the man.

    ¡®He must be from one of the 108 Departments. That crystal setup¡­ The Earth Department? The Metal Department? The Diamond Department? There are too many Magic Departments in the Borrel Autarchy.¡¯

    The Borrel Autarchy was gargantuan in size and scale, and its military forces equallyrge. Each Department contained arge number of Lord ss Wizards, and usually one or two King ss Wizards. Six or seven Departments together would be enough to take on an entire Family if not for the Highlords and their ancient inheritances.

    ¡°I am the leader of the forces here.¡± Helena stepped forward, her tight dress stretching with her as she walked several meters out, until she was standing on the other side of the energy web.

    ¡°What do you want, Borrelian? The Neutrality Pact we signed is still in effect.¡±

    Many years ago, the Borrel Autarchy had shed with the Three Vampire Families. The war had been a short-lived one, ending when all three Highlords personally engaged the Wizard King in a duel.

    The duel ended in a draw, thanks to both the power each Highlord had, as well as the rare inheritances that had been passed on for generations of Vampires to each ruling Highlord.

    The Capitoline Wolf Bracelet that General Carus had gifted her to use in an emergency was a part of the ancient Inheritance the Aurelius Family controlled.

    ¡°Of course, of course. You are Helena Aurelius, correct?¡± The Wizard replied, his odd, half-crystal face twisting into a smile as he looked at her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Helena replied, crossing her arms across her chest.

    ¡°I am Taemin, the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department. This is Wimo, the Vice-Head of the Cursed Water Department.¡± His voice boomed with fervor as he introduced himself and hispanion.

    ¡®Vice-Heads? That¡¯s not good.¡¯ Helena¡¯s eyes narrowed, a small seed of worry sprouting in her heart.

    Each one of the 108 Departments had a Head, a Wizard that was in charge of all the Wizards that studied under them. This was usually tens of thousands of Wizards, from the Sky ss all the way to the Lord ss.

    Each Department had a Head, and each Department usually had one Vice-Head as well.

    The Head of each Department was monstrously strong. In fact, if the Department Heads weren¡¯t constantly fighting against each other, barely under the control of the Wizard King, it was almost certain that far more of the 30,000 Worlds would be under the Borrel Autarchy¡¯s reign.

    Likewise, the same applied for the Vice-Heads. They were the candidates to rece the current Head.

    Of the trillions of humans in existence, each Vice-Head and Head were some of the absolute geniuses among the Human Race. The best of the best.

    And right now, they had just encountered two Vice-Heads.

    Footsteps rang out as Trajan and Probus walked up behind her, standing off to either side. The two Anomalies remained in the center of the camp, watching the drama unfold with interest. The Blood Trackers and other Grandmaster ss Wizards retreated to the tents, out of sight. They would have little impact in a high-level fight, and would only prove a liability.

    ¡°Greetings in return. I am, as you clearly know, Helena Aurelius. This is Trajan and this is Probus.¡± She gestured at the two beside her before bluntly continuing,

    ¡°I repeat. What business do you have with us, Borrelians? If it is nothing important, please be on your way.¡± They didn¡¯t have time to y diplomat right now. Trajan and Probus silently watched on, supporting her.

    ¡°Our business is not with you, Helena of the Reavers.¡± The half-diamond Taemin said, his eyes glowing as he looked away from her, towards the center of the camp.

    Where Aron and Xaphan stood.

    ¡°Our business is with them. Greetings, Anomalies!¡± He yelled out loud, smiling warmly.

    ¡°With us?¡± Xaphan stepped forward, patting his chest as if he didn¡¯t believe it. Aron walked silently behind the demonic chef, his hand still resting on the hilt of his de.

    ¡°Yes, the Borrel Autarchy would officially like to extend our wees! The Wizard King, himself, has invited you to dine with him in Heavenseeker City!¡± When Taemin spoke about his leader, the adoration in his voice could be physically felt.

    Helena started in surprise. She turned to look at the duo, at a bit of a loss.

    Xaphan rubbed his forehead, tapping lightly on the emerald gem that was set in it.

    ¡°And if we choose not to?¡± He replied lightly.

    ¡°Hahaha, if you choose to decline the Wizard King¡¯s invitation? Why even speak of such a sheer impossibility?¡± Taemin said cheerfully, pping his hands together. His eyes, however, carried none of his smile.

    ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s like that, eh? We can¡¯t decline?¡± Xaphan nodded, and then rested his hand lightly on Aron¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°That is one way of phrasing it, yes.¡± Taemin responded, waving his hand encouragingly.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Xaphan shrugged,

    ¡°We decline.¡±

    A vein on Taemin¡¯s forehead throbbed briefly.

    ¡°I guess we will do it the hard way. Wimo!¡± The half-diamond man stepped forward, resting his diamond arm on the web of energy. As he moved, his gaunt femalepanion sped her hands together, several bubbles of water appearing around her.

    WHOOSH

    As soon as Taemin touched the electric web, the entire thing copsed, falling apart in a shower of sparks. It was designed purely for reconnaissance and had no real defensive powers.

    Helena¡¯s eyes grew cold. She turned her head to the side slightly, sending a look towards Probus.

    ¡°Steady there, a moment, friend.¡± As Taemin took his first step onto the outcropping, he was forced to stop. Probus had moved into his path, his left hand resting upon the hilt of a sword resting on his back. His right sleeve was tied up, the loss of his right arm affecting his wardrobe as well as his technique.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid these Anomalies are with us. You¡¯ll have to invite them some other time.¡± The Anomalies were vitally important to their ns when it came to restoring Trajan¡¯s and Probus¡¯ injuries, as well as resolving their conflict with the Shades. Helena couldn¡¯t afford to let them be taken right now.

    ¡°You are standing against us? Is this an admission of war and a breaking of the Neutrality Pact?¡± Taemin looked at Probus, half in disbelief, the other half in unwavering fervor, as if he would wee such an admission.

    ¡°No, no, Vice-Head Taemin, we aren¡¯t standing against you.¡± Trajan¡¯s voice cut through the air as he walked up to stand a few meters behind Probus, his hands holding a small silver wand.

    ¡°We¡¯re just standing. Right here. You might not know it, but sometimes we like to practice attacking the air, randomly. It¡¯s hardly our fault if you happen to be in the way of that practice, no? Us Aurelius Reavers are hardcore like that.¡± He shrugged and then pointed at his eyes,

    ¡°Especially me. I¡¯m blind, who knows where I might end up sending dangerous spells. I¡¯m a loose cannon.¡± He wagged a finger at himself in a reprimanding fashion.

    Taemin just stared at him incredulously,

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± The air around him began to concentrate as his Aura slowly began to increase in strength.

    ¡°Hold o- hold on now! That¡¯s uncalled for!¡± Xaphan cut back in, his voice sputtering as he came to Trajan¡¯s defense.

    Trajan turned slightly and smiled at the Anomaly, mentally raising his opinion of the demonic chef. Perhaps he¡¯d judged him too soon.

    ¡°He¡¯s a moron, not an idiot. There¡¯s a difference! I just learned that yesterday!¡±

    If he had had eyes, Trajan would¡¯ve red daggers at the chef, instantly taking back his raised opinion.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Taemin stamped his feet.

    WHOOSH

    Instantly, a powerful blue Aura exploded around him, sending a small shockwave of air gusting around. The air around him crackled with power as he looked at Probus who was standing before him.

    ¡°Move, or you will be moved.¡± Hismand was short.

    At the same time, Wimo, the Vice-Head of the Cursed Water Department, had gone into a stare-down with Helena, her eyes cool.

    ¡°Do you really think you can take on all of us at once?¡± Helena stared back at the other Wizard, the air around her bursting with an Aura of Might as she drew upon the Power of Law.

    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Wimo spoke, her voice quiet but full of confidence.

    BOOM

    The Wizards attacked.

    Chaos unfolded.

 Chapter 115 - Two Battles

    Chapter 115: Two Battles

    Long chapter (SS cost is based on 200-word count intervals).

    Note: I know somementers only want to read about Dorian, I just wanted to remind you: Dorian is the MC, but this story is not only about him. Other characters have their own stories and adventures within it as well. All of them will be relevant to and interact with Dorian eventually, however.

    You might want to take a couple days off and thene back if you just want to read about Dorian, all in one go ?

    (This note does not change SS price.)<hr>

    The one to make the first move was, surprisingly, the female Wizard in the back, Wimo.

    ¡°Cursed Water Magic: Poison Torrent.¡± She had been preparing this Spell for the past several seconds.

    Wimo was a member of the Cursed Water Department, one of the smaller of the 108 Departments.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, certain types of Magic were able tobine with other types of Magic, forming entirely new branches of study. Cursed Water Magic was exactly one such branch.

    Formed from abination of Curse Magic and Water Magic, Cursed Water Magic took aspects of both and brought them together.

    A huge spout of ck water formed in the air and shot off high above, covering the sky. It quickly spread out to form a giant dome, writhing in a haphazard fashion. Large tentacles of water began to shoot off from the dome, piercing towards the Vampires and the Anomalies.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Helenaunched herself forward, her eyes zeroed in on the female Wizard. A devastating Aura of Might covered her body, her every movement giving off a feeling of overwhelming strength.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Aquarius Shield!¡± Trajan immediately responded on his own, casting a faster, but less powerful defensive spell.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    Immediately, severalrge shields roughly 5 meters wide and long formed in the air, hovering over each of the Wizards or Anomalies. Not a secondter the tentacles of ck water mmed into each shield, sending huge ripples through each.

    ck water sshed into the crystal clear water of Trajan¡¯s shields, distorting and corrupting them. Gradually, the shields began to wear off, but not before they absorbed the brunt of the impact.

    At the same time, however, severalrge ck tentacles burst forth from the ground near Wimo, soaring towards Helena. They gave off a ghastly, almost deathly feeling, one that was wholly unnatural.

    Helena batted them aside agilely, but was forced to jump backwards. She could tell just by looking at them that nothing good would happen if she let herself get enveloped.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Tentacle after tentacle of water pierced towards Helena without pause.

    ¡®No, not yet. I need to conserve my strength!¡¯ She forcibly held herself back, not allowing herself to tap into her Impact Magic yet.

    ¡°I can handle her!¡± Trajan called out as he dismissed his shields, causing the ck water on them to dissipate as well. Therge dome of ck water above them remained in ce, however.

    While he no longer had his regr eyes, he was able to see through the use of an Artifactbined with some roundabout spells. The world around him was bathed in energy in his eyesight, making the Cursed Water Wizard, and her attacks, stand out.

    ¡°Just take out the half-diamond human first!¡± Trajan sped his hands, jumping forward towards the Cursed Water Magician.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Water Knives!¡± Hundreds of des made of pure water formed in the air and began to rain down towards the gaunt woman.

    ¡°Take me out, eh? You Vampires sure are cocky.¡± Taemin grunted as he ignored the others and started to walk forward, heading directly towards the Anomalies.

    He stopped after a moment, however, as Probus stepped in his way once more.

    ¡°I used to not name any of my techniques, focusing purely on my cutting. After losing my main arm, I realized I needed more. And so that is what I have for you today, human.¡± Probus¡¯ voice was cold as his left hand rested over his shoulder on the sword on his back.

    ¡°Pointless.¡± Taemin shook his head and then continued walking directly at Probus without pause.

    Probus¡¯ eyes shed.

    ¡°Blood Sword Style: Sundred sh.¡±

    His left arm transformed into a blur as it swung down with an incredible amount of force. A powerful Aura burst forth around Probus as he attacked, infusing his strike with the Law of Cutting. At the same time, his de took on a reddish hue, infused with energy.

    Probus had, using his understandings of the sword and the Law of Cutting, created his own Mystic Martial Art.

    His sword strike let out a red arc of sharp energy, shredding through the air with a huge amount of force. It mmed into the ground in front of Taemin as well as collided with the Wizard, too quickly for him to dodge.

    In the instant that the attack had beenunched, however, Taemin had shifted his body ever so slightly, just a few inches. Just so that his right side, his diamond half, was facing the attack.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    An explosion of dust and dirt covered the ground as Probus¡¯s attacknded, cutting cleanly through a portion of the stone outcropping. The attack was incredibly potent, a sword strike that easily had the power to split an entire mountain in twain. The stone path and ground was no match for it, immediately copsing.

    ¡°Suffer the first technique I created. The Sundred sh. It¡¯s easily twice as skillful as my previous stronge-¡± Probus¡¯s words cut off as the stone dust faded.

    Revealing the half-diamond Wizard, casually brushing off the dust from his tight robes. Not a single injury could be seen on him.

    Probus looked at his left arm as if it had betrayed them, an understanding light appearing. Having lost his right arm, he was forced to use his left arm forbat. He¡¯d trained heavily and was highly skilled, but he was far more used to using his right arm. In actualbat, he couldn¡¯t bring about the same level of force with his left arm as he could with his right.

    ¡°Not too shabby Vampire. I see why you¡¯re considered an elite among your kind.¡± Taemin¡¯s body flickered as he stamped his right leg on the ground.

    BOOM

    CLINK

    He reappeared standing right next to the stunned Probus,shing out with his right fist. Probus recovered from his shock in that moment, just barely managing to raise his sword up in a guard position.

    A shockwave expanded outward as Probus¡¯s feet sank several inches into the ground, awork of cracks spreading from the impact. His body shuddered at the force of the blow, his bones creaking.

    In particr, his left arm trembled. Probus¡¯s eyes widened as he felt this.

    ¡®Damn it. Am I really this useless all because I lost my arm?!¡¯ A crazed light appeared in his eyes as he twisted his body, stamping down hard to get out of the stone.

    Taemin didn¡¯t wait for him, however. By the time he wasunching out of the ground, Taemin was already bearing down on him, right arm punching forward.

    ¡°But, as I said. Your struggle is pointless. I wi-hup!¡± Taemin¡¯s voice cut off as he spun around, abandoning his attack on Probus.

    BOOM

    Not a secondter, a huge cluster of emerald energy mmed into his diamond arm, knocking him back a few steps. He shrugged the attack off, however, grunting slightly.

    ¡°Have at you!¡± Xaphan¡¯s voice was full of menace as the demonic chef red at the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department. The emerald gem that was set in his forehead glowed brightly, small sparks of energy flowing upward off of it. A powerful Aura rested on his shoulders, full of electrical energy.

    Standing next to him, wielding a long iron de, was Aron. The wolf-like armor he wore seemed to gleam with energy. He guarded his ally, his gaze unwaveringly set on the half-diamond Wizard.

    Probus managed to finish spinning away, freeing himself from the ground as he came back on guard.

    ¡°Wimo!¡± Instead of responding to the attack, Taemin paused, yelling out loud as he stared at Xaphan and then up above, at the dark dome of water that floated in the air.

    ¡°It¡¯s ready!¡± Wimo yelled back, her face twisting as she controlled several ck tentacles, stopping Trajan¡¯s Water Knives from hitting her.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Taemin smiled. His right arm seemed to twitch and, abruptly, a small figurine appeared in his hand. It was carved of some type of strange wood, cut precisely and with great care.

    The figurine was carved to look like a smiling, bare-chested man wearing a loose set of pants, with a small crown set lopsidedly on his head. A long, red scar ran down the length of his right cheek onto his neck, ending at a set of muscr shoulders.

    While the figurine didn¡¯t give off any energy, it seemed to bear a presence of sorts. One that was vast and powerful.

    Several dozen meters away, Trajan paused, his face twisting in surprise as he turned around, staring directly at the figurine.

    ¡°No! Probus, stop him!¡± Trajan yelled out loud. He spun back around, abruptly forced to dodge as the gaunt Wimoshed out with several more tentacles of ck water.

    Probus jumped forward as he heard Trajan¡¯s shout, just barely stepping between the anomalies and the half-diamond human.

    ¡°Time to sleep, Anomalies.¡± Taemin crushed the figurine before anyone could do anything else.

    WHOOOOOOSH

    A split secondter, an enormous, gargantuan Aura appeared. An all-powerful, almighty Aura that carried with it an ungodly amount of power. An Aura that set the air itself to trembling, causing space to fracture.

    An Aura that touched upon the forces of Creation itself.

    Helena¡¯s body trembled as she felt this Aura.

    It was one she recognized, one she had felt long ago.

    The Aura of the strongest man in existence.

    The Aura of the Wizard King Telmon.

    As soon as this Aura appeared, it rocketed out in all directions, spreading with abandon. It covered the entire teau in a split second.

    However, the intangible Aura of the Wizard King seemed to bounce as it collided with the dome of magic water that was covering the stone outcropping. The powerful, spreading Aura flipped backwards, bouncing off the dome. At the same time, the dome shivered and almost copsed due to strain.

    The bouncing back Aura morphed together and condensed, and then shot towards the area just in front of where the figurine had been broken.

    Towards Probus and the two Anomalies.

    The Aura moved at near-light speed, far faster than anyone present could react. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it had already made contact.

    First, it collided with Probus, washing over him. The tremendous forceful presence of the Wizard King was not something a Lord ss expert could handle, even a Pseudo-King ss expert, when taken by surprise. If one was ready for it and made preparations, there was a chance.

    But when taken purely by surprise¡­ the result was already a given.

    Probus copsed to the ground, instantly knocked unconscious.

    However, as the Aura washed over him, it interacted with the unique Aura that Probus was unleashing, through his own Law of Cutting. While Probus stood no chance at stopping the Aura, the Aura itself was not directed with intent, it was just moving in a concentrated direction. It was impossible to directly control another person¡¯s Aura unless one cleansed that Aura and imprinted it upon their soul.

    When the Wizard King¡¯s Aura mmed into him, it split apart ever so slightly, due to the sharp edge his Law of Cutting gave his own Aura.

    The Wizard King¡¯s Aura moved onward, rushing towards the two Anomalies.

    It washed over Xaphan and instantly knocked him unconscious as well, his eyes rolling up in the back of his head and his mouth frothing.

    When it came to Aron, however, the Aura did something odd.

    It mostly missed.

    Part of the was because of Probus¡¯ Cutting Aura redirecting the Wizard King¡¯s Aura. The other aspect was due to sheer luck, or as others might term it, a twist of Fate. The leading particles of the Wizard King¡¯s Aura fully bounced off each other and only lightly touched Aron.

    That alone was enough to send Aron reeling to his knees, his face hidden by the heavy iron armor he wore, shaped like a wolf.

    ¡°No Probus! Helena! Help him!¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was half full of panic as he saw what happened. The aftermath of the Aura had only slightly stunned him. His unique vision allowed him to see the figurine for what it was.

    A remnant Aura of the Wizard King himself, condensed into a Magic Artifact of some sort.

    Trajan was forced to turn around after he yelled that, sping his hands together to cast a Spell to defend himself as the Cursed Water Wizard Wimounched several more tentacles of ck water at him.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Helena swore in a decidedly udylike fashion as she saw this, her eyes glinting. She rubbed at the Spatial Ring she had on her finger.

    At that exact moment, however, as Helena was preparing to take action, an explosion of light caught everyone off guard.

    The huge dome of ck water that surrounded the stone outcropping copsed, exploding into particles of steam as a huge bar of white light shot through it, melting it in mere seconds.

    Revealing arge, glowing disc of light, upon which several figures could be seen. Some d in armor, other in robes. One and all, however, gave off a sense of strength, withtent Auras waiting to be unleashed.

    At the back of the group stood a man wearing a set of faded grey leather armor with the insignia of a golden sun emzoned upon it. The air around him abounded with might, a pure, Kingly Aura unleashing.

    Right next to this man was another figure. A hooded woman, floating half a meter above the disc of light. Instead of a regr pair of legs, her lower half was insubstantial, made up of shimmering clouds of grey light, with a few small wavering tendrils of smoke drifting to and fro.

    Helena recognized the figure. It was exactly as Trajan and Probus had described. The Anomaly known as Veritas.

    The Shades had arrived.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°What rtion do you have with my grandmother? Who are you?¡±

    Dorian looked back at the Wise Jade Dragondy, his heart pounding. He realized, then and there, that this was extremely dangerous.

    The woman¡¯s tone carried with it a powerful, underlying force. In it, Dorian could sense that same alien emotion he saw in the other Dragon¡¯s eyes and actions.

    These Dragons did not view the world like he did. To them, he was merely a lesser creature, prey. What mattered to them was the importance he held to their goals or mission.

    And, right now, they were far more powerful than he was, even with Leader here as backup.

    With all of that, however, his powerful soul and mind allowed him to forcibly calm down.

    ¡°I see. Lady Ausra was your grandmother, huh?¡± He responded, nodding at her.

    The woman¡¯s body seemed to tense, almost imperceptibly, as Dorian spoke, as if she was preparing to take action.

    ¡°Then I guess I have no choice but to tell you the truth.¡± Dorian shrugged and then patted on his chest proudly,

    ¡°I am the Inheritor of Lady Ausra¡¯s magic.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is tha- what?!¡± Mira began to respond but then immediately cut herself off, staring at Dorian in sheer disbelief,

    ¡°You-you are the Inheritor of Lady Ausra?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me.¡± In a way, it seemed to be kind of true. Dorian wasn¡¯t sure what the Soul Spell Matrix Genie ¡®Ausra¡¯ was doing in his soul, but she seemed to be directly rted to the ¡®Lady Ausra¡¯ that this dragondy knew.

    ¡°But you- you¡¯re a human!¡± Mira sputtered, rubbing her face as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Yep, well, sort of. I practice a bit of Transformation Magic thanks to her Inheritance, so I¡¯m really a bunch of things. But human works.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t- that can¡¯t- she wouldn¡¯t give her Inheritance to a human!¡± Mira finishedmely, shaking her hand.

    ¡°Are you sure about that? She doesn¡¯t strike me as the type of gal that would judge people by the breed of their race or color of their skin.¡±

    Mira rubbed her eyes for a second time as she returned,

    ¡°No, no of course not. But the greed and corruption that is so prevalent among you humans would preclude-¡±

    ¡°That seems like a bit of an assumption.¡± Dorian cut in, frowning slightly.

    Mira continued on, however, ignoring him,

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way. I can¡¯t believe this.¡± The air around her seemed to take on a dangerous edge as she looked at him, the alien, predatory emotions returning.

    Dorian held his hands up, however, cutting her off,

    ¡°How about this. Let me prove it to you. After all, if I am truly her Inheritor, you wouldn¡¯t want to do anything hasty, right?¡±

    Mira studied him silently for a moment, her eyes unfathomable. After a few moments, she put up a slight frown,

    ¡°How can you prove anything?¡±

    Dorian smiled. The fact that she was asking questions meant she was starting to believe him.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple! The Inheritance I gained from Lady Ausra gave me a huge amount of knowledge on other species. I know that alone won¡¯t convince you of anything. However¡­¡± His smiled widened slightly,

    ¡°Thanks to her Inheritance, I have the magic ability to take on the form of any creature, as long as I have some of their blood!¡± He snapped his fingers.

    Immediately, his body shifted, transforming into that of a muscr, towering Grakon. His clothes didn¡¯t rip to shreds this time, leaving him with his dignity thanks to a magic set of stretching clothes he¡¯d purchased at a magic shop a few hours after they¡¯d arrived at the city.

    Mira¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Dorian¡¯s new form.

    In the background, Aiden, who was still standing several meters away, tensed up, his eyes cold as he red at Dorian. Leader remained leaning against a tree in the background, supremely unconcerned. He had faith that Dorian could handle himself with ease, faith that was a bit misced given it should¡¯ve been for Yukeli.

    ¡°I know, other Wizards could take on a form like this. However, how many could take on a form simr to that of your race?¡± Dorian¡¯s voice boomed out loud in his Grakon form.

    He nodded his head at her and held out his hand,

    ¡°Simply give me some of your blood and I will prove myselfpletely!¡±

 Chapter 116 - Pointless

    Chapter 116: Pointless

    ¡°My blood?¡± Mira responded back, looking at Dorian dubiously. Her humanoid Wise Jade Dragon form gave off a faint, calming air, giving her words a soothing edge.

    ording to Ausra, most Draconic Bloodlines were Lord ss. They ranged from the Early stage of the Lord ss all the way to a few at the Peak of Lord ss.

    Bloodlines of this quality were extraordinarily powerful and rare.

    There were even a very small number that were natural King ss Bloodlines, ording to her records.

    The Wise Jade Dragon species was a Lord ss Bloodline that naturally grew to the Middle of Lord ss. A Bloodline of this quality would be the strongest natural Bloodline Dorian would¡¯ve absorbed, and would serve as an excellent material tobine with his current Bloodlines.

    The Golden me Dragon in the back had a far stronger Bloodline, one that maxed out at the Pseudo-King level. Dorian didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to convince him to give up his blood, however, and ording to Ausra, he¡¯d need a huge amount of it to gain the Golden me Dragon¡¯s Bloodline.

    From what Ausra said, the Bloodline of a Wise Jade Dragon didn¡¯t require any special preparation or a huge amount to absorb, unlike many other Lord ss or King ss Bloodlines. It was a passive, peaceful Bloodline that would be easy to absorb, taking on characteristics of the race it represented.

    Some Bloodlines would require a huge amount of blood to gain, others would require special preparation, or could only be absorbed through absorbing a Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡°Hold on. Let me talk to myrade about it.¡± Mira waved her hand, causing the dome to copse.

    The sounds of the forest returned to life around Dorian, his hearing returning. He blinked as he looked around, slightly disoriented. The switch was jarring.

    Mira backed away, joining the Golden me Dragon off in front of them. The duo entered into a quick, hurried discussion, one in which the man made several angry gestures.

    Dorian turned and exchanged nces with Leader. They both looked at the two dragons and then shrugged. Leader didn¡¯t question him, instead just waiting patiently.

    Before long, the two dragons finished talking. Mira walked away looking dissatisfied, but determined, while Aiden looked on with a rather disgruntled expression.

    She walked up to him, her eyes steely as she spoke aloud,

    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± She held up her hand, holding out a single finger with a pointed nail. She then moved that finger to the side of her pale arm and cut lightly.

    Fresh, slightly glowing red blood pooled out. The blood floated in the air, condensing into a ball as Mira manipted it with magic. She waited several seconds, letting it grow to about the size of her fist, before covering her arm, allowing it to heal.

    Mira looked at the ball of blood and then waved her hand. It slowly drifted over to Dorian.

    ¡°Prove yourself, if you are the Inheritor of my grandmother.¡± Her voice was calm, but brooked no argument.

    Dorian stretched out his hand, lightly tapping the orb of blood.

    ¡®Absorb.¡¯

    ¡®Absorbing Bloodline¡­¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice rang out in his head with a series of prompts,

    ¡®Sufficient data and blood absorbed.¡¯

    ¡®Wise Jade Dragon Bloodline acquired!¡¯

    Dorian smiled. After he¡¯d fully Evolved his Grakon Bloodline, alongside his Shade and True Vampire Bloodlines,bining them to form the Wrath Vampire Bloodline, he hadn¡¯t picked out any new Bloodlines. He¡¯d been too focused on surviving and moving forward.

    He¡¯d spent the vast majority of his Growth energy as well, so he¡¯d put the issue on the backburner.

    This new Bloodline had arrived at the opportune time.

    ¡®Ausra, Evolve me into a Wise Jade Dragon.¡¯

    ¡®Evolving¡­¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The Shades had arrived.

    ¡°Probus! Damn it!¡± Trajan manipted an orb of water to stand in front of him, leaping backwards off it as he forcibly withdrew from fighting the Cursed Water Magician. He was unable to prate the writhing ck tentacles that protected her,rgely due to his injured eyes. He could operate his attacks with skill, but his energy vision was a bit dyed. There was no way around this.

    He froze after hended, however, looking up at the sky, where the disc of light holding the Shades floated.

    The Holy Prince Isaac of the Church of Light looked down from the disc, his eyes demure. His head tilted to the side lightly as he spoke to one of the other Shades.

    ¡°Is that her there? Or is she in one of the tents?¡± His voice was cool as he gestured at Helena.

    ¡°One of the tents, your holiness. We¡¯re certain of it.¡± One of the Shades standing at attention responded, a slightly overweight Shade dressed in a pair of long white robes with the insignia of the Church on it.

    ¡°She¡¯s already wanted on multiple counts of murder against several Mercenary groups.¡±

    ¡°Got it. But who else is here?¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes narrowed as he scanned everyone. A cold light appeared in his eyes as he recognized people.

    ¡°The Aurelius Vampire warrior genius Helena, the rising darling of Highlord Marcus. And the sword and spell duo Trajan and Probus that you had an encounter with, right Veritas?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that is the Truth as I see it.¡± Veritas¡¯ voice was eerie as she spoke, her eyes glowing as she studied them.

    ¡°Hmph! What do you sted Shades think you¡¯re doing, interrupting us in our sacred duty, in our own territory?¡± A voice from below interrupted their musings.

    A human that appeared to be made halfway out of diamond had yelled up, pointing with his left arm.

    Taemin turned away from the downed Probus and Xaphan, as well as the struggling Aron, as he yelled. Irritation ran strongly in his voice at the unexpected interruption, especially considering how close they were to resolving the situation.

    ¡°Your territory?¡± One of the Shades returnedment, his voice sputtering. It was a lean, muscr Shade wearing a set of stained white hides.

    ¡°Hold Jasper. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±

    Isaac stepped forward to the edge of the disc. As he moved, a powerful, Kingly Aura rippled forth, mming into everyone present.

    ¡°Wizard Taemin of the Borrel Autarchy, the genius Vice-Head of the Diamond Department. I recognize you, one of humanity¡¯s strongest rising stars.¡± Isaac¡¯s voice carried charisma and strength, making him shine forth with authority and might as he spoke,

    ¡°But you seem to be under a bit of a misapprehension. Magmor is not human territory. If anything, it is closer to our Shade Commune than it is to yournds.¡± He chuckled slightly, his voice taking on a friendly edge. His Aura, however, exploded forth even stronger, an awe-inspiring Kingly Aura full of warm light.

    ¡°We have busin-¡±

    ¡°HMPH!¡± Taemin¡¯s voice echoed with fervor as he cut in, ring at the Shade Prince.

    ¡°You are arrogant, Holy Prince. Do you think I would fear you simply because you have achieved the King ss?¡± As the half-diamond man spoke, a rich, blue Aura refocused itself around him, gaining more and more impact. This Aura shrugged off the overwhelming light that the Shade Prince had spread, almost as if it didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°The only reason I am at the Pseudo-King Level is because I am consolidating my soul and growing it till it reaches the absolute maximum. Do not think for a minute that I am inferior to you.¡± His Aura shined forth fully, shing equally against the King ss Aura the Shade Prince held.

    Isaac frowned as he saw this.

    The reality of the situation was visible.

    Isaac was a genius among his kind. Of the hundreds of millions, and even a few billions of Shades, spread across hundreds of worlds, he was one of the absolute strongest, a genius picked to help guide the Church of Light, and the Shade Race.

    He was a powerful King ss Shade, the energy in his soul putting him at the Middle of King ss.

    Taemin, the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department, was an incredible genius as well. One that focused on closebat, eschewing the long distance style most Wizards studied.

    But Taemin was a genius among the hundreds of trillions of humans, the most populous race in the 30,000 Worlds. From millions to billions, billions to trillions, and then among the hundreds of trillions, Taemin was considered one of the strongest geniuses among all of them. He was second only to the Head of the Diamond Department, and in sheer offensive power, he easily outmatched the bottom 70 Department Heads of the 108 Departments.

    He saw his rivals among the Heads of the other Departments and a small number of Vice Heads.

    The Wizard King had sent him out, well aware of this.

    While Taemin was only a Pseudo-King ss Wizard, he could easily match up to a number of other King ss Wizards in sheer offensive and defensive power.

    ¡°I see.¡± Isaac pped his hands, his frown erasing as he offered Taemin a warm smile.

    ¡°Jasper, Gerulf, Hanton, A, handle him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my prince!¡±

    ¡°Yes, prince!

    ¡°Yes, your holiness!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    A deluge of yes¡¯s rang out as four Shadesunched themselves off the tform of light, immediately engaging Taemin.

    BOOM

    WHOOSH

    Explosions of light and magic sted out as Taemin was abruptly locked intobat. The Diamond Wizard skillfully blocked attack after attack, redirecting multiple strikes. Beams of light, phantomnces of energy, and more rained down on him, forcing him back.

    ¡°You may be a genius, but you are still at the Lord ss.¡± Isaac shrugged.

    He¡¯d sent out the four Shades he had that were best atbat. They wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Taemin, or likely even harm him, but they could certainly upy him thanks to their training and teamwork.

    ¡°Derrick. Tonsol. Handle the other one.¡± Hemanded two others among the Shades, motioning at the gaunt female Wizard that was currently manipting tworge tentacles of ck water, apparently intent on breaking up the fight with Taemin.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my prince!¡±

    Two other Shades leapt off the tform, both Late Lord ss Wizards. While they weren¡¯t particrly powerful at inbat, they were still strong warriors that could hold their own.

    The two immediately engaged the woman, sending out streaks of light and energy as they blocked her tentacles.

    Isaac knew all the strong Wizards or warriors in the Borrel Autarchy, and he didn¡¯t recognize the woman. Therefore, she was most likely not a threat. The Magic she used gave off an odd vibe, faintly unsettling, but didn¡¯t seem particrly strong.

    WHOOSH

    Isaac¡¯s body blurred as he moved so quickly he seemed to teleport,nding down softly on the ground. He held his hand up,manding the remaining Shades to wait on the disc. The rest of the Shades were part of the support and tracking team, and would prove little help inbat.

    tap tap

    Isaac¡¯s eyes trailed off to the side as he saw Veritasnd down next to him.

    ¡°I sense my own kind here.¡± Veritas¡¯ voice was strange and ethereal in Isaac¡¯s ears. One he found faintly distasteful.

    ¡°There.¡± The Anomaly pointed in the direction of several of the Aurelius Vampires.

    Trajan was currently tending to Probus, trying to wake him up. Helena was standing guard, her eyes ring as she stared at the Shades. She looked back and forth at the downed Anomalies, trying to help Aron to his feet. The wolf-armored warrior was still struggling, however, not fully cognizant. Xaphan was out cold.

    ¡°More Anomalies?¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes tightened in displeasure.

    ¡°If I absorb them, I will grow closer to bing an Angel of Light.¡± Veritas responded and continued,

    ¡°That is the Truth.¡±

    ¡°First, however, I will check for the fox. She is needed as well.¡± Veritas¡¯ body shivered and rushed forward, headed straight for the tents set up by the Aurelius Vampires.

    WHOOSH

    Before Veritas could move far, however, another figure mmed down in front of the Anomaly, intercepting it.

    ¡°Veritas, right?¡± Helena began, her eyes cool. She rubbed at her Spatial Ring again, extremely tense. A thousand things were happening at once. She was ready to pull the trigger on the Magic Artifact she¡¯d been gifted to use by General Carus at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°I was hoping you and I could talk.¡±

    A few dozen meters away, Isaac rubbed his chin, looking from the tents to the downed Anomalies.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ fewer of these chaotic, banal beings existing is probably a good thing, for themon people.¡¯ He nodded his head. Veritas¡¯ existence was already irritating and dangerous enough.

    Abruptly, his body blurred. His movements were simr to that of the Shade that Dorian had fought on Blizzaria, Jasper, in that they were unbelievably fast. Isaac¡¯s movements, however, had more control and moved with even greater speed.

    In a fraction of a second, before anyone could react, he appeared right next to Xaphan. He scooped up the demonic chef all in one motion, tossing him onto his shoulders.

    ¡°NO YOU DON¡¯T! THAT ANOMALY BELONGS TO THE BORREL AUTARCHY, AND IS FORBIDDEN FROM BEING KILLED!¡±

    Taemin¡¯s voice burst out in extreme rage as he smashed down next to the Holy Prince,pletely ignoring his attackers as he charged. Several small wounds appeared on his body, prating his innate barrier as a result of his reckless attack.

    The force of his impact split the entire stone outcropping in twain. A huge crater appeared as rocks exploded, shrapnel shooting off into the air. Huge chunks of jagged rock jutted up as a result of his monstrous strength.

    Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, the Holy Prince had already vanished, his speed too fast to be tracked by the unaided eye.

    The exploding ground sent several of the Wizards and warriors on the ground flying. The Shades that were trying to hold back Taemin were sent up several meters as they regained their footing. Several of the Grandmaster ss Vampires that were watching off to the side were knocked backwards.

    The Anomaly Aron had his sword stabbed into the ground, still trying to recover from the huge Aura that had knocked into him. Aron was clutching at his sword, and thus managed to avoid being knocked into the air thanks to that.

    Lastly, it sent the vampire duo Probus and Trajan flying. Trajan managed to resist the surprise impact by instinct, dodging it like the Shades by jumping into the air.

    The unconscious Probus, meanwhile, was unable to move, and was sent flying towards the center of the impact.

    Directly into the hands of the Diamond Wizard Taemin.

    Taemin caught the unconscious vampire warrior by the neck, snorting lightly.

    Trajan¡¯s vision was a mess of energy, but he managed to catch Probus¡¯ energy signature moving through the air. One that moved andnded, directly on the signature of the half-diamond Wizard that had attacked him.

    ¡°Hmph. Your obstruction to the Borrel Autarchy was as I said it would be.¡± Taemin began, rolling his shoulders.

    ¡°Wait! Stop!¡± Trajan¡¯s face twisted as he heard this, immediately sping his hands.

    All of this had happened in a split second. The Shades were still recovering, not yet able to attack Taemin.

    Taemin paused in that moment, turning to look at Trajan. He didn¡¯t smile, but instead frowned, his eyes growing cold.

    ¡°Do you think this is a game, Vampire? Your choices have consequences. If you choose to obstruct the Borrel Autarchy, your life will end like his¡­¡± Taemin held Probus up by his throat.

    And crushed it.

    ¡°Pointless.¡±

 Chapter 117 - Leaving

    Chapter 117: Leaving

    Taemin threw Probus¡¯ body to the side as he spun around, his armsing up into a guarded position.

    Not a momentter, several small explosions of light sted out, knocking him several steps to the side as the Shades reengaged him. Taemin agilely deflected or blocked attack after attack, but the sheer power of the barrage forced him to stay on the defense. The Shades were going all out, expending their full strength while holding nothing back.

    ¡°Probus! No!¡± Trajan¡¯s body blurred as he dashed forward, catching Probus before he hit the ground. He instantly jumped backwards after he grabbed him, flipping through the air as he retreated towards the tents.

    The cratered ground had broken apart most of the tents, scattering beds, random supplies, and furniture upon the teau. Trajan rushed towards one area in particr, where the other Vampires were resting.

    ¡°Carten! Quickly! Heal him!¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was frenzied as hended down hard in the midst of the other Vampires, motioning at one of the elderly Blood Wizards that was apanying them.

    Immediately the elderly Vampire stepped forward, wiping a sheen of sweat off his forehead as he looked over Probus.

    Probus¡¯ entire neck was crushed, the extreme strength that the Diamond Wizard Taemin held unremitting in its ferocity. His movements had held a certain ferocity, imbued with whatever Law the Wizard studied, one Trajan didn¡¯t recognize.

    An attack like that was one that would overwhelm a body on a cellr level, not allowing the natural regeneration that Vampires possessed to work.

    Blood red light shed as the elderly Vampire began casting a spell, pulling out several small white Pills. His hands moved and flowed as he went to work, trying to heal the grievous injury.

    ¡°Probus¡­ please.¡± Trajan¡¯s hands trembled as he looked at hisrade, his battlingpanion, his best friend.

    Off to the side, just moments prior, Helena had been in a staredown with the Anomaly Veritas.

    ¡°Out of the way, Vampire. The Truth cannot be stopped.¡± Veritas¡¯ voice was cold as it ordered Helena aside.

    ¡°I want to talk to you, Veritas. You stole the sight from one of myrades, as well as the arm of another, through some mysterious curse.¡± Helena had begun, her voice calm despite the chaotic scene around her.

    At the same time, she held the Capitoline Wolf Bracelet, an ancient Magic Artifact, ready in her right hand. She was ready to activate it at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Her n had copsed around her with the unexpected arrival of the Borrel Autarchy Wizards, as well as the presence of the Holy Prince alongside the Shades. Neither of these things had been predicted by the Aurelius Fate Wizards, the abstruseness of Fate too difficult to parse through.

    She had opted to try to continue the n, however, making use of the infighting between the forces of the two Major Powers.

    Right after Helena finished speaking, a huge explosion of force rippled through the air as the Diamond Wizard cratered the ground, and everything began to unfold at an incredible pace.

    Probus had his throat crushed by the Diamond Wizard and was ruthlessly tossed to the side. Trajan rescued him and retreated, falling back.

    Originally, Trajan was supposed to cast his Rain Magic: Time Chained Torrent. This would buy her enough time to talk to the Anomaly, while helping stall off the other Shades.

    The tents and supplies they had set up had been sent flying, revealing a startled Arial who¡¯d been watching the battle from the tent p.

    Veritas, upon seeing her, had begun to rush forward, the Anomaly¡¯s ethereal form trailing behind her as the Anomaly brought forth a glowing sword of light.

    Helena had rushed to put herself between the two, still trying to convince the Anomaly to talk. Her n was falling apart around her, but she was determined to at least talk to the Anomaly before they fled.

    At that exact moment, however, a ferocious, blood-curdling roar shook the air.

    The Holy Prince of the Church of Light Isaac had rushed to pick up the second Anomaly, Aron, after securing Xaphan. When Isaac appeared in front of the trembling Aron, however, he was met with a deadly de strike.

    The Holy Prince had dodged the attack effortlessly, his body giving off small particles of light as he punched forward, intent on knocking the Anomaly unconscious.

    It was at that moment that Aron seemed to realize Xaphan was being carried by the Holy Prince, slung across the man¡¯s back casually.

    Aron¡¯s entire body shivered. The metallic wolf armor he wore seemed to vibrate for a brief second.

    And then, without any other warning, Aron seemed to explode outward, his body expanding and growing at lightspeed.

    Aron transformed into an enormous grey skinned wolf, one that had arge, metallic de pierced through its mouth, from the base to the roof, pointing upwards. His body stood roughly 5 meters tall, covered in rippling fur and muscles. It was an extraordinarily odd appearance that was both intimidating and ferocious.

    (Image ¨Chttps://i.imgur/SVpF3OJ.jpg</a>(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    An odd appearance that Helena happened to recognize from legend, from tales told about the ancient beasts of old.

    A myth of an immortal, undying wolf, cursed by the heavens with a de pierced through its mouth. This wolf held within it terrible power, able to create massive shes of energy and devastate thendscape.

    This wolf breed was extraordinarily rare. Only seven were ever recorded to exist, over hundreds of thousands of years.

    They were known as the Langshen. The Divine Wolves.

    ¡°HOWWWLLL!¡± A loud wolf¡¯s howl ripped through the air, carrying with it a momentous force. Everyone on the teau, regardless of ss, shuddered.

    The huge wolf¡¯s body blurred as it vanished and then reappeared, right next to the Holy Prince.

    BOOOM

    An explosion rippled out as it attacked.

    A huge, almost invisible sh of force materialized and zed out, instantly bisecting the entire teau.

    WHOOSH

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    ¡°Careful!¡±

    Immediately, the stone outcropping where they were all standing began to copse, shards of stone and rock flinging into the air. The ground began to slide together and down, slowly picking up speed.

    ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Helena muttered, her eyes widening further as more and more things went wrong. The Anomalies were supposed to help them convince Veritas, not go on an insane rampage fighting. She couldn¡¯t me Aron, seeing that hispanion had been captured, but it was still throwing off her n.

    She kept her footing as the ground slid, readying herself to jump.

    ¡°Probus!¡± In the background, Trajan¡¯s urgent shout raised the tension even further.

    Helena closed her eyes for a brief second, frustration and stress mming into her.

    She then opened them and took onest look around.

    The Shades were still fighting the Diamond Wizard and the other female Wizard that studied some type of Water Magic, despite the ground copsing beneath them. Veritas, in wake of the huge attack, had actually retreated, putting its own safety paramount instead of pursuing Arial. The Holy Prince was currently dodging Aron¡¯s attacks, his body teleporting around.

    It was a chaotic scene.

    She had a mission and she had failed.

    She didn¡¯t allow herself time to regret as she clutched the bracelet Artifact.

    ¡°The Retreat of Capitoline.¡± Warm grey light covered her as she chanted amand to start activating the Artifact. A small dot of grey light touched her forehead.

    This dot of light then shot off, following her will as it touched Arial, and then soared through the air to touch each of the Vampires. The dot moved and tried to touch Aron but was rebuffed. The same thing urred when it went to touch Xaphan.

    It then came back towards her, the lightnding on the small bracelet she now wore on her arm.

    ¡°Activate.¡±

    The warm grey light shed out to a crescendo.

    And all of them, Vampires and fox girl, vanished, instantly teleporting away.

    Leaving behind a huge, unfolding battle and her own failure to achieve her mission.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian looked at therge, blue and white striped Pill he was holding, scanning it up and down.

    It was a Shorn Soul Repair Pill, made perfectly by the Aeth Vampire Alchemist he¡¯d met, Lord Ru.

    The journey across the ocean had been a rtively uneventful one. They had made record pace, sailing through the sky all the way to the northern side of the continent of Pashal, where they¡¯d been dropped off in arge city hidden away in arge forest.

    Lord Ru had given him the Pill half an hour before theynded. He¡¯d also bowed and given Dorian a formal goodbye, stating that the karma he had sown had been resolved. The Aeth Vampire had promptly vanished to his cabin,pletely ignoring Dorian.

    He¡¯d been a bit rude, but a decent person overall, Dorian had decided, as he looked at the Shorn Soul Repair Pill the Aeth Vampire had handed him.

    After they¡¯d touched down, Dorian had done a bit of shopping, picking up some clothes that wouldn¡¯t shred themselves every time he transformed. After that, he and Leader had gone off to grab some food.

    It was then that they¡¯d run into the pair of Dragons.

    ¡°Show me my Growth Stage, Ausra.¡± Hemanded aloud as he sat down on a long wooden bed.

    He was currently sitting in a small inn room he had rented out, temporarily resting and refreshing here before he left for Magmor.

    ¨C

    Wise Jade Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (1/5) Jade Dragonlet ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 3,482/5,805 ¨C

    ¨C

    He smiled.

    It had truly been too easy to gain this form.

    After he¡¯d gained the Bloodline, he¡¯d instantly transformed, proving to Mira that he had an Inheritance, of some sort, from her grandmother. He had very little Growth energy remaining, not even enough to grow past the first stage, but it was still fine. The Wise Jade Dragon went almost intoplete shock as Dorian became a member of her own race, almost unable to ept the reality of the matter.

    She had recovered quickly, however, and becamepletely convinced. Dorian¡¯s ability topletely replicate her race, down to the innate sensation of recognizing each other as Wise Jade Dragons, had won her overpletely.

    It had been a tense moment and a risky n. After all, it was possible Mira wouldn¡¯t believe him and would think his power to transform came from something else. Thankfully, the piece of Ausra that Mira seemed to sense helped convince her of his legitimacy, and things had worked out in the end.

    His Fate had been in luck.

    After bing a Wise Jade Dragon, Dorian had another conversation with Mira, this time in his baby dragon form. He exined that he had to stay in the form for about an hour, due to certain magic limitations.

    They talked and talked, and eventually reached an agreement.

    Mira wanted to enlist his help to find remnants of her grandmother¡¯s soul on Magmor. ording to her, she could detect the presence of her grandmother there.

    Mira exined that Dorian¡¯s soul appeared to have an innate connection to her grandmother. If he came along with her, it was possible that this connection would help draw out or find the remnants of her grandmother, wherever that should be.

    Dorian had agreed. He had no reason not to, after all. He also had a sneaking suspicion that what the Dragons were looking for would be at the Ascension Ruins.

    A set of Ruins that were extremely dangerous. Having a pair of King ss Dragons by his side when he went exploring sounded like a much bigger positive than any of the negatives the pair might bring along.

    Thus, they agreed to journey together. They were about to leave right now, in fact.

    Dorian had returned to the city with Leader to ensure that all the damage they caused was being repaired, and to pick up a fewst odds and ends. Enough time had passed for him to return to his human form, adaptingpletely to the Wise Jade Dragon form.

    ¡°Well. Let¡¯s get to it.¡± He put the Shorn Soul Repair Pill away and then stood up, stretching his human hands.

    Without looking back, he left the small inn room, walking down a set of wooden stairs and out the front entrance.

    Standing on the paved stone street, waiting patiently, was Leader. The calm looking woodsman nodded as Dorian appeared.

    ¡°I am all prepared, Great Lord, though I must say, again, that I think it¡¯s a bad idea to trust the Dragons.¡± His voice was calm as he warned Dorian,

    ¡°Our kind has quite a bit of history with their kind.¡±

    Dorian waved off his warnings, smiling instead,

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡± He wasn¡¯t at all sure, but he was confident that they would prove more useful than not, especially considering he was still being hunted by various groups.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move out. We¡¯ll meet the Dragons on the outside of the city.¡± He clenched his fists lightly. It was time he achieved his mission and resurrected William. It felt like it had been so long ago that William had sacrificed himself to save him.

    And now, he was just a step away from bringing him back. He smiled wider.

    ¡°By tomorrow, we¡¯ll be on Magmor.¡±

 Chapter 118 - The Law of Wrath

    Chapter 118: The Law of Wrath

    WHOOSH

    A gust of wind swept over Dorian as hisrge Sun Eagle form soared through the air, flying roughly a hundred meters above a grassy World Bridge.

    Several hours had passed since he and Leader had left for Magmor. After meeting up with the two dragons, Aiden and Mira, the group had set off together, headed for the World Bridge to the north.

    Paxital¡¯s World Bridges were unguarded for the most part. They had simply needed to travel a couple of hours to reach it, flying across thendscape.

    Dorian had reverted to his most agile form, his Sun Eagle form. Aiden and Mira reverted back to their Draconic forms, extremely powerful and awe-inspiring bodies that gave off a solid feeling of might. Just by looking at Aiden, Dorian could tell that his ck-Scaled Rage Dragon, while powerful, couldn¡¯t match up.

    The Wise Jade Dragon Mira had a much less dangerous looking Draconic form, but her King ss Aura more than made up for that, rising into the air with a peaceful, but undeniable, strength.

    Leader had opted to use a Magic Artifact designed to enable long distance flight. Artifacts that could allow one to fly were prohibitively expensive, Dorian had learned,rgely because of how difficult they were to make and maintain.

    Leader¡¯s Artifact was shaped like a normal sized bull with a saddle atop it, one madepletely out of metal. In fact, the entire Artifact appeared to be made out of different types of metal. Leader powered it using energy from his Soul Spell Matrix, allowing him to speed through the air at a fast pace.

    Like that, the group made good time, reaching the World Bridge in a matter of hours and making excellent time on it.

    And now, as Dorian blinked, taking in his bearings, they had reached the end of it.

    They were now arriving on the Exotic World of Lansc. Thest ce they had to cross before reaching Magmor.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian dived downward as he saw the exit of the World Bridge. The portal that connected the Bridge to the was a jagged circle, one that opened up unto an awe-inspiring view.

    Hundreds of huge, floating chunks of earth and rock, many covered in smallkes, trees, and grass, could be seen, all floating in the air at varying heights. The World Bridge connected to arge floating ind, roughly ten thousand meters wide and long.

    Dorian touched down on the ground with a solid thunk, his Sun Eagle form shivering around him as he transformed. He returned to his base human form, the mostmon and least assuming of all his forms. He quickly put on a set of clothes, a now well-practiced motion intending to save his dignity.

    The two towering Draconic forms of Aiden and Mira followed him as theynded aside him. Both of the dragons transformed at the same time, reappearing in their Humanoid Forms.

    They, somehow, ended up with their clothes already on when they transformed. Dorian was tempted to ask them how, but saved his questions forter.

    WHOOSH

    Leadernded down on the ground, hisrge flying Artifact shrinking and sealing itself inside his Spatial Ring.

    All four of them simultaneously looked out at the mysterious Exotic World of Lansc.

    ¡°Alright. As we nned. We¡¯ll take a guided ship to the World Bridge to Magmor, and remain undercover until we find the source of my grandmother¡¯s soul.¡± Mira was the one that spoke, her voice brooking no argument.

    Magmor was technically a free world, not imed by any Major Power. However, the draw that was the Ascension Ruins drew plenty of powerful experts, intent on uncovering their mysteries. There was even a powerful King ss Wizard, the zing King Pavlo, that had taken up shop on the Exotic World.

    Dorian nodded his assent, while Leader simply grunted, standing behind Dorian.

    Around them, the grassy ins that dominated this World Bridge spread out. They had passed several trading caravans on their journey here, as well as dozens of herds of various beasts. While this World Bridge wasn¡¯t a particrly long one, it was popted by a variety of creatures.

    They¡¯d also seen an assortment of hunters, headed off to the depths of the World Bridge, looking for meat or beast hides.

    Thankfully, there was no one within eyesight of where theynded, allowing them to avoid having to double back to maintain their secrecy.

    Just like that, the group began to journey forward on foot. Down the World Bridge, on the floating ind it connected to, was the mid-sized city of Tillon. It was a forgettable city, mostly used as an outpost by people who came to explore the Exotic World of Lansc, or hunt the creatures on the World Bridge or local floating inds.

    Lansc. The Exotic World of Floating Inds.

    Dorian had gone on a bit of an intelligence-gathering mission, mainly from talking to Leader, but also a bit from talking to people in the town their flying ship had touched down on, back on the previous.

    Lansc hadn¡¯t always been an Exotic World. In fact, it had been a regr, lesser World a bit more than a thousand years ago.

    ording to Leader, Lansc transformed into an Exotic World like this due to a battle that happened here.

    A thousand years ago, the Third Demon War had entered its waning years. The Draconic Tribes, the remnants of the Graal Alliance, and an alliance of Human powers had joined together,unching several offensives.

    One offensive was initiated by an independent group of geniuses, gathered from each alliance.

    The legendary Five Great Heroes. Yukeli, Telmon, Ausra, Sun Wukong, and Kdin.

    Legend had it that the battle between the Five Great Heroes and the Demon Emperor took ce on the Lesser World of Lansc, a World that was then controlled by the Demon Race, used as a front-facing headquarters.

    The battle had been one of such momentum and power that the entire was destroyed, leaving behind thousands of chunks of rock and water, floating in space. The atmosphere of the was kept intact thanks to the magicws of the universe, and the bits and pieces of the gradually came to rest in ce, floating in the air.

    Gradually, over the course of hundreds of years, life returned to this world, and the world itself officially was ssified as an Exotic, drawing an assortment of odd Magic Herbs or Natural Treasures, and thousands of powerful beasts. It became, in a simr vein to Blizzaria, a treasure trove for the adventurous, albeit one that was much less dangerous, but also much less rewarding.

    ¡°I will secure our transport when we arrive. It¡¯s best if we go on one hired ship.¡± Aiden¡¯s gruff voice interrupted Dorian¡¯s musings, causing him to look up.

    Dorian shrugged, eding. He was still rtively well rested, carrying a bit of a bounce in his step. He was ready to keep moving forward.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Nearly two hourster, Dorian found himself aboard a decent sized transport vessel, a flying ship that Aiden had single-handedly booked for travel. The Golden me Dragon had refused any offer of splitting the cost, something Dorian attributed to a bit of stung pride.

    The fact that Dorian had paid entirely for the damages to the city that the fight between Aiden and Leader had caused seemed to have annoyed the Golden me Dragon. Not because Aiden would have paid for it otherwise, but because Dorian took it upon himself to resolve it without asking for anything.

    Their journey inside the small city had been brief and nothing particrly of note had urred. They answered a few small questions and promptly entered the city. They travelled as a group to the trading section of the city, and then to the area where the transportationpanies and mercenary groups thrived.

    One thing led to another, and Aiden had decided to rent out an entire skyship, one that usually carried at least two dozen passengers, no questions asked.

    They¡¯d wasted no words and were able to set off after only a short period of time for the crew to get ready. Travel was thergest industry on Lansc,rgely due to the nature of the Exotic World. It was almost impossible for most people to easily get around due to the chaotic setup of the floating inds.

    And now, Dorian was meditating in a passenger room, currently focusing on himself. The room was small, only a few meters wide and far, with a single cushioned bed and no other furniture. A sparse setup, but the ship itself wasn¡¯t designed for long-term travel, so it made little difference.

    Dorian was specifically focusing on a form he was testing out. One he had gained recently, but yet to really try on.

    His Wrath Vampire form.

    ¨C

    Wrath Vampire ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 39,884

    Ability: Blood Sense, Strong Constant Regeneration, Bat Transformation, Demonic Eyes, Moving Force, Weakened Magic Sensitivity

    Wrath Vampires are a new breed of Vampire, aspected towards the Law of Wrath. They possess incredible physical strength and agility, as well as an extremely powerful life force, able to take otherwise fatal wounds and shrug them off with ease. Their physical appearance is simr to that of regr True Vampires, save for their vibrant white hair, regardless of age. Their powerful Abilities make them nearly unstoppable when they go on a rampage, able to increase their might with every step.

    What the Wrath Vampire gains in physical might, however, it loses in magical sensitivity, making even casting the most basic of Spells a trial. This does not affect the ability to draw energy from the power of Law.

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s rather normal human face had been reced with an elegant, handsome face that was tinged ever so slightly pale gray. His eyes had be a beautiful, enthralling crimson, while his hair had transformed into a stark white. His body was lean and muscr, but in a slim way, not the bulging muscles of his Titan form.

    While in this form, Dorian experienced an uncanny sensation flood his soul.

    His ability to concentrate and visualize the magic symbols needed to cast Spells had be extraordinarily weaker. He was aware that the breed of Wrath Vampires had the negative Weakened Magic Sensitivity Ability, but he hadn¡¯t been sure it would directly affect him.

    It was clear that it had, however.

    He wasn¡¯t even able to cast the Earth ss Fire Magic: me Swords Spell without fumbling over it, let alone the Sky ss Fire Magic: zing Sword that he was still mastering.

    ¡°At least I can be a bat¡­¡± He consoled himself.

    The Ability Bat Transformation did exactly as it sounded like it did, allowing him to transform into a bat form. The form itself was only a magic construct, however, and wouldn¡¯t give him any Bloodline.

    His Wise Jade Dragon form was still in an iplete stage of growth. He wouldn¡¯t be able tobine it with any of his other forms, including his Wrath Vampire body, until he finished growing it. Till then, Dorian figured it was a good idea to get used to this new body.

    As he sat in meditation, running his mind over the powers and Abilities of this form, he could feel a subtle emotion resting in the back of his head.

    Anger. Rage.

    Wrath.

    This feeling didn¡¯t swarm over him. Ity at rest, instead, not controlling him. It was a small, quiet emotion that was connected to this form, and to his soul. It felt almost mystical, a magical type of wrath that was otherworldly.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± He muttered aloud as he concentrated on this feeling in his soul.

    As he closed his eyes, putting his full focus on it, the air around him seemed to shiver. Slowly, a small breeze picked up and swirled around his body in the locked off cabin.

    For some reason, he could feel this emotion strongly flowing within the air around him.

    As he was contemting this, memories began to rise up.

    Memories of the anger he felt when William was killed by the Titan on Hasnorth. Memories of the rage he felt when he killed those hunters that were torturing animals on the World Bridge, an action he felt, after the fact, was somewhat too severe. Memories of his rage at almost being killed by the Shades on Blizzaria, forced to allow Yukeli¡¯s memories to partially take over.

    ¡°My anger¡­ I am being controlled by it.¡± As Dorian went over all of this, he came to a realization.

    Time and time again, he was letting his anger get the best of him. Without control, without precision. He was allowing himself to be controlled by something else.

    As he came to this realization, the slight breeze that had stirred around his body abruptly whipped about, flush for a single moment.

    A feeling of euphoria dawned upon Dorian, a wonderful sensation of energy rushing into his Soul. Dorian felt that feeling of anger, that feeling of wrath, that emotion in the back of his mind,e fully under his control.

    At the same time, he abruptly sensed a huge store of energy within that feeling. Like a reservoir of power, boiling and stirring in the air itself.

    ¡°I can feel it¡­¡± He muttered, his eyes taking on a slightly red glow.

    ¡°This is¡­ the Law of Wrath¡­ I¡¯ve touched upon it¡­¡± He realized.

    Dorian¡¯s Wrath Vampire form had an innate connection to the Law of Wrath. His Soul Spell Matrix was already at the Lord ss, making him extremely receptive to the Power of Law.

    Laws were intangible concepts that supported reality itself. A Wizard or warrior could draw upon the Laws of the universe much like drawing energy from a limitless battery. A Lord ss fighter could only draw at a limited rate, but they could make use of this energy for a variety of things. They were only limited by their imagination and the fatigue that was associated with drawing the energy through their soul.

    ¡°But why?¡± Dorian opened his eyes, looking at the world around him.

    ¡°I can feel it¡­ powerfully in the air.¡± As he looked around the room, Dorian realized that he could not only feel the Law of Wrath in the back of his head but also strongly around him.

    Almost as if the Law had been used very recently in the area.

    ¡°No¡­ not recently. A long time ago¡­ someone drew intensely upon the Law of Wrath.¡± Dorian muttered aloud, nodding his head.

    Lansc was the battle site between the Demon Emperor, a master of the Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race, and the Five Great Heroes.

    Through a twist of Fate, and thanks to his Wrath Vampire form, Dorian was able to get a look at the Law of Wrath far faster than he normally would have. The remnants the Demon Emperor had left using the Law of Wrath was present even a thousand years after the battle had taken ce.

    ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s incredible.¡± As he finished speaking, the sense of euphoria Dorian felt reached a peak.

    Abruptly, energy from the Law of Wrath began to swarm about his soul, running flush in his Soul Spell Matrix. The air around him shook one more time as his eyes glowed and then fell to a still.

    He took a deep breath and then let it out, looking down at his hands. The connection he felt to the Law of Wrath remained in the back of his head.

    He had just experienced a baptism of the Laws of the universe.

    Specifically, for the Law of Wrath.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    I may take a small 1 day break tomorrow, in prep for Thanksgiving here in America!

 Chapter 119 - Competition

    Chapter 119: Competition

    ¡°Great Lord, be wary. These Dragons might not recognize the unique Aura the Law of Wrath holds, not after the passage of so many years, but those that are familiar with it, like myself, can easily pick it out.¡± Leader¡¯s voice was calm, but slightly earnest, as he spoke to Dorian.

    ¡°I know you wish to stay undercover for a time, and if we have to kill them, it could disrupt your ns.¡± Leader ced a huge amount of confidence in Dorian¡¯s strength.

    Dorian stared back, ruefully smiling internally.

    ¡®Don¡¯t give me that much trust, Leader. I probably couldn¡¯t even hold a candle to those two.¡¯ At his current level, there was little chance he¡¯d survive a direct matchup against either Dragon.

    Yukeli would probably be able to handle it just fine, being the genius warrior that he was, but it wasn¡¯t like he and Yukeli were on speaking terms. He didn¡¯t want to risk losing his body or soul to that man.

    ¡°I am aware, Leader.¡± He wasn¡¯t, actually, but now he was. The thought hadn¡¯t really crossed his mind. Still, he needed to y it up, to maintain the mental image the Pride Demon had of him.

    ¡°Of course, Great Lord.¡± Leader nodded as if it was the most natural thing ever.

    ¡°How are things with the Dragons?¡± Dorian continued, rubbing his elegant chin.

    Leader hadn¡¯t blinked at Dorian¡¯s new Wrath Vampire form, taking it for granted. The subtle feeling of the Law of Wrath was impossible to replicate unless one had some type of rare Wrath based Artifact.

    ¡°Hmph. The gold one, Aiden, is arrogant. I¡¯ve butted heads with him a few times on deck, to show him the errors of his ways, but made no overt moves otherwise.¡± Leader¡¯s unerring pride seemed to force him to confront anyone that was daring to act arrogant around him.

    ¡°As for the quiet one, the Wise Jade Dragon, she keeps mostly to herself.¡±

    Dorian had spent the better part of an hour focused purely on his new understanding of the Law of Wrath. Because his Soul Spell Matrix was already at the Lord ss, he technically should be able to draw upon the Law of Wrath to imbue it within his attacks or use it in unique manners.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t actually know anything about the Law of Wrath, beyond some basic info he¡¯d gained from Leader. He didn¡¯t know any secret techniques, like what Leader had exined was the ¡®Super State¡¯ his Law of Pride allowed him to ess.

    If he wanted to discover what else he could do, he¡¯d need to bumble around, testing on his own, or seek out an inheritance of some sort. ording to Leader, there were remnants of the Demon Race, and the Laws they studied, hidden within thends of the Shade Commune. He made a mental note to check there in the future.

    In the time that Dorian had been going over all of this, Leader had been interacting with the others, intent on gathering information about them.

    ¡°Got it.¡± They were currently standing in Dorian¡¯s room. Leader had shown up after Dorian stopped meditating on the Law of Wrath, the Aura he gave off fading away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Dorian continued and walked over to his doorway, opening it. It exited out onto a small wooden hallway, with a long fur carpet set into the ground. Dorian walked over to one end where he found a flight of stairs. He climbed them quickly, without hesitation.

    As he arrived up above, he took a deep breath, looking around. Arge, several dozen meters wide wooden deck spread out around Dorian. A few men could be seen, tending to various parts of the flying ship. The crew size was rather small for these types of transportation, far less than what would be needed for a seafaring ship.

    ¡°Ah, the great warrior in the flesh.¡± An arrogant voice filled with a hint of irritation rang out.

    Dorian turned, looking down towards the left side of the skyship, near the edge.

    Aiden, the Golden me Dragon, stood there in his humanoid form, a long gold robe adorning his body. He held himself with pride, a sense of royal might flowing off of him.

    ¡®Huh, Leader must¡¯ve really irritated him.¡¯ He thought, slightly eyeing Leader askance. The Pride Demon had followed him up on deck.

    ¡°Hmph. Your prowess is as nothing inparison.¡± Leader returned, stepping forward to stand next to Dorian, his arms crossed. The Dragon apparently recognized Dorian despite his changed form. The fact that he transformed into different bodies seemed to have been fully exined to him by hispanion.

    ¡°Oh is that so? Well, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± Aiden began, leaning his right arm on the side of the skyship,

    ¡°How about a littlepetition? We still have another hour before we arrive.¡±

    ¡°What type ofpetition? If it¡¯s something only a Golden me Dragon can do, obviously we will decline.¡± Leader immediately responded, his voice full of suspicion as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°No, no. A simple test of skill and uracy, I will remain in my Humanoid Form for it as well. A fair contest to all.¡± Aiden returned, shaking his head slightly.

    ¡°Then we ept. You will learn what true strength is, foolish Dragon.¡± Leader¡¯s voice was prideful.

    ¡°Well, one of us will learn that.¡± Aiden smiled slightly, a smile that did not touch his eyes.

    ¡®Wow, they¡¯re really getting at it.¡¯ Dorian thought, a small seed of worry in his heart. The skyship they were taking couldn¡¯t take too much damage, after all. If the duo started battling, it would doubtlessly be destroyed.

    Aiden waved his hand. Immediately, several dozen sets of knives appeared, floating in the air magically. They appeared to be made of metal and were about the length of Dorian¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Here is the contest. Each of us gets twenty knives to use.¡± Aiden began, motioning at the knives. He then turned, pointing to the sky they were soaring through.

    The sky of Lansc was full of floating inds and chaotic breezes. The wind currents took odd twists and turns all around them, the thousands of floating inds creating huge streams and eddies. It was a chaotic, almost random setup.

    ¡°The goal is simple. The first knife must be thrown out ahead of the ship. The person who can keep that knife ahead of the ship the longest without letting it fall away, using the other knives to alter its flight path, wins. A test of uracy and skill.¡± Aiden nodded his head firmly,

    ¡°A caveat, however. No Magic is allowed, nor are either of us allowed to use the Power of Law.¡± Aiden turned to face Leader and Dorian, the arrogant smile on his face.

    ¡°A perfectly fair challenge. Do you ept?¡±

    ¡®It does seem pretty fair.¡¯ Dorian thought, nodding his head. Leader was a talented archer, and while his Pride Aura could greatly boost his strength, he was still very strong without it. He had no doubt that Leader was also skilled with throwing knives.

    ¡°Yes, we do!¡± Leader saw Dorian¡¯s nod and responded, thumping his chest.

    ¡°Excellent. Then let us begin immediately.¡± Aiden turned towards the front of the ship, walking there in confident strides.

    Leader turned to face Dorian, his eyes full of fervor,

    ¡°Crush his arrogance, Great Lord! Show him what true strength means!¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he came to a horrifying realization.

    The Golden me Dragon hadn¡¯t been talking about Leader when he challenged them. He had been talking about Dorian.

    His head slowly turned towards the front of the ship, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

    ¡®Oh dear. This isn¡¯t good.¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On Magmor¡­

    WHOOSH

    A sh of light sted out as a bedraggled group of figures appeared in the middle of a small courtyard, in the outer district of the city of Tomo.

    The courtyard was made of stone and nicely kept, with a few young trees decorating the corners and a mid-sized stone wall covering it from outside view. A pair of wooden houses could be seen at the back of the courtyard, connecting to a few stone buildings, all with grey, ash stained roofs. A picturesque and quaintrge home, built in the traditional stylemon to Tomo.

    ¡°Quickly! Get Probus treated immediately!¡± Trajan¡¯s urgent voice was unrelenting as he picked up the mortally wounded Probus, carrying him inside one of the adjacent houses. The Rain Wizard spared Helena a single, emotionless stare before rushing inside with the silent Probus.

    Several of the Grandmaster Vampire Wizards followed after Trajan, preparing to do everything they could to save him.

    Helena caught her breath as she looked around the courtyard, clenching her fists.

    They had been forced to use the backup escape n. Helena had sent one of her Vampires in to rent out a courtyard. It had only taken her a brief trip, since they were so close to the city, to get its location and return back.

    No matter how powerful the Shades were, unless the Shade King or High Priest of the Church of Light came personally, none of them would dare to cause trouble in Tomo City.

    The Capitoline Wolf Bracelet was a Magic Artifact that had two powers. One could be used for escaping and the other could be used for attacking. The original n was to try to win Veritas over using the other Anomalies, and if that failed, kill it. The bracelet could unleash a sizable amount of concentrated power, and with Helena¡¯s skills, killing the Anomaly known as Veritas would¡¯ve been a done deal.

    Trajan¡¯s time slowing rain Spell, the Time Chained Torrent, paired up with Probus and the other two Anomalies, would¡¯ve held off the Shades. The n should¡¯ve been near foolproof.

    But everything had gone wrong.

    She clenched her fists again, taking a deep breath. She felt as if her heart was twisting as she looked over to the house Trajan had rushed into with Probus, her keen senses picking up on his pained yells. The two of them had been as close as brothers.

    She took a second, shuddering breath, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes,

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Pavlo frowned as he looked out from the city wall of Tomo, rubbing his chin.

    The wall itself wasrge and towering, made of white stone that was stained grey by the ashfalls that took ce on asion. While it was rare for any Lava Giant or other beasts native to the Magma Lands to attack the city, especially considering how high up it was, there were still guards and Wizards moving on it on patrol.

    ¡°Henry, what do we have on the groups that are fighting over there?¡±

    Standing next to the zing King were a group of his subordinates, led by the King ss Wizard Henry. The red-headed man had a frown on his face as well as he looked at the distant explosions.

    ¡°Sir. While we are not certain who the attackers are, at this present moment, we know that the Aurelius Family stationed 3 of their Reavers there, in a temporary camp. In addition, we believe that two of their party members are the chaotic creatures known as ¡®Anomalies,¡¯ ording to the Fate Wizards. The Vampires entered the city earlier and rented out a courtyard in the outer district.¡± His words were precise and fast-paced, spoken so quickly they seemed to clip off each other.

    ¡°The Aurelius Family, eh?¡± Pavlo looked down at the scepter he held in his hand, shifting it slightly.

    ¡°I spoke to their Highlord many years ago. They have made it clear they have no interest in trying a hostile takeover of Magmor, nor would they have any chance of seeding at such.¡± Pavlo shook his head, confused.

    ¡°Henry, take some of your men and check it out. I don¡¯t like having such intensebat so close to the city. Force them to break it up.¡± Just as he finished speaking, however, a fast, almost imperceptible beam of light shot off from the distant scene ofbat andnded inside the city.

    This beam moved so quickly it was practically invisible to the unaided eye. Even Pavlo, the powerful King ss Wizard that was close to breaking through to the Angelic ss, was unable to detect it.

    In fact, of everyone standing on that wall, only a single person saw the beam of light.

    A hooded figure, standing at the back of the group of subordinates.

    Mello¡¯s eyes shed inside of his disguised hood as he just barely managed to see the beam, his head slowly turning towards the outer district of Tomo where it hadnded.

    He cocked his head to the side slightly.

    Henry immediately bowed as he heard Pavlo¡¯s orders, barking out a few quickmands,

    ¡°Balt, Kanden, you two are with me. The rest of you may return to the city and are free until you are called upon. Be prepared to move with your team at a moment¡¯s notice. The me Empyrean Turtle will be surfacing, and surfacing soon, somewhere near Tomo this time.¡±

    The group of subordinate Wizards to the zing King dispersed from the wall, moving in various directions.

    One form in particr, covered by a long, dark cloak, could be seen leaving the group, headed towards the outer district¡­

    .

    AuthorWiz AuthorWiz Support the Author here!https://patreon/wiz</a>

    Huge thanks to all our story supporters <3 Y¡¯all are inching me close to writing full time!

    Talk/chat about the story here! ->https://discord.gg/CEhpTMD</a>

    Happy Thanksgiving all ? See you all tomorrow! <3

 Chapter 120 - Question

    Chapter 120: Question

    Aiden took a small breath, refusing to let even a hint of worry appear on his face.

    His Draconic eyes scanned the area in front of the ship before turning, looking at the two beings that had inexplicably managed to sorely irritate him.

    The past several hours had been incredibly annoying for him. From battling against that abnormally tough cockroach-like human, to watching as the other human ignored him to pay for the wake of Aiden¡¯s spar, to everything onward and in-between.

    He was here on a mission, helping escort Mira to look for her grandmother, but he couldn¡¯t help but bristle. These humans were incredibly daring, both the one that constantly switched forms and the one that he had sparred with.

    Leader, the one he had fought, was tough and strong, and Aiden sensed that he had hidden a great deal of his true strength when they fought in and over the city. Neither one of them had truly been going all out, both were simply testing the other.

    Leader was also incredibly prideful, refusing to bend even the slightest bit to a fierce and mighty Golden me Dragon like himself.

    What was even more confounding, however, was the fanatic respect and adoration Leader showed to the other human, the one Mira said had a connection with her grandmother and was one of her inheritors.

    The one named Dorian.

    Aiden couldn¡¯t sense anything that felt even remotely threatening off of the man. He could barely sense even the slightest hint of Law about him, and the only magic he could detect was extremely low level.

    Aiden found that incredibly worrying.

    ¡®How strong is he? How much weaker am I that he can hide his strength so well? I can¡¯t sense a damn thing.¡¯ There was no way the prideful human would treat someone weaker than him with that much adoration and respect.

    Thus he found himself in a conundrum.

    He could not tolerate the unbridled arrogance of the prideful human, but he couldn¡¯t act without facing off against the chief of the two humans. The strength of the chief human, however, was an unknown. The sheer adoration the lesser human treated him with,bined with that lesser human¡¯s strength, had made Aiden wary.

    ¡®Could he be Late King ss? Pseudo-Angelic ss? A multiple Law Practitioner?¡¯ A deluge of possibilities ran through his mind.

    After thinking it over, he eventually reached a decision.

    The human inheritor of Lady Ausra wasn¡¯t someone he could kill or harm, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t be challenged to a duel of skill. If the human was truly as powerful as he seemed, a duel like this would reveal his true might.

    So he had challenged the human.

    And the human hadn¡¯t even hesitated for a split second before nodding silently, epting the challenge with an almost bored look.

    That alone had half convinced him of his strength.

    He clenched his fists tightly as he focused his gaze on the shapeshifting human.

    ¡®I will not lose to you! The pride of a Dragon cannot be defeated! I will not give in! There is no way you are better than me!¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian took a small breath, refusing to let even a hint of worry appear on his face.

    He then looked out over the front of the ship, his stomach fluttering.

    Large clumps of stone floated in the air, many of them sizable enough to have trees and small pools of water on them. Vines drifted off the edges of several inds, some rocky ones covered in grass, others just pure, barren stone.

    Their magic ship soared through the air on a mostly direct path, only making slight adjustments to avoid distant floating inds.

    ¡°These are finely made Bound Iron Knives. They will return to me after they reach more than 1,000 meters away.¡± Aiden said as he handed 21 of them to Dorian. The Golden me Dragon was currently ring at him, his eyes full of what looked to Dorian like unchecked anger.

    Each knife was thin, far thinner than a de or most other knives. Dorian held therge collection in his hand, slowly organizing them. Because of how thin they were, he could just barely manage to hold all 21 in a single hand.

    Each knife, despite its rtive thinness, must¡¯ve weighed around 10 pounds (4.4 kg). If Dorian had been a normal human, there was no way he would¡¯ve been able to casually hold 21 of them in his left hand.

    ¡°I will go first. We will see if you are as great a warrior as your subordinate says.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. You will be holding your tongue soon, Dragon.¡± Leader broke in with a retort, his voice oozing confidence, as if Dorian had already won.

    Dorian simply blinked outwardly while internally panicking.

    ¡®Crap! How am I supposed to do this? I don¡¯t know how to throw knives at all, let alone how to make them hit at the right angle to keep another knife flying in the air, especially with all this wind!¡¯

    The breeze on Lansc was still as chaotic as he had observed before, characteristic of the haphazardly set floating ind Exotic. The ship they were on was magically shielded from the wind, but anything that left more than 2 meters from it would be beset by the chaotic currents.

    ¡°Watch, lest you miss the dawn of greatness.¡± The Golden me Dragon eyed him and Leader askance before turning to face the front of the ship, his voice full of unstoppable confidence.

    WHOOSH

    Aiden threw forward the first knife, his right arm a blur as he perfectly shot it out in front of them.

    Dorian watched it go, able to clearly pick it out thanks to both his Demonic Eyes, and the fact that his Wrath Vampire form had incredibly keen senses, like most Vampires. He opted to not mess with it using his soul to twist Fate, not when the Golden me Dragon was intensely watching its every movement. The energy cost in manipting the Fate of the masterful King ss warrior¡¯s precision was probably prohibitive, energy he might end up needing for himself.

    The Bound Iron Knife sailed up high into the sky and then slowly began to fall, cutting down in a near perfect arc, only marred slightly by the gusting winds that surrounded it.

    TINK

    A metallic clinking sound echoed out as a second knife perfectly collided with the first, redirecting it into another upward arc.

    Aiden had thrown the knife silently,pletely under Dorian¡¯s attention. Dorian hadn¡¯t even seen his arm move, so caught up was he with trying to keep an eye on the main knife.

    TINK

    TINK

    TINK

    Aiden threw three more knives in session, each one perfectly timed to redirect the main knife back up into the air.

    ¡®How is he doing this?!¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly in genuine shock and respect.

    The Dragon was aiming with such precision and mastery that each impact perfectly transferred the needed force, sending the main knife exactly where he wanted it.

    Leader, who was standing by Dorian¡¯s side, was merely grunting and nodding, as if this was expected.

    ¡®How high level are these two?¡¯ It was only now that Dorian was truly realizing how ridiculously skilled hispanions were. The power and capability one needed to reach the King ss was absolutely not something amon person could ever reach or muster.

    ¡®And to think Yukeli absolutely destroyed Leader with ease¡­¡¯

    TINK

    TINK

    The Golden me Dragon hit the main knife twice more. As he finished hitting it the second time, however, a frown appeared on his face.

    An unexpected gust of wind had bounced off a nearby ind at an odd angle, slightly redirecting the angle of Aiden¡¯s main knife. The dragon had only a split second to react to the change, throwing forward another knife.

    TINK

    This knife just barely managed to redirect the falling main knife. The first knife, however, was starting to wobble and tumble, not able to fully maintain its power.

    TINK

    TINK

    TINK

    Aiden managed three more knife throws, each one an attempt to straighten out the first knife. His throws carried arge amount of strength and precision, each one designed to hit the main knife at a pivotal point, shaping its arc.

    TINK

    Finally, Aiden managed one final throw before the main knife tumbled off to the side, unable to achieve a good angle.

    ¡°Huff¡­¡± The Golden me Dragon was slightly out of breath. The extreme concentration it needed to be able to calcte and predict the positions of the knives while also ounting for changes in the wind was at an astronomical level. The duel alone was an exercise in exhaustion.

    ¡°Eleven knives. You barely passed the halfway mark. My Great Lord could easily crush such a record.¡± Leader spoke aloud as the Golden me Dragon finished, his voice full of pride and confidence,

    ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    ¡®Damn it, Leader! Stop egging him on!¡¯ Dorian mentally swore at his subordinate, making an internal promise to never take on any other subordinates that were as prideful as him.

    Aiden turned around, ring fire at Leader. He was just about to respond when another voice cut in,

    ¡°Aiden¡­ what are you doing with the inheritor?¡± Mira walked up above deck, looking at the trio curiously.

    Aiden ducked his eyes for a single split second, a hint of guilt appearing in them that was immediately quashed.

    ¡°Just a friendlypetition, Mira.¡± He shrugged, waving his hands at Dorian.

    ¡°Well, ¡®Great Lord?¡¯ You should be able to easily surpass that, right? Please, shower upon us your might.¡± His voice was full of feigned warmth. Mira looked on, a hint of disapproval appearing in her eyes.

    Leader donned a smug smirk as he watched this, as if waiting to take pleasure in Aiden¡¯s loss.

    Dorian took a deep breath, feeling as if he was about to burn a hole through his stomach. He blinked slowly, his focus on the air in front of him.

    Without hesitation, he grabbed a knife from the 21 he was holding and threw it into the air. It shivered as it left the protective boundary of the skyship, cutting through the natural winds of Lansc with ease, for now.

    He turned briefly, his eyes shing as he stared at Aiden and yelled aloud, his voice holding absolute confidence,

    ¡°Do not question this Godly Vampire!¡±

    Dorian grabbed the 19 other knives with both hands.

    And then hurled them forward all at once.

    Aiden¡¯s jaw dropped.

    Leader¡¯s jaw dropped.

    Mira¡¯s jaw dropped, despite her not quite understanding what was going on.

    Dorian smiled mysteriously and closed his eyes, the picture of cool assuredness.

    Internally, he focused with all his might upon his soul, putting every iota of willpower he held into twisting Fate.

    ¡®Please, please, please work!¡¯

 Chapter 121 - Knives

    Chapter 121: Knives

    (Changed 20 knives to 21 in the prev chapter, because the author can¡¯t math)<hr>

    In the instant before Dorian pulled on his soul to twist Fate, he checked on his status.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 55,221/55,221

    ¨C

    His maximum base Energy Level had reached a much higher level at 55,221 points thanks to his touching upon the Law of Wrath. He had jumped an enormous 15,000 points simply from that alone.

    ¡®If I use the Condense Ability, my strength will increase, but not at the same ratio.¡¯ A stray thought crossed his mind. His Condense Abilityrgely centered around his physique and physical might of each form. Him increasing his Energy Level through the Power of Law would boost that, but not by an equal amount.

    ¡®Still¡­ my Perfect Body Ability is simply a better version of my Condense Ability. I think I¡¯ll shelve using Condense forbat.¡¯ While the Perfect Body Ability didn¡¯t change his Energy Level, it instead made whatever form he was using transform into a perfect version of that form, vastly increasing its base physical stats. It was impossible to use the Condense Ability simultaneously.

    Dorian discarded these thoughts as he focused fully on using his will to twist Fate. Immediately, he felt a huge amount of energy leave his body, flooding out of him.

    As the energy flooded out of his body, Dorian instinctively knew what was about to happen.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 26,223/55,221

    ¨C

    ¡®Almost 30,000 points?!¡¯

    WHOOSH

    The 20 knives he threw haphazardly into the air all soared out in front at varying angles, flying through the sky. They seemed to st out randomly, thrown with enough force to st outward at a very fast speed.

    He couldn¡¯t use Magic for this, not that any of the Spells he knew would be much use. Dorian wasn¡¯t sure if an Ability would technically ¡®count¡¯ as Magic, but it was clear that the contest was assumed to be one of only martial skill, body control, and calction.

    Abilities originated from the Soul Spell Matrix of a creature and didn¡¯t require the same mental focus or concentration that Magic took. They still left noticeable trails of energy, however. It would be obvious to all that he had done at least something if he activated any of his Abilities. While the onlookers might not know exactly what, it would still be detectable.

    A ¡®Great Lord¡¯ like Dorian was pretending to be would never stoop so low as to do something like that.

    So Dorian went with his best n. Simply twisting Fate with his special soul. Something that didn¡¯t leave an energy trail or signature, and was practically undetectable in most situations.

    Aiden recovered from his shock enough to startughing,

    ¡°Hahaha, well, I suppose that¡¯s a good way to give up if you aren¡¯t confident! One of those knives even went backwards!¡± Ridicule and mockery filled his words as he spoke, his eyes showing delight and arrogance in equal measure. One of the knives Dorian had haphazardly thrown had indeed skidded off at a bad angle, flung behind the ship.

    Leader simply looked at Dorian briefly before turning his head to watch the knives, his faith in Dorianplete.

    ¡°Hmph. Just keep watching, foolish Dragon. The Great Lord¡¯s ways are simply beyond your understanding!¡± Leader crossed his arms as he came to Dorian¡¯s defense, his words showing not even a hint of doubt.

    Aiden turned to look at Leader, smirking slightly.

    ¡°Really? Do you honestly think tha-¡±

    TINK

    Aiden froze as he heard a metallic clinking sound echo out behind him, from the front of the ship. He recovered from freezing after a second, his body blurring as he spun around.

    Dorian¡¯s first knife had gone soaring forward at a fast speed. It had immediately slowed, however, as an unexpected updraft knocked into it, causing it to tumble slightly.

    In the moment that its path shifted, the knife inexplicably collided with one of the fastest of the 20 knives Dorian had thrown, a metallic ring echoing out as it knocked the first knife forward.

    ¡°A lucky blow tha-¡± Aiden began and then cut off.

    TINK

    TINK

    The redirected first knife, as it shot forward, miraculously collided with the next two knives of the many Dorian had thrown. Because of how Dorian had thrown the knives, all 20 at once, these two collided with the first knife at the same time.

    This causes the knife to flip over, knocking up and backwards towards the ship.

    ¡°Hah! Look at it now, not a chan-¡± Aiden began a second time and then cut himself off again.

    TINK

    TINK

    TINK

    TINK

    TINK

    Awork of five of the mid-speed knives all collided with the first knife as it ricocheted around in the air, all in the span of a single second. Each time it collided with one knife, its new trajectory was perfectly positioned to have it collide with another.

    Finally, after it hit all five knives, it was knocked back forward once more.

    TINK

    TINK

    Two more knives, somehow, knocked into its back, sending it soaring. By now, all the fast knives had been spent and fell away, leaving only several knives Dorian had tossed higher than the others.

    The first knife wobbled through the air, its trajectory shivering as it cut in front of the ship and then, with a thud, mmed into one of the floating inds that was just off to the side, out in front of them.

    THUNK

    The de vibrated as it stuck into the floating ind, several hundred meters away, the force of Dorian¡¯s throw carrying it far.

    The Golden me Dragon had remained silent throughout the multiple ricochets, his eyes turning bloodshot as he watched the impossible paths collide, over and over and over.

    He looked intensely at the first knife that had sunk firmly into the ground of the floating ind.

    He waited for a second.

    Nothing happened.

    He mentally counted up all the knife impacts, reaching a total of 10, just 1 shy of his own score.

    The ship sailed forward fast, quickly gaining on the ind as they approached it.

    Aiden turned with a satisfied smile on his face, subtly wiping away a sheen of sweat that had appeared on his forehead.

    ¡°Hahaha, well, I must admit, you have some level of skill, but it seems your luck has run out today with only 10 kni-¡±

    TINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINK

    A deluge of metallic echoes rang out as 9 of the knives Dorian had thrown forward haphazardly all mmed down into the first knife. Each of those 9 knives had been part of the group that was thrown upward. This meant that they covered a bit more ground than the fast knives, but took longer, and there was a bit of a dy before they came down.

    Just enough for them to perfectly m into the first knife that hadnded on the floating ind. The impact dislodged the first knife, smashing it against the edge of the floating ind and then tumbling it back into the air, right in front of their skyship.

    Everyone on deck watched it move, their eyes wide. Dorian coughed as he realized he was staring in awe too, quickly donning a look of cool assuredness, as if nothing could go wrong.

    Aiden held his hands out as if to say he couldn¡¯t ept the result.

    ¡°19 impacts?¡­ All at once? All nned?¡± He muttered aloud, his face scrunched up in confusion, his Draconic dignity nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°No, not 19.¡± Dorian interrupted Aiden¡¯s musings as he stepped forward to the very edge of the ship. He was filled with an incredible sense of surety, as if he knew exactly what was about to happen.

    Dorian turned away from the ship edge, putting his back to it and the knife as he looked at Aiden, a small smile on his face.

    TINK

    Onest metallic echo rang out as the knife that had been thrown backwards somehow, impossibly, managed to soar forwards, flung under the ship and through the air on a billowing updraft.

    The knife managed to slide all the way under the ship and just barely mmed into the first knife Dorian had thrown, altering its trajectory onest time.

    WHOOSH

    THUNK

    A thump rang out as the first knife mmed down onto the deck, just a single meter in front of the Golden me Dragon.

    ¡°20.¡± Dorian felt like an anime character as he looked at the results of his twisting Fate, having made everything go perfectly.

    Aiden looked at the knife right in front of him.

    He then looked back up at Dorian.

    Then back at the knife.

    Then back at Dorian.

    A brief, silent pause ensued, one that was promptly interrupted by a certain gleeful practitioner of Pride.

    ¡°Hahaha! What did I tell you, foolish drake! Daring to doubt my Great Lord is like asking to be defeated! He is far, far above both you and I!¡± Leader cheerily broke in as he ridiculed Aiden.

    The Golden me Dragon simply turned and stared at Dorian, eye to eye. The air around them carried a certain tension, full of energy. Dorian maintained eye contact, refusing to back down.

    Aiden then nodded his head slightly, and without saying a word, turned and picked up the knife that was on the ground. He snapped his fingers. Instantly, the other knives all reappeared magically and then vanished right after.

    ¡°My apologies.¡± Aiden spoke for the first time since seeing Dorian¡¯s sess, his voice carrying a hint of awe and respect. He then gave a very slight, almost imperceptible bow, and turned away, immediately heading below deck without another word.

    ¡°Hahahaha, yes, yes, flee you mangy brown-scaled mutt!¡± Leader was remorseless in his celebration, reduced almost to a child as his pride briefly took over.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Mira snorted, turning away and walking after Aiden. She gave Dorian a careful nod too, however, her eyes full of a newfound respect that hadn¡¯t been there before, even when she found out he was an ostensible inheritor of her grandmother.

    ¡°Uh, ahem.¡± Leader regained hisposure almost instantly, returning to the stately and calm huntsman, cool and silent.

    ¡°My apologies, Great Lord.¡± His face flushed slightly red as he spoke.

    ¡°None taken.¡± Dorian waved him off, the feeling of relief at managing to escape with a win almost overpowering him. He took a slow, deep breath, and then smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to meditate. Come find me when we are about tond.¡± He rubbed at his eyes for a moment, the fatigue from using so much energy all at once hitting him.

    He needed to rest and prepare.

    They would be on Magmor in mere hours.

    .

 Chapter 122 - Family

    Chapter 122: Family

    Trajan sat atop the roof of one of the traditional style wooden houses, his empty eyes shining slightly red. The roof had four long arches on it, down each corner, and was covered in shingles that were stained gray. He was sitting near the middle of it, his hands folded together.

    He took in a deep breath and then let it out.

    A single tear dripped down his face, falling to the roof silently, like thest light of evening fading into darkness.

    Probus was dead.

    ¡°My friend¡­ my brother¡­¡± Trajan¡¯s hands trembled as he looked at them with his energy vision, hands he clenched together and held around himself, hugging himself.

    ¡°What am I to do without you?¡± He whispered quietly, his voice ragged,

    ¡°You were all I had left.¡±

    A few minutes prior, Trajan had been pacing back and forth inside the small house.

    The other Wizards that were here with them were all practitioners of Blood Magic. While most of them had a focus on practical tracking, several of them had studied some forms of Healing Spells, to a higher degree of effectiveness than the single Healing Spell he knew.

    Their efforts, especially on a fellow Vampire, would far surpass anyone they would be able to find in the city on such short notice.

    Several minutes had gone by since they¡¯d retreated. In that time, the Wizards had cleared the room, going into several emergency Rituals and Spells, pulling out every stop to try and save Probus.

    The wounds Probus had taken were horrid, but if it was just a normal blow, even if it crushed his throat, he would be able to regenerate from it. Maybe he¡¯d need a Light Pill or some other form of Healing Magic or Light Magic to aid him, but the natural regenerative prowess of a True Vampire was far from weak.

    The Diamond Wizard, however, had infused his attack with the Power of Law.

    Trajan rubbed his hands together as he looked around the room he was standing in, able to pick things out distinctly despite ostensibly being blind. It was sparsely decorated, just a small rug on the ground, with arge wooden table and a few chairs around it in the center. A few random paintings hung on the walls.

    A door opening caught his attention.

    Helena had walked in, her face pale. The dress she was wearing was stained brown and grey with dust and stone, the edges of it slightly torn from the wild melee.

    Trajan had nodded at her and then returned to his pacing.

    Helena watched this, wringing her hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make it, Trajan.¡± She began, her voice trying to project confidence.

    Trajan had simply shrugged, looking at her with his empty eyes.

    Helena went over to the middle of the room and sat down, pensively waiting.

    The duo didn¡¯t have to wait long, however. Just a couple of minutester, one of the Grandmaster Blood Wizards came out of the room.

    The Wizard, an elderly Vampire known as Panon, and one of the Blood Wizards that normally studied Fate Tracking, spoke aloud, his voice solemn.

    ¡°The injuries Lord Probus suffered were extreme. The Law energy remnants managed to spread throughout his entire system, shredding into his internal organs, muscles, and nerves.¡± Panon began, his voice solemn.

    Trajan interrupted him, slowly closing and opening his eyes,

    ¡°Just cut to the chase. How is he?¡± He slowed to a walk and stood still, his empty eyes looking at Panon intently.

    Helena gulped as she saw this, her left hand squeezing her right arm tightly.

    Panon looked back at Trajan. He broke eye contact, however, looking down after a moment.

    ¡°The injuries he suffered sent him into shock immediately. They were functionally equivalent to a King ss attack that had spread throughout Probus¡¯ entire body.¡± Panon began, but was cut off again,

    ¡°How. Is. He.¡± Trajan¡¯s words were cool.

    Panon looked up and shook his head.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t make it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Panon bowed quietly and backed away as he finished speaking, heading back to where the rest of the Wizards were, in the other room.

    Trajan stood stock still, not moving a muscle.

    Helena, on the other hand, gripped her right arm so tightly her wrist grew pale, blood unable to pass through it. She didn¡¯t betray any emotions on her face, but her left arm shook slightly.

    A tense silence moved forward, one Helena tried to break.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Traj-¡±

    ¡°Silence.¡± Trajan whispered quietly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean-¡± Helena began again, but was immediately cut off.

    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Trajan spun around, his eyes shed red as he looked at Helena. The air around him exploded with energy as he took a step forward, raw power fluctuating wildly in the room.

    ¡°This¡­ Probus should not have died today.¡± Trajan began, waving a finger in front of Helena. His voice was loud and twisted, full of emotion.

    ¡°I know. I am so sorry. I never mean-¡±

    ¡°No, of course you didn¡¯t MEAN it.¡± Trajan cut her off again, his empty eyes stabbing into her,

    ¡°But this¡­ this is YOUR fault, Helena. We depended on YOU to lead us.¡± He spat, his eyes shing a brighter red,

    ¡°When the situation went awry, it was up to you to take charge and alter the n. To adapt.¡± He continued,

    ¡°We should have left immediately once the Shades and Borrelians were there together. There was no realistic chance of us achieving anything. Waiting there was a suicide mission.¡± He finished, his voice trembling.

    ¡°You are correct. I was wrong. It was my mistake.¡± Helena didn¡¯t run from the me, closing her eyes as she acknowledged his words.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ hahaha¡­ oh yes. Just¡­ a mistake¡­¡± Trajan¡¯s arms shook as heughed,

    ¡°A mistake that has stolen my brother from me.¡±

    Helena clenched her right arm behind her back even tighter, her nails digging into her flesh. A small, line of blood dribbled down her arm, slowly dripping onto the ground behind her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She whispered quietly, her voice stilting.

    There was a quiet pause for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You are sorry? YOU are sorry?¡± Trajan¡¯s words cut straight to her as he began to walk away, the broiling energy around him flowing powerfully. He moved all the way to the exiting door, nearly sting it off as he opened it.

    ¡°I hope you weep for him, Helena.¡± Trajan said, turning to look back at her,

    ¡°Because if you were to die, right here and now, I would shed no tears for you.¡± He mmed the door shut behind him with such force that it partially disintegrated, leaving behind the lonely figure of Helena, her shoulders slumped, blood streaming down her right arm.

    Back on the roof, Trajan sighed, rubbing his blinded eyes, his energy vision strained under all the stress.

    ¡°I was too harsh, Probus. I let my feelings overwhelm me.¡± He shook his head slowly,

    ¡°My friend, how I wish you were here with me now.¡± Trajan¡¯s shoulders slumped, his head bowed as his heart twisted, feeling hollow.

    tap tap

    Trajan looked up as he heard a tapping sound ring out, someonending on the roof near him.

    He stared with a tired,ckluster face at the robed figure that was standing only a few meters away, unable to muster the emotion to feel surprised. In his energy vision, the being lookedrgely the same, nothing special.

    ¡°Trajan, of the Aurelius Reavers, yes?¡± The figure¡¯s voice was melodic as it spoke, full of charisma. The tone was a neutral one, neither entirely male nor entirely female.

    Trajan stared back at the figure.

    ¡°Who are you? Leave this ce. I must grieve.¡± He looked down at the roof again, folding his hands together.

    The robed figure shrugged, taking a step back.

    ¡°I could leave, if that is what you truly want, Trajan.¡± The figure spoke, nodding its robed head.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think you want that. After all, don¡¯t you want to save your friend?¡±

    Trajan looked up, for the first time since Probus died, a fire appearing in his empty eyes.

    ¡°Do I want to save my friend? Of course¡­ but my friend¡­ he is already dead.¡± He spoke aloud, his words feeling oddly surreal to him. His head, and his heart, was currently in flux, making even normal thinking difficult.

    The robed figure paused, and then slowly began to unravel the hood and robe that covered it. The strips of cloth that were tied on underneath the robe, helpingplete the disguise, fell away slowly.

    Revealing a beautiful gold skinned humanoid, with slightly pointed ears and long, gorgeous golden hair. The being¡¯s face was just faintly masculine, one of sheer, utter beauty.

    The man smiled, revealing a set of pointed teeth.

    As Trajan looked at him, he felt a stirring in his blood, one he could ignore, but only after a small amount of effort. It was a faint desire to look at this being¡­

    And obey him.

    He blinked slowly as he recognized what he was looking at.

    The Originators. The Firsers. The Ancestors. The Royals.

    He was staring at an Ancestral Vampire.

    The Ancestral Vampire smiled at Trajan, his voice calm and kind,

    ¡°Your friend is dead. But it is not toote to save him, to truly bring him back to life. Just as he was before, the exact same.¡±

    Trajan stared back, his hands shaking. Partly from excitement, partly from worry.

    Partly from hope.

    ¡°How?¡± His voice broke as he responded, instinctively knowing the being in front of him, a being from myth and legend, was speaking the truth.

    The man continued to smile as he heard Trajan¡¯s response,

    ¡°You must simply take my hand and join me. Your friend deserves better, as do you.¡± He held out his hand to Trajan,

    ¡°Reviving your friend will be as easy as¡­¡± The Ancestral Vampire held up his other hand, putting two fingers together,

    SNAP

    ¡°That.¡±

    Trajan looked at the stranger, and then at his hand, his eyes shing once more. Memories ran flush in his mind, of the adventures he had with his best friend, the years they¡¯d shared, the friendship they had built. The brotherhood they had bonded over.

    The sense of family he felt, a sense he¡¯d felt with no one else.

    Instinctively, once again, Trajan knew everything the Vampire was telling him was true.

    Trajan looked at the stranger¡¯s hand¡­ and then reached up with his own, grasping it.

    Immediately, a blood red light began to flow between Trajan and the other Vampire, one that carried with it a sense of royalty and power. This bloody light spun around each of their arms, twisting and turning. Mystical symbols appeared within it, shing with dark promise.

    The magical Ability that only the Ancestral Vampires held. An Ability known as Blood Contract.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Trajan¡¯s voice sounded odd to his ears as he spoke, his head heavy.

    The Ancestral Vampire smiled wider, helping Trajan to his feet.

    ¡°My name is Mello.¡± He gave Trajan a warm hug,

    ¡°Wee to my family.¡±

 Chapter 123 - Arrival

    Chapter 123: Arrival

    Gray particles of ash drifted down from the sky, darkening the air. The smell of burnt rock and brimstone ran flush in the background, a gritty scent. Gouts of steam sted up into the sky, the searing air dangerously close to boiling.

    Dorian¡¯s first impression of Magmor was a rather dismal one.

    crunch crunch

    He took a few steps forward, his feet crunching some of the loose gravel found on the broken stone ground. He looked around, taking the area in.

    Several hours had passed since they had boarded the skyship to fly across Lansc. After the shortpetition with the Golden me Dragon Aiden, where Dorian managed to bluff, or cheat, depending on how one looked at it, his way through to a victory, the group had continued their journey uneventfully.

    Dorian had stayed in his room, focused on recovering. The energy expenditure he¡¯d needed to shift Fate so much had been enormous.

    ¡®That was a huge change in Fate. I changed the results so heavily, for so many things at once¡­¡¯ He¡¯d thought, back when he was sitting in his room, going over thepetition in his mind.

    ¡®Well¡­ those changes might seem huge to me, but in reality, all they did was alter the route of the wind and the fall of each knife, knives I threw myself. How much would it have cost to alter all of Aiden¡¯s knives?¡¯

    Dorian knew it was possible to change the Fate of someone else. He¡¯d practiced sparring with Helena, back on Taprisha, and had been able to redirect the punches she threw, though none of those blows had held the Power of Law within them, or been fully serious.

    ¡®Helena, huh? I hope you¡¯re doing well.¡¯ He smiled as he thought of her. Of all the beings he had met so far, Helena had to be the one that struck him the most. She was sweet, kind, funny, and absolutely cute. One of the most genuine people he had met.

    The way she¡¯d selflessly risked her own life to stop the Eleventhborn, protecting Potor City from devastation¡­ It had won his full respect. A person as selfless as that was rare.

    ¡®God knows where you are now, though.¡¯ He sighed, shrugging. He tossed the thought from his mind. It would probably be a long time till he saw her again.

    They¡¯d touched down on one of the transport towns on Lansc, the one that connected to the World Bridge of Magmor. Afternding, they¡¯d promptly traveled through the World Bridge.

    The World Bridge from Magmor to Lansc was one of the shortest World Bridges in the 30,000 Worlds. In their flying forms, it only took them around an hour topletely cross through it, with nothing of note happening.

    ¡°Great Lord, Tomo City can be reached if we follow this path here.¡± Leader¡¯s voice broke into Dorian¡¯s thoughts as he looked around.

    They had arrived from a World Bridge that led all the way to near sea-level of Magmor. The grand Magma Sea that covered Magmor billowed heat, making flying an impossibility for most creatures.

    A winding river of rocky ground spread out near them, half swamped over byva. Dorian could see several dozen grey stone paths leading off in various directions, some stretching hundreds of meters wide, others only a fragile dozen or so meters. On one path, in the distance, Dorian could just barely make out a glowing grey Magic Herb.

    ¡®Oh wow, it is an Exotic World, huh?¡¯ He thought, noting that he had found a Magic Herb in literally the first few minutes they had arrived. He ignored the Herb, focusing on the mission at hand.

    ¡°I see.¡± Dorian gave Leader a small nod in return. Leader was a natural tracker and hunter. The maps Dorian had memorized were likely the same as the ones Leader had memorized in his preparations for Magmor. To Dorian, however, most of therger stone paths all looked the same. Leader¡¯s skills shone forth before him.

    ¡°Hold a moment, inheritor, if you will.¡± Another voice broke in, a kind, feminine one, carrying a slight hint of respect and a stately air.

    ¡®Man, they really buy that I¡¯m super strong, huh?¡¯ Dorian thought, feeling a slight bit nervous. A single slip up could leave him in a really dangerous spot.

    ¡°Yes, Mira?¡± He turned to look at the speaker, nodding again.

    The Humanoid Form of the Wise Jade Dragon nodded back, gesturing around her. Behind her, the Golden me Dragon Aiden simply stood watch staunchly, his fine gold robes somehow magically ignoring the small pieces of ash that were raining down around them.

    ¡°Allow me to cast a divination before we travel further. I should be able to more easily pinpoint the source of my grandmother¡¯s soul now that I have arrived on.¡±

    Mira waited to see Dorian give her a slight nod before she sat down in the ash-covered ground. Aiden frowned slightly when he saw her wait, but after a moment, seemed to nod and ept it instead.

    ¡°Inex Sulso Tanuo¡­¡± Mira began to chant a long stream of words, ones unfamiliar to Dorian. she closed her eyes as she spoke, fully concentrated. The words she uttered carried with them an eerie, mystical power, one that was faintly unnerving to Dorian. They echoed in the back of his mind, reappearing over and over.

    Faintly, cool blue light began to spread out from around Mira. It started slowly at first, but quickly began to pick up speed. The farther it moved away from Mira, the stronger it appeared.

    Dorian watched this all silently.

    After a few tense moments, dark blue light fluttered beneath the eyelids of the Wise Jade Dragon. She opened her eyes, her voice full of excitement, the rich stately air she bore about her vanishing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found her!¡± Mira jumped up, a smile on her face.

    ¡°I can sense my grandmother! Or at least, the remnants of her soul!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Dorian broke in, his own voice full of curiosity.

    Mira turned, looking in the direction of the path towards Tomo City.

    ¡°That way¡­¡± Mira said and pointed, but then frowned.

    ¡°No, not quite.¡± She nodded, and then pointed down lower, towards the Magma Sea.

    ¡°The exact location ising from deep within the Magma Sea. But the signal isn¡¯t staying still down there¡­¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s moving towards the surface.¡±

    ¡°How quickly is it moving?¡± This time, it was Aiden that responded, his voice rough and full of a hint of excitement as well. The Wise Lady was an extremely important figure in the history of the Draconic Tribes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give an exact speed, but¡­¡± Mira shrugged,

    ¡°It will surface in a matter of hours.¡±

    Just as she finished speaking, Dorian looked up, his eyes narrowing.

    In the distance, towards the direction of Tomo City, he could just barely make out what appeared to be a gout ofva and rock, shooting off high into the air.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The Holy Prince Isaac of the Shade Church of Light cursed under his breath as he dodged yet another bisecting sh from the ferocious wolf Anomaly.

    BOOM

    The stone pathway he was standing on split apart, a huge, 200 meter long slice of energy cutting through it and leaving a long gouge in the magma not far below. Stone shrapnel, dust, and clumps of molten rock were thrown soaring into the air, a hellish maze of chaotic debris.

    Resting on his back was the still body of the other Anomaly he had captured.

    ¡°REELEAAASSEEEE HIMM!¡± The furious roar of the Anomaly Aron echoed in the air, his Langshen form giving off rolling waves of power. The Langshen were legendary beasts in their own right, and while Aron¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix was only at the peak of the Lord ss, at the Pseudo-King level, it was still more than enough to battle against King ss experts.

    Prince Isaac took a brief second to look to the side, several thousands of meters distant, where hisrades had been fighting.

    Only two figures remained standing there. The Diamond Wizard Taemin standing imperiously, while hisrade was resting in a meditative post, recovering her energy. The Vampires were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡®They retreated. Good.¡¯ Isaac thought in that split second, nodding mentally.

    The Diamond Wizard Taemin was an extremely durable foe. Very few men or women could defeat him in any type of long-term battle, especially not those in the Lord ss. His Shades must¡¯ve retreated when they realized the straits they were in, following his orders to the letter.

    ¡®Veritas didn¡¯t deign to help either, huh? She might¡¯ve been able to take him out.¡¯ He mentally shrugged. He hadn¡¯t expected ¡®their¡¯ Anomaly to help out. Relying on such an unreliable being would be foolish.

    WHOOSH

    Isaac¡¯s eyes seemed to freeze over as he looked at therge wolf that had just appeared in front of him. The de that was pierced through its mouth didn¡¯t seem to affect it adversely.

    Still¡­ If it was only at this level, he could handle this.

    His eyes stiffened a momentter, however, as he looked beyond the attacking wolf.

    ¡°Damn¡­ Company already? Look¡¯s like the zing King couldn¡¯t tolerate us any longer.¡± Isaac could see a trio of Wizards charging down a stone path, flying over the path, but low to the ground, so they wouldn¡¯t fall off due to the sweltering heat channels from theva.

    ¡°Light Magic: Imperial Wings.¡± Two pairs of immacte, glowing golden wings appeared on his back. He gave the roaring wolf in front of him a cool nce.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t want to sh with the zing King right now, Anomaly.¡±

    ¡°ROOOAAAR!¡±

    Aron didn¡¯t respond otherwise as he charged, slicing out with another mad de of energy. This hugeyer of force bisected the air, shuffling forward with a huge amount of momentum.

    Before the attack couldnd, however, Isaac¡¯s form seemed to explode into particles of light as he retreated, retreating away from the field of battle at an incredible pace.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Where is he, Panon?¡± Helena¡¯s voice was cool and controlled, the picture of an elite female Reaver as she ordered her subordinate to answer her.

    The elderly Blood Wizard stood in front of her inside the courtyard they¡¯d rented out, a pensive look on his face. He had a calm air about him, tinged faintly red by the Blood Magic he practiced.

    ¡°Lady Helena, as soon as you left to take a walk outside, he had us preserve Probus¡¯ body and then left with it immediately, after picking up intel about the Ascension Ruins and the me Empyrean Turtle that is about to appear.¡± The Wizard¡¯s voice was tinged with a hint of confusion as he responded, shrugging.

    ¡°The Ascension Ruins?¡± Helena responded with confusion of her own, scratching her head.

    On the underside of her arms, several long, red marks could be seen, like that of freshly healed skin.

    For those to appear on a Pseudo-King ss True Vampire, a being known for its fast regeneration and natural health, meant either the injury had been inflicted with the Power of Law involved, or carried enough force or repetition to leave a longsting mark.

    ¡°Yes, Lady Helena. We couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it either.¡± Panon shrugged again.

    Helena waved him away as she walked towards the back of the courtyard, where the various private houses were located. She walked into one of the smaller wooden ones, where she and the other females among the group were staying.

    ¡°Why the Ascension Ruins? Why did he take Probus¡¯ body with him, and preserve it? Trajan¡­ what are you doing?¡± Helena¡¯s voice was befuddled as she spoke, shaking her head. She clenched her fists in determination as she whispered aloud,

    ¡°I will not lose you too, Trajan. I will NOT.¡±

    From her Spatial Ring, she withdrew the Capitoline Wolf Bracelet. The entire bracelet had taken on a red sheen, with a few pale cracks appearing on the outer edges. It vibrated almost imperceptibly, giving off a faint sheen of light.

    While this was a rare inheritance treasure, a powerful Artifact that carried with it huge enchantments, it could not be used infinitely. Very few powerful Artifacts were reusable, and those that were were prohibitively expensive and equally difficult to create.

    ¡°I can use you twice more before you shatter¡­ But what do I do now?¡± She muttered, temporarily lost in thoughts as she looked at the Artifact, trying to figure out what to do.

    Helena was standing in the entry hallway of the house, turning and facing the door she¡¯d just shut. The hallway led off into several small, but nice, traditional rooms, with long carpets and beds that were low to the ground. The walls were decorated daintily, withndscape portraits of flowers and sunshine, a drastic change from the hellishndscape of Magmor.

    A small, petite figure was currently looking out one of these doorways, a pair of tufted fox ears poking up.

    Clutched in the hand of this fox girl, a small, thin dagger of light could be seen, emitting almost no energy or Aura.

    ¡°I have had enough of being used by you as bait. Everyone always uses me. Every time. Always.¡± Arial¡¯s voice was a frail, broken whisper, so quiet that no one, no matter how keen their senses, would be able to hear it.

    As she finished speaking, she walked out of her doorway casually, her every step quiet and careful. She began to walk down the hallway, headed directly for Helena, the dagger of pure, warm light clutched behind her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time for me to go.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°So what now?¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was rough as he looked at the Spatial Ring in his hand, holding it carefully.

    Inside it was the still corpse of Probus. He¡¯d had one of the Blood Wizards under Helena cast a Peace Sealing Spell, a type of Preservation Spell intended to keep a corpse in perfect condition. Many Blood Magic Spells revolved around corpses and blood.

    ording to Mello, if he wanted to save Probus, this was a necessity.

    Mello smiled as he looked at Trajan, his appearance covered back up by his hood and strips of cloth. They were currently standing on the city wall of Tomo, overlooking the teau that housed therge city.

    ¡°Let me tell you something, Trajan.¡± Mello began, resting his hand on the Vampire¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I was open and honest to you about who I am. Like I told you after you joined me, I¡¯m what your people call an ¡®Anomaly.''¡± Mello continued, nodding his head.

    Trajan nodded back.

    ¡°And us Anomalies are an odd breed.¡± Mello smiled, taking his hand away as he looked out in the distance. Mello¡¯s vision in this form was unique, one that allowed him to pick out trails of energy, simr to Trajan¡¯s own vision. It was what allowed him to pick out Helena and her team fleeing using the Capitoline Wolf Bracelet.

    ¡°You see, our souls are ones that have a special connection with Fate. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard some version of this from the leaders of your Aurelius Family. Strange events will happen, lucky urrences will take ce. Things that should not normally happen¡­ will happen.¡± Mello turned and looked back at Trajan briefly.

    Trajan nodded a second time, his usually talkative nature nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°This connection is an odd one. The fabric of reality normally rests upon Fate. Let us describe Fate as, say, a giant, floating rug.¡± Mello began to paint a picture to his new ally.

    ¡°People with regr souls leave a small impression on that rug. Some of the truly mighty or lucky leave a slightlyrger impression, tugging at those around them.¡± He held his hands out in front of him, miming an image of a rug and pushing down on it in a few spots.

    ¡°With us Anomalies, however¡­ the effect is much greater. Imagine arge, fist-sized rock mming into our Fate rug. A rock that some Anomalies can even guide and shape, perhaps not perfectly, but still with some degree of control.¡± Mello smashed down with his fist, plunging through the invisible rug. He mimed as if the rug was rippling, waving out.

    ¡°I see.¡± Trajan muttered a response, rubbing lightly at his blinded eyes.

    ¡°Now¡­ Imagine what happens if you gather not one, not two, not even three, but four Anomalies into the same ce. The same world. The same general location. All at the same time. Well, I only count now because my ¡®Concentration¡¯ is on this version of me, but still.¡± The smile on Mello¡¯s face grew wider, a hint of excitement appearing in his eyes.

    ¡°All as a legendary treasure trove is about to make an appearance. A treasure trove left behind by a man who once had the power to rule the world if he so chose. A man who disappeared, vanishing from the world.¡± Mello¡¯s eyes shed.

    He then whispered another line so quietly Trajan almost couldn¡¯t hear it.

    ¡°A man who made me what I am today.¡±

    Mello shook his head, regaining hisposure and easy smile.

    ¡°Think about it, my dear Trajan! A grand collision in Fate will ur, the likes of which this world has never seen! Humans, Vampires, Shades, Anomalies. The mix of characters is wild, and the results will show that!¡± Mello¡¯s eyes lit with an eager fervor as he spoke. As he finished, his head whipped to the side, looking right at Trajan.

    ¡°And in all that¡­ A perfect opportunity for you will arise, my dear friend, to revive your dearest friend. You simply must seize the moment. It is as I said before. It will be as easy as¡­¡± Mello held up two fingers again.

    SNAP

    ¡°That.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°To the Ascension Ruins, we must go. Prepare yourself.¡± He nodded, looking back out into the distance, towards the ever-present Magma Sea.

    ¡°They shall appear tonight.¡±

    .

 Chapter 124 - Determination

    Chapter 124: Determination

    ¡®Is he returning to the Aurelius Familynds? Our mission is iplete, the Highlord would never stand for such insubordination¡­ But why did he take Probus with him? Is he returning to bury his body? Perhaps to inter it, since he preserved it? Is he fleeing?¡¯ Helena¡¯s thoughts were muddled as she tried to unfold Trajan¡¯s actions.

    The Vampire Wizard had simply left, out of the blue.

    ¡®And why did he care about the Ascension Ruins and the me Empyrean Turtle?¡¯ She shook her head, unable to make anything of it.

    Behind her, she detected movement. Instinctively she looked back, seeing Arial walking down the hallway. The fox girl had her head down and was moving with purpose, seemingly ignoring Helena.

    Helena gave her a small nod and stepped to the side, looking out a window in the hallway as she contemted what to do. She¡¯d also need to figure out what to do with the fox girl that the Shades were hunting.

    ¡®I can¡¯t just let Trajan go off and do something dangerous¡­ I AM in charge of this mission. I can¡¯t lose both of them.¡¯ She rubbed at her eyes, feeling a headache start to creep in from the stress despite her regenerative powers.

    ¡®I just don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡¯ She was lost in thought.

    Arial moved down the hallway, her footsteps controlled and managed. In just a small number of seconds, she was only a few steps away from Helena.

    Arial¡¯s eyes shed with a pale, pallid light.

    Out of nowhere, with no warning or telltale signs at all, Arial stabbed forward with her right hand, the dagger of pure light melting forth with almost no signal. An incredibly, incinerating amount of heat was concentrated in the dagger, unable to escape its confines as it cut towards Helena in a split second.

    Helena had less than a fraction of a second to react. Her muddled thoughts had made her guard be somewhat lowered, distracted and concerned with both the present and the future.

    WHOOSH

    Despite that, despite the total surprise and deadliness of the attack, despite her lowered guard, despite everything¡­

    Helena still managed to dodge the attack.

    THUD

    A loud thump rang out as Helena¡¯s body shivered, pulling backwards at an almost unnatural angle as she moved out of the path of the dagger of light. At the same time, her right leg came forward in a counterbncing kick, one that mmed into the side of the tufted ear fox girl.

    ¡°Huh-ulp!?¡± Arial let out a surprised grunt as Helena¡¯s counterattack knocked into her side and sent her flying.

    BOOM

    Arial¡¯s petite body smashed into the side of the hallway and broke through it, sending up shards of wood into the air as she tumbled and mmed into the wall of the next room, an unused storage room.

    Helena spun around, catching her bnce as she twisted,ing up on guard. Her eyes shed as the air around her seemed to tremble, a powerful Aura of Might rippling forth.

    Arial had underestimated Helena.

    In Arial¡¯s view, Helena was naive. She was a sweet girl in charge of her first mission, one she had started to fail. Arial mistook her kindness for weakness and intended to take advantage of that. Helena¡¯s muddled state of mind had not been feigned, something Arial picked up on.

    Unfortunately for Arial, Helena was a genius in terms of physicalbat. The strongest physical genius among the Vampires in centuries, perhaps millennia.

    Helena was not an extremely famous Vampire. She was known to be in the Aurelius Reavers, but had never reallye into the public spotlight. She had, instead, chosen to train for decades on her own, putting her every inch into bing as strong, and as skilled, as possible.

    All to one day challenge the being that injured Vampire Highlord Marcus, a Vampire she loved as a father. The man known as Arthur Telmon.

    Reacting to a split second surprise attack, things like that had been a normal part of her training for years. Her body had reacted almost automatically, dodging the attack while unleashing one of her own.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Helena¡¯s voice was cold as she stepped forward, tossing her muddled thoughts to the side as she moved through the hole in the wall. Strength dripped off her in waves as she walked, the Aura of Might she held crushing down on Arial with force rivaling that of a King ss Aura.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Arial sputtered out as she stood up, her body covered in small scratches and bruises. She put a hand on her back, rubbing at an injury.

    Before she could finish, however, Helena¡¯s body blurred forward as she crossed the distance in an instant.

    She grabbed ahold of Arial by the throat, mming her down into the ground. The wooden floor of the room exploded, a half dozen nks shooting up into the air, raining down with shards of wooden shrapnel all over the house.

    ¡°Ulp!¡± A dagger of light that Arial had just formed behind her back fell to the ground and dissipated.

    Helena looked at the tufted ear fox girl, her eyes showing no mercy. The befuddlement that had been present earlier was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Lady Helena?! Is everything alrig-¡± Worried voices from outside rang out as the Grandmaster Blood Wizards in the other parts of the rented courtyard rushed over. They were immediately cut off, however, as Helena responded.

    ¡°Everything is fine. Return to the main building.¡± Helena barked out amand, dismissing the other Vampires before they could reach her.

    In the background, the sound of the other Wizards retreating away could be heard.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Arial? I could kill you right now, justifiably. You just tried to murder me. Don¡¯t even think about transforming into your fox form.¡± Helena stared down at the fox girl, her eyes cool.

    Arial stared back up at Helena, tears in her eyes from the impact with the ground.

    ¡°Just¡­ kill me. Otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll kill you. I won¡¯t let you use me too¡­¡± She spat out, venomously. When they¡¯d camped outside arge city, for no apparent reason, it had be obvious to Arial that she was being used as bait, especially after the Shades had attacked. It was also obvious that simply leaving the Vampires wasn¡¯t an option.

    Helena simply looked at her.

    ¡°You are a fool. I saved you from almost certain death. Yes, I used you, but by doing so I protected you. Without me, you would¡¯ve died. And you repay me by trying to kill me?¡± Helena shook her head,

    ¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m not an idiot that would let my guard downpletely just after knowing you for a brief period. Did you really think you could just stab me out of the blue? Who do you think would fall for that?¡±

    Arial red back at her,

    ¡°Kill me, then¡­ you coward.¡± Her voice was full of irrational hatred.

    Helena¡¯s eyes narrowed. She made a rough, jutting motion with her hand, knocking against Arial¡¯s chin.

    Instantly, the fox girl fell unconscious. Helena released her, sitting down on the ground with her hands crossed.

    ¡°Me¡­ A coward? I think not.¡± She shook her head, feeling all of a sudden as if she was clearheaded.

    ¡°Neither is Trajan. He isn¡¯t fleeing, no¡­ He is going to try something with the Ascension Ruins and Probus¡¯ body. Something stupid, knowing him.¡± Helena nodded as she spoke aloud, bing more and more confident in her conclusion.

    ¡°I will not fail this time. I will save you, Trajan. I will fix this.¡± She scratched at her right arm as she spoke, her eyes bing slightly bloodshot.

    ¡± And you¡­¡± Helena looked down at the sprawled out body of Arial with a frown. She bent over and scooped up the fox girl, putting her on her shoulder.

    ¡°You areing with me, whether you like it or not.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°It¡¯s true, flying on Magmor is almost impossible.¡± Aiden¡¯s voice held a hint of surprise as hended on the ground, returning to his human form.

    Just moments prior, the Golden me Dragon had assumed his massive Draconic form, an incredibly intimidating beast of raw power. No one was around them, something Dorian found a little surprising. He figured the World Bridge near Tomo City was one of the safer ces to set up shop on Magmor, considering how dangerous most of the ground level area was.

    He had seen a few signs of habitation on the World Bridge. Some small houses and shacks, footsteps and trails that had been oft walked upon.

    But, for some reason, it seemed the area had been evacuated or abandoned recently.

    ¡°We can just run. We aren¡¯t far at all.¡± Mira broke in, pointing in the direction of Tomo City.

    ¡°The signal source is most likely within or near the Ascension Ruins, as we have surmised. If it¡¯s there, we may need to be careful, but I am still determined to check for it.¡± Mira¡¯s voice carried that determination strongly as she looked around at them.

    ¡°I as well.¡± Aiden supported her.

    ¡°We have no problem with that.¡± Dorian shrugged. Their destination was the same ce, after all.

    Leader simply nodded without saying anything. What Dorian said went for him. A dangerous fire burned in his eyes as he looked down the path, his eagerness to reach the ruins palpable.

    ¡°Alright. Let us go to Tomo City first. We have some period of time till it surfaces, we can prepare there.¡± Mira said aloud, looking at them all for approval. They all nodded back.

    At that exact moment, a low, rumbling growl shook the air. They all turned to the side, towards the source of the noise.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡±

    Arge, glowing tiger, with skin that seemed to be made out of a mixture of magma and stone, had just emerged from the boiling Magma Sea. It was tall, standing about twice Dorian¡¯s height. Lines of fire energy glowed around it in stripes, some type of fierce beast.

    (Image ¨Chttps://i.imgur/mSi27pi.jpg</a>)(Doesn¡¯t Open in App)

    ¡®Oh wow, that looks scary.¡¯ Dorian had Ausra scan it.

    ¨C

    Species: Striped Magma Tiger

    ss ¨C Grandmaster (Peak)

    Maximum Energy Level: 941

    ¨C

    ¡®Hah!¡¯ Dorian mentally heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡®Right. I¡¯m actually pretty strong right now. I don¡¯t need to worry about creatures of that level anymore.¡¯

    ¡°I will handle it.¡± Leader¡¯s body blurred forth before Dorian or the others could say anything. He mmed into the Striped Magma Tiger, and, with a single blow, sted it back more than a hundred meters into the Magma Sea.

    As it flew through the air, Dorian watched it intensely.

    ¡®Let me test something¡­¡¯ His eyes zoomed in on therge tiger.

    ¡®Freeze its momentum for a moment and then continue as normal.¡¯ Using the full force of his will, Dorian pulled upon his soul to twist Fate,manding the tiger to freeze in mid-air.

    He felt some amount of energy leave his body.

    A momentter, as the tiger was falling down to the Magma Sea, for a brief second, it froze, standing still in the air. At that point in its fall, it was close enough to theva that it couldn¡¯t be easily seen due to the shimmering waves of heat. Unless one was studying it intensely, they would miss that it was frozenpletely.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 55,320/56,301

    ¨C

    Dorian checked his energy level right after. His Maximum Energy Level had increased again, thanks to his meditation while on the rest of the journey through Lansc. His soul was passively increasing in strength at a fast pace, all because of the mysterious Law of Wrath.

    Dorian found that sitting and focusing on that mystical energy and sensation not only felt wonderful and intriguing, but also made him stronger. A win-win scenario, even if he didn¡¯t quite fully understand how the Law worked.

    ¡®It cost me around 1,000 points to freeze it in the air¡­ Hmm¡­¡¯ He thought, going over the results.

    He¡¯d reached a better understanding of how he could twist Fate. Several factors mattered.

    One was theplexity of the actions he wasmanding. For example, when he threw 20 knives randomly into the air and ordered them all to hit the first knife he threw, theplexity of such an event was huge. Such arge number of differing factors and moving parts made twisting Fate cost a huge amount.

    Another factor that mattered was the Fate he was changing. The Fate of those knives was something minor. Hence, making such a drastic change was possible.

    The Fate of this Peak Grandmaster ss tiger was much greater, byparison. It was a living beast that had a much greater presence and impact on reality than a randomly thrown knife.

    However, he wasn¡¯t making a superplex change. The change he made only froze its momentum for a brief moment and then allowed it to return to moving as normal.

    Such an action cost roughly 1,000 points of energy. A not insignificant sum.

    ¡®I need to test it more.¡¯ His eyes trailed off, looking at Leader.

    ¡®How much would it cost to change his Fate for something minor?¡¯ He wondered, rubbing his chin.

    Meanwhile, the beast fell back into theva, stunned, but not killed.

    ¡®Leader seems to have a habit of not killing animals or beasts unless they attack him¡­ or he eats them¡­¡¯ Dorian had noticed this about Leader, the man that dressed as a simple huntsman despite his great King ss strength.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡±

    ¡°Grrrrr¡­.¡±

    Several more rumbling growls rang out as four more Striped Magma Tiger¡¯s appeared.

    ¡®They aren¡¯t a real threat to me or us¡­ but to those below the Lord ss, such a threat would be extremely dangerous. Yikes. This Exotic World really is something else.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time with these, let¡¯s get moving.¡± Leader waved his hand at the tigers dismissively and then turned to look down the path, taking a moment to look at Dorian.

    ¡®No Bloodline for me I guess.¡¯ Dorian mentally sighed. He coulde snag itter if he wanted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Dorian nodded and took the first step, his Wrath Vampire form loping forward with grace as he began traveling down the stone path to Tomo. The rest of the group joined him, traveling forward at a fast pace.

    They also happened to be going in the direction where Dorian had seen arge pir of rock and magma shoot up into the air, as if a grand fight had been taking ce¡­

 Chapter 125 - Encounter

    Chapter 125: Encounter

    The falling ash lightened up, though the gouts of steam and boiling magma remained ever-present. The path they took was one of therger ones, several hundred meters wide. It slowly raised itself above the Magma Sea, leading away from the sweltering heat slightly.

    They made fast progress, quickly leaving behind the Striped Magma Tigers that had swarmed them. They passed by a few other groups of beasts, but strangely enough, no other humans or humanoids, despite being on a direct path to Tomo City.

    Soon, they¡¯d been running for several minutes, growing close to the Oasis City.

    ¡®I guess this is what counts for night here, huh?¡¯ Dorian thought as he looked up at the sky. It was dark up above, the sun nowhere to be seen.

    The glowing Magma around the path was constantly throwing light upward, keeping the path well lit, though a few odd shadows stretched out, here and there.

    ¡°Inheritor.¡± A gruff voice interrupted Dorian¡¯s musings. He looked up, staring at the Golden me Dragon Aiden that had jogged up next to him.

    Leader was leading the group, living up to his name. He was running slightly ahead to be sure the way was clear, while Mira was just behind him, lost in her own nning and thoughts. Dorian and Aiden had fallen to the rear.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Dorian looked at Aiden, trying to keep his voice steady and confident, as if he was the mighty warrior they thought he was.

    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to apologize.¡± Aiden nodded his head slightly at him, aplex look in his eyes.

    ¡°I let my disbelief and excitement at finding a connection to the Wise Lady get over me. Your strength is at a respectable level and it was my mistake to mock you.¡± He said the two sentences all in one go, as if speaking them was painful.

    Dorian smiled slightly as he heard this, giving Aiden a small nod. The Dragons, at least, seemed to be pretty reasonable.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I don¡¯t eve-¡±

    ¡°Up ahead! Company!¡± Leader¡¯s voice bellowed out loud, interrupting Dorian and Aiden¡¯s conversation. The duo turned and stared towards the front.

    By now, they had risen more than 100 meters above the Magma Sea level. The rock pathway was as rocky as ever, coated on the edges in some odd, stone-like vegetation, great pods of nts that looked like cacti.

    Roughly 100 meters away, farther down the stone pathway, Dorian made out a pair of beings walking towards them. One of them was clearly human, a gaunt-looking woman wearing a torn and ripped dress, covered in small scratches and wounds.

    The other looked human, but only partly. Dorian started in surprise at the strange appearance of the being.

    The entire right side of this being appeared to be made out of solid crystal. This half of the man¡¯s body glowed lightly, reflecting the light the Magma Sea was giving off.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 126,200

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 212,989

    ¨C

    ¡®Oh my god, wow. You can have an Energy Level that high and only be Lord ss? Also, that half crystal dude is actually a human? Huh.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s thoughts were thrown into disarray at the info he received.

    The two groups had caught sight of each other at the same time. They both came to a halt, freezing up.

    The duo facing them responded first.

    A powerful, dominating Aura burst forth from the half crystal human as his voice thundered aloud,

    ¡°The Borrel Autarchy has official business here, do not interfere or you will face the Autarchy¡¯s wrath!¡± The half crystal human seemed to have picked up that Dorian¡¯s group had some level of strength, and preemptively warned them against attacking.

    ¡°Hmph. You wouldn¡¯t know a damn thing about Wrath, human.¡± Leader replied instantly, crossing his muscr arms across his chest.

    The half crystal human turned and red at Leader, the blue light that flowed around him intensifying.

    ¡°You are clearly a human too, fool.¡± The man¡¯s voice was full of irritation and annoyance. It seemed he¡¯d been having a bad day. He took a step forward,

    ¡°I am Taemin, Vice-Head of the Diamond Department, en route to an official meeting. Stand aside or you will be moved.¡± The half-diamond, as Dorian now guessed, human¡¯s voice was full of fervor as he spoke, as if daring them to attack.

    ¡°Can we all please calm down? We have no quarrel with you, nor you with us. Let us each go our separate ways.¡± Mira¡¯s words echoed out, the voice of reason as she jumped into the conversation. As she spoke, a powerful, King ss Aura washed out, full of soothing strength.

    The half-diamond man¡¯s eyes twitched slightly at that, but showed no other reaction.

    ¡®The Borrel Autarchy? They were the group that was hunting me earlier.¡¯ Dorian stared at the rather arrogant Wizard with a slight hint of distaste.

    The two groups slowly walked forward, each on different sides of the pathway. Mira¡¯s words seemed to have resolved the conflict as they passed each other, neither side attacking the other.

    Dorian shrugged. There was no need to fight the Autarchy now, not when they didn¡¯t know his current form.

    Just as both groups finished passing each other, Aiden and Leader ring at Taemin the whole way, the Diamond Wizard muttered a single, arrogant remark,

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have no choice but to attend to this meeting with all haste.¡± The man spat out, his voice full of venom. He really did seem like a person that had just had a terrible day, Dorian thought, mentally shaking his head.

    Aiden and Leader merely turned slightly and red, but otherwise ignored the man, focusing on the mission at hand.

    Taemin saw this and smiled slightly, his eyes still cold.

    ¡°Weaklings.¡± Taemin took out his frustration and failure at achieving his mission on their group.

    ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened.

    Aiden and Leader froze, both of them slowly turning around to look at Taemin. The half-diamond Wizard looked right back, his eyes fearless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything Aiden we don¡¯t ne-¡± Mira¡¯s voice cut off as Aiden held his hand up, silencing her.

    Aiden and Leader looked at the Diamond Wizard, and then looked at each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a stressful few days.¡± Leader began.

    ¡°That it has.¡± Aiden replied in turn.

    ¡°We really could use something to relieve that stress.¡±

    ¡°Your words speak of true wisdom, human.¡±

    Aiden and Leader smiled at each other, exchanging nces.

    Aiden cracked his knuckles, while Leader stretched his arms.

    Immediately, two powerful Auras burst into existence. A mighty, gold Aura that gave off a feeling of royalty and majesty, flowing off Aiden, while a resplendent, rainbow Aura that gave off a feeling of undying Pride shimmered around Leader.

    ¡°Who exactly are you calling a weakling, human?¡± Leader¡¯s eyes shed as he sped his hands together, muttering a quick spell. A long, ancient looking wooden bow immediately appeared in his hands.

    Taemin smiled back with a grin that failed to reach his eyes. He pushed back the woman near him, tossing her to the side and away from him as he reached out with his diamond arm, motioning at the duo.

    ¡°Both of you.¡±

    ¡®Oh now you¡¯ve done it.¡¯ Dorian shook his head, taking a step back. He smiled, however, as he took the situation in.

    ¡®This seems like a good time to test manipting the Fate of the powerful¡­ how much can I change?¡¯ His eyes shed mercilessly as he looked at the trio in front of him.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A few miles away, a very different scene was taking ce.

    The leading subordinate of the zing King, the Scythe Master Henry, swore out loud in irritation as he redirected another enormous de of force.

    ¡°Fire Magic: Windsor Shield!¡± He spat out loud as he cast a defensive Spell. He didn¡¯t study the same type of Magma Magic that the zing King researched, but instead followed a more orthodox path towards power.

    Immediately, arge, burning shield appeared in front of him, at least a dozen meters wide and tall.

    ROOOOAAAAR

    Aron¡¯s voice had lost all reason as heunched attack after attack, each one a huge de of force that sliced through rock andva with ease.

    Two of his de attacks struck against Henry¡¯s Windsor Shield, cracking it.

    ¡®Damn it. The beast is berserk. No wonder a battle of such scale was taking ce here.¡¯ Henry¡¯s eyes narrowed as he red at the odd looking wolf.

    He had been ordered to investigate the scene and put a stop to the ongoing battle. By the time he arrived, however, there had only been this deadly, berserker wolf going on a rampage, everyone else having fled.

    ¡°Balt, Kanden, don¡¯t engage. Fall back, I¡¯m going to draw it out away from the city.¡± Henry flicked his wrists.

    An instant after, arge, metallic scythe appeared in his hands, one that was decorated and covered in mysterious symbols.

    ¡°Yes sir, Scythe Master!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Scythe Master!¡±

    Two red-robed Wizards yelled a response aloud as they retreated back towards Tomo City, not engaging the attacking wolf.

    ROOAARR

    BOOM

    The Windsor Shield that Henry had spawned copsed under the force of Aron¡¯s shes, shattering into a collection of sparks and mes and dissipating in the air.

    Henry¡¯s eyes narrowed in irritation. He nced away to the south, towards therge World Bridge.

    ¡°Most of the locals will be avoiding this area due to the turtle surfacing soon¡­ I¡¯ll send it that way to avoid any unnecessary deaths.¡± He nodded his head sharply, and then leapt up into the air.

    ¡°Molten Scythe Technique: A Hundred Cuts!¡± Immediately, a vast number of des of light swooped out from his scythe as he activated a Mystic Martial Art, while simultaneously racing south.

    ROAAAR

    Aron mindlessly charged after him, lost in his rage at losing his fellow Anomaly.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    *Hic*

    ¡°Where is that damned brat?¡± A male voice slurred out in irritation.

    A middle-aged man could be seen, dressed in a bright pink robe that was tucked into a pair of ck boots. Arge gourd could be seen strapped to his back, one he pulled off in a smooth motion, taking a long draw from it.

    The man had brown hair that fell all the way to his shoulders, set haphazardly. His face was rough, with a scraggly beard and a nose that was slightly bent, set right next to his cid brown eyes. He didn¡¯t have any visible weapons, and seemed, for all intents and purposes, to be extremely drunk.

    He was currently standing atop a massive pile of corpses. At least 6 enormous, and now dead, Lava Hellions, the stronger and taller version of Magma Giants, each one with the strength of a powerful Peak Lord ss fighter, but also able to take a huge amount of damage and instantly regenerate.

    Lava Hellions, simr to Magma Giants, moved in packs. They were one of the biggest dangers one could encounter on Magmor, but they were also rtively passive. They would only attack another creature if they were provoked.

    That, or if they smelled something delicious and wanted to eat it.

    Despite their massive stature, standing a giant 25 meters on average, the Lava Hellions were picky eaters that would rather starve and live off the energy they absorbed from theva than eat something that wasn¡¯t tasty.

    As the human capped the lid on the giant gourd of alcohol that he¡¯d slung from his back, a faint whiff of the scent brushed out.

    It was mesmerizing and tantalizing, a scent of a drink that smelled incredibly quenching and tasty.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ Taemin, brat¡­ How dare you not greet me. I don¡¯t care about the mission you were assigned¡­¡± The middle-aged man stood up from the corpses, looking down at them with a sad appearance.

    ¡°I put in so much effort to create a pretty pattern, too.¡± The corpses appeared to have been set with no pattern of any kind.

    *Hic*

    The drunk huped again, slowly turning and jumping away from the pile of corpses. Hended down on a hundred meter wide stone block, set just a few meters above the Magma Sea.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He sighed again.

    ¡°I guess I will have toe for you, brat.¡± As he spoke, an awe-inspiring Kingly Aura burst forth, one that gleamed with pure, blue light. One that caused the air itself to shiver, taking on a visible gleam.

    ¡°My own Vice-Head wouldn¡¯t even show up on time¡­ I¡¯m sure Arthur would beughing at me¡­ damned mission¡­¡± The drunk began to step forward, his every footstep mysteriously covering a dozen meters somehow, as he began to travel forward quickly down one of the winding stone paths that connected to his tform.

    Leaving behind a scene of ughter, and the tantalizing scent of alcohol.

 Chapter 126 - Meeting Aron

    126 Meeting Aron

    (If you have the time, please vote your Power Stones down below, at the end of the chapter! Thank you ?

    .

    Leader took a deep breath, holding his Ruler¡¯s Bow at the ready. He made a full scan of his surroundings in an instant, his eyes shing.

    The Great Lord was off with the other Dragon behind them, while the arrogant Golden me Dragon was standing next to him. The enemy they were facing, the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department, Taemin, stood pridefully out in front, his diamond hand open and gesturing at them to walk forward.

    ¡®The sheer arrogance of this fool¡­ you shall break before my Pride. How dare you try to humiliate the Great Lord.¡¯ Without holding back, Leader entered the ¡®Super State¡¯ that those that studied the Law of Pride could muster.

    Immediately, his senses kicked into high gear. His perception of time and physical strength jumped enormously, as did his durability. The rainbow Aura that flowed around him seemed to intensify, his Pride bing physically domineering.

    ¡®Amazing¡­¡¯ Leader thought as he looked back behind him. Dorian was simply staring forward, his face a calm mask.

    Even in his strongest state, using the full power of the Law of Pride, he was unable to detect more than a sliver of the Great Lord¡¯s might.

    ¡®He is truly fearsome.¡¯ To be able to almost perfectly conceal his true power from him in his Super State¡­ The Great Lord was a man, no, a Demon, that truly lived up to their ancestry.

    ¡®He truly might revive the other Great Laws, and bring our righteous study back into the mainstream.¡¯ Leader¡¯s eyes shed with determination, renewing his confidence in the decision he had made.

    It had been a hasty one, but one he knew in his heart was the right choice. It was almost as if Fate itself had told him that this was the man he should follow. That, and the fact that he had almost been annihted by a few casual blows from the Great Lord.

    ¡®Even I do not know the limit of the Great Lord¡¯s true might¡­ he might truly be limitlessly strong, hiding his power in a veneer of disinterest.¡¯ He mentally nodded and then focused back on the present.

    He had his Ruler¡¯s Bow in his hand and was facing the arrogant Borrelian Wizard that challenged him tobat. He couldn¡¯t let down the Great Lord, not when he was watching.

    ¡®Firing a Hypervelocity shot would create a huge explosion, destroying the path the Great Lord is standing on. I¡¯m sure he would be perfectly uninjured, but I couldn¡¯t bear the shame.¡¯ He shook his head for a brief fraction of a second and then raised his bow, pointing directly at the half-diamond man.

    ¡®I¡¯ll stick to normal fast velocity shots.¡¯

    Aiden, meanwhile, was thinking along a simr line of thought.

    ¡®I can¡¯t reveal my Draconic form here. We need toy low, especially in front of the Borrelians.¡¯ His eyes were cold.

    ¡®I¡¯ll remain in my Humanoid Form.¡¯

    Almost in unison, the two began to attack.

    Leader struck first, spraying a dozen energy arrow shots from his Ruler¡¯s Bow. Each shot carried a huge amount of force, enough to crater wherever theynded with an explosion of power. Each arrow was imbued with the Law of Pride.

    Aiden, meanwhile, rushed in, the golden Aura that covered him boiling forth. His hands shed as two long knives appeared in them.

    Each Draconic Tribe usually had a few Laws the Tribemembers focused on. The Law Aiden studied was known as the Law of Majesty, the harder of the three Laws that most Golden me Dragons would choose from.

    His every movement gave off a feeling of royalty, ofplete assuredness that his attacks wouldnd. That knowledge allowed him to imbue a huge amount of strength into any blow, spell, or projectile.

    Taemin, meanwhile, simply narrowed his eyes, not letting a hint of worry appear on his face.

    ¡®Two King ss foes¡­ one with the Law of Majesty, the other with an unknown Law. Both closebat or physicalbat specialists.¡¯ Taemin mentally swore as he saw this, righteous anger filling him.

    ¡®How dare they oppose the Borrel Autarchy.¡¯ Warrior after warrior, Wizard after Wizard, the enemies he had faced today seemed unending.

    Yet, in his heart of hearts, he knew the Autarchy would prevail in the end. It was inevitable. No one could stop the man that led it, after all.

    Taemin was considered an absolute genius among humans, but even he knew his limits. Facing two extremely strong King ss enemies without preparation could lead to his death.

    Therefore, for the first time today, he deigned to use Magic.

    ¡°Diamond Magic: Expansive Shield.¡±

    Immediately, the diamond arm he was holding in front of him expanded, surging into arge, two meters wide and tall shield. Faint blue light covered it, imbued with the Law of Solidity that he studied. A mysterious, little-known Law that focused on toughness and durability, vastly enhancing one¡¯s defensive prowess, as well as the impact of one¡¯s blows. A perfect match for Diamond Magic, one of the most defensively powerful branches of Magic.

    At the same time that his arm expanded into a huge shield, Taemin also set his feet into the ground, readying himself.

    BOOM BOOM BOOM

    A series of explosions rang out as Leader¡¯s arrows detonated onto the shield, bright explosions of light that formed small craters in the ground, but failed to prate, or even push Taemin back.

    Aiden, in the meantime, had rushed forward and cut to the side of Taemin¡¯s shield, on the left side of his body. Just as he managed to get past the shield, he jumped forward, leading his two daggers forward in an elegant strike.

    Taemin just barely managed to counter the daggers, using his left arm to punch out and force Aiden to shift to the side. The two daggers covered in golden light missed the vital points of Taemin, instead tearing two long shes on his left shoulder. His defensive Aura helped prevent the strikes from cutting too deep, but couldn¡¯t stop them entirely.

    Blood spattered off the injuries, dripping down his back.

    ¡°Diamond Magic: Igael¡¯s de.¡± Instantly, arge, glowing broadsword made of pure diamond appeared in Taemin¡¯s left hand. He cut downward with the sword, taking advantage of Aiden being off bnce to try andnd a blow of his own as he ignored the injury he took.

    At the same time, he withdrew his massive diamond shield, his right arm transforming back into its regr diamond arm shape.

    Dorian saw all of this, the battle clearly visible to him standing off to the side. As he watched the unfolding fight, his eyes shed.

    ¡®Let¡¯s try it now.¡¯ His will fluttered as he looked at the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department.

    ¡®If I redirect his blow, that would probably cost a huge amount. Stopping him in the middle of an intense battle would also cost a ton.¡¯ He mentally nodded, his thoughts racing.

    He nced down, at the feet of the battling warriors. The rocky ground was covered in loose stone and ashes, cracked from the impact of the ongoing battle.

    He smiled.

    ¡®Imand you¡­ trip, ever so slightly!¡¯ He pulled hard on his soul, using his every iota of will tomand Fate to twist.

    Changing the Fate of something major, for a powerful figure with a strong soul, was bound to bear an enormous cost.

    Changing the Fate of something quite minor, for example, the ground beneath a mighty figure, would still cost more than it would otherwise¡­ but would hold a much lesser cost. After all, the Fate of a piece of dirt could only be so important.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt a noticeable amount of energy leave his soul. Around a thousand points worth, sizable, but not toorge.

    On the other side of the stone path, Aiden was ducking backwards, his eyes scrunched up as he prepared to take a blow.

    ¡®Damn¡­ this human is far more skilled than I prepared for.¡¯ He mentally cursed at himself as he saw the de cut towards him. He didn¡¯t have any chance to dodge. The human had sacrificed taking his two knife stabs in order tond a blow of his own, showing courage and tactics surpassing Aiden¡¯s expectations.

    ¡®I¡¯ll just have to take the damage.¡¯ He braced himself for the impact as he leaped backwards, trying to minimize the injury.

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    Aiden tumbled through the air, flipped backwards as hended down hard, a dozen meters away. His hands nted into the stone ground, halting his retreat as he looked up in surprise.

    He was uninjured.

    Instead, the mighty Diamond Wizard that had caught him by surprise andunched an attack that took himpletely off guard¡­

    Was lying face down in the dirt.

    ¡°Hup!¡± The Diamond Wizard leapt upwards, his face a mask of confusion as he held the diamond sword at the ready, his eyes ring daggers.

    Aiden and Leader both paused, exchanging nces.

    ¡°Did he just¡­ trip?¡± Aiden began, an odd tone in his voice.

    ¡°Yep. While standing still.¡± Leader responded back.

    A silent moment ensued briefly and was just as quickly broken.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha!¡±

    The duo broke intoughter as they stared at the Diamond Wizard, the tension of the moment slipping away.

    ¡°How dare you! You dare insult the honor of the Borrel Autarchy!¡± Taemin went berserk as he heard this, his body blurring as he rushed towards Leader, chopping down with therge broadsword in his left hand.

    Before he could make it far, however, his feet seemed to shift oddly.

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    The Diamond Wizard fell face first into the dirt a second time.

    ¡°Ahahahahahahaha!¡± Leader fell to the ground, clutching at his sides as he watched the Diamond Wizard bounce off the dirt and tumble head over heels all the way to the edge of the stone path, almost flung off into theva below.

    Aiden wasn¡¯t much better, snorting uncontrobly with mirth as he covered his mouth, trying to maintain his dignity.

    ¡°Da-damn you!¡± Taemin sputtered as he got to his feet, the blue Aura around him surging as he stamped into the ground. He red at his feet, and then at the duo, his eyes cold. He then looked beyond them, at Dorian and Mira.

    Twice now he¡¯d lost his footing in apletely unnatural way. He instantly surmised that something strange was afoot. The only issue with that was that he didn¡¯t sense even the slightest hint of a Spell being cast. It was almost as if each time he tripped, it was ordained by Fate, not affected by magic.

    Mira simply stared back at him, her face unperturbed. Dorian had a poker face of his own, crossing his arms and shrugging with disinterest.

    Internally, he was barely holding back a smile.

    ¡®Hahaha, excellent! So I can change the Fate of other things, and that can indirectly interfere with other people! Even if changing their Fate directly would cost too much, I can still affect the Fate of the mighty in this way!¡¯ The realization was a reassuring one. If he needed to face up against a powerful enemy, he had another arrow in his quiver.

    ¡®Let¡¯s test it a bit more¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, a small smile appearing on his face.

    Before he could do anything else, however, a loud roar shook the air.

    ROOOAAAAAR

    A huge presence smashed down on the stone path they were standing on, flying in from more than a hundred meters high in the air. Arge, grey and ck skinned wolf that had a body that practically vibrated with force.

    A de appeared to be pierced through its snout, giving it an incredibly odd appearance.

    ¨C

    Species: Langshen ¨C Divine Wolf

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 722,998

    ¨C

    The impact from the Divine Wolf¡¯snding left a thirty meter wide crater in the ground, sending up shards of rock and stone, a cloud of ash spiraling into the air.

    At the same time, as Dorian¡¯s eyes widened at the appearance of the beast, Dorian also felt a connection with the creature. One that throbbed deep in his soul.

    ¡®This is a fellow Anomaly! It has King ss strength, but is listed as only Lord ss. Is its strength boosted somehow, like my Condense Ability?¡¯ His thoughts raced ahead of him.

    ROAAAAAR

    The Langshen let out a second fierce roar as it jumped forward, its head twisting and turning as if it was looking for something. When its sightnded on the group of humans and Humanoid dragons, it froze, the air around it shivering.

    A berserk, heavy feeling flowed off the Divine Wolf as it began to rush forward, a mad gleam in its eyes.

    The route it was taking just so happened to have it charging directly at Dorian first.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The scraggly man wearing a bright pink robe covered his face in shame as he watched Vice-Head Taemin trip twice inbat. He was currently standing nearly a thousand meters away, hovering high in the sky atop a floating piece of rock. Flying on a world where flying was supposed to be nearly impossible, a feat that Aiden, a King ss Golden me Dragon, struggled with.

    ¡°I was going toe help you¡­ but you¡­ are pathetic¡­ how do you trip while standing still¡­?¡± The drunk middle-aged man sighed with frustration,

    ¡°And here I thought you were supposed to be some Godly genius. Well.¡± He shook his head sadly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ two Dragons, a Human, and some type of Vampire. Three at King ss, but none near Completion. They are fighting against Taemin¡­ hmm¡­ I might need to go kill them all¡­¡± He mused to himself.

    It was at the moment that Aron appeared, in his Langshen form, berserk energy rippling off him as he went on a rampage.

    ¡°Oh? Some type of Divine or Heavenly beast? That¡¯s rare.¡± The drunk stared at Aron, his eyes alighting with interest.

    ¡°Ohh, it¡¯s charging right at you¡­ huh? I can barely sense any energying off you.¡± For the first time, the drunk¡¯s voice was filled with a hint of curiosity as it looked at Dorian.

    ¡°You¡¯re either an old monster like me, or fairly weak.¡± He rubbed his chin softly,

    ¡°Which is it?¡±

 Chapter 127 - Running into a Wall

    127 Running into a Wall

    Huge thanks to everyone that is voting their Power Stones ? Thanks to y¡¯all, we¡¯ve retaken Rank 1! Keep voting so we can keep it! ? <3<hr>

    As soon as Dorian looked at the charging Langshen, he immediately was aware that it was an Anomaly. The connection they had to each other made it possible for other Anomalies to recognize each other on sight.

    Yet the Anomaly here didn¡¯t seem to recognize Dorian, or, didn¡¯t seem to care. It immediately burst forward in a rage, charging straight at him.

    The rest of the group reacted instantly, far more used to fast-pacedbat than Dorian.

    Mira dodged towards the edge of the stone path, a peaceful, calming Aura that switched between green and blue rising around her.

    Aiden and Leader both broke off from engaging Taemin, moving in different directions. Aiden surged towards Mira, his majestic Aura bounding forth as he skipped across the rocky ground. Leader, on the other hand, charged straight at the beast, intent on preventing it from having a chance at attacking Dorian.

    WHOOSH

    Leader managed a single energy shot off, sending a yellow arrow of light burning through the air to club therge Divine Wolf on the snout.

    The arrow, oddly enough, was bisected twice, split into quarters, before it managed to reach the Langshen. A small explosion of light shed out and subsequently nced the head of the charging wolf to no avail.

    Dorian caught those actions as he reacted, mentally raising his evaluation of Leader up a notch.

    Dorian grasped ahold of his will, staring directly at the charging Divine Wolf. For some odd reason, he felt a connection seem to form between himself and this Anomaly. He could feel some small portion of its emotions, of what it was thinking. Perhaps because its guard was down in its rage, perhaps because of his increased strength, Dorian was unsure.

    But he could tell that this Anomaly was enraged because it had just lost a friend.

    ¡®Understand my message.¡¯ Hemanded, twisting Fate to send his words through to the Langshen. There was no time at all to speak, he could only rely on thoughts.

    Otherwise, this incredibly strong, deadly being would m into him. He¡¯d had almost no time to react, and dodging was no longer an option. His n B would just be him activating his Perfect Body Ability and hoping he could tank the hit.

    ¡®I am an Anomaly just like you! I¡¯m not the one that took your friend! You need to calm down!¡¯ He willed this message to sear through Fate into his fellow Anomaly¡¯s mind. Dorian had no idea if this was even possible, but the subtle connection he felt when he saw other Anomalies made him think his chances of sess were higher than not.

    ¡®UNDERSTAND ME!¡¯ He mentally yelled and repeated his message, willing with every iota of energy in his body.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt only a small portion of energy flow off of him, perhaps a few hundred points. At the same time, the look in the berserk Langshen¡¯s eyes changed slightly.

    They gained a hint of confusion.

    In that same second that Dorian had sent a message, a message was returned back to him.

    ¡®Oh-ahh, uhh Xaphan? Mello? Is that you?¡¯ Followed by a near incoherent feeling of anger and rage.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized one of the names. The name of an Anomaly he had met long ago, one that had tried to recruit him into a team of Anomalies. One that had clones spread throughout the 30,000 Worlds, always searching.

    ¡®I¡¯m not Xaphan, but I know Mello.¡¯ He returned a message through the temporary connection he had formed with his fellow Anomaly.

    ¡®You know Mello?¡¯ The Anomaly asked.

    ¡®I know Mello.¡¯ Dorian confirmed, repeating himself.

    The Anomaly¡¯s eyes seemed to shiver in relief.

    ¡®This is Aron. Tell Mello. They got Xaphan. Shades. Thanks.¡¯ The berserk look in Aron¡¯s eyes faded awaypletely as reason won over, Dorian¡¯s mental message and impact able to prate through the ungodly anger that had set upon the Anomaly.

    All of this urred over the span of a fraction of a second, a minute portion of time barely worth mentioning. Conversation that was sent through Fate like this took ce at an incredibly fast, almost synaptic rate.

    WHOOSH

    THUD

    The grand Aura and power the Anomaly gave off, a power so threatening that it forced all the King ss fighters to go on full alert, fizzled off into nothingness as Aron tumbled to the ground, smashing down into the stone path.

    Ash and stone bits were thrown into the air, showering down around therge pathway. The Divine Wolf¡¯s body tumbled and slid for more than a dozen meters, rapidly bleeding off speed.

    Dorian set his legs firmly into the ground, bending his knees slightly as his fellow Anomaly¡¯s unconscious body knocked into him.

    ¡®HUPPPP!¡¯ He mentally exerted himself to the extreme, forcibly stopping therge wolf body and bringing it to aplete standstill. A small web of cracks appeared in the ground from the impact.

    Thanks to his physical efforts, he managed to pull it off effortlessly, making it look as if he had just casually raised his hand, stopping the wolf¡¯s charge.

    Everyone on the stone path paused in what they were doing and simply stared at Dorian.

    ¡°Hahahaha! Great Lord, a thousand apologies for having doubted you! A mere look from you was enough to send the beast unconscious! Your might has no limit!¡± Leader¡¯s voice was filled with renewed fervor and faith in Dorian, not that he needed more of that, Dorian noted. The agile archer waltzed up next to Dorian and came to a stop, looking the Divine Wolf up and down.

    Aiden, meanwhile, had recovered and reached Mira, and was standing guard over her protectively. When he saw Dorian so ably handle the fearsome wolf, his eyes merely widened slightly. He looked down at his own arms and then back up, as if wondering if he could¡¯ve stopped the wolf with a simple nce and arm movement.

    Mira took it all in, her eyes shining slightly as she watched one of the inheritors of her grandmother act.

    Taemin, the Diamond Wizard, took it the worst of all of them.

    ¡®Damn it. Another tough one, he one-shot that wolf like it was nothing. This is starting to look bad.¡¯ A seed of worry nted itself in his heart, one that he subsequently quashed out, renewing the faith he had in himself.

    ¡°Great Lord, what is it?¡± Leader asked, continuing to stare it over. After a second, however, he spun around, keeping his eyes on the half-diamond man Taemin.

    ¡°It is a Langshen. A Divine Wolf.¡± Dorian responded inadvertently, trying to figure out where to go from here.

    ¡°Astute observation, friend.¡± A new voice broke in, one that slurred as it spoke, but full of mystic power.

    Dorian turned to look over where the voice came from, staring at a middle-aged man wearing a tight, bright pink robe, with arge gourd strapped to his back. The air around this man was pure and almost crystalline, carrying with it a calm, but powerful, Aura.

    ¡°Head Jiro!¡± Taemin¡¯s voice sprang through the hair as he stepped forward, his eyes eager. The blue Aura of Solidity that surrounded him seemed to fade back, his tone one of respect.

    ¡°I must report-¡± He began, but was cut off.

    ¡°Vice-Head Taemin.¡± The Department Head of the Diamond Department gave Taemin a single re.

    ¡°Take Wimo and fall back to the deployment zone. The entourage that came with me is waiting there.¡± His words were mostly clear as he spoke, an authoritative tone that brooked no argument appearing.

    Despite that, Taemin tried to argue anyway.

    ¡°Head, I have vital information to share! These enemies dared to disrespect the Bor-¡±

    ¡°Taemin.¡± Jiro didn¡¯t speak further, he simply looked at Taemin. His eyes, however, were perfectly clear, not a hint of drunkenness affecting him.

    The duo exchanged nces.

    Taemin¡¯s eyes shivered, the fervor in them not dying down. Instead of responding further, however, he brought his fist to his chest and bowed. He then jogged over to where the injured and passive Vice-Head Wimo was standing, watching on quietly.

    Together, the duo set off down the path, running away. A dark air hung around Taemin, as if he was incredibly displeased.

    Aiden and Leader watched the Diamond Wizard flee, making no action to stop him. Instead, their primary focus was on the apparent drunk that had just appeared.

    The Department Head of the Diamond Department.

    ¡®This is not good, not good at all.¡¯ Aiden mentally swore as he red at Jiro, his entire body tense. He was prepared to revert to his much more powerful Golden me Dragon form at a moment¡¯s notice.

    They had run into a Department Head, and not only just any Department Head, but the Head of the Diamond Department.

    One of 12 Walls, the strongest Department Heads in the Borrel Autarchy that protected their massive empire. Famed throughout the 30,000 Worlds.

    Jiro Korc of the Axe. The Diamond Wall.

    The drunk turned back towards the group, a cheery smile on his face as he began to walk towards Dorian.

    ¡°Astute observation, friend. This is indeed a Divine being, a Langshen sounds about right.¡±

    The odd Wizard spoke, his voice returned to its veneer of friendliness and drunken ease. As he spoke, the Wizard pulled the gourd off his back and took a long draw from it. A tantalizing, fruity scent spread out, one giving off almost visible fumes of alcohol.

    He walked all the way up to stand right next to Dorian. Leader stood frozen, the incredibly intimidating air that coated the Department Head making him go on such high alert he didn¡¯t know what to do. His Pride wouldn¡¯t let him back down, but his inability to respond to the overwhelming threat he sensed forced him to stand still.

    The same applied to Aiden and Mira.

    Dorian, conversely, was spared from this for the most part. Not because he was more skilled, but because he couldn¡¯t actually interpret the dangerous sensation due to hisck of personal experience. He couldn¡¯t remember most of Yukeli¡¯s memories anymore, not after Yukeli woke up inside him, and had to rely on himself. He still had bits and pieces here and there, but mostly only about fighting techniques or actual physicalbat practice.

    Thus, of the four here, only Dorian was able to turn easily and reply,

    ¡°Yes, the Langshen are a rare breed, but only so-so in person it seems.¡± He ced his hand on the snout of the creature, where a brutal sword pierced upwards through it, a part of the Divine body of the creature.

    ting

    He flicked the sword lightly, causing a metallic ring to echo out.

    Dorian and the Department Head crossed eyes.

    As they did so, an enormously powerful Aura seemed to press down on him, trying to force him unconscious. The unbridled, raw sensation the others felt was concentrated and lobbed directly at him with the Department Head¡¯s gaze, mmed into his consciousness.

    His eyes wavered for just the briefest instant as he felt the huge weight m into him. In that brief instant, a deadly, virile Aura slipped out. One that was raw, chaotic, and deadly.

    One that was Absolute.

    WHOOSH

    The air fluttered between the two, a strong breeze forming out of nowhere.

    Dorian activated his Perfect Body Ability.

    Immediately, the world around Dorian seemed to shiver, ever so slightly. Faint permeations spread out instantly, faster than he could track.

    Color itself seemed to have faded slightly. Everything around him had taken on grey undertones, any bright or warm colors fading.

    The warm glow of the Magma Sea seemed to fade to a duller grayish red. The bright pink robe the powerful Wizard in front of him was wearing dulled to a much drabber tone. The world around him seemed to be leeched of color.

    At the same time, Dorian felt as if the world around him was moving in slow motion. His body didn¡¯t feel as if energy was condensed in him like with his Condense Ability. Instead, he simply felt superbly healthy and solid, as if every part of him was operating at maximum strength.

    As if his body was in a truly perfect condition.

    Dorian¡¯s vision restored itself as he gained full control thanks to his Ability, blinking slightly. He had a clear memory of what had just happened, however, recognizing the Aura that had just barely slipped out from his body.

    With his Perfect Body Ability active, the extremely vast and heavy Aura that the Wizard in front of him was giving off seemed to slide off his body, unable to have even the slightest effect.

    In addition, part of Yukeli¡¯s Aura had slipped out. An Aura that was so fierce in nature it would be hard to find one that was fiercer.

    The Department Head seemed to realize this as he looked at Dorian in shock. A momentter, however, his face returned to its cheerful facade of drunkenness.

    The powerful Aura that the drunk was unleashing vanished and everything suddenly became much less tense.

    Leader watched all of this in awe and ecstasy, glee at seeing his Great Lord¡¯s might. The two Dragons, Aiden and Mira, watched on in silence, an indecipherable look in their eyes.

    ¡®Thank you, Fate twisting soul, and whatever remnants of Yukeli are still left and helping me.¡¯ Dorian sent up a mental prayer for his luck as the situation settled. If Anomalies weren¡¯t abnormally lucky, Dorian knew for a fact that he would¡¯ve long since died.

    He went on with the moment, however, keeping his Perfect Body Ability active as he held out his hand.

    ¡°The name is Dorian.¡± His voice contained absolute confidence, as if he was so incredibly assured of his power that nothing in the world could give him pause.

    Head Jiro looked at his hand gingerly, for the first time a look of uncertainty appearing in them, as if he had been caught off guard. After a split second¡¯s hesitation, however, he struck out with his hand, grasping Dorian¡¯s firmly.

    He gave Dorian a meaningful look as he shook his hand, as if this was an action of great importance.

    ¡°Jiro, Jiro Korc of the Axe. A pleasure to make ya¡¯ acquaintance.¡±

    <em>Hic</em>

 Chapter 128 - Tomorrow

    128 Tomorrow

    Several hourster¡­

    ¡°Hmm, so that is what the Ability does¡­¡± Dorian muttered, his eyes lighting up.

    ¨C

    Wise Jade Dragon ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Energy Level: 68,221

    Ability: Calm Aura, Jade Memory, Jade mes, Enhanced Magic Perception, Steady Wings, Humanoid Form

    Wise Jade Dragons are powerful Draconic beings that are renowned for their wisdom. Blessed with the Jade Memory Ability that allows near perfect recall, Wise Jade Dragons were among the first Spellcasters to exist in the 30,000 Worlds. Their enhanced ability to sense Magic, and the Laws of the Universe, grants them a higher chance at entering into King ss, growing beyond their Bloodline¡¯s natural growth.

    However, their great wisdomes with a price. Compared to other Draconic breeds, Wise Jade Dragons have smaller and weaker physiques. While they are far above that of most other beasts, their overall physical might is limited inparison to other Dragons. Their Jade mes Dragonfire is a soothing type of me that ranks near the bottom in attack power, but has many other uses.

    ¨C

    Dorian¡¯s Wise Jade Dragon form was still not fully grown, but he¡¯d already gained the Steady Wings Ability, again, the Jade mes Ability, and the Calm Aura Ability.

    He already knew what the Steady Wings Ability did. The Jade mes Ability appeared to have many uses in regards to alchemy and even carried healing properties if used on injuries. However, in raw strength, they were quite weak and rather useless to Dorian at the moment.

    The two Abilities he was most interested in was the Jade Memory Ability, which he hadn¡¯t reached yet, and the Calm Aura Ability, which he had in fact reached.

    ¨C

    Ability: Calm Aura

    A peaceful Ability that releases a soothing Aura, this power can be found in Bloodlines that have simr, calming natures. This Aura dampens emotions, and does so by drawing upon the Laws of the Universe to form arge, invisible bubble that minutely affects the mental state of everyone within it. It also grants the user an air of peaceful elegance, shaping the appearance others see.

    ¨C

    It was a unique Ability that seemed extremely potent in the right hands.

    The only downside was that, to activate the Ability, Dorian had to be in his Wise Jade Dragon form. He could use the Jade mes in any form, but the Calm Aura Ability required the Wise Jade Dragon form, and apparently only another form that naturally had the Ability could be used as a substitute.

    ¡®Still. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find a use for it.¡¯ He tucked the knowledge away in his head, and then rubbed it.

    He felt a headache try to appear as he looked to the side of his room, where the body of his fellow Anomaly, Aron,y asleep on one of the two beds in here.

    Instead of arge, ferocious wolf, the Anomaly¡¯s physical form had transformed into that of a humanoid. A metallic te of armor had appeared, shaped like a wolf, and covered his chest and headpletely, while heavy metal armor appeared all around the rest of his body.

    It wasn¡¯t possible to take this armor off. This was, apparently, part of Aron¡¯s body.

    Dorian had carried him and brought him back with him after rescuing him. He was slightly tempted to try drawing some of the Anomaly¡¯s Bloodline, but decided against it.

    ording to Ausra, the Langshen race was a type of Bloodline that required a huge amount of blood, or death, to absorb sessfully.

    ¡®What am I going to do with you¡­¡¯ He thought, trying to figure out a n. Leader had gone off with Aiden to scout the city and, so far, returned twice, each time with more information. ording to him, there were arge number of powerful presences in the city, all at the Lord ss or stronger.

    ¡®What in the world is going on here?¡¯ The crowds of powerful Wizards and warriors in the city appeared ready for the chance at visiting the Ascension Ruins, but it seemed there was a lot going on that Dorian wasn¡¯t aware of.

    The Ascension Ruins, or, at least, the me Empyrean Turtle that carried them, were, ording to thetest estimates, set to appear after dawn, instead of in the middle of the night like previously predicted. Mira had confirmed this on her own, checking and double checking.

    They were inside Tomo City.

    After meeting the Department Head of the Diamond Department, the two had exchanged names and then parted ways. All they had done was shake hands, yet Dorian felt as if the Wizard had taken far more meaning from their meeting and handshake then he intended.

    ¡°I was just being polite¡­¡± He sighed. He had no idea what the Diamond Wizard thought he meant.

    He looked around the room he was sitting in. Yet anothermon inn room, with a pair of nice woolen beds and a loose rug on the floor. Nothing too fancy, just a regr ce to stay the night.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting there Will, I¡¯m getting there.¡± He spoke aloud, his eyes distant as he focused on the glowing orb of light that was nted next to his soul. Will¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± He nodded with his head firmly and then walked over to the bed, sitting down. He prepared himself to enter a meditative state, focusing once more on the mystical sensations that he could feel so strongly in his Wrath Vampire form.

    He needed to get strong, even stronger than he was now. Mastering the Law of Wrath, while focusing on Evolving his forms, seemed like his best route to strength currently.

    The Anomaly, Aron, was fully unconscious and didn¡¯t seem like he would be awake anytime soon. Dorian decided to keep him in his room while he meditated, keeping half an eye on him.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    In a room not far from Dorian, Mira¡¯s shoulders trembled as shey down on her bed, unable to fall asleep. The air around her was peaceful, yet her heart was anything but.

    ¡®Grandmother¡­ I am finally going to find out what happened to you, and your put your soul to rest¡­ Tomorrow¡­¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A few miles from thatmon inn, the Vampire Trajan stood atop an empty house near the central district of Tomo City. His eyes shed darkly as he looked up at the dimly lit sky, the Magma Sea throwing up too much light for true darkness to ever settle.

    ¡°Tomorrow, Probus. I will redeem you. Tomorrow.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Only a mile away from Trajan, Helena stared out at the dimly lit sky from one of the stone houses, her mouth twisted. A sick feelingy in her stomach, her thoughts muddled and stressed.

    ¡°I can do this¡­ I can. I will fix this.¡± She paused, turning back to look behind her.

    Arial¡¯s formy trussed up, lying quietly on a bed, still unconscious.

    ¡°I will use you to lure Veritas back out, and fix everything. I¡¯ll make use of the Ascension Ruins and your journey to them Trajan, I have a n now.¡± She looked back up,

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± She clenched her fists.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Several miles to the east of Tomo City, Head Jiro looked at his Vice-Head, taking a long draw from his gourd of fruit alcohol. The Vice-Head¡¯s face was impassive as he looked back, the fervor in his eyes everpresent.

    ¡°Go rest, young Taemin. Tomorrow I will personally assist you in securing those Anomalies, alongside the Diamond Soldiers I brought with me. First, however, we are to explore the Ascension Ruins.¡± Jiro¡¯s words slurred together as eyes shed with delight.

    He was standing on arge, hundred meter wide floating wooden tform that was hovering nearly a kilometer in the air parallel to the World Bridge that connected Magmor to Paxital, the closest World Bridge to Tomo City.

    Also on the tform was the gaunt Vice-Head Wimo of the Cursed Water Department, and a solid dozen warriors all wearing full-suited, clear crystal armor. Several houses could be seen, temporary structures built into the floating tform.

    ¡°It¡¯s not often I get to see something so interesting!¡±

    <em>Hic</em>

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Many miles to the north of Tomo City, the Holy Prince Isaac of the Shade Commune looked down at the unconscious figure of the Anomaly, at its odd, slightly demonic features and therge, glowing green gem set in its head, rubbing his chin. He was standing on a small mountain of broken rock and boulders, a hundred meters or so distant from the temporary camp the other Shades had set up.

    ¡°Gerulf. What do you think we should do with it?¡± He asked a question of the Piercing Wizard that was standing before him.

    ¡°Whatever you think is best, Holy Prince.¡± Gerulf automatically responded, his voice gruff as he watched on. His eyes were troubled as he looked at the downed Anomaly, as if he disagreed with the rough treatment.

    Isaac sighed. He picked up Xaphan¡¯s body and tossed him over to Gerulf.

    ¡°See to it that the Wizards keep it asleep. Later on, we will return to search for the fox, and see if we can hunt the other one.¡± Isaac¡¯s voice was cool.

    ¡°Rest well. There will be no more holding back tomorrow.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    In the central castle of Tomo City, the zing King Pavlo, the ruler of Tomo City, sat quietly in his library. He held the scepter he always kept with him in his hand as he looked out arge window, a small smile on his face.

    ¡°Maybe tomorrow I will unfold your mysteries, old Ruins.¡± His voice was musing, full of both intense curiosity and passion,

    ¡°Maybe tomorrow¡­¡±

    Not far from him, hidden high in the shadows of the library, a small bat could be seen, watching the zing King¡¯s every movement.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    As all of these figures, great or small, mighty or weak, made their own resolutions, the Exotic World of Magmor burned onward, uncaring. The molten magma that covered the surface and hundreds, thousands, of meters deep boiled forth just the same, a massive force of nature that was awe-inspiring.

    On a World Bridge that connected to Magmor, one thatnded not far from Tomo City, but also not close, a lone figure could be seen, walking peacefully, a long staff wielded in its hands, arge bead ne wrapped around its neck.

    ¡°Ah ah! My new friends, I have followed your trail so far, where could you be?¡± The figure of a monkey talked aloud to himself as he jumped and kicked, skipping down a long, poorly paved stone road.

    ¡°Come,e, Sun Wukong is waiting for thee!¡±

    The monkey froze, stumbling to a halt. He looked down at his hands in confusion.

    ¡°A rhyme? Oh my, Number 11 seems to be rubbing off on me.¡± The monkey shook his head ruefully,

    ¡°You really should¡¯ve picked a more normal name, Number 11.¡± Heughed out loud,

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve made it safely to thends of the Graal Alliance.¡± The smile faded from Sun Wukong¡¯s face as he looked forward into the distance.

    ¡°I hope I can make it to Magmor in time¡­¡± A dark, cold look appeared in his eyes, all mirth fleeing.

    ¡°If I get the chance, this time, Yukeli¡­¡± Sun Wukong began, his voice full of such power and strength that the air around him visibly twisted, distorting.

    ¡°I will tear your throat out with my own hands.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­

    The next day.

    Dorian shiftedfortably in his bed, feeling almost as if someone was talking about him, far away. His eyes shed as he opened them, exiting his meditative stance. He nced to the side, noting that Aron appeared to be unconscious still.

    Faintly, in the back of his mind, he could just barely sense Yukeli¡¯s presence, the dark being that hard left its memories with him still a part of him.

    ¡®Today¡­ I¡¯ll reach those ruins Yukeli. What answer is it that you think I will find there? An answer I won¡¯t like?¡¯

    He received no response.

    He sighed again and then stood up.

    It was time to go find out for himself.

 Chapter 129 - Surfacing

    Chapter 129: Surfacing<hr>

    Morning was here.

    As an Anomaly, Dorian didn¡¯t actually need much rest. He wasn¡¯t quite sure how it worked, but he only needed to sleep if he was physically exhausted of energy, or if he needed to rx and refresh his mind from stress.

    This allowed him to focus purely on trying to understand more about the Law of Wrath, to absorb as much energy into his soul as possible.

    His understanding of how Laws work was rather iplete as of right now. All he knew was that he could, in his Wrath Vampire form, feel this type of energy surrounding him in the air, and that by focusing on that energy, part of it was absorbed into his soul, making him stronger.

    ¡®I need to learn more about the Laws.¡¯ Dorian thought, rubbing his chin. He simply didn¡¯t have enough knowledge.

    He made a mental note to get on that as soon as possible. He¡¯d focus on it after he finally reached the Ascension Ruins, and rescued Will.

    ¡°Hup!¡± He took a deep breath as he stood up, getting off his bed and heading to the door.

    He was just about to open it when a voice rang out.

    ¡°..wa¡­wait!¡± A bedraggled voice, full of exhaustion echoed in Dorian¡¯s ears. He turned around, looking at the Anomaly known as Aron in mild surprise. He¡¯d thought the Anomaly had been unconscious.

    ¡°Hey! Are you alright?¡± When he¡¯d checked over the Anomaly, or at least tried to, he hadn¡¯t found any obvious injuries. He also didn¡¯t have any real way to do anything for it, beyond slipping a basic healing Light Pill into its mouth.

    He had a variety of Pills and Artifacts, won from that casino back on Paxital, but most of them were utility ones or other, more unique ones. Few of them had anything to do with healing.

    Neither Mira nor Aiden had made anyment as to him capturing the Anomaly, and Leader had followed along without question.

    ¡°Yes¡­No¡­¡± Aron tried to stand up and failed, the metallic armor that covered his body trembling. He turned to speak,

    ¡°Where is Xaphan? Where is Mello?¡±

    The slight, connected sensation Dorian felt when he looked at other Anomalies was present in his mind as he responded,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just managed to rescue you outside Tomo City, and we¡¯re currently in a small inn inside.¡± He said carefully, his words measured.

    ¡°Damn.¡± Aron¡¯s voice was quiet as he took a moment, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Thank you for saving me. Did you see any of the Vampires or Shades? The Borrelians?¡± Aron said, after a moment.

    ¡°No, we¡ªwell, actually.¡± Dorian paused, cutting himself off.

    ¡°Are you talking about a human that was half made of diamond? Named Taemin?¡± He responded.

    ¡°Yes! The Vice-Head of the Diamond Department! But there were no Shades?¡± Aron broke in, his voice full of eager excitement.

    ¡°No, no Shades.¡± Dorian shook his head. The sadness in Aron¡¯s voice as he sighed at Dorian¡¯s response was almost palpable.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not toote. Xaphan is another Anomaly like us, right?¡± Dorian had surmised, walking up next to Aron¡¯s bed.

    Aron simply nodded.

    ¡°Our souls twist Fate. I¡¯m sure your friend won¡¯t die that easily and will probably be drawn to you, in one way or another.¡± He thought aboutying his hand on the Anomaly¡¯s shoulder tofort him, but decided against it. He didn¡¯t really know how Aron¡¯s body worked, with all the armor and whatnot.

    ¡®I should look out for my fellow Anomalies. We are all in this together, in one way or another.¡¯ He thought, nodding his head mentally. None of them chose to be reborn into this world, after all.

    ¡°Hey, Aron. You¡¯re the first other Anomaly that I¡¯ve really sat down and met. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions about our kind?¡± A quiet pause had ensued after Dorian¡¯s encouraging words.

    Aron looked up at him and sighed,

    ¡°I know little about our kind, but I¡¯ll answer what I can. My body will need several hours to recover, I can¡¯t really do much else.¡±

    When the me Empyrean Turtle was about to arrive, it would be incredibly obvious. A literal earthquake would shake the nearby area for a few minutes prior to the beast surfacing. It was supposed to arrive sometime soon, but Dorian still had time.

    Dorian nodded his head, his determination renewing.

    ¡°Excellent. My first question for you is about you. Specifically, about your memories¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The zing King Pavlo stood on the city wall, his eyes cool. Not a single spot of ash fell from the unusually clear sky today, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

    Awaiting the arrival of something momentous.

    ¡°Henry.¡± His voice thundered out, full of authority as he motioned behind him.

    Arge entourage of men and women could be seen, spread out on the wall near him. Most were human, but there were a few Aethmen and beings of other races mixed in. All of them were, at the minimum, at the Lord ss.

    As a whole, Pavlo¡¯s team was an extremely powerful fighting forceparable to some of the strongest elite teams of the Major Powers.

    From this crowd, a red haired figure moved forward, d in a nearly full suit of dark red armor. Arge, metal scythe rested on the man¡¯s back, gleaming sharply in the morning light.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Henry brought his arm to his chest, a powerful, Kingly Aura rising around him as he spoke.

    ¡°I can feel it. It¡¯s about to arrive.¡± Pavlo¡¯s voice was calm. After living here for so long, the zing King had gained a special awareness for the me Empyrean Turtle. The Magma Magic he studied was closely tied to his own experience in watching the Divine beast move or attack.

    ¡°Tell me again. The new arrivals here to explore the Ruins. Your men have nted spies in all the notable groups, correct?¡± His eyes shed lightly as he turned to look at Henry.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Arge number of Lord ss teams have arrived, including several high ranking Mercenary Teams. The A- Ranked Team ck Chess, with the two Early King ss Bold Brothers leading it. The A- Ranked Team Cold Steel, led by the Middle King ss Fanged Sharkman. And the A Ranked Team Willow, led by the Late King ss White Snow.¡± Henry¡¯s voice was almost rote as he repeated the information he had given to his leader before,

    ¡°Apart from them, the Holy Prince of the Shade Commune is on, as is the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department, and those members of the Aurelius Reapers that were fighting before. They appear to be embroiled in some type of battle of their own, so we are unsure if they will make any moves on the Ruins.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Their presence here is probably no coincidence. Even if only one of their group is here for the Ruins, we will need to ount for all of them.¡± Pavlo said, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°How about that weird monk?¡± Pavlo continued.

    ¡°Ah, the Late King ss Nameless Monk from the Free School of Thunder? He is still within the city, and likely to take part in the hunt for the Ruins.¡± Henry nodded his head sharply.

    Pavlo shook his head, a small smile on his face,

    ¡°At least that school lives up to its founding father¡¯s reputation. The Thunder Saint Kdin was quite the odd fellow, and the members of his school are just as odd.¡± Pavlo shrugged. He then looked out at the distant boiling Magma Sea, just barely visible from the city wall.

    ¡°Have the men move out. It¡¯s time to go.¡± Pavlo gave themand.

    Instantly, Henry turned around and began to barkmands to therge group of fighters and Wizards. Those present began to split off into groups of five, diving into their own teams quickly.

    Just seconds after giving themand, six separate teams of five jump off the city walls and began to head towards the Magma Sea.

    Pavlo watched them go, his eyes calm.

    ¡°I can feel it. This is it. Destiny will arrive today. I will seize it.¡± Pavlo muttered, clenching his scepter tightly.

    As the groups shot off towards the Magma Sea, a single robed figure in one of the groups of five turned around for a brief moment.

    Mello took one look at the zing King and then looked around at the various teams and team members the powerful King ss Wizard had put together after countless years of effort and work.

    He smiled and tugged his hood over, making sure it covered himpletely.

    ¡°This should be just enough.¡± His words were a quiet whisper,

    ¡°I aming for what you left behind¡­¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian talked with Aron for the better part of an hour. He learned a great deal from the Anomaly, including several important details he hadn¡¯t known or wasn¡¯t sure about before.

    Only he had Ausra. All other Anomalies were left on their own, without anything resembling the special Soul Spell Matrix Genie he held.

    All Anomalies had the same store of information in their Soul Spell Matrix, however, even if theycked an Ausra.

    All Anomalies had the ability to absorb other bloodlines and transform into that creature. However, if they wanted tobine bloodlines, they needed to absorb new bloodlines into their main bloodline in a slow, assimting process.

    They didn¡¯t have ess to the mystical, miraculous Genie that was Ausra, able to magically calcte how tobine forms and Evolve.

    ¡°¡­and that is all I can recall. I have no memory of any point of life beyond my appearance in a swordsmanship school, where I was first introduced to the mystery that is the way of the sword.¡± Aron¡¯s voice was final as he finished speaking, settling back down on the bed.

    ¡°Wow, that is quite the ce to havended. Inded in a random forest.¡± Dorian nodded his head, responding.

    It seemed he was the only that had kept his memories of his previous life as well. Neither Aron nor Xaphan, the fellow Anomaly that Aron was looking for, had had any other memories.

    A few more minutes passed as Dorian asked a few other questions, not gaining any additional information.

    Finally, he was out of queries.

    ¡°Nothing else?¡± Aron¡¯s voice was inquisitive but tinged with exhaustion.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s about it. I¡¯ll let you rest. I should be backter, but you¡¯re more than wee to go whatever way you choose.¡± He¡¯d found that he got along rather well with this Anomaly.

    ¡°Then rest I shall. However, would you mind doing me a favor?¡± Aron¡¯s voice wavered as he spoke.

    ¡°Sure, if it is within my power.¡± Dorian nodded. The Anomaly before him had proven extremely useful and informative, the least he could do was repay that.

    ¡°We were traveling with a team of Vampires, intent on making contact with another Anomaly, one that was working with the Shade Commune.¡± Aron began, nodding his head.

    ¡®Vampires? Oh? And the Shades too? It must be rted to the Aurelius Family.¡¯ Dorian instantly thought.

    He was well aware that the Shade Commune and the Aurelius Family were currently at war with each other. It seemed that Aron¡¯s presence here was rted to that.

    ¡°Aurelius Vampires?¡± He decided to check.

    ¡°Yes, they were members of the Aurelius Family.¡±

    ¡®Just like Helena.¡¯ Dorian nodded.

    ¡°If you see them, please tell them that I am here, and that the Shades have Xaphan. I will try to meet up with them again, as per our nned agreement, here in Tomo City after I recover.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I can do that.¡± Dorian nodded his head a second time.

    ¡°But who exactly should I tell this to?¡± He didn¡¯t know any specifics.

    ¡°Tell the one named He-¡±

    Just as Aron was about to continue, an incredibly unsettling sensation rose over Dorian. The world itself abruptly felt eerie, as if everything around him was wrong.

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    A momentter, a loud, rumbling noise shook the air.

    MMMMMMMMMMMMM

    It was incredibly deep-toned and powerful, shaking Dorian to his very bones. This rumbling murmur was potent, echoes of ancient power rippling outward through the entirety of Tomo City.

    ¡°Great Lord! The Turtle is arriving!¡± From outside of the room Dorian had rented, Leader¡¯s voice echoed, full of urgency.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he went on full alert, blood pumping through his veins. His Wrath Vampire form¡¯s senses were incredibly in tune, allowing him to sense the ancient power that was in that rumbling roar.

    He turned towards the door, ready to leave. He stopped himself halfway, however, turning to look back at Aron.

    ¡°Who am I supposed to tell about your status?¡± He paused, motioning slowly despite the excitement boiling in his heart.

    Aron¡¯s face wasn¡¯t visible behind his wolf-life metal armor, but his voice carried a tone of surprise.

    ¡°Oh, I thought you were going to race out before hearing.¡±

    Dorian shrugged,

    ¡°No, of course not. It sounded like you were about to share vital information. It would be incredibly foolish of me to not take a few seconds just to hear it, so no misunderstandings or errors happen.¡±

    Aron¡¯s ted armor half seemed to shrug back as he responded to Dorian,

    ¡°The one you need to tell is an Aurelius Vampire Reaver of great power, one that goes by the name Helena.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he heard Aron finish speaking, his heart dropping.

    ¡°Helena? Helena is here?¡±

    ¡°Great Lord! We must hurry! The Dragons have already set off! Most of the powerful presences in the City have set off as well!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Huff-huff.¡± Helena ran forward, jumping from rock to rock as she looked out at the Magma Sea before her. She was several miles from the city, near where the me Empyrean Turtle was predicted to appear.

    She had followed one of the stone paths down to sea level. Around her, tens of thousands of boulders jutted up randomly from the Magma Sea, with huge gaps ofva and magma everywhere. The more stable stone paths were hundreds of meters behind her.

    She turned around, looking at her solepanion.

    Arial¡¯s petite figure was wearing a in brown dress and coat. Her hair was wrapped up and she hardly looked like herself, almost entirely disguised. Her face was expressionless for the most part, save for a re she would asionally send Helena¡¯s way. Her Soul Spell Matrix and the energy within it allowed her to ignore the stifling heat.

    Around her neck was a pale, silver cor. An enchanted Artifact known as a Sedai Ne. It was connected to a bracelet Helena wore on her arm.

    The Artifact was old and expensive, as well as nearly indestructible, something even most King ss Wizards most likely wouldn¡¯t own. It was part of the treasures that had been prepared for Helena by the Aurelius Family prior to this mission.

    The bracelet she wore gave her absolute control over that ne. If shemanded it, the ne would send out a searing and incredibly concentrated slice of energy at point nk range, right into Arial¡¯s neck, killing her. Once the ne was set up around someone, with preparation taking several minutes, it was nearly impossible to get off as long as Helena kept an eye on her.

    It was brutal and it was cruel, but the trust Helena had for Arial was long since gone.

    ¡°Trajan¡­ Where are you¡­¡± Helena muttered as she looked out over the vast expanse of magma and rock, the steam and ash rising off of it, clouding the air.

    Several thousands of meters away from her, the flowing Magma Sea seemed toe to a standstill for an instant.

    A momentter¡­ the Sea began to quake. Small bubbles of air shot into the sky, forming small clumps and pirs ofva.

    The me Empyrean Turtle was surfacing.

 Chapter 130 - Appearance

    130 Appearance

    ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯re here! We were just about to leave without you, Inheritor.¡± Mira gave Dorian a cool smile and a nod.

    They were currently standing on the eastern wall of Tomo City. The rumbling sound had fallen to a much quieter echo, one that seemed to shake the ground itself, ever so faintly.

    ¡®How big is this turtle¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, astonished by the reaction the creature¡¯s simple movements caused.

    Around them, tens of thousands of figures could be seen, either rushing over the wall or through the gates, heading towards the source of the noise. Wizards, mercenaries, warriors, cksmiths, chefs, hunters, a plethora of upations, with equally diverse races. Humans, Aethmen, strange part-lizard humanoids, the Pyrite Rockmen, even a few Shades and Vampires.

    While only a very small number of them would be able to actually make it inside the Ruins, tens of thousands of people came to Magmor simply to see the appearance of the me Empyrean Turtle. Not only for its awe-inspiring size and might, but also because the Laws of the Universe gathered strangely around the beast.

    ording to the information Dorian had gleaned, it was possible to gain a sensation for any of the Laws of the Universe simply by witnessing the giant beast. For those at the Grandmaster ss, this could be the difference between bing a true Lord ss expert or staying trapped at the Grandmaster level. For those at lower sses, this was an excellent opportunity to gain a better understanding of whatever Mystic Martial Art or type of Magic they practiced.

    ¡°Yes, Leader found y¡¯all.¡± Dorian greeted Mira, giving her a nod. Leader stood behind him, wearing a rxed set of dark grey and red clothes, designed to blend in to the world around him.

    Dorian had no idea how Leader had managed to spot the duo casually waiting on the wall, not in the midst of hundreds and thousands of others running towards the edge of the teau. The talented archer had seen them, somehow.

    ¡®We really should have coordinated this better.¡¯ Dorian thought, mentally shrugging. These great figures seemed to take so much for granted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Aiden¡¯s gruff voice sounded off as he turned from the wall and immediately leapt forward, jumping dozens of meters high into the sky. Mira turned and followed quickly after him, the calm air around her giving her a graceful demeanor.

    The wall was undamaged by the impact, absorbing it the same as it absorbed the impacts of the thousands of others rushing towards the scene.

    ¡®I wonder if they build walls specifically knowing people are going to jump off them like this here? I mean, architects still have to n for these things, right?¡¯ Dorian shook the thoughts from his mind as he jumped in the air, his handsome Wrath Vampire form smoothly sailing forward.

    thud

    thud

    thud

    THUD

    THUD

    THUD

    Dorian¡¯s own footsteps were muted when hepared them to the sounds of the crowd of Wizards and fighters running forward. A virtual wave of people could be seen, dashing across the teau in a grand rush.

    ¡®Wow. This is quite a sight.¡¯ He mentally eximed as he moved forward, going all out just so he could keep up with Leader and the two dragons in their Humanoid Forms. He felt excitement stir in his heart, as if he was part of something momentous.

    Worry filled him as well, however.

    ¡®Helena? What are you doing here! This is dangerous! Where are you?!¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t be here in such a rush at all if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he needed toe here.

    Reaching these Ruins was the culmination of his journey in the 30,000 Worlds, all to bring back a friend that died to save him.

    ¡°Quickly! The turtle is rising!¡±

    ¡°This is a chance you can¡¯t miss, Master Dwan! This might be the break you need to reach Master ss!¡±

    ¡°Out of my way, out of my way!¡±

    A deluge of eager voices and yells rocked the air as everyone moved forward.

    Dorian and his group were some of the fastest present. Aiden led the group, giving off a foreboding air that made others willingly give way. Like that, they rapidly moved towards the front of the crowd.

    Soon, they reached the edge of the teau. Severalrge, hundreds of meters wide stone paths led down from the high-set teau, towards the Magma Sea. Dorian could already make out dozens and dozens of figures moving down it.

    ¡°It will surface in mere minutes. It should arrive right there.¡± Mira spoke out loud, pointing to a spot a few miles distant.

    The location was deep in the Magma Sea, distant from any of the stone paths. Thankfully, there were thousands ofrge, stone boulders that jutted out of the Magma Sea, of various sizes. Some were as small as half a meter wide and long, while others were a good two dozenrge.

    They would be able to navigate by jumping off them. Each rock usually had another near it, within a few meters.

    As Dorian and the others ran down the path, the crowd began to break off.

    The weaker members stayed on the stone path, ready to observe the me Empyrean Turtle from afar. The stronger members would go as close as possible, leaving the path to traverse the jutting, floating boulders.

    WHOOSH

    The stone paths to Tomo City were a bit too high to reach Sea level so close to the city proper, so most of the crowd had scaled down the sides of the paths, towards the Sea.

    Aiden and Mira jumped directly from the stone path, at a height of roughly 80 meters or so above Sea level, to a pair of boulders floating above the magma. As they jumped, two powerful, Kingly Aura¡¯s released around them, allowing them to easily move through the hot air.

    Leader brought out the flying Magic Artifact he owned and jumped as well, using it to help guide his fall. Flight on Magmor, whether with Artifacts or through natural powers like a dragon¡¯s wings, was near impossible due to the mysterious Laws of the Universe that dictated how the Exotic World functioned, as well as the smothering heat that constantly rose from the Magma Sea.

    That didn¡¯t mean gliding, or using a flying Artifact to control a fall, was impossible, however. Leader made use of that to soar down onto a boulder of his own.

    ¡®Wow. They¡¯re all so nonchnt.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes wavered slightly. Did they not realize they were jumping over a sea of literal boiling magma?

    He flicked his wrist. Immediately, the Cloud-In-A-Bottle Artifact he¡¯d gained on Taprisha appeared. He activated it instantly and then leapt up into the air, a giant jump of his own.

    His body grew lighter, allowing his jump to gain great height. At the same time, Dorian felt a feeling of pushback, as the Artifact interacted with the energy of the world around him. Gradually, he felt it seem to weaken, dragging him down.

    He nodded. It was just like he expected.

    Tap Tap

    Hended down lightly, his feet tapping as he skidded onto arge, several meters wide boulder.

    The heat from the Magma Sea was overpowering. At the same time, however, the energy in his Soul Spell Matrix counteracted it. Just like how he could block out the cold on Blizzaria, he could block out thetent heat here on Magmor as well.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 57,320/57,542 (Draining 1 point per 4 seconds)

    ¨C

    ¡®It¡¯s draining a point of energy every 4 seconds¡­ nothing too expensive, but not something I should just ignore. It must drain at a faster rate for weaker forms or beings.¡¯ Staying this low to the Magma Sea was untenable in the long term, regardless.

    ¡°This way!¡± Aiden¡¯s voice echoed lightly as he began to leap forward, jumping from boulder to boulder. Gouts of steam and spurts ofva asionally sputtered upward, the turgid Magma Sea broiling and frothing at a snail¡¯s pace.

    There were already several figures ahead of them, jumping from boulder to boulder, closer to the area the Turtle was set to surface at. Many of them moved agilely and with great skill, as if this routine was something they practiced often.

    ¡®Alright, Dorian, you can do this.¡¯ Dorian took a deep breath as he mentally cheered himself on. The heat rising off the Magma Sea distorted the air slightly, but his Demonic Eyes passive Ability allowed him to see through it.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian ran to the side of his boulder and leapt forward, his eyes zeroing in on arge rock about 30 meters to his left.

    ¡®Cloud-In-A-Bottle! Go!¡¯ He kept his Artifact activated, using it to help guide him down exactly where he wanted tond.

    thud

    Hended softly, his movements precise and sure. The rock he¡¯dnded on was roughly 4 meters wide. It didn¡¯t even shift upon receiving his weight, the dark grey stone moving ever so slightly to the south.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He muttered and then looked up. He took a few steps forward and jumped again.

    Soon, Dorian had moved more than 1000 meters away from the stone paths following an ever-widening trail of boulders and rocks. He quashed the nervousness he felt in his heart at the dangers he was facing.

    ¡°Here!¡± Mira¡¯s voice cut into Dorian¡¯s concentration, drawing his attention as he gauged the distance from one boulder to another. He looked up, seeing her and Aiden standing on a particrlyrge rock, one that was at least a dozen meters wide.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian made a great, jumping leap, soaring through the sky tond down on therger rock, near one of its sides. Hended softly, having started to get the hang of the jumping movement. He wiped a sheen of sweat off his forehead as he checked his footing, stepping away from the edge.

    Not a momentter, Leader¡¯s drab form appeared,nding down lightly on therge rock.

    Around them, dozens of figures could be seen, spreading out to hundreds of different rocks. Several of the Wizards and warriors moved in groups, while still others moved on their own. He didn¡¯t see Helena, or anyone he knew.

    Dorian nodded at Leader who nodded back. He then walked up to Mira and Aiden, asking,

    ¡°Alright. Where exactly is it appearing at?¡± He gestured with his hand at the Magma Sea around them.

    The entire Sea was vibrating. The low, rumbling noise was still ongoing in the background, and Dorian could make out faint waves in theva, building and bubbling upward.

    Mira gave Dorian an odd look.

    ¡°It¡¯s appearing here. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡± She responded.

    Dorian squinted.

    ¡°No, I get that. But where? What direction?¡± He waved his hands.

    Mira looked at him and then pointed down.

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Here?¡± He pointed and looked down at the ground and then looked back up at her.

    ¡°Here.¡± Mira nodded.

    At that exact moment, a loud roar burst into the air. The low, background rumbling noise vanished as the world around Dorian seemed to shudder.

    Gravity itself seemed to fluctuate as the world around him distorted for a brief instant. He felt his knees shake as he forced himself to maintain his bnce.

    WHOOSH

    Abruptly, Dorian was flung upward.

    As was the rock he was standing on.

    As was theva and magma boiling about around him.

    Pirs of magma and rock shot into the air, sting high in the sky as an enormous being emerged from the Magma Sea.

    A creature that stood hundreds of meters tall, thousands of meters wide and long, a gargantuan beast that was so incrediblyrge it defied reason. A creature that was closer in size to a mountain than to any being of flesh and blood.

    A creature that the Great Hero Yukeli had defeated in battle using his bare hands, and set within it a mysterious set of Ruins that, if legends were to be believed, held not only a great store of treasures, but the secret to achieving Ascension.

    A me Empyrean Turtle.

    ¨C

    Species: me Empyrean Turtle

    ss ¨C King ss (Pseudo-Angelic)

    Maximum Energy Level: 21,226,200

    ¨C

    Dorian didn¡¯t manage to get a good look at the creature at first, not as he was thrown into the air. He only barely managed to keep his bnce, going on full lockdown mode as he just tried to survive.

    From his Spatial Ring, Dorian withdrew a basic metal sword he¡¯d purchased, one that was magically enhanced for durability. As the impact of the me Empyrean Turtle¡¯s surfacing flung everyone that was on top of it into the air, he threw the de downward, mming it into the boulder he¡¯d been standing on.

    ¡®Basic Maic Maniption! Pull!¡¯ Dorian pulled himself tightly to the rock, securing himself as he soared through the air, rising with the giant beast.

    Around him, the various Wizards and warriors that were spread out atop the beast did simr things, staying secure. Everyone here seemed to havee with some level of preparation. At least, more than their group.

    BOOM

    WHOOSH

    The world around Dorian shook once more as the massive creature seemed to calm down. Gravity returned to normal, the huge gouts ofva and magma settled back down to normal, the boulders that had risen with the beastnding down on its back.

    As theva and magma that the giant beast had disced began to slide off its back, it revealed a solid, stone-like ck surface. The shell of the enormous turtle.

    Contrary to Dorian¡¯s expectations, the back of the huge turtle was covered in rough rocks and stones, some jutting up high into the air. It was almost like arge stone ind,plete with ake full ofva resting at the center of it. He couldn¡¯t see the face, or even legs or arms of the creature, only its sizable back.

    (Image ¨C Regr (Non-me) Empyrean Turtle) ¨Chttps://images4.alphacoders/150/150268.jpg</a>) (Doesn¡¯t Open in App)

    As Dorian looked around at the new environment, in awe at the sheer size and scale of the beast, and its raw power, Leader¡¯s voice called out, interrupting his thoughts.

    ¡°Great Lord! We havended near one of the entrances!¡±

    Dorian turned around, staring.

    Leader was standing with his bow out on top of one of the jutting ck rocks that were present around them. On top of this rock, however, was arge, glowing yellow circle.

    One of the 10 magic entrances one needed to take to enter the Ascension Ruins.

    BOOM

    Before Dorian could react, however, a loud boom shook the air.

    Off to Dorian¡¯s right, about a hundred meters away, a small plume of smoke rose into the sky as a fireball faded away. The sounds ofbat rang out, screams and yells of both anger and pain echoing.

    The Ascension Ruins appeared on a semi-regr basis, but thergest number of people that could explore them at any one time was 60, due to the limited number of entrances, and the limited number of people that could enter each one.

    Tens of thousands of Wizards and warriors all wanted a piece of the Ruins and the treasures and knowledge they held.

    A very limited supply, but a very great demand, meant only one thing in the 30,000 Worlds.

    A massive battle royale broke out.

    Dorian clenched his fist as he ran forward towards Leader, his heart determined.

    He would secure this entrance or die trying.

    .

 Chapter 131 - Battle for the Entrance

    Chapter 131: Battle for the Entrance

    (Long chapter ¨C hence the higher SS price. Reminder ¨C 200 word = 1 SS)

    ¨C

    Thud

    Dorian¡¯s feet skidded slightly as hended atop the jutting rock. The golden circle that glowed atop it was filled with magic energy, concentrated such that it gave Dorian goosebumps.

    ¡°Great Lord!¡± Leader¡¯s voice echoed with respect as the powerful Demonic Human crouched down on the edge of the jutting rock, his Ruler¡¯s Bow at the ready.

    ¡®There are ten of these, but only 6 people can go in each one. There are four of us, counting the two dragons.¡¯ His mind raced ahead of him as he scanned the nearby surroundings.

    The Ascension Ruins entrance portals would start to activate as soon as a single being walked into range of them. As Dorian stood within it, he could see faint yellow particles starting to rise off of it, glowing brilliantly.

    ording to the information Dorian had gained about the Ruins from the leader of that all-female mercenary team, the portal would take approximately 60 seconds to fully charge.

    After that, all it needed was for six beings to step within its range. It would then automatically activate.

    There was a several minutes wide window after it was fully charged to get in the zone to be teleported into the Ruins. ording to the logs he¡¯d obtained, if the number of people in range of the entrance was less than six, it would still automatically activate after a few minutes of waiting.

    ¡±All we need to do is hold it till it¡¯s fully charged and then stand still on it. There¡¯s only 4 of us, so we¡¯ll either need to let others step up and join us, or defend it till it automatically activates.¡¯ Dorian went over the n he had thought up on the way, nodding his head. He squinted as he walked out of the direct portal area, looking out at the ground around him.

    He could make out swarms of figures moving about atop the shell chaotically. Theva that was exposed to the air had rapidly cooled, the outer surfaces hardening. This allowed everyone present the ability to move freely atop the back of the enormous beast, instead of having to jump from boulder to boulder like they did on the Magma Sea.

    ¡®Why did he build his Ruins atop a freakingva-swimming turtle, anyway? That seems needlesslyplex.¡¯ Dorian shook his head, unable to fathom Yukeli¡¯s thoughts.

    He bent down for a moment as the turtle shook, trying to keep his footing.

    THWUNK

    Not even a full second after Dorian knelt down, a resounding impact sounded off as a dark brown arrow mmed into the jutting rock, cracking it slightly. ck energy crackled off it dangerously, fizzling ineffectively into nothingness.

    The arrow pierced directly through the area Dorian¡¯s head would¡¯ve been if he had been standing in the same spot.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he saw this and spun around. His body reacted almost on its own as he stepped forward in a crouched position, what was left of Yukeli¡¯s memories in his mind making him go on guard.

    ¡®Woah! That came out of almost nowhere.¡¯ He mentally thanked his Fate-twisting soul, once more, for saving him. Fighting against him must be incredibly annoying. The same probably applied for all Anomalies, with their obscene luck.

    ¡°Nice dodge, Great Lord! The attacker is from the south!¡± Leader¡¯s voice burst forth as the fighter sprinted to the south side of the jutting stone, his Ruler¡¯s bow at the ready.

    SWHISH

    SWHISH

    Leaderunched off two energy arrows in a fraction of a second, at a pair of figures that wielded dull grey armor, standing about a hundred meters off. Dorian barely managed a nce at them in that split second.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 58,223

    ¨C

    Species: Aethmen

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 74,223

    ¨C

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Both the human and Aethmen were knocked away dozens of meters by the st despite their sizable strength. The ground they were standing on only cracked slightly, however, the bright yellow explosion of energy unable to damage the environment.

    It seemed the rocky surface of this enormous turtle was extremely tough and durable.

    WHOOSH

    A resplendent rainbow Aura burst out around Leader as he unveiled his Kingly Pride. His physical appearance transformed from that of a drab huntsman d in camouged clothing to that of a royal, kingly being with incredible bearing.

    SHWISH

    SWHISH SHWISH

    Just after that, Leader unleashed a swarm of arrows as he intercepted a multitude of fireballs, balls of ice, and energy bolts that were hurled at him. Every arrow he fired was imbued with his Law of Pride, a Law that he had masteredpletely, stepping into the King ss.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the sheer deluge of Spells that had been cast their way. Green fireballs containing poisonous mes, ck bolts of deadly lightning, bright balls of dangerous fire, hurtling boulders of jagged ice.

    By standing up on the jutting rock and taking over one of the portal entrances, they had made themselves targets for attacks.

    Attacks that Leader took head-on, his incredible skill with a bow on disy. Dorian watched in astonishment as the powerful warrior intercepted more than a dozen powerful Spells, each one detonating in mid-air and raining down with chaotic energy on the world around them.

    ¡®I should help.¡¯ He thought, instantly making a decision. He couldn¡¯t afford to just stand here.

    He also didn¡¯t want to kill anyone. But when he was openly being attacked, just sitting there and letting people try to murder him was uneptable. He would defend himself.

    He needed to conserve energy. He willingly admitted that without Yukeli¡¯s memories to help him, he was only average at best at physicalbat.

    Ever since Yukeli woke up inside him, the memories that had once mergedpletely with him seemed to have receded. Dorian only had scraps of them left over in his mind.

    He could still remember certain basic techniques and practice styles. But all the epic Absolute Law infused moves, the virtual wealth ofbat experience, all of that had been absorbed back into Yukeli when he awoke.

    ¡®I still know how to use the Mystic Martial Arts I already practiced, like the Boulder Breaker punch or the Flush Gale moment technique, as well as those Hira-Gira martial techniques.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t forgotten anything he¡¯d physically used, the memories of those techniques and exactly how to do them firmly imprinted on his mind.

    ¡®Still¡­ let¡¯s go long range for now.¡¯ His Perfect Body Ability drew far too much energy to use and without it, Dorian was unsure how he would face up against so many foes.

    ¡®Hyperion Beam, charge!¡¯

    Instantly, a ck ball of energy began to condense in his hand. The air around this ball distorted slightly as it drew on thetent energy, bing stronger and stronger. At the same time, Dorian activated a second Ability.

    ¡®ck mes, go!¡¯ Hebined his ck mes Ability, the powerful Dragonfire that his ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form held, with the Hyperion Beam, giving it an even more potent impact.

    Rapidly, the ball of energy in his hand began to charge.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    A deluge of explosions rang out as Leader intercepted several more Spells, his skill and uracy unerring. Not a single one of the attacks had made it past the energy shots from his powerful bow.

    Despite all the attacks that were sent their way, however, far more Spells and attacks were spread out around the shell as neighboring groups attacked each other, trying to force them to flee.

    Nearly 300 Wizards or warriors of various varieties were concentrated near their entrance, a rtively smaller number. The ce they had arrived at was one of the farthest sections due to their speed, and therefore had the fewest nearby challengers.

    Everyone was aware that the fewer men or women left on the shell, the greater a chance anyone would have at securing an entrance.

    That, and arge number of participants were here simply to prey on others, looting their Spatial Rings and treasures. There were many a wealthy Wizard here intent on trying to break into King ss orplete their understanding of a Law.

    Magmor, unless one was tucked away in one of the Oasis Cities, was essentially awlessnd controlled by no Major Power. The zing King had little interest in stopping crime beyond his city, and none of the other Oasis Cities dared to do anything different.

    Even now, Dorian saw at least a couple of groups turn tail and flee, carrying injured teammates as they fled the battle.

    However, their luck seemed to have run its course.

    As Leader shot down a few more Spells, a loud voice suddenly rang out, catching the attention of the nearby fighters.

    ¡°Everyone! The entrance has been activated by that King ss archer! If we don¡¯t work together to take him out, none of us will stand a chance at securing it when we tire or are wounded!¡±

    The speaker was a sly-looking Aethmen dressed in a full set of red robes. He could be seen standing with two other robed Wizards. All of them had a powerful, red Aura covered in mes surrounding them, giving their group a united, powerful appearance.

    ¡°He¡¯s got a point.¡± One white-robed Wizard said, a middle-aged woman wielding arge ck staff.

    ¡°How many of us are King ss?¡± A ck te-armored warrior eximed, waving his sword around at those nearby.

    ¡°Taking down the King sses now and fighting for itter is a solid idea.¡± Another warrior agreed.

    ¡°Archer! Identify yourself!¡± A slightly overweight Wizard wearing a pair ofrge spectacles said, motioning at Leader angrily.

    Thebat all around them drew to a temporary pause as the voice finished its echoing reverberations. Loud conversations reced it as the various Wizards and warriors discussed aloud the merits of the suggestion. Many of them demanded Leader identify himself, wanting to be sure of who he was before they attacked. Few were willing to enrage a Major Power or any sizable force.

    Unfortunately, Leader and Dorian were decidedly neither.

    ¡®Crap.¡¯ As Dorian looked out at the sea of faces, he realized that very few of them were what he would consider very strong.

    Almost all of them were Lord ss, which meant very strong whenpared to most beings. However, Dorian¡¯s ck-Scaled Rage Dragon form was already capable of taking on more than a dozen Lord ss Wizards on his own.

    En masse, however¡­ That would be a very different story. Not even a King ss expert like Leader could block a hundred different Lord ss Spells or attacks.

    Dorian¡¯s Hyperion Beam ball was still charging, having gained a decentlyrge amount of energy.

    ¡°You dare ask for my name?! Hahaha, what foolishness is that? Consider me nameless ande at me if you dare!¡± Leader¡¯s voice was full of arrogance as he responded to the crowd, his rainbow Aura of Pride bursting forward tremendously. A huge amount of pressure washed off his body and mmed into the crowd, causing many of the onlookers to step back.

    The crowd seemed to mill about in confusion, the pauses inbat continuing as no one made the first move.

    At the back of the crowd, a ck-skinned human wearing a set of loose, open vest and pants, both originally white but stained slightly gray from the ash falls on Magmor and time, nodded his head in approval. His shoulder-length dreadlocks moved slightly as he nodded.

    ¡°Nameless, this monk does agree, an apt title for any man.¡± His words were quiet and unnoticed by most, containing no special aura or power. His presence almost seemed to be invisible, in fact, as he watched the battle and current standstill with passive interest.

    ¡°Hmph. Useless archer, you can¡¯t even secure the entrance against a bunch of measly ants.¡± A majestic, powerful voice rang out, smashing down on the scene as a huge, golden Aura spread out. One full of majestic nobility and arrogant strength.

    This second Aura smacked into the crowd and sent even more Wizards or warriors reeling back. Many of them began to back away, unwilling to engage in two powerful King ss experts.

    Aiden, golden eyes shing, waltzed forward as hended on the jutting rock. Miranded right behind him, her eyes demure as she looked around.

    The two dragons had been lying low in the crowd, not engaging inbat. They seemed intent on hiding their presence as much as possible until it was no longer possible.

    Dorian¡¯s heart filled with relief as he saw them. It seemed like they would manage to take this entrance without much danger.

    ¡°Everyone, are you sure you want to give up on your chances like this? The dreams of a lifetime, of reaching the Heavens themselves, lie within these Ruins!¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes hardened in anger as the same red-robed Aethmen from before yelled out loud, agitating the crowd.

    ¡°There¡¯s only 2 of them and more than 100 of us! We three are members of the zing King¡¯s team! As long as you help us take them out, we guarantee that none of the zing King¡¯s other men will participate in the fight for this entrance!¡±

    The crowd reacted to the Aethman¡¯s yells, especially when they heard he was a member of the zing King¡¯s entourage. That Wizard¡¯s name had a huge amount of influence on Magmor, especially this close to Tomo City.

    ¡®Damn it! We were so close! I will NOT allow myself to fail and let William die because of you!¡¯ Dorian swore.

    ¡®ck mes-Hyperion Beam! Go!¡¯ He unleashed his attack without holding back. He would not show mercy to those trying to kill him.

    The ck orb of energy and fire that Dorian had been charging for several seconds had already reached a sizable amount of power. It could¡¯ve been charged longer, if Dorian had had the time, increasing its power, but he needed to make a move now.

    WHOOSH

    A ck bar of ming light seared across the air, moving at a very fast speed. Bybining his ck mes with the bar of light, Dorian had slowed the Hyperion Beam attack down slightly, but greatly increased its melting power.

    It crossed the hundred or so meters between Dorian and the zing King trio in a split second.

    BOOM

    A small explosion shook the air as ck fire and energy shot outward, throwing up a cloud of ash and cracked stone from the magma that had solidified. The crackles of energy swept the air from the remnants of the attack, a dangerously intimidating noise.

    The entire crowd jumped away a good dozen meters at this, several of them outright fleeing from the scene of battle, wanting nothing to do with the confrontations happening at this entrance. Dorian¡¯s concentrated Hyperion Beam attack,bined with his ck mes, was something that could easily annihte a regr Lord ss Wizard, enough to fully punch through an innate barrier.

    As the dust settled, however, Dorian¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    Instead of the expected result, taking out or at least injuring the Wizard that was trying to incite the crowd to murder them, his attack had beenpletely blocked by a single, robe-enshrouded figure. Through the shadow of the robe, Dorian could just barely see a hint of a smile.

    ¡°Consider that your reward for drawing our attention here and helping me find two of my targets early.¡± That smiling figure said, a man whose appearance was mostly covered by that long, ck robe.

    The man pulled the robe down, revealing a face that was half covered in what appeared to be crystals. Crystals that gleamed with pure, blue light, sparkling in the morning air. Not just crystal, but raw, glistening diamond.

    The Vice-Head of the Diamond Department that they had shed with earlier.

    The Wizard Taemin.

    ¡°Huh! You again, you arrogant fool! Did you not lose enough face thest time you appeared before us?¡± Aiden¡¯s voice boomed as he red at the Diamond Wizard, crossing his arms.

    ¡°We? Did you happen to turn half your brain to diamond too, rockface? I only see one of you.¡± Leader immediately bit back, refusing to back down as well.

    The crowd watched the unfolding drama, all of them standing still as if they were still unsure what to do, caught up in the exchange.

    <em>Hic</em>

    ¡°I believe he is referring to me, young archer.¡± A boisterous, rowdy voice cut into the air, one apanied by a monstrously powerful Aura and a strong scent of fruit alcohol.

    ¡°Why hello, my Draconic friends! It seems we¡¯ve met again!¡±

    Dorian stared at Head of the Diamond Department. He¡¯d avoided scanning the manst time because, ording to Ausra, his Demonic Eyes Ability that allowed him to closely detect an opponent¡¯s strength could be detected by those close to the Angelic level.

    The moment had been so tense that Dorian had opted against it, not wanting to force an unnecessary battle. Now, however, it seemed it no longer mattered.

    His eyes shed as he looked at the powerful, hostile Wizard, one of the 12 Walls of the Borrel Autarchy.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C King ss (Pseudo-Angelic)

    Maximum Energy Level: 5,221,223

    ¨C

    ¡®Oh dear. This is not good.¡¯

 Chapter 132 - Realization

    132 Realization

    The past 12 chapters have all been daily, in a row, none missed! Roughly 30,000 words in just 12 days!

    With that said, I will be taking tomorrow off to handle some IRL stuff and have a mini break (Author-San is a bit sick/tired) ? I will see you all, back on our daily schedule, the day after!

    (this note doesn¡¯t affect SS price)<hr>

    The Draconic Tribes and the Borrel Autarchy had long since been at each other¡¯s necks. War had broken out between the two Major Powers multiple times, and even when they weren¡¯t at war, skirmishes weremonce.

    As of right now, the Tribes and the Autarchy were technically not at war. The ckgold Tribe, the strongest Tribe at the moment, though not the leader of the other Tribes by any means, was in negotiations with the Autarchy for a ceasefire, alongside a few representatives from other Tribes.

    That didn¡¯t mean that the Tribes could move freely through the Borrel Autarchy or act unrestrained, however.

    Aiden red at the Head of the Diamond Department. His eyes shed with golden light as he jumped up into the air.

    WHOOSH

    Aiden¡¯s body morphed, instantly abandoning his Humanoid From and transforming into a huge, hulking Golden me Dragon that radiated pure, raw energy.

    ¨C

    Species: Golden me Dragon

    ss ¨C King ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,047,412

    ¨C

    In terms of Energy Levels, Aiden was quite a bit weaker than the Head of the Diamond Department.

    However, in terms of actual power, the difference between the two was not asrge as it seemed.

    While the Maximum Energy Level of a creature took into ount some portion of their physical strength, it could not perfectly ount for when onebined physical strength and one¡¯s natural body with the energy from one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix and the power of Law.

    This wasrgely due to the huge variety of forms and physiques in the 30,000 Worlds. Achieving such a bnce that applied equally to all forms was impossible.

    If a dragon and a human stood side by side, each with an energy level of roughly 500,000 points, the two beings would not be perfectly equal.

    The dragon, by far, would overpower the human, due to its powerful physique and sheer size. In terms of raw might, it would be far stronger than a human with a simr Energy Level.

    The me Empyrean Turtle was a gargantuan beast, and had an equally gargantuan Energy Level approaching 22,000,000 points, with a Soul Spell Matrix at the Pseudo-Angelic level. In terms of real power, however, it was far stronger than a human would be with an equivalent energy level.

    The me Empyrean Turtle could face off against true Angelic ss beings ande awaypletely unscathed.

    Energy Levels were a good metric for strength in general, but once one focused on higher levels or more powerful creatures, the ss of one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix and the breed of one¡¯s Bloodline yed a far bigger role.

    Humans were the most adaptive species in the 30,000 Worlds. They had the ability to increase their strength at an incredible rate, improving their Energy Levels to the extreme. Other species, like those of the Draconic Tribes, improved at a slower rate.

    The stronger a creature¡¯s physical form, the harder it was to increase their overall strength.

    Aiden, as a Middle King ss Golden me Dragon, was one of the strongest members of the Golden me Tribe.

    BOOM

    Aiden¡¯s bodynded down on the ground, the golden, majestic Aura that surrounded him crashing down and spreading with ferocious force. It was overwhelmingly strong, the Aura of a truly draconic being.

    ¡°Oh my god! A dragon!¡±

    ¡°Fall back, fall back!¡±

    ¡°Quick, go to the other entrances!¡±

    Most of the crowd, upon seeing Aiden, immediately gave up and fled. Some cast Spells to shield themselves as they fled, while others abandoned everything and burst into a sprint. Some even brought out and activated defensive Magic Artifacts.

    The multitude of powerful Wizards and warriors didn¡¯t flee out of cowardice.

    Simply, the reputation that the Draconic Tribes held was not something any sane being would want to face off against.

    ¡°Finally showing your true colors, eh? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to take you two in for questioning, drakes. We don¡¯t have any records of Tribemembers like you crossing ournds legally.¡±

    <em>Hic</em>

    Jiro stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

    ¡°GRRR¡­¡± Aiden merely responded with a low, guttural growl, one that sent shivers through Dorian¡¯s spine, his adept Wrath Vampire ears picking up every decibel of it. It was a growl of a predator.

    A predator that was looking at prey.

    ¡°How would you even know if there were records? Who says we had to cross yournds? We have no quarrel with you. Let us part on neutral terms.¡± Mira¡¯s voice sounded off as the voice of reason as she argued back.

    Jiro shrugged,

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need to confirm everything first. His Highness has made it very clear on that when ites to your kind. Of course¡­¡± Jiro smiled, the alcohol gourd on his back sloshing about,

    ¡°You are wee to resist.¡± Killing intent flowed off the Department Head in an almostzy fashion, as if the Head didn¡¯t see them as a true challenge.

    This killing intent seemed to lessen, however, as the Department Head nced aside, looking at Dorian for a moment before returning his attention to Aiden.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, you alcoholic turkey.¡± Leader¡¯s voice boomed out with confidence as he jumped forward, holding his bow at the ready as hended on the ground next to Aiden¡¯srge, Draconic form.

    ¡°This Godly Human¡­¡± Leader began, banging on his chest,

    ¡°Shall be the one to stop you!¡± His voice boomed out with Pride, the air around him distorting as the rainbow Aura shed. Energy condensed around him as he prepared to enter his powerful ¡®Super State.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard Leader¡¯s words.

    They sounded rather familiar¡­

    ¡°Siding with drakes over humanity, why does this not surprise me? I will be the one to arrest you, ve of the dragon race.¡± Taemin stepped forward, holding his diamond arm forward as he pointed at Leader.

    ¡°Department Head, I will admit your strength is great. But do you think you can take us both on at once?¡± Mira¡¯s voice took on a grand, but peaceful air, as she transformed as well, jumping off the tform and leaving Dorian alone.

    A graceful jade-scaled dragon appeared, one whose scales glittered beautifully in the midmorning light of Magmor. Her Wise Jade Dragon¡¯s full form. At the same time, a jade colored Aura spread out, rippling in the air.

    The pressure from these beings facing off was incredible. Dorian felt lightheaded just looking at it, despite being so far back.

    In that tense moment, the Department Head Jiro did something a bit odd. He turned away from facing off against Aiden to nce at Dorian again. A hint of uncertainty appeared in his eyes.

    Upon seeing that Dorian was merely watching with narrowed eyes, the look of uncertainty vanished.

    ¡®Shoot.¡¯ Dorian mentally swore as he saw this. The Department Head seemed to take his inaction as a sign that he wasn¡¯t interested in interfering.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not interested¡­ It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t quite match up with y¡¯all yet¡­¡¯ He thought begrudgingly. Why was he still so weak, dammit?

    If he used his Perfect Body Ability, Dorian was fully confident he would be able to trade blows with them. Yukeli had used it to great effect when he fought against a full strength Leader. He might not be as skilled as Yukeli, but his physical enhancement would be the same.

    The only problem was that he could only maintain that state for a brief period.

    ¡®What should I do?¡­¡¯ His thoughts were thrown into disarray.

    Jiro did not hesitate.

    ¡°Yourbined prowess might be slightly annoying. Even I cannot simply ignore Dragonfire. However, who said I would face you alone?¡± He snapped his fingers.

    Immediately, seemingly spawning out of some type of Spatial Artifact, a dozenrge armored figures appeared. All of them were covered in crystalline diamond armor, glinting brightly in the morning light.

    As they appeared, each one released a powerful Lord ss Aura.

    ¡®Ausra, what are those?¡¯ Dorian queried mentally at the sight.

    ¡®They appear to be some type of Golem Artifacts, simr to the Diamond Soldier Golem, enhanced and created for battle. Their strength puts them in the Lord ss, Mid to Late.¡¯ Ausra gave an estimate of their strength and a mild description of what they were.

    ¡®Oh? You can recognize these Artifacts, but not others?¡¯ Dorian, in that split second, mentally sent her an off-hand question.

    ¡®My logs have information about anything that resembles a living being, including various Golem creatures.¡¯ Her response was sinct.

    <em>Hic</em>

    The drunk Department Head gave them all a raucous smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a go at it, hahaha!¡± He waved his hand, causing arge, gleaming diamond axe to appear in it.

    Immediately, the dozen Diamond Soldiers rushed forward towards Mira, their legs smashing down on the ground in unison as they attacked. Pure, white Auras rose about them,bining perfectly.

    At the same time, Jiro leapt towards Aiden, a pure, unadulterated Aura rippling out around him. One that was earthy and strong, rich and deadly.

    One that seemed to give off a faint tang of alcohol.

    Aiden rushed forward at Jiro, swiping down with one of his long, draconian ws. The gold Aura that swarmed around him from his Law of Majesty rippled in the air, smashing towards the Diamond Wizard.

    BOOOOOOM

    An earth-shattering roar broke out as a shockwave mmed into Dorian, threatening to throw him off his feet. He barely held on to the pir he was standing on, sliding back into range of the circr portal that was charging up in the middle.

    The impact from the two being¡¯s charge seemed to have mostly equalized. Jiro was knocked back a single step while Aiden was knocked back one as well, though his steps were decidedlyrger. Neitherbatant seemed injured.

    WHOOOOOSSHHHH

    The crackling sound of Dragonfire rang out as Aiden unleashed a flurry of brilliant Golden mes, burning with a light that seemed almighty and powerful. Dorian could feel the heat from all the way over here.

    Instead of dodging it, Jiro seemed to wee the mes,ughing out loud as he pulled out the gourd on his back, setting his axe down beside him.

    SPLASH

    Jiro threw out a huge wave of the fruit alcohol that was in that gourd, sshing it in a huge arc. At the same time, he lightly tossed the gourd into the air, freeing his hands as he sped them together to casts a Spell.

    ¡°Diamond Magic: Diamond Transformation!¡±

    Immediately, the sshing arc of fruit alcohol transformed, turning into a magically enhanced bubble of pure diamond.

    WHOOOSH

    FSSSHHHHH

    The Golden mes that Aiden sent mmed into the bubble of diamond and washed around it, flooding up against it. The mes were deadly and held an incredibly corrosive power, but even they were unable to melt through the diamond seal.

    ¡®Wow. Their Diamond Magic is really no joke. The durability is incredible.¡¯ It made sense to Dorian, now, why the Vice-Head would transform a full half of his body into the Magic diamond that it had be. The strength and power it gave, as well as pure defensive prowess, must have seemed a worthwhile tradeoff.

    In the meantime, the Diamond Soldiers had all swarmed Mira.

    Mira lithely dodged attack after attack, shooting out a few swaths of Dragonfire of her own as she jumped around. Her strategy appeared to be based on taking advantage of her rtively smaller size as a Wise Jade Dragon to move in and out fast.

    The Jade mes she sent out mmed against the Diamond Soldiers and seemed to have little effect. It made some of them stop and stutter, but the Golems got back up and moving shortly after.

    Vice Head Taemin, meanwhile, had engaged Leader in a duel of their own.

    ¡°Ooh, you almost got me there, you sorry excuse for a rocky canyon!¡± Leader appeared to be enjoying himself, hurling insult after insult like he hurled arrow after arrow, constantly pelting Taemin with energy shots.

    The half-diamond human took all the shots stoically, blocking st after st using his diamond arm. They seemed to be causing him little to no damage, each one dispersed without too big a fuss.

    ¡®The Diamond Magic that these Wizards use is really, really strong, defensively.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened at this as he saw the full power of the Diamond Department. There was a good reason why it was considered part of the Big 12, the strongest Departments in the Borrel Autarchy.

    Huge explosions, shockwaves, and shing Auras mixed together as thebatants engaged. It seemed like all the other participants had turned tail and fled, running away from the scene as the huge battle broke out. Even the trio from the zing King had turned tail, unwilling to risk themselves over this entrance.

    ¡®Is there no type of attack I can use to help?!¡¯ He thought, frustration almost overwhelming him.

    He could go out and try to fight, using what was left of Yukeli¡¯s skills. He could cobble together a few of the Abilities he¡¯d managed to pick up thanks to the new forms he¡¯d gained and perhaps have some small effect.

    Dorian looked down at his hands, a feeling of uselessness running rampant in his mind.

    ¡®What would Will do?¡¯ He thought about the man he was trying to save, the Wood Wizard turned Light Wizard that had sacrificed himself for him.

    ¡®Will¡­ Will! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s right!¡¯ His eyes abruptly lit up as a thought struck him.

    ¡®I am an Anomaly. While my original powers were given to me by Yukeli, there is one that I have that even Yukeli never had¡­¡¯

    ¡®The ability to twist Fate using my will! Thanks, Will!¡¯ He mentally thanked his unconsciouspanion for helping remind him.

    ¡®Who says I¡¯m useless here, eh?¡¯ Dorian thought, looking up.

    His eyes shed once more as he scanned his surroundings, taking in the massive battle that was taking ce.

    A small smile appeared on his face.

    ¡®With this power in my hands¡­ Even Gods themselves will tremble before me.¡¯

    Dorian pulled hard on his will as he looked out at the fighters.

    Andmanded Fate to change.

    .

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133: To Ash The world around Dorian seemed to distort, ever so slightly. A split secondter, Dorian felt a huge drain on his soul as a flood of energy left it.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Middle)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 53,112/57,542

    ¨C

    In a single second, he used up a bit more than 4,000 points of energy from his soul.

    WHOOSH

    The battle in front of Dorian was ongoing.

    Department Head Jiro snapped his fingers and cancelled his Diamond Magic Spell, causing the transformed fruit alcohol to return back to its liquid state, flowing back into the gourd that he reced on his back. At the same time, he held his hand out to the side, causing his axe to float up into his palm.

    <em>Hic</em>

    ¡°Diamond Magic: Erge!¡± Jiro took a step forward as Aiden took a moment to recover from unleashing such a huge wave of Golden mes. As he moved, the axe he held in his hand expanded, growing to an absurd size.

    In almost an instant, the axehead stretched to be roughly 10 meters across, a gargantuan axe that dwarfed the human by far. It seemed to be perfectly suited to Jiro as he swung it, however, leading the attack with a powerful burst of energy from the blue and green Aura that surrounded him.

    The speed at which Jiro cut down was blurringly fast, far too quick for Aiden to dodge.

    Aiden¡¯s draconic body shivered slightly as he ducked backwards as much as possible, a curtain of golden light covering him protectively as he braced to try and deflect the blow.

    Before the brutal axe sh couldnd, however, something odd happened.

    The ground beneath Jiro¡¯s feet seemed to shift slightly.

    THUD

    With a momentous amount of force, Jiro face-nted directly into the rocky exterior of the massive turtle. His erged axe mmed down a secondter, setting off a small shockwave of energy that lightly damaged the stone shell, to little avail.

    ¡®Hmm, it was much more expensive to make him trip, and I didn¡¯t manage to set it up for Aiden to counterattack.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed only slightly as he ran his mind over the results.

    Aiden blinked, his jaw dropping slightly as he saw all of this.

    ¡°YES! You see?! THAT is how that feels, Head Jiro!¡± Taemin¡¯s voice echoed out loud with satisfaction as he took a moment from chasing after Leader toment.

    Leader, meanwhile, took one look at the powerful, majestic Head of the Diamond Department, one who was currently staring into the ground with a face full of rock, and burst outughing.

    ¡°Ahahaha, oh my, your Diamond Department really has some unique special techniques. Not only do you transform yourselves into rocks, you can¡¯t keep yourself away from them either.¡±

    Leader had to dodge backwards almost immediately after as Taemin took offense, summoning arge diamond sword and rushing at him.

    Jiro, meanwhile, got to his feet with a look of consternation. His axe returned to a normal size as he turned and red at Aiden in mild irritation and curiosity.

    Aiden snorted back,

    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for your Department¡¯s poor footwork.¡±

    Much of the tension in the moment seemed to have fled.

    ¡®Hmm. Let¡¯s try over there again.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes slipped to the side, where the Vice-Head Taemin was chasing Leader.

    WHOOSH

    Roughly 1,000 points of energy fled from Dorian¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix.

    At the same time, Taemin was leaping forward, a long de bearing in on Leader.

    Just as his right footnded on the ground, just a few meters from Leader, the rock he was standing on seemed to distort by an extremely small amount. Just enough, however, to make him lose his footing.

    WHOOSH

    As his body hurled forward, off bnce, Taemin threw himself to the side, twisting in mid-air as he caught the fall. He almost seemed to be expecting the random trip, prepared for it. His quick reactions saved him from face-nting, though he couldn¡¯t avoid falling down.

    SHWISH

    SHWISH

    Unfortunately for Taemin, Leader took full advantage of that momentary slip. In less than a second, two separate arrows sted out, full of potent energy.

    While Leader expressed a rather cavalier attitude, his attention tobat was both precise and unforgiving. Giving him even a single opening could lead to fatal results.

    BOOM

    Two explosions rang out as the energy bolts detonated right on top of Taemin.

    At thest moment, however, Taemin¡¯s diamond right arm snaked upward, blocking the impact of both attacks. The colorful energy from Leader¡¯s Aura shed with Taemin¡¯s blue Aura, both forces cancelling out.

    Dorian frowned slightly when he saw this. Once more, the defensive prowess of Diamond Magic was showing up his ns.

    ¡®It¡¯s cheaper to affect Taemin¡¯s Fate than it is to affect Jiro¡¯s Fate. Probably because of the differences in their Soul Spell Matrix and souls. Jiro is much stronger, at the Pseudo-Angelic level.¡¯ Dorian confirmed his results.

    ¡®I should probably twist Fate to do something other than tripping. Taemin seems to have caught on to that.¡¯

    Taemin was sent flying despite the sessful block, his body tumbling as he was knocked even further off bnce, soaring through the air. Hended down hard on his back roughly a dozen meters away.

    ¡°Ahahaha! You Borrelians are really something, huh? Like father, like son, eh?¡± Leader mocked Taemin after he saw him trip and barely manage to block his arrow attack.

    Vice-Head Taemin flipped up off the ground, his eyes bloodshot as he red at Leader. Dust and rocky debris slid off him but coated his robe.

    ¡°How dare you disrespect the Autarchy! Also, that man is NOT my father!¡± Taemin red daggers at Leader. The blue Aura around him seemed to increase slightly in intensity as mad fervor bled through into his voice.

    ¡°Ouch. Even denying parental bonds despite the overwhelming simrities.¡± Leader shook his head sadly and then turned to look at Jiro.

    ¡°My condolences, Head Jiro. The young ones have no respect these days.¡±

    ¡°s.¡± Jiro took a swig from his gourd of fruit alcohol, his voice equally sad,

    ¡°Filial piety is lost to the youth of today.¡± He sighed deeply in agreement.

    ¡°I AM NOT YOUR SON! STOP FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY!¡± Taemin seemed as if he was about to explode, the entire ridiculous situation nearly causing him to fly into a rage.

    Mira, meanwhile, was constantly dodging the Diamond Soldier Golems that were attacking her. Her movements maintained the graceful litheness and calm that Wise Jade Dragons were known for. She wasn¡¯t able to take them out, but they didn¡¯t seem to be able to injure her either.

    The Golems couldn¡¯t run indefinitely, so the battle between them was a war of attrition over anything. And, given that Mira was a King ss Dragon, it was more likely than not that she would win, given enough time.

    Time it didn¡¯t seem she would get, as it turned out. Not because of the Golems, but because of what the Vice-Head did next.

    In the throes of his confused anger, Taemin¡¯s eyes grew cold. He became fully serious, and at that moment, decided to go all out.

    ¡°Diamond Magic: Iself¡¯s Gauntlet.¡± Taemin sped his hands together and cast a Spell, causing a shining gauntlet made out of, unsurprisingly, diamond to appear on his left hand. The gauntlet was covered in strange carvings and emanated an ancient power.

    Immediately after, he cast a second Spell, so quickly it was almost impossible to distinguish between the two.

    ¡°Diamond Magic: Iself¡¯s Spear.¡±

    He clenched the air with his left, gauntlet bearing, hand, as if he was holding arge spear. The blue Aura around him exploded into a crescendo, power vibrating off him.

    Leader was already fully in his Pride Super State, his entire body operating at maximum strength. He held his Ruler¡¯s Bow at the ready, eyeing Taemin as he prepared himself to unleash a Hypervelocity shot if he needed to. He was caught, however, as he weighed the risks. Unleashing his ultimate move would leave him weakened and vulnerable.

    In the moment that Leader hesitated, Taemin struck. Not in an orthodox way, like rushing forward or firing a Spell off towards Leader.

    Instead, he pulled down violently with his left hand, still clenching at the air.

    WHOOOSH

    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH

    ¡°Suffer the wrath of the Borrel Autarchy.¡±

    In the sky above them, materializing in that split second, was an enormous, 100 meter long diamond spear, covered in what appeared to be lightning bolts of blue energy. This spear was crackling down at a zingly fast speed, headed directly towards Leader.

    ¡®No! Fate, help him out!¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he barely managed to control his emotions, instantly twisting Fate to try and help Leader.

    Thousands of points of energy fled from Dorian¡¯s soul, sloughing off him. More than 5,000 points.

    The spear had moved in with such speed and ferocity that, even in Leader¡¯s Super State, it would be difficult to dodge.

    BOOOOM

    The giant spear mmed into the outer shell of the me Empyrean Turtle, piercing several meters into it. Arge collection of shrapnel and stone shards were flung out into the air, lightning and energy exploding off the strike in deadly arcs. A burnt smell spread into the air as the energy melted the air itself, incredibly corrosive and strong.

    Through this all, Leader had dodged to the side as much as he could. He managed to avoid a direct impact from the spear, but was standing mere meters from the huge blow.

    WHOOSH

    Tendrils of lightning and energy snaked through the air directly at Leader, as did the shrapnel that had been thrown up from the ground.

    Just as they were about tond, however, the lightning, moving in seemingly random patterns, sted right into the shrapnel that was headed for Leader, ready to pierce through him.

    BOOM

    A second, smaller explosion rang out as the lightning energy and shrapnel collided in midair, every single piece that was about to hit Leader simultaneouslybusting.

    The resulting miniature explosions redirected the bolts of energy, causing them to coincidentally all miss Leader.

    The impact was so great it sent out a powerful shockwave, shivering in the air. Leader couldn¡¯t dodge this, but instead went with it, sailing off dozens of meters to the left. Despite the impact, he remained rtively uninjured, the more dangerous parts of the attack having missed himpletely.

    The shockwave made neither Aiden nor Jiro flinch, passing over them to almost no effect. As it mmed into Mira and the Diamond Soldiers, however, it caused several of the Golems to be flung into the air.

    Two of whichnded on the tform with the portal entrance Dorian was forcibly clinging to as he weathered the shockwave. Two hulking Golems that radiated a strong white Aura.

    ¡°Damn.¡± Taemin swore as he saw Leader unexpectedly escape unscathed from his surprise attack. He was breathing heavily, the Spell taking a lot out of him.

    In that moment, the Diamond Soldiers immediately turned towards Dorian, registering him as a hostile enemy. Their Auras were, at a minimum, far stronger than anything Dorian could muster, just using his understanding of the Law of Wrath.

    As they rushed at him, the reactions of the others were mixed.

    Leader snorted arrogantly as he saw this while recovering, a smile on his face as if he was about to watch a good show. Taemin was dealing with the aftershock of his powerful Spell, on guard as he watched the reverberations of his attack fade. Aiden had split off from staring down Jiro to join back up with Mira.

    Head Jiro was perhaps the one watching Dorian¡¯s reactions the most, his eyes containing an awareness and intelligence that belied his drunken demeanor.

    Internally, Dorian smiled.

    ¡®Sending Golems to kill me?¡¯ He mentally shook his head.

    ¡®These Diamond Soldiers may be Golems¡­ but they are also something else.¡¯ A small smile appeared on his face as he raised two hands, stretching them out towards each charging Golem.

    ¡®Artifacts.¡¯

    The two Golems were just centimeters away from Dorian at this point, bearing down on him with incredible force.

    ¡®ABSORB!¡¯ As soon as Dorian¡¯s fingers touched the Golems, before they couldnd their attacks, he sent out a mentalmand, absorbing their energy like he could for almost all Artifacts.

    WHOOSH

    The two Diamond Soldier Golems, powerful treasured Artifacts infused and created by a master craftsman familiar with Diamond Magic, possessing the same godly durability that this type of Magic diamond held, shuddered as they ran into Dorian.

    And then copsed into two piles of ash, instantly destroyed with a light touch.

 Chapter 134 - Reveal

    Chapter 134: Reveal<h6 id="extralongchapterhencethessprice200word1ss">(Extra long chapter ¨C hence the SS price ¨C 200 word/1SS)</h6>

    .

    Everyone in sight froze, staring at the sheer, seemingly impossible result.

    Ash drifted down and into the air as the particle remnants of the two Magic Artifact Golem¡¯s copsed, dissipating into nothingness.

    ¡°That¡­ how¡­? What¡­?¡± Jiro Korc of the Axe, the great Diamond Wall of the Borrel Autarchy, one of the most elite Wizards in the entire nation, stared at Dorian in pure, unadulterated shock.

    Of all the results he thought were possible, this was not one of them, not even if he considered Dorian an equal.

    After all, even Jiro himself couldn¡¯t do what Dorian had just done.

    Taemin¡¯s eyes flew all the way up in sheer shock. He well understood how incredibly durable the golems were, more than anyone else here. He had practiced against them before, testing the diamond half of his body. He was well aware of their incredible toughness and the difficulty required to scratch them, let alone turn them to ash.

    The Golems were made of a special type of diamond known as Aether Diamond, one of the hardest known substances in the 30,000 Worlds, originally discovered by the Aethmen Race. Most of the Diamond Magic that Taemin studied focused on the maniption of Aether Diamond.

    He had even integrated half his body into a Magicwork of Aether Diamond.

    And now¡­ a random Vampire with a weak, barely existent Aura had just turned two Diamond Golems, constructed from Aether Diamond, into ash with a light touch.

    For the first time in a long while, Taemin felt a seed of fear nt itself in his heart.

    Leader, meanwhile, was standing tall with his arms crossed, a huge, satisfied smirk on his face, Pride rolling off him in literally visible waves. He looked on this result as if it waspletely expected, as if there could have been no other possibility. His eyes were full of absolute confidence, without even the slightest hint of doubt.

    Aiden turned and gave Jiro a slightly consoling look, as if he understood Jiro¡¯s pain. Mira merely looked on and gave Dorian a small, grateful nod.

    ¡°Too weak.¡± Dorian shook his head sadly, confidence flowing in his voice,

    ¡°You bore me, Department Head. I might just leave now if this is the best you have.¡± Dorian put on his best disinterested voice as he took a step forward, standing firmly at the center of the jutting rock, within the boundaries of the entrance portal.

    The more confident he sounded, the better a chance of avoidingbat, he figured, especially given the look of shock on the Department Head¡¯s face.

    At that exact moment, as Dorian was grandstanding, the portal beneath him shed.

    60 seconds had passed in what felt like an eternity due to the fast-pacedbat. The entrance portal had fully charged and would now automatically activate as soon as 6 people stood within it.

    WHOOSH

    Just as Dorian was registering this, a bright wave of light shot off from the portal. It seemed to hover around him for a brief moment and then vanish.

    The entrance to the Ascension Ruins that Dorian was standing on then activated, abnormally, without waiting for the required six people. In a split instant, a pir of warm light shot up as Dorian teleported, vanishing with the portal from the outer shell of the turtle.

    Leaving behind a group of stunned onlookers.

    *Hic*

    ¡°Did he..? Did he just leave..? After¡­ All of that¡­?¡± Head Jiro¡¯s voice boomed incredulously,

    ¡°He just left?¡± He held his hands out at aplete loss. In the back of his eyes, however, a light tinge of relief could just barely be seen, an emotion he immediately crushed upon realizing its existence.

    BOOM

    A resplendent explosion shook the air as Aiden and Mira withdrew in a retreat, their Draconic bodies retreating as they backed away towards a different entrance. Leader could be seen, standing atop Mira¡¯s draconic body as he joined them in leaving the field of battle.

    Taemin and Jiro just watched on, too shocked by Dorian¡¯s performance to do anything else.

    As the trio fled into the distance, if one looked closely, they would just barely be able to see Leader energetically flipping off Taemin.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    More than 100 meters away, the figure of a ck skinned human could faintly be seen, wavering in and out of reality. This figure had been watching the entire battle withoutment nodded in appreciation as everything came to an end.

    ¡°This Nameless Monk does appreciate your performance, young warrior. If Fate wills it, I shall try to aid you once. You remind me of the Great Founder himself. Kdin would be proud.¡± The monk¡¯s body shivered and vanished as he turned around, heading for a separate entrance as well.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Bright lights shed in Dorian¡¯s eyes, blinding him, as space seemed to fold in on itself, warping him away from his previous location to an entirely new ce. He felt an odd stretching sensation, as if his entire body was being pulled apart and then put back together. Energy seemed to flow around him at such a rate that he couldn¡¯t sense anything at all.

    All of a sudden, everything returned to normal.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian fell to the ground as he gasped for breath, his heart pounding. He blinked and cleared his eyes as he looked around, instantly putting up his guard.

    He was standing in arge, sparsely decorated room. The floor was made of smooth grey stone, so smooth it looked like it had been carved directly t. Several bookshelves seemed to have been carved into the grey stone walls and were filled with sheaths of paper and books.

    There was a single entrance to the room, a dozen or so meters away from Dorian, a stone door that was covered in a few random carvings. In the center of the room were severalrge desks, covered with neat stacks of paper.

    ¡°Cough!¡± Dorian¡¯s mouth sputtered as he took a deep breath and immediately inhaled a huge amount of dust. He spent the next several seconds catching his breath and gathering his bearings once more.

    This room¡­ the dust in itbined with its appearance, it felt incredibly old. As if it hadid like this, untouched, for hundreds of years.

    He took a few deep breaths as he calmed down, this time making sure to not breathe in any dust.

    ¨C

    Wise Jade Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (3/5) Young Jade Dragon ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 356,112/421,881 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡°Nice!¡± Dorian fist pumped the air as he looked at the energy values for his Wise Jade Dragon form. He¡¯d applied them immediately once he absorbed the energy from the Artifact Golems, eager toplete his first natural Dragon form.

    ¡°I must¡¯ve gained at least 400,000 points in total! Those Golems are worth a ton! I should try to snag a few more if I can manage it.¡± He smiled as he looked on, pleased. He paused immediately after, however, as he heard his words echo in the room oddly.

    Bzzzzz

    Dorian stepped backwards as an echoing buzz sounded off in the chamber. He looked from left to right, trying to find the source of the noises.

    WHOOSH

    The buzzing sound stopped, but the air around Dorian trembled with energy, recing the noises.

    A secondter, a voice began to speak. A voice that Dorian just barely recognized.

    ¡°Wee, future self.¡±

    It was the voice of Yukeli that Dorian had heard speak in his head.

    But a younger, less tired version, one that didn¡¯t have the same aged feeling. It was, instead, full of energy and excitement.

    His eyes were opened wide as he listened to the voice speak, looking around as he tried to find the source to it. It seemed to being from the air itself.

    ¡°If you are hearing this, it means at least one of my ns was sessful after I Ascended. I have sessfully returned to the 30,000 Worlds in a body that is no longer chained down by my race.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard this.

    ¡®Not quite, Yukeli. I know you are still somewhere, lurking within my soul. But you aren¡¯t back yet, at least not from me.¡¯ He clenched his fists tightly as he heard this, a frown on his face.

    ¡°I created this Time Echo to inform you upon your arrival, on the chance that our memories are iplete.¡± Yukeli continued to speak,

    ¡°The Ascension Ruins, as Ausra and I chose to call this grand creation, were my first attempt at making something that has a huge, purposeful impact on Fate. My first experiment on trying to change Fate without the ineffectual crutch that is Fate Magic, an extremely difficult task. We gathered knowledge and information from all over the 30,000 Worlds, creating a type of Magic Artifact so grand andrge, so vastlyplex, that Artifact is too insufficient a word to describe it.¡±

    ¡°The Ascension Ruins are nted within a me Empyrean Turtle I defeated, one I named She. By attaching the Ruins to such a powerful and impactful being, the pull on Fate should prove evenrger.¡±

    ¡°Huge stores of treasure, information and knowledge that even the mightiest Wizards would seek out, the Ascension Ruins bear within them enough Fate to draw almost anyone to them.¡± His voice paused, a hint of hopeful excitement appearing,

    ¡°Even, I hope, myself, should I fail to return with my memories fully intact, as seems likely.¡±

    ¡°Your appearance here, future self, means that at least part of that seeded.¡±

    There was a brief pause.

    ¡®Not if I have anything to say about it.¡¯ Dorian mentally grumbled back.

    Yukeli¡¯s voice continued, unabated,

    ¡°The Ruins arerge and have many chambers within them. Apart from preparing for my future self, they were also made to help beings be closer to achieving perfection. The knowledge and treasures I left here were truly meant to raise up those that found them.¡±

    ¡°Each itemes with a trial, to prove the worthiness of the user. The Ruins are a maze, in and of themselves.¡±

    ¡°Of course, as the maker of that maze, there is no reason to start at the beginning of it. Thus, when you hear this message, you will find that you have been transported to the very core of the Ascension Ruins, to my own personal Drafting Room, where I left my own experiences and knowledge.¡±

    Dorian looked around the room as he heard this, the book and sheaths of paper lying about everywhere taking on new meaning.

    ¡°You are me, and I am you, so I think nothing more needs be said. Use the knowledge I have left behind to catch up and seek out that which I could never achieve.¡± Yukeli¡¯s voice took on a passionate fervor, crazed and wild,

    ¡°That of perfection itself.¡±

    WHOOSH

    The trembling air stilled and then vanished as the voice finished speaking, the energy that was flowing in the air fizzling off into nothingness.

    Leaving Dorian alone in a quiet, aged room, his eyes pensive.

    ¡°Well.¡± He muttered and took a few steps forward, rubbing his hands.

    ¡°That was a bit much, but thanks for the convenient info, Yukeli.¡± He gave the air a thumbs up.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t appreciate the whole you trying to take over my soul and murder me thing though.¡± He flipped his thumb over to a thumbs down.

    As he walked forward, Dorian felt strangely drawn to one particr spot in the room. On the edge, near the entrance of the room, there was arge desk with a notebook on it. Nothing else was on the desk apart from that. He couldn¡¯t leave the room without walking past it, either.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Dorian muttered as he slowly stepped up to the desk.

    ¡®Read¡­ It¡­¡¯ In Dorian¡¯s head, an aged, wavering voice appeared. A voice Dorian hadn¡¯t heard in a long time.

    The first voice of Yukeli that he had heard, apart from the loud message that had been yelled at him upon his rebirth.

    ¡°You finally showed up again, huh?¡± Dorian said aloud as he heard the voice, clenching his fists tightly. He was on full alert, not letting himself show even the tiniest opening.

    ¡®Read¡­ it¡­ You will finally understand the truth¡­¡¯ The aged voice faded away into the farthest corner of his mind as it finished speaking, slipping back into the darkest recesses.

    A stiff frown was frozen on Dorian¡¯s face as he looked down at the notebook, waiting a few seconds to see if the voice would return.

    He slowly reached down with his hand, resting it on the notebook.

    It was bound by some dark leather and seemed like apletely normal, non Magical book. As he picked it up, he noted that it had a nice weight to it, not too light nor too heavy.

    He felt the world around him seem to slow as he touched the corner of the notebook, as if to open it up. The air seemed to tremble once more, energy rising, Fate rippling.

    ¡°Nah.¡± He threw the notebook down and stepped backwards, shaking his head.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t care that much. If you want me to read it so badly, I probably shouldn¡¯t.¡± Dorian shrugged and walked away from the notebook, ignoring it as he walked to the doorway.

    thunk

    When he tried to open the door, however, he found that it was sealed shut. As soon as he touched it, the door itself lit up with dark blue light.

    A trail of blue energy could be seen visibly moving from the door all the way to the notebook.

    Instinctively, somehow, Dorian knew that the door would only open if he actually opened and read the notebook. As if it contained some vital knowledge that the Yukeli of the past decided he needed to know.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re going to make me do this?¡± Dorian frowned in consternation. He looked around the room once more.

    As he looked at the walls, once more, knowledge instinctively came to Dorian.

    This room was virtually indestructible to him, at his current strength. There was no chance that he could sessfully break out of it using his own power. He didn¡¯t know how he knew this, but he just did.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± He shrugged and walked back over to the desk, picking up the notebook.

    ¡°The Journal Logs of Yukeli Shorn.¡± He opened the book to the first page, reading the title aloud.

    ¡°No way! A personal journal?¡± He quickly opened to the next page, feeling a strangepulsion seize over him. His earlier reticence faded as he began to look at the notebook seriously, wanting to read it.

    If he could learn more about the personal life of this man, of Yukeli Shorn, Dorian felt like he would have a much better chance understanding what he was and why he was here.

    He flipped the journal open, slipping past several pages. Each page was full of tons of meticulous writing, but Dorian felt drawn to some spot further in the book.

    The world around him seemed to shiver as he opened to one page in particr, as if Fate itself was moving forward, as if this was an important moment. The rippling effect was beneath Dorian¡¯s notice, however, as he looked on at the paper with interest.

    He read the personal entry, left behind by Yukeli himself, one that wasn¡¯t as neat as the other entries. It seemed to have been written with more emotion, more haste.

    ¡®On this day¡­ I have failed.¡¯

    ¡®But I have also seeded.¡¯

    ¡®I have failed in achieving perfection. I have realized that my goal is a worthy one. It is, in fact, the worthiest goal that exists. I was aware of this the moment I saw my brother lying dead upon that cross, so many years ago.¡¯

    ¡®Only through perfection can this reality be saved.¡¯

    ¡®s.¡¯

    ¡®I have failed to achieve that perfection.¡¯

    ¡®Not through any fault of my own. Merely¡­ my body¡­ my soul¡­ they are not enough. This mortal, human shell of mine is insufficient. I need something else.¡¯

    ¡®My dearest love, Ausra, has worked with me for years and years. Her desire to learn of every being has intersected with my own desire to track the traits of every creature, to find that which perfection may be found in.¡¯

    ¡®s, even then, after all our efforts, we still came up short.¡¯

    ¡®I have felt Ascension calling me. If I wanted to, I could break through to the Heavens, a goal that those around me see as the ultimate achievement.¡¯

    ¡®I have refused to. What point is there in a life in the realm of Gods if I cannot even achieve perfection in thend of mortals.¡¯

    ¡®4 years ago, I started to work on one of my newer projects.¡¯

    ¡®If I cannot achieve perfection in my human frame, then what if I achieved it using another form?¡¯

    ¡®Reincarnation. The Great Cycle of the Heavens. The circle of life and death. Legends speak that every being that dies will one day be borne anew, in a different body or different form.¡¯

    ¡®To start life anew, as a different being.¡¯

    ¡®Perhaps a being with a form that CAN achieve perfection.¡¯

    ¡®Such an important draw¡­ how could I possibly ignore it?¡¯

    ¡®And so I began my research, using every avenue possible. Fate Scries, Time Viewing, Universal Trances. Meditation on various new, old, or distorted Laws.¡¯

    ¡®And after all my years of effort, I achieved some small measure of sess.¡¯

    ¡®Sess that left me only more disappointed.¡¯

    ¡®When I reincarnate, despite my soul remaining the same, my entire personality itself can and will change as the memories that shaped me, the experiences that molded my heart and mind, vanish.¡¯

    ¡®The determination I have now to be perfect and achieve the culmination of life¡­ it is entirely possible that I will lose this.¡¯

    ¡®I know this to be a fact.¡¯

    The next lines that Dorian read caused him to freeze, his entire body trembling as he read them over.

    ¡®For I have awoken the memories of my previous, reincarnated life.¡¯

    ¡®I was not an elite Swordmaster, nor a godly Wizard. Not a powerful Dragon nor a terrible Phoenix.¡¯

    ¡®I was merely a weak, worthless human that achieved no real level of strength, a human that died a shameful death, without ever knowing the love of victory.¡¯

    ¡®In fact, I don¡¯t even think I was a native to the 30,000 Worlds.¡¯

    ¡®My past life lived on a rather strange, not on any World I am familiar with.¡¯

    ¡®In that life, I had a different name, as well.¡¯

    The journal fell from Dorian¡¯s cold fingertips as he stood frozen, his entire mind reeling as thest line in the journal burnt itself into his head.

    ¡®My name was Dorian. Dorian Wright, from an odd known as Earth.¡¯

 Chapter 135 - Needed

    Chapter 135: Needed

    (Another longish chapter :p) (All priced equally ¨C 200 word/1SS)

    ¡°What¡­ what?!¡± He stepped back away from the journal, falling down to his knees in shock. The world around him seemed to be closing in as he clutched at his head, his body shaking.

    ¡°I¡­ am Yukeli? What?!¡± He sputtered out loud.

    Thud

    As he spoke, the entrance to this room that had previously been locked opened up with a loud thunk, revealing a long stone hallway.

    In his mind, several things suddenly became clear to him. The reason why he had kept his memories intact. The reason why Yukeli was able to create an Ability bybining his other Abilities, something that is incrediblyplex and requires an intense knowledge of one¡¯s own soul to do.

    The reason Yukeli was able to control his body without suffering from Discordancy. After all, a soul could only inhabit a body if that body and soul matched perfectly.

    Tiny, little things that all added up.

    ¡®Hahaha¡­¡¯ The ancient voice of Yukeli in his mindughed, reappearing once more. This time, however, it spoke with power, not a faded, quiet wavering voice, but a powerful, mighty voice.

    ¡®No. You are not me. I am myself.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s voice in his mind carried with it a hint of supreme confidence and pride.

    ¡®You¡­ you merely have the memories of my past reincarnated life.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡± Dorian felt as if everything was copsing around him.

    ¡°My memories are rea-¡± He was cut off.

    ¡®YOUR memories, child? They are not YOUR memories. I have already told you.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s voice seemed to be getting stronger,

    ¡®THEY ARE MINE.¡¯ His words echoed in Dorian¡¯s mind.

    ¡°But¡­ why? Then why?! What?¡± Dorian couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡®It is simple¡­¡¯ Yukeli began,

    ¡®The Cycle of the Heavens wipes away all memories after Reincarnation. If I wanted to achieve perfection, I needed to escape the Cycle. I needed to throw off the chains of Fate.¡¯ Yukeli responded, his voice gaining more and more impact,

    ¡®And so I did.¡¯

    ¡®The research that made this possible took eons, even with the information Ausra and I gathered about other creatures and beings. Theplexity required¡­ thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of years were required.¡¯

    ¡®But I did it. I found a way to elerate time by casting my mind into my Soul Spell Matrix, one that I had already begun to try and modify. A thousand years could slip by in a single month or less.¡¯

    ¡®I seeded.¡¯

    ¡®I split my soul into 88 pieces after I Ascended, each filled with different memories or parts of my life, hidden in the farthest recesses. The agony I experienced is indescribable, such that even Gods would have been driven mad and fallen to the wayside.¡¯

    ¡®Yet I persevered.¡¯

    ¡®I sent those split remnants through the Cycle, and through them I managed to escape it and reincarnate.¡¯

    ¡®You, Firstborn, had my greatest hopes.¡¯

    ¡®For the other 87¡­ Ibined my split souls with the energy and bloodline of mighty beasts, powerful creatures that I thought should prove useful upon my return.¡¯

    ¡®But you¡­ Firstborn¡­ you were special.¡¯

    ¡®For, I gave you that which surpassed all other beasts and creatures. I wanted to give you the best possible start.¡¯

    ¡®And what better addition than abination with a being whose intelligence has reached the peak, who had a special connection with Fate itself?¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s voice took on a hint of madness.

    ¡®I gave you my heart.¡¯

    ¡®Ausra¡­ did not understand. But that is alright. In the millions of years I spent alone, I came to understand the truly important things. Sacrifices¡­ they needed to be made, to reach perfection. It pained me, understand, so incredibly much to do what I did. My hand nearly failed when it came time.¡¯ Grief filled his voice, unrequited.

    ¡®But I did what I had to do. What I needed to do. What needed to be done.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s breathing was heavy as he heard all of this, his mind going to the helpful genie in his soul, realizing even more now what had happened. The fact that Mira had been drawn to him now, it all made sense.

    ¡°What¡­ what did you do?!¡± His voice was filled with horror.

    ¡®I took the Soul Spell Matrix of the love of my life, and grafted it onto you.¡¯

    ¡®Such a step was unprecedented, and it seems that she has retained some level of autonomy within you, instead of simplybining with your Soul Spell Matrix as I had expected. Still, my experiment was a sess.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s voice took on a fanatic edge.

    ¡°You¡­ you are a monster.¡± Dorian muttered, his heart shivering as he heard Yukeli casually discuss murdering someone he loved.

    ¡®It is alright. You do not understand either. I do not expect others to see what I see. Without me, the 30,000 Worlds would be lost.¡¯ Yukeli seemed to mentally shake his head,

    ¡®But you¡­ you will submit to me. You will give way, and allow our minds to merge fully, for my still iplete memories to reabsorb you. Perfection must be achieved.¡¯

    ¡°Like hell I will.¡± Dorian got back to his feet rather unsteadily, clutching at his head.

    ¡®Hahaha¡­ do you still not understand?¡¯

    ¡®Who do you think you are?¡¯

    ¡°I am Doria-¡± He began, but was interrupted.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    ¡®You aren¡¯t.¡¯

    ¡®You merely have my memories of my past life.¡¯ Yukeli interrupted him.

    Dorian blinked, frowning.

    ¡®You are not Dorian Wright.¡¯

    ¡®The memories you hold¡­ they are not yours.¡¯

    ¡°No¡­¡± Dorian responded, feeling something painful in him seem to tear.

    ¡®You never lived that life.¡¯

    ¡®You are not special.¡¯

    ¡®Do you know what you are?¡¯

    ¡°Stop.¡± Dorian clutched at his heart, his breathing turning ragged as he listened to the ancient voice in his head speak, instinctively knowing what he said was true.

    ¡®You are nothing more than a construct of energy.¡¯

    ¡®I created you from the Aether itself, from thin air.¡¯

    ¡®The memories you hold¡­ are not your own.¡¯

    ¡®You are not Dorian.¡¯

    ¡®You are nothing.¡¯

    Every word echoed in Dorian¡¯s mind, crashing about in unforgettable waves.

    ¡°STOP!¡± Dorian fell back to his knees as he covered his ears, yelling out loud as he tried to silence the voice.

    ¡®You are NO ONE.¡¯

    ¡®You have never lived any life before.¡¯

    ¡®You have no mother. You have no father.¡¯

    ¡®You have no family.¡¯

    ¡®What you have of a soul is MINE!¡¯

    ¡®You are NOTHING without me.¡¯

    ¡®YOU ARE WORTHLESS.¡¯

    ¡®A MERE FORGOTTEN FRAGMENT OF MY MEMORIES, A PATHETIC, WEAK, FOOLISH SCRAP!¡¯

    ¡®I CREATED YOU. I MADE YOU. I AM YOUR GOD.¡¯

    The voice in Dorian¡¯s mind reached a crescendo, mming against him. He felt himself start to lose out, as if he was starting to fade away, his mind and soul reeling. Lights shed within, mming down into him. His memories seemed to blur.

    The world around him seemed as if it was starting to fade away.

    ¡°Who¡­ what¡­ am I¡­¡± His words transformed into a frail, quiet whisper. Alone. Lost.

    A fragile spark of light that was slowly beginning to die.

    In the deep recesses of his soul, a slight gleam of light seemed to catch Dorian¡¯s eyes.

    The pale, flickering light of Will¡¯s dormant soul.

    ¡°No¡­ I cannot fall now¡­¡± Dorian felt a sense of self begin to reform, the world starting toe back into focus.

    ¡°I am¡­ needed.¡±

    ¡®DO YOU THINK YOU CAN RESIST ME? YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A SCRAP OF ENERGY, A REMNANT OF MY SPLIT SOUL.¡¯

    ¡®I AM A GOD. I HAVE LIVED FOR EONS.¡¯

    ¡®YOU ARE NOT EVEN A REAL MORTAL.¡¯

    ¡®YOU ARE NOTHING.¡¯

    ¡®WHO ARE YOU TO STAND AGAINST ME?¡¯

    Yukeli¡¯s voice mmed into Dorian once more, full of ancient fury and might. It was so loud, so overwhelmingly powerful, that it almost sent Dorian into unconsciousness.

    He held on, however, stubborn determination filling him.

    ¡°I¡­ I may be nothing¡­¡± His voice was ragged, his breathing harsh as he clenched his fists.

    ¡°But I cannot fall here.¡± He took a deep breath.

    ¡®FOOLISH. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU FALL TO ME. YOUR DELAY IS POINTLESS.¡¯

    ¡®WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL DO NOW?¡¯

    Dorian shut his eyes, his mind fully reasserting itself as he pushed the voice back.

    ¡°I will do¡­¡± He began and then stopped, taking another breath.

    ¡°I will do what I think is right.¡±

    ¡°Others are depending on me. I don¡¯t know what I am, or who I am.¡±

    ¡°But I will not give up now. I am needed.¡±

    He clenched his fists tighter,

    ¡°And you will not stop me.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s words carried with them a tone of finality, bearing within it a level of strength and authority that he had never felt before. His determination seemed to crystallize as he spoke, the air around him trembling with might.

    Dorian¡¯s soul trembled. Faintly, he seemed to sense a strange feeling in the air. A mystic sense of energy, simr to the sensation he felt when he concentrated on the Law of Wrath.

    Yukeli, in the back of his mind, seemed to grow silent, fading. The powerful voice lost much of its strength as Dorian reasserted himself.

    ¡®Very well.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s voice returned to its faint, aged voice, the vast authority and power it held before nowhere to be seen.

    ¡®You have failed me, Firstborn.¡¯

    ¡®Thankfully, I ounted for a situation like this.¡¯

    Dorian felt energy begin to concentrate in the air. He took a few steps forward as he rubbed his head, walking to the entryway of the room. His heart was heavy and his emotions running wild. He put that aside, however, as he focused on the present.

    This small study of Yukeli¡¯s opened up into arge, stone hallway. Off to the side, Dorian could see arge grey archway at the end of the hallway, and through that what appeared to be a huge castle.

    ¡®In case the Firstborn should fail¡­ I have 87 other backups.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s voice droned on in his mind.

    ¡®Whenever an Anomaly dies, the remnants of my soul will seek out the nearest other portion, rbining.¡¯

    WHOOSH

    ¡®You have failed me.¡¯

    Dorian felt a gust of wind m into his back, the energy that had formed in the air dissipating. Behind him, he felt more than heard movement.

    He spun around, on full alert as he looked back into the study.

    Where two figures had appeared.

    As Dorian looked at them, he instinctively recognized them on a base level.

    For they were both like him.

    Anomalies.

    One was wearing a long set of robes, with their face covered.

    The other was a woman, wielding what looked like a sword made of pure light, floating in the air with legs that seemed to be made of clouds.

    ¡®And for that, you must die.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s ancient voice slipped away as the being left onest message echoing in his mind.

    Leaving him alone with two other Anomalies.

    One of which let out a ferocious looking smile as she saw Dorian and the other Anomaly.

    ¡°Ah, my brethren! Rejoice, for I havee with the Truth! I, Veritas, will share it with you.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Back on top of the enormous me Empyrean Turtle, various shes of light soared out as the entrances to the Ascension Ruins activated. Shouts of pain and the sounds of violence filled the air as therge battle royale continued but began to fade away as people retreated.

    Several of the portals had activated abnormally early, causing a great deal of confusion to spread among those present.

    One by one, however, all the remaining entrances activated, transporting dozens of people into the depths of the Ascension Ruins.

    On one entrance, several hundreds of meters down on the southernmost side of the me Empyrean Turtle, the proud figure of a beautiful, short-haired woman could be seen, wearing a ripped dress that was covered in blood. A set of vampiric teeth poked out of her mouth as she frowned, looking at a girl with tufted fox ears that was standing next to her.

    ¡°I¡¯ming to find you, Trajan. I will fix everything.¡± Helena muttered, her eyes filled with determination.

    Dozens of corpses could be seen, lying near her entrance as the portal activated, transporting her away. Some Humans, Aethmen, as well as a few Shades and other creatures mixed in. All killed with a single blow.

    Hundreds of meters to the north, another group stood standing aloof in another entrance.

    ¡°Why the hell did that other entrance activate on its own? Regardless, it¡¯s a good thing we managed to pick up this one. Remember, do what the boss says.¡± A red robed Wizard barked out a set of orders towards three other men standing next to him, his eyes cool. He was one of the subordinate Wizards under the zing King, a powerful Pseudo-King ss Wizard specializing in Fire Magic.

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    ¡°Aye-aye!¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± Thest speaker¡¯s voice was cool and controlled. Spoken by a man wearing a long, ck robe that covered most of his body.

    Not a man, but, instead, a Vampire.

    A voice full of pain and tiredness, with a bare, passionate gleam of hope fluttering within it, contrasting with the dead, empty eyes that Trajan was cursed with, ever since the Anomaly known as Veritas blinded him.

    ¡®Mello¡­ Where in the Heavens did you go?¡¯ Trajan swore mentally as he stood with the other subordinates, his mind awash with confusion.

    At another entrance hundreds of meters away, a trio looked around a deserted scene. Not a soul was left in sight trying to challenge them.

    ¡°Good work, team, we scared them off. We must go find the Great Lord.¡± Leader gave Aiden and Mira a thumbs up as he waved his hand, causing his bow to fade away.

    Aiden merely shrugged, while Mira had a pensive look on her face.

    ¡°Grandmother¡­¡± She whispered quietly.

    WHOOSH

    The entrance activated, teleporting them away.

    Not too far from them, a pair of Wizards looked down at an entrance portal that had already activated.

    *HIC*

    ¡°Whelp, look¡¯s like we¡¯re toote.¡± Jiro shrugged as he looked at the portal and then around the rest of the shell. shes of light were soaring up all along it as the other portals all activated.

    ¡°We would have made it to another one if you hadn¡¯t insisted on having a drinking ceremony halfway ther-¡± Taemin began, his voice full of irritation before he was cut off.

    ¡°Calm thyself, young Taemin. Life is about enjoying the little things. Don¡¯t worry, we will simply wait for the Anomalies or your targets to appear outside the Ruins.¡± Jiro shrugged for a second time as he reached up onto his back, pulling off the fruit alcohol gourd.

    ¡°But I-¡±

    ¡°No buts. Besides¡­¡± Jiro muttered, rubbing at his chin,

    ¡°It might be a good idea to wait and prepare. That man¡­ is not simple.¡± Jiro¡¯s eyes shed as he pictured Dorian. In Jiro¡¯s mind, Dorian had an overwhelming appearance, with eyes that seemed as if they could crush anyone with a single nce, authority and power rolling off him in veritable waves.

    ¡°Not simple indeed.¡± Jiro¡¯s mouth twisted in a real frown as the he, the Head of the Diamond Department, one of the strongest Wizards in the 30,000 Worlds, worried about how to handle Dorian should he see him again.

    On the opposite side of where Jiro and Taemin were standing, onest group stood inside a portal entrance. A quintet of fighters, all dressed in shining white armor.

    The Shade forces of the Church of Light.

    ¡°Damn it, Veritas¡­ why did the other portal activate early? We barely managed to capture this one.¡± The Holy Prince Isaac of the Church of Light griped as he stood in the center of the portal, next to Jasper and Gerulf, the two most reliable fighters he had decided to take with him for this excursion, as well as two other Shade Wizards he¡¯d brought as support.

    His question went unanswered.

    At thest possible second, as the portal was activating, a sh of movement could be seen.

    A ck-skinned human appeared out of seemingly nowhere, standing just within range of the Holy Prince¡¯s portal entrance.

    ¡°Greetings almsgiver. Pardon this intrusion, but I noticed you had room.¡± The man spoke aloud, his open white shirt and pants pping slightly.

    Before Isaac or anyone could respond, all of them staring at the man in shock, the entrance activated, teleporting them away.

    All around the great me Empyrean Turtle, the various portals lit up and activated, transporting dozens of powerful beings into the mysterious Ascension Ruins. The Fate that gathered around these mysterious Ruins in this moment was momentous, carrying with it implications that would shape the entire future of the 30,000 Worlds.

    As all of this was going on, just a few dozen miles away, a small monkey let out a satisfied burp.

    ¡°Ahhhh. Now that was tasty.¡± Sun Wukong smiled as he tossed aside a massive, 10 meter long bone that had been strippedpletely clean of meat, smacking his lips.

    His eyes shed as he looked out into the distance, where a gargantuan turtle was currently standing, floating atop the Magma Sea.

    ¡°Now, now¡­ Time to get down to business.¡± He pped his hands together, his body blurring as he began to run towards the giant beast.

 Chapter 136 - Valor

    Chapter 136: Valor

    The Law that Dorian had studied, to some basic level, was the Law of Wrath. One of the Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race, and a powerful Law that could empower attacks, among other things.

    It was a Law that had been discovered many years ago, one that was once well known when Demons walked the 30,000 Worlds in their multitudes. While it had fallen to the wayside now, and was a Law few would recognize, it was still a strong Law.

    When Dorian had rejected Yukeli, something had changed.

    For the first time, Dorian had firmly thrown himself off the path that Yukeli had prepared for him. Dorian had chosen to walk his own way, instead of giving up his consciousness and life to merge with Yukeli.

    While Yukeli¡¯s goals and dreams were huge, and the man had achieved incredible sess in his life so far, they did not match up with who Dorian was.

    Perhaps Dorian wasn¡¯t truly the Dorian he thought he was. The memories he held, if Yukeli was to be believed, were merely that. Memories of a life he had never lived.

    To Dorian, though¡­ It didn¡¯t matter.

    He was who he was and he would be who he would be.

    He would not live his life under someone else¡¯s orders ormands.

    He would walk his own path.

    The moment he realized this and rejected Yukeli, Dorian felt a strange source of energy in the air. A sensation of power that was part of the natural universes, something that had been invisible to him until this very moment.

    A sensation that was simr to the feeling Dorian sensed when he focused on the Law of Wrath. A mystical source of energy that flowed invisibly, essible to only those that could sense it. A concept that existed and could be tapped using one¡¯s force of will.

    Dorian had discovered a Law.

    Laws in the 30,000 Worlds were mystic concepts. Some Laws were very widespread, like the Law of Fire, the Law of Might, the Law of Cutting. Mastering Laws like these was easier due to wise warriors or Wizards of old having walked them before, leaving behind records of their journey.

    Other Laws were far more abstruse or hidden, like Vice-Head Taemin¡¯s Law of Solidity. These types of Laws were often not fully explored, and walking them could be difficult. The power they gifted, however, could be both strange and mighty, varying widely.

    There were a virtually infinite number of varying Laws, with most having never been discovered.

    The Law Dorian had touched on was an incredibly unique one. It was one that was extremely difficult to even sense, one that required an incredible sense of fortitude and willpower, with a staunch refusal to give in to even the direst of threats, all while having a high level of aptitude and an extremely powerful physical body.

    The Law of Valor.

    WHOOSH

    Energy gathered around Dorian as his senses were flooded with a sense of mystical power. The world around Dorian seemed to transform, particles of light shing.

    Energy poured in from the air into Dorian¡¯s body as he experienced a baptism of the Laws of the Universe.

    This baptism took only a split second, unlike the baptism Dorian experienced when he first touched upon the Law of Wrath.

    Dorian¡¯s understanding of that Law was still at a rudimentary level. However, because he had touched upon a Law to the level of Lord ss, his soul was able to handle the energy of another Law with ease.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, it was extremely rare to find someone that practiced more than one Law. This was primarily because of how incredibly difficult it was to even sense a single Law, let alone sense two.

    Once you sensed one Law, that Law¡¯s presence on your mind and soul would usually be overpowering. It would make it very difficult to sense other Laws in a direct manner. Picking and choosing what Law you wished to study was an important decision for any being.

    WHOOSH

    The flood of energy vanished, as quickly as it had appeared. At the same time, however, Dorian could firmly sense two stores of energy flowing around him.

    One that was angry, raging, full of towering might and unspeakable force. The Law of Wrath.

    The other that was steady and calm, full of solid power and unwavering fortitude. The Law of Valor.

    Dorian instinctively knew the name of the Law as he felt energy swell within him.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 92,213/108,221

    ¨C

    ¡®Oh my gosh!¡¯ Dorian eximed as he hurriedly checked over his status, his eyes widening in shock.

    ¡®My energy level¡­ it basically doubled?! How is that possible?!¡¯

    When Dorian first experienced a baptism for the Law of Wrath, his soul had slowly adapted to the Law Energy and gradually enhanced his strength. In terms of raw energy, he had grown substantially stronger, but he had only moved from the Early Lord ss to the Middle Lord ss in terms of power.

    Just obtaining a rudimentary understanding, merely the initial baptism of the Laws, from the Law of Valor, however, had massively increased his strength all the way to the Pseudo-King Level.

    The differencey in the Laws, as well as in Dorian¡¯s soul.

    The Law of Wrath was a Law that almost entirely focused on attack power and overwhelming force. Dorian¡¯s understanding of it was rather low, but he had managed to glean this much from it.

    The Law of Valor, on the other hand, centered around endurance and strength. On building up a being to reach a level of undying power, to the point where nothing could keep them down.

    The energy that rushed into Dorian¡¯s soul filled it to the limit that his soul could ept, filling it while at the same time strengthening it with the properties of the Law of Valor.

    Dorian¡¯s soul had constantly been undergoing significant growth thanks to his unique Soul Spell Matrix. The constant evolution of forms, growing stronger and stronger, had pushed his physical strength up greatly, and, bit by bit, grown his Soul Spell Matrix and soul.

    This meant his soul could handle arge amount of energy. And the Law of Valor allowed for that energy to rush within him and strengthen him, in a way the violent energy of the Law of Wrath could not.

    It was simr to Vice-Head Taemin¡¯s Law of Solidity and the Vice-Head¡¯s own abnormally high strength. The Vice-Head had an extremely powerful physical body, partly because of his constant training, but also partly because half of it was made out of awork of Aether Diamond.

    This had allowed him to dy entering King ss as he sought to gain a more perfect understanding of the Law of Solidity while also enhancing his power.

    The Law of Solidity was abstruse and, like Dorian¡¯s Law of Valor, it focused on physical enhancement and endurance, though in a very different way.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Dorian let out a breath as he felt the rapid increase in strength. At the same time, he snapped back to the present, staring at the situation in front of him.

    ¡°Ah, my brethren! Rejoice, for I havee with the Truth! I, Veritas, will share it with you.¡±

    A hooded woman floating half a meter above the ground was the speaker. Her eyes glowed a faint white color, and an almost holy aura seemed to surround her. Instead of a regr pair of legs, her lower half was insubstantial, made up of shimmering clouds of grey light, with a few small wavering tendrils of smoke drifting to and fro.

    ¨C

    Species: Veritas

    ss ¨C King ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 275,112

    ¨C

    ¡®Veritas? I don¡¯t know the species. She has the same name as her species?¡¯ Dorian looked at her in confusion, not understanding her words. She was an Anomaly like him, however, and seemed a bit stronger.

    After meeting all these monstrously powerful beings like the Head of the Diamond Department, Aiden, or even Leader, meeting a being with an Energy Level only in thete 200,000s didn¡¯t seem that frightening anymore.

    That said, as Dorian looked at the odd, unsettling being, he got the feeling that the Energy Level of the creature wasn¡¯t what made it dangerous. He was about to look up the description of the Veritas species when his thought process was interrupted as the other Anomaly spoke up.

    ¡°My fellow Anomalies! Ah! To meet more of my brethren! Such a delight!¡± A low, rich voice resounded as the hooded Anomaly took his hood off, revealing a beautiful gold skinned humanoid, with slightly pointed ears and long, gorgeous golden hair. The being¡¯s face was just faintly masculine, one of sheer, utter beauty.

    ¨C

    Species: Ancestral Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 156,221

    ¨C

    ¡®Another strong one, though he is weaker than the girl. His species is one that I obtained, though didn¡¯t evolve!¡¯ Dorian had obtained an Ancestral Vampire Bloodline option, but had decided to go with the Wrath Vampire instead. Perhaps he would revisit the Ancestral Vampire, to see what otherbinations he could use it for in the future. It seemed like a powerful one.

    ¡°You wish to share the truth with me, brethren?¡± The Ancestral Vampire turned to look at Veritas with a warm smile. His eyes contained a friendly light, as if he was actually pleased to be speaking to another Anomaly in such an abrupt situation.

    ¡°Yes. The Way, the Truth, and the Light.¡± Veritas nodded, a smile appearing on her face in return. Her eyes were colder, however, almost inhuman.

    ¡°Well, you see, I¡¯m actually putting together a team of us Anomalies. We have to stick together in this cruel universe!¡± The Ancestral Vampire began, nodding cheerfully.

    ¡®Huh¡­ That sounds¡­ familiar¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°If you are willing to join my team, I¡¯d be happy to listen to whatever truth you wish to share with me!¡± The handsome vampire put on a winning smile as he finished speaking, looking at Veritas expectantly.

    Dorian maintained his silence throughout all of this, slowly taking a few steps back until he was in the entrance of the doorway, staring at the two Anomalies. They were ignoring him at the moment, focusing on each other.

    ¡°Join a team¡­?¡± Veritas¡¯ voice seemed to contain a hint of confusion as she looked at the Ancestral Vampire.

    ¡°Yes¡­ a joining will happen. You will join me with the Truth.¡± Veritas shook her head, warmth and care filling her voice as she spoke. At the same time, a pure, holy Aura began to rise around her.

    ¡°Ah.¡± The Ancestral Vampire¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Veritas, a disappointed expression appearing on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re like those two, huh? First that ridiculous rhyming Eleventhborn, and then that irritatingly stubborn other one that refused to see the reality of the 30,000 Worlds¡­¡± Irritation, tinged with a hint of genuine sadness, filled his voice as he spoke. At the same time, an Aura began to form around the Vampire.

    One that seemed to multiply exponentially as it was released, an odd, unnerving Aura that gave off a sense of strength that seemed to being from multiple sources.

    ¡°If it is truth you want, then it is truth you will find.¡± The Ancestral Vampire smiled, his eyes taking on a ferocious appearance.

    ¡°I, Mello, will knock some sense into you, my brethren.¡±

    WHOOSH

    The two Auras collided, energy running rampant in the small study.

    Dorian took one nce at this and then made his decision. The power from the Law of Valor filled his body with internal, tough strength. The brave energy in him ran flush now as he gathered it up, preparing to take action.

    ¡°Hup!¡± He let out a small breath as he concentrated, his body tensing.

    Courageously, without even a hint of hesitation, Dorian turned around and ran away.

    .

 Chapter 137 - The Door

    Chapter 137: The Door

    Dorian could try to bluff the two Anomalies and it was possible he might seed.

    But as Mello started talking, Dorian had recognized him. When the two other Anomalies, the one called Veritas and one of Mello¡¯s clones, had started to unleash their Auras, Dorian had made a split second decision.

    He was right at the cusp of his entire journey, a long voyage with a singr goal: To save the life of a friend.

    These two Anomalies could duke it out all they wanted, for all he cared. What mattered most to him right now was reviving Will. After that, he would move forward one step at a time.

    As they said on Earth, ¡®Discretion is the better part of valor.¡¯

    Thud

    Thud

    Dorian¡¯s feet sounded off as he ran down the stone hallway, sprinting away from Yukeli¡¯s study. As he made a tactical retreat, he took in the area around him.

    The hallway was drab and not very long, only a couple dozen meters. There were a few other doors to other rooms on the sides, but what Dorian was most interested iny in front of him.

    An arched opening that led to arge castle.

    In just seconds, he crossed the distance all the way to the arch.

    As soon as he touched it, however, the world around Dorian shivered. The view through that archway rippled, as if he was touching a pool of water.

    ¡®Huh? Is it a portal of some sort?¡¯ Dorian¡¯s first thought was that this was some type of portal or transportation tool. When he stuck his hand through it, he could feel warm air brushing on his fingertips, a breeze that didn¡¯t exist on this side of the arch flowing.

    BOOM

    WHOOSH

    Behind Dorian, an explosion of energy sted out from the study as a fight broke out between the two other Anomalies.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dorian thought, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°At least I grabbed this.¡± From his Spatial Ring, Dorian withdrew a bound collection of aged paper, an old journal, that had been pierced by a small de in its lower right half.

    Yukeli¡¯s journal.

    In the moment where he had spun around to flee, Dorian had flicked out a small dagger, stabbing the journal he had tossed aside. Right after, he¡¯d activated his Basic Maic Maniption Ability, pulling the journal towards him.

    He¡¯d then booked it, all in one smooth motion, stuffing the journal into his Spatial Ring.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little damaged, but it should be readable just fine.¡± The knife he had thrown had been one of more than a dozen he¡¯d picked up when he resupplied several days ago. It was small, only half an inch or so long and even thinner.

    BOOM

    Another explosion of energy boiled out into the hallway as the two Anomalies really began to go at it.

    Dorian stuffed the journal back into his Spatial Ring and then walked forward, his heart filled with determination.

    ¡°I¡¯ming for you, Will.¡± He muttered aloud, his eyes fierce and determined.

    He walkedpletely through the portal arch and was instantly transported away. Behind him, the sounds ofbat continued as Mello¡¯s clone fought against the King ss Anomaly Veritas.

    Leaving no one aware of the figures that could be seen moving near the base of the castle, where a pair of Vampires were currently facing off, a fox-eared girl in tow.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Trajan! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! You can¡¯t just leave like this!¡± Helena¡¯s voice was rough but full of authority as she red at her teammate, a Vampire she considered a friend.

    She was standing on the outskirts of a massive stone castle. Around her, a barren, rockyndscape spread out, a few dead trees dotting it. Arge, ten meter wide moat stood between her and the castle. The sky above was covered in fog, making the ceiling impossible to see. Likewise, the distance was shrouded in fog as well, meaning the only thing visible was the nearby castle and the barrenndscape.

    The castle was made of stone and covered in cool streaks of white energy. As Helena nced at it, she noticed that she felt vaguely threatened by that energy. It seemed like scaling the castle or trying to go over it would be a very bad idea.

    ¡°Stop following me, Helena. I¡¯m doing what I need to do.¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was hoarse as he looked at Helena. He was standing on the other side of the moat, away from her and near the castle.

    When the portals activated, everyone inside them was transported away. Trajan had found himself standing outside the castle, separated from his group. It didn¡¯t matter what entrance you stood at, all beings in one would be teleported randomly, regardless of grouping.

    When he¡¯d appeared on the ground, he had coincidentally run into Helena. The other Vampire had appeared not far from him and spotted him in the distance.

    ¡°You can¡¯t get revenge on your own! I understand that Probus¡¯ death hit you hard but-¡± Helena began, her voice urgent. She was cut off, however,

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get revenge.¡± Trajan interjected, his voice calm and cool.

    ¡°I am going to bring Probus back.¡± Trajan¡¯s voice contained fervor within them, his fists clenched.

    Helena stared back at him, a confused expression on her face.

    ¡°Trajan¡­ Probus has fallen. You cannot bring back the dead¡­¡± She began, shaking her head.

    ¡°No, Helena. Here¡­ Here the dead can be brought back. I know this for a fact.¡± Trajan gave her a look and then turned around, heading towards one of the several entrances to the great walls surrounding therge stone castle.

    Each entrance was several meters wide and tall, sparse holes in the great fortress that stood proudly open.

    ¡°Trajan! You know that can¡¯t be true!¡± Helena returned, shaking her head.

    Trajan ignored her, however, as he continued to walk away.

    ¡°Trajan! Trajan! Damn it!¡± She called out after him, mming her fist into her palm in frustration. The air pped around her at the impact, shivering from the force.

    ¡°It is true¡­ I need it to be¡­¡± Trajan whispered quietly, his form blurring as he ran forward towards the stone entrance. He vanished through it, disappearing.

    Helena watched him go, her face bitter and pensive as she tried to figure out what to do.

    ¡°Why would you even bother trying? He clearly doesn¡¯t want your help.¡± Arial¡¯s voice was quiet as she spoke out, tugging at the cor that was locked around her neck.

    Helena turned and red at her, shaking her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up on him just because he doesn¡¯t want my help. I can fix this.¡± She replied, turning to look back towards the moat and entrance. A small bridge crossed the moat just a couple dozen meters away. She began to move towards it, motioning for Arial to follow. With the magic cor wrapped around Arial¡¯s neck, the Lightsworn Fox had little choice.

    ¡°But what are you doing, Trajan? You can¡¯t bring the dead back to life¡­ Not even here on Magm-¡± As she was talking to herself, she abruptly cut herself off as a memory shed into her mind.

    A memory of a man she admired talking to her.

    Telling her how he was going to rescue his friend.

    No, not just rescue.

    He was going to revive his friend.

    Here, on the Magmor.

    ¡°Dorian. Dorian should be here, somewhere! And he will know!¡± She spoke aloud, her eyes alighting with excitement. If Trajan believed there was a way to revive Probus here, then there probably was something to that. Dorian had said he was going to revive his friend on Magmor.

    There couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence.

    Going by the time they had travelled¡­ it was likely that this was the ce Dorian had been talking about! In fact, it was possible he was here right now!

    ¡°Trajan! Wait up! I will help you!¡± Immediately Helena burst into a sprint, running forward. Arial ran after her, her chest heaving.

    Not from exertion, however.

    But from a single word.

    When Helena called out the name ¡®Dorian¡¯ Arial¡¯s eyes had widened in shock, her mouth twisting.

    ¡°D¡­ Dorian?¡± Her eyes became clouded as she ran after Helena, apprehension filling them.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®The Ascension Ruins are filled with a variety of trials and tribtions. Each one is intended to test the knowledge, skill, or willpower of a participant.¡¯

    Dorian read the line from the journal over in his head, pondering it as he looked around the entrance to the grand, energy covered castle.

    He had appeared outside the castle, in the middle of a barrenndscape when he walked through the arch. It seemed to have fully transported him, without leaving him a way back to the hidden area, at least not directly.

    ¡°This castle in front of me should be the Ruins themselves.¡± Dorian muttered, rubbing his chin.

    The amount of work and effort that went into crafting these Ruins, to make them as Fateful as possible, must¡¯ve been obscene. Yukeli had been extremely devoted to his efforts.

    ¡°Well, I might as well go through it.¡± Dorian took a few steps forward.

    He was standing in one of the entrances to the castle, after crossing a moat to get here. The entrance was a grey stone hole, almost as if it had been bored straight into the castle itself, with no decoration or other indications of a door.

    At the end of the short entrance, Dorian could see an open courtyard. It was small, only a dozen or so meters wide and long. There didn¡¯t seem to be an obvious entrance or exit to the courtyard, at least not that Dorian could see from here.

    Without waiting, Dorian walked straight through the entrance.

    WHOOSH

    As soon as he passed into the courtyard, a breeze swept past him. At the same time, he heard a voice go off in his head,

    ¡®Wee, challenger, to the Ascension Ruins. Test your knowledge, skill, and strength, seeking out the rewardsid out for the descendants of the 30,000 Worlds. Empower yourselves, strive for perfection, and reach for Ascension.¡¯

    A weing message rang out, full of promise and epic potential. As Dorian heard this, however, the words faded to the background as he recognized the voice itself.

    ¡®Ausra! That¡¯s you!¡¯

    The genie in his Soul Spell Matrix did not respond, not unexpectedly.

    The voice he heard was the exact same as Ausra¡¯s, however.

    ¡®They really did work together on this¡­ Only to have him kill you¡­¡¯ Pity for the poor woman filled Dorian¡¯s heart.

    ¡®You are the 48th challenger to arrive. You will automatically be transported to the Grand Courtyard, where all the other challengers are waiting. Prepare yourself.¡¯ The voice spoke in Dorian¡¯s head again.

    ¡°Hold on a secon-¡± Dorian began, his eyes widening. This was not part of his n.

    Before he could object further, however, light shed around him in a crescendo, temporarily blinding him. The world seemed to stretch around him as, once more, he teleported, vanishing from the small courtyard he¡¯d been standing in. Sound seemed to stretch off and vanish as his senses went haywire.

    ¡°Hup.¡± Dorian grunted as he felt himselfnd. He blinked his eyes furiously, clearing them as sound returned.

    Looking on at arge, hundred meter wide courtyard. The ground was made of finely cut stone in this courtyard, carved in intricate patterns. White energy floated about 50 meters overhead, cutting off ess to the sky. The walls rose all the way up to the white energy, covered in artistic depictions of angels soaring into the sky, dragons flying freely, phoenixes rising from the ashes, and various other epic legends.

    At the front of the courtyard, and the only entrance or exit that Dorian could see, was a giant, 20 meter tall doorway, covered in gold and silver. The doorway was imposing, bearing a heavy presence, almost as if it was a powerful warrior instead of, well, a door. The walls next to the door were translucent and misty, allowing the rest of therge castle to be visible, giving off a grand image of splendor.

    The courtyard was not empty.

    Far from it, it was actually filled with a variety of people.

    Humans, Shades, a few other races. Some standing together, others apart. About 20 people in total.

    All of them standing about, looking at arge, 20 meter tall doorway that led to the main entrance of the castle.

    As soon as Dorian appeared, several of the other challengers turned and looked at him.

    ¡®Wee, challenger. The first challenge before you awaits. The Door of Splendor. Pass through it to be rewarded.¡¯ The voice in Dorian¡¯s head echoed forth as it informed him of the challenge, though not giving him much to work with.

    Despite being the 48th challenger, ording to the Ruin¡¯s Ausra, there were only 20 people left here. The other 28 must¡¯ve already moved on.

    Dorian almostpletely ignored this, however, his eyes drawn to a sight that left him shocked.

    Off on the side of the courtyard, a few figures could be seen standing aloof. Two of these figures were currently talking to each other in an animated fashion. One was a short haired Vampire, wearing a set of leather armor, while the other appeared to be a blind Vampire Wizard wearing a set of grey robes.

    ¡®Helena?! I found you!¡¯ Dorian¡¯s heart leapt up cheerfully as he saw her, wanting to run forward and dere himself instantly.

    She was currently talking to another figure Dorian recognized, Trajan, one of her allies.

    The figure behind Helena, however, was what nearly sent him into shock.

    ¡®Is that¡­ Arial?¡¯ Anger and confusion were the only emotions Dorian felt as he caught sight of the Lightsworn Fox that had betrayed him and left him for dead on Blizzaria.

    ¡®What are you doing with Helena?¡¯ Protectiveness filled Dorian as he saw this, his fists clenching.

    WHOOSH

    Just as he was about to step forward, however, a st of air rang out as a new figure appeared.

    A man wearing a set of faded grey leather armor with the insignia of a golden sun emzoned upon it.

    The man, no, Dorian corrected himself as he studied him, the Shade, looked around the courtyard, scanning everyone. As the Shade¡¯s eyes ran over him, Dorian felt a cool, nervous feeling wash over him, as if he was facing a powerful foe.

    The Shade carried himself with a sense of royalty and authority, almost as if he was a King or Prince.

    The Shade¡¯s eyes seemed to light up as theynded on Helena¡¯s group off to the side. Specifically, as theynded on Arial. The air around him abounded with might, a pure, Kingly Aura unleashing.

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C King ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,102,630

    ¨C

    ¡°Ah, we meet again, little fox! I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be escaping from me so easily this time.¡±

 Chapter 138 - Punch

    Chapter 138: Punch

    ¡°Challengers! Please step up to the Door of Splendor and challenge yourself! Only if you possess a powerful force of will can you find sess and safely pass through. The rewards for this trial can be found on the other side! Bravely step forth, into the history of the 30,000 Worlds! If you cannot pass the door after 3 hours, you will be expelled from the Ruins.¡±

    The Ruin¡¯s Ausra voice echoed out loud,ing out of nowhere as she announced what the challenge was in more detail. Therge silver and gold door seemed to sh, radiating an almost weing wave of energy.

    Dorian put all of this to the side, however, as he took record of the situation before him.

    ¡®Helena is in danger.¡¯ Dorian instantly recognized that. His heart dropped and his brain went into overdrive.

    It was clear that the Shade was targeting Arial, the Lightsworn Fox. He must be part of the group of Shades that was chasing after Arial before, back on Blizzaria.

    Probably justifiably, too, from what Dorian knew. Arial herself had told him that she¡¯d killed several Shades, though, Dorian guessed that the intentions of those now dead Shades hadn¡¯t been honest either.

    Still, it was clear that the focus of this Shade was Arial.

    But Dorian knew Helena. She had bravely run out in front of an enormous King ss Dragon to stop it from attacking a city full of people she didn¡¯t know.

    There was no chance she wouldn¡¯t try to protect Arial too.

    ¡®Damn it, Helena! Why do you have to be so foolishly nice?¡¯ Dorian thought, ignoring the fact that he did the exact same thing when it came to that dragon.

    ¡°You can¡¯t have her.¡± Helena proved Dorian¡¯s point as she stepped away from Trajan and in front of Arial. A heavy Aura of strength began to form around her, her Law of Might shining forth.

    ¡®Huh? Is she stronger now?¡¯ Dorian eyed the female Vampire.

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 156,201

    ¨C

    ¡®Wow! That is a ton stronger!¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes widened. Helena¡¯s strength had exploded, jumping to be one of the strongest Lord ss experts Dorian had seen, apart from the freakish Diamond Wizard Taemin.

    That said¡­ it wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°Step aside, girl. I have no quarrel with you, despite your alliance with those two Anomalies.¡± The Shade¡¯s voice wasmanding. A mighty, King ss Aura burst forth from him, pressing down on everyone present.

    Around them, everyone else in the courtyard backed away. All of the other experts in here were at the Lord ss, and most of them had been concentrating on the huge door, as if studying it, before this interruption.

    ¡°She is not just a girl, you night-crawling mutt. She¡¯s a respectable woman!¡± Trajan¡¯s voice echoed back as he stepped forward as well, a cool, nature-like Aura wrapping around him in refreshing waves.

    ¡®No, you two are outssed!¡¯ Dorian thought, frowning fiercely. The Shade was extremely strong, the two most likely didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    The Shade seemed to shrug,

    ¡°Whatever.¡± His Aura bursts forth to the maximum, bright light and powerful strength crashing down on Helena and Trajan. The duo weathered the impact, looking worse for wear.

    Helena winced, biting her lip slightly. Her hand reached for her Spatial Ring, as if to pull something from it.

    Dorian felt his heart go cold.

    Instinctively, the two Laws that he was studying seemed to appear more powerfully in his mind.

    Dorian tapped on these Laws at the same time.

    Angry, rage-filled energy from the Law of Wrath covered his body in a reddish haze, full of deadly power.

    Cool but strong energy from the Law of Valor matched up with the offensive energy from the Law of Wrath, supporting his body and empowering him.

    The energy from the two Laws were not perfect matches. Wrath and Valor were two very dissimr concepts. However, Dorian¡¯s force of will shoved the two together, refusing to let either one fail.

    Each of the two forces tried to take over Dorian¡¯s emotions, energy from the Law of Wrath trying to fill him with raw fury while energy from the Law of Valor tried to fill him with unwavering courage. The twobined, forming a type of righteous anger in Dorian¡¯s heart.

    Dorian felt himself gain a huge amount of offensive power.

    However, as he looked at the Shade in front of him, he knew it wasn¡¯t enough.

    The gap between them was wide. A Mid King ss Shade, one that appeared to be powerful even among other King ss beings.

    ¡®More¡­¡¯

    Dorian activated his Moving Force Ability.

    Energy flowed into his body with every step he took as he began to walk forward. The mystical, intricate Ability allowed him to harness his own momentum, turning it into a source of energy to empower his attacks.

    ¡®More!¡¯

    Dorian activated his Perfect Body Ability.

    The world around him lost some of its color. At the same time, his Wrath Vampire body warped, every part of it bing fully adaptable and strong, as if it had been trained for eons to achieve perfection.

    He felt energy practically hemorrhage itself from his soul. He ignored that all, however, as he focused on the present.

    He had a single thought in his mind.

    ¡®You will not harm a hair on her head.¡¯

    For the first time in a very long time, Dorian went all out.

    WHOOSH

    ¡°Thundering Winds: Flush Gale.¡± Dorian activated one of the Mystic Martial Arts he had left in his memories, one he had used before. One of the fastest movement techniques Yukeli had known.

    Energy flooded into Dorian¡¯s legs, and in his mind, he pictured himself soaring through the sky, moving forward while standing atop a great gust of wind.

    Dorian moved.

    Dorian¡¯s perception of time had been so enhanced by his increased strength and Perfect Body Ability that, as his body blurred forward, he felt as if the world around him was moving in slow motion. Time itself seemed to have dted as he dashed forward towards the Shade that was threatening Helena.

    Against his expectations, the Shade noticed him. Despite Dorian¡¯s overwhelming speed, the Shade managed to turn its head around and see him, the man¡¯s eyes widening in real shock.

    Particles of light began to swarm around the Shade, quickly starting to form a set of armor.

    Not forming fast enough, however, to block Dorian¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Rumbling Earth: Boulder Breaker.¡± Dorian punched out in a simple-looking, straight punch, his arm aimed towards the chest of the shade. His movements were fast and precise, the knowledge and skill associated with this Mystic Martial Art among those left in his mind.

    This punch drew upon the energy of his soul, using his Soul Spell Matrix to power it. As the energy flowed through him, Dorian mentally pictured himself smashing apart a huge, ten meterrge stone boulder.

    The Shade somehow, impossibly, managed to raise up an arm to deflect Dorian¡¯s attack.

    It wasn¡¯t that Dorian was too slow. Far from it, in his current form, he was ridiculously fast. Powered by an iplete Divine Ability, his Moving Force Ability, the strength of two extremely strong Laws, and the body of an incredibly fierce Wrath Vampire, not to mention the colossally strong Mystic Martial Arts created from one of the greatest Martial Arts geniuses in the history of the 30,000 worlds¡­ Dorian was virtually a monster in his own right, right now.

    However, of all the opponents that Dorian had ever faced, this Shade was simply the fastest. In terms of attack speed and reaction speed, he was probably much faster than the other Shade, Jasper, that Dorian had fought against on Blizzaria, and that Shade had moved at a ridiculously fast speed.

    As the Shade raised its arm, Dorian smiled in a grin that showed his fanged teeth.

    ¡®Imand you¡­ to miss!¡¯ He drew upon his will,manding Fate to obey him.

    Energy flooded out of Dorian¡¯s soul, from his Abilities, his movements, hismanding Fate, everything. Dorian ignored this as he focused purely on his goal.

    The Shade¡¯s arm moved in a perfect arc, ready to deflect Dorian¡¯s blow.

    At thest second, however, the energy from Dorian¡¯s Aura seemed to interact slightly with the energy in the Shade¡¯s Aura, in a negative, shocking way. This made the Shade flinch, just a tiny amount, at the unexpected intrusion.

    That flinch raised the arm of the Shade by about a millimeter, just enough to offset its defensive angle.

    BOOOOM

    WHOOSH

    The Shade¡¯s body was flung away from Dorian like a rag doll as his punchnded and sted past the arm, mming directly into the Shade¡¯s chest. The ground beneath Dorian cracked, shards of stone flinging into the air as he came to a stop, energy writhing off his body like steam as his chest heaved from exertion.

    The Mystic Martial Arts left behind by Yukeli were all extremely powerful. Every move Dorian had previously used stillid firmly in his mind. While he didn¡¯t have ess to all or even most of Yukeli¡¯s martial techniques, he could still use the ones he¡¯d attacked with before.

    Perhaps not at the level that Yukeli did¡­ but still easily enough to achieve mastery.

    At least he had gained one good thing from the memories that had been nted in his mind.

    THUD

    The Shade¡¯s body mmed into the side of the courtyard, cracking it. If the ground and walls had been made of regr stone here, the entire courtyard would¡¯ve been obliterated due to the sheer force of the impact.

    The Shade¡¯s Aura and particles of light ttened down like a pancake at the blow, vibrating with almost a whimper as the attack settled.

    Shock and fear swept over the crowd of Lord ss spectators as they witnessed this, all of them falling back away from the door.

    ¡®Got him. But he¡¯s not really down yet. Tough bugger.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at his fist, feeling it sting, and then over at the downed Shade. Abruptly, he turned to the side, looking at Helena, Trajan, and Arial.

    ¡°A friend sent me to help you guys out. Go take the door trial, I will handle this.¡± Dorian opted to not reveal himself, not in front of the spectators as well as the Shade he had just attacked. Giving away his identity, even in a subtle manner, coulde back to bite him.

    It also meant he couldn¡¯t greet Helena like he¡¯d wanted to. He quashed the bitterness in his heart, however, as he stayed focused on the present.

    The trio didn¡¯t need any encouragement, nor did they bother asking questions. Even if Dorian was lying, the situation at hand was a dangerous one and taking this seeming miracle to escape was the best option they had.

    Helena spat out a hurried thanks as she retreated, Arial in tow. Trajan simply gave Dorian a nod. The trio sprinted over towards the Door of Splendor, arriving in front of it.

    Dorian took his eyes off of them as he turned to look back at the Shade, feeling an unsettling, eerie Aura start to appear.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Behind Dorian, three sts of wind rang out as Helena, Trajan, and Arial all vanished, moving past and into the Door of Splendor, activating whatever trial Yukeli had set there. Their bodies were nowhere to be seen, transported away.

    WHOOSH

    Blinding light burst forth from the spot where the Shade had been smashed as an apparition appeared.

    A beautiful angel made of pure light appeared out of thin air, standing above the downed Shade. The angel looked down at the Shade, concern present on her face.

    ¡°That was¡­ a good punch. You took one of my lives.¡± A pained voice echoed out as the particles of light faded slightly, revealing the bedraggled image of the Shade that had been threatening Helena.

    His face was covered in streaks of ck blood. The warrior was clutching at his right arm as if it was broken, cradling it. As he stood up, the particles of light that had faded surrounded him, shing as they began to flow into his body.

    At the same time, the angelic apparition vanished.

    Before Dorian¡¯s very eyes, the Shade began to heal at a visible rate.

    ¡°Name thyself, attacker. You do not have the choice to step aside. Do you have any idea how hard it is to create an Angelic Life?¡± The Shade¡¯s Kingly Aura burst forth once more,

    ¡°I am Holy Prince Isaac of the Church of Light, born in thends of the Shade Commune. Who are you to attack me?¡±

    Isaac sounded genuinely curious as he set the break in his right arm, moving it into a position it could heal from. His voice was gentle, but contained a hint of danger within it.

    ¡®Well¡­ I can¡¯t tell him who I am now, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯ As Dorian realized who he had just attacked, an apparent major figure in a Major Power, he instantly made a snap decision.

    ¡°Who am I?!¡± Dorian bellowed, his voice containing pure, raw confidence.

    ¡°Hmph! It is you who no longer has the choice to step aside!¡± Dorian took a threatening step forward.

    As he took that step, the rest of the onlookers, all Lord ss experts that had fought hard to get a spot to investigate the Ascension Ruins, seemed to take that as a cue.

    Almost as one, all of them rushed towards the Door of Splendor, immediately wanting to flee the scene before Dorian and Isaac went on a rampage, fighting a true battle.

    Isaac¡¯s eyes narrowed as Dorian spoke.

    ¡°I am a close ally of Vice-Head Taemin of the Diamond Department!¡± Dorian thumped on his chest loudly,

    ¡°DO YOU DARE QUESTION THE AUTHORITY OF THE BORREL AUTARCHY, FOOLISH SHADE?!¡±

    .. .. ¡­ .. .. .. .. ..

    Far away, outside of the Ascension Ruins, Vice-Head Taemin sneezed, rubbing at his nose furiously.

    ¡°Are you alright there, Taemin? I can understand how you might catch a cold on this world of eternal fire andva.¡± Head Jiro looked over at the Vice-Head. The Head of the Diamond Department was currently sitting at a small and dainty table, one that was covered in acy tablecloth.

    Several different sized shot sses and cups were distributed on the table evenly, all filled with different types of alcohol.

    Jiro had been licking his lips as he stared over the delicious feast of alcohol, putting up a small drinking ceremony to pass the time as they waited for their targets to exit the Ascension Ruins.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not sure what that was.¡± Taemin said, shaking his head.

    ¡°It almost felt like someone was wishing me bad luck, somewhere far away.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°How odd.¡± Jiro replied, picking up a shot ss,

    ¡°You know what we should do? We should drin-¡±

    ¡°We should drink to it, right?¡± Taemin red at his rather irresponsible Department Head in an annoyed fashion, once more cursing his own luck. How on earth could he have known how irresponsible and undedicated the Head of the Diamond Department was, so many years ago when he first decided to practice Diamond Magic.

    Jiro looked back at Taemin in consternation.

    ¡°Hmph. As I was saying. Quite odd.¡± Jiro shrugged.

    ¡°Yes, it was.¡± Taemin grunted and shrugged back, a second time.

    ¡°I agree, pretty weird.¡± Sun Wukong said, nodding his head.

    Jiro nodded back, as did Taemin. The two went back to their waiting for a moment, Taemin aimlessly pacing back and forth while Jiro stared at a particr goblet, a mesmerized look on his face.

    A split secondter, however, both Jiro and Taemin spun around, going on full guard, shock painting their faces as their eyes popped. Both of them looked over to where Sun Wukong had appeared, not having detected his presence in the slightest.

    ¡°Oh, hi, by the way.¡± Sun Wukong waved nonchntly at the two, sitting down peacefully on a rock not far from them.

    ¡°Nice to meet you two.¡±

 Chapter 139 - Tiny

    Chapter 139: Tiny

    ¡®After all of that, I only managed to take down ¡®one of his lives?¡¯ What weird Magic or Law does he study to have multiple lives? Ugh.¡¯ Dorian mentally repeated what the Shade Prince said, feeling a headacheing on.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 72,213/112,221

    ¨C

    He winced slightly as he checked his status. He¡¯d depleted a massive amount of energy in just a few moments.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what his biggest expense had been. Either manipting the Fate of the Shade Prince inbat or maintaining his Perfect Body Ability. Even the energy he drew upon from the Laws of Wrath and Valor was taxing on his soul, wearing him down.

    Either way, he wasn¡¯t at a level where he could maintain this level ofbat for too long.

    He took a quick nce around, noting that all the onlookers had fled. It appeared that all the ones left behind had been studying the Door of Splendor carefully, intent on taking the full 3 hour time limit to prepare.

    ¡®Sorry gang.¡¯ He mentally sent them an apology for scaring them off.

    Dorian maintained his Perfect Body Ability, but dropped off the Moving Force Ability. He kept his focus purely on the dangerous Shade in front of him, watching the Prince¡¯s every movement.

    ¡°The Autarchy again, huh?¡± Isaac muttered, his eyes cold as his mind shed back to the arrogant Diamond Wizard he¡¯d encountered.

    ¡°Did you think the Commune would just fall over after hearing that?¡± Isaac¡¯s voice gained a sense of grandeur and strength as he spoke, an Aura of light fluttering around him.

    The Holy Prince of the Church of Light studied a Law that was considerably difficult to master.

    The Law of Holy Light.

    The Law was rted to the Law of Light, but also to the Law of Reincarnation, and several other abstruse Laws. It held incredibly mystical properties, but its chief powersy in two aspects.

    One was in speed enhancement with an increased talent in regards to Light Magic.

    The other was in a mystical, unexinable ability to die ande back to life, through the use of ¡®Angelic Lives.¡¯ Apparitions that took a vast amount of time and effort to construct, ones that could heal or reverse virtually any injury, even a fatal one.

    Isaac focused on the first aspect of his Law as heunched himself at Dorian, raw energy running flush through the Holy Prince¡¯s veins. A pair of wings that appeared to be made out of pure light appeared on his back, increasing his eleration.

    At the same time, a full set of white armor covered the Wizard, giving him a fierce, mighty appearance. A glowing, gold and whitence appeared in the Prince¡¯s hand, one he immediately stabbed forward with, hurtling straight at Dorian.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/1z54hCT.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    WHOOSH

    Dorian, in his Perfect Body state, could just barely see Isaac st through the air towards him at an incredible pace.

    ¡®Okay, well, bluffing didn¡¯t work this time. Still, I can handle this.¡¯ Dorian mentally shrugged, refusing to let himself panic as he put his full focus into survival.

    BOOM

    An explosion echoed forth as Isaac¡¯snce mmed into the spot Dorian had been standing at, piercing several inches into the ground before halting. Energy and wind ran rampant in the courtyard, shredding the air to and fro. While the ground and walls were incredibly reinforced, the air itself was still the same as normal air.

    ¡°What?¡± Isaac muttered, his eyes wide in shock.

    He had missed.

    Or, rather, his target had disappeared, causing his attack to hit thin air.

    WHOOSH

    ¡°Arrgh!¡±

    Isaac leapt forward, feeling a horrible burning sensation flood over his back, melting through his white armor in a split second. He flipped over and rolled on the ground, particles of light shing as he retreated.

    A small, ck skinned humanoid stood, covered in ck mes. Dorian¡¯s Ifrit Form.

    In the moment that Isaac had attacked, Dorian had shifted into his Red Smander form. At the same time, he¡¯d activated his Condense Ability and reverted his growth, bing extremely tiny.

    This made it seem as if he had teleported from Isaac¡¯s perspective.

    After the attack missed, he¡¯d instantly reformed, but this time in his Ifrit Form. He¡¯d taken that moment to breathe out a flood of ck mes, sending the deadly Dragonfire melting into the back of the Holy Prince.

    ¡°You bastard! You teleported? Dragonfire? How?!¡± Isaac¡¯s chest heaved from exertion as he forced himself toe on guard towards Dorian, just now managing to extinguish the mes. The powerful, andpletely unexpected, Dragonfire had melted through his armor and any other protection he had, horribly burning through his back and charring his internal organs.

    WHOOSH

    Once more, an angelic apparition appeared in the air floating above the Shade. The apparition looked down sadly at Isaac for a moment before vanishing. Light particles began to flood into the Holy Prince, restoring his injury.

    ¡°Another Angelic Life lost¡­¡± Bitterness and actual fury could now be heard as the Holy Prince red at Dorian. The Kingly Aura he gave off was on full force, running wild in the enclosed space.

    Dorian hadn¡¯t been watching passively in that time. He¡¯d simultaneously activated a Spell and another Ability while the Holy Prince healed himself.

    ¡°Fire Magic: me Sword!¡± He mixed the spell with his ck mes Ability, activating it multiple times. He formed a web of swords that were covered in ck mes around himself, a protective barrier that the Shade would have to break through if he wanted to reach him.

    Dorian had correctly surmised from the Shade Prince¡¯s movements that the Shade preferred meleebat and wasn¡¯t much of a Wizard.

    ¡®Ability activate, Hyperion Beam!¡¯ As he did this, he also activated his Hyperion Beam Ability, starting to charge it up. The attack was imbued with energy from both the Law of Wrath and the Law of Valor, giving it a decidedly powerful strength.

    The strain Dorian felt was enormous. Activating so many Abilities simultaneously while also maintaining his awareness made this the most difficult battle Dorian had ever experienced.

    ¡°You will die for that, Borrelian.¡± Dorian¡¯s odd fighting techniques had somehow managed to sessfully convince the Shade that he was a member of the Borrel Autarchy. Unfortunately, that just seemed to have made the Shade even more determined to kill him.

    WHOOSH

    The Prince became fully serious. The brilliant white armor once again fully enclosed him. A glowingnce once more appeared in his arms. This time, however, the air began to whip back and forth as light began to concentrate. Distortions ran flush as energy exploded and ran wild, the world visibly starting to warp.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let him finish charging that attack!¡¯ Dorian instantly made a snap judgement call.

    Without hesitation, Dorian brought all of the me Swords he had cast into existence together, side by side. He then threw up the still charging Hyperion Beam, causing it to merge with the ck mes and me Swords.

    Rkkkkkkk

    An odd keening noise echoed out as Dorian¡¯s attacksbined in an unorthodox way, causing the charging Hyperion Beam ball to be covered in red and ck mes. Dorian felt a huge amount of strain just holding the ball together.

    Immediately he released it, pointing it directly at the Shade Prince.

    ¡®ck Sword Beam! Go!¡¯ Dorian named the attack as heunched it forward.

    Thebination of magic shaped the beam of light into a massive, pointed sword, trailing ck and red mes in the air like a beautiful river of boiling heat. The attack seared through the sky and pierced right towards the Shade Prince.

    ¡®Land!¡¯ Dorian pulled on his soul, willing the attack to take out the Shade with every iota of his being.

    WHOOSH

    The sword-like beam of light melted through the air in an instant. Dorian mentally checked his status as heunched the attack.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 41,213/112,221

    ¨C

    ¡®Damn, I¡¯m burning through energy.¡¯ He mentally swore.

    Byyyoooorrrrrnnnn

    The sword-likeser of energy mmed directly into the Shade Prince¡¯s unmoving figure.

    Instead of an explosion or cascade of energy, the beam melted right through the armor of the Shade.

    And directly pierced Isaac¡¯s heart, incinerating it in one go.

    ¡°What?¡± Dorian started in shock. The blow had been a fatal one.

    Once more, however, an angel appeared, floating above the Shade¡¯s body. The angel looked down sadly, and, once more, the Shade Prince began to heal.

    ¡°3 lives you¡¯ve cost me. I¡¯m down to just 2 now¡­¡± Isaac¡¯s voice was haggard as he looked at Dorian.

    His Angelic Lives could revive him from death, but each time he died or was fatally wounded, he would have to experience the agony and pain of being killed of that injury, twice over. His second lives were powerful tools¡­ but they came with a painful price.

    ¡°No more.¡± The energy around the Shade Prince seemed to freeze. He had finished charging his attack. The Kingly Aura vanished, leaving a pristine, calm Aura floating in the air. One that was incredibly full of both danger and peace, at the same time.

    ¡®Alright, well, that¡¯s just cheating.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes shed stubbornly. He could revive from being killed over and over? How was that fair, at all? Didn¡¯t that mean the Shade Prince was nigh unkible as long as he had extra lives left?

    ¡®On to n B then.¡¯ Dorian didn¡¯t waste any time, his mind racing ahead of him. He couldn¡¯t maintain his Perfect Body and keep fighting indefinitely.

    ¡°Sris Blut.¡± Isaac closed his eyes and then opened them, now shining with golden light as he announced his attack.

    One of the Holy Prince¡¯s most powerful techniques, Sris Blut was a technique he created himself. By condensing the energy in his soul and enhancing his body to the extreme, while activating and spending one of the painstakingly expensive Angelic Lives he¡¯d formed, Isaac could elerate himself to an ungodly speed.

    The impact of moving his body at such a speed was, without a doubt, fatal to himself. However, the use of an Angelic Life allowed him to fully restore himself after attacking, making the doubled-edged technique one that cost him only an Angelic Life, and not his own.

    The Holy Prince¡¯s figure blurred, even in Dorian¡¯s vastly enhanced perception of time, appearing next to him in a single millisecond. The Prince¡¯s attack was so fast that even he himself could not track it, aiming blindly at Dorian.

    He was moving at far too fast a speed for Dorian to be able to defend against, even in his fast state.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, a huge amount of research had gone into the various reaction speeds of different beings.

    Regr humans could recognize the existence of something in as little as 13 milliseconds. Powerful Lord ss humans could realize something and react to it in as little as 3 or 4 milliseconds.

    Dorian, in his enhanced state, with his Perfect Body Ability active while using his Ifrit form, was able to react to the insanely fast attack in a fraction of a millisecond. While his body could not move at anywhere near such a speed, Dorian¡¯s mind could.

    And in that millisecond, Dorian transformed again. At his current level of strength, the transformation from one form to another took approximately a microsecond, a thousandth of a millisecond.

    WHOOSH

    The Holy Prince¡¯s Sris Blut strike cut forward, prating the air where Dorian had been standing.

    And pierced by him, mming into the stone wall of the courtyard.

    BOOM

    An explosion echoed out as the Holy Prince¡¯snce exploded, as did a good meter of stone from the wall, showering the courtyard in light particles and stone debris. The armored body of the Holy Prince seemed to copse in on itself as it hit the wall, instantly killing the Holy Prince.

    An instantter, the angelic apparition appeared once more, bringing the Holy Prince back to life.

    Just in time for the Prince to blearily turn around, on full alert as he looked at where he expected to see Dorian¡¯s remains.

    And instead found himself staring at empty air.

    ¡°¡­again?¡± Isaac muttered, his voice full of pain and confusion as he gathered his bearings.

    skitter skitter

    A ttering sound drew Isaac¡¯s attention as he slowly turned and looked off to the left.

    Just in time to see a small, tiny lizard hurtling its tiny lizard body through the air, a Spatial Ring wrapped around its neck like a ne. A tiny little grey shirt and matching tiny ck pants could be seen worn on the tiny lizard¡¯s body.

    The same type of outfit that Dorian, Isaac¡¯s target, had been wearing. Only, now tiny lizard-sized.

    tap

    In the instant that Isaac blinked, his eyes wide in shock and at aplete loss, the lizardnded on the Door of Splendor, its paws tapping upon it.

    And instantly vanished.

    Leaving the Holy Prince alone, his mouth agape.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    .

 Chapter 140 - Future

    Chapter 140: Future

    ¡®Wee to the Door of Splendor, challenger!¡¯ The Ruin¡¯s Ausra¡¯s voice echoed in Dorian¡¯s head as he touched therge door and teleported once more, into one of the magical trials that Yukeli had set up.

    ¡®Yes! It worked!¡¯ Dorian thought gleefully, returning to his Wrath Vampire form. He looked down at his clothes approvingly. They hadn¡¯t ripped apart. Buying the set was probably one of his best purchases yet.

    He¡¯d managed to escape from the Holy Prince using his backup n.

    If he couldn¡¯t bluff or fight his way out, he could always just run away using his abilities as an Anomaly. In the moment before he had been attacked by that final strike, Dorian had realized that his enemy was simply too powerful to face head-on, at least right now. The ability to revive himself after dying was too strong and even without that, the Holy Prince was a deadly foe.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 17,218/112,221

    ¨C

    ¡®Geez. That was far too close.¡¯ He thought as he checked his status, shaking his head.

    He¡¯d only managed to take the Prince out so many times due to catching him by surprise and constantly keeping up the pressure. With his energy stores running low, Dorian opted to flee rather than continuebat.

    So, just before thence had pierced through him, Dorian had transformed into his Red Smander form and immediately Condensed it again, bing a baby lizard.

    This caused thence to miss him entirely.

    He¡¯d then taken advantage of Isaac¡¯s shock to sprint over to the Door of Splendor andy a tiny w on it, activating the challenge.

    ¡®That will only work on him once, though.¡¯ Dorian thought, rubbing his chin. He wouldn¡¯t be able to use that n against the same person twice.

    He shook the thoughts from his head as he looked around, taking in where he¡¯d been dropped off.

    He had been teleported into a new room. Simr to the courtyard, it was a room that was sparsely decorated, with in grey stone walls, a grey stone floor, and a grey stone ceiling. Everything seemed drab.

    Except for the one entrance and exit to the room. An identical, though much smaller, copy of the door that had been set in that courtyard. The Door of Splendor.

    ¡°Huh.¡± He muttered, looking at it. As he spoke aloud, the Ruin¡¯s Ausra responded,

    ¡®This trial is a test of your willpower, challenger! Open this Door of Splendor and find past it your destined reward!¡¯ Her advice was a little more helpful than the Ausra in his head usually was.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± He shrugged and then tapped on his Spatial Ring.

    WHOOSH

    A bound sheath of paper appeared in his hands. Yukeli¡¯s journal.

    Dorian opened it up and began to look through it, skimming over everything until he, eventually, found something about the challenge he was currently facing.

    ¡®Today, we finished construction of the first challenge in the Ascension Ruins, as we have decided to call them!¡¯

    ¡®A challenge that we have named the ¡®Door of Splendor!¡±

    ¡®This is one of our biggest forays into experimenting with Fate. Ausra and I wanted to create something that could cause Fate to willingly manipte itself. As we stand now, neither Ausra nor I possess the power to change Fate, and we must rely upon external factors.¡¯

    ¡®The challenge is a simple one. It tests the willpower of the challenger. It taps into the forces of Fate itself, projecting a vision of a possible future that the challenger would fear.¡¯

    ¡®Everything it shows is a real possibility that could ur. The future shown is just one of many, and there is no guarantee that future wille true, for the forces of Fate are abstruse. Even I cannot truly judge the merits of what the Door shows.¡¯

    ¡®As long as the challenger can view whatever future is thrust their way without copsing, and anyone that hopes to take in the forte of knowledge or treasure that I have left behind must have at least that strength of will, they will be rewarded by whatever it is they most desire in the Ascension Ruins.¡¯

    ¡®The construction of this challenge took months and was incredibly expensive, but I think, today, we¡¯ve finally reached a point where I am pleased! This is one of the biggest challenges, and one of the most key ones!¡¯

    Dorian put the journal down, his eyes shining.

    If he passed this, he would be rewarded with whatever it was he most desired?

    Didn¡¯t that mean he was just a step away from saving Will? All he wanted was a vast supply of treasure and if his reward forpleting this challenge was what he wanted¡­

    ¡°How do I start the challenge, Ausra #2? Or, I guess you are the original Ausra, huh?¡± Dorian asked, getting slightly off track. The journal hadn¡¯t contained any other specifics on the makeup of the trial.

    Ausra #2 did not reply. Dorian frowned, but then realized she must not be a genie like his Ausra was. The voice was probably prerecorded and couldn¡¯t answer questions.

    ¡°I probably go up to the door.¡± Dorian shrugged as he came to that conclusion.

    He didn¡¯t hesitate as he stepped forward, walking right up to it. He paused right in front of the resplendent door, looking at it with bated breath.

    He rested his right hand on it.

    And instantly felt the world around him shiver.

    Abruptly, with no fanfare at all, Dorian found himself standing atop a grassy hill alone. The dying light of the sun lit up the evening sky, giving the dead trees that stood, bent and broken near Dorian, an eerie appearance.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Dorian muttered, looking at his hands. They were human. His body had transformed into that of a human body for some reason.

    ¡®No.¡¯ He thought, shaking his head. He raised his hands up toward the sun.

    His hands were translucent. He had be a sort of spirit or insubstantial form of some sort. Dorian still saw his soul as human, as he figured that was what this was.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± A child¡¯sughter drew Dorian¡¯s attention towards the bottom of the hill.

    At the base of the hill, Dorian could see what looked like an old, mostly destroyed vige. At the outskirts of it, Dorian could make out a harried looking woman dragging along a trio of children, two boys and one girl. A fourth child, a young boy with a head of brown hair and cheerful eyes, had run ahead, carelesslyughing as he held up a shiny rock. All of them wore ragtag clothes, drab and colorless, and couldn¡¯t have been older than 5 or 6 years of age.

    ¡°No! Bori! Quiet! Not now!¡± The woman called out, her body blurring as she rushed forward and grabbed him. She looked around furiously, her hands trembling.

    WHOOSH

    Eeeeeeeeee

    Faintly, in the background, Dorian heard an ominous breeze echo forth. An odd, keening noise apanied it, one that caused him to shudder.

    As he heard it, Dorian realized something. He recognized the woman.

    It was Helena.

    All of the children appeared to be half-Vampire, half-Human. But, not a regr breed of Human, Dorian noted. The children seemed to have a magic glow about them, as if they were special in some way Dorian couldn¡¯t quite tell by sight.

    ¡°Quiet Bori, children! Here now, quickly.¡± Her voice was quiet, yet carried all the way up the hill to Dorian. Helena rushed towards one of the run-down buildings, carrying all four children at once.

    ¡®Helena! Helena, it¡¯s me!¡¯ Dorian tried to call out, to no effect. He found that he couldn¡¯t call out, his voice unable to make a noise at all. He watched as she moved passively, unable to understand what was going on.

    However, as she heard the odd, keening noises, a look of despair covered her face, one that was quickly quashed. She set the three boys and one girl down, quickly pushing them inside the house.

    ¡°Mommy has to go out, Bori, He, Lawrence, Micheal.¡± Helena began, giving them all a warm smile. Her hands trembled behind her back as she spoke, hidden from the children.

    ¡°Again mom? I¡¯m sorry!¡± Bori¡¯s face was fear-stricken, emotions that a child should never have to feel appearing on it. The other children huddled together, clutching at each other for support, their small arms holding each other steady.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours, my babies. And if I don¡¯t, you all know what to do, right?¡± Helena said, giving them all warm smiles.

    ¡°Yes, mom! We¡¯ll keep going towards the Last Haven.¡± The children whispered quietly. They all immediately turned around and ran inside the house, hiding themselves.

    ¡°Yes, children¡­¡± Helena whispered, her voice strained, so full of pain that Dorian felt as if he was about to be sick, desperate to help her.

    ¡°Perhaps that man¡­ can protect you¡­ I am not enough anymore¡­¡± She closed her eyes quietly for a brief moment. A single tear fell down her face.

    BOOM

    An explosion rang out, shaking the air. Dorian turned to look for it, seeing nothing that could have caused it.

    Helena, however, sted off away from the door, looking up at the sky. Her body started to shake, but her eyes were like steel, fierce and unbending. Dorian could sense a great courage in her, valor indescribable.

    ¡®Helena!¡¯ He tried to yell out again, clutching at his hair. She ignored him, continuing to run till she was several hundred meters away from the house the children were hiding in.

    THUD

    Helena came to a stop as a resounding thud echoed, drawing both Dorian and Helena¡¯s attention.

    She was at the northern entrance of the rundown city proper, the City Square. Vines and overgrown grass covered the stone floor, giving the ce an ancient, ruined appearance.

    In the middle of this courtyard stood a being the likes of which Dorian had never seen.

    It was a fairly Demonic looking humanoid, covered in ck and grey scales. It wasrge, standing roughly 3 and a half meters tall. Its body was thick and extremely muscr, giving off a rippling sensation of strength. Light green energy seemed to flow within the body of the creature, faintly visible within the scales. Tworge, curved hornsy atop its head, glowing with green energy.

    On its back were a set of folded ck wings, the ever-present pale green energy visible within them, while a long, thick tail rolled off the creature¡¯s formidable lower back.

    The being wore no clothes, the ck scales that covered almost every inch of its body providing it with ample protection. Its face was grey, a mostly humanoid face with a strong jaw, a regr nose, and two eyes that glowed with pale green light.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/7fByDfy.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    ¡®Run, Helena! Don¡¯t fight it!¡¯ Dorian yelled with all his might as he tried to get Helena to flee, looking on in horror as she confronted the being. The entire creature gave off such a sense of power that Dorian knew that he himself would be ttened by it in an instant.

    The very air itself seemed to twist around the creature, as if trying to escape it, yet unable.

    ¡°I finally caught up to you in person, my dearest Vampire.¡± The Demonic being spoke, its voice surprisingly rich and smooth, belying its fearsome appearance. Dorian shivered as he heard it, however. It felt strangely familiar.

    Helena¡¯s body seemed to rock as she looked at the mighty creature. She took a deep breath.

    A beautiful, white Halo appeared, floating above her head. The air around her seemed to flow quicker as she stood alone, staring at the being as if it were the greatest enemy she had ever faced.

    ¡°Even you, too, will stand against me, Helena?¡± The Demonic being sounded disappointed, shaking its great head.

    ¡°After all we went through together, you would give that up?¡± The creature sighed.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Helena spoke aloud, her eyes cool as she looked at the being.

    The ck-scaled creature sighed again.

    ¡°You understand nothing, Helena. I have truly understood that which He, Yukeli, sought. Perfection¡­ it cannot be found in reality. The only way to find perfection is to reshape reality itself. This path¡­ it only became obvious after truly living again, while bearing his memories and experiences.¡± The being¡¯s voice was filled with passion as it spoke, a sense of grandeur and mystery spreading.

    ¡°What. Did. You. Do.¡± She spat aloud, her arms shaking slightly.

    ¡°I did what I said I would do. I did the right thing.¡± His voice was calm as he replied,

    ¡°I Severed every World Bridge that connected the 30,000 Worlds to the Source World. The Severing onlysted a short 30 seconds. After all, I do not want to destroy the 30,000 Worlds. Far from it. I am here to save them.¡±

    ¡®Source World? Severed?¡¯ Dorian didn¡¯t understand, but had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

    ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Helena shook her head, tears billowing from her eyes. Her mouth fell open in horror, a sense of grand, huge loss filling her.

    ¡°Yes, Helena. It had to be done.¡±

    ¡°The Spatial Storms that the Severing unleashed cannot destroy a World. They can only end all, or most, life on it. Even if a World does get obliterated, by the Laws of the Universe it will reform over tens of thousands of years, as long as the Source World is still connected.¡± The being said, nodding its head.

    ¡°I have given new life to the 30,000 Worlds. Life that, under my guiding hand, will have a chance to achieve perfection.

    ¡°Not life cast aside as worthless by the many.

    ¡°Not life that is ridiculed and tortured, brutally killed by those stronger

    ¡°Not life where the weak starve while the mighty are gluttons.

    ¡°A life of equality and fairness. Where all beings live together in harmony. No senseless ughter, no pointless chaos. Peace and happiness shall reign supreme.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you are a monster.¡± Helena spat out, the air around her shivering as she put her hands up, facing down the creature.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I am a monster. But I did what needed to be done. You have seen the violence, the hatred, of this world. The evil that people spread.¡± The being sighed, nodding its head sadly.

    ¡°Trillions of innocents have died at your hands and you have the gall to look sad? How dare you. How DARE you!¡± Helena¡¯s eyes took on a fierce, fiery glow. Her voice was full of equal parts hatred and horror,

    ¡°To think that I once loved you.¡± She spat out pure venom.

    ¡°I love you still, my dearest.¡± The being said back, looking at Helena quietly.

    Helena shut her eyes for a brief moment, another tear sliding down her face.

    ¡°Goodbye, Dorian.¡± Helena opened her eyes. No love or sadness appeared in her eyes anymore. Only pure, violent anger and determination.

    Dorian, of the future, sighed.

    ¡°Goodbye, Helena.¡±

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    Dorian¡¯s vision went white.

    A secondter, he reappeared in the room with the Door of Splendor.

    Standing alone, his entire body trembling as he recovered from what he had just seen. A vision of a possible future.

    ¡®STAND OR FALL, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!¡¯ As Dorian was shaking, his heart cast into a million directions, a powerful, authoritative voice appeared in his mind, full of strength. The younger voice of Yukeli.

    The trial judged Dorian¡¯s emotional state and his ability to handle himself.

    Emotions threatened to swarm over Dorian as the vision settled in him. He clenched his fists, however, refusing to back down, keeping one thought strong in his mind.

    ¡®It is just a possibility. Not certain reality. Just a possibility.¡¯ He said, over and over, forcing back the incredible sense of pain, horror, and fear he felt trying to swarm over him. The fact that it had been him, killing trillions, even killing Helena, forcing children to hide in terror¡­

    How had that happened?

    A few seconds passed as he was locked in an intense, internal battle, forcing his body to stop trembling.

    A few more seconds passed by in silence.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian¡¯s body seemed to flutter and disappear.

    He had sessfully passed the First Trial of the Ascension Ruins.

 Chapter 141 - Treasure

    Chapter 141: Treasure

    WHOOSH

    Golden light shed before Dorian¡¯s eyes as he felt the world around him stretch once more.

    ¡®All this teleporting is starting to get old¡­¡¯ He thought, trying to push his mind off the horrifying vision of the future he had just witnessed.

    Yukeli¡¯s logs were explicit that the First Trial merely offered a possible future. It wasn¡¯t a certain future, only something that could happen.

    ¡®But how?¡¯ Dorian thought as he teleported, his thoughts racing.

    ¡®No¡­ I already know, don¡¯t I?¡¯ He finished the thought as he finished teleporting, blinking his eyes furiously.

    He had arrived in arge, stone hallway. The floor was covered with a long, patterned red and grey carpet. The walls hadrge, colorful stained ss windows leaking in light. The hallway behind him ended in a dead end, while off in front of him it ended in arge, glowing opening that he couldn¡¯t see through.

    ¡°It¡¯s YOU.¡± Dorian spat out loud, his eyes growing steely.

    ¡°Yukeli.¡±

    Deep in the farthest recesses of his mind, Dorian felt the darkness that was Yukeli¡¯s memories and presence seem to stir.

    ¡®No being could live and stay sane with you in them. I can sense your touch on my mind.¡¯ Dorian thought, clutching at his head. His memories shed through him.

    One, in particr, appeared once more.

    The memory of him killing several hunters for torturing a deer, back on the World Bridge to Blizzaria.

    Was that a crime worthy of death?

    No, Dorian didn¡¯t think so. Perhaps a crime worthy of a beating, given thewless nature of thesends, alongside a transformation into a fierce, monstrous looking beast to terrify them into changing their ways.

    But he could have solved that incident through a number of methods.

    Yet he had chosen to kill them.

    ¡®I¡¯ve already started down this path.¡¯ Dorian realized, looking down at his now trembling hands.

    Yukeli was not evil. He did not want to murder freely or wantonly. He was simply extremely passionate and driven.

    When Yukeli¡¯s extreme passion and drivebined with Dorian¡¯s own sense of justice, it was distorted to an extreme.

    ¡®If I don¡¯t get rid of you¡­ that will be me in the future.¡¯ Dorian realized, nodding his head.

    ¡®I will be a monster that destroys reality.¡¯

    He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, clenching his fists.

    ¡®I will not allow that.¡¯

    This was the only reality Dorian had now. If Yukeli was to be believed, and despite their antagonistic rtionship, Dorian knew his words had been true, this was the only reality Dorian had ever had.

    He would not allow it to be destroyed by his own hand.

    ¡®Wee, challenger! You have sessfully passed the Door of Splendor! You have been ced in front of that which you most desire in these Ruins!¡¯

    As Dorian was thinking over his worries and plots, Ausra #2¡¯s voice echoed in his head, informing him of where he was.

    ¡®You are now standing in one of the Entrance Hallways to the Main Treasure Depository.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened. He looked down the hallway, where arge stone entrance opened to a glowing doorway.

    ¡°Right down there¡­?¡± He began to move.

    He took a few calm steps, but then broke out into a jog, and then into a sprint.

    This was it. The culmination of all his good intentions, all his hard work, all his efforts!

    WHOOSH

    Dorian moved through the glowing entrance.

    And found himself in a golden hall.

    An enormous, soaring grand hall with a ceiling that must¡¯ve reached a hundred meters high, full of treasure. Huge piles of silver and gold, Magic Artifacts that glowed with energy, rare Pills that shed with light.

    He saw a silver set of te armor that was covered in ck carvings, vibrating faintly. He saw a greennce that rested quietly but gave off a slightly ominous, powerful Aura. He saw a set of golden whips, sparkling with pure white light.

    Treasures of all sorts and kinds could be seen, in the tens of hundreds of thousands.

    ¡°YES!¡± Dorian fist pumped the air, excitement flooding him as he managed to push past the vision of the future, focusing on the present.

    He had found the treasure! He could save Will!

    ¡°Calm down there, kiddo.¡± As Dorian was celebrating, looking around the grand hall, a gruff voice called out from the side.

    Dorian turned to the side, starting.

    He was not alone in the grand treasure hall.

    The hall wasrge, stretching roughly 100 meters wide, and easily 500 meters long. The ceiling was arched, with long crystals dripping down from it, giving off bright warm light that lit the hall.

    There was arge door at one end of the hall, a resplendent golden door that looked almost identical to the Door of Splendor.

    Gathered around this door were several figures.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 103,939

    ¨C

    Species: True Vampire

    ss ¨C Lord (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 69,321

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C Lord (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 89,112

    ¨C

    Two humans and Vampire were currently sitting down atop small piles of treasure. Each of them had a pensive, tired expression as they looked over at a human that was wearing a long, ck robe. The human had a ridiculous hairstyle that was clearly dyed ck, in the shape of what looked like a giant chess piece, that of a Knight.

    The oddly dressed fellow was looking right at Dorian, a superior expression on his face.

    ¡®What?¡¯ Dorian stared in confusion.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C King (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 306,689

    ¨C

    ¡®He¡¯s a King ss human? Really?¡¯ Dorian shook his head as he looked at the entric man.

    ¡°Like I said, calm down, kiddo. I got here before you, just wait for the voice to appear in your head.¡± The man with the chess piece for hair said, nodding his head sharply. His voice was gruff and deep, at odds with his entric and slightly feminine appearance.

    ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Dorian patted himself on the chest.

    The man rolled his eyes. His body seemed to blur as he leapt through the air of the grand hall,nding down next to Dorian with a thud.

    ¡°Obviously.¡± He shook his head as if Dorian was an idiot.

    A momentter, a voice went off in Dorian¡¯s head, almost as if it had been waiting for a moment to break into the conversation.

    ¡®Wee to the Main Treasure Depository!¡¯ Ausra #2 spoke in his head, her voice cheerful,

    ¡®In here lie all the treasures we gathered after defeating the Vile Beast, the Emperor of Demons. The Emperor had treasures and valuables gathered from thousands of nations, looted and stolen, pilfered ormissioned. Veritable mountains of wealth lie in here, enough to disce the economy of any Major Power.¡¯ She regaled Dorian with a tale of the history of the treasure room.

    His eyes shined brighter as he heard this. With what was in here¡­ there was no chance he wouldn¡¯t be able to revive Will!

    ¡®Every treasure you see within here is for the taking, challenger!¡¯ Ausra #2 began and the continued,

    ¡®However¡­ the treasures you take alle with a price. There is no free lunch in this world. There is one entrance to the Main Treasure Depository. The Leaving Door, a door which holds the Second Trial of the Ascension Ruins for those that have ended up here.¡¯ Ausra #2 paused for a moment before continuing,

    ¡®Take with you what you want, but to pass through the Leaving Door and arrive in the castle proper of the Ascension Ruins, be prepared. The more treasure you take with you, the harder a trial you shall face.¡¯

    Ausra #2¡¯s message passed to Dorian¡¯s mind in an instant. He processed it all in a few seconds, pausing as he thought it over.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve gotten the message then.¡± The stranger with the weird haircut rudely interrupted Dorian¡¯s thoughts, his voice imperious.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Dorian politely said, keeping any irritation from his voice. His body was exhausted, and thest thing he needed right now was a fight.

    The ck robed man seemed to take that as an eptance of his words, puffing his chest up with a smile.

    ¡°No. I am one of the Bold Brothers, Darrel Bold, from the A- Ranked Mercenary Team ck Chess. If there was something I needed help on, a weak Lord ss fighter like yourself would be no help.¡± The King ss Wizard seemed to have gauged Dorian¡¯s current strength urately. His Energy Level put him on the weaker side of Lord ss.

    ¡°However, you should realize your limits, kiddo. Even I can¡¯t escape this damned room with anything of real value.¡± Darrel went on,

    ¡°That door is no joke. The more treasure or more valuable treasure you take with you, the heavier it bes, and only one person can pass through it at a time. Just some advice to a fellow challenger.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡± Dorian gave him a calm nod, having fully regained control of his emotions. He then immediately began walking off towards one of the piles of treasure.

    The man snorted, shaking his head in irritation. The oddly shaped hair on top of his head wobbled as he turned away, stalking towards the door.

    Despite his rather rude attitude, he actually didn¡¯t seem to have bad intentions. At the least, he didn¡¯t try to kill or rob Dorian, which was a big plus in his book.

    tap

    Yukeli¡¯s journal once more appeared in Dorian¡¯s hands as he walked. He began to skim through it, eventually finding a short passage about this room.

    ¡®The Main Treasure Depository finished construction today. A basic challenge to fit those that seek grand treasures or great wealth. Leaving it is one of the easier Trials, but for those who merely seek wealth, there is no need to test their mettle further. As long as they have the strength to bear the treasure they hold, who am I to stop them?¡¯

    The Trial he was facing, and the room around him, despite all of its grand value, seemed to be worth barely a footnote in Yukeli¡¯s eyes.

    To Dorian, however, the passage sounded like a hymn from the Heavens.

    ¡®If there wasn¡¯t much other work put into this room¡­ then it¡¯s more likely than not I don¡¯t need to leave the hall to use the treasures, right?¡¯ He thought as he picked up one treasure that caught his eye, a lightweight silver rapier that was about half a meter long in length, elegantly crafted from metal.

    He tapped on the tip of it, sending a sliver of energy from his Soul Spell Matrix into it.

    WHOOSH

    Immediately, a bright silver light shot from the rapier, extending about two meters. The light was tight and slim, but felt dangerous, as if it could melt through Dorian¡¯s skin if he left it near it long enough.

    A secondter, that light dampened as the magic energy the rapier was giving off was forced to weaken, fizzling off into nothingness.

    ¡®There appears to be some type of dampening field weakening most Artifacts, perhaps?¡¯ Dorian reached a conclusion of sorts. His Spatial Ring seemed to be working fine, but that might be because it used very little energy.

    He went and tried out a few other Artifacts, getting simr results.

    ¡®Well¡­ I can¡¯t use any of the treasures, that¡¯s true.¡¯ He shrugged,

    ¡®But I don¡¯t need to use them, do I?¡¯ He smiled evilly.

    ¡®I just need to absorb them.¡¯ He picked up the silver rapier, holding it in his hand.

    ¡®Absorb.¡¯

    WHOOSH

    Immediately, Dorian felt a store of energy flood into his veins, partially restoring some of his spent energy.

    ¨C

    Wise Jade Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (3/5) Young Jade Dragon ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 358,992/421,881 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Only around 2,800 points. Not bad, but nothing too great.¡¯ He looked at his increased progress, nodding his head as the silver rapier fell into dust.

    A huge grin forced its way onto his face as he looked at the huge mountains of treasures that covered the giant hall¡­

    And then dived right into the middle of the one next to him.

    And madly began to absorb.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, as Dorian swam beneath mountains of treasure, absorbing everything that came within reach, several other people had just finished their own Door of Splendor First Trials.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°I will be taken to that which I desire most in the Ruins?¡± Helena said, her voice pale and fraught, her eyes drawn and tired, as she looked at the Door of Splendor before her.

    ¡°Haha¡­ I doubt I can be taken to that which I truly want¡­¡± She sighed, her face downcast.

    ¡°How I wish you were here, Dorian.¡± She hesitated for a second before sheid her hand on the Door, teleporting instantly.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Huh. That was¡­ unpleasant.¡± Leader¡¯s cheerful pride was nowhere to be found as he somberly looked at the door in front of him, his entire body covered in sweat.

    ¡°To that which I desire? Well, that is the best news I¡¯ve heard since I had to live that horrid dream!¡± Leader¡¯s customary cheer began to return as he heard Ausra #2 speak in his head.

    ¡°Great Lord! Your humble servant shall rejoin you shortly!¡± Leader threw his body at the door with abandon, vanishing the moment he touched it.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°My dearest desire here¡­ Take me to that which can revive Probus!¡± Trajan¡¯s voice was harsh as his blinded eyes focused their energy vision on the door in front of him, unwavering fervor and passion rising within him.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A woman could be heard crying.

    In a sparse, empty room, a small, petite fox-humanoid could be seen, curled up in a ball.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt people¡­ but if I don¡¯t, people hurt me¡­¡± Arial curled up in a ball, her eyes red as she cried, over and over.

    The future she had seen had been one where she saw the consequences of her actions. Her betrayals, especially of those that were innocent and not nning against her as she thought. The pain and harm she caused to others, including their families and friends.

    ¡°Grrr¡­ I¡­ I will not fail this.¡± She huped as she forced herself to gain control.

    ¡°I will use these Ruins as an opportunity. I¡­ One day, I will stand on my own, freely.¡± She closed her eyes as she breathed deeply.

    A momentter, she reopened them, steely drive filling them.

    ¡°Trust is for the strong that can bear it. For the weak¡­ trust is a luxury that we cannot afford. I will do what I must¡­¡± She clenched her fists, controlling her trembling body as she took a step forward and renewed her determination.

    ¡°What do I most desire here?¡± She muttered out loud as she heard a voice speak in her mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She paused.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize to those I¡¯ve wrongfully killed¡­ but that¡¯s not exactly something you can change, is it, Ruins?¡± She sighed.

    She ced her hand on the door and vanished.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hmph. Weak memories of a future that is as nothing to me. Ashes before the Truth.¡± Veritas mumbled quietly as she stood, floating in front of the copy of the Door of Splendor, in her own private chamber.

    ¡°What I desire here? Why, that is simple.¡± Her eyes shed coldly.

    ¡°Bring me to where that Fox I¡¯ve been hunting is, of course.¡± Veritas smiled, her voice warm.

    ¡°Her bloodline will make a fine addition to my collection.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Mira looked at the door in front of her silently.

    ¡°Take me to that which holds the remnants of my grandmother.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Aiden took a deep breath, his faintly Draconic Humanoid Form giving off a strong, golden Aura.

    ¡°Please¡­

    ¡°Take me anywhere but where that infernal shapeshifter is.¡± His voice was filled with equal parts of pain and hope, practically begging the door to obey him.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Mello looked at the gorgeous door in front of him, smiling cheerfully.

    ¡°Now those were some joyful futures. Did I really die to a monkey, just like that?¡± He shook his head ruefully, his eyes containing a dark light within them.

    ¡°I only barely managed to escape from my own brethren. To think she would seriously try to kill my clone at first sight, when I came in peace.¡± He sighed sadly.

    He reached out with his hand, pausing for a moment to think before putting it on the Door of Splendor before him.

    ¡°Take me to the ce where Lady Ausra¡¯s body was set to rest.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Prince Isaac calmly sat in his own private room, ignoring the conjured, smaller Door of Splendor as he concentrated on gathering his energy. Magic power flowed around him, healing energy rising from a collection of Pills as he regathered his strength.

    ¡°Ugh. Damn Autarchy. Why are all your strongest fighters freaks of nature?¡± He shook his head ruefully,

    ¡°Why am I even on this damned mission¡­ what do I care if that Anomaly can truly be an Angel of Light¡­ High Priest¡­ Sigh¡­¡± He rubbed his forehead and went back to meditation.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian, while all of this was happening, continued to swim through the massive sea of treasure.

    ¡®You get absorbed! And YOU get absorbed! Oh, what about you? ABSORBED!¡¯

    He gleefully absorbed treasures left and right, energy flooding into his veins without pause.

    ¡®ABSORB EVERYTHING! AHAHAHAHA!¡¯

 Chapter 142 - Start

    Chapter 142: Start

    Energy flowed into Dorian¡¯s veins without pause as the world around him turned to ash. Almost every Artifact he touched had Energy in it, of some nature, and could be absorbed into Growth Points by his Soul Spell Matrix.

    WHOOSH

    ng

    ng

    teee

    Various metallic echoes and noises rang out as the massive piles of treasure he was moving through shifted, hundreds of Artifacts and more fell apart. A chain reaction of moving treasure caused the entire pile to slide around, causing therge hall to fall into a cacophony of noise.

    ording to Ausra, at a very rough estimate, Dorian needed to spend roughly 3,000,000 to 15,000,000 Growth Points to bring Will back by forming a new body using his Soul Spell Matrix.

    There were many ways Dorian thought about trying to get this energy. He could hunt for extremely energy dense Artifacts, like the barrier he found at the hidden Blue Seal Casino, controlled by that Pseudo-King ss Wizard back on Paxital. That barrier had cost roughly 100 Million-Mint Shields to create and had the power to stall even a King ss warrior with ease.

    Dorian had managed to absorb close to 1,000,000 points of energy from it, spending it all directly to upgrade himself to grow stronger.

    Artifacts like that, however, were extremely rare and hard toe by. Dorian simply didn¡¯t know where to find them, and, even further, he would likely greatly antagonize whomever he was stealing from, putting himself in great danger if he couldn¡¯t sneakily steal it.

    The treasure store located in the Ascension Ruins had had a huge draw from him. A possibly free trove of unimed treasure, one that seemed to be connected to him in Fate because of Yukeli?

    Thus,ing here had been his go-to n.

    And he had seeded.

    ¡®Wise Jade Dragon limit has been reached! Evolving to 4th Growth Sta-

    ¡®Evolving to 5th Growth Stage!¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice sounded off in his head, informing him.

    His Wise Jade Dragon form had maxed out already, infused with some of the energy Dorian was absorbing. The massive store of treasure here made it an easy choice to finish Evolving, knowing he¡¯d have more than enough.

    WHOOSH

    ¨C

    Wise Jade Dragon ¨C Growth Stage: (5/5) Elder Jade Dragon ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 4,118,552/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®4 million points already? Excellent! Give me more!¡¯ He thought, his mind focused on taking full advantage of this opportunity, not holding back a whit. In total, he had absorbed far more than 4 million points, but arge portion of it had gone to upgrading his Wise Jade Dragon form.

    ¡®Jade Memory Ability gained.¡¯ In the background, he noticed that he¡¯d gained a new Ability thanks to fully growing his Wise Jade Dragon form.

    Now that his form was fully grown, he couldbine to create new Bloodlines with it. The Wise Jade Dragon Bloodline was the strongest Bloodline he¡¯d ever grown naturally. Thebinations it could add, especially considering it was a Bloodline from a member of the 12 Draconic Tribes, were bound to be powerful additions.

    Now wasn¡¯t the time, however, to try out newbinations. He¡¯d get that sorted once he finished saving Will and got to somewhere safe.

    ¨C

    Ability: Jade Memory

    A support Ability found in creatures of great intelligence or those of a calm, peaceful nature. Jade Memory is a passive Ability that allows for perfect recall of anything the user sees or hears. The Ability is passive and therefore not instantaneous and may take concentration, but any being with this Ability is physically unable to forget anything they have heard or seen.

    Injuries can obstruct memory, however, as can great emotion, invalidating the perfect recall function.

    ¨C

    The world around Dorian seemed to be slightly richer. At the same time, he felt his mind seem to shift, slightly. His memory became stronger and more precise, gaining perfect recall. It was a small, subtle change, but one that would prove immensely useful.

    ng

    More metal shifted as energy continued to pour into Dorian¡¯s soul.

    ¡®5,000,000¡­¡¯

    ¡®6,000,000¡­¡¯

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡®10,000,000¡­¡¯

    As Dorian reached 10 million Growth Points stored within his Soul Spell Matrix, he began to feel a sort of tearing sensation. A deep-seated pain in his soul.

    As he greedily absorbed everything in sight, for just an instant, Dorian also felt a strange, mystic sensation in the air, one that seemed to resonate with his Law of Wrath. The feeling was fleeting and quickly vanished, but, because of his newly acquired Jade Memory, could not escape his sensibilities.

    This feeling was ignored for now, however, as Dorian listened to the message Ausra sent him.

    ¡®Your soul is nearing the maximum amount of Growth Energy it can bear within it. Exceeding this amount puts your soul in serious danger of dissipation and your body in danger of Discordancy.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice sounded off in his head, warning him.

    ¡®I¡¯m only at 10,000,000¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, taking a moment¡¯s pause.

    The energy flowing in his soul felt euphoric. A sort of happy fullness that was indescribable, like nothing he had ever felt before. It felt wonderful, even with the tearing pain that was starting to appear in his mind.

    ¡®The upper limit Ausra projected required 15,000,000 points of energy.¡¯ He frowned.

    ¡®Ausra, if I¡¯m reforming Will¡¯s body, can I take my time doing it, spreading out the energy required?¡¯ He queried.

    ¡®The process will take a split second, focusing on a cellr level at an elerated pace. Any slowing of it could result in Discordancy and is not advised.¡¯ Ausra coolly replied.

    ¡®Alright¡­¡¯ He frowned.

    ¡®Whatever. I¡¯vee this far, I can bear a little pain for just a few minutes.¡¯ He steeled himself and ran back into the massive piles of treasure.

    The Artifacts, Pills, and gold and silver coins or Mints were stacked extremely haphazardly, as if Yukeli had thrown them in here as an afterthought. As Dorian moved through them, causing them to shift and sway as their bottomyers disintegrated, the number of Artifacts he absorbed continued to increase.

    ¡°What on earth is he doing? The fool.¡± The King ss mercenary leader Darrel shook his head as he saw the swaying treasures, turning back to focus on the doorway. He, along with the rest of those present, was studying the doorway, trying to gain a hint as to how to sneak as much wealth as possible past the Trial.

    ¡®Arrrgh¡­ It hurts¡­¡¯ Tears pulled from Dorian¡¯s eyes as he absorbed more and more Growth Energy, the tearing sensation in his soul increasing.

    In the back of his head, a voice stirred.

    ¡®What are you doing, fool?! You will kill yourself and sever any chance you have at reaching perfection.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s old, ancient voice rose up from his consciousness as it felt the pain threading through Dorian¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Shut up, ghost. You don¡¯t get an opinion on this.¡¯ Dorian promptly shut him out, ignoring the ancient Wizard as he focused solely on his goal.

    ¡®11,000,000¡­¡¯

    ¡®12,000,000¡­¡¯

    ¡®13,000,000¡­¡¯

    Seconds ticked by as Dorian madly absorbed everything he could get his hands on.

    By now, he had put a noticeable dent in the treasure stacks, wiping out a massive number of Artifacts. The other treasures, Pills and various types of gold or silver coins, didn¡¯t give much energy.

    ¡°What on earth is he doing? Hmph. Once he realizes Spatial Rings can¡¯t sneak treasure by, he¡¯ll give up all the same.¡± Darrel Bold shook his head, a cool, calcting King ss Aura surrounding him as he went back to studying the Leaving Door, his chess-piece shaped brown hair wobbling slightly.

    ¡®14,000,000¡­¡¯ Dorian thought, feeling the tearing sensation increase in output as he absorbed a glowing gold bench, one that was painted with pictures of the heavens themselves. He gained nearly 80,000 Growth Points from that bench alone. He picked up another Artifact, an axe that gleamed with darkness, absorbing it in one shot as well, taking in a huge 40,000 Growth Points.

    The treasures here mostly only gave him a few thousand points, but there were powerful ones spread out as well, all adding up to a vast amount of energy.

    It was as if his soul was full to the bursting, the amount of energy he held far too much.

    ¡®Danger! Your soul has overdrawn its maximum Growth Energy storage! Absorbing more energy cou-¡®

    ¡®I know, Ausra. Can it.¡¯ He responded, cutting her off.

    ¡®You are killing yourself¡­ All to save the life of a stranger you barely know.¡¯ Yukeli¡¯s ancient voice appeared in Dorian¡¯s head once more. This time, however, it carried an odd tone in it, one Dorian couldn¡¯t quite ce.

    ¡®Your perseverance to right wrongs and restore the bnce of things is admirable, if foolish and not headed towards perfection. A strongmitment and force of will is a baseline to achieve perfection. Perhaps I gave up on you too soon.¡¯

    For the first time, Yukeli actually seemed to approve, at least to some small amount, of Dorian¡¯s actions.

    ¡®Arrrgh. Almost there. Keep it up, Dorian!¡¯ He encouraged himself as he finished absorbing most of the Artifacts in onerge pile and moved off to another.

    As he was crossing over to therge, dozens of meters high pile a loud thudding sound caught his attention.

    Right next to him, a figure hadnded.

    A blind, robe covered Vampire with a tired looking face and long brown hair. A Vampire Dorian recognized.

    The Aurelius Reaver, Trajan.

    ¡°You¡­ you can help me? The man that saved us from before?¡± Trajan stared at Dorian with his energy eyes, a hint of awe and fear appearing in his voice.

    ¡°Me? What?¡± Dorian responded, taken aback and shocked by the sudden appearance of the Vampire. The pain in his soul made it difficult for him to think clearly.

    As Trajan looked at Dorian, with surprise and fear in his eyes, he didn¡¯t see a regr being. In his energy vision, he saw a creature who gave off energy like a star gives off light. Great, gouts of power and might flowed around Dorian¡¯s soul, a ridiculously powerful level of concentrated energy that seemed incredible. Even the strongest King ss Wizards Trajan had met had failed to give off this sensation.

    Yet, Trajan could only sense a physical strength at the Lord ss level. It was confusing and mysterious, but that only convinced him more.

    ¡°The Ruins brought me to you, again, savior. You are the one that can heal my friend.¡± Trajan fell down to his right knee and mmed his head down, bowing.

    ¡°Please, I beg you. Help me again. Revive my brother from the dead.¡± He waved his right hand, causing a corpse to appear out of a Spatial Ring. That of a fallen Vampire wearing a set of leather armor, with a long de strapped to his back, and long brown hair tied up in a bun.

    Another Vampire Dorian recognized. Probus.

    Dorian stared at the Vampire and the Vampire corpse in shock,pletely taken aback.

    ¡®Helena¡¯s friend died?¡¯

    thud

    ¡°Trajan!¡±

    A familiar female voice called out from behind Dorian,nding right behind him.

    ¡°I caught up to you! We didn¡¯t finish talking!¡± Helena said, her eyes zeroing in on Trajan before looking at Dorian in surprise.

    ¡°You are the man that saved us from the Shades earlier? Thank you.¡± Helena bowed towards him before her eyes widened as she saw what was in front of him.

    ¡°Is that¡­ Probus¡¯ corpse?! Trajan?! What are you doing?!¡± She immediately focused on this, looking at Trajan in shock.

    ¡°Helena, this is not the business of the Aurelius Family. Back off.¡± Trajan clenched his hands together tightly behind his back, giving her a stern re. He then turned right back towards Dorian, bowing his head again.

    ¡°Please, savior. Save my friend.¡±

    Helena paused, looking between Dorian and Trajan in confusion.

    thud

    ¡°Arrrgh.¡± Dorian clutched at his head, feeling the pain try to sweep over him. It was so painful, his soul stretching and feeling as if it was pulling apart, that he was unable to physically move. He could still sense his surroundings, but had to put his full effort into simply containing the massive store of energy in his soul.

    ¡®Ausra, how can I start making Will¡¯s body?¡¯ He said, asking a question as hergely ignored the situation around him, focused internally. He was so close, almost at 15,000,000 Growth Points. Close enough to feel safe starting.

    ¡®Your current physical form is not suited for the construction of a new body due to its poor sensory capabilities in regards to Magic. It is rmended that you switch to a more adept form. Once you have done that, simply give themand and I will begin running the required simtions using the energy you have provided.¡¯ Ausra responded.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian¡¯s form shifted.

    Returning to a form he was quite familiar with.

    His Ifrit form.

    ¡°Trajan you ca- huh?!¡± Helena turned back to stare at Dorian, her mouth falling open in absolute shock.

    ¡°D-D-Dorian?!¡± She sputtered out, stepping backwards a few steps as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.

    ¡°Dorian?!¡± Another female voice called out the same name, in equal levels of shock, hiding behind a pile of Artifacts and treasure only a dozen meters away.

    Arial stared at Dorian, her entire body frozen as she saw someone she thought she had already killed, recognizing his Ifrit form. The memories of the futures she saw, and the pain and agonizing consequences she felt, washed through her as she looked at him, trembling.

    ¨C

    Ifrit ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Elder Ifrit

    Growth Progress ¨C 14,898,199/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Ausra, begin running those simtions. I¡¯m going to form Will¡¯s body, here and now.¡¯ All of the ongoing events were ignored by Dorian as he forced the pain in his soul down¡­

    And began to recreate Will¡¯s body, not hesitating.

    ¡®I¡¯ll deal with you, Trajan, Helena, after I finish this.¡¯ All he needed was a single second after Ausra finished nning everything.

    ¡®Initializing simtions. Running now¡­¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice echoed in his head as she began running calctions. Dorian felt the agonizing pain in his soul settle slightly, energy slowly bing spent.

    At the edge of Dorian¡¯s soul, a small ball of golden light could be seen. A ball that was glimmering quietly, one that was starting to faintly pulse.

    Will¡¯s quiet, resting soul.

    It was time. Finally, after this massive, dangerous journey.

    It was time to finish this.

    WHOOSH

    In that moment, as Dorian was paralyzed, working at full capacity to finally rescue Will, one more figure appeared near him.

    A pale woman, wearing a long grey dress with a hood, standing on what appeared to be floating clouds, with no visible feet. A holy Aura surrounded this woman, giving off a warm, weing feeling.

    As this woman appeared, Trajan, Helena, and Arial all turned to look at it, each reacting differently.

    ¡°No¡­ not you¡­¡± Trajan¡¯s face took on an appearance of fear and rage.

    ¡°The target! Veritas!¡± Helena clenched her fists, staring at the Anomaly. She reached for her Spatial Ring, readying the powerful Artifact she had been gifted.

    ¡°It¡¯s you.. the one hunting me.¡± Arial slunk behind the pile of Artifacts, her heart pounding.

    WHOOSH

    Wind burst out from where the Anomaly Veritas had just appeared, the holy, weing Aura spreading. As it spread, the Kingly Aura came crashing down with a terrible, unforgiving might. One that, on the face of it, didn¡¯t seem overwhelmingly strong.

    But at its core¡­ held a mysterious, Fate twisting edge.

    ¡°Ahh. Hello, my children. My brethren. We meet again.¡± Veritas smiled as she looked at the Vampires and then at Dorian.

    In her hands appeared a sword that seemed to be made of pure light.

    ¡°Allow me to share with you all, without dy, that which leads to perfection.¡± Her voice was motherly,

    ¡°The Truth.¡±

    BOOM

    The Kingly Aura spread out at a full ze, rocking the air itself as the Anomaly Veritas slunk forward towards the paralyzed Dorian who was currently in the middle of reconstructing Will¡¯s body¡­

    And attacked.

    .

    .

    .

    (Author¡¯s addition: Vote your Power Stones below and help Dorian save Will!)

    (We¡¯ve hit the climax of this volume and all the current volumes together! Let¡¯s charge forward bravely, readers!)

    .

 Chapter 143 - [2 in 1 Bonus Chapter!] Unfolding

    Chapter 143: [2 in 1 Bonus Chapter!] Unfolding

    [2 in 1 Bonus Chapter! 2 Chapters in one post, 1 our normal, 1 a bonus ? ]

    (SS price is based on word count, so this double chapter post = same price as 2 chapters, just FYI for those that don¡¯t understand. This note doesn¡¯t affect SS price.)

    .

    ¡®Damn it! Where is Leader or Aiden when you need them?¡¯ Dorian thought furiously, his mind still focused on controlling the energy that threatened to tear his soul apart. Neither of the two powerful King ss fighters seemed to have been transported to where he was.

    Helena was the first to react.

    WHOOSH

    A powerful Aura of Might spread out around her as she went on full alert, energy rippling off in waves.

    ¡°Stop right there! Dorian, move!¡± Helena yelled out loud, jumping forward as she saw the Anomaly swoop towards Dorian. Her heart dropped as she saw Dorian stand still, seemingly dazed.

    ¡°No! Impact Magic: Heavy Impact!¡± She cast a basic Impact Magic Spell, one designed for instant use. Immediately, her momentum was greatly increased as what felt like a battering ram collided with her back, knocking her forward.

    She hurled through the air just fast enough to m into the attacking Anomaly before it reached the stunned Dorian.

    ¡°Hiya!¡±

    BOOM

    An explosion of energy rang out as Helena¡¯s Aura collided with the warm, weing Aura that Veritas held. Helena punched through this, her arms moving skillfully as she struck past the Anomaly¡¯s guard, her fistnding directly on its chest.

    ¡°Oof.¡± Veritas exhaled as she was knocked backwards. The Anomaly had tried to swing its sword of light upward to cut Helena as she attacked, but missed. Helena¡¯s extreme skill and practice in closebat made dodging the attack almost simplistic.

    The attack had only shocked Veritas, however, leaving no real injury. The ghostly woman raised a hand to her chest, tapping on it lightly before looking up.

    ¡°Ah, I see. You again, Vampire.¡± Veritas spoke, staring at Helena from under her hood.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Darrel Bold looked up from in front of the Leaving Door as the Anomaly spoke, alongside the other Lord ss Wizards, all turning around to see a small explosion of gold coins and treasure. The impact from the attack had created a miniature shockwave, throwing around much of the treasure in the center of the room.

    ¡°What do all of you think you are doing? The battle for the entrances may have been a free for all, but we¡¯re all in here now and there is no point fighting each other. It won¡¯t affect your winnings or any of the Trials.¡± He continued, frowning fiercely.

    ¡°I won¡¯t sit by and allow for casual murder or robbery! I wouldn¡¯t be a Bold Brother if I did otherwise!¡± A King ss Aura of Darrel¡¯s own burst forth as he began to stalk forward, his chess-piece hair wobbling.

    ¡°Anomaly Veritas. We have no quarrel with you. I was sent here to negotiate with you.¡± Helena began, ignoring everything else. At the same time, she withdrew a small bracelet from her Spatial Ring, slipping it on behind her back. The Capitoline Wolf Bracelet, a powerful, ancient Artifact she had as her backup.

    Veritas ignored her, turning to look at a decidedly pale-faced Trajan.

    ¡°Ah. Vampire, you have already seen the Truth.¡± Veritas said, her voice warm as she looked at the Wizard.

    ¡°Not any truth I would care about.¡± Trajan spat out, forcibly oveing his shock and horror as he looked at Probus¡¯ corpse. Trajan nced over at Dorian, his energy vision letting him see that Dorian seemed to be frozen.

    ¡°You rejected the Truth¡­¡± Veritas shook her head somberly, sadness in her voice,

    ¡°It seems I must kill you after all.¡± Veritas began to float towards Trajan calmly.

    ¡°Hold on! We can w-we can talk this ov- listen to me, you ghastly woman.¡± Helena swore aloud as she stood her ground between the advancing Anomaly and Dorian, her fist clenched. She held the ancient Artifact at the ready, prepared to use it at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use talking to it, Helena.¡± Trajan shook his head, a look of intense concentration appearing.

    ¡°Savior, I will protect you, in return for your aid.¡± Trajan continued as he sped his hands together.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Water Knives!¡± Hundreds of des made of pure water formed in the air in a split second, hovering over Trajan¡¯s head.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Aquarius Shield!¡± He cast a second Spell at the same time. Immediately, severalrge 5 meters wide shields formed and surrounded him, Probus¡¯ corpse, and Dorian protectively as Trajan stepped forward.

    ¡°Helena, careful! Its techniques are as weird as I said in my report!¡± Trajan warned, holding his hands up as he prepared to unleash the hundreds of Water Knives, each one infused with the power of the Law of Rain. While the Law wasn¡¯t extremely offensively powered, each knife would still hold the power of a Pseudo-King ss Wizard¡¯s Spell, not something that could just be ignored.

    ¡°I know.¡± Helena grunted, staring face to face with Veritas as the Anomaly returned in front of her.

    Veritas sighed quietly.

    ¡°Ah, child. You have refused to see the Truth. Therefore, I will open your eyes for you. Let the falsities you know be Inverted, only the Truth shall remain.¡± Veritas¡¯ eyes shed.

    WHOOSH

    The Aura around the Anomaly abruptly spread out fully, feeling warm and weing, but buried within it was a hint of danger.

    As Helena sensed this, she didn¡¯t wait to see what the Anomaly was doing or give it any time to monologue.

    ¡®I can¡¯t win it over¡­ Fine. Then you are dead to me, Anomaly. I will kill you and restore Trajan¡¯s sight, as well as rid the world of your vile presence.¡¯

    With that thought in mind, Helena attacked immediately, using her full understanding of the Law of Might tounch one of her strongest techniques, holding back nothing.

    ¡°Impact Magic: Royal Impact Series Number Six.¡±

    Helena¡¯s eyes glowed a brilliant white shade as she squared up, shifting her body slightly to the side. She pulled her right arm back. As she did so, two circles of white light formed in the air, one about two meters across, and the other three meters across, surrounding the first one. Muscles began to bulge and swell on her arms.

    ¡°Grand Meteor Impact.¡±

    Helena punched forward with a blow that carried with it the force of a massive meteor impact.

    The stone floor beneath Helena cracked. It was made of the same tough, magically enhanced material that made up the rest of the Ascension Ruins. Despite that, it was no match for the raw force Helena had just caused to form, the sheer power in the impact she had summoned reaching a gargantuan level.

    The Royal Impact Series was a series of spells created by the forefather of Impact Magic, Immanuel Hope, a Wizard that reached the Angelic ss. Each number in the series was a unique and powerful spell that carried huge amounts of force.

    The Grand Meteor Impact was the 6th Strongest Spell, one that transmitted the full force of an enormous, 100 meter wide andrge meteor crashing into a World from beyond the boundaries of chaotic space.

    An attack of this scale¡­ it was not something even most King ss Wizards or warriors could unleash. Impact Magic was notorious for its powerful Magical blows, and thisbined with Helena¡¯s high mastery and the fact that she was only a step away from King ss meant that her attack had reached its full potential. She had previously been able to use this technique at a basic level, but only truly mastered it within the past few weeks.

    Veritas¡¯ eyes narrowed as she saw the colossal blow sting forward, causing the air itself to quake.

    Without hesitation, Veritas muttered a single phrase.

    ¡°World Invert.¡±

    WHOOSH

    The Law Veritas studied was one of the most abstruse and difficult known Laws toprehend in the 30,000 Worlds.

    Aplex Law known as the Law of Inversion.

    Everything in reality has an opposite. The opposite of heat was cold. The opposite of hard was soft. The opposite of ck was white. The Law of Inversion focused on this concept, of there existing an opposite of all things. Aplicated and exceedingly difficult to picture idea that very few people had ever heard of, let alone attempted to study.

    Veritas was an Anomaly and a name, but the word Veritas also referred to a unique species. A type of semi-Divine creature, a race of beings born from the ether, possessing ghostly qualities. Members of the Veritas Race lived between the realm of the living and the dead, not quite existing in either realm. This quality allowed the Veritas Race to possess a unique sensibility when it came to seeing the true nature of a being.

    Or, the Truth, as Veritas the Anomaly sometimes referred to it. Her own Truth, the Truth of her goals, or the Truth of others.

    She could see the thing a person depended upon most, a core part of their true nature. By Sealing that thing away, she believed that others would see the Truth that she believed in.

    She Sealed away Trajan¡¯s eyes, something he relied upon intently to cast his Spells and study Magic. She Sealed away Probus¡¯ sword arm, something that he had practiced and trained with since birth, something that was a part of his own understanding of the Law of Cutting.

    All to help them give up their own Truth, and see her own Truth.

    And what exactly was that Truth?

    She didn¡¯t know.

    Herpulsion to seek others out and Seal their nature, to open them up to see the Truth, was something she didn¡¯t quite understand.

    All she knew was that if she continued on this path, eventually, her own Truth would be revealed to her.

    And that Truth would lead her to perfection.

    ¡°World Invert.¡±

    The phrase Veritas had muttered echoed in the air, containing a strange, mystic property. Veritas¡¯ Aura abruptly became enhanced to an extreme degree, crashing down on Helena. A tense moment slipped by as Helena rushed forward, her movements tight and controlled. Trajan watched Veritas¡¯ every movement. His eyes widened as he heard the word, starting to shout out a warning.

    Unfortunately, it was toote for Helena to hear.

    WHOOSH

    Before Helena¡¯s very eyes, as she was charging at Veritas, only a few meters away, and carrying an impact that was as powerful as a crashing meteor¡­

    The world itself transformed.

    Everything became inverted.

    ck turned to white. White turned to ck. Colors shifted to opposite ends of the spectrum.

    Up became down. Down became up.

    Right became left. Left became right.

    Sounds flipped across spectrums, loud noises bing quiet while quiet noises became loud.

    Pure, unadulterated chaos spread across Helena¡¯s senses as the reality around her twisted into a madhouse.

    ¡°What?!¡± She sputtered, at aplete loss. Even her own words sounded horrifying, a maze of confusing echoes and screeches.

    Helena tried to keep running forward. However, as she tried to bring her leg forward, she tripped. Forward had transformed into backwards, and her entire body twisted around as she smashed to a halt, everything going wrong.

    From Dorian¡¯s perspective, as he watched all of this, his heart trembling while Ausra ran her simtions, Helena had started charging forward and then stopped abruptly, twisting around in mid-air. Her body physically leapt backwards, crashing into a pile of treasure off to the side.

    BOOM

    The terrifying blow that Helena had carried mmed into the pile of treasure with her, detonating.

    ¡°No!¡± The Grand Meteor Impact took up a huge amount of her energy. She could only cast the Spell three times in total at her best, and she was certainly not at peak condition right now.

    One second, there was a huge pile of treasure, rare Artifacts, random Pills, and gold and silver sitting in arge, ten meter high pile.

    The next second, the pile was gone.

    A vast shockwave spread out as the pile of treasure literally exploded, coins, Pills, and Artifacts shooting off in a thousand different angles.

    TINK

    TINK

    BOOM

    A huge burst of wind whipped about the room as hundreds of treasures were flung through the air, turned into cascading shrapnel. The treasures pelted the challengers and knocked over hundreds of other treasures in other piles, flinging about randomly.

    ¡°My God. Are they trying to destroy the Ruins themselves?¡± Darrel Bold boldly retreated as he felt the force of this impact, recognizing that it had already exceeded the limits of his own strength to handle.

    ¡°Brother. Come quickly! And inform the zing King¡¯s Scythe Master Henry that some madmen are trying to destroy the Ruins from the inside, in the Main Treasure Room Trial!¡± The mercenary fled to the entrance of the room while speaking into an Artifact he pulled out from his Spatial Ring, a glowing white letter. He promptly broke the letter Artifact as he finished speaking, sending out a message.

    Dorian, through Fate or not, was lucky he was standing near the origin of the blow. None of the treasures hit him. Trajan had a few ping off his water shields, but he was mostly fine. Arial, still hiding behind a pile of nearby treasure, merely crouched low to the ground, the treasures missing her body.

    The shockwave was incredibly powerful. However, instead of spreading out as a normal shockwave would, the entire attack seemed to vanish after an instant. It didn¡¯t make it farther than a few meters past its point of origin.

    The Ruins seemed to absorb the energy of the aftermath of the attack, preventing it from causing a huge amount of structural or physical damage to the treasures, or breaking the Trial.

    ¡°Damn! Water Knives! Go!¡± Trajan swore as he saw all of this, immediately supporting Helena.

    WHOOSH

    A deluge of knives cut through the air towards Veritas, preventing the Anomaly from attacking the dazed female Vampire. Veritas swung upward with the sword of light she wielded, melting knife after knife as she adeptly cut through Trajan¡¯s attack.

    Suddenly, her Aura shivered slightly, unable to continuously hold up its enhanced state.

    The moment that Aura faded, Helena regained control, the world reverting to its normal state.

    ¡°Hup!¡± She stumbled backwards, holding her hands at guard as she looked at the horrifying Anomaly with a hint of fear.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let her do that again!¡¯ Her mind was awash with horror and anger, the strange distortion of reality still present in her mind.

    Helena took a moment to recover, her senses just now returning.

    In that moment, the Anomaly Veritas moved.

    Not heading towards Trajan or Helena.

    But instead, right towards Dorian.

    ¡®Ugh. Not good.¡¯ Dorian still couldn¡¯t move. Ausra was still making simtions using Will¡¯s soul and he only needed a single second to recreate Will¡¯s body after that.

    But till then, even taking a hint of his concentration away from controlling his soul could cause it to rip apart, and if he stopped Ausra, Will¡¯s soul would be the one to suffer. He was already too far gone.

    The incredibly bad timing the Anomaly had shown up with seemed to be almost dictated by Fate.

    ¡°Ah, I can see a great Truth within you, my brethren. Allow me to sunder it so that you can focus on seeing the real Truth, the one that guides even me. Forgive me if my actionse across as rude, for my intentions are pure.¡± Veritas seemedrgely unperturbed by her failure to kill Helena in one shot, as if it didn¡¯t matter in the end.

    ¡°No!¡± Trajan yelled out loud as his energy vision detected this.

    Dorian was the only one that could save Probus. At the least, that was what Trajan was convinced of.

    Without hesitating, Trajan threw himself forward, the protective shields that covered his body falling apart as he rushed outside them, between Dorian and the Anomaly.

    He was standing only a few meters from the creature.

    ¡°Rain Magic: Chaos Rai-ulp!¡±

    Trajan¡¯s voice cut off, abruptly, his Spell interrupted. The Vampire looked down at his chest in shock.

    A glowing, sword of light had appeared, pierced straight through his chest.

    The sword wasn¡¯t made of actual physical matter, however, and there was no sign of a cut or injury. The de had moved so quickly that Trajan hadn¡¯t been able to react at all.

    ¡°Ah, foolish child. I have already cut your sight from you, to make you better able to see the Truth.¡± Veritas smiled sadly as she halted, looking straight at Trajan. She flicked her wrist to the side, pulling the de out from his chest, revealing Trajan¡¯s uninjured torso.

    Trajan¡¯s face became pale as he clutched at his chest and then at his throat, a look of sheer horror on his face.

    ¡°Your eyes have already been Sealed by my de.¡± Veritas said, holding up her sword of light. She tapped on it lightly.

    ¡°I took your eyes from you. And now¡­¡± Veritas smiled warmly.

    ¡°I have taken your breath. You were given a chance to see the Truth, and you failed. I apologize, but you can no longer continue trying.¡± In a single, smooth motion, Veritas casually knocked into Trajan¡¯s side, throwing him several meters to the side.

    ¡°Ulp¡­ulp¡­ulp!¡± Trajan clutched at his throat, trying desperately to breathe.

    His lungs, however, seemed to have stopped functioning.

    Veritas had Sealed them.

    ¡®No! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I can¡¯t help you right now, I can¡¯t stop! I will save you!¡¯ Dorian mentally yelled in his mind as he witnessed this, unable to move still. His heart twisted in pain as he saw the brave sacrifice, hatred burning in his heart for the other Anomaly.

    As a Vampire, Trajan had very strong regenerative properties. As a Pseudo-King ss Wizard, he had even more energy and power to draw from.

    Despite all of that, it was inarguable that he still needed to breathe in order to live.

    ¡°Arrgghhh.¡± Trajan¡¯s body shook as he fell down on one knee,nding beside the corpse of Probus. The regenerative properties of his body battled against the oxygen deprivation, trying desperately to keep him alive as he copsed, looking up at the Anomaly Veritas.

    An Anomaly that had already moved on, floating towards Dorian.

    ¡°No, you WILL NOT!¡± Helena screamed out loud as she saw all of this, an Aura of Might the likes of which had never been felt before.

    A close friend had been murdered recently, another close friend was currently dying, and thest person she considered a close friend, a unique being that even she didn¡¯t understand how she felt for, was in danger of being killed.

    All of this swooped into Helena, the stress and anger she felt filling her up.

    And caused her Aura to explode outward, ferocious Might filling her body. She drew upon everything, demanding an ultimate power. Insights like she had never known flooded into her mind.

    And, in a sh, the feeling of her Aura changed.

    From that of Lord ss to that of King ss.

    Helena had broken through, her Soul Spell Matrix evolving as her understanding of the Law of Might reached her own level ofpletion.

    ¡°Useless.¡± Veritas whispered quietly as Helena, visibly covered in writhing energy, mmed down on the ground in front of her. The female Vampire stood with her arms raised, her eyes bleeding fury.

    ¡°You hold great faith in your strength and in your skill. But you cannot defeat everything through pure might.¡± Veritas said in one motion as her Aura exploded outward too.

    ¡°World Invert.¡±

    Once more, Helena¡¯s reality was thrown into pure, backwards chaos. Everything was inverted.

    This time, however, Helena came prepared.

    ¡°Capitoline Wolf Bracelet, activate!¡±

    The Capitoline Wolf Bracelet was an ancient Artifact of great power. It had two functions, one for escaping and one for attacking. The attack function was unique in that it granted the user great power, allowing them to ovee obstacles that they normally wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.

    By activating it after she was being swarmed by Veritas¡¯ Aura and confusing Laws, Helena believed she would be able to throw off the chaotic Aura, resisting it. The bracelet Artifact was specifically designed to throw off debilitating effects and clear a user¡¯s mind while enhancing their personal strength.

    And Helena was correct.

    Cool, cold energy roared into Helena¡¯s veins. The ancient howls of wolves, their cries and yells, filled her ears as she felt the energy wash over her senses, letting her see through the distorted reality that Veritas had unfolded.

    ¡°Got you.¡± She smiled and leapt towards the Anomaly, wasting no time. Virile, ferocious energy melded with her own energy from the Law of Might, further enhancing her strength.

    ¡®Yes! Helena! Hell yes! Take her down!¡¯ Dorian mentally yelled in exultation as he saw this, cheering her on.

    Veritas¡¯ eyes widened in shock as she saw this. The Anomaly waspletely exposed, in a vulnerable position. She had depended on her Law protecting her as she moved forward, intending to stab Helena with her sword made of energy.

    Halfway through Helena¡¯s leap, something odd happened.

    The world around Helena flickered.

    In that split second, the glowing Capitoline Wolf Bracelet seemed to waver.

    Abruptly, the Artifact cut off its activation, energy flowing out of it.

    ¡°What?!¡± Helena¡¯s first thoughts were filled with shock and confusion as the world around her instantly returned to its distorted state.

    In the Main Treasure Depository, there existed thousands of Artifacts.

    To prevent challengers from using these Artifacts for dangerous or non-Trial rted reasons, Yukeli had constructed the room in such a way that any Artifact used would have its effect dampened and depleted, unable to fully activate.

    The same effect applied to any Artifacts that were brought into the room.

    WHOOSH

    ¡°No!¡± The world around Helena waspletely inverted. Shepletely lost track of Veritas, unable to see through any of the distorted reality around her.

    THUNK

    Everything returned to normal as Helena felt a momentous impact m into her chest¡­

    And stabpletely through it.

    The female Vampire looked down at the sword of light that pierced through her chest in shock. The sword did not cause any visible wound, but instead caused her soul itself to tremble with pain.

    ¡°I can see your true nature¡­ you have such confidence in your might¡­ in your physical prowess.¡± Veritas¡¯ warm voice slithered into her head as Helena stood frozen, unable to move.

    ¡°Yes¡­ What you use the most¡­ what you could not bear to lose¡­¡± Veritas¡¯ voice trailed off. The creature¡¯s arms blurred as it abruptly cut forward, a second de of light appearing.

    SNIP

    Helena felt a burning sensation sweep her body. A momentter, she was able to move again, the sword of light leaving her chest.

    As she tried to clutch at herself in pain, however, Helena looked down at her arms and saw what the Anomaly had done.

    Tears threatened to burst from her eyes as she felt a sickening sense of horror and repulsion, overwhelming the fear and pain she was experiencing.

    She no longer had hands.

    Veritas had stolen them from her.

    BOOM

    The Anomaly casually kicked Helena away. Helena¡¯s body tumbled away in shock, the female Vampire undergoing a sickening sensation as part of her body was Sealed, forever unable to regenerate or be restored, lest the person who set the Seal died.

    ¡°And now you, my brave, foolish brethren.¡± Veritas stopped just a couple of meters from Dorian, giving him a warm, assured smile.

    ¡®No! No! I am so close! No! Helena! No! I am so sorry! No! What do I do?! I can¡¯t stop this! Will!¡¯ A thousand thoughts flooded into Dorian¡¯s mind as Veritas arrived in front of him.

    Ausra was still running simtions. In real time, it had only been a few seconds since she started, not enough to finish.

    If he stopped now, Will would truly perish. He would break the one promise he had made to himself.

    If he didn¡¯t stop now, it seemed he would die, as would Helena and Trajan.

    ¡®No! Please no! Please, I am so close! Please don¡¯t make me choose!¡¯ Tears welled up in Dorian¡¯s paralyzed body as all of this came into him.

    In the back of Dorian¡¯s mind, the darkness that was present began to flicker, gaining intensity. This darkness began to spread once more, Yukeli¡¯s touch on his mind growing in strength.

    ¡°It is time for you to see the Truth.¡± Veritas held her sword out in front of her, pointing it at Dorian.

    ¡®PLEASE NO!¡¯ Dorian¡¯s mental voice was harried, an agony-filled scream,

    ¡®PLEASE, DON¡¯T MAKE ME DO THIS!¡¯

    The darkness that was in his mind threatened to explode fully, spreading out at a vast rate. Yukeli¡¯s touch grew stronger and stronger, ready to fully immerse itself within Dorian, to merge at a truly inseparable level.

    ¡®PLEASE!¡¯ Dorian begged, putting his entire will into this. Begging for his Fate to change.

    Just as Veritas was about to stab forward, a flicker of movement caught her eye.

    WHOOSH

    TINK

    Veritas slid backwards slightly, a look of surprise on her face.

    A petite girl with tufted fox-ears hadnded on the ground in front of Dorian, holding her own de of light at the ready. The girl was shaking, her entire body trembling as if this was a terrifying experience. A weak, Lord ss Aura rose up around the girl, one that could barelypete with the mighty King ss Aura Veritas gave off.

    A familiar figure, one Dorian had never expected to stand up and try to protect him.

    The figure of Arial V¡¯ich, the Lightsworn Fox.

    ¡°S-stop! I will not let you kill him! I won¡¯t let him die again!¡±

 Chapter 144 - Success

    Chapter 144: Sess

    [Extra Long/2 in 1 Chapter, hence the above-average price.]

    .

    Dorian only needed a single second to use whatever n Ausra figured out, after the genie finished running simtions using Will¡¯s soul.

    Those simtions, however, involved a near incalcble number of variables and pulled on the essence of Will¡¯s dormant soul itself, meaning once they started, they could not stop, not without irreparably harming Will. While Ausra, as a Soul Spell Matrix genie, was incredibly powerful, smarter and faster than any modern supeputer back on Earth, she was not a god.

    It took time to run those calctions. Even Ausra herself was unsure exactly how long it would take due to all the unknowns, only that it should take a rtively small amount of time.

    (Author¡¯s Note: My sincere apologies for the confusion. The process of recreating Will¡¯s body should take a single second. The simtions leading up to that to figure out exactly how to do that so it works perfectly would take longer, though still a small amount of time. Edited prev chapter to make this more clear. This note does not affect SS price, edited in after.)

    Almost 30 seconds had passed since Ausra had started. A trivial amount of time, in a static situation.

    But in this dire situation, it was time that passed agonizingly slow for Dorian.

    Especially considering that his soul was threatening to tear at the seams due to the vast amount of energy within it, and required his full concentration. If he moved even an iota of his will off of forcing himself to stay together, his soul would copse.

    Thus, for thest 30 seconds, he had been frozen still, unable to take action.

    ¡®Arial?! What?¡¯ He could spare at least some thought for what was happening, if nothing else.

    Arial had just jumped out and protected him.

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Arial¡¯s breath was ragged as she looked at Veritas, her entire body trembling. The warm, weing Aura that Veritas gave off might seem friendly at first nce, but was one that was incredibly powerful, creating a massive amount of pressure.

    Veritas was, after all, a true King ss being, well stronger than Arial¡¯s Early Lord ss strength.

    ¡°I am sorry, Dorian.¡± As Arial faced down Veritas, she spoke aloud to Dorian.

    The vision of the future Arial saw was one that lived in her mind. The Door of Splendor didn¡¯t only show her one future, in fact, but many. The futures of the ones she had betrayed or injured, the futures of the ones she had killed, or at least, the suffering her actions caused.

    The pain, agony, heartbreak, and horror that she saw in those futures stayed with Arial, each emotion vividly felt.

    ¡°All I can say is I am sorry. The wrongs I have done in this world¡­ there is no repentance for me.¡± Arial¡¯s eyes teared up.

    ¡°Ah, young fox. You havee to me yourself. Come, let me show you the Truth as well. You shall join with me, to help me Evolve to be a true Angel of Light.¡± Veritas had a pleased tone in her voice as she drifted forward, the de of light she wielded raised in her hands.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he heard Arial truly repent. The fox that had brutally betrayed him, leaving him for dead. A being who had lied to him. Shown him nothing but evil before today.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I forgive you.¡± Somehow, impossibly, Dorian managed to split off enough of his will to whisper aloud something he felt in his heart. The evils she had inflicted upon him¡­ they were not something he could forget. She had tried to kill him.

    But after today, seeing her risk her life to protect him¡­ he could forgive her.

    WHOOSH

    For the second time today, Dorian felt a mystical source of energy appear in his mind for a brief moment. Once more, the feeling vanished in an instant, overpowered by the presence of the two Laws he had been baptized by, Wrath and Valor.

    However, thanks to his Jade Memory, this sensation was permanently remembered.

    The first mystical sensation had resonated with the Law of Wrath. This one, however, seemed to resonate with the Law of Valor.

    Dorian pushed aside the second sensation for now as he had the first. He could not afford to move any of his concentration away, not even to check out what each was. Not until Ausra finished and he had spent the millions of energy points that were threatening to tear his soul apart.

    ¡®Finalizing simtions. Final soul body recreation sequencing initializing. Approximate time topletion is rated at 26 seconds.¡¯

    Out of nowhere, Ausra spoke in Dorian¡¯s mind, informing him.

    ¡¯26 seconds.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes bled energy as he focused on this.

    He needed to survive only 26 seconds and he was free to act.

    ¡°Come, daughter. See the Truth.¡± Veritasunched forward, her body blurring towards Arial at an extremely fast speed. The powerful King ss Aura she emanated brooked no opposition, not from a weak Early Lord ss being.

    thud

    Before Arial had time to react, it was toote.

    Arial¡¯s body shivered backwards a meter, her feet skidding on the ground. The tufted-ear fox girl looked down at her chest, where a de of light was currently pierced through it. She felt no pain, for the sword was made of light, and existed on a metaphysical level. Its powers were Magic in nature.

    ¡°The moment this de pierces you, your Fate is Sealed, young fox. Even I cannot remove that. This sword of light shall cut away whatever it is that defines you. For you¡­¡± Veritas began, tilting her hooded head to the side oddly,

    ¡°For you¡­ Huh. That would be your heart. A bitter, frail, broken heart. Selfish. Weak. Yet, only recently, brave and courageous.¡± Veritas¡¯ voice was warm, full of false care, as she shrugged,

    ¡°Well. The Sealing is a literal one, so you¡¯ll die without your heart rather close to instantly. If you have anyst words, you may speak them now.¡±

    7 seconds had passed.

    Arial looked up at the Anomaly and then twisted her head to look back at Dorian. Blood dripped down from her eyes, trailing like tears. Simply standing this close to Veritas when the Anomaly was fully unleashing her Aura was incredibly damaging to Arial¡¯s body.

    ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness, Dorian.¡± Arial whispered, her voice quiet,

    ¡°I am undeserving.¡± The fox-girl turned back to looking at Veritas.

    ¡°This de of yours¡­ anything it cuts now shall lose their heart, is that the truth?¡±

    Veritas looked down at Arial, her eyes filled with pity.

    ¡°Yes, daughter, that is the Truth. It is the natural Ability of my kind. The Sealing de. Until I activate and redefine it on someone else, right now it shall Seal away the heart of any being it pierces.¡± Veritas withdrew the sword from Arial¡¯s chest in one smooth, blurringly fast motion.

    Arial fell down to her knees, lightheaded and dazed.

    17 seconds had passed.

    ¡°Now, child, I have given you a send-off. Come, ept your death, and join with me in life.¡±

    SWISH

    Moving so quickly Arial couldn¡¯t physically track it, Veritas stabbed her in the chest once more.

    This time, Arial felt an odd, sickening sensation sweep over her. Her entire body shivered as she felt a jarring change.

    Her heart disappeared.

    thud

    Arial fell to her knees as blood burst from her lips and dripped down her eyes, her body immediately starting to die. Without a heart to pump blood, her entire body started to fail, the world around her turning a shade of red as her vision became clouded.

    ¡°Veritas¡­¡± Arial muttered, raising two trembling hands.

    ¡°You are here to absorb me. But do you know the unique Ability that my race possesses?¡± Her words were raspy as she spoke, blood spurting from her lips.

    Veritas ignored her as she reached out with an arm, resting it on Arial¡¯s shoulder. The Anomaly was preparing to absorb her bloodline immediately upon Arial¡¯s death.

    ¡°It¡¯s an Ability known as Touching Light. It allows a Lightsworn Fox to manipte anything made of light.¡± Arial rested her shaking hands on the de that was pierced through her chest.

    A de that was made of pure, Magical light.

    ¡°Anything at all.¡± Arial smiled, a bloody rictus full of dying satisfaction.

    WHOOSH

    SWISH

    Veritas looked down at her right arm in shock.

    The sword of light that she had stabbed through Arial with, had, somehow, impossibly, extended backwards, shooting out at an extremely fast speed. The de had stabbed through Veritas¡¯ right arm, not giving the Anomaly time to react.

    ¡°No! How dare you!¡±

    WHOOSH

    The de of light vanished as Veritas deactivated Ability. Not in time, however, to prevent it from affecting her.

    Bright red blood spurted out of Veritas¡¯ lips as she, too, had her heart Sealed away. Her entire body shook as pain wracked it, causing the fearsome King ss Anomaly to scream in pain.

    Veritas, as a being, existed in a state between life and death. The loss of her heart was a fatal blow to her strength, but it was not enough to kill her.

    ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Veritas¡¯ kindly and warm demeanor vanished as her left arm shot forward, grabbing towards Arial¡¯s throat.

    ¡°You horrid creature!¡±

    24 seconds had passed.

    Veritas ripped Arial¡¯s throat out.

    In thest instant before she died, Arial turned to look at Dorian.

    In her eyes there was neither pain nor sadness, neither hate nor despair.

    The only emotion left was happiness.

    Even though it cost her her life, for the first time, Arial felt like she had done the right thing in her lonely life.

    thud

    Arial¡¯s body fell to the ground.

    Dead.

    ¡°ABSORB!¡± Veritas snarled, resting her hand on the corpse of Arial.

    WHOOSH

    Arial¡¯s body fell to ash as Veritas absorbed everything it possessed, all the energy and her Bloodline. Her Spatial Ring fell to the floor with a quiet tink, rattling down in the dust. The Anomaly¡¯s body was wracked with light as it transformed slightly, the Bloodline starting to merge with Veritas¡¯ own.

    Without an Ausra there to guide them, all other Anomalies had to slowly merge Bloodlines with their own, unable to Evolve like Dorian did.

    Off to the side, Trajan groaned, his eyes rolling up in the back of his head as theck of air drove his body unconscious. Helena was still stunned, her sitting in the treasure as her body tried to ovee the physical shock her soul felt.

    26 seconds passed.

    ¡®Simtionsplete.¡¯

    ¡®The required energy to recreate the body of Will on a perfect wavelength to the current level of his Soul Spell Matrix, from the air, is 27,123,122 points.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s heart dropped as Ausra finished running her calctions, giving him the result.

    Her estimated energy requirement had been way off. The energy required to perfectly recreate and match a body to a powerful Wizard, essentially resurrecting the dead, was far more than Dorian had expected.

    It wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected. Ausra had had almost no data to go from for this. To even guess near the rtive ballpark was already a fantastic achievement.

    ¡®However, due to the baptism of the Law of Light and the Light Magic his soul experienced, it is possible to reduce this cost by using a very powerful substitute material that is strongly Aspected towards Light, and cleansing it to recreate his physical form.¡¯ Ausra¡¯s voice in Dorian¡¯s head echoed as the genie continued, her voice hinting to him.

    Dorian looked up, his heart full of fire.

    A powerful being that was strongly Aspected towards Light.

    A description that perfectly matched the creature that was standing in front of Dorian, merging with the Bloodline of a Lightsworn Fox.

    A being that stood between life and death, with an Ability that manipted Light, that was working towards bing an Angel of Light.

    ¡®Perfect Body, Activate.¡¯ Dorian abandoned his focus on containing his soul. Immediately, searing pain spread through his body as the massive storage of energy began to riot within him, trying to rip him to pieces.

    At the same time, the world around him lost color as his physique was vastly enhanced.

    ¡®Thundering Winds ¨C Flush Gale.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s body blurred forward as he activated a movement technique, sting forward at an incredibly fast speed.

    Veritas was already close to him. Dorian managed to cross the distance between the two of them in an instant.

    The Anomaly was preupied with initiating the merging of her bloodline with Arial¡¯s, a process that would take hours if not days. As soon as Doriannded next to her, however, she went on guard, her entire body spinning towards him.

    Rippling, King ss energy flew off her, threatening to swarm down and st Dorian away.

    Unfortunately for Veritas, the injury to her body, having her heart sealed away, had greatly weakened her physique. Perhaps in time she could recover, but as of right now¡­

    Her reaction speed was too slow to catch up to Dorian¡¯s movement.

    Dorian¡¯s right arm cut down through the air, mming into Veritas¡¯ chest.

    ¡®Energy go! Ausra, go!¡¯ Dorian mentally thrust forth the energy that was threatening to tear apart his soul, controlling the massive, flooding torrent.

    Immediately, magic symbols and signs shed in front of Dorian¡¯s eyes as Ausra helped guide the energy he was sending into tens of thousands of mystic patterns, formations, and shapes.

    ¡°Wh-wha-what?!¡± Veritas¡¯ entire body abruptly shined with light, freezing in mid-twirl as she stared at Dorian. Her body slumped down to the ground, falling with a thump.

    WHOOSH

    A split secondter, the torrent of energy crashed into Veritas soul. Dorian felt a sense of resistance, of pushback. A feeling of Fate trying to change, to will the energy back.

    ¡®Absolutely not.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s eyes were iron, his will steel, as he thrust back, putting every iota of strength into controlling the torrent of energy. He focused on twisting Fate, forcing Veritas to back down.

    And he seeded.

    BOOM

    A small explosion rang out as bright white light shot off from Veritas body, apanied by an angry, agonized scream.

    ¡°THE TRUTH SHALL FIND YO-¡± Veritas didn¡¯t get to finish what she was saying as her consciousness, her soul itself, waspletely cast out. As her voice cut off, every single Seal that Veritas had left instantly was released.

    Helena¡¯s hands restored themselves. Trajan gained back his lungs and eyes. Even Probus¡¯ corpse gained back his missing arm, his body returned to a normal, if still dead and frozen in a time stasis, state.

    Back on Veritas¡¯ body, the torrent of energy continued flooding into the now vacant body, cleansing and modifying the very foundation the body rested upon. It gradually shifted from that of a Veritas to a more distinct human being, with normal legs. Instead of pale skin, warm, slightly glowing skin reced it. The body wasn¡¯t that of a normal human, but was still very close. Particles of light swirled about as a devastatingly mighty Aura burst forth, an incredible wave of energy spreading in the air as the body formed.

    At the same time, Will¡¯s dormant soul began to flicker.

    In one smooth motion, Dorian felt the soul vanish from his presence, joining the flood of energy that was pouring into the body of the now dead Anomaly.

    WHOOSH

    The flood of energy abruptly stopped. The body of Veritas had luckily been extremely suited to housing Will¡¯s soul. Even with the need to reform and cleanse the entire body¡¯s cells, the amount of energy Dorian had spent had only been a fraction of the amount in his soul.

    ¡®It¡¯s too much still.¡¯ Dorian realized as he felt the huge store of energy, millions of points, still present within his soul.

    He needed to get rid of arge chunk of it.

    A memory shed in his mind. A memory of Trajan begging him to save Probus.

    Dorian turned around, looking over at the body that was lying next to him. A body of a dead Vampire.

    ¡®Ausra, can I restore this Vampire to life?¡¯ He asked slowly, staring at the Vampire, studying it.

    Ausra was quiet for a moment.

    ¡®There appears to be some sort of Time or Stasis Magic Spell or Artifact in effect on the corpse, preserving it. Because of this, the soul and Soul Spell Matrix of the being is still present.¡¯ Ausra continued,

    ¡®With the energy you have remaining in your soul, it should be possible as long as you make physical contact. I would not need to run anyplicated simtions.¡¯ Ausra finished.

    Dorian didn¡¯t hesitate, moving in the moment as he walked over andid his hand on Probus¡¯ chest.

    Trajan, meanwhile, had just recovered fully. Air wheezed in and out of the Rain Wizard¡¯s chest as he gathered himself, looking about in a stupor. The restoration of his full, normal vision was like a wonder to him.

    ¡°Savio-¡± Trajan spun around as he fully came to, cutting himself off as he looked at Dorian.

    WHOOSH

    White light and energy flooded off of Dorian¡¯s body as he concentrated, a torrent of energy once more flooding forward. Hundreds of thousands of Growth Points, dipping into millions, all left his soul, easing the pressure on him down to a much more bearable level.

    ¡®Live.¡¯ Hemanded Probus. Ausra helped him guide the energy, directing it to pull in Probus¡¯ soul, to fully restore him.

    Probus body shook slightly. Light and energy fluttered under the dead Vampire¡¯s eyelids as Dorian focused, a powerful Aura flooding off of him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A tense second passed.

    Slowly, ever so slowly, Probus¡¯ chest rose, of his own volition.

    Dorian had brought the dead back to life.

    ¡°Probus¡­ Probus¡­¡± Trajan saw this, sensing a faint, weak life force appear, deep within the once dead Swordmaster.

    Probus¡¯ eyes fluttered and then, quietly, opened up a crack.

    ¡°Trajan¡­?¡± Probus muttered, his voice weak and full of confusion.

    ¡°PROBUS!¡± Trajan rushed forward, tears spilling from his eyes as he leapt towards his brother in arms and best friend, grasping his arm.

    Dorian watched this all, feeling the happiness and cheer the duo felt keenly.

    ¡°Arrgh.¡± A female voice, calling out in pain, caught Dorian¡¯s attention. He reacted to this voice with haste as he rushed to the side, his bodynding near a small pile of treasure.

    ¡°Helena, it¡¯s me, Dorian. Everything is going to be okay. I¡¯ve got you. Also, Aron says hi, he¡¯s safe too.¡± Dorian grabbed on ahold of the still stunned female Vampire, hugging her tightly. The shock of the injuries she¡¯d suffered, and their abrupt reversal, had taken a heavy toll on her.

    Helena looked up at Dorian, her spirit calming as her eyes stared into his.

    ¡°Dorian¡­¡± She whispered quietly. She looked around, first down at her hands, and then over at Trajan who was hugging and talking animatedly with a now living Probus.

    ¡°Dorian.¡± Tears spilled from Helena¡¯s eyes as she buried her face in Dorian¡¯s chest, hugging him tightly.

    Dorian hugged herfortingly, rubbing her head as the Vampire broke down crying, the stress, pain, horror, and worry of the past few days and weeks sloughing off.

    As he hugged her, however, his face froze.

    For, a figure had risen up, standing a few meters away in front of him.

    The former body of Veritas, transformed into that of some type of Light-Aspected Human.

    The figure slowly turned its head, revealing a handsome, masculine face with a strong jawline and long, pitch ck hair. A pair of golden eyes that seemed to glow faintly, apanied by a small nose and confused smile.

    The figure stared at Dorian, looking at his body in confusion for a moment before a light in his eyes lit up, as if he was looking beyond Dorian¡¯s physical Ifrit form.

    ¡°Dorian?¡± A familiar, unforgettable voice spoke aloud.

    Dorian smiled, an incredible sensation of joy and aplishment spreading through him.

    He had seeded.

    ¡°Will!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    In another section of the Ascension Ruins, a very different scene was taking ce.

    ¡°How dare you desecrate her body! You VILE beast!¡± Mira¡¯s voice was full of irrational rage as she threw enormous gouts of purple fire at an agilely dodging Ancestral Vampire.

    What appeared to be a Royal Crypt of some sorty in shambles, wooden furniture and stone furniture broken or melted to bits, apparently not protected like the rest of the Ascension Ruins. The Crypt wasn¡¯t toorge, only a few dozen meters long and wide, with a high ceiling.

    ¡°My apologies, fair dragon. But, as they say. The needy need what they need.¡± Mello shrugged as he fled the Crypt, holding a wrapped up Humanoid female form on his back.

    Mira sprinted out of the Crypt after him, a calm and peaceful Aura paradoxically spreading out as she screamed in rage, chasing after him.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Deep in a dark corner of the Ascension Ruins, Leader looked quietly at a glowing, red bow, one that gave off a faint red light. Sitting next to this bow was the corpse of a red-scaled humanoid creature.

    A Demon.

    A Demon that Leader recognized, from his intensive studies of his forefathers, the ones who first mastered the Laws he and his brethren studied.

    One of the Four Generals of the Demon Emperor.

    The Archer-General Houye.

    Leader stretched out a wavering hand, his breath bated as he looked at the bow.

    ¡°So this is what I would desire most in these Ruins¡­¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°I asked to be put somewhere where that shapeshifter wasn¡¯t, or with Mira! Not out here!¡± Aiden cursed as he jogged back towards the castle of the Ascension Ruins, irritation filling his tone.

    When he¡¯d touched the Door of Splendor afterpleting the First Trial, he had been transported to the farthest corner away from the castle that housed the bulk of the Ascension Ruins.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Aiden swore again as he jogged back, contemting switching into his Draconic Form.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Henry, the Scythe Master serving under the zing King, swore as he rushed towards the Main Treasure Depository. After exploring the Ruins so many times, Henry was well aware of many of the secret locations, and the best ces to explore for moreplex Trials.

    Clues about various Laws could be found in plenty of areas and dozens of unexplored challenges of Trials that led to specific Laws existed.

    ¡°Damn it. Who is creating such a ruckus?¡± He swore angrily as his body shed through one stone corridor after another, his powerful Late King ss Aura surrounding him. His team had received a message that someone was trying to destroy the Ruins themselves, something he absolutely could not allow.

    The zing King would have his head if he let that happen, especially considering the man was just outside, watching the Ruins intently.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    At the very top of the Ascension Ruins castle, arge, sealed off room could be found. This room was full of hundreds of mystical diagrams and symbols, glowing and seemingly made out of yellow energy.

    In the midst of this sealed off room, a ck skinned man could be seen, fiddling with several of these floating matrixes.

    ¡°Just a touch here, a tad there¡­¡± A subtle, King ss Aura rolled off the man as he spoke.

    ¡°And that should do it.¡± The Nameless Monk smiled.

    ¡°I have finally done as you asked for in yourst will, Thunder Saint Kdin.¡± The Monk whispered quietly.

    ¡°Yukeli¡¯s Ascension Ruins are now set to self-destruct in just a few minutes.¡±

    (Image of the Nameless Monk ¨C https://i.imgur/khE0noP.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

 Chapter 145 - Finale - End of Volume 5

    <span>Chapter 145: Finale ¨C End of Volume 5

    [Double length chapter (again!)]

    ¡°Incredible¡­¡± Darrel Bold looked on at everything, the incredible explosions of force and light, in sheer shock and awe. His face was pale, the King ss Aura that surrounded him flickering.

    ¡°M-men. Retreat through the door! We¡¯ll conquer the Trial with treasure next time!¡± Darrel boldly ordered his men to escape, wanting nothing to do with what was happening.

    At the same time, he burned the image of the fierce warrior into his mind, a being named Dorian that shifted between different physical forms, bearing strength the likes of which he could not fathom.

    Dorian had snuffed out the soul and presence of an ominous King ss creature, one that even Darrel felt threatened by, with what looked to Darrel like a casual touch. Bright light and energy had exploded out of the creature, and immediately after, its presence vanished, destroyed.

    ¡°Fall back! We¡¯ll meet my brother in the courtyard!¡± This was not the first time Darrel had been inside the Ascension Ruins, nor would it be thest if he had any say in it.

    The older brother of their Mercenary Team was their leader and chief of intelligence. The news of a powerful King ss expert of Dorian¡¯s caliber was definitely bound to be worth a pretty penny to the various intelligence groups, both in and out of the Blue Moon Mercenary Alliance.

    CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK

    At that exact moment, a loud, shuddering creak shook the air. Warbling energy seemed to cascade about in the air itself, painfully echoing in Darrel¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Heavens above¡­¡± Darrel muttered, staring at the figure of Dorian as Darrel raced towards the Leaving Door. Dorian was still in his Ifrit form, hugging on to Helena.

    ¡°He actually is destroying the Ruins.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Will¡­¡± Dorian smiled at the man, unable to hold back a grin.

    ¡°Good to see you again.¡± He stroked Helena¡¯s head as he talked, stillforting her. She had gone through a lot of suffering in the past few weeks it seemed.

    ¡°Heyo, Dorian.¡± Will rubbed his forehead, looking around in a confused manner. He looked down at his body, dressed in only a loose grey robe, and at his lightly glowing hands.

    ¡°What happened? Myst memory is of me jumping in front of you to stop that rampaging Titan. I can vaguely recall being in a warm ce, trying to hold back some fearsome darkness that felt dangerous¡­¡±

    When Will had been connected to Dorian¡¯s soul, Will had been able to sense Yukeli¡¯s presence. Will¡¯s soul focused on Light and other things associated with it, and was naturally antithetical to Yukeli¡¯s darkness, both literally and figuratively. The two presences had interacted, with Will inadvertently helping shield Dorian from Yukeli¡¯s touch at times.

    ¡°A lot, buddy, quite a lot has happened.¡± Dorian said, still smiling uncontrobly.

    CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK

    A warbling echo crashed, causing everyone there to freeze. Raw energy ran flush in the background, moving towards a dangerous crescendo.

    ¡°Is that normal?¡± Will looked around the treasure room, taking everything in as he adapted to being in his current body.

    ¡°Oh my. No, I don¡¯t think so. That can¡¯t be good.¡± Dorian muttered, his eyes twitching.

    WHOOSH

    In the background, giant explosions echoed forth as several empty parts of the castle blew up, energy shaking the air itself.

    ¡°Crap. Let¡¯s get out of here. We¡¯ll finish talkingter!¡± One could exit the Trial by walking away from the castle, back outside. Once you got far enough away, you would be automatically transported atop the me Empyrean Turtle. Dorian had learned this in the process of preparing for this journey.

    ¡°If we can reach the exit of this room, I can activate an Artifact that can help us all escape quickly!¡± Helena had recovered enough to get back to her normal state, wiping her face as she stood up. A powerful,manding air rose about the beautiful Vampire as she stood up, giving Dorian a nod.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go! But first¡­¡± Dorian jogged over to a spot a few meters away.

    Where a Spatial Ringy in a lonely pile of ash.

    He looked down at the pile, his face somber.

    Arial¡¯s remains. When she had been absorbed by Veritas, her body had fallen away to ash. Her Soul Spell Matrix was long since gone. There was no chance he could bring her back.

    Dorian picked up the Spatial Ring from the pile, carrying it gently. He used it to store Arial¡¯s remains, not leaving them behind. Inside it, he saw arge collection of what appeared to be vials of blood alongside several sets of clothes. He gave a quiet nod as he turned around, looking back at Helena and Will.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Trajan and Probus had finished their reunion as well, the duo grinning from ear to ear.

    ¡°So I was really dead?¡± Probus asked as he stood up, stretching his arms. He was dressed in his customary light armor, with a de strapped to his back.

    ¡°Dead as that wagon of endangered Orange-Tailed Pigs that you identally destroyed back on Tintulo.¡± Trajan said, a hint of his familiar humoring back to him.

    ¡°Oi, those pigs had iting.¡±

    ¡°They literally did nothing but exist.¡±

    ¡°They were orange.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that color.¡±

    The duo grumbled back and forth as they followed Helena and the others, their footsteps assured. Huge mountains of treasure still existed all around them, but neither of the Vampires batted an eye.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Probus abruptly said, looking between Trajan and Helena. He could sense a certain distance there, as if the two weren¡¯t on friendly terms.

    A deep, sh of red light glimmered in Trajan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Right, my friend¡­ There is something I do need to tell you. It has to do with leaving the Aurelius Family and joining another group. It also has to do with the Ancestors and the ability to evolve our Bloodlines into something greater, into that of an Ancestral Vampire¡­¡±

    WHOOSH

    Dorian looked up at the ceiling, seeing faint dust particles drift downward. The entire castle was shaking, warbling back and forth in a confusing motion.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯ He mentally swore. He still had several million points of Growth Energy resting in his soul. If he was given free time, he could Evolve several forms and then absorb more energy from the Main Treasure Depository, potentially finding tons of new forms.

    Unfortunately, it seemed like Fate wasn¡¯t going to give him that opportunity.

    In just a few moments, the group arrived at the Leaving Door. The other upants in the treasure room had long since fled.

    ¡°Alright, everyone. As long as you aren¡¯t carrying any treasure from the room, you should be able to be transported through the door!¡± Dorian said aloud, turning back to look at Trajan and Probus. The duo nodded, listening attentively.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Helena bravely stepped forward,ying her hand on the gold door.

    WHOOSH

    In an instant, her body was automatically teleported away, vanishing.

    ¡°Alright. Will, you want to go next?¡± Dorian said, turning to look at him. He pped the man on the back, smiling uncontrobly. This had worked out perfectly.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Will shrugged, rubbing his head again. He felt stuffy, his mind still trying to catch up. Everything around him felt different, even his body. It was like he had been viewing the world through a set of old, broken down sses before, but was now viewing it through thetest, state-of-the-art perfect vision enhancers, able to see things he¡¯d never seen before.

    Without hesitating, though, Will stuck his hand out, resting it upon the Door of Leaving.

    WHOOSH

    He vanished as well.

    ¡°Alright, you two. I¡¯ll go on ahead. Just follow us by putting your hand on the door.¡± Dorian turned to look at the duo, nodding at them.

    ¡°No problem, boss-man.¡± Trajan replied.

    Dorian put his hand on the door.

    WHOOSH

    The world around him seemed to stretch. Then he, himself, stretched as well, feeling energy wash over his body.

    brrr

    Dorian felt the slightest hint of resistance, trying to stop him from teleporting away.

    He frowned at that, immediately pushing the full force of his will to smash it aside. That resistance instantly folded, crushed by hismand. That must¡¯ve been the main part of the Trial, Dorian realized as an afterthought. Since he hadn¡¯t taken any treasure from the room with him, he didn¡¯t have to deal with anything that was too difficult to move past.

    After he smashed that aside, Dorian¡¯s body vanished from inside the Main Treasure Depository.

    And reappeared in an extremely tense scene.

    ¡°That¡¯s the one, Scythe Master!¡± Darrel Bold¡¯s hands trembled in fear as he pointed at Dorian¡¯s Ifrit form.

    The Main Treasure Depository opened up into a grand, but indoors, courtyard, covered with a long, arching stone roof. The ground was covered in a lush, red carpet, and several exquisite paintings hung on the wall, between glowing crystal torches.

    Several figures currently stood, facing off against each other. Helena and Will stood looking at several other figures, their guard up.

    ¡°That one?¡± A rippling, fiery Late King ss Aura burst forth from a red haired man wearing a dark burgundy suit, wielding a long metal scythe. The air around this man seemed as if it was about to burst into mes, shivering with danger.

    This man was standing next to a few other figures, one of whom Dorian recognized. The man with the chess-piece like hair,.

    ¨C

    Species: Human

    ss ¨C King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,412,881

    ¨C

    ¡®Damn it! Why am I hitting all of this bad luck? Come on, Fate. Twist in MY favor!¡¯ Dorian swore as he saw the hostile, and extremely strong, King ss fighter.

    ¡°Yes, Scythe Master!¡± Darrel responded, backing up in fear as Dorian turned and gave him a re.

    ¡°How dare you destroy the Ruins! Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?! The zing King is not a figure you, or even I, can survive angering! I may very well die because of you!¡± Henry stalked forward, his voice filled with raw anger.

    ¡°Ho-hold on. I didn¡¯t destroy anything. This happened witho-¡± Dorian began trying to exin himself, holding his hands up.

    BOOM

    Before he could finish, however, the Scythe Master attacked, a rippling wave of fire shooting out of his metal scythe as he casually cut towards Dorian with it.

    BOOM

    Before the mes could reach Dorian, however, a shockwave burst into the air as Helena jumped to his defense, unleashing a powerful impact. Half the force of the Scythe Master¡¯s attack dissipated, falling to the wayside.

    ¡°I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT HIM!¡± Helena¡¯s eyes glowed as a unique, King ss Aura of her own broke forth.

    ¡°Hmph. You¡¯ve only barely broken through, don¡¯t act like you can match up against me.¡± Henry returned, his scythe whipping around to go on guard as Helena leapt at him, unleashing a flurry of blows.

    Meanwhile, the broiling mes mmed into Dorian who had opted not to dodge, washing over his Ifrit body. The cutting impact from the attack had been blocked by Helena, leaving only the burning essence.

    ¡®Hot.¡¯ Dorian thought, feeling the mes rock against him. This fire was infused with the Law of Fire, containing the raw power of Law within it. Despite that, it was unable to hurt him. His Ifrit form wasrgely immune to most types of mes, save, perhaps, Dragonfire.

    WHOOSH

    Two more figures appeared in the courtyard, one after another. Trajan and Probus.

    ¡°Hup!¡± Helena grunted as she was blown backwards, her hands covered in small, bleeding cuts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape, brats! It¡¯s my head at risk here, you¡¯reing with me to see your fate whether you like it or not!¡± The Scythe Master was incensed, practically spitting as he raged at them. He was apparently fully convinced that they were responsible for the currently shaking Ascension Ruins.

    Creeeeeeeeaak

    Shudder

    A second warbling echo rose through the air. This one, however, caused space itself to shudder. It was an incredibly unsettling experience, one that made Dorian feel as if he was about to throw up. His body felt like it was in several spots at once.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Explosions began to echo out, growing louder and louder as the Ascension Ruins began to literally explode. Several spots in the Ruins were protected, namely the ces with ancient Law inheritances. But every other ce began to detonate, copsing in on itself.

    Darrel Bold and the other onlookers had fled, retreating out of the castle as fast as possible.

    ¡°We need to go! Now!¡± Dorian yelled out loud. He could feel that the ce they were standing in was about to explode. He immediately ran over towards Will, grabbing ahold of him. The human was looking about in confusion still, not yet used to being alive again.

    ¡°YOU AREN¡¯T GOING ANYWHERE!¡± The enraged Scythe Master ignored the impending spatial destruction, dashing forward to attack once more.

    BOOM

    Another explosion, however, drove him temporarily off bnce, causing him toe to a stop.

    ¡°Quickly! I can get us out of here with an Artifact!¡± Helena dodged backwards,nding down on the ground next to Dorian. As she turned to motion towards Trajan and Probus, however, she realized something.

    The duo had already left.

    ¡°Huh?¡± She looked around in surprise. The two Vampires were well aware that Helena had an ancient Inheritance treasure that could be used for fleeing. Yet, they had opted to quietly leave on their own, separating themselves.

    ¡°No time, Helena! Activate it! Let¡¯s go!¡± Dorian yelled.

    Around them, the air was starting to spark, raw bolts of energy flying. A melting smell spread as space itself began to fluctuate.

    ¡°Not on my watch.¡± Henry muttered, throwing his own personal safety to the wind. If he didn¡¯t capture at least one of the perpetrators, Henry had no doubt the zing King would take his anger out on him.

    ¡°Molten Scythe Technique: Volcano sh!¡± Henry cut down with his metal scythe, bringing it down as if it carried the weight of an entire volcano. A huge, brilliant sh of white light sailed forward, cutting through the air itself as it sailed towards Dorian. The sh was infused with a vast amount of mystic energy, carrying enough force to easily split a mountain, and moved at an incredibly fast pace.

    ¡®Perfect Body, activate!¡¯ Dorian activated his Perfect Body Ability just in time, feeling the world around him slow, color fading as his physique was vastly enhanced.

    ¡°Woah!¡± The attack crossed the distance between them in an instant. Before Helena could activate her Artifact, her hand just now grasping around the bracelet, Dorian forcibly pushed Will to the side.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    An explosion of fiery energy sounded off behind them as the scythe attack left a huge, ck scar on the extremely tough rocky ground, throwing up a storm of wind.

    The attack had been aimed right towards Dorian and Will. By pushing Will to the side, Dorian managed to just barely dodge the attack. The attack had moved with such speed and force, it would¡¯ve been impossible to react to without his Perfect Body Ability active.

    ¡°Escape!¡± Helena activated the Capitoline Wolf Bracelet in that instant, her eyes widening in shock as she saw the attack fly by and Dorian push Will away.

    A small dot of grey light touched Helena¡¯s forehead, shooting from the bracelet at lightspeed. This dot then moved over, touching Dorian¡¯s forehead.

    When it tried to move to touch Will¡¯s forehead, several meters away, however¡­

    shudder

    shudder

    Shudder

    Shudder

    SHUDDER

    SHUDDER

    Space began to shudder over and over, making everyone there stop attacking as their molecules themselves were distorted. Dorian felt pain in his soul as his body vibrated.

    At the same time, the dot of grey light fizzled out, unable to reach Will.

    CRACK

    A huge, energy full crack appeared in space, just a few meters in front of him.

    ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Dorian stared at it.

    The crack stared back, energy boiling within it. The sounds of explosions happening all around the castle made sense as Dorian saw this.

    The energy in this crack had reached a huge, abnormally concentrated amount, containing enough explosive force that it should be able to obliterate even the abnormally tough stone that made up the Ascension Ruins.

    Dorian, and everyone watching, knew for a fact that they had less than a second before it exploded.

    He turned his head around, desperately looking at Will.

    It was toote for him to move. The bracelet had already activated, energy swarming around him and Helena, starting to transport them away.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯ He had just saved Will¡­ was he about to lose him all over again?

    WHOOSH

    ¡°Ah yes, it seems like I made it in time.¡± Dorian heard a voice echo out, a being talking extremely fast yet also slow, understandable in the split second that they had left.

    A lithe, staff-wielding monkeynded on the ground next to Will, appearing from seemingly nowhere. The monkey had arge ne of fist-sized beads wrapped around his neck and a friendly smile on his face.

    ¡°I got you.¡± Sun Wukong smiled as he grabbed ahold of Will.

    The monkey¡¯s eyes seemed to sh with knowledge as he turned and looked at Dorian, all in that elerated split second.

    He gave Dorian a friendly thumbs up.

    As Sun Wukong grabbed ahold of Will, Will stared at the monkey in shock. Deep within Will¡¯s eyes, an alien darkness tried to stir. Darkness that was immediately forced down by the holy Light that was infused in Will¡¯s body.

    ¡°And I have you now too, Yukeli. You can¡¯t escape from me.¡± Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes turned cold.

    When Dorian had cleansed Veritas¡¯ body to resurrect Will, he had cast out the soul of Veritas, destroying it.

    Unbeknownst to Dorian, however¡­ there had been something left behind. Something he had been unable to wipe out, hidden from his eyes.

    The remnants of Yukeli.

    Every Anomaly had a piece of Yukeli merged with their soul. Dorian was able to destroy Veritas, but he couldn¡¯t destroy Yukeli¡¯s soul, not even when there was only a small shred of it remaining.

    Through a twist of Fate, that remnant was still there, present on Will¡¯s new body.

    But Will was not an Anomaly. His soul and Soul Spell Matrix could not Evolve. Therefore, the remnant was unable to merge or do much of anything to Will at all.

    SHUDDER

    Space fractured.

    Will and Sun Wukong vanished.

    Henry, the Scythe Master, retreated furiously, blood spurting out of his body as he threw up protective Artifact after Artifact, expending his every iota of Late King ss energy, trying to survive. He had stayed too long in his anger, something that might have gotten him killed.

    Helena and Dorian vanished as well, the energy in Helena¡¯s Artifact warping them away.

    However, as space fractured, the blip of energy that was Helena and Dorian being transported seemed to vibrate along fractured space.

    And, instead of returning to the city of Tomo like Helena nned, their blip of energy shot off into fractured space.

    And vanished, off and away to destinations unknown.

    BOOM

    Explosions of light and energy shook the air as the castle folded in on itself, destruction inherent. Everything within the confines of the castle was turned to dust, save for the stores of knowledge and Law inheritances that were previously locked away. These were transported, vanishing from the copsing Ruins.

    The Ascension Ruins, in all their dangerous glory, copsed.

    And were no more.

    The space that held the Ruins began to copse as well as all the participants that had managed to survive the castle¡¯s copse escaped.

    A ck skinned monk looked on at all of this, his eyes somber.

    ¡°My apologies to those that died. I could not dy, not any further, and I doubt any of you would have listened to me.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Kdin, I have done your will. The Ruins are destroyed, the Law inheritances sent to the Monastery.¡± He bowed his head and walked away, his body vanishing into the fog as he exited the copsing space,

    ¡°We must no longer hide such knowledge, but spread it freely¡­ openly¡­ for the End Times are upon us¡­ The 30,000 Worlds must prepare¡­¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°That was it, my Prince! The beast that tried to ughter us! You have fought with a great evil!¡± Jasper¡¯s voice was full of fervor as he spoke to Isaac.

    Holy Prince Isaac frowned, rubbing his exhausted eyes as he looked around. They had just barely managed to escape the Ascension Ruins, a set of Ruins that had decided to explode for some reason. He¡¯d lost track of Veritas and the creature he had fought.

    He¡¯d only barely managed to find hisrades, all of them miraculously having safely fled the Ruins. The Shades were all standing atop the enormous me Empyrean Turtle now, on its southern side.

    ¡°We should fall back for now, Holy Prince. Standing atop this huge beast is unsafe.¡± Gerulf¡¯s gruff voice broke in, frowning as well.

    tap tap

    Before Isaac could respond, however, a light tapping noise rang out as a figurended down on the ground near them.

    A robed man giving off a powerful, dangerous Aura, carrying what appeared to be a wrapped up body on his shoulder. A body that was giving off an even more powerful Aura, one that made Isaac sit up, feeling a very real sense of danger.

    ¡°I believe you have someone that belongs to me.¡± Mello¡¯s voice was smooth as it rolled off his Ancestral Vampire form¡¯s tongue,

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Are we really just retreating now?¡± Taemin sputtered as he looked at the Head of his Department in annoyance. His eyes were cold, anger and irritation filling him.

    *HIC*

    ¡°Yes, yes we are.¡± Jiro cheerfully responded, his eyes unwavering as they jumped from rock to rock, several miles away from the towering me Empyrean Turtle in the background.

    ¡°It¡¯s that or we fight the Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance.¡± Jiro shrugged,

    ¡°Besides, that monkey shared some information that must be reported immediately, information that Telmon would want to know.¡± Jiro¡¯s eyes shed as he turned to look back at the huge turtle briefly.

    ¡°Interesting information indeed¡­¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Aiden took several deep breaths as he rested atop a collection of boulders not far from the me Empyrean Turtle, his eyes cold with anger.

    ¡°How dare that creature desecrate her body! We will find him and destroy him immediately!¡± Aiden sputtered with rage, a majestic King ss Aura rippling off his body as he cursed at Mello.

    Standing next to him was a silently concentrating Mira, looking intently at arge, jade-colored scale that had hundreds of intricate patterns carved into it. It fit snugly into the palm of her hand. The Communication Scale Artifact, a mystical object that allowed for snippets of information to be transported across worlds, that she had used before.

    ¡°Aiden, I¡¯ve received word from the Tribe.¡± Mira¡¯s voice sounded off to Aiden, as if full of shock and horror.

    Aiden paused in his rant as he turned to look at Mira, a confused expression on his face as he heard the odd tone she spoke with.

    ¡°What of it? We can¡¯t go back now, not when we found Lady Ausra¡¯s corpse. We must bring it back with us to put her to rest proper-¡±

    ¡°Aiden. We must return.¡± Mira¡¯s hands trembled as she spoke, her entire body shaking.

    Aiden immediately jumped forward, grabbing ahold of her and supporting her.

    ¡°Mira?! What is it?!¡± His heart dropped as he spoke, feeling a sense of foreboding rise.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Heavy Wing Tribe.¡± Her voice was a whisper.

    ¡°Yes?! What of it? Is their Dragon Master alright?¡± Aiden could faintly remember Mira telling him that one of the Heavy Wing Tribe headquarters had been attacked by some gigantic Lion-type beast.

    The Heavy Wing Tribe was one of the 12 Draconic Tribes, a massive, powerful force within the Tribes that had hundreds of Dragons in it, dozens at the King ss. The Dragon Master was a powerful, Pseudo-Angelic expert, one of the strongest Drakes in the entire 12 Tribes.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°The Dragon Master has died?!¡± Aiden spurted, his eyes widening in shock.

    ¡°Not just him, Aiden.¡± Mira said, her voice shuddering,

    ¡°All of them.¡± She continued, tears falling from her eyes,

    ¡°The Heavy Wing Tribe has been wiped out.¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Ahh.¡± A man with long white hair and a handsome, muscr appearance exhaled softly, looking down at his hands. He wore a vest of white pants that covered his lower half and nothing else, his thick, burly chest rippling with energy and strength. He had a strong jawline and a blocky nose, with a pair of golden eyes that carried with them such force of will that it seemed he could make reality itself follow hismand with a single nce.

    This man looked away from his hands, over to a huge pile of corpses off to his right. He was sitting on a wide, white-stone mountain peak, in the middle of a mostly destroyed mountain range. The signs of a huge battle could be seen all around him. Large holes that had sted through several mountains, enormous gouges in the earth that went on for miles and miles. A fight of such scale it was unfathomable had taken ce here, destroying dozens of miles ofnd.

    ¡°Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.¡± The man spoke aloud as he stood up.

    ¡°Your bodies have fueled my merging with your Bloodline. My main form has grown stronger, far more defensive and tough. I¡¯ve gained Abilities, like this convenient Humanoid Form.¡± The man continued, stepping forward to look at one corpse in particr.

    The remains of a huge, towering grey scaled dragon, with wings that looked as if they had a wingspan of 200 meters. A beast that, even now, with only bones left, gave off an Aura that caused the air to shiver.

    ¡°I am confident that if I were to face that fearsome Monkey again, he would not be able to blow me away and injure me again, not with such ease.¡± The man smiled.

    He frowned, however, as he remembered fighting against Sun Wukong, and the terrible force the monkey had held with such casual ease, not even the slightest sign of strain.

    ¡°But I will not go for him, not yet.¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed as he turned to look in a specific direction.

    ¡°It is time for my brethren to join with me and increase my power. I wille for you when I am ready, monkey.¡±

    Zero nodded his head, the smile returning to his face.

    ¡°And I can sense one of my own among another of the Tribes. The Red Wing Tribe, yes?¡±

    Zero took a step forward, turning to look back at the hundreds of Dragon corpses he hadid out, all around the mountain.

    A veritable valley of death, great leviathans of the sky with shattered spines, proud majesty dashed to the base earth. A ughter of an entire species, a species that had ruled with impunity.

    The 12 Tribes were now 11.

    ¡°Be ready, my brothers and sisters. Prepare yourselves. Resist me with all of your might, grow as powerful as possible¡­¡± Zero muttered, walking to the edge of the peak,

    ¡°For I aming for you.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    The End of Book 5

    ¨C Stats ¨C

    Number of Chapters: 34 (Though also a bunch of double length chapters I¡¯m counting as one each)

    Word count: ~93,000 Words

    Avg. Word/Chapter: ~2,740

    Book 5 first chapter released: November 15th

    Book 5st chapter released: December 19th

    Avg. Word/Day: ~2,740

    Total Views ¨C 7,982,000

 Chapter 146 - Landed (Start of Volume 6)

    Chapter 146: Landed (Start of Volume 6)

    Thunk

    Swish

    Thunk

    Swish

    Thunk

    Swish

    A repetitive pattern of noise filled the still, evening air. A swish and then a thunk. Over and over, these two noises switched back and forth.

    Finally, the noise stopped.

    ¡°Sigh.¡± Dorian flicked out his hands, washing away any stray dirt or grass. He then rubbed his forehead and eyes, feeling tired as he looked around. His ck skinned Ifrit form had a set of wed fingers and was suited for the task at hand.

    He was currently standing in arge grassy meadow. Behind him, a small forest of oak trees could be seen, spaced intermittently. A long dirt path led through the forest and continued onward, a lonely road that meandered about the meadow and on to arge in.

    Dorian shook his head, returning his focus downward, towards arge hole he had just finished digging in the ground. Arge rock, shaped roughly like a rectangle, was set in the ground just above the hole.

    With a smooth flip of his wrist, Dorian pulled out a small woolen bag from his Spatial Ring. The bag was tied shut, made of a fine material. Its brown covering moved slowly as a breeze swept through the meadow.

    Burnt onto the bag was a small letter ¡®A.¡¯

    Dorian sighed for a second time.

    He put the bag in the ground, setting it down carefully. Then, slowly, he began to cover the hole up, kneeling down as he dragged the nearby dirt to cover it.

    In no time at all, the bag waspletely covered, not a trace of it visible.

    Dorian patted the earth lightly, smoothing out the edges. He pushed some of the torn up grass over the spot, making it blend in.

    He then raised his right hand, resting it on the rectangr piece of rock from above the hole. He trailed a finger onto it.

    ¡°Ability, activate. ming ws.¡± Dorian activated one of his Abilities.

    Immediately, his right hand¡¯s ws became superheated, turning a bright red. His Ifrit body handled the heat well, withplete ease as he began to trace out several words onto the piece of stone.

    After a moment of writing, he stepped back, looking at his handiwork. The energy from the Law of Wrath faded, vanishing away.

    ¡®Here rests the ashes of one whom Fate dealt a hand no being would desire. Her life was hard and the choices she had to make harder. Let it be said, however, that when everything came to a head, she stayed true to her spirit. She did what she believed was right, even in death.¡¯

    ¡®She may no longer walk thesends, but she will not be forgotten.¡¯

    ¡®Here lies the grave of Arial V¡¯ich, a Lightsworn Fox.¡¯

    Dorian took another step back, taking a deep breath. He bowed his head silently, in gratitude and in respect. Arial had saved his, Helena, and Trajan¡¯s life, as well as Will and Probus. She had betrayed him, but she had also saved him.

    The least he could do was honor her memory.

    As he looked at the grave he¡¯d made for her, he decided to say a few words.

    ¡°There is a legend in this universe, Arial. That life itself is part of a Great Cycle. The Cycle of Reincarnation, of the Heavens, of Life. Your time in this life has ended, but there will always be the next.¡± He bowed his head again,

    ¡°I think you and I could have been friends, in another life.¡± He sighed.

    Another quiet breeze swept through the valley as Dorian stood looking at her grave, his spirit somber. The dying light of the eveningnded on her gravestone, causing it to shimmer slightly, almost as if it were crying.

    ¡°Go in peace.¡± Dorian nodded his head sharply and turned around, taking a deep breath. He steeled his heart. He hadn¡¯t known Arial for a long time, and for most of that he had hated the fox. But she had redeemed herself in the end, and for that, he would grieve.

    He would¡¯ve given her a second chance if possible. Everyone deserved one.

    Dorian walked away from the grave, his eyes calm. His movements were sure as he left the center of the meadow, headed towards the nearby oak forest.

    After a few minutes of walking, he came upon a small, makeshift campsite. A veryrge oak tree had several two meter wide branches several meters above ground level. On it, the pale figure of a vampire could be seen, resting quietly. She was wrapped up in a cloak, using it as a nket, with a few sets of clothes lying under her head as a pillow.

    ¡°Helena¡­¡± Dorian looked at the sleeping figure, her face covered in a sheen of sweat, with concern.

    Slowly, Helena¡¯s eyes opened. Dorian felt like he was looking into an entire world of depth and emotion as he looked back.

    ¡°Did you bury her?¡± Helena whispered, her voice frail and quiet. Her entire body seemed to be sickly and ill.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Dorian¡¯s response was quiet as he walked forward. His body transformed, going to his Wrath Vampire form. He jumped up onto the side of the tree and then flipped over to an unupied spot on a nearby branch.

    Helena, even as deathly ill as she was, blushed slightly at the handsome appearance Dorian now bore.

    ¡°Good. She was not a friend¡­ but she deserved a warrior¡¯s burial.¡± Helena nodded firmly before closing her eyes.

    ¡°Do you feel any better? Are the Pills helping?¡± Dorian asked, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°They have helped somewhat. I can move my arms and legs slightly.¡± Helena¡¯s voice was full of cheer as she waved at Dorianmely, her right arm flopping vigorously like a limp, but passionate, noodle.

    Dorian couldn¡¯t help but snort at the ridiculous sight. Helena burst outughing with him, her voice a melody in the air. Immediately after, however, her face seemed to grow paler, as if in exertion.

    ¡°Keep resting, Helena. Focus on recovery. I¡¯ll keep guard.¡± Dorian patted her headfortingly, something Helena red at him for, before he jumped down to sit on the ground next to the tree.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Helena whispered as she closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

    Dorian listened to her breathing as she calmly lost consciousness, her body focused on recovering.

    He sighed.

    ¡°How did it end up like this¡­?¡± He muttered, rubbing his eyes, his mind shing back.

    When Helena had activated her ancient Inheritance Artifact, she had intended for them to escape off to Tomo City. The Ascension Ruins seemed to be copsing around them and were definitely not a safe ce to be at, especially with the murderous Scythe Master of the zing King attacking and trying to capture them.

    The Artifact had managed to grab Dorian and Helena, but had failed to snag Will. Thankfully, another figure had appeared, a monkey, of all things, and rescued Will, vanishing with him.

    ording to Helena, that monkey was none other than the Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance. Sun Wukong. One of the Five Great Heroes of the Third Demon War.

    And one of Yukeli¡¯srades.

    Dorian had no idea what the monkey wanted with Will and had no chance to stop him. The pent-up frustration he felt was only mitigated by the fact that at least Will was alive again.

    After that, Helena and Dorian had vanished, sting off away.

    However, something went wrong. Instead of appearing in Tomo City like Helena had nned, they appeared in some type of mysterious ce, full of chaotic, shing lights and bolts of rippling energy.

    Unbeknownst to them, they had entered a spatial fracture and were moving through Chaotic Space.

    The duo was protected by the power of Helena¡¯s Artifact for a time as they sailed through Chaotic Space. The Inheritance Treasure was truly a powerful one, worthy of its age and stature.

    Eventually, however, that protection wore off, with no end in sight.

    Helena and Dorian were acutely aware of their surroundings as they were transported. The instant that protection faded, both were aware that their physical forms would be obliterated by the Chaotic Space environment. Rippling Spatial Storms, bolts of energy, spatial fractures¡­ the list went on.

    Thus, Helena activated the Artifact a second time.

    This time, however, her bracelet seemed to shiver. It was not an Artifact that couldst forever. With this final use, the Artifact broke, several points around the bracelet cracking irreparably. It could not be used again.

    Still, the protection it offered shielded them as they zed forward, moving in the same direction at an incredibly fast speed.

    They passed a myriad of shapes and types of light. Mighty explosions of energy, giant orbs of red fire, mysterious circles of ck darkness. The Chaotic Space around them was a wondend of both beauty and danger.

    Eventually, their protection was about to run dry once more. With the energy stores of the Artifact depleted, Helena did the only thing she could.

    She fueled it using the energy of her Soul Spell Matrix.

    At first, it went perfectly well. Helena had recently broken into King ss and had a plethora of energy. Eventually, however, her energy stores began to run dry. The energy the broken Artifact demanded to protect them was enormous and not something she could give off infinitely.

    Dorian could sense all of this as it took ce. Helena¡¯s soul writhed as energy flooded out of it. Her soul itself actually began to take damage, starting to wither. The wounds Helena was sustaining weren¡¯t permanent, not yet, but if they grew worse, she would inevitably be crippled and die.

    ¡®No!¡¯ Dorian had thought and instantly jumped forward as he felt Helena waver. He did everything he could to help her, trying to will the energy of his soul to power the Artifact, drawing upon the Laws of Valor and Wrath as much as possible.

    In terms of raw energy, Dorian couldn¡¯t match the output of Helena¡¯s King ss Soul Spell Matrix. It was true that he had studied two Laws to the point where he could draw from them, but that wasn¡¯t enough.

    As Dorian felt Helena waver, their bodies still shooting through the cosmos, he tried something he was unsure would work and tapped into the Growth Energy of his soul, trying to use that as fuel.

    To his surprise, the Growth Energy worked. Dorian still had several million points of it saved up. By drawing upon that massive store of energy, Dorian was able to functionally power the Artifact.

    Growth Energy could be absorbed from Artifacts and, functionally, that energy could be returned as well.

    WHOOSH

    Energy drained from Dorian¡¯s soul at a huge rate. The strain Helena felt, however, was greatly lessened. Her soul was still being drawn upon, as the controller of the Artifact, but she was no longer forced to bear a burden that would kill her.

    Time moved on and so did they. They continued to travel through space at an impossibly fast speed.

    Eventually, just as Dorian was starting to worry that they would never stop, a massive sh of white light had blinded him.

    A millisecondter, Dorian had found himself falling towards the ground from a thousand meters high in the air, right above a small forest and arge, sweeping grass in.

    His head was in a stupor from the long travel through Chaotic Space. However, he managed to keep enough of his sensibilities about him to notice that Helena was falling right next to him. And unlike him, Helena appeared to be unconscious.

    ¡®ck Scaled Rage Dragon! Go!¡¯ Dorian instantly had transformed, scooping up Helena and protecting her. He held her body delicately as he half fell-half glided towards the ground, his mind still in a confused haze.

    BOOM

    Dorian hadnded roughly, knocking over severalrge oak trees. His body felt numb, blocking out the impacts as he crashed.

    He held Helena protectively the entire time, shielding her from everything as he took the brunt of the blow.

    After that, he curled up and passed out.

    Several hours had passed before Dorian came to.

    Dorian¡¯s body had automatically repaired itself, the energy in his soul healing him, as well as his own powerful regenerative properties. It was then that he¡¯d noticed his surroundings and Helena¡¯s situation.

    He was in a forest of some type, a normal one, unlike the fiery world of Magmor. They had been transported off.

    Helena was unconscious and sickly, sweat covering her body. Dorian had immediately set about tending to her, trying to aid her. He¡¯d fed her almost every Pill he had, filling her body with energy.

    ording to Ausra, Helena¡¯s soul was damaged. It had undergone a type of withering, overdrawing upon her life force to power an Artifact. As a result, her physical body withered with her.

    However, given time and careful aid, it was possible that she could fully recover. As a True Vampire, Helena¡¯s regenerative properties were powerful. Her soul was badly damaged, but as a King ss Wizard, she could draw upon her Law of Might to imbue her soul with energy, slowly restoring it. Her withered body would recover alongside that.

    All she needed was time.

    His Pills and efforts seemed to have helped speed up the process. If he could get higher quality Pills, or perhaps a Wizard that was specialized in damage to the soul or Healing Magic, it would increase further.

    As of right now¡­ ording to Ausra, at the rate Helena was currently healing, it would take her several months to recover half her strength. It would take nearly a year before she recovered 80% of her strength.

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Dorian muttered, his voice full of relief and gratefulness,

    ¡°You¡¯re alive, and that is all that matters.¡±

    KEEEEEE

    In the background, a monstrous beast roared, an echoing sound that rang through the forest, full of threat.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard this, an indescribable feeling of fierceness appearing.

    ¡°And not a single creature will harm a hair on your body, not when I am here to protect you.¡± Indescribable Valor filled Dorian¡¯s heart as he spoke, the air near him trembling.

    His eyes shed. Power. He needed power. And he needed it immediately.

    The teleportation and soaring through Chaotic Space had sapped some of his Growth Energy¡­

    But not all of it. He still had an enormous amount left, more than 1,000,000 points.

    It was time to make use of that and Evolve.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The Shade Commune was a force that controlled more than 2,000 worlds, the ¡®eastern¡¯ side of the 30,000 Worlds. The Commune was ruled by the Shade King, and while he was a figure of significant might, his rule was not absolute.

    Under the King were the six Dukes of Shadow, as well as the Church of Light.

    Each Duke controlled 100-300 individual worlds of that 2,000, using their own physical might or Wizardry to consolidate their rule, alongside their own private Shadow Armies. The Dukes were unified in their opposition to the Shade King¡¯s absolute rule, eventually leading to a tenuous truce.

    The Shade Kingmanded their race and the Dukes would aid the King in war, but they had rtive sovereignty in their own territories.

    The Church of Light had no say in that, though had considerable influence within each Duchy as well.

    At the very easternmost portion of the 30,000 Worlds, a cluster of 160 separate Worlds was ruled over by Duke Orbit, one of the Six Dukes of Shadow.

    Duke Orbit ruled from the Exotic World of Shadowdale, a unique World that was very simr to normal worlds, in size and scale. What made it exotic was that instead of rain or hail, the weather on Shadowdale was made up of Shadow Energy and Darkness Energy. This energy was calm and weing, however, transforming the World into a paradise for Shadow or Darkness Aspected beings as well as Wizards that studied either branch.

    The biggest city on Shadowdale was the City of Mapire, where Orbit ruled from. It was a huge city, stretching for miles and miles, with a poption exceeding 10,000,000.

    In the center of this city, arge ck mansion jutted from the ground, surrounded by red and green trees, at odds with the much darker Shadow or Darkness aspected trees that made up most of the flora on Shadowdale.

    In a room in this mansion, a heavyset Shade could be seen, recliningfortably on arge couch. The Shade was fat, but also muscr, giving him a ratherrge stature. He wore a set of purple robes andnguished slothfully on the couch, eating a few grapes that were offered to him by a pale-faced woman sitting next to him.

    The room was decoratedvishly and appeared to be a study of sorts. A firece burnedfortably not far from the couch, while various bookcases lined the walls. A table sat in front of the couch, decorated in gold and studded with jewels. Various paintings hung on the walls, of previous Shade Dukes or other members of Duke Orbit¡¯s family.

    Sitting on a wooden chair, looking intently at thenguishing man, was a weaselly-looking Shade attendant wearing a set of ck robes, reading from a sheaf of papers.

    ¡°Ah, Tarvon, so the war efforts have gone well for His Highness thus far?¡± The overweight Shade said, popping another grape into his mouth. His words were jovial and rxed, as if he was worried about nothing at all. Beneath the friendly exterior and easy-going nature, however, a tone of firm steel existed, unbending.

    ¡°Yes, Duke Orbit.¡± Tarvon responded, his voice slightly nasal.

    ¡°His Highness is currently engaged with all three Vampire Families. The Nobles have provided stiff resistance, but His Highness has made progress. 6 worlds have been captured: 4 from the Augustus Family and 2 from the Aurelius Family, while none were captured from the Caesar Family. His Highness has also suffered substantial losses, stalling the efforts slightly.¡±

    Orbit nodded as he heard the news, his face calm.

    ¡°Good, good. It seems the taxes I¡¯m sending to His Highness are not being wasted. If His Highness were to act directly, he could surely break the stalemate. But the Three Vampire Highlords and their private elites are no joke, taking it slow is probably for the best, even if they are the weakest Major Power.¡± He rubbed his chin.

    Tarvon nodded and continued,

    ¡°In respect of the war efforts, we have captured all True Vampires and rted subspecies discovered within the Duchy, totaling several hundred across all Worlds. Several of the captured prisoners have provided excellent information on the inner goings-on of the affairs of the Augustus and Aurelius Families.¡± Almost all Humanoids within the Shade Commune were members of the Shade Race. The Shades were very exclusive to their own kind, often viewing foreigners with distrust.

    As a result, extremely few members of other Races would choose to settle within the Shade Commune. Considering that Orbit oversaw 160 entire Worlds full of people, several hundred True Vampires was therefore not arge number at all.

    ¡°Good. Send the intelligence to His Highness and keep them imprisoned. If any resist, execute them. For those that don¡¯t, they are to be held until the war is over. I will not risk spies of any sort ruining the war effort.¡± Orbit¡¯s words were stern. While he didn¡¯t necessarily support all of the King¡¯s actions, at the end of the day, they were still part of the same Race. It wouldn¡¯t do for His Highness to lose the war.

    Just as he was about to continue, Orbit froze, his eyes widening in surprise. A sh of white energy appeared and vanished in his eyes as the look of shock on his face vanished.

    ¡°Ailya. Leave.¡± Orbit¡¯s entire demeanor seemed to change as he turned to look at the female attendant that was feeding him grapes.

    Immediately the female Shade got up and left, her face demure as she exited the study.

    ¡°Duke Orbit?¡± Tarvon looked at the man questioningly, shifting the sheaves of paper in his hand about nervously.

    Orbit turned to look at his attendant. As he did so, a hint of a unique Aura burst out around him. An Aura that was full of slow,zy power, building up to a mighty force that seemed as if it could blow away mountains with ease.

    This Aura vanished an instantter.

    ¡°Tarvon. I need you to send a message to the Council. For the briefest moment, I felt a presence traveling at great speed, headed towards one of the easternmost Worlds under my reign, through Chaotic Space of all things.¡± A smile appeared on Orbit¡¯s face.

    Orbit was powerful, but he was not a God. He could not detect the presence of random beings from so far away.

    He could only sense a being from such distance if that creature resonated with him in some powerful, unique way, as if that creature was expending a huge amount of energy that he could detect.

    ¡°An Inheritor of Wrath has finally reappeared.¡±

 Chapter 147 - Upgrade

    Chapter 147: Upgrade

    It was time to Evolve.

    First, Dorian pulled out Arial¡¯s Spatial Ring.

    In it, Dorian had found several vials of blood, each of them Sealed with some type of mystical matrix. He withdrew them now, tapping lightly on the top of one of them.

    WHOOSH

    Immediately, whatever Magic Seal had blocked the vial vanished, faint particles of light drifting into the air.

    ¡°Huh. What are you?¡± Dorian thought, his curiosity aroused. He opened the vial up, examining the blood.

    It looked like¡­ blood. He didn¡¯t know what he had expected.

    ¡°Absorb.¡±

    The blood in the vial vanished. An instantter, Ausra¡¯s voice rang out.

    ¡®Bloodline of Lightsworn Fox partially absorbed. Absorb more to fully form the Bloodline.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened.

    ording to Ausra, a Lightsworn Fox¡¯s Bloodline was unique. The only way for him to gain it was for him to either absorb a Lightsworn Fox¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix, or bleed them for an extended period and get it that way.

    The uses for a Lightsworn Fox¡¯s Bloodline weren¡¯t limited to this, however. It had a number of uses in Necromancy and Blood Magic, and was a sought-after rarity. The major downside to the Bloodline was that it lost its effectiveness over time.

    As Dorian looked at the vials of blood, he realized what Arial had done.

    She was aware of the value of her blood and preemptively stored it in vials, and then had those Sealed with Time Magic.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Dorian frowned as he looked at this, shaking his head. Why would she do that to herself?

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± He muttered,ing to a depressing realization.

    It was likely that it wasn¡¯t she who¡¯d created the vials. Given her past, Dorian guessed she hadn¡¯t given up her blood willingly either.

    Arial had been hunted for killing several Shades. As Dorian looked at these expertly crafted vials of blood, a picture became painted in his mind.

    Of Arial being held captive and slowly bled, forced to give up her blood as Shade Blood or Necromancy Wizards stored the vials with Time Magic, preserving it. Of her killing her captors and escaping, turning into a hunted fugitive.

    Perhaps the story was different, in one way or another. Dorian felt like his guess was very close to the truth, however, if not spot on.

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t have it easy, huh?¡± He muttered softly, rubbing one of the vials.

    He sighed.

    ¡°Absorb.¡±

    PSHHHH

    Dorian absorbed all of the remaining blood in each and every one of the vials, just barely gaining enough.

    ¡®Lightsworn Fox Bloodline acquired.¡¯

    Dorian¡¯s expression was mixed as he fully gained the Lightsworn Fox Bloodline. It was a powerful, Pseudo-Lord ss Bloodline with a unique Ability, Touching Light, that was very powerful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put it to good use.¡± He nodded sharply.

    ¡°First¡­ Let¡¯s grow it fully.¡± Dorian began to pour Growth Points into the Bloodline.

    Dorian¡¯s body transformed into that of a majestic white fox, covered in faint particles of light. Dorian reverted to his Wrath Vampire form right after, not wanting to stretch his clothes out overly much despite their magical properties. It also looked weird to see a fox wearing pants and a shirt. It felt weird to Dorian, anyway.

    ¨C

    -Lightsworn Fox ¨C Growth Stage: (4/4) Lightsworn Elder ¨C

    Growth Progress ¨C 487,122/0 ¨C

    ¨C

    ¡®Fully grown.¡¯ Dorian smiled.

    ¡°Touching Light, activate!¡±

    ¨C

    Ability: Touching Light

    A unique Ability to the Lightsworn Fox Race, Touching Light allows a Lightsworn Fox to manipte particles of light. This often takes the form of weapons created out of pure light, weapons that hold extremely high temperatures, second only to ckgold Dragonfire. Any type of light can be manipted, including light that was not created by the Lightsworn Fox, or light that is imbued with the Power of Law.

    ¨C

    WHOOSH

    A small dagger of light appeared in Dorian¡¯s hand, one that was about the length of his hand. As Dorian called it into existence, he felt a noticeable, but not extreme, drain on his Soul Spell Matrix.

    ¡°Oooh.¡± Dorian muttered as he waved the de around, feeling its incredible heat. The de itself, and the heat from it, didn¡¯t seem to be able to hurt his hand or arm that was holding the de. The Ability protected his hand and arm. It did nothing for the rest of his body, Dorian noted, as he held his other hand near the de and immediately pulled it back.

    The heat from the small dagger was mostly self-contained, but just getting near it gave an incredible sense of danger.

    Bzzzz

    Dorian extended the dagger, pushing it into a full de just shorter than a meter. It was thin, closer to a rapier or a very fine sword than a broadsword.

    Abruptly, another realization hit Dorian.

    ¡°No way!¡± He swung the de a few times.

    ¡°I have a Lightsaber now!¡± His mind instantly went to the Lightsabers that the Jedi wielded in the movie series Star Wars back on Earth.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    Dorian swung the de back and forth, smiling cheerfully. He jumped around a bit, pretending to be a Jedi.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ alright, that¡¯s enough for now.¡± He canceled the Ability. It drained roughly 1,000 points of Energy a minute to keep it active, but with Dorian¡¯s sizable store of Energy, it wasn¡¯t toorge a draw.

    ¡®Next¡­ Ausra, I want you tobine my Bloodlines to form the Ancestral Vampire form.¡¯

    ¡®Acknowledged.¡¯ Ausra replied.

    ¨C

    Ancestral Vampire ¨C Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 28,164

    Ability: Blood Sense, Constant Regeneration, Bat Transformation, Blood Contract, Demonic Eyes, Exuberant Grace

    Ancestral Vampires are an ancient and nearly extinct form of Vampire. They were the originators, the first of the Vampire race, the true Royals. They possess several powerful Abilities that sets them apart from regr True Vampires and are an innately noble race. Powerful and agile, long-lived and wily, they are a terrible foe to make enemies with. Breeding and conceiving a child is excessively difficult for Ancestral Vampires.

    ¨C

    The Ancestral Vampire Bloodline was one he¡¯d gained the Ability to Evolve into a while ago. Dorian had opted not to, however, choosing the Wrath Vampire as his primary Humanoid form and using his Ifrit form as his secondary Magic form. His ck Scaled Rage Dragon was his ultimate offensive form, should he need to go all out.

    Dorian had realized, however, that while the Ifrit Bloodline was powerful and especially suited for Fire Magic, it was geared primarily towards Fire Magic. Dorian had learned several Fire Magic Spells, but he wouldn¡¯t consider himself an expert, even if the Ifrit was Fire Aspected.

    The Ancestral Vampire, on the other hand, was Aspected to nothing. While it, as all Vampires, had a natural innate Ability to manipte Blood and were adept at Blood Magic, in terms of Law sensory power, Ancestral Vampires were both very attuned to the environment and not Aspected towards any particr Law.

    Dorian had decided to take on the form, adding it to his collection. When he wanted to practice Magic or study something, or just to have another useful Bloodline tobine with, he would use this form. His Wrath Vampire form was still his best choice for studying the Law of Wrath.

    WHOOSH

    Energy drained from Dorian¡¯s soul, roughly 35,000 points, as the various Bloodlines he requiredbined together to form the Ancestral Vampire Bloodline.

    Dorian¡¯s body transformed, bing a handsome, slightly golden skinned Vampire. The air around him gained a heroic, noble presence, as if he was a wise, ancient warrior of old. Dorian felt his senses grow stronger, allowing him to see more of the world around him. His entire body seemed to be more attuned to itself, giving him a great sense of control.

    At the same time, Dorian had several alerts go off as he gained several Abilities.

    ¡®Bat Transformation, Blood Contract¡­ meh.¡¯ Dorian thought, tossing them to the side. The Bat Transformation allowed him to transform into a bat, an Ability he¡¯d actually already had from his Wrath Vampire form. Blood Contract allowed him to Seal a Blood Contract with other Vampire or Vampire subspecies, an Ability he didn¡¯t see himself using anytime soon.

    One Ability, however, stood out to him. It was the main reason he had picked the Ancestral Vampire Bloodline up.

    ¨C

    Ability: Exuberant Grace

    Exuberant Grace, a natural Ability akin to many of the First Races that were born into existence at the start of the 30,000 Worlds. This passive Ability grants the user inborn grace, allowing them to move naturally with their physical form, no matter the injuries or obstructions one suffers. This Ability also boosts the reaction speed and natural agility of a being.

    ¨C

    ¡®Nice.¡¯ Dorian thought, nodding his head. He could feel the passive Ability at work, raising his reaction speed and prowess. It also seemed like this Ability would function like his Great Strength Ability, a passive one that applied to all his forms, not just a single one.

    ¡°Now for the main course¡­¡± He muttered, rubbing his hands together.

    Dorian had gained two powerful Bloodlines recently. The Wise Jade Dragon Bloodline and the Lightsworn Fox Bloodline.

    His recent addition of an Ancestral Vampire Bloodline would also affectbinations, to some degree, but therge simrities to Wrath Vampires, including the fact that he had all the base forms of that Bloodline, meant it wouldn¡¯t do too much.

    With all of this prepared¡­ it was time tobine Bloodlines.

    ¡®Ausra, run simtions on these Bloodlines. I want you to find the bestbinations possible and list them for me.¡¯ He mentally ordered, sitting back down on the ground.

    ¡®Very well. Running simtions now¡­¡¯ Ausra responded and then immediately set to work.

    Time passed as Ausra calcted intensely, taking into ount millions of contrasting variables. In that time, Dorian sat calmly, meditating.

    ¡®I sensed two other mystical stores of energy, ording to my memories.¡¯ Dorian thought as he went over the intense battle inside the Ascension Ruins. His Jade Memory Ability would not allow him to forget anything.

    ¡®Was that two other Laws?¡¯ He mused as he focused back. As he was thinking about this, recalling the sensation, Ausra abruptly echoed out in his head.

    ¡®Simtionsplete.¡¯ With thetest additions, higher ss Bloodlines were getting harder and harder to create, ording to Ausra. As long as he kept adding powerful Bloodlines, it was still possible to find or create new forms. Eventually, however, some forms would no longer be able to Evolve any higher and he would have to find different paths.

    ¡®3 Bloodlines created.¡¯ Ausra promptly listed them.

    ¨C

    Combining Human Bloodline, Wrath Vampire, Berserker Demon Bloodline, Lightsworn Fox Bloodline

    ¨C

    Blood Render ¨C Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 60,919

    Ability: Strong Constant Regeneration, Constant Rage, Moving Force, Blood Berserker

    Blood Renders are an extinct and brutal race of Humanoids that have an insane thirst for blood. They hold incredible physical strength, able to match up against Dragons blow for blow. They stand roughly 2 and a half meters tall and have pitch ck skin, with no visible facial features. Their arms are abnormally long, ending in long ck ws.

    Above their head rests a crown of light, a blood-colored crown that represents the infamous Ability of the Blood Render Race, Blood Berserker. When this Ability is active, every injury given to any other being will increase the physical might of the Blood Render proportional to the amount of blood absorbed. The longer a fight goes on, the stronger a Blood Render will be.

    This race was hunted to extinction many years ago, ording to legend.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/797eFzn.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    ¨C

    Combining Wise Jade Dragon Bloodline, ck Scaled Rage Dragon Bloodline, Grakon Bloodline, Myyr Dragon Bloodline, Sr Rock Lizard Bloodline

    ¨C

    Void Raptor ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 78,336

    Ability: Constant Regeneration, Void Shock, Mystic Armored Body, Great Strength

    Void Raptors are a species of creatures rted to various species of Dragons. These agile creatures are strong and durable, tough andpact. They stand roughly 5 meters tall and possess a unique Ability that allows them to create a powerful shockwave. This attack affects beings of allpositions and natures, shocking space itself, the fabric of creation.

    Their durable body isplemented by the Mystic Armored Body Ability, an Ability that covers them in a thin, almost invisiblework of energy that absorbs and lowers the power of anything impacting it.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/0baJbWr.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    ¨C

    Combining Berserker Demon Bloodline, Wise Jade Dragon Bloodline, Lightsworn Fox, Grakon Bloodline, Lesser Throne Demon Bloodline, Ancestral Vampire Bloodline, Human Bloodline

    ¨C

    Bnce Demon ¨C Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 84,331

    Ability: Strong Constant Regeneration, Demonic Eyes, Body of Bnce, Soul of Bnce

    A newly created race, Bnce Demons are a unique type of being that are engineered to be a focus for bnce. Their unique Abilities allows a Bnce Demon to shrug off otherwise fatal attacks to the body or soul by bncing the attack out over their entire physical or soul form. They stand roughly 2 meters tall and have a natural shell of metallic and crystal armor, covering the entirety of their body.

    Bnce Demons are uniquely suited to control multiple Laws of opposing natures, making them one of the few races in the 30,000 Worlds that have a natural capacity to understand multiple Laws.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/zi2xvfD.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    ¨C

    ¡°Well now¡­¡± Dorian muttered as he went over the information, looking at each form intently.

    The first form, the Blood Render, was incredibly creepy to look at. It was simr to his Berserker Demon form in that it had the downside of the Constant Rage Ability, meaning it would be hard to use the form at all. However, its upside was its powerful physical strength and its Blood Berserker Ability.

    It was a powerful form, especially if Dorian needed to go all out and could afford to lose himself in his anger.

    But Dorian ultimately put it on hold because of that.

    ¡°Its Abilities are unique to itself and can¡¯t be used in other forms, or they are ones I already have. It¡¯s a strong form¡­ but I really can¡¯t stand not being in control of myself. Also, it¡¯s way too freaky.¡± He shook his head. The impression the Berserker Demon form had left on him was not a very pleasant one.

    ¡°Void Raptor¡­¡± He looked at the second form, nodding his head. It was an agile as well as extremely tanky creature, evening with an Ability designed to enhance a creature¡¯s defense.

    ¡°Oh? Mystic Armored Body is an Ability I can use in any form?¡± Dorian smiled when he saw this.

    Some Abilities could only be used on certain forms. For example, the Blood Berserker Ability was unique to the Blood Render and could not be used on any of his other forms.

    The Mystic Armored Body Ability from the Void Raptor, however, could be used on any of his forms and wasn¡¯t locked down to just the Void Raptor. The other signature Ability, Void Shock, was restricted to only the Void Raptor.

    ¨C

    Ability: Mystic Armored Body

    A powerful defensive Ability, the Mystic Armored Body Ability creates awork of nearly invisible energy that draws on the surrounding environment, including the natural Laws of the Universe, to lessen the impact of energy or physical attacks.

    ¨C

    The description of the Ability was rather short and didn¡¯t mention how effective it was, but Dorian could already judge that it was worth at least something.

    ¡°I need a stronger defense, across all my forms. This is exactly what I need.¡± He immediately decided he would gain this form.

    ¡°As for thest form¡­ The Bnce Demon.¡± The form seemed almost custom made for Dorian, as if Fate itself was helping him out.

    Dorian¡¯s Berserker Demon form was an incredibly unstable one. When itbined with the calm and peaceful Wise Jade Dragon, the interaction of the two Bloodlines seemed to bnce each other out. With a few other Bloodlines added to solidify thebination, the Bnce Demon was born.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely strong and its unique Abilities will help with the two Laws I¡¯m studying¡­¡± He said aloud, rubbing his chin. His Law of Valor and Law of Wrath definitely were closer to opposing than not.

    The Bnce Demon was also a very defensively focused form. He had just beenining about how he needed to up his defense. A body like this seemed perfect in many ways.

    There was only one issue.

    As Dorian looked at the form, he realized something.

    Just faintly, Dorian could see a slight resemnce between the Bnce Demon and the physical form he had held in the future. The resemnce on the surface wasn¡¯t too strong, but deeper, in a sort of Magical connection, Dorian could see that the two forms were definitely simr.

    His Bnce Demon form and the form that he had used when he was destroying the 30,000 Worlds were rted.

    Just the idea of this made him hesitate.

    ¡°No. I have faith that I will not fall to that future. It is not a certain one, just a possibility. I will stand on my own and not give in to evil.¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes shed as he renewed his determination, pushing aside any fears or worries she held.

    ¡°Ausra. Evolve me into the Bnce Demon and Void Raptor forms.¡±

    ¡®As youmand.¡¯

    WHOOSH

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°You have already made a move, Duke Orbit?¡± A cool voice echoed out in the study as a masked figure crossed eyes with the fat, slothful Duke Orbit.

    (Reference Image for Duke Orbit ¨C https://i.imgur/PS6lB47.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    The figure was humanoid, with glowing blue eyes and a gold mask that had an almost samurai-like head adornment atop it. The bottom half of the gold mask was made up of some type of jagged blue crystal that matched the color of the man¡¯s eyes. He wore a set of loose, dark green leather armor, with a curved de resting horizontally across his lower back.

    The man¡¯s hands glowed, blue essence floating and gleaming a few millimeters off of them, fluttering up and down his hand and forearms. He wore a set of gauntlets and gloves that helped contain this chaotic energy, but failed to hold it fully.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/GDf4K6g.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    ¡°Yes, Hallow. The Wrath Inheritor must¡¯vended somewhere in the easternmost portion of my territory. I¡¯ve already set my Hunters to find and locate at least the world the Inheritornded on. To apprehend him if possible, to openmunication if not.¡± Orbit replied, stretching his armsnguidly as he looked at the threatening figure.

    ¡°It has been many years since a Wrath Inheritor appeared. If you are to chase him away, it would serve no one. The Destroyer has returned, as the prophecies foretold. We must prepare to annihte him; you know as well as I that he will hunt us down and kill us all if we don¡¯t.¡± Hallow responded, the air around him almost electric with tension.

    Orbit ignored this air of danger entirely, still resting on the plush leather couch as if he hadn¡¯t a care in the world.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware. The so-called ¡®Anomalies¡¯ right? Still, remember ourst altercation with that Inheritor of Pride? He refused to join the Council and nearly killed the envoy we sent.¡± Orbit replied, shrugging as he looked down at a sheaf of papers, a report from the other members of the Council.

    ¡°I know. The sheer arrogance of that man, Leader, to ignore us and dere he was going to conquer his own World alone.¡± Hallow shook his head. Faint particles of blue energy drifted off his arms as he spoke, dissipating into the air. He continued,

    ¡°That is why the rest of the Council has agreed to send me. There will be no mistakes this time.¡±

    Orbit snorted, his eyes shing as he grinned,

    ¡°Of course, of course, if you say so. Just don¡¯t let your Envy get the best of yo-¡±

    ¡°My Envy is saved for the Heavens. Worry for yourself, Orbit. It¡¯s a wonder you aren¡¯t an Inheritor of Gluttony as well.¡± Hallow cut him off, his voice as cool as ever as he stared at the fat Duke disdainfully.

    Duke Orbit nced up at Hallow askance. He looked as if he was about to rebuke him before he decided it was too much effort andid back down on the couch, simply giving the warrior a low-effort re.

    ¡°Now, tell me, Orbit, before I leave.¡± Hallow continued, his eyes narrowing,

    ¡°Where exactly did youst detect the Wrath Inheritor¡¯s presence?¡±

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 Chapter 148 - New Laws

    Chapter 148: New Laws

    WHOOSH

    Dorian clenched his fists, feeling a sense of power, of raw might filling his veins. His body was covered in a hard, metallic and crystal shell, shaped like armor.

    He was in his Bnce Demon form.

    As he looked out at the world around him, he felt as if he could feel everything so much clearer. Especially the two Laws he¡¯d studied so far, the Law of Wrath and the Law of Valor.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 101,878/101,878

    ¨C

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Heughed out loud as he looked at his stats. His power had jumped enormously. The boost from upgrading his physical form to a Bnce Demon, plus the power he absorbed from the Laws of the Universe to enrich his Soul, had pushed his basic energy levels to roughly the minimum requirement to reach Pseudo-King ss.

    ¡°I¡¯m still nowhere close to reaching official King ss.¡± He noted but shrugged. To reach King ss, it didn¡¯t matter how powerful your soul got. The main thing that separated the two sses was one¡¯s understanding of at least one Law.

    Taemin, the half-diamond human that studied Diamond Magic, had an abnormally powerful energy level, one that was equal to many King ss Wizards, yet was still Lord ss.

    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a good point.¡± Dorian muttered, focusing.

    ¡°I¡¯m studying two Laws right now. The Law of Wrath and the Law of Valor. I don¡¯t have anything to guide me, but by focusing on the mystical energy that I can sense, I can slowly gain a better understanding for each.¡± He talked his n aloud, nodding,

    ¡°However¡­ during my time in the Ascension Ruins, I distinctly remember sensing two other Laws, two other sources of mystic energy.¡±

    Dorian¡¯s Jade Memory would not allow him to forget anything. Thanks to this, Dorian could urately recall the exact type of energy and sensation each of those two Laws.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Dorian paused, going over the sensations.

    ¡°Groan¡­¡± Dorian¡¯s thoughts were interrupted, however, by Helena¡¯s moans. He turned around with a worried expression, looking at the tree she was resting on.

    Her face was covered with a sheen of sweat. Her appearance was physically withered, as if she were much, much older. Dorian jogged over, looking down at her with concern. His heart twisted as he saw her condition, wanting nothing other than for her to be healthy.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± He muttered, unhappy. If he found Pills that could help treat injuries to the Soul, he could speed up the healing process. But, right now, they were in the middle of who-knows-where. He¡¯d already given her literally every Pill he had that he thought might help, and everything in her own Spatial Ring as well.

    After a moment¡¯s thought, Dorian withdrew several sets of clothes from his Spatial Ring. He then gently lifted up Helena¡¯s body and spread the clothes out, forming a morefortable makeshift bed.

    ¡®Next time, I¡¯m definitely bringing pillows and nkets in my Spatial Ring.¡¯ He nodded his head. ording to Helena, several of her subordinates had tents and nkets in their Spatial Rings, but she herself hadn¡¯t carried anything of the sort.

    He softly set her body down, letting her rest. He then looked around, making sure nothing was in sight.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He whispered quietly as he turned around and sat at the base of the tree, his body physically guarding Helena.

    ¡°I need to let her rest. We can start moving and searching for somewhere to find Soul Healing Pillster. For now¡­ Let¡¯s look into these two new Laws.¡± His eyes shed.

    He had already grown much stronger, but there was no reason to stop now. He would grow as powerful as possible. Absolutely nothing would stop him anymore, not when it came to achieving his goals.

    ¡®Nothing!¡¯ He clenched his fists before forcing himself to calm down.

    ¡®Alright. Calm down¡­ now¡­ those two sources of energy¡­ let¡¯s focus on the first one¡­¡¯

    ¡®I first sensed this mystical source of energy when I was greedily absorbing every single Artifact I could get my hands on, in an almost mad rush.¡¯ Dorian¡¯s Jade Memory called to mind the exact moment when he felt the flow of energy.

    As Dorian remembered it exactly, from out of seemingly nowhere, Dorian once more felt that same sense of mystic energy. As soon as he felt it, Dorian sensed it resonate with the Law of Wrath.

    The energy was powerful and vitriolic. It was overwhelming and at the same time weak, fluctuating between the two. It gave Dorian a sense of need, a desire to take any and everything in sight and protect it as his own.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Dorian¡¯s arms abruptly shed with dark green light as the Laws of the Universe flowed heavily around him. His Bnce Demon form was uniquely suited to allow this energy to meld around him, the energy from the Law of Valor and Law of Wrath that was always present within him not shing.

    ¡°I can feel it¡­ I can sense it¡­¡± He muttered aloud, concentrating fiercely. This was the Power of Law.

    ¡°The Law of Greed.¡± He muttered, his eyes widening as an epiphany came upon him.

    The dark green light that was surrounding Dorian suddenly bursts into the air, stirring the environment around him with greedy energy. The Laws of the Universe seemed to fluctuate.

    Dorian felt his soul greedily devour this green light, almost in delight as the energy washed over him.

    For the third time, Dorian was experiencing a baptism of the Laws of the Universe.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± A Shade wearing a full set of grey ted armor turned to hisrade as they scanned through a forest of trees, looking to his left and right. On his back was arge white sword and a set of throwing knives.

    ¡°Feel what, Anthone?¡± The other Shade wore an identical set of armor, with the same white sword and throwing knives on his back. Each of them wore a helmet, obscuring their facial features.

    ¡°I sensed something happening for a moment Tinor, distantly in that direction.¡± Anthone said, pointing to a direction in the forest off.

    The other Shade, Tinor, shrugged, looking in the pointed direction.

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. The Duke¡¯s got every Hunter Squad on alert,bing the Eastern Worlds. I doubt we¡¯ll be the ones to find the target.¡± He said aloud, shrugging again.

    Duke Orbit, the Shadow Duke of the East, was known for his slothful and jovial nature. In terms of power and authority, however, he ruled with an iron fist. He had established his own army, with arge, spread out force of ¡®Hunter Squads¡¯ stationed on every single World he controlled. Each Hunter Squad contained several Lord ss Wizards and warriors, the minimum requirement to be epted, and was in charge of overall enforcement of thew on any particr World.

    The Duke had 4 Head Hunters, each in charge of roughly 40 Hunter Squads. Each Head Hunter was a powerful King ss Wizard, adept in Magic andbat.

    The Easternmost Worlds were shielded from other Dukes and foreign enemies. Largely as a result, most Hunter Squads weren¡¯t ideally equipped forbat beyond fighting against criminal Shades or bandit gangs.

    ¡°Still¡­ Let¡¯s go check it out. Be prepared to send up the warning signal should we find the target.¡± The Shade¡¯s eyes shed as he moved forward towards the disturbance.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The sensation of the energy that flowed around Dorian, baptizing his soul, was incredibly enjoyable to feel. It was pure ecstasy to Dorian¡¯s mind, as if his soul had been cramped for a long time and was now stretching, bing fullyfortable.

    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Dorian felt the energy keenly, sensations running through his mind.

    The Law of Greed. A Law that centered around the concept of greed, a desire for something, a desperate need for something that one does not have. It was a mystic Law, one that was hard to understand, one of the Great Seven Laws of the Demon Race.

    Dorian didn¡¯t know exactly what all the Law did, not yet. He did gain an innate understanding of the basics of the Law, however, knowledge flooding into his mind.

    The Law of Wrath was a full, frontal Law focusing on offense. Conversely, the Law of Greed was simr to the Law of Pride. It focused on enhancing its user¡¯s strength, making them more directly powerful.

    However, instead of enhancing the body like the Law of Pride, the Law of Greed enhanced the soul.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian could keenly feel the Law starting to take effect, the energy that flowed into his soul making it tougher and more durable, able to handle more stress and use. The Law also had the side effect of strengthening his mentality and mental toughness. A more powerful soul was associated with a stronger personality and a more powerful will, though this wasn¡¯t always the case.

    The Law of Greed was the chosen Law for Wizards of the Demon Race, making them able to handle stronger Spells in addition to strengthening their normal Spells.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± The baptism of the Law of Greed finished its main effects in a few short moments, simr to how the baptism from the Law of Wrath had taken ce. Dorian, however, chose to focus on its effects for several minutes, feeling the powerful energy run through him and help him understand the Law more.

    Finally, after several minutes, Dorian pulled his focus away from the Law of Greed.

    He now sent his Jade Memory back once more, centering on the memory of the other Law he had sensed.

    ¡°I might as well do both right now.¡± He nodded.

    His memories showed him a scene where he was looking on as Arial bravely sacrificed her life to gravely injure Veritas, blocking Dorian and protecting him. She gave up everything to save him.

    In that moment, as she faced death, she had truly repented for the wrongs she hadmitted.

    Dorian was not her judge, nor her arbiter. But upon seeing that, his heart had stirred. Without a shred of hesitation, Dorian forgave her for her betrayal and leaving him for dead.

    And right there, as that moment passed, Dorian had sensed a source of mystical energy. A Law.

    Dorian called to mind that specific feeling once more, using his Jade Memory to great effect.

    And, once more, he found that source of mystical energy appear in his senses.

    Dorian immediately put his focus on it, like he had for the Law of Greed.

    Bright blue light shed around Dorian as energy from this mystical source appeared and flowed around his arms. This energy was a cool, formidable type of energy, filling his mind and soul with a sense of righteous strength. It boiled with power but held its calm at the same time.

    Knowledge flooded into Dorian¡¯s mind as he realized what Law this was.

    The Law of Mercy.

    A concept that centered around forgiving an enemy or target of their transgressions and sparing them, showing them benevolence and forgiveness. Aplex Law that was known by very few. In fact, in the entire 30,000 Worlds, the only current group that had active practitioners of the Law of Mercy were some of the cloistered Holy Monasteries in the Western half of the 30,000 Worlds, within the Borrel Autarchy.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the Law of Wrath¡­¡± Dorian muttered around as he came to an epiphany.

    Like the Law of Wrath, the Law of Mercy was a Law that focused on attack power. It granted the User¡¯s attacks powerful strength and impact, enhancing his Spells or strikes.

    WHOOSH

    Energy gathered around Dorian once more as the Laws of the Universe reacted.

    And, once more, for the second time within the past hour, and the fourth time in total, Dorian experienced a baptism of the Laws of the Universe.

    This time, the local area where Dorian was resting seem toe alive with energy. While a single baptism of the Laws would only have a short effect on the surroundings, a second one happening right after the first caused the entire environment to fluctuate with energy.

    These waves of energy were hard to detect by even powerful experts due to their abstruse nature. Unless one practiced the same Law that baptism was for, they would not be easily detected. However, anyone that was within the vicinity of the effect would still sense something odd.

    As Dorian sat, concentrating intently on soaking in the feeling for the Law of Mercy, hepletely missed a few movements in the forest a few hundred meters away.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Tinor, I really think I felt something. Something that affected the nearby world through the Laws of the universe.¡± Anthone led Tinor forward as they jogged through the trees. They had been running for several minutes now, headed towards a specific direction.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve felt nothing.¡± Tinor responded, the grey armor he wore jostling ufortably as he continued,

    ¡°And honestly, we¡¯ve only been searching for a day. There¡¯s no chance that we fi-¡± Just as he was continuing, however, the other Shade held up a fist, silencing Tinor.

    ¡°Quiet! I can sense it again! Right there!¡± Anthone broke into a sprint as he dashed into a small clearing, his eyes wide. A powerful, Lord ss Aura full of Darkness burst around him as he charged at a spot just beyond the clearing.

    Tinor ran behind, another Aura of Darkness flowing around him as he followed. A pair of throwing knives appeared in his hand as his eyes grew steely, ready to attack if need be.

    Their orders were to subdue their target if possible. The description of the target had been scant. They were only told that the Hunter¡¯s Sigil that each Hunter wore around their neck would glow brightly when they found him or her.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    WHOOSH

    The baptism for the Law of Mercy was even faster than the one for the Law of Greed. Unlike Greed, the Law of Mercy sank into his soul quickly with little fanfare, not powering it up too much. As an attacking Law, it could only slowly add to the strength of his soul as his understanding of it grew.

    Dorian let the feeling of the Law flow over him, however, reveling in the ecstasy he felt each time he experienced this. It was incredibly pleasurable and almost indescribably enjoyable.

    In the midst of this, however, Dorian felt more than heard movement happening, just in front of him. He frowned, just barely able to shift enough of his attention away to open his eyes.

    The treeline in front of him was rustling as something or someone moved through it, heading right towards him. The creature covered the distance in an instant, moving at a breakneck speed.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes widened as he saw this. He kept the epiphany of the Law of Mercy still fresh in his mind, however, not wanting to waste any of the experience, keeping his main focus on the Law.

    The creature burst from the treeline into view.

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°It¡¯s right here!¡± Anthone leapt forward, drawing therge sword on his back as he ran past onest tree, going on guard. The air around him fluctuated with power as his Aura burst forth without pause.

    Tinornded on the ground right behind him, throwing daggers at the ready as the duo looked at a being lying on the ground right in front of them.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian stared at the creature that hade into view.

    ¡°Is that a deer?¡±

    An odd being appeared in Dorian¡¯s eyesight. A deer that appeared to be made out of green grass, with a maneposed of some type of pink nt, and horns made out of the stalk of roses, ending with the various heads of roses that dripped nectar made of light onto the ground around it. A majestic, unusual looking being.

    (Image ¨C https://i.imgur/vvsN8e3.jpg )(Doesn¡¯t Open In App)

    In his head, Ausra identified the creature for him.

    ¡®This appears to be a Sr Garden Deer, an organismposed of various types of mystical nts that havee to life through the mystical Laws of the Universe, transforming into a single, homogeneous being.¡¯

    ¡°Huh.¡± Dorian stared at it.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Anthone looked down at what was before him in disappointment, his Aura retracting.

    He then turned and exchanged nces with a grinning Tinor.

    ¡°Well, it looks like you found something.¡±

    Anthone red at Tinor and then turned around in frustration.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s keep looking.¡±

    Tinorughed as he turned around too, shaking his head as he took onest nce behind him.

    At where arge, Grandmaster ss Grass Pig had just given birth to a set of triplets. Grass Pigs were a rare beast found in the forest they were searching, especially those at the Grandmaster ss.

    This current pig was ring at the two Shades that had just burst into view, its hackles raised as it snarled at them, covering up its newborn young.

    ¡°Hahaha, you know what, Anthone, there is one thing I think we¡¯ve learned from this.¡± Tinor said as he jogged away from the pig, catching up to his friend.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Anthone grunted in response.

    ¡°It¡¯s just like your marriage.¡± Tinor said, still grinning.

    ¡°Go on.¡± Anthone¡¯s voice was dangerously calm.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the eye for finding pigs.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡®The deer was most likely drawn here by the fluctuations in the world around you from your Law baptisms. Fluctuations like this moremonly appear from the appearance of Natural Treasures or rare Magic Herbs, or when powerful beasts with Soul Spell Matrixes at the Grandmaster ss or above give birth.¡¯

    ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s a relief. I thought someone that was hunting us might¡¯ve found us or something.¡± Dorian muttered out loud, his heart calm.

    ¡°I guess that would be far too convenient, though, huh?¡± He shrugged.

    As he looked at back at the deer, he noticed that there was arge, ck arrow pierced into its back. This arrow seemed to have badly injured the deer, shot by someone hunting it.

    The deer took a few more jogging steps towards Dorian before finally slipping and tumbling down, falling to the ground dead. The deer must¡¯ve spent thest of its energy trying to reach the energy fluctuations Dorian was giving off.

    Dorian looked at it with pity but shook his head. He could not save everyone in existence. If he tried to save the life of every squirrel and spider, every human and Aethman that he found, he would make it nowhere.

    ¡°Oi Salma! Its tracks lead here!¡±

    ¡°Keep chasing it, Jasol! The deer should be close to death!¡±

    In the background, Dorian heard two youthful voices call out, yelling to each other.

    His eyes shed.

    It seemed he would still be meeting someone after all.

    .

 Chapter 149 - Come Back

    Chapter 149: Come Back

    (Another long chapter ? Recently they¡¯ve all been long chapters :p sorry for those with low SS v.v.)

    Whenever Dorian Evolved into a new, stronger form, his Energy Level would rise. In terms of added strength, the rise would not be purely linear, however.

    A part of the Energy Level that any Bloodline reached through natural growth consisted of energy devoted to increasing the strength of one¡¯s Soul Spell Matrix. For Dorian, whose Soul Spell Matrix was already very strong, most of that energy would have little effect.

    Thus, while he gained a significant amount of strength from gaining his Bnce Demon Form, the increase was not a direct addition of the Demon¡¯s Energy Level.

    Slowly, but surely, Dorian was growing his physical form towards one of the strongest in existence, without counting Laws or Law energy.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at the dead Sr Garden Deer.

    Most of his focus was still on reveling in the Law Energy and the remnants of the Baptism of the Laws he had experienced, taking in every bit of energy he could. Therefore, he remained still, unmoving as he leaned against a tree. (A/N: Capitalizing Baptism from now on)

    thud thud

    The sounds of feet pounding on dirt rang out as first one, and then a second, figure burst into view.

    Two youths wearing brown leather hides, each armed with a fine looking bow that appeared to be made out of metal.

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C Sky ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 31

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C Sky ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 33

    ¨C

    Dorian stared at them.

    ¡®Wow. Energy Levels of 33 and 31? Was I that pitifully weak at one point?¡¯ Dorian shook his head. The Shade Race Bloodline could grow, naturally, to Sky ss. To grow beyond that, however, one needed to study a Mystic Martial Art or study Magic.

    ¡°Salma, we got it!¡± The first of the two youths looked slightly reedier than the other, with short brown hair and pale green eyes. The dark essence that floated off his hands, the tell-tale sign of the Shade Race, rose slowly in the air.

    ¡°Nice! Sr Garden Deer may be weak, but they can sell for a ton at the Normal Auction. We¡¯ll make enough off this to live like kings for at least a month!¡± The other youth jumped up and down in joy as he ran up to the corpse.

    Dorian studied them quietly, still immersed in the feeling of the Law of Mercy, and residually, the Law of Greed.

    The two boys quickly trussed up the corpse with a set of sticks and ropes, instead of putting it in any type of Spatial Ring or Pouch. Their movements were quick and practiced, as if they had done this many times before.

    They also, he noted with amusement,pletely failed to notice the heavily armored Bnce Demon that was leaning against a tree just a couple dozen meters away, meditating.

    The duo promptly began to leave.

    WHOOSH

    The air around Dorian stirred slightly. The Law of Mercy caused a very short Baptism of the Laws of the Universe. Dorian finished itpletely then, gaining all he could by active focus and meditation.

    ¡®Status.¡¯ He called to mind his status, eager to check his progress.

    ¨C

    Dorian ¨C Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 138,825/162,112

    ¨C

    He grinned, clenching his fists with excitement.

    His efforts had borne fruit. His Energy Level now well exceeded the typical norm for a Pseudo-King ss fighter or Wizard, moving into the range of the abnormal ones like Vice-Head Taemin.

    And with 4 different Laws to draw upon to power his Soul, Dorian had no intention of stopping that growth.

    Laws were the bedrock of power in this universe. Dorian had realized that firmly as he saw stronger and stronger beings carrying with them unbelievable strength.

    ¡®The only person I know that studied multiple Laws is the Demon Emperor.¡¯ From the memories he used to have, Dorian had be aware that Yukeli had sensed multiple Laws, but only chose to fully use and study the Law of the Absolute.

    ording to legend, the Demon Emperor mastered all Seven of the Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race. This made him a nearly unstoppable force of nature that required the efforts of the greatest geniuses in the Universe to defeat.

    No one actually knew the real details of that final battle. Only that the Five Great Heroes had proven victorious, but promptly afterward, two of the Five, Ausra and Kdin, had disappeared.

    ¡®Well, Ausra didn¡¯t just disappear. Yukeli killed her.¡¯ Dorian mentally corrected himself, his eyes dark.

    ¡®Anyway. I¡¯m kind of on a simr path to the Demon Emperor, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ Dorian realized, not sure how much he liked that idea,

    ¡®I¡¯m also studying several Laws that are part of the Seven Laws of the Demon Race. I¡¯m also studying several contrasting Laws. I guess you could say they are opposites of the Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race. If the Seven Laws of the Demon Race are the Seven Sins like they seem to be¡­ Then these would be the Seven Virtues.¡¯ He rubbed his chin, processing the thought,

    ¡®Well. Laws are just a tool.¡¯ He shrugged,

    ¡®Just because I am using a Law that centers around a Sin does not mean I am evil. It is the choices you make that prove what you are, not your abilities.¡¯ He nodded sharply,

    ¡®I will always try to do the right thing. In this universe, I will fail at that unless I have power.¡¯ His eyes narrowed,

    ¡®And the path to power¡­ I see it.¡¯ He grinned fiercely,

    ¡®Not even you can stop me now, Yukeli.¡¯ His eyes shed as he made a mental resolution.

    WHOOSH

    The air around him shivered as he thought that, as if him making that promise had an impact on Fate itself.

    ¡®Still¡­ with that said¡­ what should I do now?¡¯ Dorian nced off to the side, where the two Shade boys were weaving through the trees, still in eyesight. They appeared to be painfully oblivious to the fluctuating energy around Dorian.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He said aloud, tapping on a ring he wore.

    In his Spatial Ring, Dorian still had one Pill left that he had yet to use on Helena.

    His Shorn Soul Repair Pill.

    It was a Pill he had originally nned on using on Will¡¯s soul in case of an emergency when he was trying to repair it, but hadn¡¯t ended up needing due to being able to use Veritas¡¯ body.

    The Pill drew heavily on the energy of the surrounding world, forcibly healing a soul that was injured. It operated quickly, taking little time to function.

    The downside of the Pill was that it had negative side effects, ording to the Alchemist that had made it for him, Lord Ru. It could repair a soul quickly, but by doing so, damage the ability of that soul to sense the Laws of the Universe for years.

    It was the price the Pill paid to grant ultra fast regeneration of the soul.

    The side effects went away, eventually, with time, ording to Lord Ru. And, for Dorian, it had sounded ideal at the time.

    He would only use the Pill if it looked like he was going to fail and needed to protect Will¡¯s soul. He didn¡¯t think Will wouldin, considering how he would be dead otherwise.

    For Helena, however, such a repair could cripple her Ability to use her Law of Might for years toe. That wasn¡¯t something Dorian wanted to have happen.

    ¡°Lord Ru mentioned the negative side effects could be mitigated if I obtained a Lord ss Healing Bell Pill, though¡­¡± Dorian muttered quietly, his eyes shing.

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a bad idea to mingle with other beings after all.

    Dorian stood up, shaking out his body. He felt strong. He was strong.

    He turned and jumped,nding on a nearby branch of the tree that was holding Helena. He looked down at her resting form, sleeping on a makeshift bed created out of folded up clothes.

    He frowned. She deserved much better. His eyes roamed her resting form. Even with the disfigured wrinkles and withered appearance, Dorian still thought she looked beautiful. The corner of her lips was upturned in a smile and he could feel that fierce, proud nature.

    He reached out but then stopped, looking at his armored, wed fingers. He frowned again as he stared at this and then back at her. He sighed.

    ¡®Ausra, I still have a Shade Bloodline stored, correct?¡¯ He queried.

    ¡®Yes.¡¯ Ausra gave a terse and short reply.

    ¡®Evolve me into a Shade.¡¯

    WHOOSH

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡°Hup! Careful now, dove.¡± Dorian carried Helena carefully, bncing her body on his arms as he walked through the forest. He followed the trail of the two Shade boys that had been out hunting, carrying their prized carcass.

    He bore the appearance of a normal human, for the most part, save for two Dark Points on the top of his hands.

    He was a Shade.

    ¨C

    Shade ¨C Sky ss

    ¨C

    Maximum Energy Level: 36

    Ability: Weak Dark Sense, Weak Shadow Sense

    ¨C

    The Shade Race is a mere shadow of the greater, Shadoir Race. They are a lesser subrace that holds none of the powerful Abilities that made the Shadoir one of the greatest Ancient Races in the 30,000 Worlds, and a contender against the Ancestral Vampires for rule tens of thousands of years ago.

    The Shade Racepletes their natural growth at the Sky ss. They possess a weak but innate ability to use Shadow and Dark Magic. The Shade Race also possesses a unique characteristic known as a Dark Point on the top of each wrist. For practitioners of Shadow or Dark Magic, this Dark Point can enhance the power of either type of Magic significantly if used as the focus for a Spell. As a result of their affinity for Dark and Shadow Magic, Shade blood is ck in color.

    ¨C

    ¡®Not the most useful ss for me, but whatever. At least it was cheap to upgrade fully.¡¯ He shrugged.

    ¡°I got you, I got you.¡± Dorian muttered quietly as he put his full focus on keeping Helena safe. His running and jumping through the forest was controlled and quiet. He made sure to move in smooth motions, not risking her being jostled.

    Helena slept peacefully, snuggled up against Dorian¡¯s chest as he moved forward.

    Dorian had drawn up a rough game n for the future.

    First, he needed to figure out where he was. Right now, seeing as he found two Shade boys randomly hunting in a forest, he figured he was near or within the Shade Commune.

    ¡®But how deep?¡¯ He thought, slightly worried. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t too far.

    After all, the Shade Commune was at war with the Vampire Families, as Dorian had learned. Even worse, Dorian had beat up and almost truly killed the Holy Prince of the Church of Light, someone that was an extremely important figure to the Shade Race.

    If they found out he was here¡­ Well. It was best to avoid that.

    ¡®After I find out where we are, I¡¯ll decide what to do from there. I either need to hurry up and escape to safernds, or search for a Lord ss Healing Bell Pill or some other Pill that can help heal the soul.¡¯ If he was close enough to the Aurelius Family controlled Worlds, he would just leave for them immediately. They would be able to treat and heal Helena, and would likely spare no expense.

    ¡®It all depends on where you two lead me.¡¯ His eyes shed as he focused back on the present, looking at the two boys that were hurrying through the forest. Shade¡¯s grew older, and matured, at a slower rate than humans, with an average lifespan ranging from 200-300 years of age.

    This didn¡¯t take into ount how having a stronger soul meant you could live for hundreds or even thousands of years longer than normal, but only considered the average of regr people.

    The two boys must¡¯ve been, in human terms, 16 or 17 years old. Not yet men, but old enough to take care of themselves.

    They quickly moved through the forest, following a slightly worn trail. The forest wasn¡¯t thick, yet Dorian discovered there was a myriad of flora and fauna moving about. He saw several Grass Deer, Silver Oak Boars, and a few other species that all looked quite unique. At the least, not like anything he had ever seen before. All the creatures here seemed to be rted to nts somehow.

    ¡®Can I absorb a nt? Can I be a nt?¡¯ Dorian paused for a moment as he looked at one of therge oak trees that dominated this forest.

    ¡®Yes, you can absorb certain species of nts that have gained sentience and possess a Soul Spell Matrix.¡¯ Ausra cut into his thoughts, informing him.

    ¡®Oh. Good to know.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t even really considered it. Maybe there were some weird trees or flowers out there with unique Abilities that could help him.

    ¡®Even weak creatures can have useful or unique Abilities. I should cycle through my old, unused Bloodlines and see if there is anything there I might like.¡¯ He made a mental note of it, deciding he¡¯d look into it when he got free time.

    Finally, after 15 more minutes of travel, with Dorian¡¯s thoughts rambling all over the ce, they arrived at a clearing where the forest ended. Arge, spread out grass in extended beyond the forest.

    A long, earthen road could be seen leading to the forest. The two youths began jogging down this path, moving at a fast pace.

    Dorian stalked and followed them, staying several hundred meters away. With his powerful senses, as a Pseudo-King ss expert, he could still easily keep track of them.

    Minutes slipped away as the youths travelled forward. Soon, Dorian could make out a set of city walls in the distance, towering a dozen meters high.

    The path they were traveling had a few other Shades moving on it. Most of them appeared in simr wear as the Shade youths, obviously all hunters.

    After a couple more minute of travel, with those great walls growingrge in the background, the boy¡¯s easy travel was interrupted.

    ¡°Oh, now what do we have here?¡± A gruff, grouchy voice echoed out as a trio of Shades noticed the duo carrying their deer down the road. The leader of the trio was a taller, athletic looking Shade that carried himself with authority. He wore a set of simple, in leather armor, simr to what the two boys wore. Behind him were two slightly overweight Shades dressed in fine looking white silk.

    Despite the difference in attire, the two overweight Shades clearly followed the younger, leather-armor d Shade.

    ¨C

    Species: Shade

    ss ¨C Master ss

    Maximum Energy Level: 61

    ¨C

    ¡®Oh, he¡¯s Master ss.¡¯ Dorian noted. For a Shade, that meant he had practiced Magic or, more likely from his appearance, a Mystic Martial Art enough to upgrade his Soul Spell Matrix. The increase in energy level was nearly double the boys, but in physique, a Master ss Shade would be much stronger than a regr Sky ss Shade.

    Still, anything before Grandmaster ss wouldn¡¯t have touched upon true strength, not yet.

    ¡°Darvo. We already paid our dues to the Guild, just likest time.¡± The speaker was the slightly reedier Shade youth, Jasol.

    This was, apparently, a regr urrence for the two youths. Dorian frowned when he saw it, but didn¡¯t take action. He couldn¡¯t take care of everyone. And besides, it wasn¡¯t like he had full knowledge of the situation. Perhaps the Guild here was one that provided real benefits or protection in return for whatever dues the kids paid.

    ¡°Yes, you two have. I¡¯m aware. Imend you for supporting the local economy.¡± Darvo said as he walked forward, his eyes shining as he looked at the strung up deer and continued,

    ¡°But what is this, here? Is that a Sr Garden Deer?¡± His voice was full of interest.

    The other Shade youth, Salma, stepped in front of the body of the deer, blocking Darvo¡¯s vision.

    ¡°Guild rules state you can¡¯t interfere with members of the Guild on business. We hunted this deer fair and square, so buzz off.¡± Salma crossed his arms imperiously. The reedy looking Jasol nodded, crossing his arms in solidarity.

    ¡°That they do¡­ But we aren¡¯t in Guild territory, no? I usually check for dues outside the city proper, we¡¯re still several miles distant from that. Running into you two must¡¯ve been a random twist of Fate.¡± Darvo smiled in a pleased manner, pping his hands together.

    Dorian, in the background, turned and whistled to himself guiltily, looking away as if he had nothing to do with this.

    ¡®Damn it, soul! You cause enough trouble for me, don¡¯t just bring trouble to random people as well.¡¯ He had no doubt that his soul was at fault for this.

    ¡°And out here in the wilds¡­ the mighty rule, while the weak give way.¡± Darvo¡¯s body blurred as he jumped forward, grabbing ahold of the Shade youth named Salma.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed darkly when he heard that expression, sounding very simr to something he¡¯d heard Arial say, in what felt like so long ago. He frowned, instantly making a decision.

    ¡®If I save those two boys, I should be able to get reliable information and have two temporarily allies in this strangend.¡¯

    Energy flowed around his arms, crackling as he put his full focus on what was in front of him.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have to show off my full strength. But I also don¡¯t need to hide anymore¡­¡¯ He smiled coldly,

    ¡®I am no longer weak like I used to be. I can face threats head-on.¡¯

    Dorian leapt forward, swinging his arms into a guard position as he appeared, roughly a dozen meters away from the two Shades. An air of justice appeared around him, as if he was a brave knight doing a good deed.

    ¡°Unhand those youths, foul viin! I¡¯ll have you know that this Godly Shade shall-oh-my-god-Helena-no!-I¡¯m-so-sorry!¡± Dorian¡¯s monologue cut off as his eyes widened, realizing he had forgotten something.

    He instantly hurled his body forward at full strength as he spun about.

    ¡®Perfect Body, Activate!¡¯

    ¡®Energy from the Law of Valor, quickly!¡¯

    ¡®Thundering Winds: Flush Gale!¡¯

    Dorian unleashed his full strength as he dived head first towards the ground.

    Specifically towards the body of Helena that he had identally forgotten he was holding when he jumped forward. As he swung his arms, he had inadvertently tossed her off to the side and up into the air. He had been sopletely focused on the situation at hand that he hadn¡¯t noticed.

    BOOM

    A small crater formed in the ground as Dorian smashed down onto the grass in, just barely managed to catch the still sleeping Helena. Dirt and rock debris fluttered into the air, grass flying about as a small burst of wind shot out at the impact.

    ¡°Hey? Are you okay?¡± Dorian heaved a huge sigh of relief as he looked at her, noting that she seemed to be in the same condition as before, her health unchanged by hispse.

    ¡°Did you notice that at all?¡± He whispered quietly, eyeing her.

    Helena didn¡¯t react.

    Dorian carried her carefully, using his left hand to wipe a sheen of sweat of his forehead. The dark essence that rose off the Dark Point on his wrist blinded him temporarily, something he would have to get used to.

    Dorian then turned his focus back to the now stunned group of Shades.

    They were all staring at him as if he was insane.

    He stared back, this time ring.

    ¡°None of you saw that, do you hear me? I absolutely did not throw her into the air and almost drop her.¡± The air around him rippled intimidatingly with power from the Law of Valor.

    All of the Shades stood frozen, staring at Dorian in mute terror. They nodded back quietly.

    ¡°Good, good.¡± Dorian smiled in a satisfied manner.

    ¡°Oh, right, where was I.¡± He gathered his bearings. Once more, a proud, justice-full demeanor appeared and wrapped around him once more.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± He coughed and then yelled aloud mightily,

    ¡°Unhand thos- oh, you¡¯re not holding them anymore. Well.¡± He cut himself offmely as he noticed that the Martial Artist Shade had let go of the youth hunter, backing up several steps.

    ¡°Uhh.¡± He rubbed his chin, looking down as he tried to think of a response.

    ¡°I got it!¡± He snapped his fingers, looking back up with a smile.

    ¡°Do you dare to- hey! Wait! Hold on!¡± Dorian sputtered aloud as he looked at his charges.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away! I wasn¡¯t finished! Come back!¡± He yelled aloud as he saw the youth hunters and the Martial Artist and his two goons sprinting away at full speed. The two youths kept hold of their deer corpse loot, their bodies shaking with exertion as they fled, while the Martial Artist Shade ran adeptly, his movements smooth.

    ¡°Dammit! I¡¯m not done with you! Get back here!¡± Dorian began to chase them, running slowly as to not jostle Helena awake.

    .

    .

    .

    For those that missed the added note in thest chapter:

    (Minor correction made. Dorian¡¯s Soul was at Late Lord ss, and just now reached Pseudo-King ss. Chapter 136 and others have been corrected to show this.)

    None of the notes in this chapter will affect SS price. All were edited in after.

    .

 Chapter 150 - My Name

    Chapter 150: My Name

    ¡°Thank you, mister!¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    Two nervous, but no longer terrified, youthful voices rang out as the two young Shades bowed their heads towards Dorian.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Y¡¯all get out of here.¡± Dorian waved them and their thanks off, turning his attention towards the city walls in front of him. The duo quickly scampered off, still holding their Sr Garden Deer prize.

    ¡°So I¡¯m in the country of tera.¡± He muttered.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help me much.¡±

    After everyone fled from him, Dorian had eventually managed to chase down the two youths, while running carefully with Helena. It had taken some convincing, but he¡¯d managed to win them over and exin himself.

    After he gave them a couple of the few Magic Herbs he still had remaining, the youths had been beside themselves with sharing any relevant info they had. Dorian¡¯s magic stretching clothes had the appearance of fine silk garments, making him appear as a wealthy noble or merchant, perhaps one lost in his travels to the boys.

    The two hunters didn¡¯t actually know what they were on. In fact, all they knew was that he was in the country of tera, right outside one of the Fort Cities that dotted thendscape of the nation. It wasn¡¯t too surprising given their status as lowly hunters.

    tera was supposed to be arge, sweeping semi-nation that took up an entire half of arge continent. The Fort Cities were the ce where most people live and were mostly independent, with everything else swarming with wildlife. Most of the creatures in tera appeared to be rted to nts or flowers, or other types of flora.

    While the boys didn¡¯t know anything about others or World Bridges, they did know that the local area was one almostpletely inhabited by Shades.

    ¡®I¡¯m definitely within the Shade Commune.¡¯ If Dorian hadn¡¯t been sure before, he was certain now. He sighed with frustration, worry filling him.

    Dorian kept his thoughts to himself as he moved towards the Fort City ahead of him, arge city known as Fort Sutner.

    The walls were stark grey, perfectly t with almost no visible cracks. As Dorian got closer to the city, more and more Shades could be seen moving about. This road seemed to lead only to therge forest he had just left, with mostly hunters or gatherers moving back and forth.

    Dorian felt pressure appear on his arm, causing him to nce down.

    Helena was grabbing ahold of him measuredly, her withered appearance full of concern and care.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Her voice was weak as she tried tofort him, her head shifting slightly as she tried to nod at him.

    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re awake! How are you feeling?¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes lit up as he saw this, giving her a warm smile. They were still some distance from the city walls and no other Shades were currently near them.

    ¡°Okay. Well, actually¡­¡± She paused, her face scrunching up,

    ¡°My body feels kind of¡­ sore? As if I got tossed around or something?¡± She looked up at Dorian questioningly.

    ¡°Nope, no idea about that, must be the cold weather.¡± Dorian shrugged innocently, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead as he gestured at the world around them.

    It was warm and sunny.

    ¡°Uh-right, so, moving on,¡± He began, quickly changing the subject,

    ¡°We¡¯ve touched down in a¡­ hardly ideal spot.¡± Dorian quickly exined everything he¡¯d learned so far as he continued to walk.

    After taking it all in, Helena frowned with him, worry filling her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this nation either. My Artifact was supposed to take us to Tomo City, like I said. When space fractured at the Ascension Ruins, we must¡¯ve fallen into one of those fractures.¡± Helena¡¯s eyes lit up as she spoke, as if everything made sense now,

    ¡°The energy particte that the Capitoline Wolf Bracelet gives off must¡¯ve interacted with Chaotic Space, causing a Sunder Field of Energy to surround and protect us. That exins the enormous feeling of drain I felt and the constant attacks, as well as the support you provided.¡± Helena¡¯s eyes filled with realization.

    ¡°Right, right. Yes, of course. A Sunder Field.¡± Dorian nodded sagely, rubbing his chin as if he, too, understood what she was getting at.

    ¡°But you¡¯re right.¡± Helena bit her lip,

    ¡°Even knowing that¡­ it doesn¡¯t help us.¡±

    Abruptly, Helena¡¯s body shifted as she tried to stand up. A faint Aura of energy began to form for just a second before immediately dissipating as she copsed back into Dorian¡¯s arms, her face growing pale.

    ¡°Woah, Helena, easy.¡± Dorian cautioned her as he pulled her in, looking at her sternly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle all of this, alright? You just rest. I got this.¡± His voice wasmanding as he stared into her eyes, brooking no argument.

    She stared back, emotion fluctuating in them. A few seconds passed as they looked at each other.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Helena rxed fully, allowing Dorian to carry her freely as she let her weakened body rest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you handle this.¡± Her voice was a quiet whisper, full of trust, as she slipped back into unconsciousness, her body fully focused on healing itself.

    Dorian looked down at her sleeping form and then up at the city walls. He then looked around at the other Shades walking in the distance and gulped slightly.

    ¡°Right. I will handle this.¡± He nodded firmly.

    In almost no time Dorian found himself in a short line, waiting to get into the city. The Shades in front of him all wore leather or linen clothes, bearing swords or bows.

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Dorian did stand out quite a bit, carrying Helena¡¯s wrapped up body in his arms.

    ¡®Well¡­ It¡¯s not a bad thing standing out, actually.¡¯ For the entirety of his time here in the 30,000 Worlds, Dorian had done his best to remain low-key and avoid drawing too much attention to himself. He knew he was being hunted.

    Now, however, as he was in the midst of enemy territory, Dorian decided to take a slightly different approach.

    ¡®Everyone is expecting me to be low-key. After all, what is thest thing you would expect someone you were hunting or searching for to do?¡¯ His eyes shed.

    ¡®Stand out.¡¯

    It was finally Dorian¡¯s turn in line.

    The gate that Dorian had stood in line for wasrge, at least 5 meters high and a dozen meters wide. Dorian could see several thick metal bars set to fall down in the middle of the gate, blocking it off at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Beyond the entrance, Dorian could make out a bustling town. Thousands of Shades moving in the streets, to and fro. Most of them wore leather hides or in linen clothes, simr to the hunters that were moving out from the gate. This appeared to be a rtively poorer district.

    The few buildings that Dorian could see were all made of aged brown wood, a few with broken ss windows or worn out doors. He could also see a few kids running around, however, and the area seemed to have a lively feel.

    ¡°Name and purpose.¡± A demanding voice caught Dorian¡¯s attention.

    One of the six guards that stood at the entrance of this gate. All Shades, like everyone else Dorian could see. Each guard wore a set of grey iron armor, ted and worn, with a short sword at their waist and a shield on their back.

    This particr guard seemed to be the one in charge of the gate, his armor adorned with arge, yellow circle.

    The guard that was talking to Dorian looked at him with a rather bored expression, his eyes almost zed over. As he saw that Dorian was carrying a body, however, the bored expression vanished, bing alert.

    Dorian took a deep breath.

    ¡°My name is Inigo Montoya, from the farnds of Spain! I have traveled far to this kingdom bearing the body of my lover, a princess of Florin.¡± Dorian¡¯s voice boomed out with authority, rich power flowing from his words as he spoke. The air around him swirled as he put his focus on twisting Fate, to make himself seem as noble and authoritative as possible.

    ¡°My purpose is to seek out medicine to treat injuries to the soul and to save my wife. She has fallen into a deep, magic sleep from which nothing can wake her! My journey shall end only when she walks freely again!¡± He finished speaking, waving grandly, making sure this time to not drop Helena, as he looked back at the guard to see his response.

    Every single one of the six guards had turned to stare at him in shock.

    In their eyes, Dorian appeared as a noble, devout Shade hero from legend. His fine clothes and powerful appearance gave him the air of a ruler on a quest to save his love. The image stirred the heart and minds of the Shade guards.

    ¡°M-my deepest apologies, my lord. All whoe in peace are wee in the Fort City of Sutner.¡± The guard bowed his head quickly, his body shaking.

    Dorian turned his head as he looked at the guard, his face suddenly incredulous,

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you have not heard of the King of the Sword, Inigo Montoya? Son of the Greatest Swordcrafter in the 30,000 Worlds? The ck Shade of 7 des? My name has not spread to this corner of the glorious Commune?¡± Dorian sputtered as he spoke, incredulity filling his voice. He twisted Fate hard at the same time, focusing on the guard in front of him.

    Dorian also pulled on his Law of Valor, a heroic, powerful Aura bursting forth around him. This new Aura merged with his already heroic image, raising the onlooking guards¡¯ opinion of him even higher.

    ¡°N-n-ah, yes, of course, Lord Inigo. Your name and fame have spread far and wide. It-t is this foolish guard¡¯s fault for being blind.¡± The guard smacked his forehead and bowed again, quickly stepping aside. At the same time, he waved urgently with his other hand to one of the guards.

    ¡°Ponto, immediately inform the Lord Gabito of Lord Inigo¡¯s arrival! Make full haste, do not dy at all!¡± The head guard ordered one of his subordinates.

    ¡°Yes sir, Captain Tobagin. Right away!¡± The other guard raced off, rushing through the crowd towards arge castle that was set towards the center of the city. The guard¡¯s movements were smooth and agile, at the Master ss level.

    ¡°Please, Lord Inigo, a million apologies. We were unaware of your greatness arriving today. The City Lord will be informed shortly.¡± The guard¡¯s voice was nasal as he ttered Dorian, motioning for him to step into the guardroom off to the side, bowing his head again. The poor guard looked so worried and concerned that Dorian actually felt bad for him.

    Dorian¡¯s eyes shed arrogantly as he followed the guard, the powerful Aura that flowed around him fading slightly as he smiled, however, maintaining his disguise.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Helena.¡¯ He thought, feeling confident,

    ¡®I got this!¡¯

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, within the City Lord¡¯s castle, at the center of Fort Sutner, two Shades could be seen arguing with each other in a dining room.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault we¡¯re supposed tob every poption center, Gavin. It¡¯s from the bigwigs of the Commune, we can¡¯t exactly say no. Besides, we don¡¯t even have to apprehend the Vampire if they¡¯re too strong. Just crush the Signal Sigil.¡± A female Shade said as she looked at herrade with frustration. She wore a long, grey robe emzoned with the insignia of the Church of Light. Around her, a holy Aura seemed to rest. She appeared to be in herte 20s, with long brown hair and grey eyes.

    ¡°I know that, Patricia.¡± Gavin replied, shaking his head back. Gavin wore a simr set of slim grey robes, also emzoned with the sun insignia that represented the Church of Light. He looked slightly older, in his mid-30s, rubbing at arge staff that was hooked onto his back.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why it matters in the Eastern Worlds. This is the 10th city we¡¯ve searched in as many days, what are the chance-¡± The Shade abruptly cut himself off, turning around with a smile as another Shade entered the dining hall.

    ¡°Greetings, Lord Gabito.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Lord Gabito.¡±

    The two Wizards from the Church of Light nodded at the City Lord.

    ¡°Ah, greetings, great Wizards!¡± The City Lord was a jovial looking Shade, bearing a calm, but steady Aura of strength. To be a City Lord in any of the Fort Cities on tera required at least some degree of strength. The country was full of powerful beasts, but also full of powerful Magic Herbs and rare Natural Treasures.

    The City Lord had a long sword strapped to his back and wore a rxed pair of grey silk pants and a white silk shirt. He appeared middle-aged, with a strong chin and a slim build.

    ¡°I was just about to ask you two about your stay. Have you finished scanning the city proper?¡± Lord Gabito¡¯s voice may have been warm, but his eyes showed steel as he looked at the two Wizards, apparently displeased with their presence.

    The Church of Light was revered and loved by the popce, but figures like Lord Gabito preferred to rule their ownnds without bending knee to others. It took a man with a powerful will to rule over the lives of the nearly 5,000,000 Shades that lived in Fort Sutner.

    ¡°Yes, Lord Gabito. We should be on our way soon. We didn¡¯t find any Vampires within the City.¡± Patricia replied, her words cool. The orders hade down several weeks ago, from both the Duke of the East and the Church, to scour thend and apprehend any Vampires living within the Commune.

    Another war had broken out with the Vampires, and while it had little effect on the Worlds as far to the east as their current one, it didn¡¯t mean the Worlds could ignore it entirely.

    Patricia reached into her breasts pocket, pulling out a small small, green crystal that was emzoned with markings.

    ¡°If there were any within range, this Bloodline Crystal would¡¯ve started glowing after wepleted the ceremon-¡­¡± Patricia cut herself off as she stared at the rock, her voice trailing off.

    The crystal was currently glowing.

    ¡°Huh?!¡± Both Wizards stared at the Bloodline Crystal in shock.

    Lord Gabito looked on, his face scrunched up as well.

    At that exact moment, just as he was about to say something, a guard burst into the chamber, his chest heaving.

    ¡°Lord Gabito! The famed Swordmaster Lord Inigo Montoya has arrived at the Western Forest Gate!¡±

 Chapter 151 I Accep

    "Who?" The City Lord of Fort Sutner stared at his subordinate in surprise and a little displeasure. The man was one of the local city guards, but should know better than to barge into the central castle without proper authorization, unless it was an emergency. He would need to reprimand the castle guards after this.

    "The famed Swordmaster Lord Inigo Montoya, sir! The ck Shade of 7 des!" The guard panted as he caught his breath, his body heaving from exertion.

    Lord Gabito''s eyes narrowed. He didn''t recognize the name, but for the warrior to have such a title, it must be someone of importance.

    "Dammit. Why are so many irritating figures popping up now?" The City Lord grumbled under his breath, rubbing his eyes in frustration as he nced at the two Wizards from the Church of Light.

    "Damon!" He waved his hand off to the side. Immediately, a Shade that had been lurking in the background stepped forward. An elderly Shade dressed in a long brown robe, covered in silk ropes and markings. His steward that helped him manage the affairs of the City.

    "My Lord." Damon bowed, his long white hair shifting slightly.

    "Quickly, put together a reception and invite this Lord Intelgo or Inigo or whatever into the castle and see what he wants. Be respectful about it, though." Lord Gabito waved him off, rubbing his forehead as he turned around back to the Wizards from the Church of Light.

    "How long will it take for you two to find this Vampire and get rid of it?"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian focused his breathing as he waited in a guest foyer within the guardhouse. The Captain of the gate guard was waiting outside, standing at attention. The room was sparsely decorated, with a few wooden tables and chairs. Some swords and other weapons were stacked in the corner, covered in dust.

    Several minutes had passed since he''d been brought here, terrorizing the guard at the gate with his grand presence.

    "Oh?" Dorian muttered as he felt Helena pinch him. He was still holding her carefully, feeling her head rest against his chest. He looked down in surprise, seeing her re up at him. He had thought she was still asleep, recuperating.

    "I am your wife now?" She whispered quietly, still ring. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she said that, lighting up her still withered appearance.

    "Shh, quiet my lovey-dovey wife. Remember, you''re caught up in a magic spell that makes you stay asleep." Dorian simply grinned down at her obnoxiously.

    Helena''s mouth opened to retort, but before she could say anything, the guardhouse door boomed open. She immediately shut her mouth, and eyes, giving Dorian onest re for good measure.

    "Lord Inigo!" The guard that the Captain of the gate had sent off reappeared, his face flushed from exertion.

    "A delegation has arrived to receive you!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, far from Dorian, on an unusual Exotic World within the Graal Alliance¡­

    A monkey and a mannded atop a giant leaf that came floating down from the sky. The monkey moved smoothly, its movements precise and practiced, while the human jumped clumsily but managed to hold his footing.

    "You must be prepared for anything. Battle on unstable ground, on wavering surfaces." Sun Wukong''s voice echoed out as heshed out at Will with a long staff, sweeping him off his feet as he tried to bnce on the leaf.

    Will tumbled backwards, sliding around on the nearly 100 meters long leaf. He managed to flip himself over as he fell, particles of light flowing around him.

    "Light Mag-"

    WHACK

    Before he could finish casting a Spell, Sun Wukong appeared again right in front of him, knocking him back once more.

    A bright, warm Aura of Light covered Will protectively, but failed to stop the attack from the staff. The blow seemed topletely ignore the innate barrier that surrounded Will, knocking him away.

    "Do you think your enemies will wait for you to finish casting a Spell? Be faster. Be stronger." Sun Wukong''s voice was cool,

    "Be better."

    Will snorted, manipting Light Energy around him without casting a Spell as heshed out at Sun Wukong.

    The monkey effortlessly dodged the blow, but took a few steps back, just enough for Will to gain his footing.

    The strange scene that was ying out had been a very different one just a few days prior.

    Sun Wukong had grabbed Will, rescuing him as the Ascension Ruins copsed. Will''s mind had gone nk as they seemed to warp about and teleport, moving at an incredibly quick speed.

    In what felt like hours but was really only a minute or two at most, Will had found himself standing on a grassy World Bridge, alone with the monkey that had grabbed him.

    He''d sat on the ground for a minute, gathering his thoughts.

    To Will, everything had seemed to happen at a million miles an hour, going by so fast. His memories were still vague and scattered. One thing he knew for sure, however.

    Dorian had saved him, once again. And now this monkey had too.

    ''Wow, people really save me a lot, huh?'' He''d thought at the time, smiling ruefully. The dragon, or whatever it was that Dorian was, that had done so much for him had once more saved his life.

    Will could recall his memories from before he was resurrected. How he had lived in a small city, blinded by his desire to join up with the inner circle of his family. How Dorian had awoken him to the reality of his situation, to how he was wasting his life pursuing something of little value.

    ''How foolish I was.'' It hadn''t been too long since then, yet Will felt as if an eternity had passed.

    He remembered keenly the Inheritance he had received from a kindly old Wizard whose soul was on hisst legs. A powerful Wizard of incredible skill that had lived hundreds of years ago.

    In his mind now was a store of knowledge about Light Magic and the Dao of Light, the unique way the Wizard talked about the Law he studied. It was a Law that was almost identical to the Law of Light, from what Will could understand, but differed in that it was personalized. Instead of a general Law, it was a Law that harmonized his soul, letting him control it more efficiently and with greater impact.

    The Illustrious Elder Mage Horhavil had, ording to this Inheritance, reached the peak of Angelic ss but failed to Ascend.

    Willter found that his soul had been tremendously enhanced. Part of this seemed to be due to living a state of near death. For some reason, the Inheritance in his soul seemed to have interacted with and absorbed some type of foreign energy, enhancing his strength while hey unconscious in a deathly state.

    His soul now inhabited a body that was incredible. His form seemed inherently suited to Light Magic, allowing him to fully adapt to it. Every Spell he cast came out perfectly and the energy flowed within him without error.

    It was as if he had been reborn in a body perfectly suited to his needs, a stroke of Fate that was incredibly fortuitous.

    All thanks to Dorian. The debt he owed that man¡­ it felt insurmountable. Will had shaken his head as he thought that, the gratefulness he felt hard to put into words.

    It was at that moment, as Will''s mind was clearing, catching up to speed, that the monkey had begun to speak.

    "Greetings, young Wizard. My name is Sun Wukong." The monkey said, giving Will a friendly nod.

    "Thank you for the rescue, warrior. My name is Will Robel." Will had responded, looking back at him.

    The two had talked for a couple minutes as Sun Wukong exined who he was and what the situation Will had been in was. He also exined what happened to Dorian and Helena, the monkey just barely managing to see them escape through a Spatial Fracture.

    As the monkey went on, however, Will only felt himself getting more and more confused.

    "So you travelled all this way here to rescue me? How would you even know I was here at all?" Will looked at Sun Wukong, not understanding.

    The monkey rubbed at therge ne he wore, giving Will a small smile.

    "I have a special pair of eyes. Some would call them a blessing, while others a curse. My eyes allow me to see through Fate itself, for things that rte directly to me." Sun Wukong began, his voice taking on an air of grand power as he spoke.

    "And deep within your body, hiding away, is something that rtes quite closely to me and my future." Sun Wukong''s eyes shed.

    "A remnant of a being that must be destroyed." His voice was cold steel, his eyes ck iron.

    Will shivered as he heard this and saw the monkey stare at him, suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable. The feeling passed in an instant, however, as the monkey smiled, waving off the gloom.

    "However, that doesn''t rte directly to you, my friend. You, in fact, are in an interesting position indeed." The monkey looked at Will inquisitively,

    "You are a student of Illustrious Elder Mage Horhavil?"

    Will paused then, sputtering in surprise.

    "You know of him?" He stared at the powerful monkey, his eyes wide.

    "Of course. He was an incredibly adept Light Wizard that founded his own unique school of Magic, from his unique understanding of the Law of Light. I can recognize a hint of that Law and styleing off your soul." Sun Wukong examined Will closely,

    "His death several hundred years ago was an unexined tragedy."

    Will clenched his fists as he heard that, remembering how the Elder Mage had described his death to them.

    Betrayed by hisrades, left for the dead.

    Just like Will had been left for the dead, forgotten and ignored by a Family he had once thought the world of.

    "His death was indeed a tragedy." Will kept his words to himself, for now, not sharing the Elder Mage''s story. The man''sst words still echoed firmly in his mind.

    ¡ª

    "To whoever receives this, know that Fate has decided you be the bearer of my death. I am the Illustrious Elder Mage Horhavil, reduced to death''s door. After mastering the Dao of Light and reaching the peak of the Angelic Stage of the Soul, I sought to break past the shackles that held me to the 30,000 Worlds and achieve Godhood."

    "s. I have failed. At thest moment, a cadre of sorcerers from my thieving allies, the Golden Kingdom, betrayed me, and struck me down when I was most vulnerable. Despite my deathly injuries, I managed to escape, striking down two of their Pariah Mages in the process and tearing a hole in the void, ending up here."

    "The site of my death lies here, deep within this beast infested forest. Between two shattered mountains, in the darkest pit of this valley, I breathe myst. My treasures are yours for the taking, I only ask that you one day inform Holy Duke Archel, of the Elector Empire, that the Golden Kingdom betrayed me."

    "Thank you. The Cycle continues."

    ¡ª

    Will would keep this secret for now. The monkey in front of him had saved his life and seemed to be incredibly powerful, but there was nothing wrong with being careful. One day he would avenge the fallen Wizard who had helped give him a new lease on life. But that day was not today.

    ''So many debts that I owe. But I will pay them all back.'' His eyes shed,

    ''One way or another.''

    Sun Wukong looked at the passionate and driven appearance Will had on, his face slightly awkward.

    "Riiight. So. Moving on." Sun Wukong shrugged,

    "You are in an interesting position, Will. That remnant soul you have hidden within you is something that even I cannot destroy. Not unless it is fully reformed. I know of no way to remove it, either." Sun Wukong gestured at Will.

    "Is it dangerous? Can it cause me harm?" Will asked in return, concern appearing in his voice as he focused on his soul. Internally, he couldn''t feel the presence of that remnant soul. But he knew it was still there, somewhere, lurking.

    "No, no. Not directly, anyway. Your soul is not suited for it, it can do naught but remain in your body, unsatisfied." Wukong shook his head.

    "However, just because it can''t hurt you doesn''t mean others won''t. That remnant is only part of a whole. Many other remnants exist, and the owners of those remnants will be searching for you. Beings that are far more powerful than you can imagine." Sun Wukong paused, ncing at Will,

    "I don''t mind helping protect you, but if you go off on your own, you will not only put yourself at risk, but those around you as well."

    Will clenched his fists even tighter as he heard this.

    ''Am I to be a burden forever? Saved over and over, protected by others, forever unable to stand alone?'' His words bled bitterness in his mind.

    Will''s thoughts were still somewhat a mess. His revival was still fresh in his mind, his soul still adapting to the world around him.

    "That said¡­ it would be better for you to learn how to protect yourself."

    Will looked up as he heard the monkey speak up, catching his attention.

    "Your soul seems to have firmly rooted itself within the ''Dao of Light'' as the Illustrious Horhavil termed it. You should be able to step into the Lord ss quite soon with that understanding. If you are willing, I would be happy to help train you." Sun Wukong finished his offer, sping his hands together.

    "You would do that for me?" Will asked, his voice slightly raw.

    Sun Wukong simply smiled.

    "Why not? I have as much time now as I will ever have. Remember, your Fate is intertwined with mine now. These eyes of mine never lie." He tapped just below his eyes, still grinning.

    Just like that, Will agreed to train under Sun Wukong. The more he got to know the monkey, the more he felt Sun Wukong had nothing but good intentions for him.

    The duo travelled quite a distance, moving at such a fast speed that Will was unable toprehend how truly quick they transversed the 30,000 Worlds. Sun Wukong seemed to make the world around him warp, so that when he and Will took a single step, if transformed into tens of thousands of meters of movement.

    In a matter of what felt like hours, they arrived on an entirely different World, very far from Magmor.

    A world that was dominated by an enormous, gargantuan tree. A tree that stretched for miles tall, breaching into Chaotic Space, projecting a forcefield to block off the dangerous outside air. It was made of some type of thick brown wood, magically enhanced.

    Then and there, for the next several days, Will directly began to train under Sun Wukong.

    "Be better, huh?" Will''s mind snapped back to the present as he stabilized himself on the leaf, particles of Light Energy surrounding him.

    WHOOSH

    Will jumped up into the air, leaping towards one of the thousands ofrge wooden branches that stuck out from the enormous tree they were falling near. Some branches were small, only a meter or two thick and a few dozen meters long, while others stretched for miles, often acting as both roots and branches at the same time.

    "I will be better." Bright white light glowed from Will''s sockets as a pair of wings appeared on his back, just as hended. A powerful Aura of Light surrounded Will as he soared into the air, brilliant energy flowing around him. The energy in the air fluctuated as Will''s understanding of his Dao of Light increased, his power enhancing.

    "Excellent progress, young Wizard! Focus on the Law, enrich yourself and your understanding of it." Sun Wukong shouted encouragement as he jumped off the falling leaf to another branch as well. The leaf floated down nearly 500 meters before it touched the ground, a daunting distance.

    He smiled, pleased, as he looked up at Will.

    "Good, good." Sun Wukong whispered, a sense of pride filling him. Despite the short amount of time he had spent preparing the Wizard, he already felt somewhat attached. He admired the man''s straightforwardness and determination.

    "Is this what it is like to have a disciple, Great Lady?" Sun Wukong looked away from Will, up towards the sky as he spoke.

    A stiff breeze was the only reply he got as Will sank into a state of enlightenment, sitting down to meditate.

    The monkey sighed quietly.

    "I havee so far, Master. I am preparing everything I can." His voice was calm as he spoke, tinged with a hint of sadness. He turned to look at Will briefly.

    "I did not lie. His Fate is indeed tied with mine." Sun Wukong''s eyes shed.

    "Because I saved you, the time I can see through Fate has extended a little more¡­ Just like with the other Anomalies I found." His voice remained calm as he spoke, but underneath, emotion broiled,

    "But it seems I cannot escape this Fate entirely. It is still there. The nk spot. A point where I can see through Fate no more, despite these Eyes of mine that are blessed by the Heavens." He continued,

    "Everything about me up to that point I can see through¡­ but after that point¡­ nothing." Sun Wukong paused, smiling again,

    "Is that death, Wise Lady? To see Fate, my own end. Such cruelty."

    A quiet pause ensued.

    Abruptly, Sun Wukongughed,

    "But what is life without a bit of suspense, eh? Hahaha! If I am to die, then I will die with good cheer. I will greet death with a smile and a ready fist." He shook off the somber mood, turning his attention over towards Will.

    "But before I die and can guard this realm no longer¡­ Let us make of you a great Wizard, young Will. Perhaps you can bear the mantle that I am destined to fail."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Great Swordmaster, I have heard of your legendary prowess. As a practitioner of the sword myself, I have always been devout in challenging myself to exchange pointers with my peers."

    "Would you ept my humble challenge?"

    Dorian looked back at the speaker, the City Lord of Fort Sutner, his face showing no emotion as he responded,

    "I ept."

    .

 Chapter 152 Pointers

    Dorian locked eyes with the City Lord of Fort Sutner, his face not showing a hint of distress or emotion.

    Just a little while before this, the situation had been vastly different.

    Dorian was being escorted through the city by a troop of Shade guards from the City Lord''s castle. All the guards wore heavy ted armor and moved with both experience and strength. They were clearly all veterans that had seen actualbat. The weakest among them was at the Master ss.

    The strongest, a Shade known as Lieutenant Becker, was at the Late Grandmaster ss, a fairly powerful level.

    The guards had looked at him oddly when they saw him carrying the limp Helena. However, they seemed to take his strange behavior in stride, as if it wasn''t unexpected, and led him onward.

    This was the first time Dorian had ever seen a city that was inhabited entirely by Shades.

    To his disappointment, it wasrgely simr to cities run by humans. The Shades had merchants and guards, urchins and crafters. He saw restaurants and Magic shops, training dojos formon Mystic Martial Arts and cksmith shops.

    The one thing that did differ, however, was the presence of several churches.

    Religion in the 30,000 Worlds was a diverse topic. Most beings believed in the Cycle of Reincarnation and the Heavens. The mostmon belief about this centered around the concept that at death, one''s soul rose to the Heavens and was reborn in a new body. A circle of life and death, repeating over and over, the Great Cycle.

    Some believed that one''s actions while alive in the 30,000 Worlds would determine how soon they were reborn or what form they would be born into. Beliefs like this had the unfortunate side effect of creating a negative stigma around those with disabilities or disfigurements.

    Apart from the belief in the Cycle and the Heavens, however, there were a few other widespread religions. One of these was a belief in the Light.

    The Light was considered a deity of sorts, but believed to be closer to a force of nature, through which one could find their true purpose in life. The Church of Light had a huge number of believers, but most of them happened to be Shades, something Dorian found paradoxical at first, given that Shades were something he associated with darkness or shadows.

    The religion, from what Dorian gleaned, seemed somewhatplicated, but it didn''t seem like an offensive or a bad one. Many of its teachings focused around doing the right thing, respecting others, and protecting the weak. All in all, it was a religion Dorian could approve of, not that anyone was asking for his opinion on it.

    As Dorian moved through the city, however, he noticed arge number of grand edifices, towering buildings constructed of pure white stone that gleamed. He counted at least 7 of the churches as the delegation that had picked him up helped him move through the crowds of Shades moving about their business.

    ''Huh. The Church of Light really is extremely widespread in the Shade Commune.'' Dorian had thought at the time, frowning slightly.

    ''I really need to avoid leaking that I beat up and nearly killed their Holy Prince.'' In terms of strength, Dorian was unsure how powerful he was. However, he had grown enough that he considered himself one of the strong now. He had managed to almost defeat the Holy Prince, a genuine powerful expert, in his previous form, before he gained the Laws of Greed and Mercy, as well as his Bnce Demon form.

    The Holy Prince Isaac wasn''t the strongest expert in the Shade Commune. In fact, he didn''t even make it into the top 10.

    But he was definitely in the top 30.

    ''Though, raw power isn''t everything. I can still get tired easily. If I have to face a huge number of foes, I will definitely lose.'' Dorian nodded his head sharply at the thought. He was deep in enemy territory. It would be best to avoid revealing his true nature.

    ''But as for Inigo Montoya''s, the ck Shade of 7 des, true nature¡­'' He smiled.

    ''Well now, that is another matter entirely.''

    "Such a lovely city you have here, Lieutenant Becker. If only my wife was awake to see it." Dorian sighed dramatically as he spoke aloud, catching the head guard''s attention. He decided to try and see if he could glean some information off the Shade.

    He felt Helena pinch him slightly as he spoke, something he promptly ignored.

    The Shade Lieutenant, a rather tall warrior with an open helmet that showed a rather long face, turned to look at Dorian.

    "Ah, she is your wife, then? Forgive me, Lord Inigo. Fort Sutner has been rtively sheltered from the activities of anything beyond Tolptra for the past several years. I have not had the opportunity to hear of your great fame." The Lieutenant returned a reply with such care that Dorian felt he could''ve been a diplomat. Dorian also learned that the they were on was called Tolptra from this.

    ''Hmm, that''s probably why he got sent to pick me up, huh? I wonder what impression I made on the City Lord. Probably a good one.'' Dorian smiled cheerfully, but instantly reced the look with a somber one.

    "Yes. She fell victim to a foul plot by an evil human. A vile cretin that not only cast my wife into a wakeless sleep, but also killed my father." Dorian''s voice was full of passion as he spoke, anger and rage appearing. He pulled on both the Law of Wrath and the Law of Valor to give his words even more of an impact. His acting had certainly improved alongside his strength, that was certain.

    "A man that I shall hunt down and kill for his crimes against the Huma- the Shade race." He corrected himself mid-sentence, not losing a step,

    "A murderous human Wizard with six fingers on his right hand." His words were like that of a tiger settling in to hunt its prey, full of danger as he made up a story, loosely based on a movie he had enjoyed back on Earth.

    Or, at least, his memories of his life there showed that. Or Yukeli''s memories. Dorian frowned, forcing the thought from his mind. Thankfully, the remnant of Yukeli that was still in him remained quiet, not stirring.

    The Lieutenant shivered, looking at Dorian in awe. When Dorian spoke, his words carried with them an emotional and spiritual impact that could not be easily described. To the Lieutenant and all the guards, it was as if he was a figure out of legend.

    Soon, the group of guards leading Dorian through the city arrived outside a grand castle located at the center of the city. When they walked through the entrance of the castle, Dorian felt an odd, shivering sensation sweep over him.

    ''Is that some type of energy barrier?'' He thought, his eyes widening slightly.

    Ever since Dorian began to study several different Laws, he had be more and more attuned to anything that carried energy. His soul was already more powerful than a normal Lord ss expert, and far, far more abnormal.

    ''Well, it doesn''t seem to have done anything.'' He shrugged and kept moving forward.

    "This way, Lord Inigo."

    The castle was well lit, with glowing crystals lining the stone walls. The floors were lined with faded and worn purple carpets, old but clearly well maintained. He saw a variety of Shades moving through the castle. Several wore ted or practice armor, clearly warriors training, while others wore fine clothes and moved about like nobles. Servants could be seen moving quietly, dressed in in brown outfits.

    ''It''s like his own miniature kingdom here, huh?'' Dorian thought as he saw all of this. The whole castle seemed as if it was abuzz with activity, and as if this was a normal state of being.

    Soon he found himself inside a small waiting room, led there by the guards. It had a couple of couches and a low wooden table. Some fine paintings hung on the wall,yered in gold. It was a well put together room, not toovish to be obscene but also not sparsely decorated.

    "Head Steward Damon will be here momentarily." Lieutenant Becker bowed, his voice full of respect as he closed the door behind him, leaving Dorian alone with Helena.

    He looked down at her, smilingly slightly. He could feel her slowly breathing in and out, resting her head on his chest. She was actually asleep.

    Dorian walked over to one of the couches and sat down. He took several deep breaths, rxing as he meditated slightly.

    In what felt like just a couple of minutes, Dorian woke from his meditation as he heard someone opening the door.

    "Greetings, Lord Inigo!" An elderly Shade dressed in a long brown robe, covered in silk ropes and markings, waltzed in, apanied by a pair of strong-looking guards.

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Grandmaster ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 221

    -

    "Ah yes, greetings." Dorian''s voice was calm as he looked at the man he assumed was the steward. He wasn''t that strong, on the weaker side of Grandmaster ss, but he was still well above the average being in terms of raw power.

    "I am Damon, Lord Gabito''s Head Steward. The Lord has sent me to greet you and to inquire upon the reasons for your visit. He is currently in the middle of an important meeting concerning the Church of Light." The Steward exined, his eyes zeroed in on Dorian.

    "I see." Dorian frowned, as if he was displeased by this.

    "Your Lord ns to just ignore my arrival, tossing me off to some of his servants? He is coincidentally in a meeting of great importance that is taking ce just as I arrive?" Dorian''s voice was full of disbelief. At the same time, he tapped into the Law of Wrath, making the air around him twist with powerful anger.

    The overwhelming Aura appeared to be too much for the Shade Steward to handle, as well as the two guards that had apanied him, as all three took a step back.

    "Uh-ah, no-no that is not w-what was meant." The Shade Steward''s face was pale as he felt Dorian''s true might, realizing fully what he was dealing with.

    "I have in thousands of beasts with a single sh of my de. I have studied the sword since birth, training my technique every single day of my life. I have split rocks, boulders, mountains, and even seas."

    Dorian''s eyes shed, his voice dangerously calm,

    "When other children were ying with toys, I studied the de. When lesser warriors spent their time in drunken celebration, I mastered more than one hundred martial techniques. While other Shades wasted their time in the vain pursuit of power or glory, I cultivated my understanding of the Laws." He continued, his voice steady as he forced himself to hold back a smile,

    "All of this to better our glorious Shade Commune. To better the Shade race." He sighed, his voice filled with feigned disappointment,

    "And yet, when all I wish for is to speak with the City Lord of Futner, I am to be ignored?"

    One thing led to another as Dorian nearly caused the Head Steward to faint due to his sheer force of presence.

    The Shade Steward had eventually ended up leaving and talking to the City Lord, came back and apologized, and then led Dorian through the castle hall to where the City Lord was. The whole process took only a matter of minutes, the impression Dorian created apparently quite convincing.

    ''This is exactly what I wanted. I''m talking to someone of strength and importance who should know where I can go looking for what I need, someone who will be in awe of me and not ask too many questions, while creating a persona of who I am¡­'' Dorian thought, mentally frowning.

    ''But why on earth does it have to be like this?! All I did was try to twist Fate and make him admire my ims of sword skill a bit!''

    When Dorian had arrived, he''d scanned everyone in the dining hall.

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 87,662

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 91,827

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 119,004

    -

    Only three figures stood out.

    Two of which were clearly Late Lord ss Wizards, a man and a woman, wearing a set of grey robes with the symbol of the Church of Light on it.

    The other figure, however, was a muscr Shade that radiated strength. One that had immediately gone up to greet him, his face eager. The City Lord Gabito, as he introduced himself, and after a few verbal exchanges with Dorian where he asked about Dorian''s ''Wife'' and expressed his condolences, promptly issued a challenge.

    "Great Swordmaster, I have heard of your legendary prowess. As a practitioner of the sword myself, I have always been devout in challenging myself to exchange pointers with my peers." Lord Gabito looked at Dorian as if he was a lifesaver, helping ease a stressful day that was full of irritating and/or minute work that a City Lord has to handle.

    "Would you ept my humble challenge?" As the City Lord finished speaking, Dorian noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the female Shade Wizard was holding a glowing crystal rock. The Wizard was ncing at the rock, and then back at Dorian and Helena, her eyes wide.

    Dorian looked back at the speaker, the City Lord of Fort Sutner, his face showing no emotion as he responded,

    "I ept."

    Dorian smiled slightly, maintaining his air of mysterious strength. At the same time, however, his mind was racing ahead of him as he tried to n for the fight.

    ''I can''t let ite out that I''m a fraud. But with such an abrupt challenge, I have no time to prepare. Still, if I really was a Swordmaster like Inigo, I would have little reason to refuse a practice duel.'' He instantly realized,

    ''But this is a perfect opportunity. I can create the persona I want to make here, and make it in a way that ispletely natural, by someone else''s design.'' Dorian''s eyes lit up as he came to the conclusion that this was a blessing in disguise.

    "It has been quite some time since someone challenged me to a practice duel. Where should we have ours?" He looked around the dining room doubtfully.

    "There is an inner practice room just down the hall." Lord Gabito said with an eager smile, the worries of the day forgotten. His eagerness to test the man''s technique,bined with hisplete self-confidence, won over his caution and annoyance.

    "Lord Gabito, I really need to tel-" The female Wizard stepped forward, looking directly at the City Lord.

    "Later, Patricia. We can discuss that after my duel with the esteemed Lord Inigo." Gabito cut her off, waving Dorian forward.

    "Come, Lord Inigo! I shall lead the way!" The City Lord walked forward confidently, exiting the dining hall. Dorian followed behind, still carefully carrying Helena. A small troop of guards and attendants followed them, including the two powerful Wizards, not wanting to be left behind.

    Soon, after just a couple dozen scenes of walking, they arrived at the room the City Lord had talked about. Arge, circr chamber full of practice swords and shields, as well as a variety of other weapons. There were severalrge circr rings in the center of the room, areas where two warriors would face off and go at each other.

    "We can use practice weapons or real ones, I have no objections." As they arrived, Lord Gabito turned to talk to Dorian, his voice full of excitement.

    "Real ones, of course. I''m sure both of us can adequately protect ourselves." Dorian replied, his voice cool. He walked over to the side of one ring where he carefully set Helena down, making sure the floor was clean. He withdrew a set of clothes that he had folded to act as a pillow under her head.

    "Lord Inigo, are you sure you don''t wish to take a room for your wife first so she can rest freely?" The City Lord''s voice was full of concern as he talked to Dorian.

    Dorian shook his head,

    "I almost lost her once. I will not lose her again. She stays with me." He also didn''t trust anyone here, but he wouldn''t say that out loud.

    The attendants and guards gathered around the centermost circle that Dorian had walked over to, spreading out as if this was a regr urrence. Apparently, the City Lord of Fort Sutner was a battle maniac of some sort that challenged warriors on a semi-normal basis.

    The two Wizards from the Church of Light, meanwhile, were quietly whispering at each other in a heated conversation. Dorian spared them a nce before shrugging. It wasn''t his business.

    Lord Gabito walked into the ring first, not changing his outfit or gear. The powerful Shade merely removed the longsword from his back, holding it out in front of him as he turned and looked at Dorian closely, studying him.

    "Do you know how I got the nickname the ck Shade of Seven des?" Dorian''s voice was cool as he looked at the City Lord, starting to walk into the ring. From his Spatial Ring, he withdrew a short steel sword, holding it loosely at his side.

    Lord Gabito shook his head, his eyes still glued to Dorian as he watched his every movement. Dorian felt a simr feeling that the Vampire Swordmaster Probus had given off. It seemed that Lord Gabito was the real deal when it came to sword technique.

    "It is because I was told my sword techniques are so fast, it is as if I move a single de as seven." Dorian smiled, not letting a hint of doubt show through.

    Of course, he wasn''t actually a Swordmaster.

    He didn''t even know any basic sword techniques, save for the few that Yukeli''s memory remnants had left before vanishing. None of those were anything special or anything he had practiced either, content as he was using Magic and Abilities forbat.

    "Whenever you''re ready, let us exchange pointers." Dorian nodded politely.

    "Go Lord Gabito!"

    "City Lord! Prevail!"

    "Wooo City Lord!"

    As Dorian finished speaking and fully stepped into the ring, a few shouts of encouragement broke out from the watching attendants and guards. For them to be sox about this, it truly must be amon urrence, Dorian thought, shrugging. The more people that saw him fight, the better his persona would hold up.

    Battle maniacs, or other people that were obsessed with growing stronger, were not at all an umon sight in the 30,000 Worlds.

    The duel officially started.

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Lord Gabito''s body blurred as he rushed in to attack immediately. A powerful Aura formed around the man, one that was full of sharp, cutting power from the Law of Cutting.

    Dorian saw this and then did something no one in the room was expecting.

    He moved the sword he was holding loosely in his hand against his hip, as if it was in a sheath, keeping his palm on the hilt¡­

    And closed his eyes.

    WHOOSH

    .

    .

    .

    Important Notice: Hey gang! So I''m about to head over to Shanghai for about a week for a AllNovelFull event :) While I''m there, I won''t be able to post daily. I might not be able to post at all!

    Tomorrow will have a chapter update 100%. However, after that, I''m not sure if I''ll be able to post again at normal times or even at all.

    I will be back from Shanghai on the 8th, so our schedule will return to normal around then.

    (This notice was edited in and does not affect SS price).

    .

 Chapter 153 Resolution

    City Lord Gabito held back little. The air that Dorian carried himself with, alongside his impressive reputation and powerful Aura, had fully convinced the City Lord that Dorian was a powerful opponent.

    He did not even consider the possibility that Dorian was faking it.

    Dorian''s odd movement to bring his sword to his waist, as if it was put into a sheath while closing his eyes, didn''t cause the City Lord to bat an eye.

    Gabito was a veteran from several campaigns, including the brutal Territorial War with the Vampire Families, known among the Nobles as the ''Invasion of Light.'' The war itself was an extremelyplex one involving disputes over 16 different worlds that the Commune and the Three Familiesid im to.

    Gabito had seen battle after battle, including all sorts of weird or odd characters, unusual technique after unusual technique. He had long since learned that the most important thing to focus on in a battle is your own offense and defense, to not allow yourself to be distracted by your opponent''s unusual tactics.

    WHOOSH

    Therefore, the attack City Lord Gabito sent out was a full force sh, imbued with power from the Law of Cutting. It didn''t involve any Mystic Martial Art or secret technique, but was instead a simple strike, intended to test the waters and gauge Dorian''s reaction.

    The longsword gleamed with power as it cut through the air towards Dorian''s chest. White energy flowed around it, the manifested Power of Law.

    Dorian''s eyes were closed.

    But he had not given up.

    ''Perfect Body, activate!'' Dorian''s physique, including his ability to sense his surroundings, increased tremendously. At the same time, Dorian focused deeply on the world around him, sending his senses outward to detect energy.

    After gaining ess to 4 separate Laws, Dorian''s soul had be incredibly adept when it came to sensing energy from different Laws, especially when that energy was directly manifested. While he couldn''t always use that energy, especially if it was a Law he had not experienced a baptism in, he could still feel it.

    He had closed his eyes to help him concentrate, zeroing in on any outside energy sources.

    And now, as he fully focused, his senses enhanced, an image of the world around him appeared in his mind.

    The image was vague and distorted, lit up by bright specks of energy. One speck, in particr, that was just a meter away from him, headed directly towards his chest.

    The attack from the City Lord.

    WHOOSH

    CLANG

    BOOM

    A small explosion of energy rang out as the sword strike stabbed right towards Dorian¡­

    And was deflected, causing the de to smash off to the right and stab into the ground, gouging a two-meter long gash in the reinforced stone floor that the practice room was made of.

    "Hmm?" Lord Gabito jumped backwards, looking at the damaged floor and then at Dorian in surprise. Confusion filled his eyes, as if he didn''t understand what had happened.

    "Huh? The City Lord''s attack was deflected?"

    "What?! But Lord Inigo didn''t move!"

    "What happened?! His eyes were closed!"

    The onlooking attendants and guards all stared in confusion, looking at Dorian.

    Dorian smiled calmly,

    "Are you just going to y around, Lord Gabito? Or are you going to attack for real?"

    ''It worked!'' Internally, he was cheering himself on.

    When Dorian sensed the direction and location that the attack wasing from, he had activated a second Ability.

    His Lesser Maic Maniption Ability. It was an Ability he had picked up a long time ago that allowed him to manipte metallic objects.

    And the weapon that the City Lord was using was a metal sword that fell into this category. Thankfully he hadn''t used some type of weird Artifact weapon of any sort, otherwise Dorian would''ve had to go with a separate n.

    By using the Ability, he could forcibly redirect the de. However, instead of trying to take full control of the weapon, Dorian had simply thrown a single, powerful st, loaded with energy, against the sword.

    At the same time he pulled on Fate slightly, to help redirect the strike. These two factorsbined together to cause the longsword strike that was aimed at his chest to misspletely, all while he stayed still, unmoving, with his eyes shut.

    "Patricia, did you feel that?" Off to the side, the male Wizard from the Church of Light, Gavin, whispered to the other, his eyes glinting.

    "Yes. The energy he used was minute, but he definitely executed some sort of technique right there. Only¡­" Patricia frowned, her expression confused.

    "I couldn''t see anything." She shook her head as she looked from the strange Shade to the bundled figure of Helena sleeping on the ground.

    "Who are you? And why does my Sigil detect the presence of a Vampire between you and your wife¡­" Shades came in many shapes, colors, and sizes, much like that of humans. Because Helena was wrapped up in clothes, able to ignore the sunny heat outside due to her physique, it wasn''t possible to see if she had the tell-tale Dark Points that all Shades had.

    Therefore, she was indistinguishable, Race-wise, from many other Shades.

    "Hahahaha, impressive, Lord Inigo! I apologize for testing the waters. I will now go at this duel with full seriousness! Let us learn from each other!"

    Back at the duel practice ground, the City Lordughed out loud as he boisterously raised his longsword again. This time, however, the air around him took on a concentrated Aura.

    An Aura that was sharp and powerful, full of raging power and might. Some type of stance or technique rted to a Mystic Martial Art.

    ''Wait, he actually was ying around?!'' Internally, Dorian''s eyes widened.

    ''I was just trying to sound impressive, dammit. You don''t need to get all serious on me.'' Dorian mentally swore. He had never seen the City Lord fight and had assumed his first strike had been a full powered attack.

    "You have earned my respect with your deflection of my basic strike. Your movement was so quick I could only sense the energy remnant from your technique. It is extremely rare to meet a warrior of your caliber. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity." The City Lord went off on a monologue as heuded Dorian andplimented him.

    Dorian frowned ever so slightly as he heard this, however, not liking where it was going.

    ''This sounds like the speech a viin gives before he unleashes his ultimate attack.''

    "This next technique is my ultimate attack." Gabito promptly continued, as if on cue.

    ''Oh,e on!''

    Dorian decided to stop mentallymentating on things. He felt like he was jinxing himself.

    The City Lord raised his de up above his head, locking eyes with Dorian. The Aura around Lord Gabito seemed to sharpen, bing even stronger.

    "This is the Raging Emperor Martial Art''s 12 Rushing Rivers Explosion. The Mystic Martial Art draws upon the natural Laws of the Universe through my natural movement with the de, forming an incredible 96 sh technique." The City Lord''s voice was full of authority as he took a step forward.

    ''96 shes? That''s just excessive! Why not 12? Or just 6? What''s wrong with 6?'' He mentally cursed for a second time. Why were all the people he met so abnormal?

    "Please guide me." The City Lord''s voice was full of genuine respect as his body blurred, sting toward Dorian. The air around Lord Gabito distorted as multiple white lines of energy rippled, full of fierce power.

    "Here, here! The City Lord is going all out!"

    "Everyone back up!"

    "That Shade is a goner now."

    A deluge of voices broke out as the attendants all retreated, pulling back away from the scene of the fight. The guards stayed steady as they watched the battle, several of them resting their hands on the hilt of their des as they looked at Dorian nervously.

    "Oh, wow. The City Lord is far stronger than what was reported by the Church." Patricia muttered as she saw this, her eyes widening as she continued,

    "Strength like that ces him among the upper tier of Lord ss fighters, even among the Church elites."

    "He''s a veteran from the Territorial War that chose to head east after retiring. Anyone that fought in that war and survived is bound to have some level of strength, save, perhaps, for themon foot soldiers." Gavin responded brusquely. He shook his head as he continued,

    "Be ready to heal Lord Inigo, Patricia. The Shade certainly has some level of skill, but I doubt he''ll be able to withstand that attack."

    Patricia nodded, her eyes sharpening,

    "Of course. Even I would not be able to escape this unscathed. We can use that as an excuse to investigate what''s going on with him and his wife." Her eyes trailed back over towards Dorian.

    ''Fine, I can handle this.'' Dorian''s eyes shed, pushing aside his worry as he felt the incredible force the City Lord generated.

    It was an extremely strong attack, a Mystic Martial Art that had been mastered to an extremely high level. The man in front of him was clearly worthy of the title Swordmaster.

    Butpared to the Holy Prince Isaac''s awe-inspiring blows, it was only so-so.

    ''If I could deal with the Shade Prince, I can deal with this.'' Dorian shut his eyes once more.

    WHOOSH

    The world around him devolved into vague shapes and blips of energy.

    Right in front of him, however, Dorian saw something that was terrifying.

    It looked like a dozen snakes, shing with bright, chaotic energy, soaring through the air all directed towards his heart. Each snake of energy contained bright, white light within them, the inherent power of the Law of Cutting granting each strike incredible potency.

    Even with his Perfect Body Ability activated, a single blow from one of those snakes of energy would shred through his basic defenses and injure him.

    That was, if a blow couldnd, and if he ignored his other Abilities.

    WHOOSH

    Energy from the Law of Valor, the Law of Greed, the Law of Wrath, and the Law of Mercy flooded into Dorian''s veins, all at once. He transformed into a vast, distorted concentration of power as raw might caused the air around him to shiver with power.

    To the onlookers, Dorian hadn''t moved a muscle and was still standing still, while the City Lord''s strike was about tond on him.

    In that instant, however, as Dorian simultaneously drew on four Laws at once, his Aura changed.

    It was as if he had be a fierce God of Death in their eyes. His Aura shot up to incredibly fierce levels as his Laws mixed, creating a horrifying, unstoppable air. His presence was like that of a giant, looking down upon tiny, wayward ants.

    Half of the attendants passed out directly, fainting.

    The other half stood frozen in terror, unable to make a move. The guards all stood frozen as well, jaws dropped as their hands fell to the side, limp.

    "What in the Heavens..." Patricia stared at Dorian as if he was a freakish monster.

    "How¡­?" Gavin muttered, his eyes wide.

    BOOM

    The City Lord''s right arm blurred as he struck out. The fighter was so concentrated and intune with his own attack that he hadpletely blocked out Dorian''s Aura, and was thus temporarily unaffected.

    The dozen snakes of energy mmed down towards Dorian as, in reality, the white streams of energy appeared, flowing mysteriously. All of the snakes of energy formed together into a single, thick snake of energy thatbined with the City Lord''s de, carrying with it enough force to split a mountain.

    The City Lord than began to attack.

    Lord Gabito''s body itself was blurred as sh after sh, blow after blow, rained down upon Dorian''s body. A full 96 separate shes cut towards Dorian, all in the space of a few seconds. The incredibly fast, incredibly potent technique was the ultimate move of the City Lord,bining his every ounce of talent and skill into a single blow.

    An attack that he had mastered from his years and years of experience and intense training, focusing on nothing other than gaining the power to defend himself after he experienced the horrors of extended warfare many years ago.

    BOOM

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    A series of metallic ngs rang out as Dorian activated his Lesser Maic Maniption Ability, over and over, dozens of times.

    ''Block! Block! Block! Block!'' Dorian''s mind raced into overdrive as strike after strike was deflected. Every time, he had to forcibly concentrate a certain level of energy and explode it forward while simultaneously drawing upon his soul to twist Fate and ensure the attack missed.

    The process was incredibly straining on him, causing his soul to feel a massive amount of stress. He spent a massive amount of energy.

    However, cool energy rushed into his soul from a new source. Energy from the Law of Greed, aw focused on enhancing the soul.

    Thanks to this, Dorian was able to adeptly manipte each strike, blocking blow after blow after blow, despite the huge drain to his soul.

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    CLANG

    Everything was happening extremely quickly. Dorian''s mind moved with an almost instinctive level of control as he redirected 95 of the sword strikes.

    "Great Heavens above¡­ He''s moving his de so fast it can''t even be seen! I can''t even see his arm move, let alone his sword!" Gavin sputtered, his voice a hiss as he turned to Patricia.

    "¡­inconceivable." Patricia''s voice was simrly shocked.

    Each strike from the Swordmaster was slowly increasing in power and might as the City Lord''s 12 Rushing Rivers Explosion technique went through its full cycle. The technique was aplicated one that built itself up as it went forward, bing stronger and stronger.

    Through the use of this technique, Lord Gabito had remained undefeated ever since the war ended.

    As the City Lord felt his attacks be deflected, however, strike after strike redirected by attacks he could not even see, an indescribable feeling overwhelmed him.

    A feeling of pure, unadulterated awe.

    "Take my final strike, Lord Inigo, and I will fully admit my defeat!" Fervor filled the City Lord''s voice as he yelled out loud, his voice booming. Raw energy rocketed off of him in waves, causing the air to stir.

    Thest, and 96th blow of theplex technique, cut through the air towards Dorian''s chest. Every single iota of energy the City Lord had went into this blow, the full power of all 12 snakes of energybining together onest time, built up to a powerful crescendo.

    Dorian looked at it as he opened his eyes fully, a calm smile on his face.

    His left arm blurred as he brought it up and held it out just in front of his chest, right at the iing attack.

    ''Mystic Armored Body Ability, Perfect Body Ability, cover me! Law of Valor, enhance my defenses! Law of Wrath and Mercy,bine and cover my hand in a palm strike! Law of Greed, enhance my soul to handle it all!'' His mind mentallymanded his powers.

    At the same time, he shifted his body slightly so he was standing directly in front of Helena, shielding her from anything that came about as a result of this attack.

    The longsword mmed forward and collided with Dorian''s left palm.

    BOOOOOOOM

    A rippling explosion of white light shook the arena air, throwing up a huge gust of wind and an equallyrge shockwave. Everyone below Grandmaster ss, including most of the attendants, were thrown backwards like ragdolls.

    The ground and ceiling of the practice room were magically enhanced and reinforced, but were unable to bear the brunt of the impact. Arge, stone crater formed in the ground where Dorian and Lord Gabito had collided, stone shrapnel and dust sting off and covering the area. Rippling white energy shot out erratically, crackling in the air.

    WHOOSH

    As the dust cleared, the few guards that had managed to keep their feet, including the two Wizards from the Church of Light who''s innate barriers had shielded them, saw the result.

    The newly formed crater had a visible line marring it, untouched by the blow. A line that led to the body of Helena that was resting peacefully on the ground, unharmed.

    At the center of that line, near the center of the crater, Dorian stood calmly, holding the de of the City Lord''s longsword in his bare hand.

    Lord Gabito stared up at Dorian, Dorian''s powerful Aura washing over him.

    "Not bad, City Lord."

    "Heaven''s above¡­ He''s not just at the level of a Swordmaster." Patricia stared at Dorian, her body trembling in fear.

    "His skill is approaching that of a Sword Saint!"

    "The Commune is going to give birth to a new Saint!"

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    .

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    Off to Shanghai :) Expect our normal, daily schedule to start up again on the 8th of this month. I will try to release a chapter or two between then! We will see as we go forward!

    Take this time to recharge all your SS <3 thank="" you="" all="" for="" reading="" and="" enjoying="" my="" story,="" and="" making="" this="" all="" a="" possibility="" :)="" happy="" new="" years!=""></3>

 Chapter 154 A New Journey

    "Heavens above¡­ He''s not just at the level of a Swordmaster." Patricia stared at Dorian, her body trembling in fear.

    "His skill is approaching that of a Sword Saint!"

    "The Commune is going to give birth to a new Saint!"

    In the 30,000 Worlds, Mystic Martial Arts were the singlergest grouping of powerful physical techniques. Almost all Mystic Martial Arts involved a visualization of some type.

    When one grew skilled enough with a technique, one would bebelled a Swordmaster, an Axemaster, a Spearmaster, or a variety of other simr titles indicating this. Dorian had actually met a Swordmaster before.

    Probus, of the Aurelius Reavers. Probus studied the Law of Cutting, meaning his skill as a Swordmaster was put into even greater effect.

    Of those that practiced a skill or technique to a high level, the mostmon, by far, were Swordmasters, simply due to the fact that a vast number of popr Mystic Martial Arts focused on swordy.

    As for how one coulde to be considered a ''Master'' of any weapon, for most in the 30,000 Worlds, it was a test of power.

    If one was able to unleash a technique using their weapon of choice that could cause catastrophic damage, without using Magic, one met the general bar to be called a Swordmaster.

    While true skill did not always involve raw power, this was still the mostmonly epted way of proof.

    Above Swordmasters, however, there existed a higher tier.

    A tier of experts that stood head and shoulders above others. Freakishly skilled individuals that no amount of hard work could ever seem to match. Physical warriors that were able to challenge the strongest Wizards and stand on even ground.

    The experts that strove for the peak and stood mightily above all other warriors.

    The Saints.

    It was known that, in the 30,000 Worlds, if two people had equally strong Soul Spell Matrixes, but one was a Wizard while the other was a Martial Artist, typically the Wizard would be stronger. Mystic Martial Arts were powerful, but Magic was far more versatile, able to easily draw upon the energy of the universe to create fantastic Spells.

    Those that stood at the peak of skill, the Saints, were able to surmount that gap and fight evenly with Wizards of the same level. One and all, they were considered mighty figures, so adept with Martial Arts that almost nothing could stop them.

    Whether it be race or creed, chosen Laws or techniques, those that were considered Saints were a diverse group, with experts spanning many different ranges. Their onemon denominator was raw skill.

    The number of Masters of a technique or weapon in the 30,000 Worlds was toorge a number to count. There were trillions and trillions and trillions of beings in existence. Just by sheer numbers alone, it was possible toe across tens of thousands of Masters.

    It was not the same for the Saints. The difficulty in achieving the level of a Saint was considered a sheer impossibility to most. To even be one, you had to be a freakishly talented individual.

    In the 30,000 Worlds, across the trillions and trillions of creatures that existed, there were less than 100 known Saints.

    An extremely small number.

    "Swordmaster Inigo, how blind I was."

    BOOM

    Lord Gabito''s right knee mmed into the ground, cracking the already cratered stone as he bowed his head. His previously sharp Aura vanished, reced by one of humility.

    "Forgive my impertinence. Thank you for humoring my challenge." As he spoke, Gabito''s forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat. Awe and fear fought each other in his eyes as he witnessed Dorian''s sheer disy of skill.

    Lord Gabito was a wizened expert. He had lived for well more than 100 years and fought in hundreds of battles. He had seen his fair share of experts and very few could drive him to his wit''s end.

    However, experts that could do what Dorian had just done were far and few between in Lord Gabito''s eyes.

    Thest time he felt a sense of awe like this was when he personally witnessed one of the three Excelsiors that served under the High Priest of the Church of Light, Excelsior Larcaster, duel one of the Aurelius Family Generals during the Territorial War.

    It was then he witnessed what true, elite skill was capable of. The terrible battle was imprinted on his mind, the power of the strong.

    The awe he felt then... it was the exact same here.

    Dorian simply smiled back quietly, as if it was nothing. He looked mysterious and wise, an expert whose power was unrivaled.

    "It''s nothing. In return for that little spar, I have a small favor I''d like to ask of you." His eyes shed.

    "Anything, great warrior! It would be my honor!" Lord Gabito''s hand pounded his chest as he yelled a response, the air around him still crackling from the remnants of their sh.

    Dorian gave him a nod and asked,

    "Where might I find powerful medicine to treat injuries to the soul?"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Patricia, what do we do?" Gavin pulled at his hair, the Light Wizard at aplete loss. He was standing in a small study, still wearing his durable Church of Light robes. The study was part of arger private room and connected to a pair of private bedrooms, assigned to them by the City Lord.

    "I don''t know." The female Light Wizard muttered, rubbing her eyes.

    "It''s still there." She held up her hand, where a small glowing sigil could be seen, and continued,

    "The presence of a Vampire remains on Lord Inigo and his wife."

    "It obviously has to be his wife." Gavin cut in, shrugging.

    "Yes, I agree. Her entire situation is suspicious. It''s possible she is gravely ill, but to also coincidentally need to be wrapped up in cloth, hiding her Dark Points?" Patrica''s eyes shed,

    "I am 95% certain she is a Vampire." She concluded.

    "Only 95%?" Gavin looked at her curiously. Patricia was the de facto leader of the duo and usually followed her lead.

    "There is a 5% chance that something else is causing the sigil to go off." Patricia sighed,

    "But even so¡­ how could we ask Lord Inigo? If he really is secretly allied with the Vampires, he will kill us immediately or lie about it and kill uster. If not, we will have badly offended him and his wife. His skill is approaching that of a Saint and making an enemy of that caliber is foolish."

    She rubbed her eyes again, frustrated. Highly skilled warriors were notoriously touchy about topics regarding pride. It was not at all umon for those at the peak to attack those that slighted them, or at least hinder them.

    A Shade like Lord Inigo¡­ he was destined for greatness. Bing his enemy unnecessarily would be unwise.

    "Arrrrrgh." She swore aloud, walking over to a brown woolen couch that was in the study and kicking it. The couch flipped over from the force, smashing into the wall.

    "Trish¡­" Gavin responded, holding his hand out at a loss.

    "It''s fine." The female Light Wizard said after a moment as she vented her irritation on the poor couch, obliterating it.

    "We will send word to the headquarters." Her mouth twisted as she said that, as if she hated admitting she couldn''t handle a situation.

    "We will wait to see what they say."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian sat in a finely adorned room, his hands folded together. A pensive look appeared on his face as he looked at Helena''s resting figure. The Vampire actually was sleeping on a luxurious looking couch, her body requiring much more sleep than usual due to its condition.

    "A Superior Auction, huh?" He muttered, his mouth twisting.

    He had talked with Lord Gabito for several minutes. ording to the talented warrior, medicine that could heal injuries to the soul were a rare find here on ntera. Indeed, they were rare on any world.

    Injuries to the body were far, far, far moremon than injuries to the soul. As a result, most people sold or traded in medicine or Pills that focused on that.

    Further, it was much harder to treat an injury to the soul than to that of the body. Thus, Pills that could heal those injuries required a high level of skill and a powerful Soul Spell Matrix. This, added on to their low demand, made the Pills hold an extraordinary price.

    In Fort Sutner, there was arge auction hosted every month called the Normal Auction. The auction was run by the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, surprising Dorian. The massive mercenary organization had several branches of business, and one of them was an auction organization that spanned thousands of worlds.

    The Normal Auction was, as its name suggested, somewhat normal. For those below the Lord ss, it could be considered a grand function trading rare weapons, Pills, Inheritances, Manuals, and Spell Books. But to those at the Lord ss, oftentimes the Normal Auction was just normal. asionally there would be something rare or powerful, but that was the Normal Auction''s limit.

    It couldn''t be helped. Fort Sutner was a city protected by a Lord ss expert, but Lord Gabito happened to be one of only a very few Lord ss experts that regrly lived in the city, despite itsrge size.

    Lord ss experts were not amon urrence whenpared to the general poption. There mighte ten thousand Grandmaster ss experts without a single Lord ss expert arising. The difficulty in grasping a Law was just that high.

    "The next Normal Auction is in 12 days. Even if I go to it, it''s unlikely they will have anything that can treat Helena. I''m also not exactly wealthy¡­" He muttered as he looked over his Spatial Ring.

    He''d used up a huge amount of the resources in his Spatial Ring over time, buying various things. He still had some of the high-level Gold Shields from the Borrel Autarchy, and a few Artifacts here and there, but nothing that would stand out as very rare or expensive.

    "I need to make a lot of money really quickly or find some rare treasures, stuff that will be worth a lot. Why didn''t I snag a few treasures from the Ascension Ruins instead of absorbing as many as I could, dammit?" He swore and shook his head. His thoughts had been fully focused on saving Will, he hadn''t even considered looting anything.

    "Further, I need to move to a that has a Superior Auction." ording to Lord Gabito, he wouldn''t be able to find a single Superior Auction anywhere on ntera. The world had a lot of unique resources with its odd nt-based lifeforms, but not enough to draw the attention and worth of a Superior Auction, apparently.

    Superior Auctions could be found on Exotic or Major Worlds, and rarely on worlds that bordered unique Exotic Worlds. The Auctions were held once every 3 months at each location, and usually drew a huge amount of attention. Lord ss experts weremon and even King ss experts could be found in attendance, bidding for rare treasures.

    At this level, many cultivators eschewed normal currency, even the enhanced and Magic currency from the Borrel Autarchy, preferring to trade directly with Magic Herbs, Pills, rare Artifacts, or other types of treasures.

    "Of the Worlds with a Superior Auction on them, only two of them are anywhere near me. The Major World of Eneron, home to the headquarters of the Church of Light, roughly 12s distant, and the Normal World of Shaptel, 6s distant. Leaving the territory of the Shade Commune would require crossing 38 worlds in total." He said aloud, thinking it through.

    "Eneron is a no-go, I absolutely need to avoid interacting with any major figures from the Church of Light. Walking up their doorstep would be incredibly foolish. I also don''t think I could cross 38 different worlds under the control of the Shade Commune and remain undiscovered, so that''s not an option." He shook his head.

    "That only leaves Shaptel. Shaptel borders the highly dangerous Exotic World of Moria. A ruined world full of danger and treasure, drawing thousands of powerful explorers and treasure seekers. Home to the former headquarters of the now fallen Demon Race." He muttered, rubbing his chin.

    This was all information he''d received directly from Lord Gabito. All of it seemed reliable.

    "The Demons, huh..?" He frowned.

    "I remember Leader said there was a Demonic Inheritance deep within Shade territory. It was how he fully came to understand the Law of Pride. This might be rted to that. Only¡­ it sounds incredibly dangerous. Do I really want to take Helena anywhere near that, in her current state?" He talked it over.

    "Groan¡­"

    Dorian''s thoughts were thrown into disarray as he turned, looking at Helena.

    The injured Vampire had shifted in her sleep, unconsciously letting out a moan. The pain she was going through was constant and significant, a side-effect of her badly injured soul.

    His eyes hardened.

    "I don''t have a choice. It''s only sixs away. I need to get her treated as soon as possible so we can escape at full speed without putting her at risk." His eyes shed, determination filling them,

    "To Shaptel it is."

    .

 Chapter 155 Reputation

    "You see that Shade right there? That''s the legendary 7 des Swordmaster, Lord Inigo Montoya!"

    "Hmph. Our Old Captain Basalt became a Spearmaster after he joined the King''s Army. What makes this Lord Inigo so special? He doesn''t look that strong."

    "I heard it directly from one of Lord Gabito''s attendants when they booked him for the ship! Lord Inigo has almost reached the Realm of a Saint in skill!"

    "Huh? No way. Stuff like that is always fake."

    Dorian smiled slightly as he heard two Shade youths talking to each other in a quiet whisper. Each youth wore a ck and white striped uniform, the attire of all the workers on the ship. Dorian''s finely tuned senses could clearly hear their words, even from several dozen meters away, across the deck of a ship.

    He turned around, though, ncing about the wooden deck. He was standing at the front of the ship. The ship itself looked like a traditional wooden ship,plete with white cloth sails and arge mast. It was a galley, arge one, with multiple floors. Multiple workers moved across the deck, checking various parts of it or washing it down. He also saw a pair of Wizards covered in white glows checking over the sails, apparently directing the flight of the ship.

    The galley had just started to travel, lifting off from Fort Sutner and floating about 100 meters in the air about it. They hadn''t moved away yet, still setting up to leave.

    After talking with Lord Gabito, Dorian had made up his mind. He was headed off towards the former home base of the Demon Race and the Superior Auction located right next door.

    With that as his focus, he had informed the City Lord that he would be leaving, headed off towards the of Shaptel. The City Lord had taken it well and even helped set him up with the biggest travelingpany in Fort Sutner, the Flying ntera Fleet.

    Thepany apparently had a monopoly in regards to on travel and operated in all the major cities. Their ships only travelled on, however, eschewing everything else and keeping them domestically focused. He would need to get another ship for when he left ntera.

    Dorian turned his head away from the deck, looking down. He couldn''t see through the wood, but he felt like he could almost sense Helena''s presence as she rested, secure and peaceful in their private room. The door was sealed with a Magic lock of some sort, meaning he could give her some privacy when she rested, secure and safe, while he came above deck.

    WHOOSH

    The ship vibrated as it began to move forward, powered using Magic energy. Light shed around it, surrounding itpletely, as it soared high into the air and began to rush forward, elerating at a gradual pace.

    After flying on several of the Magic ships that weremon to the 30,000 Worlds, Dorian had grown ustomed to the feeling. He settled down on the front of the ship

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a world not far from Dorian, the dark figure that had been talking with Duke Orbit about finding the Inheritor of Wrath sat down patiently on a wooden chair.

    He was sitting in a small inn room, in a random city on the. In front of him was a ck-robed Shade giving a report, one of the spies serving the Demonic Council. The Council had one of the best intelligence agencies in the Shade Commune, one that was capable of gaining huge amounts of information in extremely small amounts of time.

    If they put their full focus on something, it was impossible for that thing to stay hidden for long.

    "Ruler Hallow, there are 12 possible locations across 7 easterns that show traces of Demonic power. Of those, only 3 of them have been previously investigated and can be discounted. The Duke''s Hunters have narrowed these locations down, but are unable to search further."

    Hallow grunted and nodded. Most of the Duke''s subordinates were bound to be regr Shades. Orbit obviously couldn''t make it known that he studied a Demonic Law. The Shades would therefore be unable to investigate further.

    Most Laws were abstruse and difficult to grasp, even the simpler ones. As a result of this, it could be almost impossible to tell what Law someone studied if that person was trying to conceal it or pass it off as another one. Using energy or power from a Demonic Law but iming it was from a simr, non-Demonic Law... it would be extremely hard for even King ss experts to tell the difference.

    Some Laws were exceptions to this due to their well known effects. But most were not.

    Only Demonic Law practitioners could instantly recognize other Demonic Law practitioners.

    Orbit had estimated the power he sensed as between the peak of Lord ss and the middle of King ss, within that range. Hallow guessed their target would be around Early King ss.

    "Alright. Of the 9 locations, which ones have had any unusual activity near them?" Hallow''s glowing blue eyes shed as he spoke, his voice cool and assured.

    "There was arge explosion on the of Fasfa, where the remnants of Demonic power were found. On the of Tabadel, a local war has broken out between two kingdoms that are vying for power. Demonic power was detected at the site of one of their battlefields." The robed Shade continued to speak,

    "There was also movement from one of the new rising stars of the Shade Race, Lord Inigo Montoya, the Shade of 7 des, on the of ntera, near a zone where traces of Demonic power were detected."

    "Who? What''s his ss?" Hallow interrupted his subordinate.

    "A Lord ss Swordmaster of high skill, allegedly imed to be nearing the level of a Saint. He is on a mission to heal the injured soul of his wife and defeated a local City Lord in a spar. The City Lord was a veteran of some small renown during the Territorial War. His reputation is that of a valorous Shade."

    "Oh, I see." Hallow shrugged dismissively. If it was so easy to have reached the level of a Saint, everyone would reach it. People imed to be nearing it all the time.

    There were trillions of Shades in existence, and while Lord ss Shades were a rarity, just because of sheer numbers there were bound to be tens of thousands, perhaps more, of them. New rising stars appearing among the Lord ss wasn''t something to be surprised about.

    Besides, there was no way their target would be so foolish as to act like a great expert and go on a highly visible public journey. They would have to know or at least suspect that they were being hunted.

    Only an idiot would do that.

    "Continue the report." One of these locations must have their target¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Wow! He really is a great expert!"

    "Did you see that? He killed it in a single shot!"

    "Woah! Please, take me as your disciple!"

    "You all are too kind. I merely have some small measure of skill." Dorian''s voice was calm and rxed as he sheathed his sword, looking over at the cheering crew members.

    Just moments ago, Dorian''s meditation had been rudely interrupted.

    Their Flying Ship had travelled for several hours, crossing a huge portion of the. Due to their great height, Dorian had only been able to see the tops of the forests or ins below. He did see quite a few abnormallyrge trees and odd looking, green colored beasts, but nothing that posed any threat to them.

    The journey had gone quite peacefully, in fact.

    It was around this point that an enormous, grass-covered bird had appeared, flying towards their ship like an arrow released from a bow.

    The bird was huge, easily a dozen meters tall, with a massive wingspan. It was covered in long strips of grass and vines, giving off a very faint, natural Aura. It cawed loudly as it charged, its voice irritatingly piercing.

    -

    Species: Winged Grass Gorak

    ss - Grandmaster (Pseudo-Lord)

    Maximum Energy Level: 5,281

    -

    The creature had roused Dorian from his meditation. As he instantly came aware of his surroundings, he noticed the duo of Wizards manning the ship preparing countermeasures. He could sense the energy they were gathering for some type of mighty Spell, one that ought to be able to take the Winged Grass Gorak out.

    The organization had a monopoly on air travel on for a reason. If they weren''t even able to handle random threats like this, it would be a bit much.

    "Excuse me, passenger. I''m going to need you to return below deck right now." A voice broke into his thoughts as he was looking at the Wizards.

    Dorian turned to see one of the sailors that crewed the Flying Ship, a muscr man with a broad chest, staring at him with an annoyed expression on his face that he quickly hid. The sailor wore a white and ck striped uniform that was fancier than the ones the other sailors were wearing, signifying a position of some importance on the ship.

    "We are about to engage inbat. Civilians like yourself would only be in the way." The sailor waved at him dismissively. Despite that, his eyes seemed to contain a certain level of enjoyment and arrogance.

    Dorian frowned slightly as he heard this.

    What the sailor said wasn''t exactly wrong¡­ After all, they were being charged at by a powerful beast. In his Shade form, Dorian hardly looked very threatening. Most of his power was self-contained, and if he didn''t willingly release his Aura, he would appear very normal. 99.99% of people that looked like this would be weak.

    But the way the Shade sailor went about it was a bit rude and rather petty, as if he was relishing the power to order about the passengers and did this often. He was technically in the right¡­ but¡­ Dorian''s eyes shed.

    As Dorian saw this, he realized this was an excellent opportunity.

    What was he trying to do? He wanted to create a huge reputation for his current form. This reputation could act as a cover, shielding him and Helena as they travelled while giving him all the usible deniability he needed.

    He had defeated Lord Gabito in a spar, but that information was likely to spread rather slowly. There were some eyewitnesses, but most were loyal to the Lord. Of those that would speak, most would likely remain in or near Fort Sutner, or keep their reports private.

    He needed his reputation to spread among the general popce. He wanted to be one of the best-known Shades in the Shade Commune, a literal celebrity.

    After all, who would suspect someone like that? As long as he could twist Fate when questioned to make his cover bulletproof, the n was destined for sess in Dorian''s opinion.

    ''Hyperion Beam! Charge!'' Instantly, he began charging his Hyperion Beam Ability. However, instead of having the ck orb form above his palm, Dorian slowly drew the sword from his waist, holding it out.

    "Hey! What are you doing?!" The belligerent sailor red at Dorian as he drew his weapon, yelling at him. Dorian ignored him.

    The crackling orb of energy formed at the tip of his sword, drawing from Dorian''s Soul Spell Matrix as well as the air around him.

    Dorian''s soul had reached an impressive level of strength, something his Hyperion Beam put to great use as it charged up at a faster rate than ever before. In just a split second, Dorian had formed a threatening orb the size of his fist.

    If he kept charging, he knew he could make it even stronger. However, Dorian had a different n in mind.

    ''ck mes,bine with it! Fire Magic: zing Sword!'' He activated another one of his Abilities and also cast one of the few Magic Spells he knew.

    The stronger he got, the more he realized how powerful Abilities were. Magic, inparison, was more versatile and had a variety of uses. But to really get anything powerful from it, he would need to study in a dedicated way for years and years, and that was with his incredible talent as an Ifrit and luck.

    He could be a jack of all trades and a master of none, or he could put his focus in one specific area. Dorian decided to focus more on the Laws he was learning and his Abilities. He needed power fast and Magic would take too long for him.

    In just a moment, the ck orb at the end of his de transformed into a crackling ck sword covered in mes. The energy sword actually covered his de entirely, making it seem as if his own weapon was the one creating the disturbance.

    The crackling orb hadn''t drawn any attention due to the crew focusing on the charging Winged Grass Gorak. His ck, me-covered sword, one that was warping the air around it, however, was very eye-catching.

    The sailor that had been yelling at him stumbled back, his face paling as he saw this. Several of the other sailors all shouted, looking at Dorian in surprise.

    At the same time this was formed, Dorian drew upon the Laws of Mercy and Valor. He imbued the Law of Mercy within his sword while using the Law of Valor to give himself a valorous and heroic Aura.

    The Law of Mercy was a Law that focused on enhancing the offensive power of something. It was simr to the Law of Wrath in that it was full of energy, throbbing and mighty. The only real difference between the two types of energy was that the Law of Mercy had cool, controlled energy while the Law of Wrath contained chaotic, violent energy.

    "What the- goodness! Look at that!"

    "Woah?! There''s an expert on board!"

    "It seems the Head Wizards won''t get a turn against the Gorak!"

    "What Spell is that?! It reminds me of the Old Captain''s attacks!"

    Almost everyone on deck was a member of the crew. Few of the passengers were like Dorian and wanted to meditate while looking out at the. The crew''s discussion was full of surprise and awe as they saw the power Dorian wielded. They also talked in a hushed manner, not wanting to offend Dorian.

    Most of them seemed fairly rxed. The Winged Grass Gorak appeared to be a type of beast they had faced down before with little incident.

    One of the few non-crewmembers, a man wearing a sharp looking brown suit, looked at Dorian''s charged attack, his eyes filled with interest.

    "Unleash." Dorian said out loud as he aimed the sword at the charging beast, his eyes cool. He twisted Fate slightly, to make him seem even more majestic.

    WHOOSH

    The beam of energy sted forward off his sword. It moved incredibly quickly, searing the air itself as it mmed into the still charging Winged Grass Gorak, just a few dozen or so meters away.

    "Squaakkk!" The Gorak yelled out loud as the beam mmed into the flying beast and melted a huge hole right through its chest. The beam of energy then shot forward off into the air, sting into the sky till it left their sight and entered Chaotic Space.

    With hardly a whimper after, the Grass Winged Gorak tumbled down from the air, plummeting as it was killed in an instant.

    "Incredible!"

    "Awesome!"

    A burst of apuse and cheers broke out as the crew ran up and congratted or thanked Dorian. The high ranking sailor that had previously tried to order Dorian about was nowhere to be seen, having fled below deck.

    Dorian smiled as he took it all in, acting the part of the hero. He waved at everyone and shook hands, bing a friendly figure. He answered the questions of the crew, exining his mission and goal freely.

    "A new hero has appeared among the Shade Race and is headed for the Ruins of the Demon Emperor? I''ve never heard of this Lord Inigo before¡­ Information on him might be worth quite a bit." One of the other passengers on deck during the attack, a Shade wearing a sharp looking brown suit, nodded his head cheerfully.

    The Shade, a well-known merchant on ntera, eyed Dorian carefully. His fingers clinked as he pped them together, severalrge gems set onto rings banging against each other. The Shade turned, heading below deck as he pulled out a small Artifact shaped like a bird.

    Soon, Dorian managed to free himself from the questions of the crew, returning below deck to care for a resting Helena.

    The rest of the journey across passed smoothly, but the impact Dorian had made on everyone present was already beginning to spread.

    In what felt like no time at all, the ship began tond, just outside a huge World Bridge that led to another Normal World. This particr World Bridge towered upwards, covered in brown rock and sand, like that of a giant desert. Arge city could be seen near the base of the World Bridge.

    "Don''t worry, my sweet dove." Dorian whispered quietly as he looked at the sleeping Helena. He stroked her hair, full of care. Her body was covered in sweat as she shifted in her sleep, sick and unwell.

    "I am on my way to get you help."

    .

 Chapter 156 Greeting

    At the headquarters of the Church of Light, on the of Eneron, an elderly Shade could be seen sitting peacefully in arge garden. Resplendent nts of all types grew from the earth in this garden, beautiful roses that gave off pink Auras to glowing tulips that dripped sunlight, to an evenrger assortment of wonders.

    This elderly man, wearing a long white gown with the insignia of the Church of Light on it, looked around at the beautiful garden, a look of pure bliss on his face as he smiled.

    "Inner peace¡­" He mumbled, his eyes closing as he entered a meditative stance. The elderly man took a deep breath, causing the air around him to shiver with force. This sheer disy of physical power, the ability to cause a minor storm simply by taking a breath, made it apparent that the physical body of this elderly man was at a ridiculous level.

    The wind buffeted the various nts, but for the most part, was unable to damage them. All of them were quite unusual specimens and extremely resistant to physical attacks or blows.

    As the wind shivered, however, a single petal from one of the glowing roses slipped off, fluttering through the air. This petal eventually floated until it was right in front of the elderly man.

    He took a second deep breath, this time breathing through his nose.

    The rose petal shot upward, right into his nose.

    "ARRRGH!" The elderly man let out a hoarse yell as he quickly exhaled, sending the rose petal fluttering back out. A second wind storm formed as he opened his eyes and sputtered, ring at the offending petal and rose.

    "How dare you! Traitorous Heaven''s Blush Rose! Offend this Shade again and you shall be beheaded at dawn!" The elderly man sputtered at the rose and patted his chest as he looked at it angrily, and slightly hurt, as if it had betrayed him. As he spoke, a heaven shaking Aura burst forth around him, full of ancient power and might.

    The rose, not unexpectedly, ignored the elderly man and the powerful Aura that the offended Shade unleashed.

    "Excelsior Gamin! Excelsior Gamin!" Before the elderly Shade could take further action, an armor-d Shade burst into the garden area, from a path that led to the enclosure.

    "What?!" Excelsior Gamin, one of the three mighty Excelsiors of the Church of Light, powerful generals that were second only to the High Priest himself, turned to look at the armored Shade in an irritated manner.

    "I beg your pardon, Holy Excelsior, for the interruption." The armored Shade wore a full set of white te-armor, save for a helmet which he held in his hands, and had a courageous air about him. He dropped to one knee as he looked at the powerful elderly Shade, however, his voice full of passion as he continued,

    "A matter has arisen that requires your intention. Bishop Hamon of the Ripple sent me to report to you."

    Gamin looked at the armored Shade expectantly. From the armor he wore, Gamin could tell that the Shade was a Captain in the Church Guard, theary fighting force that defended the headquarters of the Church of Light.

    The armored Shade didn''t continue, as if waiting for orders or a response.

    "Well spit it out, dammit man! Don''t you know how old I am?! I could die before you finish reporting!" Gamin red at the armored Shade, shaking an elderly fist.

    The Captain visibly withered as he heard this, his voice shooting out rapid-fire as he quickly made his report.

    "One of the Wizard teams sweeping the Eastern Worlds for Vampires has encountered an unordinary situation on the of ntera and is requesting advice. After hearing of the situation, Bishop Hamon was unable to determine a response and has asked that the matter be decided upon by thineself."

    "Oh?" Gamin''s eyes lit up as he heard this.

    "The of ntera? Why, many of my nts here are from that World. Truly a unique World in its own right, with all of its wildlife." Gamin smiled.

    "Uh, yes sir." The Captain responded, stumbling over his words slightly and pausing.

    Gamin''s smile turned into a frown and he red daggers at the other Shade, gesturing for him to quickly continue.

    The Shade Captain quickly continued,

    "The, uh-, the situation was as follows. Two Lord ss Wizards, Gavin and Patricia, have discovered a Vampire within the city of Fort Sutner. However, upon closer examination, the readings appear to havee from the wife of a rtively new hero arising from the popce, a powerful Shade Swordmaster." The Shade Captain wiped a sheen of sweat off his forehead as he continued,

    "The Shade, a Lord ss warrior by the name of Inigo Montoya, showed incredible skill and is on a heroic journey to heal his wife." He paused for a moment as he frowned slightly and continued,

    "She apparently suffered from serious injuries to the soul. His mission involves him traveling to the Demon Race''s Ruins on Moria to vanquish the Demons there and take their treasures, to help find a cure for his wife."

    Gamin looked intensely at the Shade Captain. He folded his hands together, his face scrunched up as he contemted what the Captain said.

    "To vanquish the Demons? Didn''t they already get vanquished once? How many times can you even vanquish a Race¡­ That seems like it would give pretty bad diminishing returns¡­ Young folk these days¡­" He shook his head sadly, as if disappointed in the youth of today,

    "A question, I have." Gamin spoke authoritatively, as if his words had immense importance.

    "Yes, Excelsior!" The Captain bowed as he replied, his body shivering. To be able to help one of the legendary Holy Excelsiors¡­ what Captain wouldn''t jump at this opportunity?!

    "One of the Wizards you mentioned as part of that group, you said his name was Gavin?" The Holy Excelsior continued, his eyes shing.

    "Yes sir!" The Captain banged on his chest, a fire in his eyes.

    "Interesting¡­" Gamin looked down at his hands, a frown appearing on his face.

    A quiet pause ensued.

    The Captain looked at the Excelsior expectantly.

    The pause stretched on for roughly 15 minutes.

    At that point, confusion, worry, and unease filled the Captain''s eyes as he could no longer contain himself. He spoke up,

    "Excelsior¡­ Do you know that Wizard? Is he a threat? Do I need to alert the Bishops? Perhaps one of the Axios Teams are within the headquarters presently!" The Shade Captain spoke with fervor, his entire body shivering.

    Gamin looked up,

    "No, no. It''s fine." He shook his head and sighed,

    "The problem is much worse than that. They cannot solve it." He rested his face in his hands, a tone of defeat entering his voice.

    Tears appeared in the Captain''s eyes. Alongside that, fierce determination and horror. He made a promise then that he would die to defeat whatever vile evil this Wizard was, even if it could send one of the Holy Excelsior''s of the church into despair.

    "What is it, Excelsior. Speak of it and I shall resolve it, with my life at stake!"

    "Ah, to be young again." Gamin looked up, smiling sadly as he shook his head again,

    "The problem is not resolvable, young Captain, but I admire your courage." He patted the Captain on the shoulder warmly as he continued,

    "My name and this young Wizard''s¡­ Gavin and Gamin¡­ they are too simr¡­ What if someone mistakes his misdeeds or achievements instead of my glorious own¡­ My reputation could be at stake¡­ what if he is a nefarious robber of bakeries¡­? Do you think I want to be known as the Bread Bandit¡­? Not that I ever was known as that before, mind¡­But if I had been¡­" The Shade Excelsior hung his head in his hands again.

    The Captain blinked. The tears dried off his face as the horror and determination faded. He stared at the Excelsior incredulously as his heartbeat returned to a normal rate, his violent emotions fading.

    He then held his hands out to the side as if to say ''Why are you the way that you are?''

    "But this young Shade hero that has arisen, though, now this sounds quite interesting¡­" The Excelsior stood bravely up from his despair, his shoulders hunched slightly as if he was now carrying a great burden but bearing it with supreme grace. That, or that he was getting up there in age.

    "You are dismissed." Gamin breezed past the stunned Captain, vanishing as he leapt up into the air. Powerful gusts of wind whipped around him, each gust containing a faint sparkle of light as he floated upward in the sky.

    Soon he was over a thousand meters in the air, looking down on the grassy area where hisrge, one-mile wide garden was located. In the distance, he could see the towering castle city that made up the headquarters of the Church of Light. Argekey several miles off to the side of the rtively small, but daunting, city, a favorite haunt of the currently absent High Priest.

    "The High Priest did say he was looking for a new ''Angel.'' Someone to capture the hearts of themon people, to resonate not only with Shades but with members of the other races as well¡­" The Holy Excelsior rubbed his hands together,

    "Going on an epic journey to save your badly injured wife, a journey where you are destined to y evil beings and conquer their ruinednds¡­" The Excelsior smiled.

    "That sounds interesting indeed. Interesting enough¡­" As he spoke aloud, he made a decision. His body blurred, moving so quickly it was as if he literally teleported, headed in the direction of the headquarters of the Church of Light.

    Leaving behind stray gusts of wind, moving chaotically in patterns and directions that not even the High Priest himself would be able to determine...

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Everyone, it''s him! It''s him!"

    "The Great Hero Lord Inigo has arrived!"

    "Out of the way! I must see him! We must cheer for his epic journey!"

    "Quick! To the front!"

    Hurried conversation was drowned out by cheers and yells of adoration as Dorian was carried into the city on a covered pnquin, wearing a luxurious golden vest and gem-studded silver pants. Laying down on the pnquin next to him, wearing an expensive looking blue gown, was Helena. The sides of the pnquin were covered, allowing her to rest free from prying eyes.

    It also freed her up to allow her to re at Dorian, as she was currently, and mouth,

    ''This is all your fault.''

    Dorian looked back at her and then shrugged helplessly.

    How could he have known it would turn out like this?

    After he reached the edge of ntera, Dorian had joined a high-speed caravan that was traveling across the World Bridge. His progress had been surprisingly quick to him, with the World Bridge being one of the shorter ones. In a single day, he and Helena had crossed over it and onto the Normal World of Gabel.

    Even more fortunately, their next destination was located on a World Bridge right next to the one they''d arrived on. Dorian had spent the next few hours traveling towards it with another transport group, and eventually crossed on to it.

    A night had passed and soon he had fully skipped past Gabel and arrived on the Normal World of Marlin. They were making incredibly fast progress under the cover of him traveling as a hero to heal his wife.

    However, upon arrival on the Normal World of Marlin, as the transportpany he had used arrived in arge City known as Ticko, he had been greeted by a huge gathering. The City Lord of Ticko himself had, for some reason, sent out a huge procession to greet him. They were gifted luxurious clothes and carried forward on arge, glowing pnquin.

    There was even a full-time choir in the background singing him praises.

    ?"Praise the Great Hero Lord Inigo!"?

    ?"He hase to vanquish the Demons!"?

    ?"Evil will always fall before him!"?

    ?"For on his path, he shall seed!"?

    Dorian listened to the choir and looked out at the roaring crowd. He could see peasant boys screaming their hearts out while maids and maidens swooned at the sight of him. Wizards and warriors alike roared aloud their support, gesturing at him. The warriors of the City Lord forced a way through the crowd as Dorian was led towards the inner city area, carried forth like a king.

    ...?"Praise the Great Hero Lord Inigo!"?

    "This is starting to get out of hand¡­" He muttered, faking a smile and a friendly wave as he weed his new, adoring fans.

    .

 Chapter 157 The Mighty

    Hallow looked over a carefullyid out map of the Eastern Worlds, his hands tracing over different portions of it. His eyes were calm and peaceful, not betraying the irritation he felt.

    He was sitting in a different inn this time, in a in wooden room bereft of decoration. Arge wooden table was the only piece of furniture in the area, the map he was reading spread out upon it.

    ''Damn it. The target wasn''t on Tabadel or Fasfa. Boths have been swept clean. We''re currently still sweeping through Obstra, Gilton, ntera, Triya, and Mossdol, but these will take longer.'' He rubbed his chin as he thought it over. Thest 5s were all rather unique in their makeup despite being Normal Worlds and would require more time and effort to scan.

    ''Where in the 30,000 Worlds could they be?'' He thought, frustrated.

    There were only so many ces that had remnants of Demonic power. As he was mulling this over, however, his thoughts were interrupted as someone came up next to the room.

    "Ruler Hallow! The background report on Lord Inigo hase in, as has some other abnormal information concerning him." A ck-robed Shade entered the doorway of the room smoothly, holding several sheaths of paper.

    Hallow nced up at him and motioned for the Shade toe in.

    "Abnormal information? Continue." He responded, eyeing his subordinate.

    "The Church of Light seems to be showing special interest in Lord Inigo. Orders from high up in the Church have caused his tale to be spread among themon people within the past 24 hours, informing all of his journey and the tribtions he will face." The Shade continued,

    "He has been painted as an epic figure, a hero of old. As a result, themon people have embraced his tale, spreading it far and wide at an incredibly fast rate. Few truly powerful figures have taken much note, but among themon folk or those that rule themon folk, he has be a bit of a myth."

    Hallow blinked,

    "Huh. I suppose his story does have a certain draw to it, something that would resonate with the lower folk. How odd." He shrugged and motioned for his subordinate to continue.

    "As for his background¡­" The ck-robed Shade paused and then shook his head,

    "We could figure out essentially nothing."

    "Huh? What?!" Hallow''s eyes widened as he looked at the man incredulously,

    "Nothing at all?"

    The Demonic Council''s intelligence capabilities when it came to finding out about something or someone within the Shade Commune, the Vampire Noble''s territory, and arge portion of the Borrel Autarchy were second to none.

    For them toe up with essentially nothing¡­

    It truly was as if this Swordmaster came out of nowhere. Hallow''s eyes shed as he considered this abnormality. Perhaps he had been too hasty in dismissing the Swordmaster.

    "The only intel we have is that he defeated Lord Gabito of Fort Sutner in a duel. There was a minor note that he stopped a local dispute between a group of Shades outside the city, but apart from that, no other information." The subordinate shook his head,

    "There is nothing else we could discover on our own. We did find out that the Church of Light hasunched their own initiative to discover his background, but with Magic instead of agents. The method they used was quite unique, a Light Spell tied in with the Church''s Haydo Truth Seeing Bell Artifact to determine whether his actions would fall on the side of ''Good'' or ''Evil.''"

    "And his results?" Hallow asked, ncing back down at the map.

    "He came up as neither ''Good'' nor ''Evil,'' but ''Neutral'' like most Wizards and Martial Artists typically do, and hence they okayed their n to spread his tale." The Shade finished, shrugging slightly.

    Hallow''s eyes shed as he heard this. A strong frown appeared on his face, taking in the information and running it through his mind.

    ''He came up Neutral?'' Hallow rubbed his chin slowly.

    The Church of Light''s Haydo Truth Seeing Bell worked on a base level, panning fate. Someone who went above and beyond in doing good deeds would bebeled ''Good'' by the Artifact. Someone that was an average being, not doing much of anything evil or good, woulde up ''Neutral.''

    Andstly, someone that did evil acts, like wanton murder or assault, or any of a variety of vile crimes often, would bebelled ''Evil.''

    There was an exception, however.

    One that made Hallow clench his fists in anger before he regained control of his emotions.

    The Laws that one studied could affect the reading. If one studied any of the Laws the maker of the Artifact deemed good and righteous, the Artifact wouldbel them ''Good.'' The maker of the Artifact, from so long ago, didn''t actually pick out individual Laws for this, but rather left it up to Fate and the Artifact Genie to filter.

    Conversely¡­

    If one studied any of the Demonic Laws, then no matter how much good they did, they would always bebelled ''Evil,'' without exception.

    ''It is unfair and tant discrimination. That damned Artifact cost my little brother his life, and he was as innocent as any other Shade. Simply studying the ''wrong'' Law in their eyes.'' Hallow''s eyes were cold as the memory came up, his face twitching behind the mask he wore. The reason he''d gained his current level of strength was precisely because he wanted to avenge his little brother.

    The Artifact was created back in the time when the Demon Race existed at full force and constantly waged war on the other Races. Its original, intended use was to ferret out traitors and spies of the Demon Race.

    ''The times have changed. The Law one studies does not make a man. It is what you choose to do with that Law that decides that.'' Hallow shook the thought from his head, however.

    It wasn''t the time to focus on that. Perhaps one day his dream of destroying the Haydo Truth Seeing Bell and allowing Shades like himself to exist freely in the Commune woulde true. That day was not today.

    If this Swordmaster hade up ''Neutral,'' then he couldn''t be studying one of the Demonic Laws.

    ''But if he did study a Demonic Law, it would make much more sense. Actually, this entire situation makes little sense even if he is the target.'' Hallow''s thoughts grew muddled. Why in the world would he want to draw so much attention to himself if he was the target?!

    "They have staked quite a bit on this deration. Did the Church of Light send anyone to investigate the Swordmaster personally?" Hallow turned back to his subordinate, raising a question.

    "No, we have detected no movements from the headquarters. It''s possible they dispatched an agent in the field." The Shade shook his head as he replied. Almost as an after note, he added:

    "Of course, if the High Priest or one of the Excelsiors took action, we would be unable to notice. But what are the chances of that?"

    Hallow nodded. Everything pointed to this being a simple coincidence. After all, if he studied a Demonic Law, he would have toe up Evil.

    ''Still¡­'' His eyes narrowed.

    "Talth." He spoke the name of the subordinate,

    "Report to the Council and inform them I''m requesting the newest member of the Council be sent to investigate Lord Inigo while I go over the remaining worlds here." He couldn''t afford to leave and allow the target to escape. At the same time, however, he couldn''t just let this Lord Inigo run freely, not when there was now just the slightest chance he was the target.

    "Err, the newest member. That would be the one that calls himself Fifteen?" Talth responded.

    "Yes. He''s quite hard to track and versatile, especially now that his legs have been restored." Fifteen had joined the council just within the past month or two, Hallow wasn''t exactly sure on the date. However, when he''d joined, Fifteen had been badly injured. He''d lost both of his legs and no matter what Magic was used, they were impossible to bring back. It was almost as if they were Magically Sealed away somehow.

    He''d received word that Fifteen''s injuries had miraculously healed just as he was setting off to investigate this situation. It meant they could finally put the new member to good use.

    "I will carry out your word immediately!" Talth bowed his head and left, rushing off to fulfill Hallow''s orders.

    As his subordinate left, Hallow''s eyes abruptly widened as he realized something.

    ''It''s possible he somehow found a way to outwit the Artifact, hiding his Demonic Law. If he did that, why might he be creating a cover like this? It''s not just to hide from us. No¡­ far from it¡­ He might be trying to infiltrate the Church of Light!'' Hallow''s eyes widened farther, this time full of shock.

    ''He''s carefully crafted a persona to draw in the attention of the leaders of the Church, going as far as to im to be a legendary warrior intent on vanquishing the Demon race. After all, the Demons are long since vanquished.'' Hallow''s mind raced ahead of him,

    ''If this all is true, then his every step has been meticulously calcted. He''s been outwitting the smartest generals and greatest tacticians, using their own intelligence against them. The sheer audacity! The sheer skill! He must be thinking a dozen steps ahead of everyone else. Heavens above!'' Hallow''s eyes shook with amazement.

    ''But why? Why infiltrate the Church of Light? What is he trying to gain from them?'' Hallow rubbed his chin. He felt as if he had stumbled upon a huge conspiracy of enormous proportions.

    He shook his head.

    ''I can''t understand it. It might be that this is just all some coincidence. I''ll have to let Fifteen investigate, and base my actions upon that. For now, I''ll just concentrate on picking apart these five remaining Worlds.'' Hallow nodded sharply,

    ''After all, what are the chances that he is some type of super genius?''

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Behold! I am the greatest super genius in the 30,000 Worlds!"

    Tinklingughter filled the air as Helena giggled despite herself, ring at Dorian.

    "Stop it! This is serious!" Her voice croaked quietly as she spoke, still weak and unwell.

    "Shh, I''m sorry. Just rest, silly." Dorian was currently grandstanding upon a luxurious golden chair. Around him, an expensive looking bedroom spread out, with gleaming curtains, a richly decorated wall, and a fine, woolen rug on the ground. Arge, golden bed could be seen at the end of the room, covered inrge and fluffy pillows.

    Helena wasying in the center of the bed, restingfortably under the sheets. Dorian walked over and patted her on the head.

    "Listen to your husband, honey."

    "I WILL MURDER YOU!"

    Dorian couldn''t keep a straight face and burst outughing as he looked at the angry Helena. Ofte, he''d found it incredibly fun to tease her. It wouldn''t be often he could get away with that, not when she was as insanely strong and powerful a warrior as she was.

    "Alright, alright." He held his hands up after a few moments, trying to appease her.

    "How did they even know we wereing?!" Helena quietly sputtered from the side, still ring at Dorian.

    Dorian held his hands out to the side, clueless. He had done everything he could to spread a reputation about himself to make their travels easier, but even he couldn''t believe what had happened.

    When they''d arrived in the city, they''d been treated like kings and queens. A huge procession had led them inward where they met the City Lord, a nice chap named Patrin that was at the Middle of Lord ss. After talking briefly, they were given free rooms to stay in the City Lord''s ratherrge mansion.

    Dorian had ended up epting, especially when he heard that the City Lord had helped set up transport across to the next World Bridge they needed to cross.

    ''Is it a trap?'' He thought, but then shook his head. Even the public was joining in. Everyone seemed to be cheering them on and wanting them to seed.

    ''Perhaps I am so charismatic the effect I had on people spread super quickly.'' He entertained the notion briefly before shaking his head again.

    Something was up, someone was helping him, and while he wasn''t sure who, he also wasn''tining. He intended to take full advantage of this.

    "I don''t know Hel-" Dorian cut himself off as he looked down at the Vampire. She had fallen asleep once more, her body turning pale.

    ''I really need to get her some proper Soul medicine.'' Regr Pills no longer had any effect on her. The only thing that could help would be to get her some high tier medicine.

    He watched her sleep quietly for a few minutes. Her withered appearance was just as beautiful, to him, as her normal one. He could see her fine features, her warm heart, and everything he admired about her.

    "Uh. This is kinda creepy. Right, I probably shouldn''t just watch you sleep." After a moment, he came to his senses and stepped away, shaking his head with a smile.

    He walked over back to the chair he''d been standing on, sitting in it.

    ''Status.''

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 165,221/170,229

    -

    ''My soul is constantly growing stronger thanks to all the Laws it''s attuned to. That,bined with the Perfect Body Ability I got from Yukeli and the Abilities and forms I''ve gained on my own¡­ I''m at least equal to a very powerful Middle King ss. If I use my Bnce Demon form¡­ I should be able to match Late King ss, right?'' He mused, contemting.

    ''I should keep growing stronger. But I need to start thinking bigger.'' His eyes shed.

    ''The Angelic ss.''

    In the 30,000 Worlds, every single ss represented an umtion. From Earth to Grandmaster, it was an umtion of raw energy and power. From Lord to King, it was an umtion of Law, as well as raw energy and power. To reach the King ss, you had to fully understand a Law, bing able to use it freely and maximally.

    Conceptual Laws often gave special abilities or powers, like the ''Super State'' that the Law of Pride gave Leader. Some simpler Laws only gave enhanced energy.

    From Early King ss all the way to Late King ss, the only difference was an umtion of energy for the soul. Mastery of the Law could not be increased. Once you mastered a Law, you mastered it. That was it.

    However, beyond King ss, there existed several experts that had achieved a higher ss.

    The Angelic ss.

    From his Spatial Ring, Dorian pulled out two things.

    The first was a special list he had purchased, thanks to the help of the City Lord. This list ranked the most powerful beings in the 30,000 Worlds.

    It had first been created more than 100 years ago. The maker of this list was unknown, likely because to dare to say you could decide who among the mighty was stronger bespoke incredible confidence or incredible arrogance. The list itself was likely to be an affront to many.

    It was continuously updated, despite the danger. And the one Dorian was holding had been updated justst year.

    On this list, everyone at the very peak of existence in the 30,000 Worlds¡­

    Every single one had achieved the Angelic ss.

    And of every being in existence, of all those mighty figures¡­

    There were only 8 currently known to have achieved the Angelic ss and still be alive.

    The list was known as the ''The Recording of Might.'' There were actually two lists in it, not just one. One for the Angelic ss and one for the Pseudo-Angelic ss.

    - Angelic ss Ranking -

    1. Arthur Telmon - The Wizard King of the Borrel Autarchy

    2. Grantheurm meborn - Dragonfather of the ckgold Draconic Tribe

    3. Sun Wukong - Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance

    4. Saint Wanhope Gaiden - No affiliation

    5. Hasith Shanty - King of the Shade Commune

    6. izenthaw - One of the three Beast Generals of the Graal Alliance

    7. Cynthia Gudet - Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Annihtion Department

    8. Homa Whistleberry - Head Monk of the Free School of Thunder

    Dorian nced over it, seeing several figures he''d heard of. His eyes narrowed as theynded on Sun Wukong''s name, thinking of Will. He''d learned who exactly that monkey likely was thanks to Helena. He hoped the Wood-turned-Light Wizard was doing okay.

    Pseudo-Angelic ss Ranking -

    1. Maximus Caesar - Highlord of the Caesar Family

    2. Octavius Augustus - Highlord of the Augustus Family

    3. Marcus Aurelius - Highlord of the Aurelius Family

    4. Hintur Tolda - The Gold Mercenary King of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance

    5. Bashaba - High Priest of the Shade Commune''s Church of Light

    6. Rakenjaw - One of the three Beast Generals of the Graal Alliance

    7. Saint Olga Warion - Guardian of The Blue Domain Country

    8. ke Drakofear - The Red Mercenary King of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance

    9. Heptorel Entei - Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Gravity Department

    10. ...

    The Pseudo-Angelic ss Ranking went all the way till it ended on the 49th expert. In it, a few names in particr stuck out. He recognized Marcus Aurelius from Helena''s Vampire Family, as well as a few others.

    Two that resonated in his mind deeply.

    24. Bruiner Gammal - The Great Pariah of the Golden Kingdom

    32. Archel Winston - The Holy Duke of the Elector Empire

    ''Archel Winston of the Elector Empire?'' Dorian''s eyes widened.

    ''The Holy Duke Archel! That is the same person that the Illustrious Elder Mage Horhavil that saved Will asked us to bring a message to!'' As he thought that, he nced over at Rank 24 again.

    ''Bruiner Gammal, the Great Pariah of the Golden Kingdom. The Golden Kingdom¡­ Two ''Pariah Mages'' were said to have betrayed Horhavil. They must''ve been part of this group¡­'' He shook his head sadly.

    There was nothing he could personally do about it now. He had no illusions that he was strong enough to challenge the 24th strongest Pseudo-Angelic figure in existence, not right now.

    But in the future¡­?

    His eyes shed.

    He owed a debt of gratitude to Horhavil. If the chance came up, he would repay it.

    ''The Angelic ss¡­ what do I need to be able to fight people at that level? Or even people simply at the Pseudo-Angelic¡­'' The second thing he pulled out, Yukeli''s personal journal, didn''t provide him with anything helpful.

    He sighed as he looked back over at the sleeping Helena. Perhaps she would know. He would ask her tomorrow.

    Till then¡­ He didn''t feel tired at all. As an Anomaly, he could usetent Growth Points to refresh his mind and body, meaning he didn''t need to sleep. He could just meditate instead, turning his focus to the multiple Laws he studied.

    "Rest well, Helena." He whispered quietly.

    He then put his full focus on meditation about the four separate Laws he had touched upon.

    "I will keep growing stronger."

    .

 Chapter 158 Lasers

    WHOOSH

    Dorian let out a deep breath as he awoke from his meditation, energy boiling about him.

    "Ahh." He blinked as he looked around. Their room was on the second floor and set near the outer wall of the mansion, with a window letting sunlight filter in. Dorian walked up and looked outside. The light was just barely falling in from an early morning sunrise.

    Dorian looked out at it, taking a few more breaths. It was a refreshing, peaceful sight, something he didn''t see often in his hectic, fast-paced adventure.

    "It''s very pretty." A feminine voice caught Dorian''s attention as he turned around.

    He smiled, waving at Helena. The Vampire was still resting atop therge golden bed. Her face was still pale, but there was a hint of a rosyplexion hidden within her withered appearance. The rest she''d gotten over the past few days seemed to be working.

    "That it is, smalls." Dorian walked over quietly, sitting on the bed next to her.

    "How are you holding up?" He gave her a warm nod.

    "So-so." She raised her hand and then wobbled it from side to side. Slowly, she raised herself up, taking long, slow breaths. Her entire body moved in unison despite its current disability, the smooth warrior instincts she had trained to an incredible level still present.

    "I''m getting better." She nodded firmly.

    ''You are¡­ but so slowly¡­'' He mentally shook his head. The number of Worlds they would need to cross to escape was far too many. He had no confidence that they could make it out of Shade territory without alerting the authorities.

    And once they learned Helena was a Vampire, and a weakened, but especially important, one¡­ Dorian could protect her, but all it would take is one good st to make it past him. It wasn''t worth the risk.

    "Helena, I have a question for you." Dorian began, changing the subject.

    Behind him, the early morning sounds of dawn could be heard, slowly filtering in through the window.

    "Oh? What''s up?" Helena responded, blinking at him.

    "How strong are beings at the Angelic ss?" His question went straight to the point.

    "How strong are beings at the Angelic ss¡­" Helena said the question out loud, a small smile appearing on her face.

    "Overwhelmingly. Awe-inspiringly strong." She shook her head,

    "Those at the Angelic ss have taken the first step on the Path to Ascension. Anyone that reaches that level is so powerful they cannot bepared to lesser sses." Her voice was calm as she spoke, but Dorian could see an inner fire simmer within her as she spoke.

    "They''re that strong?" Dorian said, frowning. He hadn''t realized there was such arge gap.

    "Yes. The difference between even a Pseudo-Angelic ss being who has found their own Path, and a Late King ss who has not, is immense." Helena continued,

    "The man I aspire to defeat, Arthur Telmon, is quite possibly the most powerful being in existence, and also an Angelic ss Human. I say that my goal is to grow strong enough to beat him¡­ but to get that much power¡­" Helena shook her head again, this time clenching her fists underneath her sheets.

    "Hey, hey, it''s okay. Don''t worry about him right now. Growing strong is a process that takes time. You''ll get there. I have faith in you." Dorian said, patting her on the head. Helena was so caught up in the talk of her goals that she didn''t notice.

    "Why do you hate him so much, anyway?" He queried.

    "Telmon cut off the path to Ascension from the man I love like a father. It''s extremely difficult to take the final step into the Angelic ss, and to even stand a chance, one needs to have a very powerful Soul." Helena continued,

    "To take the final step, however, and Ascend to the Heavens, one needs to have a perfectlyplete soul." Her voice turned bitter,

    "Highlord Marcus used to be the most powerful of the three Vampire Highlords. However, after a battle between the Highlords and Telmon many years ago, he fell to be the weakest of the three due to injuries to the soul. His wounds were further exacerbated by a duel he had with the Shade King afterwards." She frowned as she went on,

    "The Shade King went on to break through to the Angelic ss while Highlord Marcus has remained trapped at the Pseudo-Angelic ss, unable to proceed. Even if he does, with the permanent injuries he has sustained upon his soul, he will forever be unable to Ascend."

    A single tear dripped down Helena''s face as she finished, her heartfelt emotion visible.

    Dorian''s heart went out for her. He rubbed her shoulderfortingly, not quite sure how to respond.

    "Well. I understand a bit more now. I''m sorry that happened to him."

    Helena shrugged, shaking her head.

    "It''s old news now. There is no point speaking of it."

    A quiet pause ensued.

    After a few seconds, Dorian''s curiosity overwhelmed him and he continued his questions,

    "You mentioned that a Pseudo-Angelic ss being is one who has opened their own Path? Could you exin a little more?"

    Helena nodded and then began giving Dorian a small lesson,

    "Yes. Few people know what the Angelic ss truly entails. Only the elites and experts that have powerful masters are even aware." She gestured as she spoke,

    "Reaching the King ss requiresplete mastery of a Law." Dorian nodded as he listened to her speak. Helena continued,

    "The amount of energy and size of one''s soul is generally used to separate sses. The same applies to King ss. However, there is a point for every being where it slowly bes impossible to progress. One''s soul cannot grow indefinitely, after all. Every being has a limit."

    "The stronger your soul is before you reach King ss, typically the higher your limit."

    "Growing one''s soul requires meditation on a Law that you are studying. One''s soul will unconsciously absorb energy from the Laws of the Universes, growing stronger. This basically only happens with real, sincere meditation; meditation that will also increase your understanding of whatever Law. The moment you fully understand a Law, you will break through to King ss."

    "Some experts will choose incredibly abstruse Laws to study in order to maximize the time they spend in Lord ss to raise their limit. Others will stop meditating once they feel they are about to breakthrough and search for rare Natural Treasures or Pills to increase the strength of their soul, to maximize their limit."

    "Most people, however, simply meditate and grow in strength naturally. Breaking through to the King ss is already extremely difficult on its own and for most beings, the increase in power would be marginal when using extra methods." Helena took a deep breath as she finished one part of her exnation before diving into the next,

    "The Angelic ss is qualitatively different. To break into the Angelic ss, one needs to find their Path to Ascension."

    "Find my Path to Ascension?" Dorian repeated back, confused.

    "Yes. Every person is different. Their experiences are unique. Every aspect about them, whenbined together, creates apletely unique creature that has lived a life that no one else has lived, not exactly. And all of that is imprinted upon your soul." She gestured at him,

    "The Angelic ss is about taking your first step onto your own unique Path to Ascension. Highlord Marcus told me it requires your soul and Soul Spell Matrix to be perfectly fused together, with no blemishes."

    "After that has been achieved, one must enter intense meditation. One must mentally review every single experience imprinted upon their soul. It is like a rebirth of their life, living through their entire past all at once. Your soul must be fully attuned to yourself, your past, your entire life."

    "If you have managed to achieve a state of perfect bnce and cohesiveness with your soul, Highlord Marcus says you will have broken into the Pseudo-Angelic ss. To fully break through to the Angelic ss, in this state of perfect bnce, you only have to do a single thing."

    "You have to willingly give up all of these experiences, these dreams and goals, your memories, everything, dissociating it from your soul. Your entire life will be wiped clean, removed from you."

    "Of course, after all of that is removed, should you sessfully let everything go without failing, the memories and emotions, all of it wille back."

    "Highlord Marcus described it as feeling like you have stepped up to the edge of a huge cliff, one that overlooks an enormous desert with a tiny oasis in the center."

    "If you manage to jump off that cliff sessfully andnd in the oasis, you can break through to the Angelic ss. If yound in the desert, however¡­"

    "You die."

    As Helena finished speaking, a look of exhaustion appeared on her face. She settled back down into the bed delicately.

    "Hey there, go easy. Don''t stress yourself. That solved most of my questions, thank you." He rubbed her arm, looking at her with concern. He went over her words in his head, absorbing the knowledge. The Angelic ss seemed like it was something quite incredible.

    "I''ll go have breakfast sent up to us. You just keep focusing on recovery." Dorian stood up, turning towards the door.

    Before he could leave, however, he felt Helena tug at his shirt. He stopped, turning to look back at her questioningly.

    Helena''s tired eyes looked back, an odd light in them.

    "Hey, Dorian?" She said, her voice quiet.

    "Yes? What''s up? Do you need something else?" He nodded sharply, trying to appear confident.

    She shook her head and then blurted out,

    "Thanks."

    "Huh? For what?" Dorian tilted his head slightly. If anything, he was the one that should be thanking her for the info.

    "For this all. Just- Thanks. I won''t forget it." She nodded her head at him as if satisfied with her words. Then, before he could respond, she closed her eyes and fell back down, ignoring him as she focused on internal meditation and healing.

    Dorian stared at her in consternation and then smiled, shaking his head,

    "You''re wee, smalls. Don''t ya worry about it. I got your back." He muttered as he began to walk towards the entrance of the room.

    Unbeknownst to him, a small smile appeared on Helena''s face as he walked away.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian managed to get food for Helena and him. Helena could eat normally, thankfully, but her weakness remained as her body continued to try and recover.

    The City Lord of Ticko, Patrin, was an elderly Shade that was quite enamored with Dorian''s tale. Dorian reminded the Shade warrior of himself in his youth. After eating with Helena, Dorian spent about an hour talking to the City Lord downstairs, asking the Shade about his history to glean more information about the Commune.

    He also spent that time dodging questions about his own history as well, or making up tall tales when he was forced to.

    Eventually, he learned more about the arrangements Patrin had helped set up in advance to get Dorian across.

    On the Normal World that they were on, there weren''t manyrge scale travelpanies. This Normal World was a decidedly normal one, with little draw for powerful Wizards. As a result, if one wanted to travel very long distances quickly, they would need to request one of therge, difficult-to-use Flying Ship Artifacts be transported over to the city proper.

    Patrin had arranged for that ahead of time. A Flying Ship was already making its way over and would arrive in the city tomorrow.

    All Dorian needed to do was wait another day. By using a Flying Ship to cross the, he could shave several days, or even weeks, off his travel time. With Helena in her current state, he didn''t dare to try flying her across using any of his flying forms.

    As a sidenote of talking to the City Lord, he learned another tidbit of information.

    One that was decidedly dour.

    ''An entire Draconic Tribe has fallen.''

    Patrin had been just as shocked as Dorian as he spread the news. One of the 12 Draconic Tribes had been ughtered, down to thest Dragon. Even further, some type of war seemed to have broken out deep within the Tribes, ording to sources spreading this gossip.

    This had happened several days or even weeks ago. Information travelled fast in the 30,000 Worlds thanks to Magic, but even then, in such a massive universe, it could only move so quickly.

    Especially for Lord ss experts like Patrin, who simply ran arge city on a little known Normal World.

    ''The rumors say it could be anything, but I''m willing to bet it was one of the Flock¡­ I''ve only ever faced three Dragons. The rhyming Eleventhborn, and Aiden and Mira. Despite my current strength, I think that, at best, I could match up with Aiden. I might even still lose to him, even with my Bnce Demon form¡­'' Dorian frowned.

    Aiden might be at the Middle of King ss, but he was also a huge, powerful Golden me Dragon, utilizing the Law of Majesty. In raw might, he would easily be able to equal Late King ss Wizards. Further, there were bound to be other Dragons of simr strength within the Tribe.

    Now, after all of that, it was night time on the Normal World.

    He was sitting several miles outside the city, his legs crossed as he sat down in meditation thinking things over. He had just left the City Lord''s mansion, using his Sun Eagle form to fly over here in a sh.

    Around him, an empty gully and a few random trees could be seen. The nearby ground was rather abandoned, non-arable and useless to most.

    ''I''ve grown stronger, but I can''t let myself stagnate. My progress with Laws will grow steadily. What I need to think about are other ways I can grow stronger.'' Dorian''s thoughts were muddled as he thought this over, frowning.

    ''I can''t just keep depending on Yukeli''s Mystic Martial Arts. Eventually, I''ll face a member of the Flock that can use them just like me. Only, they will have theplete memories for them and probably use them with more skill.'' He nodded,

    ''But then¡­ what do I have?'' He paused for a moment, his mind racing ahead.

    ''The three biggest things that separate me from others are my Abilities, my forms, and my memories from Earth.'' Dorian came up with 3 main things.

    WHOOSH

    His body transformed from his current Shade physique, gaining a set of metallic and crystalline armor, covered from head to toe, with glowing blue eyes. His Bnce Demon form.

    "Ahh." His voice in this form was deep and calming. He relished the feeling of the form. When he was using it, he felt as if everything was easier to sense. The world around him was clearer, as was his mind and soul.

    ''This form is perfect for practice.'' He realized, pleased. His Bnce Demon form would allow him to try anything he wanted with no downsides to his physique, making handling anything bnced and rtively easy.

    ''Now let''s see. Of my Abilities, for attacking, the strongest one I have is undoubtedly my Hyperion Beam, especially when I infuse Dragonfire and the Power of Law into it.'' He nodded.

    ''Recently, my soul has grown at a very fast rate. I''ve gained so much energy that putting out a Hyperion Beam no longer draws too much from me, but is still a very powerful attack.'' As he mulled this over, an idea swept over him.

    ''You know¡­ what if I look at it like a video game from Earth? On Earth, there were some games that let you spam multiple powers or abilities at once¡­'' Dorian''s eyes lit up.

    ''In this form, I should be able to practice handling multiple Abilities. Even in my normal forms, I''ve used multiple Abilities at once before¡­''

    ''What if I use the same Ability multiple times, all at once?''

    Dorian''s eyes shed as he turned to look over at a few of the random trees that were set near him. He slowly raised the right hand of his Bnce Demon form, looking out at a trio of peaceful oaks.

    He blinked.

    A secondter, without hesitation, he mentally yelled out,

    ''Hyperion Beam, activate!''

    ''Hyperion Beam, activate!''

    ''Hyperion Beam, activate!''

    WHOOOSH

    .

    .

    (Don''t forget to vote them Power Stones down below! <3 it="" helps="" me="" out="" a="" lot!)=""></3>

 Chapter 159 Violent Encounter

    Dorian felt his Soul Spell Matrix shiver slightly, deep within his soul. He had used multiple Abilities at once before, but never used the same Ability more than once. It simply hadn''t urred to him.

    WHOOOOOOOSH

    Three ck orbs formed directly in the air. Each one was reminiscent of his normal Hyperion Beam. As they spawned in, they rapidly began to absorb energy from the environment, bing stronger and stronger. The air around them distorted ever so slightly as they drew upon the world around them.

    ''Woah.'' Dorian felt a huge strain settle in on his soul as he simultaneously activated the three Hyperion Beams. It was much harder than activating separate Abilities at once. It felt like he was trying to control and bnce three separate beasts that were all running off in different directions, only able to pull and tug at them using a leash.

    It was overwhelmingly destabilizing and threatened to cause severe injury to his soul, the opposing forces each vying for supremacy.

    However, as the pain threatened to break his soul, a cool refreshing feeling settled in and reced it, forcibly making the wild energye to bnce.

    One of the passive Abilities his Bnce Demon form inherently possessed.

    The ''Soul of Bnce'' Ability.

    -

    Ability: Soul of Bnce

    The Soul of Bnce Ability allows the user to bnce any energy type of energy or power that affects the user''s soul and Soul Spell Matrix. By bncing harmful or chaotic energies, these sources of power wille fully under the control of the user. This Ability can only affect energy that is directly present within the soul, or directly contacting the soul, of the user.

    -

    This Ability forced thepeting energy to calm down. The energy still put a huge strain on Dorian''s soul, making it difficult to maintain. But it no longer threatened to rip him apart, bing much more manageable.

    ''Arrrrgh. Fire!'' Dorian mentallymanded, his eyes watering as he looked at the three towering oak trees. Despite the extremely helpful effects from the Soul of Bnce Ability, he was still in a tremendous amount of pain. The feeling of being stretched and torn apart, even when greatly mitigated, was indescribable.

    WHOOSH

    The three beams of energy shot forward. Dorian didn''t try to invest any Law energy or Dragonfire in them, simply trying to keep them aimed straight.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    SWISSSH

    Two explosions and a ''swishing'' noise echoed forth.

    Two of the Hyperion Beams hadnded exactly where Dorian wanted, mming into and detonatingrge holes in the towering oak trees. The third beam attack, however, had missed by about a meter, shooting off into the distance where it eventually dug a long gouge in the empty, abandoned earth and exploded, forming a small crater.

    "Huh¡­" Dorian muttered as he saw this. Bits of wood and dirt rained down, falling into the two craters where therge oaks had stood. The third oak tree stood between the two others, just barely left untouched by the impact.

    ''I managed to control the attacks¡­ But all the fluctuating energy made it difficult to aim perfectly, even with the energy in my soul forcibly bnced.'' He thought over what had happened, examining everything. The pain in his soul had faded to an afterthought now that he was no longer trying to control three separate Hyperion Beams.

    ''Status.''

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 164,123/170,581

    -

    ''I only used up a bit more than 5,000 points of energy.'' He thought, pleased. The stronger his soul got, the more and more affordable it became to use powerful techniques. Even simultaneously, it appeared.

    ''The damage from one, or three, Hyperion Beams might not be too great for super powerful experts.'' He continued, rubbing his chin.

    ''But what about 10? What about 50?'' His eyes shed as he imagined spawning 50 separate boiling ck orbs of energy, infusing each one with the power of Law and Dragonfire. A veritable towering wave of death, dozens ofsers sting forward all at once.

    ''An attack of that scale¡­ I doubt even I would be able to withstand it, even when using my Bnce Demon form plus the Mystic Armored Body Ability.'' He realized, feeling excitement run flush in his mind.

    ''This is it exactly! A sort of super attackbo!'' He clenched his fists, his eyes filling with determination.

    ''But first¡­ I need to be able to control that many Hyperion Beams. In fact, I need to be able to control at least just three first. One step at a time.'' Dorian calmed himself down, returning back to his current task. He paused for a moment, taking a look up at the sky.

    It was still night time. The Chaotic Space up above the sky was calm and peaceful, very faint light gleaming off of it.

    He looked back down, staring at his clenched fists.

    ''One step at a time.'' He repeated. He took a few deep breaths.

    ''Back to practice.''

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Time¡­ I want more time.'' Dorian mused out loud as he looked around the badly devastated gully. Dozens ofrge craters could be seen, as if this area had been bombarded by a swarm of small meteors, crashing hard into the earth.

    Several hours had passed since he started his practice.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 94,123/170,602

    -

    In that time, Dorian had practiced his techniques a number of times. He took several opportunities to pause and meditate, furthering his understanding and feeling of the energy twitching within his soul. After so many hours, he had managed to get the hang of controlling up to three Hyperion Beams.

    He could just barely manage to aim the three attacks. He had found that his first attempt had actually been a lucky one. At first, evennding a single Hyperion Beam and controlling it to go where he wanted it proved a trial.

    Eventually, he was able to get all three Hyperion Beams to move in the same general direction, clustered up. Now, he could control it with more precision. He couldn''t use it for pinpoint attacks, but if he had a general target that wasn''t too far and was a couple metersrge, he could definitely hit it with at least one of his three Hyperion Beams.

    ''It''s not bad¡­ but it''s still not good enough. Why is this so hard to do?'' If the original Sr Rock Lizard race that possessed the same Ability could have heard Dorianin, learning that he was whining about being able to control three Hyperion Beams at once, the entire species might have rolled on the floor simultaneously in shock.

    Controlling a single Ability was already something that took a certain degree of focus. Controlling two separate ones at once was quite difficult.

    Controlling three Abilities that all ovepped with each other simultaneously andmanding them to move in slightly different directions, this was a feat so excessively difficult that it was practically unheard of before Dorian.

    It was all thanks to his own imagination and determination, as well as his Bnce Demon form allowing him to even stand a chance.

    ''If Imand Fate to follow me, I probably couldnd all threesers at once.'' Dorian surmised, nodding his head. Still, if he could be more skilled at it, he would be able to do the same without wasting energy on twisting Fate.

    ''If only I could fly at full speed in my Sun Eagle form and not have to carefully transport Helena. We could save a huge amount of time and allow me to focus on getting stronger while clearing out the ruins." He sighed and shook his head,

    "Life never makes it easy. I''ll just have to handle it with the hand I''ve been dealt."

    ''Hyperion beam, activate three times!''

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    Three separate beams formed and shot out, moving in unison. These ck beams all swarmed forward and then exploded at the same time, spread out roughly 10 to 15 meters from each other.

    Dorian looked around at the destruction that had taken ce, he nodded slightly. It was still an improvement. He could now sessfully cast three Hyperion Beams at once in his Bnce Demon form, even if he couldn''t quite perfectly aim them yet.

    The three separate craters had appeared near each other, smoke and dust still rising from them. It was still dark out, though Dorian could just barely detect a hint of sunlight, a new day beginning to shine forth.

    The very faint light washed across the man in grey that was standing just behind those newly formed craters,nding on the tree he had missed in the beginning.

    "Sorry, old trees. You guys didn''t really deserve to get blown up." Dorian smiled sheepishly at the original remnants of the obliterated oaks off to his side, his first targets.

    "Probus would be proud." He thought with a smile. Helena had told him quite a bit about that odd Vampire Swordmaster.

    "Trajan¡­ would probably be not so proud." He let out a smallugh at the thought of the environmental Vampire. He hoped the duo was doing well, for Helena''s sake. As he smiled, for some reason, Dorian felt his soul seem to shiver. A faint feeling of unease swept across him.

    "Huh." He looked around the now mostly decimated clearing. He could still see the empty gully and the few remaining trees standing proud. There were even a few bushes he hadn''t noticed clinging to some of the trees or spaced out intermittently. Walking towards him between the most recent craters was the man in grey, moving calmly.

    "There''s nothing here. How odd." He frowned turning around to look behind him. Perhaps it was his imagination.

    "Focus, Dorian. You can''t stop your practice yet. Let''s get a few more-" He abruptly cut himself off.

    shiver

    Dorian felt his soul twinge with a familiar feeling. One that reached out and touched him at his very core. A feeling that vanished immediately, disappearing as if it had never been.

    A feeling he only got when one of his fellow Anomalies was present.

    Instinctively, almost without thinking, Dorian raised his right arm in a guard position, directly in front of where his heart was.

    SHHIIINK

    BOOOM

    Dorian felt a rippling pain in his arm as something mmed into the mystic energy protecting him and the durable physique of his Bnce Demon form, and pierced halfway through it. An explosion of energy sted Dorian backwards a momentter, causing him to tumble through the air.

    Midway through, he regained control, however, twisting his body around tond on the ground. Green blood dripped out of the wound on his right hand as his eyes widened, fierce concentration causing them to almost glow.

    Eyes that zeroed in on a figure that was standing right in front of him with a surprised look on his face. A nondescript figure of a man dressed in grey, wielding a dull ck knife.

    A figure that, even as he pinpointed its location, seemed to fade out of awareness, trying to escape his sight.

    ''Scanning¡­'' Unconsciously, Dorian ordered Aursa to scan the figure as he struggled to keep his eyes on it.

    ''No life forms detected.'' Ausra cooly replied.

    ''What?! It''s standing right there!'' Dorian''s eyes widened as he red at the grey figure.

    He blinked.

    WHOOSH

    The figure was no longer visible. Dorian spun around, looking to the left and right.

    "What the hell..?" He muttered, clutching at his right arm. Dirt fell from the air as the impact from the blow settled. Dorian could see a small crater formed in the ground where he had been standing.

    A few trees had been knocked over, cascading leaves and branches into the air. The man dressed in grey was slowly walking towards Dorian again, through the falling dirt. The dirt seemed to fall normally despite the man in grey''s presence, not coating him or affected by him.

    "What is happening?! Where is he?! What?!" Dorian sputtered as he looked around clueless.

    ''I am being attacked. By¡­ by something.'' Dorian struggled to remember the appearance of the being that had attacked him. He even started to doubt such a figure existed at all, but the blood leaking out of his arm proved that thought wrong.

    ''It''s going to attack me again. I can''t see it or sense it. Or can I? I sensed¡­ a fellow Anomaly. Hold on! I have my Jade Memory Ability that gives me a perfect memory. It''s impossible for me to forget anything!'' As Dorian realized all of this, his heart dropped.

    ''Whatever is attacking me is making it impossible for me to remember it, as well as impossible to detect it. It must be some type of Ability or Law that is incredibly powerful. I can''t afford to try and fly away or flee. I have no idea where it''s attacking from and might expose myself further.'' Dorian''s mind worked incredibly quickly, processing the information and reaching a conclusion in an instant.

    His eyes darted to the left and right. All he saw was the mostly destroyed gully, a few trees lying on their sides, thest remnants of dirt falling from the air, and the man in grey walking towards him with a knife.

    No sign of any attacker.

    ''Think, Dorian. THINK!'' His heart pounded in his ears as he tried to find a n of action.

    ''Imand Fate! Show me where the attacker is!'' He put his full focus into this order,manding reality to change.

    ''¡­''

    Nothing happened.

    ''What?! Even that has done nothing?!'' Dorian''s eyes widened in horror. A sense of impending doom seemed to settle upon his shoulders.

    ''What do I do?!''

    The man in grey walked ever closer, raising the dull knife once more. The man was merely a couple of meters away.

    Dorian''s eyes shed as a separate idea came to mind, one fueled by desperation.

    ''ck mes, activate! Activate again! Activate a third time! Surround my body!''

    The man in grey lunged forward, the knife plunging towards Dorian''s chest.

    WHOOSH

    Before the de couldnd, a torrent of ck Dragonfire swarmed across Dorian''s body. A huge, massive amount of concentrated mes, abnormally centered around him.

    "Arrrrgh! Why won''t you just die?! I rushed all the way here, just for you!" The man in grey let out a pain-filled yell as he lunged backwards, severalrge ck colored patches of metching onto his body. His body mmed into the ground, twitching as the man focused on putting out the deadly fire.

    The man abruptly came fully into Dorian''s awareness as the fire seemed to shed whatever mystical cover was protecting him from his eyesight.

    "Got you!" Dorian red at the figure. The strain of controlling so much Dragonfire mmed into his soul simultaneously, making him wince in agony. He hadn''t practiced using the ck mes so much, or simultaneously, but his experience using multiple Hyperion Beams made it just possible to pull off.

    Immediately, as he looked at the grey figure, the sensation of seeing another Anomaly crashed into his soul. It returned with a vengeance, throbbing and impossible to miss.

    ''Scan him, Ausra!''

    ''Scanning¡­''

    -

    Species - Grey Mantor

    ss: King ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,019,771

    -

    "I''ve got you now, bastard." Dorian swore as he zeroed in on the figure, he flicked his wrist. Blood pounded in his ears as he went all out, not holding back and waiting for the figure to vanish again.

    "Hyperion Beam, activate! Three times! Go!"

    .

 Chapter 160 Comba

    (Long chapter)

    Three ck orbs of energy rocketed into existence, floating right above Dorian''s right arm. At the same time, Dorian focused his mind not only on controlling the charging orbs, but also on manipting the power of Law.

    His Law of Valor strengthened his physique while his Law of Greed helped ease the burden his soul faced when manipting so much energy. The burden ced on his Bnce Demon form was greatly eased. The insight he would gain from practice like this would normally be little, but in realbat, Dorian didn''t care a whit about that.

    ''Wrath! Mercy! Imbue into the orbs!'' Dorian opted to not imbue Dragonfire into the Hyperion Beams.

    Doing so many things at once was already stretching the limits of his concentration. His Bnce Demon was just barely able to handle it.

    At the same time that he was charging these attacks, the injuries he''d suffered to his arm began to passively heal at a slow rate. The passive Body of Bnce Ability that his Bnce Demon form possessed spread out the damage he took, meaning it would take quite a bit to heavily injure him.

    However, the attack that the grey figure hadunched was one that left remnants of some corrosive Law, one that tried to melt through his flesh. It was painful, even with everything he had fighting against it.

    "Ohohoho! Are you going to throw something at me? I can sense the energy gathering in those orbs."

    The man in grey spoke, his voice cool and rxed as he finished batting out the ck mes that hadnded on his body. However, he didn''t vanish this time and remained fully in Dorian''s sight.

    He looked very close to that of a nondescript, normal human. He had two eyes, a nose, a mouth, short hair, and was wearing a in set of grey clothes. Everything about him seemed normal. Forgettable. Nothing special whatsoever.

    ''But he isn''t a human. He is a Grey Mantor.'' Dorian kept his eyes on the Anomaly as he handled his Abilities and Laws with skill.

    ''Ausra, what is a Grey Mantor?''

    ''Grey Mantors are an extinct type of Humanoid creature, distinctly rted to the Shadoir and Ancestral Vampires of old. The Grey Mantor Bloodline is very powerful, a natural Lord ss being that has an innate connection to the Law of Corruption.'' Ausra''s voice echoed cooly in Dorian''s head.

    ''Partially due to that, Grey Mantor young will find it extremely hard to survive, killed by their own blood while at a young age. Only when raised carefully and protectively, or if born a supreme genius, could a Grey Mantor survive to adulthood.'' She continued,

    ''They possess a unique Ability known as Absolute Fade. No other being in existence holds this Ability. This Ability allows the Grey Mantor to ''Fade'' away from realitypletely, escaping from Fate itself. This ''Fading''es with a price, however. While ''Faded,'' a Grey Mantor''s view of time and reality is distorted. Using one''s senses, either physically or with one''s soul, to sense one''s surroundings while Faded is impossible.

    ''While it is possible to move, it is essentially impossible to recognize where one is moving in respect to the 30,000 Worlds. Grey Mantor''s would typically reveal themselves for a brief moment as they marked their target with something they can sense innately, using that to track and attack while Faded.'' Her voice echoed with finality as Ausra finished speaking.

    ''Reveal themselves to track me¡­'' Dorian''s eyes widened. That must be why he could sense the Grey Mantor, for a split second! In fact, he hadn''t even physically detected the Grey Mantor at all. It was only the innate connection he had with all Anomalies that clued him in to its presence.

    It also must be why he couldn''t affect the Grey Mantor by using his will to twist Fate. It seemed Fate itself was unable to detect the presence of the Grey Mantor! A quite unique Ability that would be well suited to avoiding Fate Wizards, though movement while Faded sounded like it could be difficult.

    "What do you want?! Why are you attacking me?" Dorian said out loud angrily, ring at the Grey Mantor. A Valorous Aura burst around him as he drew upon the Law of Valor, reinforcing his defense.

    "We''re both Anomalies, what reason is there for us to fight?" He tried to reason with it.

    "Hahaha, you make a good point. I don''t have any personal vendetta against you." The other Anomaly began, nodding his head. He spoke in azy, rxed manner.

    "Yes, isn''t his point good? After all, I was only asked to investigate." The Anomaly seemed to be talking to himself instead of to Dorian, as if he was carrying on a full conversation.

    "My name is Fifteen and I am ranked 15th among our kind, brother. What number are you?" All of a sudden, the Anomaly seemed to zero in on Dorian, it''sckadaisical nature seeming to vanish. A dark Aura seemed to swarm around him, one that felt both dangerous and corrupt.

    As Dorian looked at the Anomaly named Fifteen, he realized that the being was presenting a very real threat. In terms of energy, Dorian was tired from several hours of continuous practice. While he hadn''t expended all of his strength, he had just over half of his energy remaining.

    He needed to present an outwardly confident visage.

    "Hmph. Numbers are meaningless. Power is the only thing that matters." Dorian''s voice was gruff as he red at Fifteen, his eyes cool.

    "Hahaha, ohh, you aren''t wrong!"

    "Who cares about our numbers? We are all members of the Flock, right?"

    "I suppose I do care, given that I took the name Fifteen."

    "At least I didn''t call myself Zero while really being born 2nd."

    "Valid point, valid point."

    Fifteen let out a flurry of conversation, rapid-fire as he spoke, line after line back and forth. It was unsettling and incredibly odd. The Anomaly clearly appeared to be mentally unstable.

    "But¡­" Fifteen''s eyes turned focused again as he zeroed in on Dorian.

    "Why am I attacking you..?" He shrugged,

    "Because I can."

    WHOOSH

    The Anomaly''s body blurred as it, abruptly, transformed. Its body stretched and grew giant,pletely warping into that of a towering, 30 meter tall demonic being. It was gargantuan, covered in huge muscles and green scales. The air around it pulsed with a Demonic Aura, giving it a terrifying appearance.

    It also seemed oddly familiar to Dorian, the Aura it gave off reminding him of his Lesser Throne Demon form.

    ''Ausra, what is it now?!'' He sputtered, in the split second before the Anomaly attacked.

    ''It has transformed into a Greater Throne Demon, a Lord ss Demonic Bloodline with an innate connection to the Law of Life. It does not appear to be utilizing that connection, however.''

    "I''M A FAAAN OF THE DEMONIC RUIIIINSSSS!" Fifteenunched itself forward with a loud yell and charge, eschewing hiding to attack directly.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    In the instant that it moved, Dorianunched the three Hyperion beams he had been charging.

    Immediately, the threesers of ck energy, imbued with the power of Law, shot towards the huge towering target.

    Three explosions rang out as the Hyperion Beamsnded.

    All three missed.

    ''What?!'' At the moment that he fired the shots, Dorian was immediately aware that they wouldn''tnd. The attacks were powerful, and Dorian''s practice of the past several hours had made him capable of firing them in a general direction.

    But as he shot them off, Dorian felt all three seem to coincidentally fire in a manner slightly off, a contrivance of Fate.

    ''Dammit! It''s an Anomaly like me, its soul is twisting Fate, either intentionally or not.'' He swore as he realized this. He would need to be perfectly on target to make the attacksnd!

    THUD

    The Anomaly touched down right in front of Dorian, mming one of its enormous fists right at his head.

    ''Fine, let''s y this way.'' Dorian thought, his eyes cold as he saw the attack mounting down on him.

    ''Perfect Body, activate.''

    ''ck Scaled Rage Dragon, transform!''

    BOOOOOOOOM

    A massive explosion shook the air as the Greater Throne Demon mmed its right fist into the chest of a towering, ck Scaled Rage Dragon. The Valorous Aura that covered the Dragon shook with electrical energy,bining with the Mystic Armored Body Ability to shield it from the impact. The energy from the Law of Corruption that the Anomaly wielded was unable to prate Dorian''s defenses.

    However, the force of the attack, as a whole, threatened to st Dorian away. The sheer strength of the Anomaly was extraordinary, especially in its current form. It was very clear that it was physically stronger than him, even with his Perfect Body Ability, Mystic Armored Body, passive Great Strength and various other Abilities active. Dorian dug his back ws into the ground to force himself still.

    ''BLACK FLAMES!''

    WHOOSH

    "Arrrrgh, that again!" The Greater Throne Demon was knocked backwards as it was covered in ck fire, searing its skin.

    The huge, towering demon abruptly transformed again, this time bing a small, fluttering bird that Ausra defined as a Sky Edge Eagle. The body of the bird was only a few meters wide, allowing it to dodge the ck mes that had been burning the muchrger demon. Its body blurred as it flew backwards at an incredible speed, slipping through gaps in the fire.

    A split secondter, the Anomaly returned to the appearance of a Grey Mantor. It dusted itself off, looking at Dorian with a look of appreciation.

    "You aren''t even fazed at all? You''re a tough one, huh."

    Dorian stared back at the Anomaly, his ck Scaled Rage Dragon bristling with power.

    WHOOSH

    He transformed back into his Bnce Demon form, his eyes cool. Behind that coolness, however, a hugeyer of shock existed.

    ''How did he keep his clothes so smooth and undamaged without storing them while changing forms?! I need to talk to his tailor.'' Dorian red at the other Anomaly, unable to make heads or tails of it. The grey clothes the Anomaly wore in his Grey Mantor form seemed to just magically appear as he transformed. When he switched into a huge form, Dorian had to store his clothes, even the Magic ones that could shapeshift, or else he''d tear them.

    Dorian tossed the stray thought aside, however, as he focused on what the Anomaly said next, while also checking his status.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Good

    Energy: 61,195/170,602

    -

    ''My energy is taking a hit¡­'' Dorian''s eyes were cool as he took a step forward, his fists clenched.

    "Hey, hey, hey! Hold on a moment." Fifteen held up his hands, shaking his head.

    "I think you were right, friendo. There is no point in us fighting. It''s clear I won''t be able to best you in directbat, so why should we waste our time pointlessly?"

    Dorian nced onest time at the grey figure. The sincerity in the man''s voice seemed genuine and unfeigned, if still slightly insane.

    It was also true that Dorian appeared to have the upper hand. That was mostly because he was expending his energy at a fast pace that would onlyst a brief time, but the other Anomaly didn''t know that. The front Dorian was putting up was one of supreme confidence and strength, after all.

    Especially his Perfect Body and Mystic Armored Body Abilities. It made his draconic form more than strong enough to trade blows ande off apparently unscathed from the other Anomaly''s attack. That seemed to have left a big impression.

    "Very well." He nodded. Many of the Anomalies he had met had ended up bing allies or at least something that he wouldn''t quite consider an enemy. Despite the fact that the man in grey had tried to kill him, Dorian was willing to overlook it as a misunderstanding and let them go their separate ways.

    There was no reason to fight to the death over this and risk injury or anything that might make getting Helena healed more risky, even if the Abilities the Anomaly had were extremely interesting to Dorian.

    "Yes, yes. It was clearly my fault to attack you." Fifteen began, nodding his head sharply as he took a few steps forward.

    "As a member of the Demonic Council, my desires got the best of me! It has been a long time since I''ve been able to walk and fight freely."

    "I was betrayed a while ago, you see, by one of our own." The Anomaly''s voice switched in tone and pitch twice as he talked, looking at Dorian sadly. It stopped about a dozen meters in front of Dorian where it stood passively.

    ''Huh. It''s talking a lot? It''s not moving forward to attack, it''s just talking.'' Dorian stared back with his arms crossed, not allowing the confusion he felt to manifest. As the Anomaly rambled on, Dorian felt vaguely unsettled.

    He did not lower his guard. He would not be so foolish as to believe its offer of a truce, not for a being he had just met that had also just attacked him.

    ''I feel like it''s going to attack me from behind.'' Dorian''s instincts fired as he looked at the Anomaly.

    ''I feel like it''s distracting me so it can attack me from behind¡­ But how? It''s just standing there.'' Dorian thought, unable to make heads or tails of it.

    The unsettling feeling grew as he became more and more confident. The rambling of the Anomaly had set him off, as had his own experience in the 30,000 Worlds. He was no longer the new pup that was learning his way in this world.

    "Hup!" Dorian didn''t wait to find out. Instead, he stamped his feet on the ground, once more unleashing ck mes that covered his body. The attack spread out, covering an area roughly the size of five meters.

    In the instant that he did this, the image of the Anomaly in front of him dissipated into the air. At the same time, another figure materialized, just a couple of meters away from Dorian. A second Demonic looking being covered in bright white scales with red streaked patterns on them. This figure wasunching forward a fist, punching through Dorian''s ck mes.

    ''It has donned the form of a White Illusion Demon.'' Ausra helpfully informed him.

    "Not today." Dorian smiled a smile that failed to reach his eyes as he sidestepped the fist, his powerful reaction speed giving him an edge, and mped down on the Demonic figure''s arm.

    "You-" Fifteen sputtered. Before he could say anything else, however, Dorian clenched down with his fist.

    CRUNCH

    "Arrrrrgh!" Dark, corrupting energy flowed over Dorian as the man screamed, mming into Dorian''s powered up physique and Mystic Armored Body, shearing through it. The pain was unbearable and incredibly damaging. If he held on for even a second longer, he would sustain permanent injuries.

    With an almost casual throw, Dorian tossed the body of the Anomaly away from him, sending it soaring through the air. He yed it off as if he had felt no pain, as if he wasn''t the slightest bit injured from the attack. The ck energy seemed to be rted to the Law of Corruption, some sort ofst-ditch self-defense mechanic in response to Dorian''s attack.

    THUD

    The body of the Anomalynded down hard, roughly 15 meters away, inside one of the craters formed by Dorian''s Hyperion Beam practice.

    Fifteen jumped up from the crater, cradling his right arm.

    "You¡­ hahaha¡­ you''re good, yes you are¡­" The Anomaly spat, his entire body trembling. ck blood leaked from his mangled right arm, the bones in it well and truly shattered. Dorian had imbued the Law of Wrath and the Law of Mercy into that blow, going all out. He would''ve been surprised if the Anomaly hadn''t taken a serious injury.

    "You shouldn''t let your guard down just because you are sneak attacking." Dorian''s words were full of authority and power, ringing in the air.

    Fifteen''s Aura wavered, but was still as oppressive and powerful as before. Despite his wounds, he was still a dangerous threat. He was full of energy, far more than Dorian''s maximum amount currently. Fifteen was, after all, in the Middle of King ss.

    And to Dorian, who was nearly out of energy and hurting, going up against Fifteen in his current state would be suicide.

    He still had onest trump card. The Absorption Spell that was imprinted on his Soul Spell Matrix. While he had no idea how it worked, he could tell that the Spell would allow him to easily Absorb anything under Pseudo-Angelic, in his current state.

    The Spell and his soul wouldn''t be able to handle anything stronger.

    But he didn''t think he would need to use that. Instead¡­

    He smiled.

    Dorian had gone through a lot in the 30,000 Worlds. In that time, he''d learned one powerful lesson.

    Sometimes one didn''t need to be strong to win a battle.

    Merely having the appearance of strength was more than enough.

    Dorian blinked slowly. He didn''t speak or reply. His body was wracked with pain, the electrical energy that coated him still searing his skin. He ignored that entirely, acting as if it didn''t affect him. Instead¡­

    He took a single, slow step forward.

    "HUP!" Fifteen threw himself backwards, jumping more than a dozen meters as he put distance between himself and Dorian.

    Every single action Dorian had taken in this battle gave off an impression of overwhelming power and strength. His movements, his attacks, even his speech. Everything was incredibly convincing.

    Especially when it came to Fifteen, one of his fellow Anomalies, one who was expecting to be facing a stronger member of the Flock. Fifteen created an image of Dorian in his mind as a monster that was absolutely ranked in the first 10 Anomalies.

    And, technically, Dorian was the Firstborn. He wasn''t entirely wrong in his guess.

    "You want to vanquish the Demon Race and destroy the ruins on Moria? Hypocrite! Just like Yukeli, you are nothing more than a hypocrite, destroying that which you deem evil!" Fifteen rapidly retreated away from Dorian, his body transforming once more into his Sky Edge Eagle form. His words were full of irrational anger as he continued to rage at Dorian,

    He also appeared to have awakened some portion of Yukeli''s memories in his soul, Dorian noted, his eyes shing. It seemed he indeed wasn''t alone in being an Anomaly with part of Yukeli''s memories.

    "I can''t stand hypocrites!"

    "We will meet again at those hallowed ruins, foolish brother!"

    "You will not be able to survive then, should you dare! An army from the depths of Chaos itself shall be standing to greet you!" The Anomaly continued its odd habit of talking to itself as it fled, its tone of rage abruptly shifting to one of self-reflection,

    "Of course, with that said, I''m also a hypocrite."

    "But, then again, I never liked myself in the first ce. So I guess that makes sense¡­" Fifteen''s voice rambled off.

    WHOOSH

    The Anomaly''s body blurred and vanished as it retreated at an extremely fast speed, leaving behind a slightly incredulous looking Dorian.

    "Well, that worked."

    Spurt

    Blood spurted from Dorian''s lips as he took several deep breaths, releasing the tension of the moment as he felt the Anomaly truly leave. He didn''t fear that the Anomaly would try to sneak back and attack again, knowing the impression he left on it would buy him some time.

    "Ugh. I''m okay." He took several deep breaths, shaking off the injuries. His Bnce Demon body had helped tank a ton of the damage, as had his Mystic Armored Body form. His body slowly began to regenerate, expelling any remnant energy from the Law of Corruption that the Demon had wielded.

    His biggest loss was the huge amount of energy he spent, but that was only temporarily.

    "I did it. I managed to fight it out using my own power. Further¡­" His eyes shed darkly as he looked in the direction the other Anomaly had fled in.

    "You got lucky to find me now, when I was still mid-practice." The experience and practice Dorian had gained from this fight and his hours of practice had sent a huge amount of insight into using multiple versions of his Hyperion Beam Ability at the same time, as well as using his Abilities quickly in general. His mind went over these insights as he began to head back towards the city proper, the early light of dawn breaking.

    He had already been half exhausted when the Anomaly attacked. Now, however, with all the insights he''d gained, Dorian had no doubt that he would be able to grow much more precise and skilled in using multiple Hyperion Beams.

    "You''ll wait for me on Moria, huh? With an army from the depths of Chaos to greet me?" He said aloud, his eyes cold. In the 30,000 Worlds, the concept of ''Chaos'' was simr to the idea of ''Hell'' from Earth. A ce of eternal damnation where nothing good existed.

    "That''s just fine. I''lle to greet you." He smiled as an idea popped into his head,

    "But why should I risk it alone? I can''t put Helena''s health in any sort of danger¡­" He nodded, his grin widening.

    "I''ve got just the idea."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Two dayster.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "I have new information for you, Ruler Hallow! It concerns the Ultimate Great Lord Inigo."

    "Ultimate Great Lord? What¡­? When did he ge- never mind. Just hand me the report."

    "¡­"

    "What?!"

    "He''s forming an army of Lord ss Wizards and Mystic Martial Artists?!"

    "It''s already 100 members strong?!"

    "Even three King ss Mystic Martial Artists joined it, pledging their loyalty to his cause?!"

    "It''s already headed towards Moria to vanquish the Demon Emperor''s Ruins and is only one Normal World and one Exotic World away?!"

    "?!?!?!"

    .

 Chapter 161 Fast Progress

    SWISH

    SWISH

    SWISH

    "Arrrrgh!"

    "I''m hit!"

    "It''s a raid! Everyone ready up!"

    "It must be the target!"

    Yells of pain lit up the night, underscoring a fierce voice attempting to establish order on arge mountain outcropping on the Normal World of Yafik. It was just past midnight on the, several hours into their normal sleep cycle for most of the yelling Shades.

    "Enemy attack!"

    Yafik was one of the Western Worlds of the Shade Commune. It wasn''t one of the Worlds that bordered other Major Powers, but was more than 20 worlds deep within Commune territory. It was very close to the Central Worlds of the Commune, the area directly controlled by the Shade King.

    The Western Worlds were typically overseen by the Western Duke of Shadow, Duke Ilka. However, due to the huge ongoing war that the Shade King was waging, the Western Worlds saw arge amount of movement from forces headed to fortify certain worlds or on patrol.

    The roughly 400 Shades that were camped out on the mountain outcropping were all members of the official King''s Army, the premier force of the Shade King.

    Specifically, this was one of the Self Defense Scouting Forces, or the SDSF as they were known in the Commune. These were powerful military groups assigned behind lines to patrol the Worlds controlled by the Commune during the war, to hunt for spies or infiltrated military forces that might seek to cause chaos.

    The fact of the matter was: there were simply too manyrge World Bridges and too many Worlds for any Major Power to realistically block off all ess. Therefore, sending out roaming groups full of powerful fighters and Fate Wizards on patrol was the next best option.

    Fate Wizards could help narrow down intruder''s locations, especially considering almost all inhabitants of the Shade Commune were Shades. The rest of the group wasposed of Mystic Martial Artists and various Wizards prepared forbat.

    "Only 10 Lord ss Wizards with this group, yet nearly 400 Grandmaster ss experts..."A gruff, manly voice noted this, a quiet observation made as a cloaked figure looked down upon the chaotic campsite from a neighboring mountain several thousand meters away. In his hands was a slim, red wooden bow that glowed with faint red light.

    "Shades have to train hard to reach that ss, they aren''t like Vampires, though they have it better than Humans. Still, I suppose when your total poption exceeds 2 trillion and your natural growth reaches Sky ss, there are bound to be countless experts below Lord ss." The cloaked figure shrugged.

    "If you hadn''t caught my trail and started trying to hunt me down, I would''ve spared you. I can''t afford to let myself be tracked yet, not when I''m only a few Worlds away from the Shade King. My capture would only result in a horrible death." The cloaked figured sighed and shook his head. He had no illusions that he could match up with one of the strongest beings in all of existence.

    The Shade King, Hasith Shanty, ranked 5th on the Recording of Might.

    "If I wipe them out with Houye''s Final Bow, I won''t leave a trail behind and the Shades will be back to square one on tracking me. Even more assuredly if I use my Summoning Magic to enhance my control of it." He nodded,

    "Their reaction proves they don''t have any final contingencies that could obstruct me. It''s time to end this." The cloaked man raised the bow, aiming it down toward the mountain outcropping nearly 5000 meters distant. A rainbow colored Aura began to swirl about him, causing the ground beneath him to crack slightly as he readied himself.

    The rainbow Aura that surrounded the man abruptly condensed, clinging tightly to his body. The air around him whipped back and forth as the rainbow colored energy directly began to flow into him, vastly increasing the physical strength of the archer.

    This was the ''Super State'' of an Inheritor of Pride. The man''s strength, defense, and speed were all vastly increased. In addition, his physical presence became overwhelming. He became a virtual Embodiment of Pride, a simple nce from him containing the weight of a thousand kings.

    "Allow me, Leader, to test a technique I made just to targetrge groups like you." Leader began, aiming his bow slightly upward of the camp.

    "Summoning Magic: Ruler''s Bow. Summoning Magic: Morph." Leader cast two Spells in quick session. An image of a transparent, wooden bow appeared and superimposed itself on Houye''s Final Bow. Immediately, the red bow seemed to grow more noble, gaining a sense of presence that it hadn''t had before, bing easier for Leader to control the powerful Artifact.

    Leader raised the bow almost fully upward, pulling back on it. Energy swarmed around the air as arge, meter long red arrow formed, natural energy condensing into it.

    He held this pose for several seconds as the Shade''s in the campsite began to spread out and prepare themselves. Leader''s eyes mentally tracked each and every Shade, marking them.

    "Suffer my ''Rain of Pride'' attack."

    WHOOSH

    Leader unleashed the shot.

    The red arrow sted off high into the air instantly, moving incredibly quickly. As soon as it was unleashed, it began to build up a massive amount of energy, drawing upon the Laws of the universe as it moved to grow bigger and bigger.

    It sailed through the air until it was several hundred meters above the mountain where the Shades were milling about.

    BOOM

    The arrow exploded as soon as it reached its apex, directly above the Shade encampment. This explosion was huge, bright light and energy shing into the night. It caught the attention of all of the Shades as they looked skyward.

    And a momentter, from that explosion, came a beautiful rain of death.

    There were 406 Shades as part of the force pursuing Leader.

    From that explosion, 406 zing arrows came down, each one rippling through the air at a vast speed. The arrows crackled with energy as they hurtled towards the Shades, leaving streaking trails of light in the sky. It looked like a magnificent, and deadly, storm of bright red light, raining down upon the Shades.

    "By the Heavens¡­"

    "Get cover! Get cover!"

    "Shields up!"

    "No!"

    WHOOSH

    406 arrows shot down with impable uracy, each one hitting their target with pinpoint precision.

    There was norge explosion of energy nor was the Shade encampment obliterated. The arrows rained down full of deadly energy, but they made almost no noise as they swished through the air.

    Instead, those arrows almost silently pierced through the heart of each and every one of those 406 Shades, obliterating any Wizard''s innate barriers, each one imbued with the Law of Pride and a massive amount of piercing energy.

    te armor, Magic protections, shields, Artifacts, everything in the way of the arrows was obliterated in one, final impact.

    Of all the Shades present, two of the Lord ss Wizards managed to resist the arrow targeted at them for a brief moment. Green and blue light shed around these two Wizards as they desperately held off the attack for approximately 0.1 and 0.3 seconds respectively.

    After that, however, their resistance failed and both joined the rest as the red arrows pierced through their hearts, the hostile, imbued energy from the Law of Pride instantly spreading throughout their body and ravaging them.

    THUD

    A collective, loud thud rang out as all 406 Shades fell to the ground, weapons and armor falling lifelessly from their hands.

    Killed instantly.

    "Wow¡­" Leader muttered, his eyes widened as he looked at his bow. The faintly glowing red bow still had its majestic, enhanced appearance. A faint look of exhaustion could be seen in his eyes, but it wasn''t as if he had no energy at all left. He had used roughly 1/3rd of his energy in controlling and firing that attack.

    Enough to make him feel worn out, but not enough to drain him dry.

    "Houye¡­ your bow really was something else, huh? Even I wasn''t sure if I could pull that off¡­ That''s an attack that is at least at the Pseudo-Angelic level¡­" Leader took a quiet moment to look at the scene. The mountain encampment had be a mass grave.

    He shrugged.

    "War is war." His body vanished as he began to jump and travel towards the encampment, leaving the mountain he was currently on. He had no pity for those that tried to kill him.

    In just a few moments, he crossed the several thousands of meters of distance, arriving at the now lifeless encampment. His body maintained its ''Super State'' as he readied himself to react to any threats.

    Leader quickly picked out all of the Lord ss Wizards, snagging their Spatial Rings. He went through them, snagging anything of value or importance. He avoided taking anything that might be used to track him, only taking general items that might prove useful and reading any intelligence reports or ns.

    "Oh? A new intelligence briefing?" Leader finished searching the Spatial Rings of one of themanding Lord ss Wizards, the apparent Fate Wizard by his belongings, finding something of interest in his ring.

    "A new hero has arisen named Lord Inigo? He is on a crusade to wipe out the Ruins of the Demon Emperor and y all Demons? He is a Holy Avenger, a powerful Swordmaster nearing the level of a Saint intent on vanquishing the Demon Race in its entirety?" Leader read from the report, his tone getting darker and darker. As he finished speaking, the rippling Aura of Pride that swarmed around him caused the air itself to tremble.

    "This¡­ this¡­" Leader''s hands shook as he crumpled up the intelligence report, incinerating it with a wave of his hand.

    "That absolute VILLAIN! Your existence itself is a blot on reality! How DARE you say you will wipe my kind out. What have I ever done to you?! And if he destroys the Demonic Inheritance before the Great Lord can get there¡­" His words were dangerously calm, an undercurrent of rage hiding.

    "Great Lord, forgive me. I will need to put my mission to find and join you on pause for now." His eyes shed darkly,

    "There is a Shade I must kill first."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian shivered slightly as he rested in meditation, feeling unnerved for some reason. He shook the feeling aside, however, as he renewed his focus.

    ''Ausra, is it possible to show my progress in absorbing and understanding the Laws of the Universe to me?'' Dorian queried. He was sitting down peacefully in a dimly lit wooden room, upon arge,fortable plush bed. A second bed could be seen across from his, where Helena rested peacefully.

    ''Scanning¡­ calcting¡­ It''s possible I may be able to project field estimates corrted to the amount of energy you have absorbed to project your progress at rough levels. My calctions would only be able to project an understanding in rough figures, and only up to 99%pletion. Reaching 100% would automatically promote you to the King ss.''

    Dorian''s eyes lit up. He hadn''t thought about this before, but it made sense. The Soul Spell Matrix Genie in his soul was incredibly useful and could function in a simr manner to the theoretical ''Ai'' from Earth. Simply using her calctive power, it seemed it would be possible to estimate his rough progress.

    ''That''s fine! Just show me my progress! I don''t care if you can''t give anything super specific!''

    ''Acknowledged. Running parameters now¡­''

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Law of Valor: 21%

    Law of Mercy: 13%

    Law of Greed: 16%

    Law of Wrath: 37%

    -

    ''These percentages are rough estimates based on my preliminary findings. More information about each Law is needed if you wish to confirm if these are perfectly urate.'' Ausra informed him quietly.

    ''I got it, I got it.'' He thought, nodding his head as he looked over the figures. They were simr to what he expected. He used the Law of Valor often because of its powers, so it made sense that it was one he understood a great deal. He had only recently gotten the Law of Mercy and his understanding of it was still limited. The Law of Greed he had gotten recently too, but he was a bit better about using it because of its effects on his soul.

    As for the Law of Wrath¡­ it was the first real Law he ever obtained. It was obviously the one he would know most extensively.

    The Law of Life and Law of Fire were two other Laws that he''d had a tiny bit of experience with, but only through minor amounts of Magic and the innate connections of some of his forms. Without experiencing a full Lord ss Baptism, his understanding in either was negligible.

    ''But it''s only 37%?'' He shook his head as he considered this, disappointed. How long would it take for him to reach King ss?

    If regr practitioners had heard Dorianin, many of them might have felt the urge to strangle Dorian. To be someone that was studying multiple Laws already was something few Wizards or Mystic Martial Artists would even dream of. To master a single Law to the extent Dorian had in such a brief amount of time¡­

    It was enough to drive even the staunchest experts insane with greed and jealousy. They might even have a chance to experience enlightenment and understand the Law of Envy solely from the trauma.

    ''The more you understand a Law, the harder it will be to increase your understanding. The difference between 37% and 47% is not merely 10%. This will increase the closer you get to fully understanding a Law.'' Ausra sent him a notification, helping exin how the chart worked.

    ''Got it.'' That was the same as the info he''d gained in regards to reaching King ss. The closer you got, the harder it was to advance.

    He took several deep breaths before rxing. The world around him was silent and peaceful. He took a quiet moment to reflect.

    The past couple of days had been incredibly eventful. Things seemed to happen at an extremely fast pace, the progression he made frightening even himself.

    With his newfound fame being spread throughout thend, Dorian had be a figure of legend. And, upon learning that he really was being hunted and that the Anomaly Fifteen was going to try and obstruct him, Dorian decided to make use of that fame.

    He began to raise an army.

    He started out simple. Everyone was aware, apparently, that he was traveling to Moria. The rumors said he was on a mission to reach the Demonic Ruins and save his wife, with most of the other details lost or exaggerated in transmission.

    As Dorian boarded the Flying Ship, he began to let everyone know that he was raising an army, a force to help him conquer the Demon Emperor''s Ruins. As he travelled across the from this Normal World to the World Bridge that exited it, he let everyone know exactly what he was doing. Word was quickly spread thanks to Magic and the many parties interested in him.

    And, as a result, powerful Shades began to flock towards him.

    Thousands of Shades were ready to throw themselves forward to join the journey of a man they saw as a heroic lord. The Church of Light''s skill in spreading news and stories, and convincing the popce of the truth of those stories, was incredible. It was technically propaganda, but Dorian wasn''t going toin about that right now.

    Dorian also made it clear that he would ept only Lord ss Wizards and above,rgely cutting down on the number trying to directly join. While there could be great use in arge force at the Grandmaster ss, Dorian was well aware that his leadership and strategic abilities weren''t suited forrge scalemand. At least, not without practice and training.

    By the time he made it across to the World Bridge and passed through to the next World with a new chartered Flying Ship, reaching the next World Bridge, dozens of Lord ss experts were waiting for him at the city he touched down in.

    Powerful experts were already swarming towards Moria due to hearing Dorian''s tale. Upon learning he was actively recruiting an army, these folks rushed to sign up, pledging their allegiance.

    There were even 3 Early King ss Mystic Martial Artists that had joined his team. Dorian immediately ced each of the three as his Captains, serving under him, and leading a third of the Lord ss Wizards and Mystic Martial Artists each.

    While Dorian personally had little experience leading such a force, the King ss Mystic Martial Artists were all wizened experts, ready to lead the charge against the ''vile Demonic remnants'' and ''cleanse Moria'' for the greater good.

    His army, which he named the Moria Liberation Force, grew stronger by the day.

    As he considered all of this, he saw that morning light was starting to filter in through the shuttered wooden window on the edge of his room. He was currently traveling through the night on arge-scale Flying Galley. The rowdy sounds of the crew working atop the deck just faintly filtered down as they became more active.

    A light knock drew Dorian''s attention. He stood up from his meditation, ncing at Helena briefly. She was still quietly resting, her full focus on healing.

    He opened the door, slipping outside and shutting it quietly as he looked at the person outside.

    One of the three King ss Mystic Martial Artists, an elderly Shade named Fabian who was an expert with a long spear.

    "Holy Highlord Inigo." Fabian said, bowing slightly. Dorian mentally sighed. It seemed with every title he got, his name became more and more ridiculous. He turned his focus towards the Mystic Martial Artist, examining him. The elderly man waspletely bald, with arge brown mustache covering his lips. His skin was leathery, bulging muscles just hidden beneath it.

    "We have arrived at the final World before reaching Shaptle, the Border World to Moria!" Fabian continued,

    "The Exotic World of Ballians. The mysterious World of Shattered Dreams!"

    .

 Chapter 162 Onward

    "The Exotic World of Ballians. The mysterious World of Shattered Dreams."

    As Dorian came up on deck of the Flying Ship, he carried himself with a proud, upright Aura. He pulled ever so slightly on the Law of Valor, keeping it always just a bit active. The energy drain was negligible, but it did wonders for how he appeared.

    Dorian was well aware that if a person wanted to see something, that person would be more likely to see that thing, even if wasn''t actually there. The expectations these Shades had for him was something he counted on.

    They all thought they would see a proud, majestic hero.

    And so that was how he appeared. The Aura boost from the Law of Valor helped build this up. The Shades came into this expecting something, and that is exactly what they came out with.

    "Great Hero Lord Inigo!"

    "Vast Greatness Lord Inigo!"

    "Undying Emperor Lord Inigo!"

    As Dorian came on deck, he was greeted with several muted cheers. A good dozen of the Mystic Martial Artists that had joined Dorian''s army were up top either admiring the view as the Flying Ship reached the end of the World Bridge or just in conversation with each other.

    There were a few Wizards that had joined Dorian''s army, but almost everyone was a Mystic Martial Artist. It was much easier to be a Mystic Martial Artist than it was to be a Wizard.

    "Greetings, my fellow soldiers. Praise the Light." Dorian turned to the Martial Artists and nodded his head slightly, holding his shoulders square. All of these warriors wanted a piece of the glory of Dorian''s journey, regardless of any danger.

    "Praise the Light!"

    "Kill the Demons!"

    "Wooooo!"

    The warriors responded with passionate, but still muted cheers.

    Everyone on deck was aware that Dorian''s ''Wife'' Helena was injured and ill. As a result, even the loudest of the warriors kept a quiet tone out of respect.

    It was a remarkable show of discipline that left Dorian genuinely impressed.

    As Dorian moved past the Martial Artists, he walked up with the King ss warrior to the edge of the ship, near the front. He looked out past the edge, to what was before him.

    A grassy World Bridge ended just a few kilometers away. He could make out the portal that allowed it to tunnel through Chaotic Space at the end.

    Beyond that, however, was a deathly, ck and grey darkness. He could make out parts of the World Bridge as it descended downward. But, eventually, everything else was obscured from his vision.

    ''The Exotic World of Ballians. The mysterious World of Shattered Dreams.'' He repeated the words, this time in his head.

    Most World Bridges were heavily interconnected with others. That was how the Worlds of the 30,000 Worlds were designated. Worlds that had clustered World Bridges were considered part of one region, while Worlds that didn''t connect were considered part of another.

    There was no true ''East'' or ''West'' in that regard, beyond the interconnectedness of thework of World Bridges. Shaptle, the Normal World that bordered Moria and was used as the base for those exploring the Demonic Ruins on Moria, was somewhat unique in that regard.

    Only 3 World Bridges lead to it.

    One from a Normal World that was very close to the southern part of the Commune, more than 25 Worlds away from Dorian''s current location.

    One from a Normal World situated closer to Dorian, 19 Worlds away, but still within the southern part of the Commune.

    And,stly, one from the Exotic World of Ballians.

    In that sense, it could be seen as a huge shortcut. By taking this route, you could jump past an enormous number of Worlds.

    For Dorian who was on a bit of a time crunch, wanting to help Helena recover as soon as possible before she was discovered, traveling an extra 19 Worlds sounded like a death sentence. Furthermore, all of the experts traveling with him believed that he was on an urgent mission, one where he couldn''t afford to waste a single second, and especially not several weeks.

    For him to maintain his image, he couldn''t afford to take any slow paths.

    Thus, this shortcut was his only option.

    Ballians was not an extremely dangerous Exotic World. It also, however, was not a safe one.

    The World of Shattered Dreams was a World that had been ravaged by one of the ancient High Generals under the Demon Emperor, a Demon known as the Dream Mentor. This Demon specialized in Magic that rted to dreams.

    While this didn''t sound like a particrly powerful field of Magic, and, in the eyes of most, it wasn''t, the Dream Mentor was a monstrously powerful figure. His mastery of Dream Magic was soplete and mighty that he was considered the greatest Dream Wizard to have ever existed.

    And it was here, on Ballians, during one of the epic fights that decided the fate of the Demon Race, that the Dream Mentor died. ughtered under the des of the Five Great Heroes.

    ''You managed to kill him¡­ But left behind the remnants for me to deal with.'' Dorian sighed, staring at the ominous entrance.

    ''I really don''t have much of a choice.''

    The Exotic World was covered in a dream-like miasma that made reality itself seem distorted. However, to experts at the Lord ss, or even experts at the Grandmaster or Master ss, the Dream Miasma could do almost nothing to them.

    Even someone in Helena''s condition would bepletely unharmed by its effects.

    Only those at the Sky ss or below might be adversely affected, and even then only slightly.

    The Dream Miasma just made visibility far more difficult. Apart from that, everything else would function normally. The side-effects of the grand battle many years ago were widespread, but that didn''t mean they were inherently dangerous.

    After all, while the Dream Mentor had been an Angelic ss Wizard, he was one of the lower ranked members among that group. He was powerful, but he was not a God. Even he could not intentionally cast a Spell that could destroy an entire World.

    All they needed to do was fly for 800 kilometers in one specific direction, through the Dream Miasma, and they would escape scot-free. The World Bridge to Shaptle was, thankfully, not too far from their starting point.

    The only thing they needed to worry about were the danger zones that were leftover from the battle with the Dream Mentor.

    ''And it''s possible I can just twist Fate to make the journey easier.'' He thought, nodding his head. Perhaps it wouldn''t be that bad.

    "Holy Highlord, the Flying Ship we charted has beenmissioned to take us all the way to Shaptle. Shall I give the order to proceed?" From Dorian''s side, the King ss Shade Fabian, known by his nickname Smiting Spear, spoke up, helpfully informative.

    Of Dorian''s three Captains, Fabian was, by far, the most talkative. The other two, an elderly female and another elderly male, were much more taciturn. Dorian could sense the passion these elders had, however. It seemed they held deep personal feelings in regards to the Demon Race and approved of Dorian''s mission enough that they chose to join him.

    Dorian nced at the King ss Shade and then nodded. The ship had slowed to a stop, floating in mid-air through the power of Magic as it looked forward towards the mysterious, dangerous World.

    "Give the order."

    "You heard the leader! Everyone! Prepare yourselves, we are entering Ballians! Be on your highest level of alertness while we are moving!" The Shade barked out orders, in a voice that was somehow authoritative and spreading, but also muted.

    "Hear, hear!"

    "Onward!"

    "Let''s do this!"

    A deluge of muted cheers greeted him and, slowly, the ship shifted forward once more, picking up speed as it began to fly towards the looming darkness in front.

    ''Here we go¡­'' Dorian thought, his face an expressionless visage.

    ''Thest World till we reach Shaptle.''

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a world quite distant from Dorian''s location, two great leviathans of the sky could be seen, soaring high above the earth below. Two mighty drakes that sent nearby beasts fleeing in terror at the mere sight of them.

    One was jade colored while the other a dark, burnished gold.

    "We''re almost there now, Mira." The golden scaled dragon let out a loose roar, speaking in Draconic as his wings thundered before him. Sparks of energy seemed to fly off his body as he flew, twirling chaotically in the sky.

    "I know¡­ I know. I''m just worried, that''s all." Mira replied, shaking her smaller dragon head slowly.

    Both of the two dragons were buffeted slightly by the furious winds that were crashing about them. They flew above arge sea of frozen ice, interspersed withrge, towering mountains.

    The Exotic World of Flouta, a frozen world covered in mountains. It also happened to be home to the agreed upon Neutral World between the Wise Jade Tribe, the Golden me Tribe, the Heavy Wing Tribe, and the Green Tailed Tribe.

    ''The Heavy Wing Tribe¡­'' Mira thought, her draconic eyes tightening slightly.

    They were all dead.

    ughtered in their entirety. Not a single drake that had been near the homeworld of the Tribe remained alive.

    There were a few Heavy Wing Tribemembers that survived due to not being at home or being out on missions/enjoyment. But, in essence, the Tribe was wiped out and dead. The 12 Tribes were now 11.

    The Tribe had been killed by a powerful, brutal being. A creature that called itself Zero, taking the form of a huge, towering Lion with a bright, golden mane.

    A so-called ''Anomaly,'' simr to the other ''Anomaly'' that was reported allegedly aiding and supporting the Red Wing Tribe. Only, this Anomaly here was decidedly not a friendly one.

    The Heavy Wing Tribe had been famous for their defensive prowess. In terms of raw defensive power, not a single other Tribe would be able to measure up. It was the niche their Tribe had dominated.

    And, despite that, they were still all dead.

    It was a horrifying thought for her to consider.

    The duo flew silently for a few minutes, hurtling forward at an extremely fast speed. The cold weather didn''t seem to have any real effect on either drake, brushing up against them to no avail.

    "It reminds me of him." Mira made an observation as they flew, her voice quiet.

    "Who?" Aiden responded, ncing over at her.

    "Herpanion. The man responsible for the destruction of the Demon Race." She nodded.

    "Yukeli of the Absolute." As she spoke his name, her entire body shivered.

    A second pause appeared as Aiden processed her words. They flew in silence for a few more moments, passing over a clump of drifting clouds.

    "It doesn''t matter who he is. All that matters is that he is an avowed enemy of our race. We cannot let the other Tribes fall." Aiden responded, sighing. A seed of worryy in his heart as he considered the dangerous being that was running amok.

    "I know¡­" Mira shrugged, a decidedly odd gesture on her rtively petite, but stillrge, draconic frame.

    "This might serve as the stimulus we need to get the Tribes to join back together." She took a new, more optimistic approach.

    "Maybe. All we know, right now, is that this Anomaly has moved on to the Red Wing Tribe. You said a different Anomaly has joined up with that Tribe, right? I don''t know how their kind works, but shouldn''t those two be simr in power? Maybe they will kill each other." Aiden queried, his voice curious.

    "I don''t know." Mira shrugged again, this time helplessly. The information she had was limited, even when using the long-rangemunication Artifact to hold several conversations back and forth.

    "We should know more once we reach the Convention." Her eyes shed cooly,

    "I still am surprised this is even happening." Mira''s original n and been to return to the headquarters of the Golden me Tribe alongside Aiden, and report her findings to them first. Her own Tribe, in terms of raw battle power, was one of the weakest among the 12.

    However, as they were returning home, they had been informed of this event, and even personally requested to join it. The duo hadplied and made full haste here.

    "To think that our longtime rival Arthur Telmon would send a personal representative here to talk about this incident and offer his support." She shook her head,

    "What in the Heavens is going on?"

    ..

 Chapter 163 Safe Travel

    "Everyone, be prepared. We are entering the Dream Miasma in 5 seconds." A cool, authoritative voice sounded off, catching Dorian''s attention. He and Fabian turned to look behind.

    "Ah, Dream Guide Walter." Dorian nodded as he greeted the speaker.

    A tall, white haired man wearing a full white suit stood before Dorian, staring imperiously out at the ck and grey wall of twisting fog. He had a sharp face and eyes that were extremely alert.

    In preparations to cross through the Exotic World of Ballians, someone, Dorian wasn''t quite sure who, had helped arrange for one of the most experienced explorers to apany them. Dream Guide Walter was an expert that had studied the Exotic World of Ballians for more than 100 years.

    While his strength was limited to the Grandmaster ss, his knowledge and experience set himself apart from others.

    "Lordly Hero Inigo." The Dream Guide walked up and bowed deeply in front of Dorian, his voice full of respect. He also bowed, though not as deeply, towards the powerful King ss Mystic Martial Artist Fabian next to Dorian.

    "What can you tell me about this Miasma?" Dorian asked, rubbing his chin. His actions made him appear to be a wise ruler contemting the future. He had gotten a general overview of the Exotic World a while ago, but hadn''t quite realized the scale of it.

    The darkness they were flying into was much more daunting in person.

    Just as Walter was about to reply, the darkness overtook them.

    Their ship had entered the Dream Miasma.

    WHOOSH

    Eerie noises echoed through the air. An oppressive feelinging off of the ck and grey miasma spread out over the ship as it moved forward, traveling off the sheltered airspace of the World Bridge. The light dimmed, everything fading slightly to a dullish grey, simr to Dorian''s Perfect Body state.

    "It''s not harmful, at least not in any direct way." Walter''s voice exuded cool confidence as he nodded, waving his hand around.

    "It certainly is unnerving, but the Miasma itself can do you no harm. It is merely an irritant. The real danger lies in the Dream Zones." The Dream Guide''s voice sank slightly as he talked, as if trying to avoid the Miasma overhearing him say the phrase ''Dream Zones.''

    "Oh?" Dorian mentally rebuked himself for not preparing enough. He should''ve asked these questions ahead of time. Still, they had only just entered. This wasn''t too bad a time to ask either.

    "The Dream Zones are direct remnants of the attacks left behind by the Dream Mentor. Some of them are weak, while others are strong. All of them are weird and unsettling, though most of them share amon theme." The Dream Guide was informative, his words precise.

    Dorian turned away, looking out at the turbid darkness that surrounded them. He looked around in a circle, examining his surroundings.

    There was nothing visible. Only the wavering greys and cks.

    No shapes, no colors, no light. Nothing.

    In the depths of his heart, a deep-seated feeling of unsettledness took root.

    ''What would happen if I just jumped off?'' He thought, staring over the edge of the ship.

    The Exotic World of Ballians was still a World, after all. Land existed, just not visible through the Dream Miasma down below. They were flying roughly a thousand meters above the ground.

    ording to what he did know, the ground floor of Ballians was full of marauding ''Dream Beasts'' that ranged from Sky ss all the way to Lord ss. They covered the entire,parable to an entire race. Dream Beasts were mindless and could only exist within the Dream Miasma.

    They had the appearance of wavering ghosts, vaguely shaped like various living creatures.

    ''How would I get home?'' He shook his head. The turbid darkness was impossible to see through. Getting lost in it was practically a death sentence.

    However, as long as one flew over the ground level of the World, the Dream Beasts couldn''t harm or even affect you. None of them could fly, they were allnd-bound.

    "What are the chances we encounter a Dream Zone?" Dorian queried, ncing over at the elderly guide.

    "Quite slim, sir. The Dream Zones drift across the air and surface of Ballians randomly. The chances of us stumbling upon one are less than 10%, going by the distance we are traveling." Walter nodded his head as he continued, gesturing forward,

    "We would have to be extraordinarily unlucky to encounter one! Fate itself would have to be working against us."

    As Dorian heard this, he squinted at the Dream Guide, and then looked off into the limitless Miasma.

    ''Dammit man, you just jinxed us.'' He swore, his thoughts rumbling in his head. He then turned and shook a fist at the darkness and then mentally at his soul.

    ''Don''t you do a damn thing, soul. Just let us fly by quick and easy, with no danger.'' He thought with a sigh.

    ''I better prepare myself. Knowing my soul, we''ll end up encountering at least one of those Dream Zones.'' He sighed again. s. The life of an Anomaly.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Oh wow. That was far easier than I expected."

    "I know, right? We didn''t encounter even a single Dream Zone."

    "All that hype for nothing, that Dream Guide really led us on."

    Dorian listened to the chatter from the warriors on deck, shrugging helplessly in agreement. Right in front of them, the turbid grey Miasma was splitting apart to reveal the World Bridge to Sheptle, their final destination.

    Their journey through Ballians really had been far smoother than even he expected.

    At first, the flight had been rather harrowing. The atmosphere was oppressive and the Dream Miasma appeared everywhere, even within the ship itself. Dorian had ended up leaving the deck to stay protectively by Helena''s side, refusing to leave her alone.

    Helena slept through most of the journey. In fact, she''d slept for several days in a row, her body and soul focused on recovery. Any time she spent awake could lead to her healing process slowing down or even reversing.

    Eventually, halfway through their journey, Helena awoke.

    In that 400 kilometers of travel, nothing much of note happened. There were odd screams and echoes that gued the ship, and several of the crewmembers, fighters at the Master ss or Sky ss at a minimum, woke with nightmares. But there was no real danger.

    Dorian had even settled down to meditate, using the chaotic environment to temper himself. He''d run a small inventory on the contents of his Spatial Ring, nning out his future route.

    ''I''m starting to reach a point in my meditation for the Law of Wrath where I might want to turn to outside sources to speed up my progress.'' He''d decided, nodding his head as he looked at the Golden Shields, the highest form of currency in the Borrel Autarchy, that rested in his Spatial Ring.

    The reason these coins were worth so much was because of the Magical properties they possessed. They were infused with Magic and rare minerals such that they became a unique Artifact in themselves. They allowed one to gain a clearer and more fullprehension of the Laws of the Universe, speeding up one''s meditation.

    At the lower stages of understanding, they would have little effect. But at the higher levels, where Dorian was slowly starting to reach, they could make it much easier to understand a Law and absorb energy into one''s soul.

    At roughly around 40%, or just a few points off from Dorian''s current understanding of the Law of Wrath, Dorian would reach the Middle Lord ss in regards to that Law. At this stage, the difficulty in increasing the power of his soul and understanding from the Law of Wrath would jump. It was here he nned to test out the Golden Shields, to see how effective they were.

    Of course, he still had three other Laws to draw upon to enhance his strength further, making him a ridiculous anomaly. An ''Anomalous Anomaly'' one might say.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Law of Valor: 22%

    Law of Mercy: 14%

    Law of Greed: 17%

    Law of Wrath: 38%

    -

    "Not a bad bit of progress at all." He muttered as he examined the values, pleased. They had increased, slightly, across the board. He could feel his soul growing stronger and his understanding of each Law growing moreplete.

    "What progress?" A soft, feminine voice called out, catching his attention.

    Dorian''s eyes widened and he spun around from his sitting position on his bed to look across where Helena rested.

    "Helena! You''re awake! Let me get you some food or water!" He got up with a smile on his face, sauntering over.

    Helena''s eyes had deep-seated exhaustion within them, but also a cheerful gleam as she looked at Dorian amusedly.

    "Yes, I''m awake, and no, I''m fine. The meditative state I''m in lets me subsist on energy from the Laws of the Universe, purely focused on healing. My soul has made enough progress that I felt fineing out for a bit. How long has it been?" She asked.

    "Just a couple days. You had me worried, Smalls." He replied, sitting down at the end of her plush bed.

    Helena blinked and then looked around the room. Just faintly, she could see ominous grey and ck fog floating in the corners. The sway of the Flying Ship''s movements through the air was melodic and hard to notice, but something that still caught her attention.

    "Hmm? Where in the 30,000 Worlds are we?! What happened while I was under?" She responded, startled.

    "Oh right¡­" Dorian muttered, rubbing his chin.

    "There are a couple of things I have to tell you."

    "¡­" A few minutes passed as Dorian exined the situation.

    "You are leading an army."

    "Yep."

    "YOU are leading an army."

    "Yes, that is an urate assessment of the facts."

    "YOU are leading an ARMY."

    "I feel like we aren''t making much progress with this conversation."

    Helena sputtered as she heard Dorian''s nonchnt response, her eyes quivering in shock. She red at Dorian as if he was teasing her, shaking a fist at him.

    "How can YOU be the leader of an ARMY, Dorian?! Didn''t you tell me back on Taprisha that you had little experience in the 30,000 Worlds?!" She continued, her voice incredulous. She even leaned upward from her bed so she could get a good look at him.

    "I pick up quick." He shrugged.

    "Has it even been 2 months since that discussion?! You don''t just magically get the qualifications to be an armymander! That''s dangerous, Dorian!" She returned angrily.

    Dorian puffed up his chest, ring at her imperiously.

    "I''ll have you know that I am the Great Hero Lord Inigo, the Vast Greatness, the Undying Emperor, the Holy Highlord, the Ultimate Great Lord, the Unstoppable Ruler!" As he spoke, he grasped ahold of the Law of Valor, an upright and noble Aura burst forth from him. He gained the appearance of a wise and mighty ruler, one who would never back down in the face of adversity.

    "Oh, shut up." Helena threw her hands up into the air in defeat, falling back down to the bed almost petntly.

    Dorian grinned cheekily back at her.

    "I just don''t want you to get hurt." Helena''s voice was far quieter as she spoke, her eyes holding hidden emotion as she looked back up at Dorian.

    Dorian felt warmth enter his heart as he looked down at her, looking past her withered appearance to see a beautiful, warm soul.

    "You don''t need to worry. I know exactly what I am doing." He had no idea what he was doing.

    Still, he figured he could wing it without too much worry if push came to shove. His primary goal was protecting Helena. Besides, all of these Shades seemed eager to join his cause, and he did indeed want to explore Moria.

    "Alright." Helena muttered, her voice fading as she slipped back into sleep,

    "I trust you."

    "Rest well, dove." Dorian muttered, calling her one of the many nicknames he''de up with, as he watched her fall unconscious again, a seed of worry nted firmly in his heart.

    "I''ll make sure that trust is warranted."

    The next several hours had, again, passed by peacefully. Dorian continued to meditate, and in no time at all, Fabian had called upon him again, informing them of their arrival.

    And here they were, about to exit onto Shaptle.

    "Is it really that easy?" He muttered, looking at the World Bridge they were fast approaching. They had just reached the edge of the Dream Miasma and were about to pass through it.

    ''This would be the perfect spot for an ambush from anyst minute Dream Zone¡­'' He thought, blinking slowly. His heart tensed up, his eyes alert and scanning the environment.

    Their Flying Ship shot forward, spurts of the foggy Dream Miasma pushed to the side. Eerie echoes and keening cries sounded off as they approached the end, a myriad of terrifying noises.

    ''Just 5 seconds until we''re free¡­'' He thought, his fists clenched slightly.

    They had officially reached the thinnest section of Dream Miasma. The echoing cries seemed to grow in intensity, as if the Exotic World was aware that they were about to leave and desperate to keep them there.

    ''2 seconds¡­'' Dorian thought, a feeling of certainty rising in his heart. There was no way they were going to make it out this easy.

    ''1 second¡­ here ites!'' He went on full alert, ready to draw upon all of his Laws at a moment''s notice. His Perfect Body Ability was on a hair trigger, liable to be tripped from almost anything.

    WHOOSH

    They burst free from the Dream Miasma, entering the airspace of the World Bridge.

    Dorian''s pounding heart reached a crescendo as his head twisted from side to side, ready to respond to virtually anything.

    "¡­"

    Nothing happened.

    ''Huh?'' Dorian blinked.

    The World Ship continued to fly forward, unharmed and unabated.

    "Woooo!"

    "Finally free from that gross fog!"

    "Quickly! Onward to Moria!"

    "Vanquish the Demons!"

    It really was that easy.

    A set of muted cheers burst from the warriors as they celebrated entering the warm and friendly light of the World Bridge. This specific iteration of a World Bridge was a rocky, mountainous one, bereft of much vegetation.

    "We have arrived safely, Holy Highlord. We are finally approaching our destination!" The brown mustached, but bald, King ss Mystic Martial Artist Fabian cheerfully observed from Dorian''s side, his aged voice full of excitement.

    "Huh. Yeah, that we have." Dorian shrugged. That had been rather anticlimactic.

    "Oh well, let''s keep going!" His eyes shed, eagerness filling them.

    "On to Moria we shall go, my loyal subordinates! We shall conquer the demons!" He raised a cheer of his own, imbuing it with the Law of Valor.

    "Hear, hear!"

    "To Moria!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Back on the Exotic World of Ballians, in the midst of the unwavering Dream Miasma, a vague figure could be seen, looking down upon a floating globe of vaguely clear crystal. This figure had a dreamlike humanoid shape that constantly shifted and changed in size and scale. The only constant was the powerful, King ss Aura that rippled around it.

    And as that figure looked into the crystal ball, it looked down upon a familiar scene.

    A scene of Dorian and the members of his army all celebrating cheerfully as they exited through the World Bridge, full of excitement.

    "Fools." The dreamlike figure whispered, its voice harsh and grating.

    "So many experts, yet so little wisdom." The figure continued, shaking its head,

    "I suppose I can''t me them entirely. To think that they immediately fell into the Life Years Dream Zone when they were less than 15 seconds into their journey. That is certainly a record."

    "I wonder if I should call that lucky or unlucky?" The figure shrugged. It made a vague motion with its hand, causing the crystal ball to shiver.

    "Let''s see... The Life Years Dream Zone is only in its Misdirection Period currently, but I can fix that. It''s a good thing I caught on to its activity. It''s too bad my connection to the Dream Zones iscking whenpared to Master''s." The figure sighed. It seemed to have a habit of talking to itself, one built up by long years of solitude.

    "Now let''s see¡­ where has it guided them to? The Misdirection Period should change their movements, causing twists and turns that lead them to a random location an- WHAT?!"

    The shadow figure abruptly stopped, pure incredulity filling its voice.

    "It-huh?! It actually guided them all the way to the World Bridge they were originally headed towards?! This isn''t just a Dream Illusion spawned by the Dream Zone?! But how?! That''s ridiculous! Is the Misdirection Period still active?!" The vague humanoid cast a Spell on the crystal ball, staring at it in confusion.

    "It''s still active¡­ so they reached the World Bridge they nned to reach through random chance¡­? Are you serious¡­?"

    The shadowy figure hung its face in its hands, rubbing at its forehead. It was a beingposed of almost entirely energy and was therefore physically unable to have a headache. Despite that, it felt oneing on as it looked at the sheer ridiculousness of this situation.

    The odds of them arriving at their nned destination while in the midst of the powerful Magic Misdirection Period from the Life Years Dream Zone¡­ it should''ve been almost literally impossible. To actually arrive there was ridiculously unlikely. Far less than 1 in 1,000,000.

    Yet they still, somehow, made it there, and in record time too.

    "Wha- they''re about to escape the World entirely! They''re already on the World Bridge! Life Years Dream Zone! Activate quickly!!" The shadowy figure sputtered, its body blurring as it shot off in a specific direction at high speed.

    Leaving behind a crystal ball that began to glow with dark light, transforming the bright scene of Dorian and the cheering warriors into one swarming with darkness.

    .

 Chapter 164 The Life Years Dream Zone

    "Alright." Dorian thought, grinning. The progress they had made was incredible and they hadn''t even run into any snags. This was the kind of travel he liked.

    He''d managed to make it smoothly across multiple Worlds without being stopped or attacked. So far, no one had really confronted him and things were flying smoothly.

    There was the sole exception of the Anomaly named Fifteen attacking him. The confrontation with that Anomaly had been dangerous and deadly, an attack that came out of nowhere. Fifteen had mentioned that he would be waiting for Dorian at the Demonic Ruins.

    The Anomaly had also mentioned he had been sent here to investigate about him. He was clearly part of some greater force, not acting on his own.

    ''But who? Or what? It can''t be the Shade leadership directly or the Church of Light, otherwise they would have just acted out in the open. Therefore, it must be someone underground or hidden.'' He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    ''I don''t think I''ve offended anyone nearby, save for the Church of Light. Are they only investigating me because of the scene I caused?'' He sighed.

    His biggest concerny in Fate. When he and Helena had ripped through Chaotic Space, Dorian was 100% sure they had left some sort of noticeable trail. Thus, after he arrived, the first thing he wanted to do was obfuscate that and move away as quickly as possible.

    Especially considering that Helena was a Vampire, and the Shades were currently at war with the Vampires. If the Shades here found out that Helena was not only a powerful Vampire, but also in a weakened state, as well as one of the vaunted Aurelius Reavers¡­

    His eyes hardened.

    Dorian had no doubt that at least some of the Shades here would try to kill her.

    ''What do I do¡­ What do I do¡­'' He thought, frowning.

    He didn''t want to have to kill anyone or put people''s lives at risk. But one of the few people he knew and cared deeply about in this universe was currently having her home and life put in grave danger. The Shades were even trying to wipe her Race out, or at least her Race''s control of their Worlds.

    ''Don''t think of them as a monolith, Dorian.'' He reminded himself. Just because the Shade King was forcing the war didn''t mean everyone else supported it. It only meant that the influence in the hands of the Shade King was considerable.

    ''Why did the Shade King have to go to war, anyway?'' He thought, frustrated. Why risk your people''s lives? The Commune already controlled a little more than 2,000 Worlds. Would picking up a few dozen or so more really matter that much?

    ''Whatever petty feuds you had with their kind, couldn''t you have just ignored or talked it out, and left your people in peace and harmony?'' He sighed again.

    He wanted to do the right thing. But he saw, now, that it wasn''t always easy to find out what exactly that meant.

    ''I don''t want to hurt anyone. But I will do what I need to do to protect her.'' Dorian''s heart was troubled, but his mind was made up.

    Even if that meant being a bit dishonest and tricking several dozen Shades into helping him get her healed and escape.

    "It will be a bit of a long trip to Shaptle from here, a full 4 days journey across this World Bridge even with this fast-paced Flying Ship. This is one of the longest World Bridges in the 30,000 Worlds." The Dream Guide Walter spoke as he walked up next to Dorian, exining some helpful info to Dorian from the side. The Flying Ship they were on began to progress up the World Bridge, headed towards the glowing portal that separated it off into Chaotic Space, away from the Exotic World of Ballians.

    "I''m aware." He was. The Dream Guide, as well as some of Dorian''s newly formed Moria Liberation Force subordinates, had informed him a while ago about this. With his Jade Memory, it was impossible for him to forget.

    "We''ll just need to-huh-what-is-this- - - -"

    WHOOSH

    The world went ck.

    Dorian blinked.

    "Huh, what was that? Did I doze off?" Dorian yawned as he cleared his eyes, taking in the surroundings as he came awake. He held up his clearly human hands, scanning them over curiously for a moment. All was normal.

    He was standing outside the Catna Hotel-by-the-Water in Sydney, Australia. The sounds of water pressing up against the nearby pier wereforting, reminding him of the beach back home.

    "I''m¡­ right. I''m out with my parents and some cousins on vacation. They all went back in for dinner while I said I was going for a walk." For some reason, Dorian felt as if the world around him was oddly surreal. He rubbed at his head, massaging his temples.

    He took a few steps forward. People moved slowly past him. He saw a few couples admiring the view, a familyughing as a child chased after a seagull, and a pair of girls jogging past him. It waste afternoon, with the warm light just slowly starting to die down.

    He walked down the pier, smelling the frothy sea air. They were situated right next to the ocean, in a luxurious hotel suite his father had specially booked. In particr, their hotely near a small penins. Across the strip of ocean, anotherrge and luxurious hotel could be seen, with various boats moving about in the water.

    "It''s beautiful." He thought, staring at the glimmering ocean water.

    *ssh*

    He turned to his right, looking at a statue of arge, scaled lion. It was a fountain of some sort, shooting off water into the ocean.

    "Huh, a lion. That reminds me of something..." He muttered, staring at it curiously.

    WHOOSH

    KEEEEEEEE

    A burning sensation spread through Dorian''s head as he heard an unsettling keening noise echo out. He clutched at his forehead as this happened, groaning in pain.

    "Uh, sir, are you alright?" One of the couples noticed Dorian as he fell to one knee. The speaker was a 30ish looking woman with dark brown hair and a concerned expression on her face. She reached out with a hand to help him up, thinking he had fallen.

    "Memories¡­ My memories¡­" Dorian whispered, ignoring her. The pain in his head continued, as if two parts of his mind were shing. The pain continued to increase as he stood up, moving the woman''s helping hand away.

    "GRRRRR!" Dorian roared out loud, his eyes zing. He clenched his fists, forcing his way through the pain with sheer willpower alone.

    "GIVE ME BACK MY MEMORIES!" His voice echoed like thunder, shaking the air around him.

    BOOM

    Abruptly, the painful resistance in Dorian''s mind vanished. A millisecondter, a rush of memories flooded back into him.

    Memories of dying, here on Earth, and being transported to a strange new universe. Memories of bing dozens of different creatures, of shifting forms and shapes. Of learning powerful techniques or creating his ownbat attacks.

    Of making friends and defeating enemies.

    Memories that he could not forget. Memories that he would never want to forget, even if his creator imed they were not his own.

    "Ahh." Dorian blinked, feeling his mind fully restore itself.

    He smiled.

    "Jade Memories, thanks for that." He spoke aloud, naming and thanking the Ability that hade to his rescue.

    "A lion¡­ one of the rumors about that fallen Draconic Tribe was that it had been wiped out by an enormous lion." He muttered and then shook the stray thought from his head.

    "So this is a Dream Zone, huh? How did it hit us on the World Bridge?" He looked at the incredibly realistdscape spread out about him. Around him, several of the couples and families were all ring at him askance thanks to his random outbreak. Some of them were taking their children away while giving him hushed nces, as if Dorian might be a threat to them.

    "It tried to shake my memories away, or something like that. But, because of my Jade Memories Ability, I can''t forget anything. It''s not possible. Therefore, the two opposing forces crashed, and I ended up escaping through some type of loophole." He nodded. It all made sense in at least that regard.

    After all, how many beings had an Ability perfectly tailored to memory? Probably an extremely tiny number. Putting in a safeguard of some sort for that, if it was even possible, would most likely be considered a waste of time and effort.

    "But what now? I''m still here." He looked around the pier for a moment before closing his eyes. The Dream Guide had stated that almost every Dream Zone varied. The key way to break out of any Dream Zone was to ''break the dream''s core'', which could mean anything depending on the person. Decidedly unhelpful advice.

    WHOOSH

    Raw, powerful energy flooded into Dorian''s body, enhancing his strength and physique tremendously. The power from the Law of Valor condensed the energy into his veins and muscles, vastly increasing his strength.

    "I can still use all my techniques it seems. At least, I can draw upon the Laws here." A feeling of relief appeared as he noted this. If it was like this, he had no fear at all.

    ''Ausra, are you still here?'' He asked, internally.

    ''Yes.'' A cool voice in his head replied.

    Dorian nodded at the reply, turning his focus back to the world around him.

    ording to the Dream Guide, while the Dream Zones could be dangerous if one was caught up in one, they weren''t a death sentence. Indeed, most of the time one was caught in one, it was only a matter of escaping it and waking up.

    And even the Grandmaster ss Dream Guide was capable of escaping from plenty of Dream Zones and had done so multiple times.

    Thus, Dorian wasn''t too worried.

    "Only¡­ how do I leave?" He began to walk down the pier, ignoring all the people staring at him. Though Dorian didn''t consciously notice it, his sense of self and strength of will had grown to tremendous levels over the time he had existed in the 30,000 Worlds, partly due to the growth of his powerful soul. Even if a thousand people were staring at him, he wouldn''t be the slightest bit fazed.

    He walked away from the pier, over to the front of the hotel his family had been staying in. He could see several cars parked out in front. A few palm trees rose up high into the air, swaying with a light breeze.

    "Oh wow, cars. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you." He muttered as he walked up to one of them, a red Toyota Camry. He tapped on its hood a few times, trailing his fingers over it.

    If he counted all the time he''d been in the 30,000 Worlds, including the time he spent stuck in that mental prison when he was forced to heal his soul, he hadn''t seen a car in years.

    *ting*

    He flicked the hood of the car very carefully, nodding as he heard a resounding metallic echo.

    "This dream sure is incredibly realistic." He examined, frowning. If his Jade Memories hadn''t restored his mind to him fully, Dorian had no doubt he would''ve beenpletely convinced that this was the real world.

    He moved away from the cars and entered the hotel lobby.

    "Wee to the Catna, how can I help you?" As soon as he entered, a woman standing at a receptionist desk greeted him warmly. She wore a tight blue dress with the symbol of the hotel on it.

    "I''m good, thanks." He waved her off as he walked into and towards the center of the lobby, breezing past the reception. The hotel was an expensive one, finely decorated withrge paintings and expensive art decorations. The hotel lobby was huge, with severalrge rooms, an open restaurant, and a circr pond all within it.

    "This is exactly like my memories." Dorian said slowly, losing himself in nostalgia as he looked around. He walked up to the pond, looking at the various fish swimming around in it. In the background, rxing music was ying while the cool breeze from an air conditioner swept over his body.

    Everything looked and felt simr to what he had seen and felt here, so long ago.

    Abruptly, his heart dropped as he realized something. His head twisted as he looked over towards the open restaurant in the lobby, his eyes scanning everything. There were about three dozen wooden tables set up, most of them half full. The floor beneath the tables was tiled, a peaceful grey color.

    A few secondster, he found what he was looking for.

    A small family that was dining at one of the wooden tables. A woman that looked to be in her early 50s wearing afortable yellow sundress. She had long brown hair and cool blue eyes, with a ready smile on her face as she talked, animatedly, to the man sitting next to her.

    A man that had a strong jawline, with short brown hair and bright blue eyes, a man that looked very simr to Dorian''s human form. His blue eyes were full of kindness and wisdom, well-wornugh lines covering his face.

    His father and mother.

    "Aunty E, Kelly keeps poking my hamburger!"

    "I did not! It was all Kyle!!"

    Dorian''s hearing focused on that table as his powerful senses zeroed in, letting him hear a spurt of conversation.

    Conversationing from the two other members at the table. A 12 year old girl with long blonde hair tied up in a braid, and a 10 year old boy wearing a set of bright blue swimming trunks.

    "Hahaha, oh, you two. Kelly, don''t poke your brother''s food. Kyle, don''t you poke her back." Dorian''s heart ached as he heard the aged, but cheerful, voice of the woman speaking. A voice that brought back memories swarming inside him.

    "Listen to the olddy, kiddos!" He heard his dad reply with a hearty chuckle.

    "Oi, who are you calling an olddy, you doddering fool!" His mother spun around and red at his father, wagging a finger at him. Dorian couldn''t help but smile, grinning like a fool himself.

    ''That''s right¡­ on this trip, we took my aunt''s kids with us, because she had to leave for a couple of weeks on a business trip. They nned this ahead of time.'' His eyes widened as he processed this, his eyes greedily drinking in the scene like a man lost in a desert drinking up water.

    This was identical. Everything was the same. Even the minor details of life, like his aunt''s children being at dinner with his parents¡­

    It was all exactly the same.

    "Mother¡­ Father¡­" Dorian stared at them, quiet and pensive. His hands shook as an overwhelming sense of longing filled him.

    "I never got to say goodbyest time¡­" Emotions swept through his heart as he saw them. Regardless of whether or not these memories were truly his own, Dorian had long since decided he would ept them as real.

    Seeing his parents again after so long, after everything he had been through¡­

    He closed his eyes, feeling his cheeks grow damp. His sudden death on Earth had been far too abrupt. Fate had chosen that time to im his soul, departing him from thend he knew. There were so many things he wanted to say to his father, to say to his mother. To let them know that he loved them, to apologize for all the little things he''d let hold him back.

    s.

    As his heart shook with emotion, however, it also filled with determination.

    "Ah. So this is the trap. Wellid, Dream Zone. This is not real." He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, forcibly controlling himself. Tears dripped down his face as he tore his gaze away from his family, not allowing himself to get caught up in the vision. As much as he wanted to, he knew he could not afford it.

    Not when Helena was depending on him.

    ''Helena¡­'' Dorian''s breathing was erratic as he began to walk back through the lobby, feeling as if each step he took weighed a thousand pounds. His entire body seemed to be screaming at him to stop, to turn around and hug his dad. To tell them about all he had gone through, everything that had happened, to let them know how much he missed them.

    ''If this were a simpler time, here on Earth, I would ask you on a date.'' He rubbed his eyes as his thoughts moved forward. He couldn''t afford to let himself wait here even a moment. He pushed his thoughts away, focusing on Helena. The wondrous Vampire that had quite literally fallen into his life. He closed his eyes again as he moved, doing everything he could to walk away.

    If he tarried, he feared he might not be able to turn away again.

    ''Though, maybe I could call this an extended date. After all, we did technically sleep together. Well, at least, we slept in the same room, though in different beds. Close enough. Probably shouldn''t let her hear me say that, though.'' He high-fived himself anyway, managing to force up a small smile as he walked out of the hotel. As he left those doors, he felt a weight rise from his shoulders.

    It felt as if he had finally broken free from a past that was trying to drag him back. At the same time, however, a heavy feeling filled his heart. A feeling of loss, of loneliness. Of mncholy and sorrow. As if he was giving something up, something he could not get back.

    He moved forward outside alone, his shoulders hunched as he left behind a family that he would never see again.

    .

 Chapter 165 Escape

    A feeling of sorrowful warmth spread over Dorian''s mind as he walked outside. In that moment, as he let go of everything to continue his journey to save Helena, his soul went through a kind of cleansing. It was as if he was being reborn from nothing.

    At the same time, Dorian felt two of his Laws seem to call out to him. The Law of Valor and the Law of Mercy.

    "Hmm?" He blinked.

    An instantter, as Dorian experienced this type of cool enlightenment, he felt another energy source, one that resonated with the Law of Valor and the Law of Mercy. This energy source was one that was calm and peaceful, one that took hits and kept moving without pause, slowly and steadily.

    As he sensed the fleeting sensation of this energy source, Dorian was able to recognize it.

    "The Law of Charity." He instinctively knew what Law it was. The feeling vanished as soon as it arose, but left a permanent imprint thanks to Dorian''s Jade Memory.

    "Ahh. I see." He muttered, closing his eyes peacefully. His act of giving up everything that he desired here, to be reunited with his family, had sent reverberations through the Laws of the Universe.

    "It seems Laws that are linked together can act as a draw for other, simr Laws. My soul''s unique makeup and connection to Fate makes it easier to sense other Laws, and the fact that I''m studying two Laws that seemed to be interlocked and rted are building off of each other." He observed, smiling sadly. He was happy to have sensed a new Law, but the sadness of walking away from his family stuck with him.

    He sighed and kept moving.

    HONK

    The sounds of the city jarringly interrupted his musings as Dorian walked out from the lobby to a street that connected to the hotel. A maze of vehicles and people were visible, shing lights and fast movement everywhere.

    He tapped his foot lightly on the ground, the familiar feeling of a concrete sidewalk appearing.

    CRACK

    His light tapping had identally smashed the concrete sidewalk, cracking it. Bits of dust and rock swirled around his foot.

    "Whoops." Dorian muttered, apologizing to the floor. He''d forgotten that, when he channeled the Law of Valor, his physical form became abnormally powerful.

    Out in front of him, he could see a few police officers walking down the same sidewalk. When Dorian damaged the ground in front of him, the officers turned around and waltzed up towards him. They had appeared to be eyeing him already, a bit abnormally.

    ''Huh. Hold on. These are American cops? Why would they be operating here in Australia? This is Australia, right?'' He thought, staring oddly at them.

    "Hey! What do you think you''re doing!" One of the uniformed police officers, a burly man with short red hair and a small red mustache, walked right in front of Dorian, looking incensed. His right hand rested on his pistol as he yelled out,

    "Get on the ground!!" He red at Dorian threateningly, jumping from zero to one hundred in mere seconds.

    ''What? None of this makes any- ah. This is the Dream Zone''s doing, right?'' A light of understanding appeared in Dorian''s eyes.

    This situation wasn''t at all from his memories. He recognized the police officers as cops from Texas, by their uniforms, though they appeared far more trigger happy than he remembered.

    The Dream Zone operated using his own memories as its power. However, he had no memory of any Australian police officers. Thus, when the Dream Zone went to create a situation to take him out, they searched and found a different authority figure, one he did recognize.

    ''If I didn''t have my memories, I would just be a regr human. I would probably be celebrating with my family right now, or at least talking to them in the hotel. If I die in here, I''m guessing I will die or take severe damage in real life. I would be a sitting duck to several armed and murderous police officers in a normal human''s body.'' Dorian thought as he examined the police officers. All three cops had their hands on their pistol grips and were ring at Dorian, yelling at him.

    ''Bnce Demon form, switch! Perfect Body, activate!''

    WHOOSH

    "Open fire!" The police officers opened fire in record time as Dorian''s body blurred.

    Dorian blinked.

    Unfortunately for these cops, Dorian was anything but normal now.

    The world around him had lost a great deal of its color. This got bnced out quite a bit, however, by his Bnce Demon form''s superior senses. His regr human form was only so-so at best.

    As the world transformed to be a bit duller, the Law of Valor and Law of Greed flushed powerfully in Dorian''s soul and body, enhancing him. He didn''t have the time to add the Law of Charity to his list yet, so he''d postpone that until after.

    "Oh wow." Dorian muttered as he looked around him.

    "Is it because of the Dream Zone? There''s no way I''m this fast normally."

    The world around him was operating in incredible slow motion. The police officers had expressions of rage frozen on their face.

    In the air between them, three bullets were visibly moving towards Dorian, piercing towards him.

    Dorian blinked again and looked around.

    The world around him had be frozen. People froze in mid-step, fast moving cars slowed to aplete halt. He could see traffic lights that would normally be blinking holding still, children frozen in mid-jump. It was incredibly surreal to see. The only thing that convinced Dorian the world wasn''tpletely frozen were the three bullets slowly hurtling towards his chest.

    WHOOSH

    The air around him quivered and then froze again immediately as he stepped to the side. He then tapped on the bullets as they flew past him, adjusting their path so they were shooting more towards the ground.

    "Huh. Perfect Body, deactivate." He muttered, an ideaing to mind.

    WHOOSH

    The world around him returned to full speed. The frozen cars sped up to normal, people continued to walk. A good dozen or so nearby pedestrians all turned to stare at Dorian and the police officers, many of them fleeing as they heard gunfire.

    WHIZ

    All three bullets shot off into the distance.

    "Get on the- huh?!" The three police officers froze, staring at where Dorian had been.

    THUD

    Almost as one, all three copsed as Dorian''s right arm knocked against their heads, downing them all in one smooth motion. The trio copsed, falling down on the concrete.

    "Murder! Somebody help!"

    "There''s someone attacking the police!"

    "What is that?!"

    "Yo dude, is this a movie?"

    A deluge of voices sprang out as everything came to a head. Dorian ignored this as he turned around, headed back towards the pier.

    ''My Perfect Body Ability let me slow down time drastically when it activated here, in this Dream Zone. I wonder why?'' He frowned as he walked away. After about 100 meters of walking, he reached the pier. The chaos from the police hadn''t seemed to spread this far, leaving him rtively unobstructed.

    ''The Ability description did mention that this Ability is an ''Iplete Divine Ability.'' Maybe if I figure out a way toplete it, that is what it does? Or it could be something else entirely.'' He shook his head, unable to make heads or tails of it.

    It seemed the original n of the Dream Zone was to have those police officers take him out after trapping him with his family. When that failed, it didn''t seem to have anything else to throw at him, at least not yet. He would need to find a way to break the dream himself.

    People that saw him as he walked turned and stared, several taking out their smartphones to take pictures. Dorian''s physique looked like a thing out of legends and myths, and therefore had to be some type of costume to most.

    "Bro! Sick cosy! Mind if we take a group pic?" He even got approached by a trio of guys wearing jogging clothes, one of them holding out a phone to take a selfie.

    Dorian stopped to pose with them out of politeness, holding up two fingers for the picture. He then mentally berated himself.

    ''None of these people are real? Why did I do that? Who cares if I appear as a nice demon on this Dream Zone''s Facebook.'' He shook his head bemusedly, feeling a bit more cheerful.

    He breezed past the rest, walking to a spot near the end of the pier, back where he had originally started.

    He looked out across the sea, where the nice hotel on the other side gleamed lightly, sunlight reflecting off of it. Now that he looked closer, he saw that the hotel seemed to have, of all things, a submarine of some sort connecting three different towers to each other at the very top.

    ''Hey¡­ I know that. Isn''t that¡­ Isn''t that a hotel I saw when I visited Singapore? Why is it here?'' Parts of the dream weren''t urate, going to show how unreliable his memory, when he was a human on earth, had been. That, or the Dream Zone was mixing things up haphazardly, unable to recreate everything perfectly.

    He turned to look at the statue of the lion resting to the side of the pier. An idea came to mind on how to escape this dream trap.

    "You are not real." Dorian spoke aloud, staring at the statue. He pulled on his will,manding his soul to twist Fate.

    "You are merely a dream. Imand you to shatter! Break for me! Awaken!" He held out his hand.

    "Touching Light! Activate!"

    WHOOSH

    A sword made of pure, gleaming light appeared in Dorian''s right hand. Dorian pointed it at the statue, ring.

    "BREAK!"

    BOOM

    The statue exploded as a bolt of pure light energy shot off from the sword. The attack itself became rather weak as soon as it left Dorian''s direct control, but was still more than enough to shatter a statue made of stone.

    shudder

    shudder

    The world around Dorian seemed to twitch and shiver. Dorian smiled as he felt that. His guess had been correct. The more he introduced concepts that shouldn''t exist here, the more he would strain this dream.

    "I COMMAND THIS DREAM TO END!" His voice thundered out loud as he infused it with the power of Law, carrying authority and power.

    SHUDDER

    "ROAAAAR!" A loud, raging roar caught Dorian''s attention as he turned around, back towards the front of the pier, in the direction of the other fancy hotel.

    A huge, towering, lion had appeared, made of pure, rippling darkness, like a beast out of nightmare. Its body was still forming as it swarmed into existence, causing the sky above to darken. Raw, nightmarish power visibly swirled around the creature, giving it a huge presence. It was covered in scales and had a long, shadowy split tail that ended in fins, like that of a shark.

    (Image - https://i.imgur/O5Iwiih.jpg )(Doesn''t Open In App)

    "Now THAT is more like it! A giant monster lion. Is it... a Merlion? Singapore again..." Dorian smiled as he saw this, recognizing it as a mythological creature famous to Singapore. He began to walk towards the very end of the dock, his eyes locked onto the creature.

    Instinctively, he knew if he killed this creature, he would escape this dream.

    "Woah?! Is that an optical illusion?!"

    "Dude! Look at that! Is it made out of smoke?!"

    "What the hell?!"

    Dorian ignored the random people that eximed around him as he focused.

    "ROAAAAAR!" The lion roared again. As it yelled a huge ball of darkness began to swarm into the air in front of its mouth, simr to the Hyperion Beam attack that Dorian possessed.

    "Copying some of my Abilities, eh? Let''s see you copy this."

    "Law of Valor and Greed, enhance me!"

    "Moving Force, activate!"

    "Expand, activate!"

    "Touching Light, stay active!"

    "Law of Wrath and Mercy! Combine into my sword!"

    Dorian''s Bnce Demon form expanded into a towering, 60 meters tall demonic creature. In this dream state, he seemed to be able to use all the Abilities he had ever learned, even ones that had merged with others and he no longer had ess to, like his Expand Ability.

    People shrieked in fear and terror as Dorian''s behemoth figure made an appearance, like a demonic king out of legend. No matter how Dorian would try to describe himself, he looked exactly like how everyone would expect the viin to appear. A hideous, gargantuan demon that appeared as if it had dragged itself up from the depths of hell itself, wielding a massive de of light in its hand.

    He even identally crushed a family underneath his foot, killing them instantly as he transformed. He made a mental apology towards them before berating himself again. This was just a fake dream, he hadn''t actually hurt anyone for real.

    "Monster!!"

    "It''s the Devil!"

    "Run away!!"

    On the bright side, at least the Law of Valor made him seem like an extremely brave and righteous evil demon.

    "Die, beast!" Dorian''s yell caused a shockwave to form as heunched himself forward across the small gap of water, obliterating the pier and all the dream people on it. His body hurled through the air, crashing down upon the giant, ghostly lion like a meteor storm.

    WHOOOSH

    The dark, ghostly lion swung its jaw down as itunched its own rendition of a ck Hyperion Beam, aimed directly for Dorian''s sword. ck energy crackled and shook in the air, forming a shockwave that blew out the windows of the grand hotel the lion was standing next to.

    BOOM

    Dorian''s de of light cut the beam attack in half, his prediction of it urate. He didn''t allow himself a moment''s rest as he continued forward, his enormous body, mming into one of the towering hotels and obliterating it as he charged directly into the lion.

    Huge blocks of stone and wood exploded, leftover ss scattering into the air as hundreds of innocent dream people were thrown up into the sky. The horror and panicing from the falling dream people felt so real Dorian almost apologized then and there, trying to exin himself.

    SHKKKK

    His de of light stabbed directly into the chest of the enormous creature. Immediately, shes of ck and white light swept across his vision and he felt the world around him seem to distort.

    The dream lion had been the core focus of the dream Dorian was in, raised to life to defend it when Dorian began to attack it. With its death, the entire dream began to cascade as it fell apart.

    Dorian blinked again.

    The world around him, once more, transformed.

    His mind, body, and soul all seemed to waver as his vision of a half-destroyed hotel and a dead Merlion was reced with that of a wooden ship, where a good dozen Martial Artistsy on the deck, unconscious.

    "Ah! Holy Highlord! You escaped so quickly, despite being at the Lord ss? You truly are an expert that can fight above his standard!" A worried voice greeted Dorian as he came awake.

    The King ss Mystic Martial Artist Fabian, the only warrior that was awake on deck. The Flying Ship had fallen still, hanging in space above the World Bridge.

    "How long was I out?" Dorian immediately asked, standing up. He had fallen to his knees when he entered the Dream Zone.

    "About 4 seconds, Holy Highlord. The attack just hit! Old codgers that have reached the King ss are resistant to such attacks thanks to our mastery. For those at the Lord ss, however, it can have a much greater effect." The Mystic Martial Artist exined himself, nodding fiercely.

    "No one else has attacked again or anything?" Dorian replied, looking around the deck.

    "No, sir!"

    "Alright. We need to get these Shades awake before we try to leave fully. I don''t want to risk leaving them stuck in some type of permanent mental dream." The Dream Guide had talked a bit about how it was dangerous to transport anyone stuck in a dream away from Ballians due to the possibility of leaving their soul eternally trapped.

    "I agree, Holy Highlord. Only, even the Dream Guide has been caught! Only you, I, and the other two Captains are still awake. The other two are tending to the Lord ss fighters below deck, trying to help them. We don''t know how to help." Fabian responded, his hands held out to the side helplessly.

    "How indeed¡­" Dorian muttered, looking at the sleeping figures. He mentally ran over his avable Abilities, trying toe up with a n.

    As he came upon one Ability in particr, he smiled.

    "I have an idea." His eyes shed.

    "Fabian keep watch and guard the ship. I have a technique that might be able to help the fighters escape from the Dream Zones trap with ease. My appearance will look odd, however." He spoke and acted quickly, not wanting to let any of the trapped Shades fall victim to any attacks.

    "Oh, a type of special technique? Of course, Holy Highlord. That makes perfect sense." Fabian took it for granted that Dorian had a solution, trusting his word immediately. He then went on guard, a powerful King ss Aura rippling around him as he red out at the undting Dream Miasma.

    Dorian stepped forward to one of the downed fighters, a Lord ss Shade at the Middle of Lord ss. He closed his eyes, focusing.

    "Wise Jade Dragon form, transform. Humanoid Form, activate!" His Shade body blurred and was then reced with a pale, jade-skin colored humanoid male, one with long, white hair and piercing green eyes.

    "Calm Aura Ability, activate!" He activated an Ability he had gained a while ago, but never put to use. An Ability that was restricted to his Wise Jade Dragon form.

    -

    Ability: Calm Aura

    A peaceful Ability that releases a soothing Aura, this power can be found in Bloodlines that have simr, calming natures. This Aura dampens emotions, and does so by drawing upon the Laws of the Universe to form arge, invisible bubble that minutely affects the mental state of everyone within it. It also grants the user an air of peaceful elegance, shaping the appearance others see.

    -

    Dorian felt a cool, peaceful Aura spread out from around him. An Aura that was rxing, one that was calming and filled anyone in it with soothing strength.

    ''Come on, now¡­'' He muttered, testing the Ability on the Shades before he would run down and use it to help Helena.

    ''Wake up!''

    .

 Chapter 166 The Second Stage

    (Long chapter, basically 2-in-1pared to normal works. Reminder that SS cost is automatic, not picked by me, and based on 200 word count intervals)

    "Groan¡­"

    As the cool, peaceful Aura that Dorian spread swept over the downed Shade Martial Artist, the Shade shifted, moaning. The Aura seemed to focus on this Shade, infusing within his body.

    Normally, an Aura like this could be seen as an attack if it tried to manipte anything other than Dorian''s appearance. The attack would be subtle enough that most wouldn''t notice it and would only passively resist it. If their soul was weaker than Dorian''s, they would fall victim to the effects of the Ability.

    However, sufficiently strong souls could still resist parts of the effects, weakening it greatly. All of the Lord ss Mystic Martial Artists here had powerful wills and strong souls. Dorian''s Calm Aura would normally have only a slight effect on them.

    But because the unconscious Shade was trapped in a dream world, his defenses werepletely down. This was one of the chief dangers of the dangerous Dream Zones here. They could render an opponent unable to resist, leaving them open to a surprise attack.

    The four seconds that Dorian took to recover could easily prove fatal.

    What surprised Dorian the most, however, was that there was no other attack.

    ''I guess it really was just a random Dream Zone. We got unlucky. Probably my fault.'' He thought, shrugging.

    WHOOSH

    The energy from Dorian''s Calm Aura finished suffusing the downed Shade, and just momentster, the Shade shifted in his rest. A moment after that, the Shade''s eyes flung open as it escaped the Dream Zone, looking around in confusion.

    "Mama?!"

    Dorian ignored the confused babbling of the Shade as the Mystic Martial Artist tried to get his bearing, recovering from whatever dream he had been in.

    ''The Aura works! Alright, quick! I need to help Helena, and everyone else on the ship!'' His eyes shed as he looked around, noticing something.

    The ship was simply too big and there were too many people for him to use his Aura in its current state to heal everyone. By the time he finished on the upper deck, it was more than possible that those down below, including Helena, could be fatally injured or dead. He couldn''t afford to spend that much time.

    ''But if I don''t, dozens will die because of me¡­'' He thought, blinking slowly.

    ''Calm Aura! Activate to the maximum! Pour energy into it!'' Dorian began to focus on the Calm Aura Ability, putting as much energy as possible into it.

    Normally, the bubble of Aura would span about 5 meters in a perfect sphere.

    However, as Dorian poured in energy from his Soul Spell Matrix, the Aura began to stretch, its limit expanding.

    WHOOSH

    The Aura spread to be roughly 8-9 meters in length. Its soothing effects spread to a couple of the other Mystic Martial Artists, affecting them in their dream state. Gradually, they started to awaken, roused from the trap.

    ''It''s not enough.'' Dorian thought, starting to worry.

    ''Ah, the Law of Greed affects the soul. Maybe it can help with an Ability that is linked to the soul like this?'' Without questioning further, Dorian drew upon the Law of Greed, infusing its energy in the Calm Aura Ability.

    Immediately, the Aura grew in strength, maintaining its same smooth, rxing sensation. The cool, supporting energy of the Law of Greed enhanced his soul, allowing him to extend the Ability''s effect.

    The Aura also took on a slightly harsher edge, stimting the greed of anyone within it. In this case, for the Mystic Martial Artists and others under the effect of this Aura, it had a minor, but beneficial, effect of stoking their desire to live. Everyone here wanted to survive, and that base greed to live was a powerful tool that couldn''t be ignored.

    In just a few seconds, this Aura spread throughout the entire ship. As it spread, however, the toll it forced upon Dorian''s soul grew exponentially.

    Dorian immediately sat down cross-legged, in a meditative pose, as he focused on maintaining the Aura. He could feel the soothing power envelop everyone on the ship, calming them down and affecting their mental state.

    "Huh!" Dorian exhaled sharply as he held his pose, his eyes calm. He drew fully on the Law of Greed, relying upon it to make this possible.

    Fabian, meanwhile, turned and stared at Dorian in surprise before nodding, as if this all made perfect senses. The faith the aged Martial Artist put in ''Lord Inigo'' seemed to be enough that he took Dorian''s odd appearance for granted, epting it without questioning.

    WHOOSH

    Several seconds went by.

    Gradually, the various Mystic Martial Artists and Wizards on or below deck recovered, bing fully aware. Some of them awoke while yelling, others amid violent twitches, while others were silent,ing awake with tears streaming down their face.

    One and all, however, awoke without issue, rousing from their dream state. Dorian''s desperate efforts had just barely managed to save everyone, avoiding any fatal injuries or deaths.

    "Wha-what?!"

    "Are we under attack?!"

    "Ready up! We''re in a Dream Zone!"

    Confused shouts echoed across the deck as the various fighters on top came aware.

    Dorian found that, as long as he maintained this expanded Aura, he could also sense the presence of everyone on ship. It seemed to be a type of convenient, if energy expensive, side effect.

    "Hup!" He exhaled a second time as he released the Aura, making his body shift back to his Shade form as he felt everyone in the ship that was affectede awake. Immediately, without hesitating, he rushed over to the open door of the deck, running down below.

    He weaved between a few passages, dodging past several confused Mystic Martial Artists or crew members until he found his cabin. Without hesitation, he burst in, mming the door shut behind him in a smooth twirl.

    "Helena! Are you alright!" He urgently spoke as he rushed to the bed where she was resting, concern bleeding into his tone. His eyes darted to see her figure,ying still underneath the covers.

    "I''m fine, you lunkhead. This type of trap can''t affect my soul, even if it''s withered. It can only work on those who haven''t mastered a Law." Helena''s face was pale but collected as she made eye contact with Dorian, waving at him.

    "Oh, right, right. I just learned that, actually." Dorian sat down on the bed, his heart pounding as he almost copsed with relief. Helena saw the worry and care he had for her, her eyes shing with emotion.

    "Why is that, anyway?" He asked, taking several deep breaths. The effort required to spread his Calm Aura, in addition to the panic and worry he felt about Helena, had taken a toll on him.

    "Achieving the King ss means you have reached the culmination of understanding in a Law. This advances your Soul Spell Matrix to the King ss level, which makes your soul much more resistant to outside influence. It''s just how it works." Helena responded. As she finished speaking, she reached out with a trembling hand andid it on Dorian''s back, rubbing itfortingly.

    "Got it. I''m just d you''re okay." Dorian shrugged and smiled as he felt her trying tofort him. If anything, he should be the oneforting her.

    "You aren''t at the King ss¡­ you must''ve been taken into whatever trap it hadid. What happened?" Helena questioned, her voice full of concern.

    The smile slowly fell from Dorian''s face.

    "I saw my family." He responded, his voice quiet.

    "You did..?" Helena said, her voice catching slightly.

    "Yes. I told you how I have no family in this world, right? Well, I saw my family from my previous world. My mother, my father." Dorian''s voice was calm as he spoke, the broiling emotion within still echoing in his heart. He may have let go of his past, but he couldn''t just dere himself emotionless.

    "I saw them, and I turned around and left them, without even speaking to them." He closed his eyes, taking a slow, ragged breath.

    "That must''ve been hard." After a moment, Helena responded, her voice quiet as well.

    "It was."

    "It was very hard."

    "It was the hardest thing I''ve done in my life." Dorian responded, his fists clenched. There was nothing more that he wanted to do than to hug his mother, to grab hold of his father, to tell them all about his crazy adventures, to let them know he was okay, to tell them how much he missed them.

    Dorian blinked, his memories disrupted as he felt a petite female form wrap around him, hugging onto him.

    "I''m so sorry, Dorian." Helena whispered as she hugged him, grabbing hold of his chest.

    "I wish I could''ve been there to help you." Her voice was strong and caring, full of warmth.

    "Hey, hey, it''s okay Smalls. I''m okay now." Dorian stopped clenching his fists and put on a smile, hugging her back. As he felt her warmth, he felt his heart seem to glow, the sadness and pain washing away.

    ''That''s right. I''m not just doing this for me. I''m doing this for you, too, Helena.'' He thought as he turned around and hugged her, looking down at her tired form.

    ''And once I get you healed and can get us away from here¡­'' He nodded with determination,

    ''I am going to ask you on a date.'' He made a mentalmitment, though one that felt rather silly in their current situation.

    ''Wait, do people still ask people on dates in the 30,000 Worlds? Do Vampires even date? Oh geez.'' His thoughts were thrown into disarray.

    BOOM

    An explosion shook the air, causing the Flying Ship to tremble. Dorian clutched on to the bed to hold him and Helena steady as their cabin crashed back and forth. Everything was nailed down in the Flying Ship, thankfully, foresight from previous travels kicking in.

    "What the?!" Dorian sputtered, his eyes widening. A powerful Aura burst around him as he heard shouts from above.

    "Attack!"

    "Enemy attack!"

    His eyes narrowed as he stood up, energy running powerfully through his veins. Helena let go of him, her eyes filled with worry.

    "Be safe, Dorian! Come back in one piece!" Helena''s voice echoed out from behind. Sheid back down on the bed, exhaustion setting in.

    Dorian turned around and smiled calmly, his demeanor calm and assured.

    "Don''t worry, I got this. You just get some rest, Smalls. I''lle back down in just a minute."

    ''Damn it! We were having a moment! I was hugging her! Whoever is attacking, you better be ready for a beating!'' His internal thoughts were full of anger and rage.

    Dorian jogged from the cabin, leaving Helena to rest as he rushed above deck.

    "Be careful, Dorian¡­" Helena muttered, her eyes misting.

    "I don''t want to lose you¡­"

    "I haven''t even gotten the chance to ask you on a date yet¡­" Her voice was a faint whisper as she fullyid down, closing her eyes as unconsciousness swept over her once more, her body reverting to its healing state, her faith in Dorian absolute.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "The Great Hero has arrived!"

    "Holy Highlord Inigo!"

    "Master Inigo!"

    A deluge of voices called out Dorian''s praises as he appeared on deck, his face a mask of anger.

    Fabian smiled and clenched his fists as he looked at Lord Inigo. The Shade''s face was a mask of righteous fury and indignation. Fabian could practically feel the anger the Shade had for their attacker, his heart warming as he saw this. Lord Inigo was truly a Shade that cared for his brothers.

    "Holy Highlord! The attacker is there!" Fabian''s body was covered in a rippling Aura of Might as he maintained his Law of Might to enhance his physical strength. He was currently standing at the forefront of the ship, deflecting ck bolts of energy.

    Next to him were two other elderly figures. The King ss Mystic Martial Artists Ayra and Horbold, the powerful warriors that had joined Dorian''s army, both at the Early King ss.

    All three of them practiced the Law of Might, amon Law for physical Martial Artists to use.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Three more explosions rang out as bolts of ck energy mmed towards the ship and were deflected, unable to damage the Flying Artifact due to the powerful Shades defending.

    About a hundred meters away, a vague shadow could be seen, floating in the air and lobbing these attacks. The few Wizards in Dorian''s army were currently lobbing Spells at it, most of them fire or earth based. A few of the more long distance warriors shot bolts of energy via arrows or threw javelins, trying to take the shadow out, all to no avail.

    The shadowy figure seemed to dodge everything thrown its way.

    ''Ausra, can you identify it?'' Dorian queried, his mind racing.

    ''No.'' Ausra responded, her reply short and sinct.

    "Everyone has awoken, including the crewmembers! Get this ship turned on and fly us out of here!" Dorian''s voice shook the air with authority as he gave his orders.

    "Yes sir!"

    "Immediately!"

    Several of the Martial Artists on deck rushed below or towards crew members, trying to help and urge them forward. Meanwhile, the Dream Guide Walter rushed up to Dorian, his appearance disordered.

    "Holy Highlord!" The man sputtered, catching his breath as he pointed at the vague shadow.

    "We must leave immediately! That shadow is part of a legend I am aware of that stalks Ballians, a legend said to be a remnant of the mighty Dream Mentor''s army itself! I have never seen the shadow personally, but have heard tales of it from unlucky others." Walter exined quickly, his voice a rush.

    "If we can get through the portal of the World Bridge, it will be impossible for the shadow to follow or harm us! We just need to move over there!" Walter pointed upwards, to where the World Bridge connected into Chaotic Space.

    Dorian''s eyes shed as he heard and saw this,

    "Hurry it up, make haste!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Kvoth, the Third Disciple of the Dream Mentor, frowned as he looked at the struggling ship. Slowly, ever so slowly, the Flying Artifact was starting to move, following the World Bridge to escape.

    "Damn it! I''ve only managed to take control of 40% of this Life Years Dream Zone! How in the world did they manage to escape the Life Dream?!" He sputtered, his rage and irritation at an all-time high.

    He had never encountered an experience quite this annoying. It was ridiculous the luck these damned Shades had.

    "I won''t be able to take them all, not if it''s like this¡­" He muttered, looking up at his targets. He spawned in a few more ck Bolts from the Dream Miasma, lobbing them at the ship as he dodged a few attacks that were thrown his way.

    He didn''t have anything truly powerful he could attack with, not that could get past those three King ss experts defending. They obviously couldn''t hurt him either, but that didn''t help him much.

    He shrugged, letting his anger go as he focused on his greater goal.

    Aplishing his dream of resurrection.

    "I''ll just take a couple of you instead." He thought, his eyes narrowing on the King ss defenders.

    "I should be just able to handle two of you." He sped his hands together, the Dream Miasma in the air twisting and shivered as hemanded it to follow his will.

    "Life Years Dream Zone, activate fully! Living Years Prison, go!"

    WHOOSH

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "What is he doing?" Dorian muttered as he saw the Dream Miasma in the background twist and turn, shuddering and shaking.

    The Dream Guide by his side abruptly shook as well, his eyes widening in horror as an epiphany came upon him.

    "Holy Highlord! I recognize where we are and what is attacking us! It is a Dream Zone I''ve heard of before, the Life Years Dream Zone! That is why we were trapped in our memories, everything makes sense!" Walter quickly exined, his vast knowledge of the Exotic World of Balliansing in handy.

    "A ship previously managed to escape this Dream Zone after losing more than 9/10ths its crew and passengers, many years ago. However, they described this particr Dream Zone as having one other stage, one that caused those that manage to survive the first stage despair. One that the living members only escaped through sheer luck as their ship moved on its own, pulling them out of it!" Walter''s voice was full of panic.

    WHOOSH

    The twisting Dream Miasma abruptly froze.

    "No!"

    "What?!"

    In that moment, as it froze, two of the King ss Martial Artists that were helping Fabian protect the ship abruptly rose into the air. The movement was so jarringly quick that no one had a chance to grab hold of them or save them as they were flung upward.

    A millisecondter, a huge ball of spinning fog and light appeared, sucking in both warriors. This ball of light gleamed and glittered, wailing echoes sliding off it in a cacophony of horror much like that of the Dream Miasma.

    "¡­And the second, and final, stage, Holy Highlord, is that¡­" Walter pointed upward, his arms shaking.

    "A huge trap made of Miasma and light, where one will be stuck for all eternity unless they escape. A trap where you cannot use energy or Magic, where Laws are useless and you have nothing but your soul." Walter finished, his voice small.

    "Dream Guide! How can we help them?!" Fabian''s voice was frantic as he rushed over, stopping his defense now that the shadowy figure had stopped attacking. Several of the other Mystic Martial Artists rushed forward as well, their bodies throbbing with energy.

    "We can''t just leave them here!"

    "We are so close!"

    "No Shade left behind!"

    A deluge of powerful voices throbbed in the air as the other Shades agreed, staring up at the spinning ball in horror and fear.

    Walter seemed temporarily overwhelmed by the powerful Auras that were present, raw energy glittering in the air, before he managed to control himself. He shook his head,

    "There is no saving them. This trap grows stronger and harder to escape the longer you have lived in the 30,000 Worlds, its mystical power is one that has killed King ss Martial Artists before. Even trying to help them would be suicide." Walter exined, shaking his head sadly.

    All the warriors let out groans or mutters of despair, sadness swarming over them.

    Slowly, the Flying Ship began to kick into gear, starting to escape.

    As all the other fighters became despondent, however, one Shade was staring up at the ball of light and fog with interest.

    "Walter, you said the trap grows stronger the older you are?" Dorian''s voice cut through the veil of sadness that had taken the deck like a knife through butter, calm and collected.

    The Dream Guide bowed as he turned, nodding his head,

    "Yes, Holy Highlord. This trap is one that builds off the time you have lived in the 30,000 Worlds, one that entices and can ensnare even King ss figures. The longer your soul has lived in the 30,000 Worlds, the stronger the trap will be, using the Laws of the Universe to grow far stronger than it would normally be able to, to obscene levels."

    Dorian nodded solemnly as he heard this, his eyes shing with unknown thoughts.

    Abruptly, without warning, a mighty Aura burst from Dorian as he redoubled his focus on the Law of Valor. He twisted Fate further as he looked up at the orb, powerful might pulsing around his body.

    He even tapped into the Touching Light Ability, causing a literal glow of light to appear around him.

    "Holy Highlord?"

    "Great Lord?"

    The Shades all turned towards theirmander, staring at him questioningly.

    Dorian began to walk forward, to the edge of the ship. He then stepped up on the edge, looking towards the giant sphere of fog and light.

    "No! Holy Highlord Inigo you mustn''t! The trap will rip you apart! We cannot afford to lose you!" Fabian gasped, his eyes widening in horror as he realized what Dorian was about to do.

    "It''s true!"

    "Great Lord, we cannot let you throw your life away!"

    "It is suicide!"

    "We want to save them too, but we can''t risk you as well!"

    "They are lost, Great Hero! We all knew the risks when we signed up! They are as good as dead!" The Shades on deck all spoke up, their yells full of passion as they stared at Dorian''s holy figure.

    Dorian looked at all of them, the Valorous Aura that surrounded him as strong as ever. He shifted slightly on the ledge, almost as if he was about to jump down.

    "I''m here on a mission. To vanquish the Demons and to save my wife." Dorian nodded as he spoke, as if it all made sense.

    Relief filled the eyes of the onlooking Wizards and Mystical Martial Artists as they saw and heard this.

    "But¡­" Dorian closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them,

    "How could I look my wife in the eyes and say to her I let these good Shades waste their lives before we even arrived on Moria?" A sad smile appeared on his face.

    "No!"

    "Great Hero!"

    "Undying Master!"

    "Lord Inigo!"

    A deluge of hoarse yells greeted Dorian as he turned his back to the ship and prepared to jump, his shoulders hunched as if he was carrying a great burden.

    Before he leapt forward, however, he turned his head around.

    "My name is Inigo Montoya."

    His words shook the air, full of powerful, rippling authority. Every single one came out like thunder, full of strength and assuredness.

    "Wait for me, for I shall return."

    He jumped.

    "Nooooooo!!"

    "We are not worthy!!"

    "Great Hero!!"

    .

 Chapter 167 Charging into the Trap

    On a world far from Dorian¡­

    Arge, circr room covered with a white dome ceiling could be seen. This room was enormous, so gargantuan it would dwarf any structure from earth ced next to it. In sheer size, it measured at least 500 meters across and more than 100 meters from ground to ceiling.

    Twelverge tforms could be seen set around the room on the edge, with a singlerge tform in the center. Three of the tforms on the edge were upied by a number ofrge, resting Dragons, of various colors and shades. The central tform had a pair of humans standing on it, one wearing a long green dress while the other wore a sharp white suit.

    "They devour. They grow. They''re vicious predators that must be stomped out immediately. The Red Wing Tribe are fools for thinking they can tame one, and because of that, they''re caught in between a battle between two of them." One of the Dragons spoke out loud, its great golden chest rumbling. The Drake had a very simr appearance whenpared to Aiden, save that it wasrger and more muscr, its scales slightly dimmed by age.

    "Dragon Master Kai, your observation is correct." The white-suited human standing on the central stone tform nodded his head, his face serious. His dark blue eyes gleamed, the serious look doing nothing to dim the handsome, almost feminine appearance that adorned his face. Soft red lips, pale skin, a pretty nose. If he wasn''t wearing a suit, one might mistake him for a woman.

    "The Anomalies are dangerous and must be taken down. However, killing them directly is not a good answer. The more of them that die, the stronger the remaining ones will be. This is something we have determined through Fate." The human exined, waving his hands animatedly.

    "We appreciate youring to offer assistance, xin. We cannot allow another one of the Tribes to perish. We''ve already lost the Heavy Wing Tribe, our strength as a whole has already suffered tremendously." This time, the speaker was an elderly Wise Jade Dragon, sitting with a delegation of their own, on a seperate tform.

    "Of course, Dragon Master Jirabai. My Meteor Department is one of the most offense-oriented Departments in the Borrel Autarchy. These Anomalies have done great damage to the Autarchy, it is our duty to put aside our petty differences and join the battle against them." xin responded, nodding again.

    "Hear, hear!"

    "Well said."

    Rumblings of approval from the onlooking drakes sounded off in the air as xin finished speaking, his words smooth and convincing.

    "We need more information before we dere war on these creatures." A third rumbling Draconic voice broke in, this one slithering and rasping, full of concern and veiled threat.

    "Dragon Master Poisal." xin turned to look at therge, Green Tailed Dragon Master. The Drake had dark grey skin that seemed to blend in with its surroundings, save for a bright, almost vibrant green tail. Its grey scales were slightly mottled with age.

    "A direct deration of war is not needed. A simple Hunting Order, like what was given out for members of the Demon Race, would be enough. The Autarchy will work with the Tribes to take down these vicious Anomalies." xin exined, his eyes calm and unintimidated by the fearsome Auras the various drakes in the chamber gave off.

    A few rumblings from the fearsome Dragons shook the air as discussion broke out. Several minutes passed as the various Dragon Masters debated and discussed. Their voices were harsh, each word sounding off with incredible might.

    As the discussion finished and died off, eventually an agreement was reached.

    A Hunting Order would be sent out, one with a mission to capture all known Anomalies. All three Tribes agreed to this, on the basis that no official deration of war was made. Such a deration would require moremitment than the Green Tailed Tribe was willing to give.

    Despite that, the Hunting Order, in and of itself, contained arge amount of authority. No alliances could be forged with targets of said order, and every Tribemember would be obligated to fulfill it should they happen upon the target.

    "As stated, the Borrel Autarchy has several vendettas against these beasts. Specifically against the one that dered itself Zero, whom we believe to be the creature that wiped out the Heavy Wing Tribe." Department Head xin spoke up for the Borrel Autarchy as the drakes reached an agreement,

    "On the condition that attempts are made to capture the beasts first, we will pledge our assistance." He solemnly made a binding promise.

    The Wise Jade Tribe, the Golden me Tribe, and the Green Tailed Tribe all rumbled in agreement, the Dragon Master''s of each respective Tribe pledging their own support. It was a sight that would go down in history, an alliance between Man and Dragon, something that hadn''t happened in hundreds of years. While it was only an alliance between three of the Tribes, it was still very noteworthy. Most of the other Tribes wouldn''t even consider an alliance.

    "Agreed, it is then." The Dragon Master of the Golden me Tribe stated, his voice shaking the air. He stood up, preparing to leave.

    "Yes, it is agreed." The Dragon Master of the Green Tailed Tribe added and stood as well.

    "It is agreed." The Dragon Master of the Wise Jade Tribe followed suit.

    "Now, before this Convention is over, we have relevant intelligence we would like to share, in the spirit of our new alliance." Just as the drakes finished speaking, Department Head xin broke in, his voice silky smooth.

    "Oh? Carry on, then." The Dragon Masters all sat back down, staring at the Department Head with a mix of curiosity and impatience.

    "We have reason to believe that one of your own hase into contact with one of these Anomalies." xin exined.

    "What?! Who?! How dare they!" The Dragon Master of the Green Tailed Tribe shouted out loud in surprise, anger filling his voice.

    The Dragon Master of the Golden me Tribe jumped in as well, his voice thundering,

    "Yes, this is an affront to our kind, and a crime against the fallen Heavy Wing Tribe!"

    The Dragon Master of the Wise Jade Tribe broke in,

    "We must reserve judgement. The Hunting Order was not active till now, it''s possible they were unaware of the atrocities."

    The reactions of the three drake elders were mixed. All of them, however, zeroed in on xin, the pressure the human felt reaching incredible levels.

    Department Head xin acted as if it didn''t bother him in the slightest, however, nodding his head seriously as he replied,

    "It is actually a pair of Dragons, great Dragon Masters. One from the Wise Jade Tribe and one from the Golden mes Tribe." He continued,

    "Through Fate, we have determined that they maintained extended contact with an Anomaly. In fact, we even have record of them shing with a pair of Department Vice Heads, including word from the Diamond Wall himself." The Department Head of the Meteor Department turned to the side, his eyes focusing on two Dragons that were sitting near each other.

    Aiden and Mira.

    xin bowed,

    "The two Dragons, Aiden of the Golden me Tribe, and Mira of the Wise Jade Tribe."

    Almost as one, every eye in the room turned to look at the quiet pair. All three Dragon Masters turned, surprise on the face of the Wise Jade Dragon Master and the Golden me Dragon Master.

    "Aiden? What in the Heavens..?" The Golden me Dragon Master sputtered, at a loss.

    The Wise Jade Dragon Master was likewise confused,

    "You two were off on a quest to seek out the lost remnants of the Wise Lady. How did you encounter an Anomaly?"

    "Yes, tell us everything you know about the Anomaly. Its weaknesses, its strength, its style. Where is it now? Does it have any allies, any family?" The Green Tailed Dragon Master broke in, his voice harsh.

    Dozens of powerful Auras washed over Aiden and Mira, the duo visibly wilting under the incredible pressure. Even the human xin stared at them, his eyes cool.

    Aiden stepped forward, holding his head and shoulders proud as he faced a legion of Dragons without backing down, forcibly withstanding the huge pressure.

    Emotions shed in Aiden''s eyes as he thought of Dorian. He paused right before he spoke, as if collecting himself and making a decision.

    "No. The being we travelled with was not an Anomaly, but instead an Inheritor of the Wise Lady." Aiden chose to lie.

    He wasn''t a fool. He had fully realized, over time, that Dorian had to be one of the mysterious Anomalies that existed. It was quite possible that he was rted to the Wise Lady in some way, but the fact that he must be an Anomaly hade clear as he learned more about the unique beings.

    If Dorian was an Anomaly, then all of his powers and strength made sense.

    Dorian was a powerful figure in Aiden''s eyes, a being that clearly outssed himself in raw power. However, even that man would fall when faced with the overwhelming might that a Hunting Order would entail when assisted by the tracking capabilities of the Borrel Autarchy.

    As he realized this, Aiden made a decision.

    He decided to protect Dorian.

    "Oh? But we are quite confident in our intellig-"

    "Your intel is wrong. I travelled alongside him for quite some time and found him to be a capable and willing ally. Fate Magic is notoriously unreliable. I can confirm that he is not an Anomaly." Aiden doubled down.

    His reasoning was simple.

    The strange Anomaly that had joined them had only ever shown the pride and honor that a true warrior should bear. Though he tried to hide it, Aiden could see the care he showed for his subordinate Leader and could sense theplex emotions that held the man together.

    While their time together had been short, and, if anything, contentious, Aiden hade to realize that Dorian was a man of his word. He had earned Aiden''s respect. He did not gloat in victory, but instead showedpassion and kindness, while bearing forth with strength and skill.

    If he had been born a Dragon, Aiden would''ve called him a true example of what any drake should aspire to be.

    Aiden was a simple drake, in some regards. He followed his heart, and to some, that made him a fool controlled by his emotions.

    If he gave Dorian up, in his heart, he would be a coward.

    ''And I, Aiden mestalker, am no coward.''

    "Are you certain, Aiden?" The Golden me Dragon Master looked intently at him, sparks drifting from his eyes as a billowing Aura wrapped around him. A powerful, Pseudo-Angelic Aura that rippled with strength and power.

    The other Dragon Masters stared intently at him as well, their own Auras thundering around them. Aiden felt as if he was about to be stepped on like an ant, so intense was the pressure and force weighing down upon his soul.

    "Yes." He grunted, not showing a hint of emotion,

    "That man is absolutely not an Anomaly."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ''Oh man, I love being an Anomaly!'' Dorian thought as he sted through the air, hurtling into the glowing Dream Zone trap in an instant. The yells of his subordinates on the ship were drowned out as the light and fog washed over him blocking out everything else.

    In a literal instant, he found himself in apletely different area.

    A pure, endless ne of white spread out around Dorian. Faint white fog drifted up into a seemingly endless, but mostly clear, sky. It held a sort of ethereal feel, cool and peaceful.

    Hended down softly on some type of white ground, on this seemingly endless ne. The floor was soft and felt a bit like dirt.

    "What the- So this is the trap area, huh?" Dorian muttered, looking around. He was still in his Shade form, with his Spatial Ring and magic transforming clothes intact. He didn''t feel like he was in the same type of dream state as before, however.

    His physical body was actually here, present in whatever this was.

    "Where is the attack?" He looked around expectantly.

    The moment Dorian entered the Life Years Dream Zone, his soul was constantly being analyzed. The Dream Zone operated in a mystical way, using the inherent Laws of the Universe themselves to grow powerful, instead of relying on internal energy sources.

    By doing this, it was a trap that could function on its own, without a need to be constantly charged up. There were many advantages to this, but also certain disadvantages as well.

    One of those advantages was in how the trap was designed.

    The physically older the soul of the target, the stronger a bacsh and reaction the Laws of the Universe would provide. Dorian''s consciousness had spent elerated time within his Soul Spell Matrix, but that didn''t affect the physical age of his soul.

    When Dorian heard about this from the Dream Guide, he had immediately made a decision.

    ''My soul has only existed in the 30,000 Worlds for like, what, a few months at most?'' The decision was a no-brainer. The remnants of Yukeli''s soul might exist within him, but that wouldn''t affect the actual age of his soul.

    He''d even managed to spin it as a brave and heroic sacrifice to maintain his image, taking advantage of the opportunity. Of course, he also nned on saving the two Mystic Martial Artists if he could. But the fact that he could do this at very little risk to himself¡­

    Well, there was no need to spread that.

    As he looked around, he finally spotted something in the distance.

    A grey form that was zooming across the ground, charging right at him. It wasn''t veryrge, about the size of a mid-sized dog from Earth. As Dorian got a closer look, his eyes focusing on it, he made a few observations.

    ''Is that¡­ a rabbit? A Horned Rabbit?'' He blinked.

    ''Ausra, can you identify that?''

    ''Scanning¡­ No physical life forms detected.''

    He frowned. Just like in the dream world, the creature that was rushing at him wasn''t, apparently, a real being, but a manifestation of energy or something along those lines.

    It was arge, grey rabbit with a pristine white horn perched upon its head. Its fur was soft and plush, with a set of adorably tiny ws sticking off each paw.

    And it was currently bouncing across the foggy ne, charging directly at Dorian as if to attack.

    ''Well, this must be the attack. What if it''s secretly a super powerful Horned Rabbit, or something? Maybe the trap went by my soul strength and not my years lived. I better face it seriously.'' He decided to go all out, not leaving any room for error.

    ''ck Scaled Rage Dragon form! Go!''

    ''Perfect Body, activate!''

    "Laws, enhance me! Infuse into my attacks!''

    ''Hyperion Beam, activate!''

    ''Hyperion Beam, activate!''

    ''Hyperion Beam, activate!''

    ''ck mes, swarm forward!''

    ''Moving Force, activate!''

    Dorian transformed into a gargantuan Dragon, powerful might rippling off his body. He instantly went into his Perfect Body mode and drew heavily upon the various Laws he was studying, gaining ess to incredible strength. He then set off three Hyperion Beams, keeping them focused on the rabbit, while he himself charged forward.

    He was just barely able to activate two other, simpler, Abilities, his ck mes which came naturally as a Dragon, and his Moving Force Ability which he had already seen a great deal of practice with.

    In just an instant, Dorian became a hellish creature of legend as three powerfulsers finished charging and melted forth with might that ripped through the foggy air, while a literal sea of ck Dragonfire ripped forth, followed directly by an enormous charging Dragon whose every step caused greater and greater strength to st forward.

    All of this focused directly at a tiny, almost minuscule inparison, Horned Rabbit.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Oh? A Shade jumped forward to try and rescue hisrades? Hmph, merely Lord ss, he is no threat." Kvoth dismissed the Lord ss warrior that had fallen into the trap alongside the other two King ss Shades.

    "Come on, now, Life Years Dream Zone. Keep going steady. Keep them trapped and begin to whittle down their defenses." The shadowy figure''s eyes shed darkly,

    "Hehehe¡­ this was a trap created by my glorious master himself. It is impossible to break, fools."

    "Prepare to meet your maker!"

    .

 Chapter 168 Last Confrontation

    Dorian''s enormousbined offensive mmed into the Dream Zone''s Horned Rabbit...

    And instantly disintegrated it. The poor Horned Rabbit didn''t even have time to conceptualize that it was dead before it was obliterated with such totality that even the air near it was destroyed as well, for several dozen meters.

    BOOOOM

    Rippling explosions and ck fire shook the air as the graceful white fogscape was ripped apart, bolts of energy and static flying in the air. Dorian''s eyesight seemed to physically shiver as the world around him shuddered, unable to negate his attack.

    "Oh¡­" He snorted, his towering Draconic form shrinking as he entered his Bnce Demon form and released his Perfect Body Ability.

    "Well¡­" He scratched his head looking down at the damage he caused.

    A huge, gaping hole could be seen in thendscape, a hole that was jagged and cut into the air itself, like a hole torn in reality.

    "I guess I might''ve gone a bit overboard. Ah well. Rest well, good rabbit." He bowed slightly towards where the Horned Rabbit had once stood and then shrugged.

    "Guess I''ll go through it." He began to walk towards the rippling hole in reality, sensing the disturbed flow of energy pulsing around it.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The shadowy figure of Kvoth looked down at the Dream Zone trap, his eyes confused.

    "Living Years Dream Zone? What is happening?" He muttered as he stretched his hands forward, trying to sense the energy within the Dream Zone.

    Because he could only control roughly 40% of the Dream Zone, he wasn''t intimately aware of its entire status. His master, the great Dream Mentor, had set far too high requirements to ess his Inheritance, even for Kvoth, his Third Disciple.

    "Let me see¡­" Kvoth muttered, closing his eyes.

    "It seems to be rted to the Lord ss fool that tried to save hisrades?" He said in surprise. Kvoth waved his hands, ck energy shooting off from them as he sifted through the chaotic energy flow of the Dream Zone, eventually managing to zero in on the part where Dorian had been held.

    A recording of what took ce appeared within Kvoth''s mind.

    "Hmm¡­hmm, ah, he was trapped just like the others. Everything is looking normal."

    "Hmm¡­ wait what?! He can trans- He''s a DRAGON?! Heavens above!"

    "And it sent- it sent a RABBIT, a sted HORNED RABBIT, to fight a DRAGON?!"

    "Wait?! What''s he doing now?! He''s shootingser beams too?! Dragons can do that?! While charging and throwing up a sea of Dragonfire?!"

    "And the Dream Zone sent¡­ A RABBIT¡­ to face this?!"

    The Shadow figure spat up blood.

    Or, rather, it tried to, but once more remembered that it didn''t actually have a physical body.

    "And now he''s escaping..? No, he''s still in there?!"

    "Well, attack him again! Immediately!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Man, that''s the fourth Horned Rabbit already. How many of these things is it going to throw at me?" Dorian muttered as he casually pped out with his hand, instantly killing the Horned Rabbit that had charged at him from down the corridor.

    He currently found himself in a maze. After he tore through the reality of the Dream Zone, he had been released inside a literal maze of corridors, each one coated in shing fog and light.

    Unlike the foggy dream area he had started in, the walls and ground of this area seemed to be actually tough to break through. Even when he charged up a Hyperion Beam and imbued it with ck mes, he was unable to do more than gouge the side of the walls.

    As a result, he opted to go through the maze like he was expected to.

    The white and grey walls, ceilings, and floor of the maze all went on without any change that Dorian could see, apart from the multiple twists, turns, and openings. No matter what path he took, Dorian felt as if he recognized nothing.

    However, with his Jade Memory at his disposal, Dorian was able to tell that every path he had taken so far was indeed unique. He had made a total of 27 different turns, all without having to turn around.

    ''This maze is huge¡­'' He thought, wiping the remains of the Horned Rabbit off his hand as an afterthought. Despite these creatures not being ''real'' ording to Ausra, they still bled and died as if they were living beings.

    ''I feel like I''m not making any progress.''

    While he could utilize his Jade Memory to great effect, if the maze was big enough, it didn''t matter that he could memorize where he''d been, he''d still remained trapped in here.

    (vitag.Init = window.vitag.Init || []).push(function(){viAPItag.disy("vi_711500")})

    "If only I knew which way to go¡­" He muttered out loud as he came upon an intersection. He paused as he saw something new charging at him in the distance,ing down one of the paths.

    "Is that¡­ no, it''s finally not a Horned Rabbit!" He eximed as he saw the beast thunder down the pathway, aimed right at him. The fog swished and swayed as the creature rushed, bearing down on Dorian.

    "It''s a Two Horned Rabbit!"

    Dorian sent out a light push.

    The Two Horned Rabbit exploded, killed instantly.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "WHY DO YOU KEEP SENDING OUT RABBITS, YOU STUPID LIFE YEARS DREAM ZONE?!?!"

    "WHYYYYYY?!"

    "SINCE WHEN IS A TWO HORNED RABBIT EQUAL TO A MAZE BOSS?!?!

    The shadowy figure tried to pull out his hair in insane frustration, but was once more foiled by his incorporeal form. He screamed in frustration at the Dream Zone, tears of remorse and anger trying to appear.

    But failing.

    He was still a shadow.

    "Huff¡­ huff¡­" Kvoth wheezed despite not having lungs, or a need to breathe, as he looked at the glowing ball of light and fog, slowly regaining control of his emotions.

    "It''s fine¡­ at least he''s still trapped in the Inner Maze. He won''t be able to break through it, and it''s simply impossible he''d find the one path that leads to the Core Matrix. Everything is okay."

    He slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Wait a minute¡­ what is he doing now?!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Well, here goes nothing." Dorian shrugged as he looked at the two-sided coin and then back up at the two diverging paths.

    "Heads I go left, tails I go right." He said aloud, nodding his head confidently.

    He had no idea where he was supposed to go. The maze was insanelyplex and huge. Trying to find his way through it by looking for clues or hints was probably the smart idea, but also felt incredibly boring.

    Why not just cheat through it instead?

    ''Imand you to show me the right way. Come on, Fate! Show me that Anomaly luck!'' He thought as he flipped the coin in the air. He pulled on his soul to twist Fate, feeling a couple hundred points of energy vanish.

    WHOOSH

    The coin shivered and flipped over several times as it soared through the air before, eventually,nding on the floor with a resounding clink.

    "Heads. Left it is!" Dorian scooped it up cheerfully and, without hesitation, began to jog down the left path.

    Everything looked basically identical to him. Foggy ground, foggy wall, foggy ceiling. But he smiled as he ran down it, feeling confident.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Hahahahaha, to think I got so worked up over such a fool. Flipping a coin to determine which path to take?! Ahahaha!" Kvoth clutched at his sides as he watched this, feeling as if he was regaining control of his emotions.

    To let such a small number of events affect him so much, perhaps he really was getting too cooped up after living here for so many years.

    "Ahh¡­ that felt good. I needed that. Thank you, foolish Shade." He patted himself off, breathing deeply.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Hmm, another turn here, sounds good!"

    "Oh, this way? Okay magic coin!"

    "To the right, to the right!"

    "Lemme drop it down low, turn left on the up row!"

    20 turnster¡­

    "Oh? The passageways seem to have gotten a little brighter?" Dorian observed with a smile.

    "Better keep going!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "What?! No! How can this be?! He''s actually getting closer to the exit!"

    "No, I will not allow this!" Kvoth sputtered in anger, his incorporeal eyes shing. He began to pull some of his focus away from containing the two King ss Mystic Martial Artists in the trap, instead turning the free energy towards Dorian.

    "If I can''t use the Life Years Dream Zone to attack you, I''ll do the next best thing¡­" He muttered, his hands twitching.

    "I''ll trap you!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Oh?" Dorian paused as he looked at the coin he had flipped and then at the intersection he had appeared at. He was making incredible speed through the maze, using the powerful physique his Bnce Demon form possessed to make fast dashing progress.

    "Itnded on its side." He muttered, frowning.

    The coin he was flipping was a random small piece of currency he had obtained when picking up supplies before heading to Magmor. It was a simple piece of gold with the head of an old man wearing a crown on one side, and arge chariot drawn by a horse on the other.

    (vitag.Init = window.vitag.Init || []).push(function(){viAPItag.disy("vi_711502")})

    But, instead ofnding on either side, it was currently standing on its edge.

    "What does that mean¡­" He scratched his head in confusion.

    Abruptly, his eyes lit up.

    ''Ah, is this one of those freaky mazes that can change its routes on you, like those staircases in Harry Potter?'' He thought, his eyes shining. He scooped up the coin, looking behind him.

    "You want me to go that way?" He flipped the coin again.

    TINK

    The coinnded down on the ground, flipping over a few times before settling.

    Once more,nded on its edge.

    "Good enough for me!" He snagged the coin and turned around, starting to jog backwards.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "What?! How is it possible?! I LITERALLY just started messing with the turns!"

    "What?! He did it again?!"

    "Wait, he went the right way without turning around this time?!"

    "How is he doing this?!"

    "HE CAN''T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT!!!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    After about twenty more turns, Dorian smiled with satisfaction as he found himself at arge, glowing white doorway. He was in arge, circr room that seemed to be the exit of therge maze, one that looked decidedly different than the monotonous foggy walls he had grown ustomed to.

    "Good job, lucky coin. You really did me a solid." He patted the coin in his hand, giving it a slight bow.

    "Onest flip¡­ should I go through the doorway, coin? Heads if yes, Tails if no." He muttered.

    He flipped the coin.

    TINK

    Itnded on tails.

    "Oh?" He eximed in surprise, staring. He looked at the glowing exit, and then back at the coin, shrugging.

    "What should I do? Should I turn around and go back through thest corridor?"

    FLIP

    TINK

    Heads.

    "Alright, sure thing." Dorian shrugged a second time and turned around, using his Lesser Maic Maniption Ability to make it fly into his hand as he ran back the way he came.

    WHOOSH

    The moment he stepped into the corridor, and out of sight of the portal, his entire body vibrated and, abruptly, he vanished from the maze.

    He had managed to escape from it.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "Life Years Dream Zone¡­"

    "¡­Why are you the way that you are¡­"

    Kvoth looked at Dorian''s figure as he sessfully made it out of the maze, entering into thest section of the Dream Zone. The Core Matrix. The central, and most vulnerable area in the Dream Zone, where only the controller should have ess.

    A ce where the two other targets, the King ss Mystic Martial Artists, were currently being held.

    The fact that he had managed to, somehow, impossibly, make it through the maze in record time, even dodging every single trap and illusion he ced down, somehow tricking past the maze itself¡­

    "It''s not fair¡­" Kvoth felt as if he was about to tear up from frustration. He took several deep breaths, trying to gain control of his emotions.

    "I can''t direct the Core Matrix area to target him since he came in on his own¡­" Kvoth closed his eyes slowly. His entire shadowy body shook as he stared at a vision of Dorian.

    Dorian was currently prancing around the Core Matrix, humming to himself as he looked around. The Core Matrix was shaped like arge manor with several rooms connected by short tunnels. It was only a matter of time before he found his two King ss subordinates.

    "How¡­how¡­ how DARE you desecrate master''s Dream Zone, you filthy mongrel!" The shadowy figure''s body blurred as he shot forward into the ball of light and fog, chasing after Dorian.

    He temporarily pulled back arge part of the energy he had been directing to fully restrain the two King ss fighters. With that pulled away, the experts would have a real chance of escaping their respective traps, even if they were ancient warriors. After all, the trap had no exact direction without him guiding it.

    Old monsters like those at the King ss would usually be able to escape, even with the odds stacked against them.

    "I will PERSONALLY wipe you out!" His voice was quiet, but full of determination.

    "And I will steal that lucky coin, too!"

 Chapter 169 Escape

    [Reminder - New Schedule - Daily chapter posts at 7:30 PM US CST, or 1:30 AM GMT. Posted this one slightly earlier than I normally will.]

    "Oh, they aren''t in here. But this area does feel important." Dorian muttered as he looked around, his eyes gleaming with interest.

    He had appeared in what seemed to be arge mansion or home, full of rooms that were connected by long white corridors. The walls were covered in lines of shing energy, giving everything an eerie appearance.

    Right in front of Dorian was arge, glowing yellow globe. Sparks of energy fluttered off this orb as it slowly turned, rotating. He could sense a calm, peaceful Aura rolling off from it.

    "I might not be able to find them quickly if this ce is asrge as that maze¡­ so I might as well destroy anything that looks important." He shrugged,

    "Touching Light, activate!"

    WHOOSH

    A de of pure, concentrated light appeared in his hand, incredibly potent heat concentrated all in its glimmering length. He began to walk forward while holding this de out, at the ready.

    "Here goes nothing."

    Dorian plunged the sword made of light downward.

    SWISH

    CREEEEEEAK

    BOOM

    The orb exploded after letting out a rattling shriek, knocking Dorian backwards several steps as a geyser of energy shot out of it. The air around Dorian rocked with vibrating waves of energy as Dorian tore apart an important part of the Dream Zone''s Core Matrix.

    Dorian blinked.

    Abruptly, all of a sudden, he could sense his surroundings much clearer.

    When he had first entered this Core Matrix, he''d found it very difficult to detect anything. His Bnce Demon form had incredibly powerful senses, but he found that he couldn''t sense anything beyond what he could physically see.

    Now, however, he could feel much farther, able to sense the Laws of the Universe around him with rity.

    In particr, he could sense two powerful sources of energy that were throwing up huge waves, as if they were in the midst of intense battle.

    ''Ah, my two loyal subordinates. Captains¡­ uh. What are their names again?'' Dorian hadn''t actually had any extended interaction with them. He searched his perfect memory for a moment, trying to ce them.

    ''Ayra and Horbold, that was it. Ayra uses two swords while Horbold uses his fists. Both study the Law of Might.'' He mentally recited, once more thanking his Jade Memory.

    ''To think that so many powerful Shades would pledge their loyalty to my cause despite barely knowing me¡­ They must really need or want a hero, huh?'' He silently observed. He didn''t fault them, however. It would be unreasonable for anyone to believe Dorian was faking it at this point, not with the strength and actions he had shown.

    Even he himself was inclined to believe in the legend of the Great Hero Lord Inigo.

    "Okay, let''s see. I think I''ll go this way." He began to walk towards one of several corridors that branched off from this now mostly destroyed room, in the direction he could sense the two trapped King ss Mystic Martial Artists.

    As he moved, thunderbolts full of rippling energy mmed into his body, raw power flung about as a result of the damage he had caused. His Mystic Armored Body Ability blocked most of the damage, the passive Ability was almost always turned on, while his powerful Bnce Demon form could ignore the rest.

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    BOOM

    The chaotic scene was one that would have terrified him back in the earlier days of his arrival in the 30,000 Worlds, but now, it couldn''t cause him even the slightest bit of fear.

    "Hup!" He burst into the corridor and began to jog down it, escaping the range of the fluctuating energy storm behind him. As he moved, he rapidly felt himself approaching the locations of the two Mystical Martial Artists.

    The white corridors and walls now shook slightly, as if the damage Dorian had done had permanently destabilized them.

    "Hup, hup!" He moved quickly through two separate rooms and down two more corridors. Both the rooms he''d entered had little in the way of furniture or anything important looking. At the least, nothing he thought was worth destroying.

    Soon, he found himself almost on top of the energy emanations that wereing off his two subordinates.

    As he reached this point, his eyes shed, as if in preparation of danger.

    ''This would be the ideal time for someone to attack me¡­'' He thought, going on full alert as he entered onest corridor. At the end of the long hallway, he could faintly see a room giving off bright blue light. Instinctively, he knew that the two trapped King ss Shades were located in this room.

    He jogged forward slowly, his every step slow and foreboding. His heart pounded as he ran, his entire body tensed up.

    "¡­"

    "Well, that was easy." He eximed in surprise as he reached the end of the corridor with a shrug. That had been rather anticlimactic.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "WHY IS THE MAZE ALL MIXED UP?!?! WHAT IN THE HEAVENS DID HE BREAK?!?!"

    Kvoth managed to cry tears of dark shadowy essence as he tore at where his hair would''ve been if he was alive, ring at the maze that was spread out around him. He had somehow managed to trap himself in the maze, the path he had originally nned on taking nowpletely changed.

    "He must have broken the Core Centralizer¡­ The maze will fall apart once he releases the two trapped warriors and it no longer has a reason to be active. I''ll have to wait till then." Kvoth rubbed his eyes, ring at the shaking maze. He walked over and punched the wall to little effect, frustration and anger overwhelming him.

    "How can one being be so lucky?! It must be that damned coin! I must obtain it!" Kvoth wrung his hands as he spoke, his rage and greed warring with each other.

    His number one desire was to resurrect. This loss, while frustrating, was only a temporary setback. If he could get ahold of that lucky coin Artifact, however, he could see this turning into a huge boon.

    He had never heard of an Artifact that could affect Fate itself. Yet, it seemed clear that the coin that Shade had flipped was some type of mysterious Artifact. The fact that the Shade could transform into a Dragon must be rted to some type of mysterious Artifact as well.

    The mysteries that Shade held¡­ Kvoth darkly vowed to unfold them.

    "¡­" He muttered iprehensible words dourly as he settled down on the ground to wait, deciding to not pointlessly run through the maze.

    "Yeep!"

    A sound drew Kvoth''s attention as he turned to look down one particr corridor, his eyes shing darkly.

    A small, Two Horned Rabbit could be seen, poking its head around the corner.

    The two beings exchanged nces.

    "DIE IMMEDIATELY YOU USELESS RABBIT!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Oh, wow, so many crystal balls." Dorian muttered as he looked around the room, his eyes narrowing.

    He was standing in a mid-sized room, examining it with interest. The floors, roof, and walls were simr to the corridors, misty white and grey. What interested him most, however, were the dozens of floating crystal balls almost all emitting a soft blue light.

    Two of them stood out from the rest, however, giving off a warm green color.

    And it was from these two orbs that he sensed the presence of the two King ss Shade warriors.

    Dorian immediately walked up to them, his eyes intent as he studied them. When he was standing right next to them, it almost felt like he was standing right next to each of the two Shades. He could sense the powerful Aura of Might that those that studied the Law of Might could emanate, a powerful Aura that made all of their movements or attacks carry deadly strength.

    "But they aren''t here¡­" He muttered, raising his hand up.

    He lightly tapped on one of the orbs.

    As soon as he touched it¡­

    Nothing happened.

    "Well, alright." He frowned. He pushed the orb. It flew off about half a meter in the air before bouncing back to its original position, its light unchanged.

    "How do I get them out? Should I just break it?" He tapped on the orb a few times, as if it was a touchscreen from back on earth. As he now expected, nothing happened.

    "Hold on a second¡­" An idea popped into Dorian''s mind as he looked at all the glowing orbs.

    "These orbs probably all contain some amount of energy, right? They kind of remind me of various Artifacts." As he spoke out loud, he walked up to one of the glowing blue orbs, one where he couldn''t sense the energy of the two Mystic Martial Artists.

    "If that is the case¡­"

    He rested his hand on the glowing orb.

    "Absorb."

    WHOOOOOSH

    Instantly, the orb disintegrated. At the same time, however, he felt arge store of energy flow into his body, increasing his Growth Points at a fast rate.

    As the orb fell apart, the walls seemed to shiver and shake, trembling.

    He smiled.

    "Now that is something I can make use of indeed."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A short whileter, Dorian smiled as he looked at his handiwork. The entire room was almost devoid of the previously plentiful orbs, looking oddly empty. Thest two orbs were the ones that held Dorian''s subordinates, ones he wasn''t quite sure what to do with yet.

    The more orbs Dorian destroyed, the more unstable the room, and the Dream Zone, felt. He could tell that these orbs were rather important to the makeup of the Dream Zone, and his damage to them was causing serious issues for it.

    But, well, he didn''t particrly care. It wasn''t his Dream Zone after all, and the more murder traps he broke, the merrier in his opinion.

    -

    -Bnce Demon - Growth Stage: (3/3) Elder Demon -

    Growth Progress ¨C 2,187,122/0 -

    -

    "A bit more than 2 million Growth Points, huh?" He smiled with pleasure as he looked it over.

    He had won it big this time. Not only had he gained a new Law to add to his collection, but he had also gained a massive store of Growth Points. The amount of energy each orb had within it was humongous. It was as if they had been passively absorbing energy from the Laws of the Universe for hundreds of years and were full of power.

    ''That''s enough energy to Evolve so many forms! If I can get a high-ss Bloodline, I should be able to evolve it fully too! This is excellent!'' Growing his forms was one of his best ways to grow in strength.

    ''I need to diversify my forms as well, to maintain my future potential.'' He had gradually sensed that he was starting to hit a limit in terms of power new forms could give him. After all, one could only grow so powerful in terms of physique. At least, when going by normal metrics, though Dorian was anything but normal.

    ''I can also use this energy to recover from any injuries that are too damaging.'' While he always had his Constant Regeneration Ability active, it was also possible to remake injured body parts through the use of Growth Points. The cost to do so was usually quite significant, especially if Law remnants were left behind, but it was always a good option to have.

    If he got enough Growth Points, in fact, it was possible for him to be functionally immortal.

    In the midst of his rejoicing, however, his attitude became serious again as he zeroed in on the two orbs.

    ''How do I get you two out?'' He muttered, staring.

    ''Shade form, time to switch back over!'' He quickly returned to his normal, heroic Shade form as he began to prepare.

    ''If I absorb the orbs, would I absorb the two warriors as well?'' He had a mental image of his body fused with the olddy and old man that were trapped in the orbs. It was not a pleasant sight.

    ''No, I can only absorb Artifacts or sources of energy this way. Those two should only be absorbable by that powerful Spell that was left on my Soul Spell Matrix.'' He nodded. It made sense.

    With that in mind, he stepped forward to the two orbs, resting a hand on each one. Without hesitation, he issued a mentalmand.

    ''Absorb!''

    WHOOSH

    After a brief instant of resistance, the two orbs fell to ash. Surprisingly, he didn''t get any energy from them. All the energy associated with them seemed to have been mostly spent, with what was left vanishing as he broke each orb.

    Dorian''s heart dropped for a brief second as he noticed this and felt the emanations of his two subordinates vanishpletely, as if they were dead.

    A momentter, however, they reappeared, this time from somewhere that felt much farther away.

    ''They must''ve been teleported out!'' Dorian instinctively realized, somehow able to detect that when he broke the orbs, that was where they vanished to. Somewhere outside of the Dream Zone.

    "Oh?" He eximed, looking down at the floor oddly. The ground itself was distorting, white energy rippling up from it. He blinked as the entire world around him seemed to twist and shiver.

    "Whoop-"

    WHOOOSSH

    Before he could finish eximing, Dorian vanished, teleported to a spot outside of the Dream Zone and well out of the Core Matrix as the entire Dream Zone copsed, falling apart.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Kvoth''s eyes shed angrily as he looked to the left and right, swearing.

    "Damned rabbit! Be d you managed to escape my sight. Otherwise I would have annihted your entire ancestry¡­" He muttered darkly.

    Abruptly, the shadowy figure turned and stared at the now quivering walls, a small smile appearing on his face.

    "Ah. You''ve managed to break master''s Life Years Dream Zone." His voice was oddly quiet as he spoke.

    Dark energy began to gather around the shadow, swarming with ck light. The power of some mysterious Law began to circle him closely as he spoke, growing stronger and stronger.

    "I hope you''re ready to die." Hundreds of shadows began to pour out from Kvoth''s vague eyes, surrounding him in a powerful, dark glow. A raw, King ss Aura caused the air to tremble around him as he finished speaking,

    "Shadow Magic: Dark Globe."

    The wavering shadows sank down and concentrated into the shape of a deathly still shield, one that gave off an unsettling feeling.

    "Because I am going to kill you as soon as I see you."

    WHOOSH

    The quivering walls copsed as the Dream Zone fell apart.

    Kvoth teleported away, hot on Dorian''s heels.

    .

 Chapter 170 Arrival on Shaptle - End of Volume 6

    Dorian blinked a second time.

    "Oh, I''m back outside on the World Bridge?" He looked around, finding himself standing on the ground of the World Bridge that connected the Normal World of Shaptle to the Exotic World of Ballians.

    "Great Lord!!"

    "Almighty Hero!!"

    Two elderly voices echoed forth with a feeling of might, but also exhaustion, as two Shades ran to greet Dorian.

    "Ah! Captain Ayra, Captain Horbold. I managed to rescue you after all." Dorian''s demeanor switched to a graceful, authoritative one as he looked at the two Shades, a small smile on his face. He drew upon the Law of Valor as usual to bolster his appearance.

    He made sure to make use of the passive Exuberant Grace Ability he had gained when he added the Ancestral Vampire form to his collection back near the Fort City of Sutner, using the Ability to great effect as he walked forward smoothly. His every step was one of elegance and beauty.

    "Thank you so much, Great Hero. I will never forget the favor you did for me today." Captain Horbold mmed his fists into his chest as he bowed, his voice emotional. His movements were sure, but also tired, bespeaking the effort and trials he had been through.

    "Likewise, Great Lord of the Shade. I will bear this favor forever in my heart." Captain Ayra''s voice was passionate.

    "Lord Inigo did it! He rescued them!" Abruptly, from above, Dorian could make out cheers and yells raining down upon them.

    Several hundred meters above them, arge Flying Ship could be seen, floating in the air. Dorian smiled as he saw it, feeling quite cheerful.

    ''Oh man, that was almost too easy!'' Dorian waved grandly up at them, smiling cheerfully.

    Abruptly, a sixth sense he had picked up over his time in the 30,000 Worlds seemed to go off and he spun around. A feeling of intense danger appeared, one that drained the mirth off his face in an instant.

    ''Perfect Body, activate!'' Almost without thinking, he activated the powerful iplete Divine Ability, the world around him losing some of its color as his physique grew immensely stronger and his perception of the world became enhanced. At the same time, he drew upon the Law of Valor to further boost his physique.

    "Die!" A ragged voice that sounded as if it was drawn with exhaustion sputtered as, less than a fraction of a secondter, darkness swarmed over Dorian''s vision.

    "Great Hero!"

    "Almighty Savior!"

    The two King ss Mystic Martial Artist Captains yelled out loud in shock and horror as an enormous globe of shadow surrounded Dorianpletely.

    ''Woah.'' Dorian felt his Mystic Armored Body Ability react as ck energy mmed into every part of his body, trying to erode and dissolve him. If he hadn''t had the Ability active and had been a regr expert, it was likely that the energy would have melted into the more vulnerable parts of his body, like his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

    Even the greatest experts were vulnerable to surprise attacks. Unless one had a powerful and rare defensive Artifact always active or some type of defensive Spell always turned on, it wasn''t possible to be constantly on guard.

    If the attack hadnded on either Captain Ayra or Captain Horbold, either of them would have suffered tremendously, and likely died.

    Even for Dorian, the ck energy was extremely corrosive and proved a massive drain on his energy, his Mystic Armored Body barely holding it back. Some of it still managed to leak through, though the small remnants couldn''t harm him in his Valor-boosted Perfect Body state.

    ''Ow! Damn, this really hurts! How do I stop this?'' His mind raced as he felt the sting of the ck energy. It felt like his entire body was on fire, burning his outer skin. He was stuck floating in the air, unable to jump off anything.

    ''Everyone is here, I can''t just transform into something huge to try to escape. Further, that might not even work, I have no idea where this surprise attack came from. I heard someone yell ''die'' at me?'' Dorian''s mind raced ahead of him as he reacted. His Perfect Body Ability let him process thoughts at an abnormally fast speed, meaning he ran through all of this in less than a fraction of a second.

    As he felt the energy singe him, Dorian could sense remnants of the Power of Law within it. At his level, unless an attack was either overwhelmingly powerful or imbued with the Power of Law, it was impossible for it to hurt him.

    As he sensed that, he could vaguely recognize what Law it was from, able to sense the general feel of it given that the attack was surrounding him.

    The Law of Shadow.

    Just as he was really starting to directly sense the Law, simr to how he''d felt his other Laws, an odd sensation shed out from his soul. The various Laws he''d studied seemed to glow brightly in his mind, energy from them overwhelming the sensation from the Law of Shadow. As these energies shed, they seemed to chase away any chance he had at detecting the Law enough so that he could study it.

    This hadn''t happened with the previous Laws he''d gained. It seemed that, because of the interrted nature of his current Laws, he was able to just barely detect other, rted Laws. But Laws that weren''t rted to his, he couldn''t detect at all, at least not in a way that he could add them to his repertoire.

    ''Shadow? Hold on a second. If this attack depends on the Law of Shadow to operate¡­'' An idea jumped into his head as he smiled.

    He held out his hand to the side,

    ''Touching Light, activate!'' He activated the unique Ability of a Lightsworn Fox.

    WHOOOSH

    Arge sword made of pure, blinding white light appeared in Dorian''s hand. This de immediately melted through the darkness and shadow that surrounded it, zing into existence with abandon.

    "What?!" The voice that had yelled out at him when the attack appeared sputtered up a response again as the globe of darkness that had trapped Dorian imploded, light bursting through and incinerating it.

    In a split second, Dorian tore apart the darkness trap, reappearing like a figure out of legend holding a de made of pure light.

    "Great Hero!"

    "Forgive us for doubting you, of course you would be fine! Lord Inigo is mighty and great!"

    Both Captains bowed deeply as they saw Dorian reappear, their voices apologetic. Their eyes were glued to Dorian as they bowed, however, drinking in the sight of the heroic figure he cut with abandon.

    Dorian merely smiled, waving it off,

    "Fear not, brave citizens. I shall quash this vile darkness and allow us to move forward with ease."

    The Shade Captains and the Shades on the rapidly descending Flying Artifact all cheered out loud, apparently ignoring the fact that they were all technically rted to darkness due to the inherent nature of being a Shade.

    In a small window that stood in the lower section of the Flying Artifact, if one looked closely, one might see the figure of a pale, female Vampire rolling her eyes as she watched Dorian''s theatrics.

    As Dorian said this, he spun around, holding his sword made of light up in the air.

    "For nothing can trample on the glory of the Shade Race! Everything shall fall before my mighty Lightsaber!" He yelled grandly as he red at the direction of the attacker, and where he had heard a voice call out.

    A vague, shadowy figure could be seen, ck energy wrapped around it. This figure had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, perhaps teleported here like Dorian and the Captains had been.

    "A Light Saber?" Up on the deck of the Flying Ship, Fabian looked down at the heroic stance Dorian had cut with admiration and a hint of confusion, rubbing his head.

    "Isn''t that de in the shape of a regr sword? It doesn''t look like much of a saber to me¡­" He shook his head,

    "The Holy Highlord''s techniques are too abstruse for me to see through."

    The onlooking Shades all nodded in agreement, their opinion of Dorian impossibly rising even higher.

    "How dare you desecrate the master''s Dream Zone¡­" The shadowy figure of Kvoth shook as it red at Dorian.

    "And how are you casting a Light Magic Spell? I specifically checked and confirmed there were no Light Wizards here beforeing over!" Kvoth spat out loud usingly.

    Unfortunately, Dorian didn''t actually hear any of that. He was too engrossed looking up at the approaching Shade and the two Captains nearby, making sure they fell for his plot.

    ''Nice job, I''ve definitely got them on my side now. Even if Helena gets revealed, they won''t try to murder her.'' As long as they believed in him, he could exin everything.

    ''Maybe I can even help stop the war between the two Powers.'' He thought, his heart hopeful. Thest thing he wanted was for Helena to have to live through another tragedy. She had already been through far too much. Her entire life had been one of her obsessively training to grow strong enough to kill the Wizard King, with little care for the joys of life.

    Dorian''s attention snapped back towards the shady figure in front of him, however, as the darkness wrapped being seemed to snap.

    "Are you IGNORING me?! Do you KNOW who I AM?!" Kvoth''s entire body shook, as if the past few minutes of his life had been one of unspeakable torment.

    "I am the Third Disciple of the Almighty Dream Mentor! Kvoth the Dark Strider! The ughterer of Lemomstone, the Breaker of Haway, the Master of Sha-"

    "Alright, alright, calm it down great Killer of Lemons." Dorian cut him off, shaking his head sadly.

    "You shouldn''t pretend to be what you aren''t, young shadow, even if you managed to take control of this abandoned Dream Zone." Dorian rebuked him sorrowfully, shaking his head and acting the part of a wise hero.

    "That is a path that only leads to defeat and pity." He sighed, speaking from the heart. Of course, such advice didn''t apply to himself. Still, for other people, it was advice they should stick to.

    "Indeed, Evesting Lord Inigo your words are full of wisdom." The elderly female King ss Mystic Martial Artist Ayra nodded her head as she spoke up in agreement.

    "As you say, Great Hero, a faker will always be found out in the end." The other King ss expert, Horbold, added, also in agreement, his aged voice echoing with might and wisdom.

    All the Shades aboard the Flight Ship nodded in unison, taking Dorian''s words to heart.

    In the window on the lower side of the ship, a vampire could be seen throwing her hands up into the air in exasperation at Dorian.

    "Yo-yo-yo-yo-yo-you MONGREL!" The shadow vibrated so much it seemed to transform into a spirit of light for a moment. Right after, it immediately rushed forward at him, powerful ck glow writhing around it.

    "Die and give me that lucky coin!" The shadow''s voice was filled with insanity, any grasp it had on reality apparently fled.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian sighed again.

    "s, the truthes out." He shook his head sadly a second time,

    "Nothing more than a petty thief." Dorian stepped forward, shing forward with his sword made of light. He didn''t even bother to imbue the attack with the Power of Law, already able to foresee the oue of this attack.

    The de was a magical weapon that held heat so concentrated it was equal to the strongest Dragonfire in existence. This shadow was merely a petty thief that was controlling whatever remnants this Dream Zone had left, in his eyes.

    WHOOOSH

    BOOM

    His current physical state was one that could battle King ss foes on even footing. Given that his weapon had an extreme advantage over the attacking foe, the result of the sh could only be expected.

    The shadow was sliced in twain, raw energy flowing out from it in a wave. The wails of tortured souls and great gouts of ck energy shot off into the air as Dorian cut down the foe in one smooth motion, without hesitation.

    ''Woah.'' Dorian felt his mental state twitch as the ck energy and screaming washed over him. It seemed to be some sort of final attack, a release of some powerful tortured soul trying to damage his own soul.

    "Sigh. Young shadow, even in death, you must not give in to greed." Dorian shook his head righteously.

    ''Law of Greed, reinforce my soul!''

    The departing shadow energy seemed to shiver, as if it was trying to cough up blood in rage and frustration at Dorian''s words and actions, as it dissipated. Instead of vanishing like one would normally expect, however, the dissipation seemed to transport the split shadow far away, the remnants of the Life Years Dream Zone helping send it away instead of letting it perish.

    The shadowy body Kvoth was forced to use was nowhere near as powerful as his physical body had been, even with his ability to tap into the Law of Shadow. However, because of his unique physique, as long as he remained within range of the Dream Miasma or his Master''s Dream Zones, at any time when he was in mortal danger he could teleport away to anywhere on the Exotic World of Ballians.

    The teleportation had a stiff cost and would send him into a deep sleep for several days, but it was more than worth it to save his life.

    Dorian''s strike had surpassed Kvoth''s expectations, once again. The once mighty Third Disciple of the Dream Mentor had known Dorian''s sword of light was powerful when it broke apart his Dark Globe.

    But he had had no idea how powerful it actually was.

    The fact that it was as mighty, in raw heat, as the strongest Dragonfire in existence was not a fact that could be ignored. The sword that Dorian wielded contained concentrated light energy that was hotter than the surface of the sun, roughly equal to 10,000 degrees F (5,500 degrees C).

    Even without imbuing the power of Law into it, the raw temperature was not something that could be easily defended against. It was so agonizingly hot that conceptualizing the raw power of that heat was difficult. The fact that it was self-contained and kept the heat within the de was the only reason Dorian could wield it.

    There was a reason the Draconic Tribes were widely respected and feared despite their very small numbers. Dragonfire was simply far, far too dangerous. Even Dorian''s middling ck mes were considered a lethal weapon.

    When the de melted into Kvoth as he angrily rushed forward, his unforgiving rage getting the better of him, he had instantly realized his mistake. Unfortunately, it was toote for him, and his body was split in two.

    Thankfully, he didn''t actually have a body. He was just a shadow, something he was grateful for, for once. Rejoining back together wouldn''t be too difficult, not for an expert of his caliber.

    However, he took substantial damage from the attack and immediately retreated, realizing that Dorian was practically a perfect counter to him. He vanished away, leaving the area immediately without anyst words.

    He was out of Dorian''s sight, though, and that was enough for Dorian.

    The irritating energy was washed away as the soothing power of the Law of Greed settled into the deepest parts of his soul, leaving himpletely unscathed.

    Dorian then turned around, holding his sword up high.

    "The darkness has been vanquished, brave Shades! We are victorious!" His voice boomed with authority and might.

    "Great Hero!!"

    "Praise!!"

    "We will follow you till death itself!!"

    "WOOOO!!!"

    Internally, Dorian winced as the warriors all let loose extremely loud cheers. What happened to them all being quiet? Even when they''d cheered before, they''d kept it rtively muted because of Helena.

    Fabian seemed to pick up on this as he turned and red at all the cheering Shades, his powerful King ss Aura shaking the air itself.

    "Keep it down! We must allow the Great Hero''s wife peace and quiet so she can rest!" He whispered quietly. However, because his Aura of Might was imbued into his words, when whispered, it felt far louder than the cheering Shades.

    ''No, you''re even worse! Don''t act like you''re helping! Your Aura is way more noticeable!'' He sent an annoyed re Fabian''s way as the Flying Ship reached the World Bridge ground level, right next to Dorian.

    Fabian seemed to mistake Dorian''s re for an approving smile, and he nodded respectfully back at Dorian, a smile on his face.

    "It is a pleasure to serve in your army, Lord Inigo." He whispered, his voice once more shaking the air itself as waves of power rolled off of it.

    "Onward, to Shaptle!"

    Dorian groaned.

    It was going to be a long trip.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡­a few dayster

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Leader took a deep breath, smiling as he took in the fresh air of the ocean. He looked around the beach shore, putting away his Magic Flying Artifact. A feeling of danger and power could be sensed around him, one that fluctuated as he turned his gaze off to a towering World Bridge just a few dozen miles away.

    "The World Bridge to Moria¡­ I''m finally here." His voice was cool and collected. As he looked at the World Bridge, he clenched his fists.

    "Bastard that dares to im he would wipe out my Race and destroy these hallowed Ruins¡­ I hope you are ready to die." His words carried with them a grim foretelling of the future as he took a few steps forward.

    "Lord Inigo. Prepare yourse-"

    RUMBLE

    Before Leader could finish speaking, a loud rumbling noise interrupted him. He looked down at his stomach mid-speech in surprise.

    "Oh right. I''ve be abnormally hungry as ofte thanks to my growing strength. I suppose I can go hunt some food first." He licked his lips, rubbing his stomach.

    "But after that, I''lle find you and then you die." Leader shook his fist at the World Bridge to Moria for good measure, sending it a re, before he turned away from the beach. His gazended on a forest that was set nearby, looking through the underbrush.

    "Ooh, is that a Horned Rabbit?"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Fifteenughed maniacally as he stepped off the World Bridge, looking out at the surprisingly-not-really-forbiddingndscape in front of him. His current form was that of a Grey Mantor, vague and unassuming, almost impossible to spot even when one was looking directly at it.

    A colorfulndscape full of flowers and trees, with warm sunshine shining down on the swathes of healthy grass that spread out across thend. Arge mountain range could be seen off to the left, while arge in, full of more flowers and trees, stood directly in front.

    Vaguely, in the distance, a castle could be seen, set several dozens of miles away from the World Bridge.

    "I have arrived here again, oh sweet Moria." Fifteen''s body shook and twisted as he transformed.

    His body stretched and grew giant,pletely warping into that of a towering, 30 meter tall demonic being. It was gargantuan, covered in huge muscles and green scales. The air around it pulsed with a Demonic Aura, giving it a terrifying appearance.

    His Greater Throne Demon form.

    "COME TO ME, MY FELLOW DEMONS!" As he yelled out loud, his voice gained a powerful air, one that was oddly convincing. It echoed with authority and power.

    A voice that twisted through Fate itself, actively manipting reality, just like Dorian.

    "A brother of mine ising here to die! Hahahahaha! We must properly receive him!"

    The seemingly normal Exotic World of Moria seemed to shiver, its colorful and warm appearance trembling slightly, a foreboding Aura spreading out.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "¡­Inner peace¡­"

    "¡­Inner peace¡­"

    "¡­Oh? Is that a pie I smel-ahem¡­"

    "¡­cough, cough¡­"

    "¡­Inner peace¡­"

    Excelsior Gamin shook his head, trying to regain his focus as he sat in meditation. He was currently wearing a set of ragged clothing, covered in dirt and grime. He had the appearance of a beggar, one that was sitting haphazardly on the side of a street.

    Specifically, the Main Street of the Grand City of Cracktyl on Shaptle. The city that every expert that was intending to cross into the Exotic World of Moria or attend the Superior Auction that was hosted here would have to stop by.

    Several times guards had tried to shoo him away, but he always managed to mysteriously reappear, sitting quietly as he observed the world around him.

    "¡­Those pies smell really good¡­" One of the strongest beings within the Shade Commune nced to the side shiftily as he looked at arge shop that was set up near him, the Grand Dios Bakery, selling a variety of baked goods.

    One of the baker''s apprentices turned a beady and suspicious eye upon Gamin, noticing his salivating nce.

    Gamin immediately turned away, as if he hadn''t been looking at all.

    "¡­Inner peace¡­"

    "¡­Get here already Lord Inigo¡­"

    "¡­Inner peace¡­"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    WHOOSH

    "Atst¡­" Dorian muttered, his bloodshot eyes looking down the World Bridge towards the glowing portal he could finally see. He covered his ears slightly as he spoke, tears appearing at the corner of his eyes.

    "I can finally get some peaceful rest." As he muttered this, his eyes widened as he realized several of his Captains and subordinates were standing on deck near him,

    "Cough, I mean-"

    "Onward! To save my poor wife and wipe out the Demons!"

    "Woooo!"

    "Praise Lord Inigo!"

    "Praise!!"

    He''d made it to Shaptle.

    .

    .

    .

    I will be taking a 2-day break to prepare for the next volume, as I usually do, to ensure quality writing and precision.

    .

    ,

    The End of Book 6

    - Stats -

    Number of Chapters: 24

    Word count: ~76,000 Words

    Avg. Word/Chapter: ~3,160

    Book 6 first chapter released: December 24th

    Book 6st chapter released: January 26th

    Avg. Word/Day: ~2,500 (Week long AllNovelFull China trip during this period)

    Total Views - 9,004,000

    .

 Chapter 171 Progression

    An exhausted looking Shade sat straight up in an ufortable looking chair, his eyes calm and focused. The Shade appeared to be middle-aged, with a full greying beard covering his face and piercing grey eyes. The grey hair on his head was cut short, giving him a fierce appearance.

    This Shade wore a set of purple robes, sped around his lean and muscr figure. Dozens of small knives could be seen strapped to the front of this robe, held in ce securely by small metal straps.

    In front of this Shade was arge table full of detailed reports. Hundreds of pages of writing, all reporting on various things, were spread out in a wide arc. The rest of the room was in and simple, a tiled stone floor, empty stone walls with a few windows, and some glowing crystals in the ceiling and walls lighting up the darkness of night.

    This Shade looked from report to report, his eyes drawn and tired. Despite that, a powerful Aura could be felt, simmering below the surface.

    This Shade was Hasith Shanty, the King of the Shade Commune, ranked 5th on the Recording of Might.

    "The Aurelius Vampires have proven capable of stopping my forces due to their naturally higher growth andrger proportion of experts, and because they are defending. Attacking is always harder than defending." The Shade King''s voice was pointed as he spoke out loud to himself, thinking it over.

    "Now that all three Noble Houses have joined in, there is no realistic chance I can take the field in a drawn-out war. Their Inheritances allow them to fight evenly with me, despite remaining in the Pseudo-Angelic ss. The only result of that would be a huge loss of life." His voice rumbled as he spoke.

    He sighed again.

    "So many Shade lives lost already just to test their defenses. Yet, what choice do I have? If I don''t conquer that world, our race as a whole will eventually be wiped out. If I do not act, trillions of innocents will die." He rubbed his forehead, his shoulders hunched, as if he was carrying a great burden. He took several deep breaths, regaining control of his emotions.

    "Yet because I do act, my actions will kill millions¡­ Tens of thousands have already died because of me." He closed his eyes, struggling to maintain that control.

    "Damn you, Shadoir of the past."

    "You have forced me to be a monster."

    "¡­"

    "But if that is the price I must pay, then so be it."

    King Hasith clenched his fists, the air around him trembling as he opened his eyes. A vast, overwhelmingly powerful Aura burst forth around him, visibly fracturing the air near him as a glowing, dark Angelic Halo appeared around his head.

    "Again and again, I have tried for hundreds of years. I will not fail this time, no matter the price." The King of the Shade Commune made a grim promise. Now that he had achieved the Angelic ss and gained a firm grasp on his power, there was nothing that would hold him back.

    "The World of Eternal Evening, Evonon, must return to the hands of the Shade Commune. Only with that in hand will we be able to stave off the disaster the Shadoir left for my Race." He nodded, his eyes full of steely determination.

    The World of Eternal Evening, Evonon, was also known to others by a separate name.

    The Headquarters of the Aurelius Family, where Marcus Aurelius and his Castle of Darkness could be found.

    Silence reigned in this mostly empty room for a few minutes.

    That silence was broken, however, as a quiet knocking sound echoed forth.

    Hasith looked up from the reports and over to the door that led into the room, his eyes narrowed.

    "Come in, Bariel." His voice carried with it absolute confidence and authority.

    "Your Highness!" A Shade wearing a set of dark grey te armor walked in, his helmet held in one hand as he bowed. A faint Lord ss Aura could be sensed around him, one that dissipated as it came within the presence of the Angelic King. The Shade was a grizzled veteran, his old age not dampening his expertise and mind a whit.

    "What is it, Bariel? Has one of the Dukes requested a change in their supply lines? The Vampiresunched an offensive? One of those Anomalies caused more issues?" Hasith looked at his subordinate curiously. Bariel was one of his trusted aides, he wouldn''t interrupt the King without a good reason.

    "No, your Highness! It is a report of some note about a new hero that has arisen among our kind." As he spoke, the grizzled Bariel looked up, his eyes full of worship as he stared at the glorious leader of the Shade Race.

    "Oh? Go on." For the first time in a very long time, a hint of pleasure appeared in Hasith''s eyes.

    "This new hero has taken the popce by storm. Indeed, even the King''s Army has begun to celebrate his journey and tale, the stories of his prowess spread by the Church of Light''s priests and deacons."

    "I see." Hasith''s eyes narrowed slightly as he heard of the involvement of the Church of Light. He had personally never seen eye to eye with Bashaba, the High Priest of the Church.

    "The reason I found this worthy of report is because the epic tale of this hero is about to reach a conclusion!" Bariel''s voice was full of excitement as he began to exin, his voice caught up in passion. He was clearly a fan of this hero, Hasith observed with a small smile. Bariel was one of his favored aides, but always seemed so serious and uptight. It was good to see him passionate and smiling about something.

    "It is the tale of a Shade that has fought through the depths of Chaos itself to save the life of his beautiful wife. A hero so brave, so powerful, so righteous that evil beings would rather fall on their swords than stand and face him¡­"

    "The story of the kind and gentle hero Inigo Montoya!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Suffer my wrath, you damn turkey!" Dorian swung a sword made of light futilely at an elusive, and rather chubby, feathered bird, his eyes enraged. Energy fluctuated around him as he attempted to murder the damn thing, irate.

    SQUAAAAAK

    The bird vanished, however, before Dorian''s attack couldnd, warping away and leaving nothing but a couple feathers that slowly floated to the ground.

    "Arrrrrrgh! Why on earth do these stupid birds exist? Let me meditate in peace, dammit!" He shook his fist at the remnants of the bird, rolling his eyes as he let his sword of light dissipate.

    The faint echoes of the bird''s screech seemed to roll off his ears for a moment before they faded, annoyingly longsting. Dorian sighed with relief as he saw that it was truly gone, settling back down.

    He was sitting on a tree stump in the middle of a thin forest, just outside of arge city known as Kamen. He, and his Moria Liberation Force, had just arrived upon Shaptle, after a long period of travel through a mostly normal World Bridge.

    ''Finally¡­'' He thought, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at the night sky.

    ''I can go through with that Baptism now!''

    The past several days had been rather uneventful for Dorian. After finally managing to escape from Ballians, he had been stuck traveling several days through one of the longest World Bridges in the 30,000 Worlds.

    Despite its huge length, the World Bridge was a rtively normal one. It was covered in forests and rivers, withrge poptions of beasts roaming around it. Unlike other World Bridges, very few people travelled on this one due to the danger that crossing the Exotic World of Ballians entailed.

    He didn''t encounter any of the rare Spatial Storms that could appear on any World Bridge, nor did any powerful beast try to attack their ship.

    Instead, he spent most of the time sitting with Helena, talking. They talked about her life and childhood, her periods of constant training. They talked about his life, before he was transported to the 30,000 Worlds, living on Earth.

    These past few days had been incredibly rxing and peaceful.

    But, now that he had arrived, a sense of urgency filled him.

    ''Strength¡­ I need more of it¡­'' He constantly felt an urge to grow stronger, to be absolutely certain he could protect Helena and get her out of here safely.

    And thus, once he arrived at the Normal World of Shaptle, in thete evening, he had gone off on his own to meditate. He''d helped get all of his allies situated, the lot of them taking up almost all of the rooms in a very nice inn. He had even personally asked Fabian to guard Helena while he was out.

    And now¡­ it was time to meditate.

    While fighting in the Dream Zone on Ballians, Dorian had acquired a basic sense for a new Law.

    The Law of Charity.

    This would be the fifth Law Dorian had gained ess to.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Law of Valor: 22%

    Law of Mercy: 14%

    Law of Greed: 18%

    Law of Wrath: 38%

    -

    ''I''ve made steady progress again.'' He noted. Every time he sat down and meditated, letting the energy from each of the Laws flow around him, he found that he slowly gained a better understanding of that Law. In return, his soul also grew stronger, meaning the power he held increased.

    ''I''ll hit 40% soon in the Law of Wrath¡­ That''s around the range where it goes from Early Lord ss to Middle Lord ss for regr people.'' He thought, frowning slightly. The difficulty in increasing one''s understanding of a Law increased noticeably at this point.

    He tapped on his Spatial Ring, looking over the Borrelian Golden Shields, a form of currency that also doubled in function by allowing one to ease the difficulty found in higher level meditation.

    At least he was well prepared.

    While he was on board the ship, Dorian didn''t dare to meditate on the new Law, the Law of Charity. While he may have detected it, he still needed to undergo a Baptism of the Laws of the Universe to ess it. Such a Baptism would be quite noticeable, even if it was short, and he didn''t want to risk anything that might alienate his allies or blow his cover.

    Now, however, out here in the wilderness of Shaptle, there was no risk.

    ''If only these damn Warping Turkey''s would screw off¡­'' He thought, ncing irately at the feathers that had fallen on the ground near him.

    Shaptle was a Normal World, but because of its neighbors, was quite an unusual Normal World. Bordered by two extraordinary Worlds, Shaptle had a very unique ecosystem and wildlife.

    One of the more annoying organisms was the quitemon Warping Turkey, a Master ss creature that could teleport around haphazardly due to its unique mental state, a beast that was decried a pest that should be hunted on sight. It lived in a state of almost zero intelligence, and because of that, was able to naturally use an Ability that allowed it to teleport.

    Dorian had acquired the Bloodline while traveling out from the city to meditate and undergo a Baptism of the Laws, interested in its powers. Upon learning of the restrictions on the Warping Turkey form, he had almost thrown the Bloodline away entirely.

    If he wanted to acquire the Warping Turkey Bloodline, he would first have to transform into a Warping Turkey for a brief period of time, a few dozen minutes, while his soul adapted.

    In that time, he would be almost literally brainless.

    ''What a pitiful form¡­'' He thought, sighing. The Ability that the Warping Turkey Bloodline had contained simr restrictions. It could only be used when in a Warping Turkey form. It could indeed allow the user to teleport, however, within a decent range.

    ''Still, if I use it as a base form tobine with, it''s certainly possible I mighte up with some really unique evolutions.'' He tossed the idea around in his head, nodding.

    ''I''ll talk to Helena about it.'' If he did opt for the form, perhaps she could watch over him and ensure he stayed put till his soul adapted.

    ''Alright, enough about that.'' He snorted, blowing away the feathers the other Warping Turkey had left, as he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He calmed his heart down, looking deeper into his memory.

    Back to the battle with the petty shadow thief, back to the time he spent in the Life Years Dream Zone.

    Back to when he chose to leave his family, never to see them again.

    To a single, specific point, where he keenly felt emanations from the Law of Charity.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian opened his eyes, light glowing out of them as he felt a tangible sense of energy in the air. An energy that soothed his soul, simr to the Law of Greed. This energy source, however, was kind and caring, one that filled him with peace and happiness.

    All of a sudden, energy swarmed about him as the Law of Charity ran flush in his soul, power flocking into him.

    The Law of Charity was rted to the Law of Greed, in a way. Both Laws focused on enriching the soul. Each one could help heal from injuries to the soul, be used to reinforce and empower the soul, and could enhance Spells or other Abilities that relied greatly on one''s Soul Spell Matrix.

    "Ahhhh¡­" Dorian let out a sorrowful, but satisfied, breath as memories flooded up within him, some sad and some cheerful. He had an epiphany of sorts as he sat on that stump alone, feeling the world around him fluctuate.

    Just as soon as it started, the gout of energy rapidly died down, the world around Dorian returning to normal. Slowly, everything settled back to normal around him.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Law of Valor: 22%

    Law of Mercy: 14%

    Law of Charity: 1%

    Law of Greed: 18%

    Law of Wrath: 38%

    -

    He smiled as he looked at the results, feeling at peace.

    ''Got it.'' He blinked.

    ''Status.'' He called to mind a second screen, wanting to look at the condition of his soul.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 199,229/203,602

    -

    ''Wow! I''ve already breached 200,000 points!'' His eyes widened in shock at the huge increase. In terms of strength of soul, as a Lord ss expert, his soul alone was already equal to many Early King ss experts.

    The Law of Charity was a unique Law that focused on enhancing the power of the soul. The resulting Baptism from it carried over arge increase in strength to the soul, one of the unique benefits from studying it.

    ''With the Law of Greed and Charity to support my soul¡­ in addition to the practice I''ve been putting in, I should be able to use more than just 3 Hyperion Beams¡­'' He thought, his eyes turning off in one specific direction through the forest.

    Faintly, several hundred meters away, Dorian could just barely make out a squawking Warping Turkey pecking at arge tree. Warping Turkeys didn''t eat trees or leaves, or even fruit, they ate only meat. The only reason it was pecking at the tree was likely because it was an idiot.

    ''Alright, you damn pest. You can be my guinea pig¡­'' His eyes shed as he stared at it. Somewhere in the distance, one could almost hear a certain environmentalist Vampire ranting at him.

    ''Bnce Demon form, go!'' His body shifted, transforming into his most powerful form.

    ''Law of Greed, Law of Charity, enhance my soul!''

    WHOOSH

    Energy flooded into his soul, reinforcing and enhancing it. The two different energies were pure opposites in type, but somehow managed to perfectly work together under Dorian''s control, aided by the Soul of Bnce Ability that bnced out energy in the soul, an Ability unique to his Bnce Demon form.

    ''Perfect Body, activate!'' His already well-bnced form grew stronger as his perception of the world increased, his mind processing at a faster rate.

    "Ahh." He let out a breath, feeling the world around him. His senses were enhanced to an extreme degree, making every leaf he looked at appear in amazing detail.

    ''Hyperion Beam¡­ activate! Again and again until I can''t control any more!''

    .

 Chapter 172 Improvemen

    A number of ck orbs formed in the air, hovering above Dorian''s shoulders and arms. Each orb immediately began to absorb energy from the environment, crackling with power.

    In just a few seconds, Dorian managed to charge up 7 Hyperion Beams, each one causing the air around it to fluctuate with energy.

    As he tried to charge the 8th Hyperion Beam, pain washed through his soul as the strain umted. The difficulty in maintaining so many iterations of the same Ability at once, even with his Bnce Demon form and various other powers assisting him, proved too much.

    ''Still, I can make 7 Hyperion Beams at once?! That''s a huge improvement!'' The training he had put into using the same Ability multiple times had originally only let him use a few at once. Now with the support of two separate soul enhancing Laws, the Law of Charity and the Law of Greed, Dorian could handle the simultaneous activation of the Ability 7 times.

    His Hyperion Beam Ability was one he paid close attention to. The Ability itself wasn''t very well known. Only the obscure Sr Rock Lizard had it, and even at that beast''s strongest, it usually never crossed into Lord ss.

    Dorian''s use of it, however, took it to a new level. The power of his Hyperion Beams increased in strength alongside the force of his soul. The Ability focused on rapidly condensing energy and charging it into a beam attack. The stronger his soul was, the more energy he could condense at a faster rate.

    At the present, a single one of Dorian''s current Hyperion Beams, when infused with the power of both of his attacking Laws, could directly obliterate most Lord ss foes. Exceptions like the abnormally strong Vice Head of the Diamond Department aside, no Lord ss enemy would survive a single hit unless they had some sort of protective Artifact or Spell active, even Wizards with innate barriers.

    When Dorian fired multiple Hyperion Beams at once¡­ the attack power grew to a fearsome degree. 7 Hyperion Beams fired in a concentrated pattern was enough to seriously threaten King ss enemies. It wasn''t just an attack that could be shrugged off and ignored.

    And, as Dorian''s soul grew stronger, his Hyperion beams would only grow stronger.

    His eyes stayed on the annoying turkey, ring at the pest cooly.

    ''Fire!''

    Immediately, 7sers shot off into the distance, rippling with energy and power.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    The beams of light melted through the air as they crossed the distance between the Warping Turkey and Dorian in an instant.

    At the veryst moment, just as the turkey was about to be vanquished, however, its body seemed to shiver. Dorian didn''t know whether it was dumb luck or base instincts, but the moment his powerfulbined attack was about to pierce through it, the Warping Turkey teleported away, leaving behind a loud, echoing ''squawk.''

    Dorian grinned ruefully as he saw this.

    ''I managed to kill one of them on ident whileing out here, acquiring its Bloodline¡­'' He had been jumping around at a fast speed as he left the city, maintaining his Shade form for as long as possible just in case. He didn''t think anyone was spying on him, but he had figured he''d rather be safe than sorry and take extra precautions.

    Mid-travel, however, he had identallynded on one of the annoying Warping Turkeys, killing it instantly. He had literally squashed it to death under his foot.

    ''But when I go for them on purpose¡­'' He shook his head. No wonder the creatures were considered a public nuisance to be hunted on sight. They were like cockroaches with their innate survival instincts.

    BOOM

    A few explosions rang out as his Hyperion Beamsnded, forming several craters in the ground and blowing up a number of trees. Dorian winced slightly as he saw this, remembering all the trees he''d blown up in earlier practicing sessions.

    ''I really should practice in an area where there''s only stone or grass. No need to kill any innocent creatures or break so many trees.'' His mindset had matured greatly from the times when he had been a stray Red Smander killing other beasts for survival.

    ''Low level creatures are extraordinarily unlikely to help me develop my strength, even if they have some ancient Master or Grandmaster ss Bloodline remnants in them. As for Lord or King ss remnants, the chance of that should be near impossible, even with my luck.'' He sighed, shaking his head.

    ''Even that Warping Turkey I found had nothing useful apart from its main Bloodline. Still, maybe I should sweep through the city before I go and see if I can find any Blood Magic stores or shops of that variety.'' He made a mental note to go shopping before they left the city they were resting in. Who knows, maybe his luck as an Anomaly woulde in and he''d find something useful.

    ''Shade form, revert!'' His body morphed back into his familiar Shade body as he turned around, retreating back towards the city. With the Baptism over and his new strength tested, he no longer had much of a reason to wait out here.

    ''I''ll return back and meditate on the new Law, training it a bit before we depart for Moria. I should also prepare for my understanding in the Law of Wrath to break through to the Middle of Lord ss.'' His body blurred as he began to run off, his determination unwavering.

    He paused for a brief moment just before he left, looking back at the slightly damaged forest. His new n to not kill any more trees with his training reminded him of one of Helena''s close friends, a Vampire that was obsessed with saving the environment.

    ''I wonder how that duo we met are doing?''

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Hehe, my genius knows no bounds. Look at this! Isn''t this amazing!?"

    "It''s a tree."

    "''It''s a tree?!'' Probus, this is the famous WORLD Tree! A tree so grand that even Chaotic Space can''t hold it down! The grandest tree in all existence! Think of all the ecosystems that exist on it! It must be a veritable fount of unique life!"

    "It''s still just a tree."

    Two bickering voices could be heard as two Vampires looked out from the exitway of a World Bridge, staring at a gargantuan tree that dominated their vision. This tree was so massive it covered the horizon, with huge towering roots spreading off it in all directions, while its branches shot off into the sky, forcing back Chaotic Space itself.

    Probus sighed, ncing over at his good friend Trajan. The Vampire Swordmaster had both of his arms now, each one in perfect working order. He wore a set of ck leather armor, with his sword in its customary spot on his back.

    "We''re in hostile territory deep within the Graal Alliance. We have ignored orders from the Headquarters and have most likely been branded deserters to the Aurelius Family, a punishment worthy of death at worst. We no longer have a home and every Vampire we know is more likely to try and kill or capture us than greet us as friends."

    His voice was rather deadpan as he spoke, not betraying any emotion.

    "Well, at least it''s a cool tree." Trajan waved his handsmely, turning to re at hisrade. He was dressed in a set of travel-stained leather hides, with a small wand tucked into his belt. He no longer had the air of a graceful Vampire elite from the Aurelius Family, but came off much more scruffy and informal.

    "Besides, what is done is done. We''ve talked this over before Probus. You are wee to return without me to the Aurelius Family. I am done being used by them." Trajan continued, shaking his head.

    Probus merely sighed, turning to look back at the tree. He studied it for a few moments, his eyes regaining some of his usual cheer. Trajan turned to look at the tree with him, his eyes shining.

    "You know, Trajan¡­" He began, his hand slowly creeping towards the hilt of the sword on his back.

    "Yes?"

    "I know we''re supposed to greet the monkey that Mello said was currently living on this tree¡­"

    "Yes?" Trajan repeated himself, turning to look at Probus curiously.

    "But I was wondering¡­ I''ve recently reached the absolute peak of Lord ss in my Law of Cutting¡­" Probus continued, his eyes shing,

    "Do you think I could chop it in half?" The Vampire Swordmaster rested his hand upon the hilt of his sword, a powerful Aura bursting forth around him as he looked at the massive tree.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "PRRRROOOOOBBBUUUUUUSSSSS!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Hallow folded his hands together, a look of irritation crossing his face as he looked down at the letter he had just finishedpiling.

    "Damn it, Fifteen. Why haven''t you sent back a proper report?" He vented his frustrations to the air as he red at the paper.

    Every lead he''d pursued so far had failed to pan out. Every trace of demonic energy thus far had ended up being linked to either ancient Artifacts, most of them discovered to be broken upon recovery, or low level figures using tools or powers they gained from various Demonic Inheritances.

    The traces of the Law of Wrath user had yet to be found.

    Hallow was down to thest few possible sources, ones he already had his men investigating. Duke Orbit''s men had already finished their search and moved on, no longer able to help contribute. The Duke was unwilling to draw any attention to himself by extending the search for something he couldn''t exin, leaving Hallow shorthanded in his efforts.

    Despite that, it was only a matter of time before thest few sites were fully vetted and checked over. There was a collection of new warriors that had recently founded a Mystic Martial Artist school on the of ntera, the incident near the ce where the new Great Hero Lord Inigo had appeared, and a new crater that had formed on the World Bridge to Eiron.

    All three situations had traces of demonic power associated with them and were currently being investigated.

    ''That new Mystic Martial Artist school is already being checked over, as is the crater that formed on the World Bridge.'' Hallow mentally marked off, his eyes glinting.

    ''All that is left is the incident that appeared near where Lord Inigo had appeared.'' Gradually, Hallow was bing more and more convinced that this Lord Inigo was a fraud and the Law of Wrath user they were looking for.

    ''But his results were still ''Neutral'' when the Church of Light checked him¡­ Does he really have a way to avoid being found out, like Duke Orbit?'' Hallow rubbed his forehead, feeling a headacheing on.

    ''Dammit, Fifteen! Why haven''t you reported anything at all?!'' He cursed again, swearing at the unreliable new member to the Council.

    ''Just in case¡­ I better start taking precautions of my own. If that Lord Inigo truly is a genius mastermind that is manipting everything and hiding in in sight, I can''t let myself or the Council get caught unaware¡­ Especially not now, when the Great Destroyer has returned to the 30,000 Worlds.'' He turned his attention to the letter that wasid out on the desk before him. He picked up a quill from the side, beginning to write a report.

    ''The Demon Council must be fully prepared to handle him and whatever vile ns he is hatching.'' Partly because of how convinced Hallow was that Inigo was a genius demon, Hallow had mentally relegated him to an extremely dangerous and powerful enemy.

    ''If he can be recruited to our side, then great. If not¡­'' Hallow nodded sharply, his blue eyes shing,

    ''I will destroy this evil viin myself.'' The powerful member of the Council of Demons and master of the Law of Envy righteously dered, the air around him trembling as a powerful King ss Aura burst forth.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ?"Praise the Great Hero Lord Inigo!"?

    ?"He hase to vanquish the Demons!"?

    ?"Evil will always fall before him!"?

    ?"For on his path, he shall seed!"?

    Dorian smiled and waved as he heard the crowd cheering, internally groaning as he listened to the song. Next to him, Helena was being carried in a small pnquin built specially for her. The troop of warriors that had joined his army, including several new arrivals, moved behind him, guarding over him and the pnquin as if their lives depended on it.

    The three Captains of his army walked right by his side, standing tall and proud. All of the warriors listened in to the chants, their eyes full of glory and courage.

    ''This must be the 367th time I''ve heard this exact same chant. Don''t they know anything else?!'' He kept the thought to himself as he walked towards the Flying Ship that was resting at a specially designed dock for Flying Ships, situated near the walls of the city.

    It was mid-afternoon, the middle of the next day. After he returned to the city, he had settled in the room Helena was sleeping in, sitting down to meditate. The fact that he didn''t need to sleep as an Anomaly with an excess of Growth Points was a huge boon, meaning his time could be spent with full devotion to increase his understanding of the Laws.

    After meditating through the night, he had gone on a small shopping spree. There were no Blood Magic shops in the city, which made sense to him after a bit of thought. Blood Magic wasn''t exactly a popr school of magic among the Shade popce. He did manage to stock up on supplies, however, as well as grab a few things he thought mighte in handy in the future.

    After he finished shopping, the ruler of this city, a local governor appointed by the Kingdom of Dain that ruled over this part of Shaptle, hade out to greet him. The governor had made a big procession out of it, making everything very public. Dorian wasn''t even sure how he had known he was in the city, assuming some of the warriors must have talked.

    One thing led to another, and now there were carolers singing his praises as he left the city.

    As he reached the boarding zone and went aboard the Flying Ship, he turned to face the crowd, a Valorous Aura gathering about him as he bellowed.

    "Never fear, good citizens, for Lord Inigo is here! Thank you all for your kind words!" He gave a stately bow, his bearing graceful and wise. He perfectly acted the part of the Shade hero, ying into the expectations everyone had for him.

    "Wooo!"

    "Lord Inigo, so cool!"

    "Marry me!"

    "Oi, he''s already married, wench!"

    Dorian ignored the screams and cheers as he turned about, walking directly up the ramp to the deck of the Flying Ship. Behind him, the rest of the Shades piled in, including the ones carefully carrying the sleeping Helena.

    ''Alright. Time to go check out that Superior Auction and see if it will have anything that can help Helena.'' He clenched his fists.

    ''Just a little more time, Smalls, and you''ll be healed, and then we''re outta here!'' He smiled slightly,

    ''I''m already here on. What could go wrong?'' He thought, nodding his head and feeling confident.

    After a moment, though, he knocked himself on the forehead.

    ''Dammit, I take that back! No, don''t jinx me! Fate! I take it back!''

    He ignored the strange looks he was receiving from the Shades around him as he mentally grumbled at himself, an uneasy feeling filling his stomach.

    .

 Chapter 173 Confrontation

    The wind beat against Dorian''s chest like an ominous drum, setting the air around him aflutter. He took several deep breaths as he looked out past the edge of the Flying Ship, gazing down upon the ground beneath him.

    ''Time seems to flow by so quickly¡­'' He muttered, feeling a little sad. His life had been full of non-stop action the past few weeks, all chaos and rush. He longed for the days back on Earth where he had lived life slowly, taking it easy.

    He blinked, swiveling slightly as he went on alert. He spread his senses out, trying to detect any approaching Anomalies.

    He sighed.

    ''I can''t think of any other ways to feel Fifteen''s presence.''

    His mind went back to the conversation he had had with Helena, just a few hours prior.

    Originally, Dorian had nned on keeping the fact that he had fought with Fifteen a secret from Helena. He wanted her to fully focus on healing and rest, without having anything to distract her.

    Unfortunately, Helena seemed to have the same innate intuitiveness that most of the women in Dorian''s life back on Earth had, able to ferret out even the smallest secret. He''d given in to her queries and told her about the battle, exining the risks Fifteen posed and the threat he''d thrown at Dorian.

    Helena had ended up stumped as well after she heard more about Fifteen''s Grey Mantor form.

    ''How do you detect something that can walk outside of Fate itself?'' He shook his head. The question was truly too difficult to answer. Maybe a genius Fate Wizard or powerful Angelic expert would have an answer, but for someone at Dorian''s level, there seemed to be no solution.

    The only thing Dorian could think of was the fact that he could automatically detect an Anomaly when it came close to him.

    It was true that Grey Mantors couldn''t be seen by Fate. When it was Faded, even Dorian was unable to detect its presence. At the same time, however, it was impossible for the Grey Mantors to see or detect anyone else as well.

    Therefore, before a Grey Mantor attacked, it would need to resurface for a split instant, to figure out where exactly it was. Of course, it was possible the Grey Mantor would stay Faded and try to predict everything ahead of time, but such foresight and precision would require an essentially impossible level of nning.

    ''In the instant that he appears, I can detect his presence and use that moment to block whatever attack heunches.'' He nodded his head at the thought. It was the only possible defense that seemed to exist, at least for him.

    There was a reason the Grey Mantors were feared as vicious predators. If their own corrosive blood didn''t essentially wipe out their race by killing their young, the powerful beings would no doubt be an extremely deadly threat in the modern 30,000 Worlds.

    "If it''s not possible to do anything else, then just ignore it and focus on things you can deal with." Helena''s words of advice had stuck to him.

    After thinking about it, he''d settled back down into meditation and had an epiphany of sorts. When he let everything go, it became almost too easy to meditate and focus on the Laws. It felt like his mind wasing in tune with the world around him, his unique soul making it easier than ever.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Law of Valor: 25%

    Law of Mercy: 20%

    Law of Charity: 5%

    Law of Greed: 22%

    Law of Wrath: 40%

    -

    In a single night, he had made enormous progress across the board in regards to his understanding of various Laws.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 215,282/218,602

    -

    The strength of his soul had increased substantially as well, especially when his understanding in the Law of Wrath hit 40%. The moment that urred, Dorian had felt his soul seem to expand slightly, drinking in energy like it hadn''t before.

    He had officially reached the Middle of Lord ss in his understanding of the Law of Wrath, a substantial achievement.

    After he reached that point, he''d stopped meditating ande up on deck for a breath of fresh air. Even if he was obsessed with training, he still needed time off from it. Otherwise he''d go insane just from the monotony of constantly studying Laws.

    "Lord Inigo! We are beginning our descent! We should arrive in Cracktyl in just a few minutes!" One of the Lord ss Mystic Martial Artists informed Dorian, the man''s voice carrying over the rushing wind.

    Dorian waved his hand behind him, acknowledging the information. He kept looking out at the world rushing by, unable to quite describe the emotions he felt.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "How dare you speak to the Holy Highlord like that! I don''t care who you are, I, Fabian of the Spear, a glorious Captain of the Moria Liberation Force, will silence you!" An earthshaking shout rumbled out of the bushy-mustache-bearing Fabian''s mouth as he stepped forward, swinging a long, ck spear out in front of him.

    Dorian looked at the Shade Captain, and then at the other Shades that were blocking their way, resisting the urge to throw up his hands in frustration.

    ''How did it end up like this!?''

    A few minutes ago, Dorian and Helena, and the rest of their makeshift army, had been flying down towards the city of Cracktyl, their journey at an end. Their arrival was smooth, with no errors or unexpected situations.

    They had disembarked as a whole, from the boarding area for Flying Ships near the north side of the city.

    As theynded, Dorian had gotten his first look at the powerful city.

    Cracktyl, unlike many other cities, didn''t have a massive wall. Instead, it had a lowly wall that was only about 5 meters high, built out of aged stone. It was a wall that was thousands of years old, maintained with Magic and considered a relic by people in the city.

    Shaptle was a Normal World. Apart from some of its unique wildlife like the irritatingly widespread Warping Turkeys, there weren''t many powerful beasts that could be found, at least not anywhere near Cracktyl. As a result, the city and those around it flourished.

    Cracktyl was an independent City-State that was jointly operated by the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance and the Shadow Duke of the South. Experts from both powers guarded it,rgely in part due to the lucrative Superior Auction that was held here.

    Only two Superior Auctions could be found in thends of the Shade Commune. Each one drew considerable attention and fame. Rare Artifacts, Natural Treasures, and more weremonce, pulling in the eyes of many Lord, King, and rarely even Pseudo-Angelic ss experts.

    As Dorian arrived, he was greeted with cheers. As usual, word of his travel had flown ahead of him. The general popce was ecstatic to see him, breaking out into singing and hymns.

    What he found odd, however, was that there wasn''t a delegation here to meet him. In a city of such importance, there was not a doubt in his mind that the higher-ups would be well informed and know he wasing. If it had happened in a minor city, it wouldn''t have crossed his mind, but being ignored here¡­ it felt rather odd.

    It wasn''t that he felt slighted. Far from it, he was d to avoid the attention. His cover had grown far too popr for his liking, exceeding any reasonable expectations he had ced.

    As they moved fully off the ship, Helena carried carefully in her pnquin as she continued to rest, the reasons for this became clear.

    "I respect the wisdom you may hold, Fabian of the Spear, and I have heard of your name. However, I stand by my words." A thin, reedy looking Shade could be seen with his arms crossed, shadowy essence rising off the Dark Points all Shades had on their hands as he crossed gazes with Fabian. On the reedy Shade''s back was an enormous cauldron, one that dwarfed him in size. He had short ck hair and a thin face, not looking anything like a fighter.

    "I am the greatest Warrior-Alchemist to have ever lived, Bayran Handsworth. It is my duty as a Shade to uncover those I believe are spreading lies." A powerful, and sharp, King ss Aura burst out around the Shade, causing the air to shiver.

    Dorian''s eyes widened slightly as he recognized parts of that Aura, calling to mind a Vampire that he knew. The Vampire Swordmaster Probus, a friend of Helena''s.

    ''That is¡­ the Law of Cutting? From¡­ an Alchemist? I don''t see a sword...'' He stared.

    Behind the Alchemist stood several other Shades, some dressed in armor while others wearing a variety of robes. Dorian scanned all of them, not letting a hint of emotion appear on his face.

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - King ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,244,900

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 103,235

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 56,883

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 88,224

    -

    As he looked from Shade to Shade, around two dozen figures all standing together, he realized that the force before him was a sizable contingent. At the least, with the King ss Alchemist at its head, it was equal to any single division of the three he had split his Moria Liberation Force into.

    ''They don''t seem to be very familiar with each other¡­'' He thought as his eyes flicked between the Shades, looking at their expressions. While the group was standing together, the way they held themselves made it clear they weren''t a team that had been together for long.

    "If I am wrong, then I shall apologize. But your circumstances, your strength¡­ I am convinced that you are nothing more than a stooge for the Church of Light! Nothing more than a fraud, taking advantage of innocent Shades and leading them to possible doom!" Dorian snapped back to attention as the reedy Shade pointed an using finger at him, his words echoing in the air as he spoke.

    Behind him, several of the other powerful Shades looked on, their arms crossed and their eyes cool. Gasps spread out from several onlookers as these words spread, poignant andmanding.

    ''Ahh, I see.'' His eyes shed as everything came clear.

    His story, he had learned, was being spread far and wide by the Church of Light. For those that believed in the Church of Light, this would vet Dorian as a hero. For those that were suspicious of the Church, however¡­

    The Church of Light was a major influence in the Shade Commune, but so too were the Dukes of Shadow as well as the Shade King. Each power shed with the others in various ways and would try to subvert one another''s ns.

    And it seemed like Dorian had inadvertently stepped on the toes of the other powers, and was thus being confronted. The reason he hadn''t been greeted by any official delegation likely had to do with that as well.

    ''Was he sent by the Southern Duke of Shadow?'' He thought, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. He didn''t recognize the name of the Shade.

    They were currently standing in the middle of arge paved stone street, with a few shops and warehouses lining the sides. The transportation zone for Flying Ships was just behind them. To the sides, hundreds of Shade civilians looked on, their cheers for Dorian nowhere to be seen as the tense situation developed forward. Mixed into the crowd, for the first time in a while, Dorian could see a plethora of other races as well. Aethmen, Humans, even a few lizardmen.

    The Superior Auction here drew all kinds of beings, especially with the influence of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance present. While most of the Shade Commune consisted of Shades, other races could be, on asion, found.

    "How dare you! I will not allo-"

    "Hold." Dorian''s voice rolled with authority as he took a step forward, holding out his hand to make Fabian pause. The warrior immediately cut himself off, his eyes turning to look at Dorian with something akin to adoration.

    After the battle in the Life Years Dream Zone, all the Shades in Dorian''s army had be fully convinced of his great and holy self. Not a single one among them would doubt Dorian, even now when he was confronted in public.

    "Your name is Bayran Handsworth?" As Dorian stepped forward, moving several steps away from his army, his voice took on a grand and Valorous air. His movements were graceful and precise, bespeaking great strength. A pulsing, Lord ss Aura wrapped around Dorian, throwing off the pressure the Alchemist''s King ss Aura pushed forth.

    "Yes, I am. You heard my words." The reedy Alchemist stated, his eyes brooking no argument.

    "My name is Inigo Montoya." When Dorian spoke those words, he pulled upon his soul to twist Fate, imbuing them with a certain majesty and power.

    The eyes of the onlooking Shades widened as they heard this, many of them shivering in awe. No matter who was listening, every single ear within earshot paid great attention to every single word Dorian said.

    "I think you have misunderstood something, Bayran." Dorian stopped in the middle of the street, standing equally between both groups of Shadebatants.

    "I am not here for glory. I am not here to win anyone''s heart. I am not here for the Church of Light, nor am I here for the Shade people." His words thundered in the air as he spoke, gradually picking up more and more power.

    "I am here for two things, and two things only. First, I am going to find what I need to save my wife." The streets shook with the power of his voice. Thousands of onlooking Shades all trembled, swept up with emotion.

    "And then I am going to kill the man that murdered my father." Dorian''s eyes shed as he put on the best face he could, perfectly acting the part.

    "And anything that stands in my way, whether it be Demon or Shade, shall fall to my de." Dorian meant this line for real. Helena was gravely injured and far behind enemy lines. Anyone that tried to stop him from getting her help was as good as dead in his eyes.

    As he finished speaking, he pulled upon his Law of Valor to the maximum, projecting an Aura of absolute confidence and strength. His Lord ss Aura was extremely powerful, able to rival King ss Auras in sheer soul strength.

    And, indeed, his tactics were effective. Almost every single one of the Shades that was standing before him stumbled backwards, overwhelmed by Dorian''s sheer presence. He couldn''t me them, even he wanted to stumble back, unwilling to offend the ''Great Hero Lord Inigo.''

    The onlooking crowd seemed to find their voice at this moment, unleashing a torrent of mixed yells and cheers, some rebuking the Alchemist while others cheering for ''Lord Inigo.''

    "Wooo!"

    "You tell them, Great Hero!"

    "Praise the Mighty Lord!"

    The Alchemist Warrior frowned as he heard this, a look of hesitation appearing on his face. After a moment, though, his eyes hardened as he looked at the many Shades Dorian was leading.

    "You will only lead them to their deaths¡­ Very well!" Bayran''s eyes shed as he seemed to make up his mind.

    "If you are truly a legendary hero, then prove it to me, right here and now!"

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    "ept my challenge!"

    A huge gust of wind blew spectators back, carried gently in the air by some sort of magic airwave, as the King ss Alchemist flipped over therge cauldron that was strapped to his back, mming it into the ground in front of him.

    Dorian''s Aura, no matter how powerful, was inarguably a Lord ss Aura. It wasmonly epted in the 30,000 Worlds that there was an almost insurmountable gap between a King ss expert and a Lord ss expert.

    Freaks like the Vice Head of the Diamond Department were an exceedingly rare sight.

    Thus, Alchemist Bayran''s observations, in the eyes of many, weren''t exactly unfounded.

    The Shades in Dorian''s Moria Liberation Force all smiled or smirked as they saw Dorian be challenged, their eyes full of absolute confidence in Lord Inigo''s prowess. All of them looked on withplete faith that he would win.

    Dorian stared at the Shade, his nose twitching. His first instinct was to ept the challenge immediately. With his Abilities, even if he was limited to his Shade form and a select number of Laws or powers, Dorian felt he confident he could take on a Middle King ss warrior.

    What gave him pause, however, was the cauldron that the reedy warrior had just mmed down in the middle of the street.

    For some inexplicable reason, Dorian felt an incredible sense of danger whenever he looked at it. As if that cauldron could threaten his life, in a very real manner.

    ''I can''t refuse him. I''m too far in now.'' His eyes shed, making a decision.

    "As you wish, Alchemist."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "There you are, bastard." A gruff voice whispered as it stared at Dorian''s figure from afar, rumbling out quietly. The familiar figure wore a set of faded brown leather armor and was holding a long, noble-looking red bow.

    A bow that was currently pulled back, the air around it quivering as it zeroed in on Dorian.

    "Super State."

    WHOOOSH

    Leader''s body vibrated with raw energy as his entire physique exploded with strength, activating the Ability all King ss Pride Law users could manipte. His arms and legs bulged as his muscles expanded, a rainbow Aura bursting out around him.

    Leader was currently standing on the World Bridge to Moria, a few miles away from the city of Cracktyl. Despite the great distance between him and ''Lord Inigo'', Leader could urately make out the Shade thanks to both his Super State and his powerful King ss physique, as well as his training as an archer.

    Picking out tiny targets at a great distance was a necessity for an archer like him.

    Arge red arrow began to form, crackling with energy upon the red bow.

    "You may be abnormally strong, Lord Inigo, I''ll give you that¡­ But strength alone will not save you." Leader whispered quietly, his entire body intensely focused on Dorian''s Shade form. The ground beneath him began to visibly crack, rock and dirt thrown into the air.

    The World Bridge to Moria from Shaptle was one that was covered in sweeping forests for much of its length. The portion that connected directly to Shaptle, however, was argely empty rocky valley. Few animals lived here due to theck of shelter or much in the way of resources, beyond a few random Magic Herbs.

    "My new Breaker Empyrean Shot has long since broken into the realm of hypervelocity, able to cross more than 3,000 meters in a single second. In fact, it should be even faster now with my new bow. Even I would most likely die if attacked with it out of the blue." Leader continued, his entire body tensed up as he pulled the bow back as far as possible.

    "All I need is a single moment of carelessness, where your guard is lowered. I''ll only have one shot at this." As Leader went all out, he abruptly froze, his body able to handle the burden of holding the stance for several minutes.

    He began to wait, his eyes locked patiently on Dorian''s figure.

    "Just a single moment¡­"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Quickly, everyone! Did you hear the news?!"

    "Great Hero Lord Inigo is here!"

    "What?! In the city?!"

    "Yeah! He''s in the northern district! The Demon ying Alchemist has challenged him to a duel!"

    "What?!"

    The eyes of a beggar sitting on the side of a street widened imperceptibly as news of Dorian''s arrival spread.

    An instantter, when no one was watching, the figure of that beggar fluttered and then vanished like the wind.

    At the same time, a couple of freshly baked pies sitting on the counter of a certain bakery vanished as well, never to be heard from again¡­

    .

 Chapter 174 Figh

    "Huh!" Dorian exhaled sharply as he took another step forward, his Aura burst forth around him. He drew heavily upon his soul, Law Energy running through his veins.

    In the confrontation, Dorian opted to not use any of the Seven Great Demonic Laws, instead using only the much more holy ones. The Aura that the Demonic Laws gave off was one that shifted and turned, hard for non-practitioners to detect, but there was no reason to risk detection.

    Not when he was in the middle of a popr city that was located right outside a massive demonic ruin, likely full to the brim with Demon experts.

    "Draw your weapon!" Bayran began, ring at Dorian. The air around Bayran crackled sharply, deadly energy from his Law of Cutting rioting in the air.

    Thanks to Bayran''s actions, the street was now empty of civilian onlookers for more than 100 meters. The only people remaining were those with the strength to protect themselves from the aftershocks of any fight.

    The fact that this challenge had gotten so far and was literally happening on the city street cemented Dorian''s guess that this challenge was sanctioned by the leaders of, and Major Powers that influenced, Cracktyl.

    Dorian nced down at the in sword that he had clipped to his waist. The weapon was a strong, reliable one, a low-level Artifact he had acquired that was tough and durable. However, he highly doubted it would survive any serious confrontation with a King ss expert. It wasn''t a powerful Artifact by any means.

    He also was nowhere near as talented with a sword as the legends of him imed.

    "You do not wield the de and I am not here to kill you, Alchemist. Therefore, I shall fight barehanded." He made up an excuse on the spot.

    The onlookers all murmured, observations of how fair and wise Lord Inigo was spreading. None of them seemed put off by the abrupt challenge, taking everything in stride. The warriors in Dorian''s army all nodded as they heard him speak.

    "That''s Lord Inigo for ya."

    "Of course, how could he let anyone fight at a disadvantage?"

    "Sigh, if I was half as brave as Lord Inigo."

    "So kind and wise!"

    Simr conversation could be heard, spreading out across the wide stone street.

    "Are you looking down on me? The greatest King ss Warrior-Alchemist to ever live?" Veins bulged in the reedy Alchemist''s forehead. The Aura around him rippled with sharper, cutting power.

    ''I''m not trying to, dammit! I really am mediocre at best with a sword!'' He internally winced.

    "No, not at all." Dorian responded, shaking his head. Before he could continue speaking, he was cut off.

    "Foolish ''hero.'' You do not need a de to cut! My cauldron here is plenty sharp enough to slice you apart, equal to any sword!" Bayran''s voice was loud as he whipped his oversized cauldron forward, pointing it at Dorian.

    "But¡­ how can a cauldron be sharp? It''s¡­ round?" Dorian held his hands off to the side, at aplete loss.

    "Hmph! You are merely uneducated! My cauldron gains its sharpness from its overwhelming might! Everything thatnds in its path is obliterated by it, like a deadly de!" The Alchemist seemed to have a habit of pontificating and enjoyed hearing himself speak as he lectured Dorian.

    "But that''s not cutting anything¡­ that''s just using it to crush or bash things¡­" Dorian noted out loud.

    "You!! Stop asking so many questions!"

    WHOOSH

    Without waiting, the Warrior-Alchemist Bayran rushed forward, leaping towards Dorian.

    Despite his reedy appearance, the Alchemist moved with skill and strength. The Aura that surrounded him allowed him to move quickly, as if he was slicing through the air. In just an instant, he arrived right a few meters away from Dorian, mming forward with his oversized cauldron. He had used some sort of fast movement technique, a Mystic Martial Art that allowed him to move even more unnaturally fast.

    Dorian''s eyes shed as he instantly responded.

    ''Perfect Body, activate! Mystic Armored Body, Law of Valor, cover me!''

    The world around him lost some of its color as he activated his best defensive powers, raising his hands out in front of him. His entire body tingled with valorous energy and power.

    ''Rumbling Earth: Boulder Breaker!'' He activated one of the few Mystic Martial Arts he had left over from Yukeli,unching forward with a mighty, energy enhanced punch of his own, one he infused with the Law of Mercy.

    With so many people watching, including likely powerful experts from Major Powers, there was no chance that Dorian would dare to draw on any Demonic Laws. Not when they were right next to a famous Demonic Ruin.

    He also made the elective decision to use as few Abilities as possible. He might be able to get away with a few, but the more Abilities he used, the more unexined and inexplicable powers he showed, the more suspicious he would appear. Maintaining his cover was his number one priority.

    ''I also can''t let myself lose this fight, however¡­''

    A split secondter, the oversized cauldron mmed into Dorian''s waiting fists...

    And immediately sted him backwards.

    BOOOOOM

    ''What?!'' Dorian''s mind was awash with confusion as he was knocked backwards, his hands shaking as if a colossal weight had just crashed into him. His Mystic Armored Body Ability managed to dim part of the impact and his Perfected and Valor boosted physique managed to tank another part.

    But not enough to stop himself from being thrown backwards.

    CRASH

    Dorian sailed around a dozen meters before he managed to stamp his foot into the ground, forcibly stopping. The stone street cracked as he threw up great clumps of rock and dirt, his body trembling.

    As he managed to stop himself, he looked down at his chest in actual shock.

    A long, red gash could be seen, dripping blood. It spread from his right shoulder all the way down to his hip.

    "Great Hero!"

    "Oh no!"

    "Holy Highlord!"

    Yells from the onlooking audience, mostly of horror or shock, rang out in concert. Dorian''s army shifted restlessly, the visage of confidence wavering as they saw Dorian be injured. Meanwhile, the Shades on the Warrior-Alchemist''s side all kept their arms crossed, observing silently.

    "Ah, you see the sharpness of my cauldron now? Foolish fake hero! How could you think to measure up to me in a battle of strength? I have done nothing other than strengthen my physique for decades!" Bayran''s voice was cheerful as he stopped attacking, taking another moment to enjoy hearing himself speak.

    "I am an avowed Demon Hunter, my side job from working as an Alchemist. In my journey to wipe out the remnants of the Demon Race that gue the Shade Commune, I came across great wisdom left behind by members of the Great Heroes, true warriors that I respect, unlike you." His voice was full of confidence.

    "Words written by Yukeli of the Absolute and the Wizard King Telmon! That''s right, I''ve read something left behind by even the legendary Great Hero Yukeli himself, my idol!" The Alchemist pped his hands together, a smug look appearing on his face.

    "Telmon theorized to Yukeli that all life was made up of tiny round objects,posed together in grand collections! Yukeli agreed, sharing his own unique insights and knowledge that solidified this theory! While the scrap I found was very iplete and only showed part of their conversation, its knowledge has stuck with me!" Bayron continued, his voice and demeanor confident.

    "And I thought to myself, if even the sharpest of des isposed of tiny round objects, but is still considered sharp¡­ why can''t my trusty Pill Cauldron be sharp too?! From that thought alone, I broke through in the Law of Cutting and achieved King ss!" He finished speaking, the smug look on his face annoyingly present as he tapped upon his cauldron lovingly.

    ''What? But¡­ No, that¡­ That still makes no sense¡­ It''s still round, not sharp...'' Dorian gave up on trying to understand the Alchemist''s logic.

    Dorian looked back at the self-proimed Warrior-Alchemist, his eyes narrow. It seemed that Telmon had discovered the truth about reality, about particle physics, all on his own.

    ''What an incredible genius Telmon was. Is, I mean. He''s still alive, after all. And, of course, Yukeli agreed because he would have had ess to my memories from Earth. He would know it to likely be true here, even if he disdained the memories.'' Dorian could feel his body rapidly regenerating from the injury on his chest thanks to his Constant Regeneration Ability. He called to mind his status, maintaining his silent look at the Warrior-Alchemist.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Good

    Energy: 188,002/218,602

    -

    ''Damn. I can''t take many more hits like that.'' In his Perfect Body state, Dorian''s mind operated at an enhanced rate. As he considered the situation he was in, he made several conclusions.

    ''He''s got an extremely powerful physical body, as he said.'' Energy Levels did not fully reflect the physique of a being. A Dragon with an Energy Level of 1,000,000 and a Shade with an Energy Level of 1,000,000, there was a huge difference between the two. Despite the equal Energy Levels, the Dragon would be vastly stronger.

    This Warrior-Alchemist had trained his body to an abnormal level, likely through the use of Magic Pills and other enhancements. In addition to that, his cauldron operated under some weird use of the Law of Cutting, giving its movements deadly strength.

    If it had just been that, Dorian would''ve been able to at least tank the hit with grace.

    However, the moment the cauldron had mmed into his fists and chest, Dorian had felt a piercing, painful sensation deep in his soul.

    This sensation seemed to react with the energy from the Law of Greed and the Law of Wrath in his soul. As soon as he felt it, the cauldron''s attack seemed to grow much stronger, carrying with it an impact that far exceeded Dorian''s capability to resist.

    ''Damn. Is it a weapon designed to help kill Demons or those using the Demonic Laws? It must be.'' His eyes widened imperceptibly as he reached that conclusion.

    The Warrior-Alchemist before him was almost a perfect counter to Dorian.

    ''I can''t use my Dragonfire here and I don''t have a very good exnation yet for my Hyperion Beams. I can''t use most of my Abilities, not with all these experts watching.'' Dorian''s eyes zed with light and frustration.

    ''So be it.'' His heart grew calm as he focused himself, not allowing his irritation to sway his emotional state.

    ''I have onest card I can y, one that even you won''t be able to counter!''

    His thoughts had covered the span of roughly half a second. In that time, the Warrior-Alchemist had finished speaking and rushed forward at Dorian again.

    "Let''s see if you can take a second blow, foolish fake hero! Give up now, while you still can!" His voice echoed as he yelled at Dorian, Bayran''s body swarming in sharp energy.

    Once more, the reedy fighter''s body blurred and reappeared just a few meters away from Dorian. The movement technique the warrior used was at leastparable to Yukeli''s Thundering Wings: Flush Gale.

    "Holy Highlord!"

    "Nooo!"

    "Careful, Great Hero! Dodge it!"

    "Don''t let it hit you!"

    Shouts of worry and fear echoed forth as the onlooking Shades yelled out in horror. Many of them clutched at their weapons, their bodies rippling with energy as they prepared to jump to Dorian''s defense.

    Dorian ignored them all and stood ready for the attack once more, this time not using a Mystic Martial Art. Instead, as he stood still, he did two things.

    He drew upon his soul,manding Fate to change. His soul vibrated as energy flooded off of it.

    At the same time, he slowly raised his right hand in front of him, in an almostzy, off-hand gesture and spoke aloud to the crowd of onlookers.

    "Sigh, ye of little faith."

    WHOOOOSSH

    For just the briefest instant, so brief that no one alive noticed it, the world around Dorian seemed to shiver.

    And then the impossible happened.

    .

 Chapter 175 Blasting Off Again

    Bayran Handsworth was an expert warrior. He did not reach King ss by mistake. While his antics and personality were a bit odd, in terms of rawbat experience, Bayran grew up alone in the wilderness fighting for his life against various creatures.

    Abandoned at birth on an Exotic World that was gued with remnants of the Demon Race, Bayran learned from a young age how to hide, how to fight, and how to kill. He learned of the importance of Magic Herbs and of great power, and took those two concepts to heart.

    More than 80 years had passed since then, reaching roughly middle age for a normal Shade, and he had achieved all of his goals.

    He cleansed the world he had been born in of Demonic remnants. He became an aplished warrior and an even more talented Alchemist. He was considered one of the rising heroes of the Shade Race, with the potential to reach the Pseudo-Angelic ss.

    If there was one thing he hated most, after Demons and Demonic remnants, it was fools that led other innocent Shades to a pointless death against Demons or Demonic remnants that they did not understand. His memories of his own youth, of the brutal life and death battles that perpetuated in it, had hardened his opinion on this.

    So when he was informed by one of the agents of the Southern Duke of Shadow of Lord Inigo''s actions and how he was merely Lord ss, he had understandably been enraged.

    ''You are an idealistic fool! I don''t care how much you love your wife, I will not allow you to lead these innocents to their deaths! Every powerful Shade lost is a valuable resource given away to the Demons!''

    Bayran''s eyes shed as heshed out with all his might, his powerful Heaven ying Cauldron smashing through the air as it aimed at ''Lord Inigo''s'' chest.

    Just as he was about tond his second blow, one he felt might be sufficient to force ''Lord Inigo'' to step down, the impossible happened.

    The cauldron was mere inches away from Lord Inigo''s hands when Bayran''s footnded in a small rut in the ground, a hole that had been created when Dorian mmed his feet into the ground to stop himself from flying away.

    Bayran''s full attention had been on his target before him, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t aware of his surroundings. His training and life as a whole meant he had excellent situational awareness.

    Only, this small rut in the ground had actually been obscured from his vision for a split second by a particle of rocky dust that had floated in front of his eyes, just for an instant. A passing piece of debris that shouldn''t have had any effect.

    But because of this brief instant where his vision was covered, he missed noticing the rut in the ground.

    "Huh?!"

    WHOOOSH

    As his foot caught on the rut in the ground, Bayran, somehow, despite his long years of training and skillful technique, lost his bnce, almost as if Fate was ying a trick on him. He slipped and began to fall forward at an elerated rate.

    "Woah!" As Bayran felt this, he immediately pulled down with his cauldron, trying to counteract the force of his foot mming in and digging into the ground. His skillful movement was able to just barely let him step forward instead of mming down into the ground.

    However, because he was already leading forward with a powerful attack, using his special Heaven ying Cauldron which weighed several thousand pounds, his cauldron instead shifted, the huge weight and force behind it causing him to fly upward. He couldn''t just stop an attack of this scale out of the blue.

    This had the unfortunate side effect of throwing Bayran high into the air, causing him to somersault over Dorian.

    "Ahhhh!" Bayran let out an astonished scream as he flew almost three dozen meters high into the air, sailing through the sky until he crashed down on a local bakery, sting through the roof. A few panicked cries of Shade civilians could be heard as they fled from the shop.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Leader frowned as he watched the developingbat between his target and some other, unknown Shade. His focus was drawn tight as he saw everything, waiting for a single moment when his target''s guard was clearly down.

    "Huh¡­ Did he redirect the force of the blow and send the other Shade flying?"

    Leader frowned again as he saw Lord Inigo toss the other Shade aside. For an instant, it almost looked as if the Shade had somehow tripped and somersaulted on his own through the air.

    But such a thing would be ridiculous. His eyes must''ve been ying a trick on him, maybe through some weird technique by Lord Inigo.

    "Damn vile bastard! I''ll kill you here and now!" Leader swore, his eyes hardening.

    Despite that, he couldn''t shake the feeling that this scene seemed oddly familiar...

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ''Well, that''s a new one.'' Dorian forced himself to not grin as he watched everything unfold, maintaining his powerful and austere air.

    "Wooo! Lord Inigo!"

    "Did you see that?! He just deflected the attack like it was nothing!!"

    "With his bare hands! His bare hands!!"

    Cheers and shouts sounded off from the Shades on Dorian''s side, while all the other Shades looked on in surprise, jaws dropped and eyes opened wide.

    "Hehe, of course! He is the Holy Highlord that will wipe out the Demonic Ruins, on a grand mission to save his dearly beloved!" Fabian''s voice boomed as he spoke loudly.

    He then turned to Ayra and Horbold, the other two of the three Captains of the Moria Liberation Force, and said in a whisper,

    "I never doubted him for a moment, understand!" He red at the two of them as if daring them to say otherwise.

    Unfortunately, Fabian''s whisper was the equivalent of a loud shout. Dorian rolled his eyes as he heard this, focusing back on the now emerging Warrior-Alchemist.

    "You!! You bastard! How did you do this?!" Bayran was covered in sticky baked products, his reedy frame practically a sweet shop in its own right. The colorful jams and bread that decorated his body made him look rather ridiculous.

    "How?!" He yelled, absolutely infuriated.

    As Bayran blew apart arge collection of baked goods, including a rather sizable contingent of freshly baked pies, a quiet, annoyed huff could just barely be heard, as if an observer saw this and was displeased.

    Dorian couldn''t me him for being angry. After all, his powers weren''t exactly fair, not that that had ever bothered him.

    It had cost him roughly 4,000 points of energy to redirect the powerful Alchemist''s movements ever so slightly, causing a chain reaction that sent him flying in the air. By framing hismand and order in just the right way, he was able to minimize cost while maximizing the result, something he''d gained from his personal experience manipting Fate.

    If nothing else, Dorian could be considered the most skilled Anomaly when it came to manipting Fate.

    "I do not want to seriously injure you. You and I, we are one and the same, Bayran. We both are here to wipe out the remnants of Demons on Moria." Dorian''s voice contained a certain level of wisdom, his Valorous Aura giving his words a powerful impact.

    "I-I-I¡­" Bayran stuttered, ring at Dorian in an uprehending rage.

    "Absolutely not! That was nothing but a fluke!" Bayran''s body vanished once more as he charged at Dorian, flinging through the air. Bits of jam and bread slipped off his body as he charged, flung off him due to the wind pressure his movements caused.

    ''Fate, help me out again!''

    BOOM

    Dorian just barely managed to sidestep Bayran''s charge as the powerful Warrior-Alchemist flew past him, his cauldron tearing a ten meter long gouge in the paved stone road, throwing up shards of rock and dust.

    ''Who is going to fix that? Do you have any idea how much it costs to pave a road?!'' Dorian red at the Alchemist, his opinion of the man dropping.

    ''I mean, I don''t know either, but I know it''s not cheap! How dare you waste taxpayer funding!'' He couldn''t help but feel indignant. Magical and mighty people all too often seemed to forget the woes of themon folk.

    ''Come on, Fate, I need to stop him without killing him, I can''t risk offending the big powers in this city! Bend to my will!'' Dorian''s soul seemed to writhe with energy as he stared at the Alchemist, mentally enforcing his will on reality.

    The only other options Dorian could think of were far too risky to use with so many people watching. While his own subordinates might trust him blindly, any powerful observers here likely would be suspicious if he used too many of his standout Abilities.

    He considered trying to absorb the cauldron since it was an Artifact, but tossed that thought aside as well. He''d need to ce his hands on it and take a second to absorb it. For that to happen, though, he''d need to stop it and hold on, something that seemed impossible to do without causing severe injury right now.

    That, and he wasn''t sure if absorbing it here with so many potentially powerful experts watching would give anything away. It was yet another risk he wasn''t willing to take, not with Helena so vulnerable. All of these chains weighing his actions down frustrated him enormously.

    ''Do as Imand, Fate!''

    WHOOOOSH

    Energy fled from his soul in a wave.

    In a single second, he spent more than 5,000 points of Energy.

    At the same time, Dorian felt more than saw something. A string of knowledge, of information, appeared in his mind.

    Information about Fate itself. This information was vague and restricted to an unclear feeling on what he should do. But it was enough to help point him in the right direction.

    Dorian leapt backwards, positioning himself in a specific area between the distant World Bridge and the Warrior-Alchemist. His eyes shed as he pped his hands together hard, causing arge gust of wind to spread out.

    This strange action caused the pursuing warrior to pause staring at Dorian in confusion.

    "Bayran! This is yourst warning! If you truly make me act, I cannot promise that you will survive! I do not want to harm you!" Dorian''s voice shook the air as he spoke, full of potent power. It was filled with such confidence that his threat sounded like a certainty, causing some of the weaker-willed Shade onlookers to faint.

    The soldiers in his makeshift army all shivered, looking at Dorian with worship in their eyes. The various onlookers all stared as well, curiosity and interest filling their hearts. Everyone wanted to see Lord Inigo''s true power.

    "Hmph! You are nothing more than a sham! Do you honestly think you can harm me?!" Bayran whipped his cauldron in front of him protectively as he spoke. Despite his apparent disdain for Dorian, the rumors of Lord Inigo''s deadly prowess, as well as the weird technique that made him trip, had made the Warrior-Alchemist uneasy.

    "You are forcing my hand." Dorian shook his head sadly, his voice full of genuine regret.

    At the same time, his hand drifted till it rested upon the hilt of his sheathed sword.

    A sudden hush stole over the street as everyone stared, watching Dorian''s actions intensely. Not a single soul present would dare take their eyes from what they were about to see, hidden experts galore waiting with bated breath.

    "Hahaha, you think your little de can break my Heaven ying Cauldron?! This was an Artifact forged with the help of the Wise Lady herself, one of the Five Great Heroes! Nothing in the 30,000 Worlds can shatter it!" Bayran twisted the cauldron in front of himself, still holding it out protectively.

    "I can tell the de you have in that sheath is nothing special! A low-level Artifact, probably crafted by an apprentice! I could buy a thousand of them casually!" As Bayran continued to speak, he thumped his chest proudly, the powerful Aura around him rippling. His entire body hunched forward as he prepared to defend himself, extremely focused on Dorian.

    "Do not measure a warrior by his de, but rather, by his skill. The lightest branch can shatter even the greatest mountain in the right hands." Dorian''s words sounded as if they were full of mysterious wisdom and not something he made up to sound cool.

    Bayran''s heart shivered with anticipation as he heard this.

    ''Is he truly a super genius..? Did I misjudge him?'' He even began to doubt himself as he hid behind his cauldron, his powerful Aura unrelenting.

    "GRRR!" Despite his worries, Bayran bravely rushed forward, his Heaven ying Cauldron covering almost his entire body as he sted towards Dorian. If nothing else, he was not a coward.

    Dorian simply sighed, shaking his head.

    "So be it."

    He closed his eyes and drew upon his soul,manding Fate to twist.

    ''What is it I need to do, Fate? Quickly, tell me!'' He could tell that his actions had changed Fate somehow, in an imperceptible way. Only, he wasn''t exactly sure what he needed to do next.

    WHOOSH

    Energy fled from his soul once more. This time, a huge, massive amount of energy.

    50,000 points in a single moment.

    As this energy swept by, inspiration suddenly struck Dorian, his eyes opening wide.

    He crossed gazes with the charging King ss expert.

    And then, without hesitation, activated the Thundering Wings: Flush Gale movement technique to take an excessively fast, but also very short, single step backwards.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Gotcha." Leader''s eyes shed as he saw the Shade known as Lord Inigo stand still to talk.

    SHWICK

    He released the arrow from his bow.

    "Breaker Empyrean Shot."

    WHOOOOOOOSH

    An arrow made of condensed energy and light shed forward with enough destructive power to level a mountain, piercing through the air itself. This arrow, unlike Leader''s normal Empyrean Shot, was sharply pointed with an arrowhead that twisted like a drill.

    Instead of creating a massive, thousand meter wide explosion, this arrow would pierce forward, melting through the air and anything in between. A pointed, direct strike, the result of his own research and practice. A technique he created himself.

    This bolt of energy moved forward so quickly its speed was difficult to fathom.

    On Earth, a normal arrow shot from a good bow would typically fly through the air at speed between 100 and 200 meters per second.

    A bullet fired from a gun would typically shoot forward at anywhere from 500 to 800 meters per second.

    Leader''s Breaker Empyrean Shot moved forward at speed of roughly 3300 meters per second from his new bow, around 10% faster than his regr Empyrean Shot. That meant it was moving forward at speeds 4 to 6 times faster than a speeding bullet.

    It moved so incredibly quick that it was almost physically impossible to dodge, even for extremely powerful figures. Leader was a powerful King ss warrior who had put everything he had into this attack.

    The fact that Yukeli had managed to redirect one of Leader''s original Empyrean Shots despite possessing a vastly weaker body didn''t mean it was an easy attack to block.

    Rather, that was a testament to the freakish skill and talent that Yukeli possessed when it came to martial techniques. He was absolutely unmatched.

    Indeed, this attack moved so fast that even the secretly spying Excelsior Gamin, a Pseudo-Angelic expert who was hiding in the shadows and watching the ongoing battle, was unable to detect the attack until after it had been fired and alreadynded. Unlike Leader''s normal Empyrean Shot, his Breaker Empyrean Shot was incredibly self-contained.

    In a single split moment, his attack covered the distance from the World Bridge he was standing on all the way to the depths of Cracktyl City.

    As he released the arrow, his entire body was blown down into the World Bridge, forming a small crater. The bacsh from the explosive technique was enormous, causing the earth to crack and twist for hundreds of meters. Dirt and debris were thrown into the air, crowding Leader''s vision.

    But not before he saw his energy arrow pierce all the way through the air¡­

    And miss.

    "Huh?! What?!" Leader couldn''t believe his eyes.

    In the exact moment that he hadmitted to releasing his attack, firing it off¡­

    His Shade target had taken a step back for some odd reason. But the step was not a normal step. If it had been, his attack still would''vended fine.

    Instead, it seemed as if Lord Inigo had used some high level movement technique to move almost instantly.

    But only to move a single step backwards.

    "Who does that?!" Leader''s eyes fluttered as the full bacsh from using the overwhelmingly powerful attack hit his body, almost causing him to faint.

    If the Shade had taken arge leap backwards or made any big movement at all, Leader would''ve been able to react and readjust at thest second. But because he only took a tiny, minute step, Leader had been caught off guard and missed.

    Leader forced himself to stay conscious and began running up the World Bridge to escape, cursing in his heart at Lord Inigo''s ridiculous luck.

    ''Did he somehow detect my attack?! Even a Pseudo-Angelic ss being should''ve been taken by surprise! Whaat kind of monster is he?!'' Leader''s thoughts were in shambles as he fled, a newfound seed of fear nted in his heart.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    WHOOOOOOSH

    Leader''s Breaker Empyrean Shot melted through the air and pierced exactly where Dorian''s heart had been, just a moment ago, before he stepped backwards.

    A microsecondter, it continued to pierce forward.

    Right into the waiting Heaven yer Cauldron of a certain charging Shade.

    THUNK

    The energy arrow hit the cauldron.

    Bright lights shed as the powerful Artifact interacted with the Demonic energy present in Leader''s arrow. This artifact truly was a legendary one built by one of the greatest geniuses in the 30,000 Worlds. Despite the colossal force in the arrow, it was unable to pierce through the bottom of the cauldron.

    Of course, that didn''t mean the gargantuan amount of force behind the arrow disappeared. The impact was redirected and reduced slightly, but impossible to neutralize.

    "AHHHHHHHHHH!" A panicked yell burst out from the lips of the aplished and well-respected Warrior-Alchemist Bayran as he was knocked backwards and then flung up into the air.

    "Oh dear."

    Dorian watched as the famous Shade turned into a tiny speck in the sky and then vanish, flung so far away that he couldn''t even see his figure.

    A stunned silence filled the street as every single person on it looked at Dorian in sheer shock and awe.

    "I couldn''t even see him move his arm, let alone his de!"

    .

 Chapter 176 Impressed

    "Incredible¡­" Excelsior Gamin muttered, his eyes widening.

    "How did he manage to predict that surprise attack? Even I was unable to sense it." The powerful Pseudo-Angelic figure was standing in the shadows of a small tower about 200 meters distant. He was using a unique Wind Magic Spell that allowed him to listen and see through the wind, letting him observe from afar.

    He was the only person present that was able to sense the blinding arrow of energy that blew the famed Demon Hunter Bayran away.

    In that same moment, however, he also managed to detect a sliver of the energy imbued into that arrow.

    While the energy in the arrow was extremely self-contained and concentrated, Excelsior Gamin was a Pseudo-Angelic ss expert that had mastered the Law of Wind. He was able to cast his awareness into the wind itself, sensing almost everything within a certain range.

    "That attack¡­ it was Demonic in nature." The Excelsior''s eyes shed darkly as he turned to look at the World Bridge to Moria, a breeze starting to stir around his body, swelling with energy. He had been in a fantastic mood recently thanks to hearing about the young hero Lord Inigo. After listening to the many tales told of him, he had secretly be a fan. This abrupt attack had ruined that mood.

    "Is Moria bing active again? Was the attack a response because of the young hero''s Fate? Is this his destiny?" After a moment, the powerful Excelsior paused.

    Among all Pseudo-Angelic ss experts, Excelsior Gamin was not one of the mighty ranked on the Recording of Might. Not all Pseudo-Angelic ss experts were listed. Only the strongest known 49.

    In terms of raw numbers, the total number of Pseudo-Angelic ss experts, among the trillions and trillions of beings in the 30,000 Worlds, certainly exceeded 49.

    The upper limit was quite small, however. Likely less than 500, perhaps even smaller. The difficulty in reaching this stage of power was excessively difficult, but the sheer number of beings in existence meant there were bound to be some number.

    The fact that there were only 8 known Angelic ss experts was proof in itself of the sheer freakish talent it took to reach that stage.

    As for those that reached the Ascendant ss¡­ No one known to be alive had achieved that ss.

    "¡­I should not meddle with his Fate¡­ His destiny is his own to control. If he is destined to be the destroyer of the Blighted World of Moria, it is not my ce to change that¡­" After his moment of pause, the swelling energy that surrounded the Excelsior seemed to calm. He turned away from the World Bridge, shaking his head.

    "However, an attack of such scale would injure even me¡­ I can''t just let the potential Angel of the Church walk to his death¡­ But, then again, he managed to dodge it, something even I would''ve failed to do if my guard was down¡­" The elderly man went back and forth, his body swaying as he talked to himself.

    "Hmmmm¡­ Inner peace¡­ Inner peace¡­ Inner peace¡­" He took several deep breaths, calming himself down.

    "I only came out here to test him and see if he truly could represent the Church. Just by looking at him, I can sense the honor and valor he carries himself with. He is a true hero." Excelsior Gamin was extremely confident in his judgment call.

    "However, you can never be too sure. He dide up only as Neutral. Was it because of the distance?" He rubbed at his bald head. Reading someone''s Fate across manys was always a difficult task, even when using powerful Artifacts as aids.

    After a moment''s pause, he tapped on a small ring he was wearing. A momentter, a fist-sized bell appeared in his hand, one that glowed very faintly.

    "The Haydo Truth Seeing Bell is much more effective when seeking the truth over a short range, not through multiples. Bishop Das oversees the Church here and is talented in Light Magic." Gamin nodded his head sharply as he made a decision.

    "If hees up Neutral again, I''ll help him slightly to point him in the right direction. If hees up Good, I will gift him one of my personal Artifacts to guard him. If hees up Evil¡­" His voice paused,

    "If hees up Evil, I will confront him and kill him myself."

    "..."

    "...but first, let''s go nab some of those pies before they''re all gone...hehe..."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The ostensible ruler of Shaptle was a Shade known as Lord Calvier, the City Lord of Shaptle. Lord Calvier was a loyal knight under the Southern Duke of Shadow, Duke Barmo. He lived in arge mansion at the center of the city, with tworge towers on either end.

    In one of theserge, grey stone towers, two figures could be seen at the very top, on the open roof.

    One was that of a Shade wearing a long green robe, with finely manicured fingers and a rather weak looking face. He had a weak chin, a small nose, and eyes looked downcast.

    He was the Third Shadow Captain, Kanto Ren, one of the 5 strongest Shades under Duke Barmo, and a powerful King ss Wizard.

    In his hands was a folding telescope, one he put down from his face with a frown.

    "Oho, not the results you were expecting, eh Kanto?" The other figure on the roof said, a voice full of cheer and glee, as if taking pleasure in Kanto''s displeasure.

    The speaker was a gruff looking human wearing a vest of grey metal armor that seemed almost grafted to his skin. He looked to be in his mid-50s with a handsome face marred by arge scar tugging down the center of his lips and chin. He had short blonde hair and calm green eyes. On his back was arge pair of hammers, strapped into his armor.

    "He is far stronger than I thought, it''s true, Ander. To send Bayran flying with a move so quick even I couldn''t see it¡­ his fast-draw technique is extremely powerful. I have never seen anything like it." Kanto''s voice was calm, betraying none of his annoyance.

    "For a Lord ss Shade to be so powerful¡­ no wonder the Church has paid so much attention to him. He''s the real deal." Kanto continued and then sighed, his face twisting in a frown.

    "Bahaha, indeed! Though, you with your Magic and me with my Mountain Hammers, we could easily do the same thing. Bayran is strong and good at killing Demonic remnants, but his skill is stillcking due to all the focus he puts into Alchemy." As the cheerful human spoke, a powerful King ss Aura rippled out from him, one that was incredibly dense and powerful, an Aura of Might that was incredibly strong. A Late King ss Aura that stood at the very peak, just a step away from Pseudo-Angelic.

    "Who knows, maybe that young hero really will clear out Moria! I like him!" Ander Borko, the Mercenary Leader of the A+ Ranked Borko Mercenaries, the group guarding the Superior Auction of Shaptle and a team considered one of the closest to achieving S Rank, continued,ughing loudly as he stepped to the edge of the tower.

    "I''ll be at the Auction House if you have anything else interesting to share! Bahahaha!"

    Kanto watched with distaste as the local leader of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance threw himself off the tower with abandon. A gradual silence covered the tower as the Shadow Captain was left alone.

    "I better contact Duke Barmo before I take further action." Kanto sighed, feeling depressed. How could he have known that Lord Inigo was so freakishly strong despite being only Lord ss? He would need to reevaluate any future ns he put into ce at the behest of the Duke.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ''Where in the world did thate from? Was that purely because of Fate, or something else?!'' Dorian''s first thought was on the st of energy that had shot past him and knocked the Alchemist away. He felt more than saw the attacking thanks to Fate, but he still didn''t actually know what it was from. He couldn''t detect any energying off of it due to its sheer speed and it left behind no remnants.

    ''Was it aimed at me?!'' He tossed the thought away for now, deciding to mull over itter as he nced around at the onlookers.

    "Incredible!"

    "Wooo! Lord Inigo!"

    "Heavens Above! What skill!"

    A deluge of cheers broke out as everyone came to their senses, the shocked silence falling away. pping and apuse broke out as people resumed their chants in support of Lord Inigo, as if nothing had changed.

    Dorian, meanwhile, looked at the badly mangled street with a frown. It was exactly as he had expected. Their duel had caused a great amount of damage, obstructing the main part of the road.

    ''Do mighty people really not care at all?'' He could understand fighting out in the woods or on a World Bridge. But a city street? He sighed. Maybe they could use Magic to fix the damage quickly, this was a rather affluent city after all.

    It still rubbed him the wrong way.

    The various Shades that had been on Bayran''s side all looked at Dorian, fear and awe on their faces. The biggest visible emotion, however, was one of respect.

    As they saw Dorian frown, several of the Shades visibly wilted, looking down in shame. How could they dare to doubt the mighty and courageous Lord Inigo? He had even been so kind as to try and avoid harming Demon Hunter Bayran, doing everything to avoid having to attack seriously.

    "Oh Great Hero, we beg your forgiveness. Our foolishness caused us to believe you were a sham and we are-" The group of Shades bowed almost in unison as one of the stronger ones, a Pseudo-King expert, came forward apologizing.

    "It is fine. Rise, rise. I don''t do the whole bowing thing." Dorian cut the Shade off, waving his hand at them. He already felt bad enough for tricking them, there was no way he''d let them start prostrating themselves.

    The Shades all stood up, tears glimmering in their eyes for Lord Inigo''s great magnanimity. Dorian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Was he really that convincing?

    "That''s right! How could you doubt our Great Hero? The Holy Highlord is far above the likes of you!" A booming voice from behind shook the air as Captain Fabian stepped forward, his demeanor bold and proud.

    "Brother, we were wrong! Allow us to redeem ourselves!" The Pseudo-King ss speaker for the Shades began,

    "We originally travelled here to join Lord Inigo''s army to wipe out the Blighted World! We were led astray, but we have returned to the righteous path!"

    "Hear, hear!"

    "We must wipe out the Demons!"

    Cheers broke out from the previously wilting Shades as they regained their fire, the original reason they were here flowering once more. None of these Shades had a weak will. All of them had originallye to Shaptle to join an army headed to wage war against the Demonic remnants of Moria, after all. Such a mission was not one for the faint of heart.

    "Well, that is-" Fabian began, but also was cut off as Dorian broke in,

    "Every Shade will be needed in the battle against the Demons. Any righteous Shade that will stand by my side is one that is wee to join us!" Dorian''s voice boomed out with authority and power, swaying any onlookers.

    Internally, Dorian nodded his head. He was using the Shades, it was true, but they were also using him.

    Destroying any Demonic remnants on Moria woulde with huge rewards. Whether that was through merit and gaining repute, something he could use to gain things to heal Helena, or directly through treasure.

    It was a win-win situation. He would help the Shades wipe out whatever Demonic remnants were left and get his own rewards in return. Besides, almost all actual Demons were evil in one way or another. Most of them preyed upon innocents, using the Demonic Laws for vile purposes.

    Not all practitioners of the Demonic Laws were evil. But most Demons were, though exceptions always existed.

    Back when the Demon Race was flourishing, they were constantly invading other worlds. The Demons were a Race built for battle, one that took pleasure in the pain or suffering they caused. They were hunters and they considered every other Race, or sometimes even members of their own Race, prey. The sadistic ughter they left in their wake was well known.

    Dorian could still vividly recall a scene from Yukeli''s memories, a time in his youth when his family had been brutally killed, his brother nailed to a cross and left out to die, alongside thousands of other innocents.

    ''If there are remnants on Moria that are anything like that, killing them all will be a pleasure.'' His eyes shed darkly.

    "Wooo Great Hero!"

    "We will kill all the Demons!"

    "Praise the Great Hero Lord Inigo!"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Dorian looked around the stately inn room, smiling.

    The room was extravagant, with a luxurious silk bed, cool blue silk curtains, expensive paintings on the walls, a massive ancient wood bed frame, and a whole host of other fancy amenities. The room had clearly had no expense spared in its creation.

    He, and the rest of his army, had just moved into arge number of rooms at a couple of expensive inns located in the central area of the town.

    The owners of the inns had rented the rooms out to Dorian''s army free of charge once it heard of their mission and the fact that the Great Hero Lord Inigo was moving with them.

    Demonic remnants would asionally pour out of Moria onto the World Bridge, usually in the form of specters, ghosts, or mutant creatures. These proved to be a natural danger to anyone that wasn''t a mighty expert, making the area near the World Bridge to Moria a dangerous ce to live.

    The Superior Auction''s location here was partly because of the unique draw of Moria, but mostly out of convenience. Shaptle was a world that was located in a sweet spot between the Dukes and the Church. The Southern Duke of Shadow, the Eastern Duke, the Western Duke, and the Central Duke, all of them had bases located rtively close to this Superior Auction.

    While the Church of Light had a Superior Auction located right in its home base, this Superior Auction happened to be in a rtively good location as well, near one of the 12 Archbishop Dioceses. Archbishops were second only to the Excelsiors of the Church in authority and power.

    The Holy Prince also held great authority and strength, but he wasn''t included directly in any line of power. He had the potential to seed the High Priest, but until then, he had little authority in terms of the clergy.

    Dorian shook these thoughts from his head as he looked over to the bed, his heart beating heavily with worry.

    Helena had fallen into a deep slumber again. Her face had grown paler and even gained a sickly air, as if she was truly ill.

    This wasn''t a cover or disguise. This was her true state of being currently. As she fought to heal herself, Helena had told Dorian that her injury appeared to be worse than it seemed in a manner she couldn''t fully understand.

    She needed to receive treatment.

    ''But I can''t just take her to get healed.'' He thought, feelings of frustration welling in him.

    ''Not when I''m in enemy territory. The Shades are literally at war with her kind. I need to maintain our cover and get her powerful healing medicine.''

    He clenched his fists. He rxed them as he walked over to the bed, looking at the sleeping vampire.

    "Rest easy, Helena." He put his hand on hers, making sure she was tucked in andfortable.

    "I''ll get you healed soon."

    It was time to visit the Superior Auction while there was still time left in the evening.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Ah yes, Lord Inigo! You''re interested in the dancers?"

    "I believe it''s a style of dance that has be quite popr among the Mercenary Alliance. It is said to have first been discovered by a crew working on the World Bridge to Taprisha."

    "It requires considerable coordination and talent for high level dancers and is one of the hottest topics among the youth right now. I believe it''s called ''Country Two Step!''"

    .

 Chapter 177 Superior Moon Auction House

    Dorian''s eyes widened imperceptibly as he stared at the sight before him.

    Just a few minutes ago, he had been on his way to the one of the official Superior Golden Moon Auction Houses, the famed branch of Auction Houses that hosted all Superior Auctions throughout the 30,000 Worlds. It was mid tote evening, with daylight slowly fading around him.

    He had opted to move on his own, after asking Fabian to set up some guards to protect his room. He wouldn''t risk leaving Helena unprotected, not in her current state. The Shades had all willingly agreed, proud to help serve the Great Hero Lord Inigo.

    The fading light tried to paint the city a morose tone. However, Shaptle was a unique city. Dozens of magical lights could be seen, hung across roads and streets, connected from roof to roof.

    This meant that even in the darkest of nights, the city would still bear light. While it wasn''t particrly bright, it was enough to see, and added a certain serene beauty to the city.

    Dorian moved through the city quickly, taking little time to take in the sights. He passed by regr people in a blur, speeding along without running into anyone.

    In just a short amount of time, he found himself inside a central square, right next to arge building.

    A building sorge it was practically a mansion and not just a building, dominated the center of this square. It waspletely made up of grey granite, with a foreboding but also brutalistic appearance. On the top of therge, blockish facility, was arge stone carving of a crescent moon.

    The sinctly named Superior Moon Auction House, one of the official Superior Golden Moon Auction Houses, located in the Central Square at the heart of the city. Dorian had obtained directions on how to get here before he left.

    The rest of the square was dominated by more stately looking buildings, used for governance or other functions.

    Dorian could sense multiple powerful Auras inside the building in front of him. He could also sense several odd energy permutations. There was clearly Magic of some kind protecting and covering the Superior Moon Auction House from head to toe.

    After a moment of observation, he moved forward without hesitation towards a set of solemn-looking stone doors. Several decidedly human guards could be seen standing outside these doors with bored looks on their faces. They were d in golden outfits and only eyed Dorian briefly as he walked past them before nodding at him respectfully.

    -

    Species: Human

    ss - Grandmaster ss (Pseudo-Lord)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,108

    -

    Species: Human

    ss - Grandmaster ss (Pseudo-Lord)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,356

    -

    Species: Human

    ss - Grandmaster ss (Pseudo-Lord)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1,997

    -

    ''They''re all Pseudo-Lord humans, huh? They certainly didn''t cheap out on even basic guards.'' He observed. The fact that even the door guards were Pseudo-Lord ss showed the wealth and presence of the Auction House.

    "Greetings! Wee to the Superior Moon Auction House!" As soon as Dorian moved through therge stone door, he was immediately greeted by another human, a young looking Master ss woman d in a long, golden dress with a moon stitched into it.

    "Thank you." Dorian''s response was smooth and graceful as he smiled back, ying the part of Lord Inigo as he nced around.

    The interior of the Superior Moon Auction House was far more luxurious than the exterior.

    The entrance was arge, carpeted room with a desk at the front and several couches and chairsnguidly set off to the side. Several Shades could be seen milling about, as could several humans, the only two species present.

    "How can I help you?" The attendant continued to respond, smiling at him cheerfully.

    "Is there a list of what is going to be auctioned? I''d like to peruse it." As Dorian replied, he could hear whispers and people turning to point at him, spreading throughout the room. It seemed he had be a rather familiar figure.

    "Yes, of course!" Dorian was constantly releasing a powerful, Valorous Aura while he was here. This made his strength eminently clear such that it needed no questioning whether or not he was capable enough to bid on anything.

    The Auction House had strict rules and regtions. People below Master ss were actually banned from attending Superior Auctions, though not because they were being willfully discriminated against.

    In the past, there had been incidents of powerful shing Auras from various King ss and even Pseudo-Angelic ss figures as they argued over one item or another. To people below the Master ss, things like this could cause one to die outright.

    Thus, to prevent that, the Auction House limited those that could even enter it.

    The guards standing watch outside had sensed that Dorian had an Aura, a unique trait of those at the Lord ss or higher, and thus had not interfered with him.

    "Please, this way." The smiling attendant led Dorian out of the main room, away from staring eyes, and down a hallway off to his left. The hallway was equally resplendent, decorated with glowing crystals, tapestries, and ornate sculptures.

    In just a few short moments he found himself in a small room with severalrge tables spread out in it. Several guards and attendants could be seen standing off on the side of this room, while a small number of guests were perusing the tables.

    "Each table contains a list of various objects ted to appear in the Superior Auctioning upter this month!" The attendant bowed as she finished leading Dorian, giving him a small nod.

    "Got it. Thanks." Dorian thanked her as she backed away and left the room, returning to the front.

    He walked forward on his own, moving up to one of the tables. He began to read over one of the spread out lists.

    Red Onyx Enameled Spear - B+ Ranked. A powerful Artifact created by a Magic cksmith of considerable talent, this spear is said to be able to pierce through anything in existence. However, to wield the spear effectively, one must use Magic or follow a Law rted to Earth or Fire, to some degree.

    Energizing Elixir Pill - B Ranked. A heavenly Pill that can help a Grandmaster ss being break through to Lord ss. The base requirement is that the user has at least touched upon and sensed one Law or another, in some capacity. There are no side effects and the effectiveness is roughly 99.99%.

    Morning Star Flying Ship - A- Ranked. An extremely powerful Flying Ship that is able to transport up to 300 beings of Humanoid size with ease. This Flying Shipes equipped with multiple protective permanent Spells including 6 Lord ss Earth Rampart Formations, 1 King ss Spatial Distortion Field, 2 King ss Wind Enhancement Casters, and 4 Lord ss Barrier Shields.

    Dorian looked from exhibit to exhibit, his eyes growingrger andrger.

    The Superior Moon Auction House ranked Artifacts using the same scale that they ranked their mercenary teams. In the 30,000 Worlds, there was no singr or universal way of ranking Artifacts. Different cultures designated them differently, with some cultures not differentiating rankings at all.

    ''A Pill that can allow someone to break through the wall that is Grandmaster ss with a 99.99% effectiveness rate is only B Ranked?'' He frowned as he saw this. This was a powerful Pill, but if it was only B Ranked, how high Ranked would a Pill that could heal injuries to the soul be? Even further, how expensive would that be?

    The list of treasures here seemed truly fantastic, even from the small number he had seen thus far. Coming to the Superior Moon Auction House seemed like it would be the right decision.

    He turned to the side, ncing at one of the attendants on the wall. Most of them were human, though a few were Shades. He waved over at one of the female ones, causing her to walk forward. She was one of the younger looking humans, with long blonde hair and a pretty smile.

    "Yes, sir? Can I help you?" Her voice was respectful.

    "Are there any Pills in the Auction House that can treat injuries to the soul?" He cut right to the chase.

    The woman paused for a moment as her eyes grew unfocused, checking her memory. After a moment, the woman nodded.

    "Yes, sir. The uing quarterly Auction happens in just a couple of weeks, there is confirmed to be a small number of Pills that can be used to treat injuries to the soul. Specifically, so far, a batch of Soul Karma Pills, two separate Divine Light Pills, and one Reformation Pill." She listed off a few names, her voice sure and confident.

    "Exin each." Dorian''s eyes were cool as he maintained his authoritative air.

    "Soul Karma Pills are legendary B+ Ranked Pills that can change Fate, infusing one''s soul with arge amount of powerful life force. This essence can be used to heal from injuries to the soul, but is moremonly used when preparing to break into the King ss. They are effective for anyone below King ss."

    "A Ranked Divine Light Pills are made specifically to increase the strength of one''s soul, but also have the side effect of healing injuries to the soul,bining powerful Light Magic with expensive and rare Natural Treasures. They are effective for anyone below Pseudo-Angelic ss."

    "Reformation Pills are A Ranked Pills made specifically to treat an injured or wounded soul. These Pills are infused with Healing Magic that targets injuries and fills them in, perfectly recing wounded essence and leaving a soul as if it was never injured in the first ce, toughening and strengthening it. They are effective for anyone below Pseudo-Angelic ss."

    In just a few short breaths, the attendant exined the main point of each Pill. Dorian nodded as he heard it, his mind going over the information.

    "If I wish to purchase one of these Pills before the Auction goes live, would that be possible?" He asked a followup question.

    The attendant nodded again,

    "The Superior Moon Auction House prides itself in finding buyers and sellers. You will have to pay a nominal finder''s fee, but apart from that, we can indeed set you up with the seller."

    "However, some sellers prefer to sell their wares directly in the Auction House and do not ept offers from people trying to contact them."

    "Alright. Onest question." Dorian responded, looking back at the list, frowning ever so slightly,

    "How expensive would a B+ or A Ranked Pill be?"

    The attendant promptly replied back, without a hint of irritation or annoyance,

    "Most Ranked treasures, whether they be Artifacts, Pills, manuals, or other items, are usually traded for simrly Ranked treasures, or a collection of lower Ranked treasures. Some traders will be willing to ept forms of currency, especially Golden Shields from the Borrel Autarchy, but most people thate here are looking for specific items or goods, or, at the minimum, goods that are Ranked simr to their own but more useful to them."

    After she finished replying, Dorian thanked her and waved her off, his mind going over the new info.

    ''Huh, so most people onlye here when they are looking for something specific or something of equal value. Yeah, that makes sense.'' He had a small number of Golden Shields, but he nned on using those to further his understanding of various Laws.

    As for rare Artifacts or treasures¡­ he didn''t really have much. At the least, he was certain he had nothingparable to anything on the list before him.

    ''I really will need to search for treasure on Moria.'' His eyes shed as he renewed the determination in his heart.

    ''That or rob someone for treasure or a Pill that can heal Helena¡­'' The idea left a bitter taste in his mouth. But if he was backed into a corner with no way out¡­ he would do what he needed to do to save her.

    ''I can always look for someone evil to rob if I have to. Besides, there is no telling that I''ll need to or not.'' He shook the thought from his head.

    After a few more minutes of looking at various lists, Dorian left the room. He then went off on his own, walking down the hallway. He could detect arge number of presences, some that were quite powerful, down at the end of the hallway he was walking through.

    He decided to explore the Superior Auction House a bit, curious about what he might find.

    The hallway ended in what he learned was, after he asked an attendant standing by, arge open lounge for guests of the Auction House. Dorian''s strength meant he was considered a guest as well and allowed free ess inside.

    And it was here that Dorian had been truly shocked.

    The lounge wasrge and, as everything else in the building, luxurious. A crackling firece was set off into one wall near a collection of couches andfortable looking armchairs, most of which were taken up by various Shades and a few humans.

    A long table lined with various small snacks and drinks was set next to this area, lined up against the neighboring wall. A few Shades could be seen snacking and talking to each other in an animated fashion.

    Most of the Shades here were Master ss, Grandmaster ss, or even a couple that were Lord ss. None had a higher Energy Level than Dorian.

    What shocked Dorian, however, was therge dance floor set opposite the firece and couches,plete with a small band on the side of it yingfortable music.

    The floor was smooth, made of grey stone, and was filled with a few dozen people all dancing. They weren''t professional dancers, but rather, guests that were enjoying themselves and dancing to the music.

    And the style they were dancing was one he knew well¡­

    After all, it was a style from Earth. Country Two Step.

    "Greetings, good sir!" Before Dorian could let this sink in, a middle-aged man''s voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked over to the side at the Shade that had juste up to greet him.

    It was one of the Lord ss Shades. He had a leathery face and a sinewy body that looked mean and tough, but was presently smiling at Dorian cheerfully.

    "Forgive me for being rude, but you are Lord Inigo, correct?" The Shade began.

    Dorian nodded in response, still mute from his shock at the dancers.

    "Ah, how wonderful! I''ve heard so much about you and I''ve got to say I''m a huge fan! Your tale is a tragic one, and I can only pray for your sess!" The middle-aged Shade bowed slightly, greeting Dorian warmly.

    "Ah, right! I am a humble merchant, Tankito Rock, at your service!" Tankito introduced himself, shaking Dorian''s hand warmly. He seemed delighted to have recognized ''Lord Inigo,'' obviously a devout follower of the Church of Light.

    Whispers and talk spread out among the rest of the people in the lounge as they turned and stared at Dorian, recognizing him. It seemed apparent that his image had been spread far and wide, especially after the altercation in the streets of Cracktyl earlier.

    As Tankito greeted Dorian, Dorian''s eyes drifted back off towards the people dancing on the dance floor. When the merchant saw this, he spoke the words that confirmed Dorian''s shock.

    "Ah yes, Lord Inigo! You''re interested in the dancers?"

    "I believe it''s a style of dance that has be quite popr among the Mercenary Alliance. It is said to have first been discovered by a crew working on the World Bridge to Taprisha."

    "It requires considerable coordination and talent for high-level dancers and is one of the hottest topics among the youth right now. I believe it''s called ''Country Two Step!''"

    ''No way¡­'' Dorian''s mind shed back, to what felt like a lifetime ago.

    To a time when he taught a young daughter of a group of Aethmen merchants the footwork to Country Two Step, encouraging her to teach her friends.

    It seemed like she had taught some of the mercenaries in the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance, perhaps the ones helping to escort her. And the style must have spread like wildfire from there, moving from person to person, World to World, bing popr enough that it had be a staple here on Cracktyl.

    ''Wow.'' Dorian couldn''t help but smile, the feeling ofing full circle a satisfying one.

    Abruptly, while Dorian was in the midst of celebration, he felt a sensation that put him on an extreme level of alert. Something that waspletely unexpected and out of the blue.

    He felt the presence of another Anomaly.

    A feeling that had been subtly present as soon as he walked into the lounge, but one he hadn''t recognized at first due to his distraction.

    The presence seemed to be dampened somewhat, as if it couldn''t pulse out freely to Dorian''s mind, something that he figured had to do with the various protective and dampening Spells cast on the Auction House.

    Immediately his thoughts went to Fifteen.

    ''He''s here?! Is he about to attack right now?!'' Dorian''s eyes widened as he activated his Perfect Body Ability, spreading out his senses as far as possible as he scanned everyone in the room. His entire body went on high alert.

    As he tensed up, he saw a figure walk off the dance floor. A blonde haired human male, with a pretty Shade girl on his arm,ughing and smiling. He gave the pretty girl a kiss before sending her off, walking confidently towards Dorian and Tankito.

    "Greetings, Lord Kent! I must introduce you, this is THE Lord Inigo Montoya himself, in the flesh!" The merchant Tankito took it upon himself to introduce the figure, his voice ingratiating.

    "A pleasure to meet you, I''ve heard so much about you." Lord Kent''s voice was smooth and rich, cindering with passion that carried a certain feeling of grandness as he finished walking forward. He was wearing a sharp looking ck suit,plete with a grey vest and even a tie, a somewhat rare sight here in the 30,000 Worlds. Suits simr to ones found on Earth did exist here in the 30,000 Worlds, though they weren''t super popr.

    Lord Kent was an Anomaly.

    His energy level put him somewhere within Late Lord ss, but as an actual human being, at least from what Dorian could tell. The Peak of Lord ss and Pseudo-King were virtually indistinguishable, which meant that Late Lord ss was the strongest one could get before reaching Pseudo-King.

    But for an Anomaly, Lord ss could easily beparable to even a powerful non-Anomaly King ss expert. Dorian himself was living proof.

    "Ah, right! Lord Kent has been looking to hire fighters to hunt down one particr Demonic remnant that has been guing the local worlds. You two have much inmon!" The merchant gushed as he spoke, smiling cheerfully as he looked from Anomaly to Anomaly.

    "Greetings, Lord Kent." Dorian''s voice was cool as he stared at the Anomaly, his entire body tensed up. He had no idea what intentions the other party had.

    "Please, there is no need for formalities here. You and I, we are like brothers, no? It almost feels as if we have met before." The smiling human stepped forward, reaching out to shake hands.

    "Call me by first name." Lord Kent grinned, a twinkle in his eye,

    "Mello."

    .

 Chapter 178 Confrontations

    "Lord Mello Kent, huh?" Dorian forced a smile on his face as he shook hand with the human figure, his eyes peaceful and calm.

    Internally, he broke out cursing.

    ''What the hell?! How many freaking clones do you have?! I know you said you spread them everywhere, but really?! All the way over here?!'' Why?! His internal monologue went forward at an elerated rate thanks to his Perfect Body Ability being active.

    "Yes, a pleasure to meet you Lord Inigo." When Mello said Lord Inigo, he twisted the words, putting special emphasis on them. It was apparent that Mello recognized him. The feeling each Anomaly gave another Anomaly was unique. Dorian could recognize Mello as well.

    "I hear you are going on an expedition to Moria, right?" Mello continued, smiling genteelly.

    "That''s right, Lord Kent! On a quest to find a legendary treasure that can cure the cursed slumber of his wife, a sleep no Shade has been able to heal!" The merchant broke in excitedly, exining Lord Inigo''s legend.

    ''Huh, it just gets bigger every day.'' Dorian observed.

    "Well, I actually n on heading towards Moria as well. As my friend Tankito said, there is a Demonic remnant I am hunting. Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Mello nodded as Dorian inquisitively.

    Dorian groaned internally. The real Lord Inigo would never turn him down.

    "Your help will be greatly valued, Lord Ken-" Dorian began but was interrupted.

    "Mello, please, just call me Mello." Mello broke in.

    "Very well, Mello. You can call me Inigo. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Perhaps you and I can retire to a more private location to discuss the specifics?" Dorian responded, eyeing Mello meaningfully.

    Mello smiled.

    "That would be my pleasure."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On the of Evonon, the World of Eternal Evening¡­

    A man wearing a smooth pair of ck leather pants and a rxed grey vest with a white undershirt stood in arge room with a ss of wine in his hand. His handsome face, with a smooth jawline and piercing green eyes, made him look the very picture of elegance. His long white hair was wrapped up atop his head in a bun, with an ornamental needle keeping it in ce.

    Marcus Aurelius swirled around the wine in his ss, looking at it intently.

    He then sighed deeply, and then looked back down at the map spread out upon a table before him. A majestic air seemed to gather around him as he leaned forward, dignity wrapped around him like a cloak.

    He slowly raised it to his lips, drinking it slightly, his movements full of calm assurance.

    "Ahh. A most excellent vintage. Is it from Touranat?" He said, his eyes studying the map before him.

    A woman nced over at the Vampire Highlord, rolling her eyes as she did so. She was wearing a tight, form-fitting red dress and had brilliant ck hair that rolled off her shoulders, carrying herself with an elegant and powerful air. She smiled as she spoke, her beautiful lips warming while her purple eyes gleamed.

    "Milord, this is the 43rd time you''ve repeated this, can''t you at least use a different lin-

    "WOMAN! I AM 7,000 YEA-"

    "Milord you''ve repeated that 43 times as well. I am well aware of your advancing age and possible senility."

    The powerful Highlord turned to re at his Spymaster, eyeing her sternly for a moment. After a moment, he relented with a snort, turning back to the map.

    "Fine, Julia. Tell me what you have to share."

    "We''ve pinpointed where we believe all three of the missing members of the Reavers are located." Julia began, adjusting her dress slightly.

    "Trajan and Probus are together as usual, the pair as close as brothers. They don''t appear to have any intention at all of returning back to Evonon and have disabled any Artifacts we could use to try and contact them. They are currently in the territory of the Graal Alliance." Her voice was smooth and emotionless as she spoke, giving away none of her true feelings.

    "No intention at all, huh? And they are in the territory of the Graal Alliance? That damned monkey¡­" Marcus set the wine ss down for a moment, rubbing his hands together.

    "Are you sure they''re there of their own volition?" He queried.

    "Yes, Highlord."

    Marcus sighed.

    "Very well. Leave them for now. I may have pressed them too hard, especially given their rather frail ties to us. That was my mistake. We will try and contact them in a few months, assuming the war continues to stall." He rubbed his eyes, his shoulders slumping for just a brief instant. A momentter, his majestic and confident image reappeared.

    "How about Helena?"

    Julia paused as she heard Marcus'' question, her face twisting slightly to reveal a frown.

    "Helena¡­ Helena appears to be deep behind enemy lines within the territory of the Shade Commune."

    "What?!" Marcus spun around, his eyes wide as he red at his Spymaster. At the same time, a powerful Aura rippled around him, one full of blood and darkness, waves of power vibrating off his body.

    "When did you find this out?! Where is she? Is she alive still? Is she being held captive?" A flurry of questions was hurled at Julia as Marcus stepped forward, his force of presence causing the air itself to tremble.

    "Hi-highlord." Julia squeezed out a single word, her face growing pale. The sheer power that Marcus could emanate was something that could cause her, a King ss expert, to almost faint.

    "My apologies, Julia." Marcus'' deadly Aura vanished as he apologized. He stepped forward to catch her as she slipped, holding her till she regained her bnce. The two of them looked at each other eye to eye, their lips only half a meter apart.

    "Uh-ahem. Right." Marcus stepped back, blinking several times as he apparently dusted himself off, despite the fact that there was no dust on him.

    "We have just received word of this. Her presence was detected within the locale of one of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance''s Superior Auction Houses, specifically the Superior Moon Auction Houses on Shaptle. She is located within 10 miles of that Auction House."

    Marcus spun around, looking over at the map on his desk. It was a ratherrge map of the 30,000 Worlds, covered in tiny glowing lights that symbolized the various Vampire Noble forces. They were currently engaged in a drawn-out war with the Shade Commune, one that was drudgerous and painful, dragging onward to a stalemate.

    The defensive measures they had put into ce were quite effective ever since thest war with the Commune. Marcus had specifically created certain choke points in specific World Bridges, making it almost impossible for the Shades to make any progress without throwing away tens of thousands of lives each attempt.

    Of course, that hadn''t stopped the Shade King from trying.

    ''He cares nothing at all for the lives of his people.'' Marcus'' eyes shed angrily as he looked at the map. His chest twinged as he thought of this, the enormous ck scar that covered it twitching. The injury he had received from the Shade King long ago had never fully healed.

    "She''s behind enemy lines, huh?" Marcus said calmly, forcing himself to regain control of his emotions. His cool and awesome demeanor returned as if it had never left.

    "Balbinus returnedst week after killing that King ss Shade Stalker, right?" He began, cing over at Julia.

    "Yes, Highlord. Pertinax and Luci are still manning the defensive stopgaps to prevent the Shade Commune from advancing. General Carus and the rest of the Reavers are spread out tactically covering the other Worlds. Balbinus has been on standby, ready to provide support should the Shadow Dukes or Generals of the King''s Army appear."

    The Aurelius Family power structure wasn''tplicated. There were four Family Generals that held the strongest strength in the Family, followed by the Reavers, and then the rest was split into the elite troops and the normal troops.

    General Carus was in charge of the Reavers and one of the Family Generals. Pertinax, Luci, and Balbinus were the remaining Family Generals, each one a powerful leviathan in their own right.

    "Have Balbinus leave standby and report here." Marcus swirled around a ss of wine as he picked it up, his eyes dark,

    "I made a promise to protect Helena, after her parent''s death." He continued, his voice calm,

    "I will not break that promise."

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "So. Mello. Long time no see." Dorian studied the other Anomaly, his eyes betraying nothing.

    They had left the Superior Moon Auction House. Dorian currently wasn''t wealthy enough to afford anything. It might be possible to borrow some wealth from his subordinates, but would Lord Inigo do that? He''d rather not risk blowing his cover while behind enemy lines and instead take on Moria and whatever treasure could be found there.

    He did have a small army to help him, after all. He was feeling decently confident.

    "Dorian, Dorian, Dorian. My, my, it hasn''t been that long, has it?" Mello smiled andughed as he replied, crossing his arms casually.

    It waste evening outside. They were currently resting in a random room inside a nearby inn, renting it for the sole purpose of this meeting. Dorian made Mello pay. It wasn''t a fancy room, just a small wooden apartment with a set of chairs and a table and a pair of beds, though they had no ns on sleeping here.

    "I suppose not." Mello had hundreds if not thousands of clones. That was a power or Ability unique to the Bloodline he came into the 30,000 Worlds with. Mello had spread those clones out, sending them all over the 30,000 Worlds on various missions.

    To meet yet another clone here wasn''t entirely improbable. After all, Shaptle and Moria were two very important ces. It wasn''t like they had met purely randomly, though given that their souls twisted Fate, that was a possibility as well.

    "What do you want, Mello? Why did you want to meet me?" Dorian cut to the chase immediately, not mincing words on niceties. The two were already quite familiar with each other.

    "Abrupt as usual, my friend. I see that you have yet to ept the vileness of this reality." Mello sighed dramatically.

    "What do you want, Mello?" Dorian repeated himself, his eyes boring into Mello relentlessly.

    "Alright, alright." Mello held his hands up in the air and then continued,

    "I actually never expected to meet up with you here, Dorian. In fact, I had no idea you were Lord Inigo." Mello began, motioning at him.

    "However, upon realizing you were, well, an idea came to mind." Mello nodded,

    "I''d like to propose an alliance between you and I. No, not my official Alliance between Anomalies, just a temporary one." Mello quickly corrected himself as he saw Dorian''s initially disgruntled expression. He had tried to recruit Dorian onto his side in the past, to no avail.

    "A temporary alliance?" Dorian blinked. This had been outside his expectations.

    "ording to that merchant fellow, you are looking for a fighting force to hunt down a specific Demonic remnant?" Dorian continued with a question of his own, shifting slightly in the chair he was sitting in.

    "Yes, that is urate. I''ll be honest, my target is not truly a Demonic remnant, but another Anomaly. One that ruined some of my ns here in the Commune, exposing my presence and causing several of my clones to die." Mello''s voice was calm as he exined,

    "Of course, he did not get off unscathed. When I was originally trying to make contact with one of our now fallen brethren, Veritas, I managed to arrange for the two to meet, a meeting that was more of arge scale battle due to each of their personalities. It ended poorly for him. However, with Veritas'' death, it''s likely that he has been fully restored." Mello continued,

    "His personality is one that is rather deranged. Leaving him here to grow stronger will only nt seeds of trouble in the future, especially given our grudge. Thus, I have sent one of my strongest clones here to handle him." Mello finished, looking over at Dorian.

    "Hmm. Just one clone?" Dorian asked, staring back.

    "Just one. Multiple clones in close proximity are actually difficult to control due to how my Ability works." Mello responded.

    "This Anomaly you''re looking for¡­" Dorian folded his hands together, leaning back slightly.

    "Does his name happen to be Fifteen?"

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Well, that went as well as it could go, I suppose." Dorian muttered as he walked down the dark street, lit by the rows of glowing lights that hung across it in intervals, a unique aspect of Shaptle. It had been such a hectic day, meeting so many unique and powerful figures. Yet it seemed it was finallying to an end now as evening fell into night.

    After talking with Mello for several minutes, the two had eventually agreed to a tentative alliance. Mello needed Dorian''s help and Dorian could use Mello''s strength. They both had simr goals, with Fifteen being theirmon enemy. There was no real reason that Dorian saw to refuse his aid.

    "We leave for Moria tomorrow¡­" There was no dy. They were immediately setting off for the Blighted World, without hesitation. After all, they hade all this way, there was no reason to not continue.

    Dorian quickly made his way through the city. His Jade Memory made itughably easy to find his way back to his inn and in no time at all.

    Soon, he was back in the room he shared with Helena. The female Vampire rested peacefully, her appearance still sickly. Nothing of note had happened to anyone in the inn. The fact that they were a literal powerful army rebuffed any potential trouble. No one would dare to mess with them.

    Dorian settled down to meditate, leaning against one of the luxurious padded chairs in the room as the night bled onward. He didn''t allow himself to rest, using his Growth Points as a substitute.

    He began to n for the uing adventure towards Moria. He went over his various forms, taking note of them.

    ''My Void Raptor form has its own unique points, especially with its Void Shock Ability that can create shockwaves that prate through space itself and its fast agility. Eventually, I''ll be off on my own¡­" He muttered quietly,

    "When ites to speed and agility, even my Bnce Demon form won''t hold up to that one, in addition to considering the Mystic Armored Body Ability will be extra effective on my Void Raptor form, given that the Ability originated from it. I''ll use you as my primary exploring form." He nned on separating from his army at some point. While the other Shades might be useful in helping clear out the outskirts and taking care of monotonous issues, Dorian knew that he himself would be the one fighting the truly deadly fights.

    "Still, the help they can provide isn''t nothing. It will help me conserve my energy until I have to face Fifteen. They can also help me find rare treasures and explore faster." He nodded and continued to n.

    "Should I grow some new Bloodlines?"

    "Hmm¡­ I don''t really have anything I want to devote a lot of points to, not right now." Even though he had arge number of points now, none of his Bloodlines stood out particrly much to him. Not enough that he was willing to let himself get distracted by them, anyway.

    "Well, I do have that Warping Turkey Bloodline¡­ eh." The Warping Turkey Bloodline was one of considerable interest to Dorian due to its ability to teleport.

    "No, not yet. I''ll need to wait for Helena to wake up. I be basically brainless when I''m in that form. Even if I have Ausra transform me out of it the moment I can, I don''t want to transform into it to let my soul adapt when I''m on my own." He shook his head and sighed, his thoughts clouded as he continued to make ns.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Early morning the next day¡­

    Dorian stood alone on a roof that wasn''t too far from his inn, taking in the slowly dawning morning light. He took several deep breaths, clenching his fists.

    Today was the day they left for Moria.

    "Ahem, ahem. Excuse me." A voice called out to Dorian, distracting him. He spun around in surprise, going on full alert.

    He hadn''t detected the arrival of the speaker at all.

    Out of nowhere, the figure of an elderly Shade, wearing a long white gown with the insignia of the Church of Light on it, appeared standing about a dozen or so meters away, on the same roof that Dorian was standing on.

    As Dorian looked at the Shade, he realized that, unconsciously, he wanted to shrink backwards. The physical body of this Shade was incredibly fierce, far stronger than the Warrior-Alchemist he had battled the other day. It gave off a tangible Aura that he could feel in his bones.

    "Yes?" Dorian said, cautiously. He prepared himself to twist Fate if need be, his eyes shing.

    "Greetings, Lord Inigo! You may call me Gamin, I am a representative of the Church." Excelsior Gamin''s voice was cool as he spoke aloud, not fully revealing his identity.

    "Oh, well, greetings." Dorian stuttered out a response, still surprised by the abrupt meeting.

    ''A representative of the Church? What does he want from me? I suppose they have been spreading my story¡­''

    "Recently, the Church conducted a test in Fate to discover your moral alignment. The first test came up with a Neutral result." Gamin continued, nodding at Dorian calmly,

    "The first test was conducted across a great distance. Due to that, the results were obscured. Thus, we conducted a second test over the course of thest night."

    Gamin stepped forward.

    "And your results came back Evil."

    The air around Dorian shivered as a feeling of incredible pressure settled upon him. It was as if he was being eyed by a gargantuan predator, one that was stalking him and watching his every move. Dorian''s heart beat erratically as this mental weight mmed into him.

    "Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t kill you, here and now."

    .

 Chapter 179 Crossing

    "Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t kill you, here and now."

    thump thump

    thump thump

    thump thump

    Dorian could feel his heart pound in his chest, his body shivering as he felt an overwhelmingly powerful killing intent m into him. The energy, the pressure,bined with a powerful Aura he was detecting, everything he felt had made his instincts scream at him to flee, to run away immediately and escape.

    The Shade in front of him was not someone he could handle.

    The Shade''s sheer force of presence was so ridiculously strong it made Dorian''s soul itself tremble.

    ''Perfect Body, activate!''

    Despite the ungodly amount of pressure, the strength of Dorian''s soul, and especially his willpower, was not something that could bepared to normal beings. Pressure like this could knock most Lord ss experts unconscious, but could only temporarily shock him.

    As he withstood the blow to his mind, Dorian drew upon one of the strongest Abilities he had.

    The world around him lost some of its color as his body was vastly enhanced. His perception of time increased and his ability to resist mental attacks increased alongside that.

    In his Perfect Body mode, shrugging off the powerful Aura was easy.

    What wasn''t going to be easy, he realized, was getting out of this situation.

    "Give you a reason you shouldn''t kill me?" Dorian clenched his fists, releasing his own Valorous Aura. This Aura of righteous energy shed with the huge pressure the figure in front of him gave off, setting the air to spark.

    The Shade''s Aura felt cool and refreshing, crashing down upon Dorian with a huge amount of force. It felt like it was rted to water or the wind, perhaps something to do with ice. Dorian couldn''t quite tell.

    "Because I have done nothing wrong and I am not evil." Dorian''s voice boomed as looked the other Shade straight in the eye. He pulled upon his soul to twist Fate,manding it to change for him.

    And, to his total andplete shock, for the first time ever¡­

    His soul failed to twist Fate.

    Hismand had been a simple one, but one he knew would likely cost a huge amount.

    He wanted to help convince the Shade in front of him that he was innocent, borrowing upon his Valorous Aura. Like a Jedi Mind trick from the movie Star Wars that he''d loved back on Earth.

    However, when the energy in his soul began to melt into the air, trying to twist Fate¡­

    He had felt a feeling of rejection.

    The energy flooded back into him and Fate remained the same.

    ''I can''t change it?!'' He pushed the panicked thought to the side as he continued,

    "What test did you do that showed me as Evil? How can any test or Magic at all prove the measure of a Shade? Only a man''s actions and words show his true nature." Dorian stared the man named Gamin right in the eye, unblinking. He maintained his appearance, knowing that it could mean the difference between life and death.

    ''Gamin¡­ Gamin¡­ The Church of Light¡­ That name is familiar¡­'' Dorian scanned his Jade Memory, going through a deluge of thoughts and data in an instant. At the same time, he scanned the Shade in front of him.

    -

    Species: Shade

    ss - King ss (Pseudo-Angelic)

    Maximum Energy Level: 4,721,480

    -

    ''Excelsior Gamin, one of the Pseudo-Angelic Excelsior''s of the Church of Light.''

    Dorian''s eyes widened as he realized who he was facing. The Energy Level of this fighter was a bit weaker than the Department Head of the Diamond Department, Jiro Korc of the Axe. The Diamond Wall of the 12 Walls of the Borrel Autarchy.

    There was no chance he could face him down inbat, not currently. This was one of those legendarily powerful fighters, one that could level entire armies with ease.

    ''I can''t handle a foe of this level. But Fate twisting didn''t work either?'' He felt at a loss on how to proceed. This had never happened before. Was it because his foe was too strong?

    No, that couldn''t be it, he realized. After all, he had managed to affect the slightly stronger Jiro Korc of the Borrel Autarchy. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was trying to shift a thought or opinion? He knew it was possible to affect that, though the smaller the chance to change someone''s mind, the more it would cost.

    After all, someone changing an opinion that they don''t want to change would have a very low chance of urring. Even with him twisting Fate and using a huge amount of energy, it could still very well be functionally impossible for some things.

    "Are you iming the Haydo Truth Seeking Bell of the Church, one of the holiest and most vaunted Artifacts, saw wrong?" Excelsior Gamin took a step forward, flicking his wrist. A small, glowing bell appeared in his hand as he moved, the Artifact he was speaking of. It was one that Dorian vaguely recognized, having read about it in passing when he was researching the Church of Light. He didn''t know the specifics of what it did, only that it existed.

    As the Excelsior moved, Dorian realized something.

    They seemed to be surrounded in arge, 10 meter wide bubble of wind. Their powerful Auras and voices were bouncing off that, unable to prate through the outside world. The Pseudo-Angelic Wizard in front of him must have cast some sort of Spell ahead of time, sealing the area off.

    Dorian stared back at the Excelsior. From the little information he had, he knew that Excelsior Gamin was an upright and righteous Shade, renowned for his high reputation and standing. He was considered the most honorable and stately Excelsior by the public, a renowned hero.

    Dorian slowly closed his eyes for a brief moment, his heart pounding. This interaction was so abrupt he had had no time to prepare at all.

    ''Screw it. I''ll just have to do what I usually do¡­'' His eyes shed as he opened them.

    ''Wing it.''

    "Yes. I have nevermitted any serious unjust crime or action in my life and have no intentions of doing so now." Dorian pounded his chest and took a step forward of his own, staring eye to eye with the Excelsior.

    "Is that so?"

    ''Oh man.'' Even in his Perfect Body state, Dorian felt waves of Aura m into him, powerful energy trying to crush him into nothingness. The sheer power was way more than anything he could give off.

    ''Hmm?'' Starting at Dorian, Excelsior Gamin started slightly, his thoughts surprised,

    ''My Angel Aura Ring Artifact enhances my Aura to feel like that of the Angelic ss to those below Pseudo-Angelic. I''m releasing nearly 1/4th of my Aura through it, yet Lord Inigo can still face me without a sign of weakness? I know he''s an abnormally powerful Lord ss hero, but there has to be a limit, right?''

    The powerful Pseudo-Angelic ss began to increase the power of his Aura, not responding to Dorian and instead just staring silently. A small, brown ring on his finger glowed ever so slightly, an extremely rare Artifact that had a very specific usage.

    WHOOSH

    ''Urgh.'' Dorian felt the Aura increase. Soon it felt like an entire mountain was mming into his shoulders, causing his arms and legs to shake. Dorian refused to back down, however, noticing that the Excelsior hadn''t taken direct action. He pulled at his will, forcibly making himself stand.

    ''It''s all the way up to 1/3rd and he''s still standing¡­'' Gamin blinked slowly, feelings of genuine shock and awe forming in his heart.

    WHOOOOOOSH

    Dorian felt the pressure that was hitting him explode forth and jump in power. The feeling of a mountain was reced with that of an entire, soul-suffocatingly powerful. He put his every single iota of willpower into forcing his body upright, not allowing himself to fall.

    ''He''s withstanding half the force of an Angelic ss Aura¡­ While he is only at the Lord ss¡­'' Excelsior''s heart contained only one emotion. Sheer, sweeping shock.

    ''His willpower is incredible. Even I wouldn''t be able to take all that¡­ not at Lord ss¡­''

    An instantter, Excelsior Gamin withdrew most of his Aura.

    "Gasp!" Dorian sucked in air as his body shook, his eyes fluttering as the world around him returned to normal. He didn''t fall down in relief, however, still looking directly at the standing Excelsior.

    "Yes. It is so. I do not lie." Dorian sputtered out as he found his voice again, clearing his throat.

    "Your test was wrong."

    The Excelsior stared at him silently for a moment.

    As he saw this, an idea began to form in Dorian''s heart. As this idea took root, hope formed alongside it as Dorian took into ount this entire weird situation.

    Theck of any real attack, the abruptness of the usation and the piercing questions designed to catch him off guard.

    He smiled.

    "In fact, I don''t think you even have a test. Or if you did, it didn''te up Evil. Instead, it seems like you''re testing me, here and now, to confirm who or what I align to."

    It wasn''t that his soul failed to twist Fate. Rather¡­ what he was doing was pointless, because Fate had already fallen in his favor. He hadn''t actuallye up as Evil at all.

    Gamin rubbed his chin silently, his eyes calm as he looked at Dorian.

    "And if you are wrong in your guess? What, then, would you n to do?" The Excelsior replied, the Aura around him fluttering up once more as he gave up nothing.

    "If I am wrong, then I will ept my death, and take my righteous revenge when the Cycle swings around once more." Dorian responded, talking as if he truly was a native of the 30,000 Worlds.

    Excelsior Gamin''s Aura burst forward again, smothering Dorian. The air around him trembled as the huge weight reappeared.

    But a secondter, it all vanished as the Shade broke out in smiles.

    "Hahaha, alright Lord Inigo, you caught me. You pass my test." Gamin grinned at Dorian, his eyes twinkling.

    "You saw right through me. You truly are as cunning as the Church says." Gamin hid the shock in his heart from Dorian''s powerful willpower and abnormally powerful resistance. His cunning intelligence and ability to act under pressure had also suitably impressed the Excelsior, making him give Dorian his highest regard.

    "That''s good to hear." Dorian''s shoulders slumped as he sat down, his heart still pounding from the excitement and danger of the situation. He took several deep breaths before turning to re at the Excelsior.

    "Did you have to be so damn realistic with it?"

    "Bahaha!" The Excelsior onlyughed and grinned, shrugging.

    "If it wasn''t realistic, young warrior, it wouldn''t be much of a test, now would it?" Dorian didn''t have a response for that.

    The Excelsior snapped his fingers. Immediately, the wind barrier blocking them off vanished as the world around them returned to normal. He then continued on to speak,

    "Well, Lord Inigo. I must say you''ve passed all of my tests with flying colors. Your results came up Good, not Evil, from the Haydo Truth Seeking Bell. You are smart, determined, and strong. Your strength of heart is not weak and your mind is not corrupted. You are indeed the Hero the church says you are." Gamin tapped on his finger as he spoke, activating a Spatial Ring.

    "My appearance here is not just to test you, but also to give you something." The powerful Shade tossed Dorian an object he withdrew from his Spatial Ring.

    "I think you might find that Artifact one that wille in handy. Best of luck on your mission towards Moria. Do not fail my expectations, young warrior."

    Before Dorian could reply, respond, or even ask what the Excelsior was giving him, Gamin''s body seemed to shiver.

    An instantter, it dissipated into a st wind, vanishing from Dorian''s eyesight and senses like magic. Even in his Perfect Body state, the Excelsior had truly gone, running away just like that.

    Dorian blinked in consternation.

    ''Did he just attack me, throw a gift at me, and then ditch me?'' He felt vaguely as if he should be offended.

    He turned his attention to the object the Excelsior had thrown at him.

    "This coulde in handy, huh?" He muttered quietly, staring at it.

    It was a small, green stone carving of what looked like a crane staring in front of a small pond.

    "¡­but you didn''t even tell me what it does¡­"

    The only sound that answered hisint was the uncaring echo of the wind.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Time passed and soon morning came fully into fruition. Dorian began to meet up with all the Shades that had joined his army, organizing with the three Captains of his team.

    Mello joined up with Dorian, bringing along a small force of six Lord ss experts, all at the Pseudo-King level, a notable addition to their force.

    A small guard was eventually unwillingly chosen to stay behind, guarding over Helena. Dorian didn''t want to leave her alone without him, but he also couldn''t risk taking her onto such a dangerous mission. Leaving her behind to rest in the safety of the inn, under guard of several elite Lord ss experts, was his best option.

    In no time at all, Dorian and his men moved through the city to the section where they''d arrived, a type of dock for Flying Ship Artifacts. The giant edifices weren''t easily stored away unless one had an extremely expensive and rare Spatial Ring of gargantuan size.

    They already had a Flying Ship waiting for them, everything arranged ahead of time. Having subordinates was quite convenient, Dorian noted.

    They didn''t meet with any other experts from the city, either from the Southern Duke of Shadow or the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance. Both sides seemed to be holding their breath, waiting to see what the results of Dorian''s expedition were before they took action, something that was fine with him.

    As far as he was concerned, the less they interfered the better.

    Just like that, they set off for Moria.

    The World Bridge to Moria was a rather normal looking one, covered in sweeping forests. They flew right up it, the flying galley they were in piercing through the sky. Dorian stood on deck at the front of the ship, his eyes scanning the environment.

    The trip to reach Moria would be a short one, only roughly an hour long.

    As he turned and looked back out over the ship, he settled in to wait.

    ''I''ve travelled all this way, I can wait a single hour.''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, back in Cracktyl, a lone figure could be seen straggling through the northern gate. A familiar, reedy looking Shade, covered in scratches and bruises. Therge, oversized Heaven ying Cauldron was strapped to his back, swinging as he moved past the guards.

    The Warrior-Alchemist Bayran.

    "W-where¡­" The Alchemist coughed as he caught his breath, motioning at the local city guards.

    "Where is Lord Inigo?!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "We have arrived at the edge of the World Bridge to Moria!"

    Dorian''s eyes gleamed as he heard the captain of the Flying Ship call out. In front of him, he could see the truth of the captain''s words.

    He was still standing at the bow of the ship. Next to him was his favored of the three Captains of the Moria Liberation Force, the King ss Mystic Martial Artist Fabian.

    "Holy Highlord, we must leave the ship here. It can travel forward no further. Air travel on the Blighted World risks a dangerous bacsh from the environment." Fabian unnecessarily repeated what Dorian had already been informed of, though he had good intentions.

    "Got it." Dorian stepped forward to the edge of the ship, looking out beyond.

    The World Bridge before here was covered in a lively forest and streams. However, once the World Bridge reached its end, it becamepletely barren. No grass, no trees, not a hint of life for several miles.

    This distinct and jarring line appeared at the exact spot where the World Bridge passed through the rippling exit portal of Chaotic Space into the territory of the World of Moria, descending through its atmosphere.

    "Hup!" Without hesitation, Dorian leapt off of the Flying Ship, his body sailing through the air for more than 100 meters before crashing down on the barren, rockyndscape.

    Thud

    His feet cracked the rock as hended, throwing up shards of stone and dust.

    thud

    thud

    thud

    Behind and in front of him, Shades began to drop in all around. Powerful Lord ss Auras burst forth as each Shadended and went on alert, scanning the environment.

    "Look alive,dies!" Fabian''s voice boomed out as he tookmand, the other Shades quickly separating into three cohesive groups. Despite the little time they had spent together, everyone here was an expert that could work smoothly with other Shades.

    "Ready up!" Mello''s smooth voice struck out as hended down nearby with his own squad of fighters, not far from Dorian. Dorian exchanged nces with him, giving him a slight nod.

    "We''re here." Dorian muttered, looking out beyond the portal at the Exotic World of Moria, the Blighted World,

    "Time to rustle up some treasure¡­"

    "Cough, I mean."

    "Time to cleanse Moria!"

    "Woooo!"

    "Praise Lord Inigo!"

    "Wipe out the Demons!"

    .

    .

    Enjoying R:EFN? Check out AuthorWiz''s other web serial that is currently being written (And will take over as his main story after R:EFN finishes! (Potentially within 4-5 months)) (This note doesn''t change SS price)

    Reborn: Apocalypse - https://.webnovel/book/12944877206132305/Reborn%3A-Apocalypse

    .

 Chapter 180 Moria

    The Blighted World of Moria.

    Dorian''s first nce of the world caused him to be taken aback.

    It looked nothing like what he would expect.

    When he heard the phrase "Blighted World" he expected to see a that was deste and filled with death, ravaged by Demonic beings.

    Yet the world before him seemed to be healthy and teeming with life.

    He saw a colorfulndscape full of flowers and trees, with warm sunshine shining down on the swathes of healthy grass that spread out across thend. Arge mountain range could be seen off to the left, while arge in, full of more flowers and trees, stood directly in front.

    Vaguely, in the distance, Dorian could make out a castle, set several dozens of miles away from the World Bridge.

    ''ording to what I''ve learned, the Blighted World is a world that is united against any non-Demonic creature and full of Demonic remnants. I never actually read a description of what the world looked like, though¡­'' He looked around in mild surprise.

    The World Bridge itself was barren, all the way to the point where it touched down on Moria. Apparently the only ''life'' that could exist within this range was that which was directly part of Moria.

    ''I don''t see any moving figures¡­'' He observed quietly.

    While he could see what appeared to be nt life living cheerfully, he didn''t see any bipedal creatures, or even insects.

    Everything was also eerily quiet.

    The soldiers waiting behind Dorian all looked on quietly, a unique feeling sweeping over the crew. A feeling of anticipation, of nervousness, of excitement.

    "Let''s move forward, men. Let us see what Moria has to offer." Dorian broke the silence, his voice sounding off in the air full of bravery and power.

    "Hear, hear!"

    "To Moria!"

    Without hesitation, they began to move forward.

    The Moria Liberation Army, plus Mello and his men, jogged down the length of the World Bridge. They were still a few miles away from Moria, looking down on it from above.

    As they ran, Dorian made his way over towards Fabian. The Captain''s team was centered right next to him.

    As he realized that he was a bit underprepared, he figured he''d start up a quick conversation with Fabian. The warrior liked to inform Dorian, often unnecessarily, about the risks they were taking and likely woulde in useful here.

    "So this is Moria, huh?" He began, speaking as he ran. They were moving as a unit at a fast pace, it would take around a minute to cross into the world itself.

    "Yes, Holy Highlord." Fabian responded, bowing slightly as they moved. The rest of the Shades were spread out, keeping watch on their surroundings.

    "We''ve reached the outer facade of Moria. Don''t let the cheerful exterior fool you, Holy Highlord. None of those nts or trees are truly alive. In actuality, they are all dead or dying." Fabian nodded at Dorian, motioning at the world before them.

    "It has quite the facade." Dorian muttered, ncing at what Fabian waved at, the countless patches of grass and trees that seemed quite alive to him.

    Fabian simply nodded, his eyes alert and keen as he kept his guard up.

    Soon they reached the edge of the World Bridge, where it connected to Moria. Their force moved almost as one over it.

    As soon as Dorian stepped foot on the surface, he understood what Fabian meant.

    ''The air¡­ what is this feeling?'' He blinked slowly, spreading out his senses.

    Everything around him¡­ it felt incredibly still. The grasses and trees that appeared to be teeming with life now seemed frozen, unmoving and deathly. Everything was still cheerful and colorful. But Dorian could sense something that made it all look subtly different.

    ''There is no energy in the air.''

    When on any other World, there was always one constant thing that Dorian could always feel. The Laws of the Universe and the background energy coursing the air. This energy was like the heartbeat of the universe. Much of it he could do nothing about and only unconsciously felt. He hadn''t even been that aware of its presence before right now.

    However, when you took it away¡­ he suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable. It was an odd feeling to have something you depend on suddenly be hard to grasp.

    "Ready up, Shades!" Fabian''s voice boomed out, quickly echoed by Ayra and Horbold.

    "Energy flows weirdly here, so conserve what you got! Drawing on the Laws ain''t easy and you''ll tire quickly!" His voice carried with it his usual confidence and demeanor, somehow managing to shake off the pall that had fallen over the group just due to how sheerly loud the King ss Mystic Martial Artist was.

    "To the first castle!"

    Dorian did possess some knowledge of at least the makeup of Moria. The was far smaller than a normal world, for reasons unknown. It was only around 150 miles wide. He could see the curvature of the world, though it had been more pronounced when looking on it from high up on the World Bridge.

    There were several strongholds spread throughout the Blighted World. Demonic remnants moved about near each of the strongholds, from what he had been told. Great treasure could be found in the strongholds, if one managed to survive exploring them.

    For, there was a reason Moria had never been cleansed, despite powerhouses like the Church of Light, the Dukes of Shadow, or the Shade King existing.

    It all had to do with the suppression of Laws on the.

    Law energy ran out quickly and was difficult to replenish. Even for a powerful Angelic ss expert, this world could quickly be very dangerous.

    Dorian and his allies began to move forward without hesitation. The eerie atmosphere did nothing to stop the bravery of the Moria Liberation Force, each one of the Shades was here of their own volition. After all, everyone that had sought ''Lord Inigo'' out to join his army was someone that wanted to put a dent into the Demonic remnants here, no matter the risk.

    Dorian was more than willing to help them with that. It was a win-win situation for him and them.

    They crossed several hundred meters of grassy ins. As they moved forward, a few of the Shades split off from the group and raced ahead, acting as scouts. Everyone conserved their energy, not wasting any Spells.

    A few tense minutes passed without a sign of anything. Dorian, Mello, and the rest made steady progress across the frozenndscape.

    The grass underfoot crunched as they walked over it. While it appeared to be alive, in actuality, all the flora here was dead. There wasn''t even a breeze in this still world, everything forlorn and tired, covered in a veneer of life.

    It was here, when they were several kilometers deep, growing closer to the castle they were heading towards, that they made first contact with a Demonic remnant.

    The initial attack didn''te in the form of arge horde of charging creatures, nor from a long-range strike or st from above.

    Instead, it came in quite an unusual form.

    A sneak attack.

    But not one aimed at Dorian.

    Instead, it was aimed at Captain Fabian.

    "Keep on moving! Make sure the scouts have a clear line of sight all the way back! We don''t want any surprises!" Captain Fabian was constantly issuing orders. Dorian acted more as a figurehead, allowing the more experienced warrior tomand the troops. The grizzled veteran was an aplished fighter, after all. Even the other two King ss Mystic Martial Artists eded to his orders.

    They had no intention of trying to sneak up on anything. There were around 100 Shades, plus Mello, all moving in a huge group. In this still and lifeless world, they stuck out like a sore thumb.

    Just as Fabian was in the middle of issuing orders, something shot out from the ground directly below him. It moved so abruptly and instantaneously that even Dorian waspletely taken by surprise.

    "Wat-" Before Dorian could shout out a warning, the creature had already struck.

    SHWICK

    CRAAAACK

    A meter long worm-like creature that appeared to be made out of pure white bone, with a pair of red eyes and glowing white mandibles had sted out of the ground like a spring. Its body was covered in a faint white light as it moved, enhancing its speed and impact.

    -

    Species: White Demon Worm (Desated)

    ss - Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 41,330

    -

    "-ch out¡­" Dorian''s shout of warning fell to the wayside as he saw the aftermath of the attack, his eyes widening.

    Captain Fabian''s arms had blurred as he reacted instantaneously to the threat. As a hardened King ss Mystic Martial Artist, Fabian was a master at hand to handbat, with far, far more experience than Dorian. He was constantly on guard and eminently prepared for any sort of surprise attack.

    Thus, when the Lord ss White Demon Worm had burst from the ground, the Captain brought his right hand down in a piercing motion, as if it was a spear. His movements wereunched out of pure instinct, like a technique he''d practiced over and over, tens of thousands of times, so much so that it became second nature.

    The experienced warrior had pierced through the head of the White Demon Worm, killing it instantly. A powerful King ss Aura burst out for a split second, one that was tightly constrained to avoid wasting energy.

    "Woah!"

    "Enemy attack!"

    Shouts rang out as the other Shades turned towards the scene of the attack and then looked down, on full alert as they scanned the ground. The three groups all bunched up together. Dorian merged with them.

    Just an instantter, several rustling sounds could be heard. Faint movement could be seen as the dirt underfoot shifted.

    "Beneath us!"

    "Hiyaaa!"

    "Stab them!"

    A literal explosion of force shook the air as several dozen Shades mercilessly ambushed the ambushing White Demon Worms while they were still underground, not giving them a chance to attack.

    Even the weakest Shade here was a powerful and well-trained Lord ss expert, willing to give their all to help y Demons. No one here was a coward or inexperienced. In fact, Dorian was probably the least trained fighter here, considering his situation. Thus, Dorian''s soldiers dug into the ground mercilessly, leaving no openings.

    A huge cloud of dirt, dust, and broken White Demon Worm body parts were flung into the air as the attacking party waspletely obliterated.

    Dorian watched all of this happen, feeling mildly shocked.

    ''Well¡­ I guess my army is really strong.'' He blinked as the dust cleared, feeling mildly amused and not even a bit worried. He almost felt bad for the Demonic remnants.

    After all, how many people would bring along a literal army when they went exploring for treasure?

    If he had been alone, those White Demon Worms would''ve proven a deadly threat. Their method of surprise attacks while moving inrge packs would''ve been a very real problem.

    But he wasn''t alone. Instead, he was like one of those young masters from some stories he read back on Earth, using his wealth and influence to have over 100 expert bodyguards to help escort him. It was incredibly unfair to the Demonic remnants, not that he cared.

    "Wooo!"

    "Kill the Demons!"

    Cheers broke out as the dirt clouds fell away, revealing a good two dozen or so ripped apart White Demon Worm corpses, and not a single injured Shade.

    ''They''re Desated¡­ just like the Grakons and the Giants back in Blizzaria¡­'' Dorian''s eyes widened as he looked at the torn apart corpses, realizing what he had scanned.

    ''Does that mean I can absorb remnants of their Soul Spell Matrix?''

    As Fabian was barking out orders to get the soldiers to reform, Dorian walked up to one of the dead worms, resting his hand on one that was only slightly ripped apart.

    ''Ausra, can I absorb anything here?'' He mentally queried. While the creatures had an identical status as the ones on Blizzaria, that didn''t mean everything would be identical.

    ''Scanning¡­ Yes. Remnant portions of a Soul Spell Matrix exist. However, due to the desated status of this being, you can only absorb a portion of its Soul Spell Matrix. This White Demon Worm was a Late Lord ss beast in its prime.'' She replied, her voice ringing quietly in his head.

    ''What about the Bloodline of the Demon?'' He was well aware that he was able to absorb the Bloodlines of creatures through their Soul Spell Matrix, as well as through their blood itself.

    ''It is in a degraded state. If you absorb more versions of a White Demon Worm Soul Spell Matrix, it should be possible to piece back together a full replica, and recreate the Bloodline and its various Abilities.'' Ausra replied calmly.

    Dorian smiled. Demonic Bloodlines were both rare and powerful. He only had a few random ones himself. If he could add arge number of powerful ones to his repertoire,bining them with his Bnce Demon, ck Scaled Rage Dragon, or Void Raptor Bloodlines¡­

    It was almost certain he would find some very powerful new forms.

    ''Time to keep hunting.''

    .

 Chapter 181 Castle

    ''White Demon Worm Bloodline acquired!''

    Dorian smiled as he heard the notification from Ausra, moving away from the broken corpse. Around him, several other dead White Demon Worms could be seen.

    However, they weren''t in the same cratered area from before. Instead, they were several kilometers closer to the castle, only a stone''s throw away.

    They had made fast progress as they moved across Moria. On the way, they were ambushed twice more, by the same White Demon Worm hordes. Each group of them was deadly and powerful, butpletely unable to get past Dorian''s elite army.

    The Demonic remnants didn''t seem to have much purpose beyond attacking outsiders and defending the Blighted World. Despite the fact that Dorian and his army made quick work of them, more kept oning out to attack.

    And as Dorian looked out at the stone castle before them, he could sense an ominous Aura fluctuating off of it.

    Something was inside this castle.

    "Trying to absorb their Bloodlines? It doesn''t work, I''ve tried as well. You need aplete or mostlyplete corpse if there isn''t any blood."

    Dorian heard Mello''s voice whisper softly in his hears, covered by a veneer of energy so that no outside sound escaped. He turned to look at the other Anomaly out of the corner of his eye.

    ''Right, he doesn''t have Ausra. He can''t have Bloodlines reconstructed.'' The fact that Dorian had the Soul Spell Matrix Genie Ausra with him was a huge advantage.

    Mello, so far, had been mostly quiet. He, like Dorian, held back and let the other fighters here take on the Demonic remnants, conserving his energy.

    "What''s up? You sense it too?" He responded, covering his words in the sameyer of energy to hide them. At the same time, he motioned over towards the castle.

    There were dozens of powerful experts all around them. If they didn''t hide what they said, there was a 100% chance they''d be overheard.

    The Shades all around were scanning the environment, waiting to see if another attack was iing. Several of them were spread out, trying to draw in any remnants. They all seemed to be having a great time, talking cheerfully amongst themselves.

    They were disciplined and controlled in their movements, but also very rxed. Even Captain Fabian seemed to be taking it easy, conversing with the two other Captains as he looked around. The attacks so far had been more than manageable.

    "Yes¡­" Mello responded smoothly, turning to look at the nearby castle. The same foreboding Aura that Dorian had sensed continued to waft from it.

    "And I think we''re the only ones that sense it. At the least, none of them do." Mello waved his hand at the other Shades, including his own team of elite Pseudo-King experts. They seemed to have merged well with the other Shades, one and all fans of Dorian''s alter ego, Lord Inigo. That character was truly a useful cover.

    Indeed, none of the Shades, though, seemed to be acting like they felt the dangerous air that surrounded the castle. A few of them had even brought out some mugs of beer, celebrating the victories so far.

    "Do you think its Fifteen? It doesn''t feel quite like him." Dorian stood up and rubbed his chin. Each Anomaly gave off a unique feeling. The Aura he sensed wasn''t that of an Anomaly, but it felt oddly familiar for some reason.

    Mello shook his head,

    "I can''t tell. I just know that I recognize it, at a base level. It must have something to do with us."

    Before Mello could continue, Captain Fabian walked over, followed by the two other Captains.

    "Holy Highlord!" Fabian began, nodding his head respectfully.

    "We have sessfully rebuffed the threat and can find no other threats in the area, apart from the castle. The scouts have said there are some type of shambling Demonic remnants walking within the exterior of the castle and patrolling the walls." The Captain''s voice was calm as he spoke, reporting to Dorian.

    "Very good." Dorian made the effort to look authoritative and powerful, relying upon his Law of Valor. Mello, meanwhile, held back and let Dorian do the talking.

    "Then let us attack immediately." The sooner he could heal Helena up and escape, the better.

    "Yes sir!" Fabian spun around, raising a long metal spear into the air.

    "WARRIORS! GATHER!" His voice echoed as a powerful King ss Aura boomed out.

    Immediately, every Shade turned to look over at him, all swarming forward. Powerful Auras shed as they gathered. Energy in the air fluctuated, almost as if this world wasn''t virtually dead due to the presence of so many Lord ss or higher experts.

    "Hendar! Raise your Ice Bridges!" Fabian gestured at one of the Shades. This Shade was wearing a light blue robe covered in ornate silk patterns. He looked to be middle-aged, with a square grey beard.

    "Yes sir, Captain!" This particr Shade was one of the few Wizards that had joined Dorian''s Moria Liberation Force. The Wizard sped his hands together as he turned to look at the castle, a gaze of concentration appearing on his face.

    "Ice Magic: Heavy Trailing Spears!"

    Bright blue energy glowed around the man, swarming out from him. Dorian could distinctly notice, however, that the air didn''t seem to be affected much. When using Abilities or casting a Spell, the air usually fluctuated slightly with energy.

    The shing Auras of the various Shades here was a good example, though also an exception it seemed.

    It seemed the dead air didn''t resonate well with Magic. The reason the air had fluctuated with the various Auras earlier probably had to do with the sheer scale of having so many Lord ss experts gathered.

    Dorian could feel the power of the Spell noticeably weaken, by around 30%-40%. Still, the Wizard was a Lord ss expert, able to use the energy from his soul.

    Lesser Wizards below Lord ss probably would have their Spells reduced by 90% or even more.

    WHOOSH

    Spears of frozen energy shot through the air, leaving behind a long cold trail of connected ice that soared all the way to the high walls of the castle. The trail was about half a meter wide and the same thick, faint particles of ice drifting off from it.

    The Ice Wizardunched a dozen such spears, each one mming into one part or another of the castle wall. Each spear didn''t seem to damage the wall, but instead spread out arge clump of ice, securing down.

    "Everyone split into your teams and clear the walls! Wipe out any Demonic remnants you find and stay on guard!" Captain Fabian waved his hands at everyone, motioning for the Shades to advance.

    "Wooo!"

    "Charge!"

    "To battle!"

    The Shades all climbed up on the ice trails and began to run forward. Their eagerness to fight off the Demons was palpable.

    ording to Fabian, legends had arisen of a hero that would wipe away the Demons that gued Moria. The Demonic remnants hadn''t always existed here, but appeared mysteriously over time, with new ones gradually appearing to rece ones that were killed. Many Shades had tried before, with powerful armies or mighty Wizards, to wipe all of them out for good. All had failed.

    Anyone that lived near Moria had heard of this legend. Many powerful Shade warriors wanted to take part in it.

    When ''Lord Inigo'' rose to fame, many saw that as a sign that he was the destined hero here to cleanse Moria. To the Shades, it all made sense. This was a legend that had existed for centuries, it was about time it was fulfilled.

    Dorian moved forward in one giant leap, ahead of one of the groups, splitting off from the Captains and Mello. As ''Lord Inigo,'' so far he had held back and let the Shades take out the Demonic remnants. Now, however, he felt it best to contribute. A heroic Shade like him would lead his warriors into battle.

    ''Touching Light!'' He activated the Ability. Immediately energy fled from his soul as a de of pure, concentrated light appeared in his hand. He frowned slightly as he spawned it. Even he was affected by the world around him. His Ability didn''t weaken, but it cost him nearly twice as much energy to summon the sword.

    "Follow me to victory!" Dorian''s voice boomed out with power, like a glorious leader full of might. His force of presence was incredible, especially given the opinion the Shades had of him.

    "Raaarr!"

    "Mighty Lord Inigo!!"

    "To victory!"

    Dorian led a charge of Shades up the icy trail, his movements sure. As he ran, however, he was incredibly focused.

    ''Why is it so slippery?!'' Running up the long spear of ice was like trying to bnce on a twisting log while running up, all atop a rushing river. Dorian mentally cursed as he put his every iota of willpower on not falling.

    All the other Shades seemed fine. To those with years and years ofbat experience and training, something like this wasn''t much.

    ''Rx Dorian¡­ Calm down. If you''re frantic, your passive Abilities can''t help.'' Dorian forcefully calmed himself down. As he did so, he could mentally feel the Exuberant Grace Ability kick in, helping him right his bnce and run much smoother.

    At the least, he didn''t have to il his arms to not fall off.

    In just a few short moments after, Dorian and his group arrived atop the castle wall. The ramparts seemed to all be made of a simr type of grey stone, cracked with time.

    Immediately upon their arrival, they were attacked.

    -

    Species: Blue Armed Demon (Desated)

    ss - Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 50,808

    -

    Species: Yellow Beak Demon (Desated)

    ss - Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 38,221

    -

    Species: Gorringer Tiger Demon (Desated)

    ss - Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 31,992

    -

    A multitude of Demonic remnants all swarmed forward. Dorian saw arge Demon wearing a full set of te armor with glowing blue arms jump at them, its obese body jiggling as it swung with arge cleaver. He saw a weird bird-faced Demon swing at them with a long ck scythe. He saw what looked like an armored tiger covered in spikes, a Gorringer Tiger Demon ording to Ausra, leap into the air, shing downward.

    A variety of Demonic remnants were all up atop the wall. All of them were at the Lord ss, but Desated, meaning their strength was but a shadow of what it had been when they were alive.

    BOOOM

    SHHHHKK

    CLASH

    The sounds ofbat unfolded as the Shades all rebuffed the attack Demons, sting many of them backwards. While the Demonic remnants were powerful, they were still somewhat weaker than the group of elite Lord ss Shade experts.

    "Hah!" Dorian leapt forward and stabbed his sword towards the chest of one of the heavily armored Blue Armed Demons.

    "GROWRRRRR!"

    In the moment that he jumped, he activated his Perfect Body Ability, vastly increasing his strength and speed. When he stabbed forward with the de of light, he smoothly ducked under a punch the Blue Armed Demon threw with its free hand, pulling his de upward till it was poised to pierce through the chest of the Demon.

    WHOOSH

    The sword melted right through the armor and chest of the creature, right where its heart was, ording to Ausra. The Demon immediately copsed, killed instantly as he pushed forward. The sword he used was functionally as hot as the hottest Dragonfire in existence, taking a direct blow through the heart meant almost sure death.

    The entire exchange urred in the space of a split second. Dorian hadn''t hesitated and managed the kill in a very short amount of time.

    While he was no martial genius, he was getting better and better at closebat thanks to his incredibly high-level senses and constant effort.

    He drew upon the Law of Valor as much as he could, strengthening his body. The energy he could derive from it was limited, but it was enough to enhance his physique and make his blows strong, especially whenbined with his Perfect Body Ability.

    He found that using other Laws at once wasn''t possible. He could barely sense the Law of Valor, trying to draw on other Laws was far too difficult.

    ''Absorb!'' As the corpse fell, Dorian tapped on it slightly. He immediately absorbed thetent energy in its Soul Spell Matrix, as well as a portion of it to hopefully reconstruct itter.

    ''A portion of Blue Armed Demon''s Soul Spell Matrix has been constructed. More samples are required for a full reconstruction.'' Ausra''s voice echoed cooly in his head.

    "Careful Holy Hero!" A hasty warning echoed out as a particrlyrge one of the Gorringer Tiger Demons leapt up onto the wall directly in front of Dorian. This one was a Middle Lord ss Demon, covered in spikes and protrusions.

    "ROAAAAAAR!"

    "Hiyaaaa!" One of the Shade warriors jumped at it, kicking it solidly in the side with a boot that glowed with red energy. The tiger dug its ws into the stone wall, ripping out stones as it skidded a few meters.

    It managed to hold on, however, and charged at Dorian, ck energy crackling around it.

    Dorian didn''t hesitate and instead ran directly towards it, wielding his de of light in front of him.

    ''Fate, fall in my favor!'' Without being able to shift forms or use many of his Abilities, Dorian opted to manipte Fate instead. At the same time, he abruptly dived down in a sliding motion, his entire body blurring as he moved quickly.

    WHOOSH

    The barbed arms of the tiger crashed above his head as they just barely missed, Dorian''s frantic slide hurling him underneath the Lord ss Gorringer Tiger Demon. As he dove under it, he stabbed upward with his de.

    SHHHKKKK

    He flipped over to his feet and spun around in mid-air as he finished sliding under it, his entire body gleaming with light. Hended on the castle wall, facing the Gorringer Tiger Demon.

    Or rather, the corpse of the Gorringer Tiger Demon. Dorian''s long sword sh had melted through and split the several metersrge demon in half, killing it instantly.

    BOOOOM

    Explosions and yells echoed in the distance as the Shades engaged and began wiping out the Demonic remnants. Dorian''s army moved as a team, each Shade covering each other. They worked cohesively, unlike the brashly charging Demons. This greatly enhanced their offensive power, letting them take on the defenders and obliterate them.

    Dorian ran up to the corpse of the Gorringer Tiger Demon, resting his hand on it.

    ''Absorb.''

    WHOOSH

    ''A portion of Gorringer Tiger Demon''s Soul Spell Matrix has been constructed. More samples are required for a full reconstruction.'' Ausra''s voice sounded off in his mind.

    The walls were teeming with Demonic remnants, all of which were rushing towards Dorian and his army. There seemed to be a limited number of them left here, from what he could see. As Dorian scanned the environment, he could make out arge number rushing towards them, but no other Demons after that. He would ce it at around 250 or so Demons of varying shapes and sizes, all of them at the Lord ss.

    Most of them were moving in from the walls. There was arge courtyard and a few buildings in the interior of the castle area, as well as the main castle itself, but none of the Demonic remnants appeared to be charging out of there.

    Still, it was a massive, chaotic horde charging at them with abandon. The Shades all stood in formation, preparing themselves to receive the waves of attackers.

    Dorian''s eyes narrowed. He flicked his wrist slightly as he pushed the corpse away, whipping his de around. The corpse of the tiger slid off the wall walkway, falling down to the ground below with a thud.

    It was time to hunt Demons.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, somewhere else on Moria¡­

    Another castle could be seen, one that looked identical to the castle Dorian was exploring. Arge grey stone edifice withrge towers and high bulwarks. The castle had a foreboding air about it. On the outside walls, Demonic remnants could be seen, moving up and down them.

    Thendscape surrounding this castle held the same veneer of life, a facade that contained only death in reality. Bright green grass, colorful trees, fields of flowers, it held a plethora of colors.

    A figure could be seen making his way through this pretty meadow, headed towards this castle with a bow strapped across his back. The man wore leather hides and had calm brown eyes perched above a greying beard. As he moved, a powerful King ss Aura could be seen flowing about him, one that was colorful, shing between multiple colors. A rare, Prideful Aura.

    Abruptly, this man stopped, his eyes going cold. His hand snapped up to the bow strapped on his back, pulling it over and holding it in a ready stance.

    For, right in front of him, a figure appeared. A humanoid of some sort that had grey skin, wore grey clothes, and seemed incredibly ordinary. In fact, if the figure hadn''t arrived directly in front of the man and stood out on purpose, the archer wasn''t even sure he would have seen it.

    "Greetings, my fellow Demonic practitioner." The grey figure''s voice slid out, silky smooth.

    "You must be Leader. I''ve heard about you from the Council."

    Leader''s eyes shed as he heard this, a frown appearing,

    "I have already told the Council I will have no part in joining them. If you are here to-"

    "Hold, young Leader. I am not here to convince you to join the Council." The grey figure cut Leader off, shaking his head.

    "Instead, I am here to propose an alliance of sorts. I know why you are here." The man smiled,

    "You wish to protect the Inheritances here as well, yes?"

    Leader''s face froze as he heard this. He slowly lowered his bow.

    "Who are you?"

    The grey figure smiled again, an insane twinkle appearing in his eyes,

    "You can call me Fifteen."

    .

 Chapter 182 Trap

    ''Blue Armed Demon Bloodline acquired.''

    ''Yellow Beak Demon Bloodline acquired.''

    ''Gorringer Tiger demon Bloodline acquired.''

    Dorian smiled as he looked at the three notifications, and then out at the walls around him.

    The scattered remains of a deathly army of Desated Demons could be seen, decorating the bulwarks and stone pathways. Faint reverberations of energy echoed in the normally still air, giving the battlefield an ominous hum.

    Dorian''s army had made short work of the Demons. Thanks to the Shades'' tight coordination and teamwork, they suffered no casualties, though a few of the front line fighters were injured and currently resting as they recovered.

    Dorian made sure to go from body to body, absorbing what he could. He disguised his movements, acting as if he was checking to be sure that all of the Demonic remnants were truly dead. A few of the bodies already had their Soul Spell Matrixes absorbed when he reached them.

    While Mello couldn''t reconstruct their Bloodlines, he could still absorb thetent energy from their remnant Soul Spell Matrix.

    ''Still, I managed to acquire all the Bloodlines I could here.'' There were only three main types of Demons here.

    Unlike actual blood, Dorian could only absorb the main Bloodline from a Soul Spell Matrix. Remnant Bloodlines that might exist in the original Demon''s blood were nowhere to be seen. Still, the haul was a very decent one.

    "Holy Highlord, should we begin to move in on the castle?" Fabian''s familiar voice cut through the air as he walked up to Dorian, a long spear in his hands. An eager smile could be seen on the warrior''s face as he respectfully nodded at Dorian.

    Dorian had relied heavily on twisting Fate in the past battle. As a result of that, he had made some truly extraordinary and fantastic kills, some that looked as if they should''ve been impossible.

    His maneuvers had not gone unnoticed. Every Shade in the army was taking time to nce at him with adoration in their eyes, even the ones brought here by Mello. Fabian seemed to be basking in ''Lord Inigo''s'' glory. He was quite an odd character.

    "Hmm. Fabian, tell me more about these castles. You told me you''d gathered intelligence about them." Dorian took a moment to nce over at the castle.

    The ominous feeling he got whenever he looked at the castle proper remained. He also felt an odd draw towards this castle, a desire to go inside and find something.

    These two feelings were very conflicting and made him suspicious.

    Of course, his most pressing need still existed.

    He needed to find treasure so he could afford the medicine he needed to heal Helena and escape. He also needed to y the part of Lord Inigo to maintain his cover.

    He couldn''t exactly just turn around and leave now.

    "This is one of the Seven Outer Castles that circles the surface of Moria. Several times one or more of these castles has been virtually destroyed, wiped from existence. They always seem toe back, however, through some strange, abstruse Magic that no one understands." Fabian began to point as he spoke, looking all around. The Captain had put himself in charge of information gathering before they left, talking to all the other Shades to merge all the information everyone knew about Moria together.

    Seeing as everyone here was someone prepared to take on the glorious mission of cleansing Moria, quite a few people here knew several things about the Exotic World. When everything wasbined together, a very full picture of what they were dealing with could be seen.

    "There is one other castle. The Emperor''s Castle, located within the center of the circle that the Seven Outer Castles form. It has never been destroyed, due to the odd, distorted field that surrounds it. Legend has it that the treasure store of the Emperor lies in this castle, untouched by Shade hand."

    As Dorian heard this tidbit, he felt his heart stir.

    A treasure store left behind by an Emperor¡­ Surely that would be more than enough to get whatever he needed to heal and protect Helena¡­ He nodded sharply at the idea.

    "As you can no doubt feel, Holy Highlord, the Exotic World of Moria has almost no ess to the Laws of the Universe. Casting Spells and using the power of Law is still possible, but the effects are greatly weakened." Fabian continued to exin as he saw Dorian nod.

    "In range of the Emperor''s Castle, however¡­ It is impossible to ess any of the Laws. Magic cannot be used, even powerful Artifacts are temporarily unable to be activated. It is as if energy itself is frozen there." Fabian''s voice contained an edge of warning as he spoke here, alongside frustration as he continued,

    "Only the power of one''s physique matters there. And even for the strongest of Shades, those that can train their physique to an extremely powerful level are very rare. Even I, as a King ss Mystic Martial Artist, have middling physical strength at best. One and all, the vast majority of Shades, and most other Humanoids, depend on the power of Law." Fabian sighed and held his hands out to the side as if it couldn''t be helped.

    ''Laws cannot be essed at all while in there? Huh¡­'' Dorian''s eyes shed.

    ''A ce where only physique mattered, where Magic and Artifacts don''t work¡­ Is it some type of dead zone? Would Abilities work there?'' As he thought it over, a thought struck him.

    ''My transformationse with some extremely powerful physiques. Even if I can''t use the power of Law, I should still be able to handle myself. In fact, I am very well suited for a situation like this.'' While the loss of his Perfect Body Ability, and various Laws, would impact his strength, it wouldn''t'' be as dire as it would be for the Shades.

    ''If it''s like that¡­ I have to give it a try.'' He mentally came to a conclusion. If the opportunity arose, he would take on the final castle and actually try to cleanse the Demonic Ruins.

    ''But first¡­''

    "Alright, let''s take on this castle."

    "Wooo!"

    "Charge forward!"

    The Shades in Dorian''s army cheered, their enthusiasm as strong as ever. While some of them were still recovering from injuries and all had spent energy, they all had plenty of strength to spare. Every Shade here hade to Moria fully prepared, with either Pills or restorative medicine, or practice at using techniques that didn''t wear them out fully.

    "Scouts, go in first! Keep a coordinated entry and sound the rm if you encounter any enemies or traps!" Fabian tookmand, his voice authoritative as he organized the invasion. Various Shades split off into groups as they leapt down from the castle walls, approaching the inner courtyard and front entrance of the foreboding castle.

    Dorian''s eyes shed as he looked at it, looking deeper towards the dangerous Aura he could sense. Even though the other Shades couldn''t sense it, they doubtless were aware that the castle itself would contain great danger.

    Without hesitation, Dorian quickly joined the rest of the Shades, his face expressionless as he moved forward.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a not far from Moria, a very different scene was taking ce¡­

    Arge red stone teau stood upright in the middle of a vast ocean. This teau was worn and weathered by the coarse weather of the sea, piercing more than 100 meters into the air from the tumultuous waves below. A stiff breeze blew across this teau, rustling through the air.

    On this teau, if one looked closely, a small building could be seen, one that was carved directly from the teau itself. This building blended into the rock, practically invisible unless one was right next to it. A few windows opened the single-story rocky building up to the outside air, allowing sunlight to waver in.

    Inside the building, there was arge round table with 7 seats ced equally around it. The table, the seats, and everything in here was carved from the same red stone, worn by time and the ocean breeze.

    At this exact moment, strange green light began to flicker in this abandoned, random building out in the middle of nowhere.

    WHOOSH

    Sparks of green light fluttered into the air. Gradually, energy began to fluctuate, the entire inside of the building starting to glow. This energy was powerful and vitriolic.

    If a wise onlooker was to describe it in a single word, it would inevitably be¡­

    Demonic.

    As the energy flooded into the room, however, the powerful glow found itself unable to escape the confines of the building. Despite there being several open windows, not even a hint of energy could leave the stone chambers.

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    WHOOSH

    A flurry of noise rang out as several figures abruptly appeared, out of nowhere.

    Five separate, darkly robed and vaguely Humanoid figures, each sitting in one spot or another around the carved table. All of them wore nk, white masks, hiding their identity in case prying eyes could see them.

    The Magic that was cast around this building made it impossible for any noise or light to escape, but certain powerful types of scrying Fate Magic would be capable of seeing through the protective barrier surrounding the stone structure. Even the strongest Fate Magic Spells would be limited to what was visible, however, unable to eavesdrop.

    Two seats were conspicuously empty.

    "Sigh. Why is Duke Orbit not here?" A robed and masked figure sitting on one sideined, a feminine voice full of irritation. Despite her annoyance, her every word drawled with a promise of seduction.

    "When does he ever show up on time, Danielle? The oaf takes his Law of Sloth practice far too literally." Arge, burly looking figure proimed from beneath his robes, shaking his head.

    "Fifteen is absent as well? He has chosen to not report in? I still don''t trust our newest member." An elderly, wavering voice broke in, motioning at one of the other empty seats.

    "It is as I reported before, and Fifteen is in the same lot as us. He has a Demonic Inheritance of his own. I already said I was fine with continuing to use fake names when he''s present, for now at least." The voice of Hallow, the warrior that was currently hunting for the Wrath Inheritor who just so happened to be Dorian, echoed out.

    "He''s engaged with the target I now believe to be an Inheritor of Wrath."

    "Oh, so we have found the Inheritor?" Thest of the five figures, a man with a sharp voice, hidden behind a ck robe and nk mask, cut in.

    "Yes, but there''s trouble." Hallow responded with a sigh, looking over at the other members of the Council of Demons.

    "The Inheritor has been found but¡­ I no longer believe he has good intentions." Hallow began, and was then promptly interrupted.

    "What do you mean, he doesn''t have good intentions?" The sultry female voice was full of sharp intelligence as she cut in.

    "Control yourself, Mistress of Lust. Let the man talk!" The elderly man of the group rebuked the female, his voice scathing.

    "You dare to lecture me on control, Baron Radishow? You let your Gluttony control you more often than no-"

    "Listen here, bitc-"

    "EVERYONE! PLEASE!" Hallow''s voice burst out across the room, full of anger as he broke in,

    "This is vitally important to the sess of our kind! Our ns to transform the Shade Race could falter here at the midway point if we do not act quickly!"

    An abrupt silence coated the room as all the robed figures froze, turning to look at Hallow, shocked.

    "I have reason to believe that the Inheritor of Wrath is currently heading to Moria. In fact, he may already be there now." Hallow held a hand up, cutting off replies before they could interrupt them as he continued,

    "No, not to ept the Inheritance of Wrath there. Or at least, not just that. But instead¡­ he is traveling there to destroy the Inheritances." Hallow''s words boomed with force as he exined,

    "The being I believe to be the Inheritor is a Shade known as Lord Inigo Montoya. He has currently gathered a sizable army, full of Lord and King ss experts, and has headed to Moria with the intent of cleansing it. His militant force has attracted considerable attention and indirectly received the support of the Church of Light." Hallow''s eyes shed underneath the nk white mask he wore as he continued,

    "With his understanding of one of the Seven Great Laws, he will be able to get past the defenses that would stop non-believers. He has be an inside agent, one that brought an entire holy army with him. Something like this has never happened before and was never a part of our ns." Hallow finished with one more line, his words calm,

    "And if we don''t stop him and his army¡­ then it is my belief that Moria, and the Inheritances on there, left by the Demon Emperor himself, will perish."

    For a few moments, no one talked.

    A moment after, pandemonium erupted.

    "What?! An entire army?!"

    "Inigo Montoya? I''ve heard of his tale. HE is the Inheritor of Wrath? The darling of the Church of Light?!"

    "We must act immediately! We cannot risk the Inheritances being destroyed, not when we still have yet to convert enough Shades!"

    "The ck Elder is right, if we lose the Inheritances, our ns to infiltrate and transform the Shade Race will falter. We will be forced to return to the ways of old, waiting for warriors to sense one of the Seven Great Laws without the assistance offered by the Ruins of Moria."

    Everyone seemed to be speaking at once, voices bouncing back and forth as the rest of the Demon Council realized the seriousness of the situation.

    "However. HOWEVER!" Hallow butted in, his voice booming as he drew everyone''s attention.

    "Fifteen is on Moria, trying to stop the false Inheritor. I, myself, am closing in as we speak, and will arrive on soon. Unfortunately, there are several King ss fighters, and a vast number of Lord ss warriors and Wizards, with the false Inheritor." Hallow waved at the other members of the Council.

    "We have so little time left, the options are limited. By the time we gathered and sent any number of our subordinates over, everything would already be settled." Moria wasn''t a world close to the home base of any of the members of the Demon Council.

    "I''d like to suggest that all of you use the Castle Lodestone you obtained when you obtained part of an Inheritance to warp through Chaotic Space to Moria. The Council must act personally to preserve our ce in the future." Hallow nodded slowly as he looked at them all.

    "I am close enough that I don''t need to shatter mine. I should arrive in the vicinity of the tomorrow."

    Everyone sitting around the table exchanged nces.

    "To shatter the Castle Lodestone for something like this¡­ single-use items that are capable of instantly warping someone away are extremely rare. It''s a bit of a waste to use it on this¡­" The burly figure spoke up, his voice hesitant.

    "Damal, if the Ruins of the Emperor are destroyed, the Lodestone will fall to dust anyway. It will serve no use at all then, in addition to all our years of nning and efforting to a dead end." Hallow sharply pointed out.

    "How certain are you that this Lord Inigo is what you say he is?" Danielle, the Mistress of Lust, jumped in, her sultry voice tinged with a hint of worry.

    Hallow sighed.

    "The false Inheritor is a veritable savant, possessing a mind capable of the most delicate subterfuge. His intellect and foresight are incredible. He has yed me, the Church, and everyone else all like a fiddle. I am certain he is what I say he is." Hallow shook his head,

    "If it weren''t for the overwhelming strength we possess as a group, I would fear to face up against him. His actions, his skill and maniption¡­ if I hadn''t gotten lucky and happened upon his trail by chance, it''s quite possible he would have remainedpletely undetected."

    "All I can say is that we absolutely must face this threat down immediately." Hallow''s voice grew cold.

    "This ''Lord Inigo'' is a genius whose depth of knowledge and confidence cannot be underestimated."

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ''Oh god, I have no idea what I''m doing. This is all going to end horribly.'' Dorian covered his face with his hands as he looked out at the ridiculous situation in front of him.

    It had all happened so quickly after they entered the castle, he could scarcely believe the situation he was now in.

    He was standing in arge bedroom, covered in silk carpets, a silken bed, fancy furniture and pillows, all coated with friendly colors. The mysterious Outer Castle on Moria that was filled with a foreboding Aura was nowhere to be seen.

    Three gorgeous, scantily d human women could be seen in this room alongside Dorian.

    One girl lounging on a couch and wearing nothing but a pair of pink panties and a scarf. She had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes that looked at Dorian with deep desire.

    Another was resting on the silk bed, a redhead covered in freckles, wearing a dress that was so skimpy and transparent, Dorian wondered if it even qualified to be called a dress. Her voluptuous figure was visible through it, doing nothing to hide her charms.

    Thest girl was sitting down in a plush chair near him, a brte wearing a pretty green bra, consciously spreading her legs open. Dorian resisted the urge to blush as he saw this, mentally cursing.

    ''I have to do WHAT to these girls to escape this Magical Array trap?!''

    .

 Chapter 183 Stairs

    Several minutes prior, Dorian and the other Shades had entered the castle. Several scouts were deployed, sent off in groups to search certain corridors and report back what they found.

    The rest of the group was actually waiting in the main entrance hall of the castle.

    The first room one came into was arge stone hall, with arching pirs supporting a high ceiling and a checkered stone floor. Faintly glowing crystals were set on the walls, giving the mostly deste stone a more cheerful look.

    The first thing Dorian''s army did when they entered, after setting up a temporary base while they waited for the scouts to report back, caused him to pause¡­

    "MMmmm!"

    "Where''s the salt!"

    "Is there more of that Warping Turkey? That stuff is delicious!"

    They set up a buffet.

    "Cheers! To a glorious battle!"

    A long table had been constructed from what several Shades had carried in their Spatial Rings. On that table was a long line of delicious foods. Cooked Warping Turkey legs, fried Plum Lizard tails, Crystal Water, Melon Bread¡­

    Dorian''s mouth was watering as he stared at the feast.

    "Holy Highlord! Please,e join us! We''ll need to keep our strength high for when we face the forces of evil!" Fabian saw that Dorian had held himself back and waved over at him, pointing with a stick of chicken. Besides Fabian were the other two Captains, digging in.

    Dorian nced to the left.

    Even Mello was eating, chomping on a ripe Bannon Berry fruit.

    ''Aren''t we in enemy territory, in an enemy castle?¡­'' The Shades didn''t seem to be particrly worried, though several guards had been set up, rotating out as others ate their fill, watching the several hallways that led off from the throne room.

    rumble

    Dorian felt his stomach rumble. Far too often he depended on his Growth Points to make up for his hunger, focusing on meditation and strength instead of enjoying the taste of food.

    ''I might as well make a brief exception.'' He walked forward.

    "Cheers!"

    "Praise the Great Hero, Lord Inigo!"

    "¡­"

    Several minutes passed by as all the Shades ate their fill, including Dorian. The delicious taste of buttered turkey legs, soft and cool fruit, sweet and tangy meat¡­ It was a feast that was magical.

    In that time, several of the injured Shades had managed to recover from their injuries, the medicines they brought with them healing them. A few had brought energy restoring medicines, though they weren''t too effective when it came down to using Law Energy.

    It was around then, as the Shades were cleaning up, saving some leftovers for the scouts, that the Shades that were sent off returned.

    There were five pathways that led out of this entrance room. Four of them were small, side passages that were ced off near the corners, while one was arge, open and arched stone passage, towering near the back.

    The scouts reported to Fabian in quick order. Fabian then came over and ryed everything to Dorian. The other two Captains and Mello had all joined him, waiting patiently.

    "Four of the paths lead to various chambers that are Magically sealed. Some of them appear to have rare or precious objects, like Natural Treasures, powerful looking Artifacts, and more locked away, while others are empty." There weren''t any traps or guards on anything, which seemed rather suspicious.

    Dorian''s eyes shed when he heard this.

    ''Rare treasures! Excellent! Just what I''m looking for!'' He had been told that great treasure could be found on Moria presently, and had been found before in the past, but until he directly heard about it from the scouts, he had felt subtly uneasy.

    With the reassurance that they had found stuff, one worry in his heart was settled. He would likely be able to afford any of the healing medicine he wanted for Helena now.

    "Oh? And the fifth path?" Dorian broke off his thoughts as he saw Fabian looking at him expectantly, tossing out a response.

    "That is the main path. Down it is arge red carpet that leads to what looks like a throne room. A long set of stairs lead up to the tform that holds the throne. The scouts found that, no matter what they tried, it was impossible to fly or reach the throne through any other way except by the stairs¡­" Fabian paused and the continued,

    "However, none of them sessfully managed to climb the stairs. Powerful pressure crashes into the soul, pressure that is far too much for any of them to bear."

    "Hmm?" Dorian frowned slightly as he heard this.

    The ominous Aura that he could sense all seemed to being from the main path¡­

    ''Even if the side paths have enough treasure, I should still check this out. The real ''Lord Inigo'' would too.'' He made up his mind.

    "Have the men split off and gather the treasures in the side paths. However, do two paths at a time, and I want Captain Horbold and Captain Ayra to be on one team each, in case a resurgence of the Demonic remnants happens." Dorian made his will known, his voicemanding.

    "Yes, Holy Highlord."

    "Yes, Great Hero!"

    The two Captains bowed and then began to walk over to their own respective troops, organizing them.

    "As for the rest, including Mello''s men, let''s all head to the throne room and see this in person." Dorian''s eyes shed.

    Fabian nodded and bowed. He then turned to face the Shades. They were currently in the process of picking up and putting up the tables they''d spread out.

    "Ready up, Shades! We''re about to move out!"

    "Cheers!"

    "Hear, hear!"

    A few minutes after that, they found themselves moving down a long stone hallway. Every step Dorian took, the ominous but familiar Aura grew stronger and stronger. He felt a sort of nervous tension build in his heart.

    In what felt like no time at all, they arrived in the room the scouts had described.

    A grand,rge and towering room unfolded before him. The floor was made of cool, blue-tiled stone. Severalrge, crystal pirs supported the high, arching ceiling and provided a cool, rxing light.

    At the back and center of the room, Dorian could see the long, towering stairs that Fabian had mentioned, one with 100 separate steps on it.

    They were ck and sleek, cut sharply. Just by stepping into the room, Dorian could feel the might of this stone edifice. They contained a type of special strength or power. Just by looking at them, he felt oppressed.

    At the same time, another feeling, the ominous Aura, became overpowering. He could sense this Auraing from directly atop the stone stairs. The Shades seemed to unconsciously sense this, tensing up.

    ''What on earth is it from?!''

    "This is the room, Great Hero!" Fabian''s voice boomed out, ignoring the stately authority the room was filled with. As he spoke, all the watching Shades seemed to rx, feeling at ease.

    ''He does have the talent formanding.'' Dorian noted.

    "So these stairs are ones that are hard to climb, huh?" He walked towards the center of the room, a small frown on his face.

    "Allow me to test it first, Great Hero!" Fabian would have none of that, hurriedly rushing ahead to check the stairs for any traps.

    The other Shades, in the meanwhile, all moved forward as well, watching the scene unfold before them. Mello stayed in the background, his eyes scanning everywhere as if he was looking for someone.

    Dorian raised his hands in the air as he waited, his senses tingling.

    ''The air here is odd. It''s obviously been affected by something.'' He moved his arm back and forth. It moved normally, but it still felt subtly off. Instinctively, Dorian knew that if he tried to jump, his body would only be able to move about a meter off the ground before slowing.

    There was no way to go up in this room except by the stairs in front of them.

    ''I wonder if you can climb in through the roof?'' He looked up and then shook his head. He got the feeling that a countermeasure of some sort was in ce to stop that.

    "Hup!" Fabian took a single step onto the staircase.

    Immediately he froze, his entire body trembling for a second.

    He took a step back, off the staircase.

    "Incredible!" He stepped back on it and froze yet again. After a moment''s pause he took a second step, and then a third.

    "Great Hero, it is as the scouts say! The stairs are magical, they force you down as you try to go up them. It is as if a great boulder has settled upon my shoulders, slowing my steps." Fabian''s voice echoed as he took several more steps.

    A heavy, King ss Aura of Might burst out of him as he drew upon his strength, taking several more steps in a flurry.

    Dorian watched this all. He could see Fabian''s shoulders shake as he moved, his legs shivering.

    "Woo! Captain Fabian!"

    "Charge bravely!"

    The Shades were still having a great time, enjoying this as if it was a show. Several of them even pped, making Dorian inwardly shake his head.

    After climbing about halfway up the grand staircase, Fabian''s movements greatly slowed. A sheen of sweat could be seen soaking his forward and his every step fell to a crawl. The Shade was visibly struggling, his chest heaving from exertion.

    He was just a bit past the halfway point when hepletely came to a standstill. Muscles bulged in his arms and legs as he pulled on every iota of willpower he had, trying to move one more step.

    "Ahh, hup!" Finally, with a look of defeat, Fabian jumped backwards, his body hurtling down as he left the staircase. Oddly enough, instead of arge outward jump, his jump took him all the way down the stairs, as if he was on a zip line. There seemed to be some type of barrier not allowing him to jump freely.

    "He climbed 56 steps!" As Fabiannded, one of the onlooking Shades remarked.

    "Oh wow."

    "Did you see how much effort he put in?"

    "King ss is truly King ss. I probably wouldn''t make it up even a dozen steps."

    Murmurs broke out, ones that Fabian ignored but still smiled, his face flushed.

    "It should be safe, Great Hero! Merely, the pressure it puts on you is truly incredible. It seems to increase every 10 steps by arge amount. I was barely able to move past the 50th step." Fabian took several heaving breaths, patting himself on the chest.

    ''Wow. If even the King ss Might user couldn''t make it, what chance do I have, even if I use the Law of Valor and my Perfect Body Ability?'' Dorian mused quietly. He was quite strong, but in his Shade form, he highly doubted he would be able topare to Fabian with his King ss Law of Might.

    All the Shades turned to look at Dorian expectantly. Their eyes were full of hope and spirit, trembling as they looked upon their mighty hero.

    He internally sighed.

    ''Whelp. I''ve really boxed myself in now. At least I''m still only Lord ss, it would only be normal for me to fail too.'' A seed of worry nted itself in his heart, however, as he considered the image he needed to maintain.

    Without hesitating, Dorian walked up to the stairs and put a single foot on the first step.

    WHOOOOSH

    For a brief instant, he felt arge amount of pressure settle onto him. That pressure was colossal, like a boulder crashing down on his back, just like Fabian had said.

    However, as that pressure settled upon his shoulders, it seemed to waver briefly. His soul shivered, a small amount of energy drifting out of it. He felt as if his soul was interacting not only with this pressure, but also with the stairs themselves.

    If he had to describe the interaction, he would say it felt faintly¡­ demonic in nature, as if some of the more demonic Laws that he studied were activating something.

    WHOOSH

    And, just as easily as that pressure had settled upon him, it washed off, leaving himpletely free and unobstructed.

    "Huh?!"

    .

 Chapter 184 Law

    Dorian froze as he stepped onto the first step, shocked.

    ''It actually doesn''t affect me at all?!'' His thoughts were thrown into disarray as he considered this. After a moment, he went over the unique feeling he had sensed earlier, where his soul seemed to be interacting with the stairs. His Jade Memory made sure that, even though it happened in an instant, he had the entire exchange memorized.

    ''It¡­ it''s definitely because I have at least one Demonic Law that I''ve studied. It seems like it has recognized thatw, and is letting me pass through?'' His mind raced ahead as he went to the most logical conclusion.

    After all, this was once considered the home base of the Demonic Race. It actually made perfect sense for there to be areas restricted to only Demonic Practitioners.

    ''But it still let Fabian move upward, despite being a Law of Might user. Maybe it''s not entirely because of the Laws I practice. It might be something more to do with my soul itself.'' Dorian instinctively felt like there was more to this.

    Every time he underwent a baptism of the Laws of the Universe, his soul was transformed slightly. Right now, his soul was very good at sensing any Laws rted to the Seven Great Sins, or the Laws of the Demonic Race, and what Dorian personally called the Seven Great Virtues. He didn''t know if there was an Angelic Race.

    ''I''ll ask Ausra about thatter.'' He cut his thoughts off here as he realized he had been standing still for more than a couple seconds. The Shades in the background were all watching with bated breath. He even saw one Shade pull out a sort of crystal ball Artifact that Dorian had read was used to record things via some type of ss Magic.

    "Hup!" He took another step up the stairs.

    "Wooo! Masterful Lord!"

    "Praise the Great Hero!"

    "Crush those steps!"

    The Shades all cheered, Fabian included as they watched Dorian move. All of them seemed to have great faith in his prowess.

    As Dorian saw this, he realized this was an excellent opportunity to cement their opinion of him.

    "Grr!" Bravely, he took several more steps, each one seemingly causing him to tremble and shake. His shoulders hunched as he began to climb forward, a Valorous Aura burst out around him.

    Slowly and steadily, Dorian began to climb the stairs. His steps were full of serene grace and power, moving without hesitation. As he crossed the 10th and 20th stair mark, all the cheering Shades quieted, their eyes watching Dorian''s every movement.

    Several of them stepped forward towards the stairs, tensing up as they prepared to try and rescue ''Lord Inigo'' if they needed to, small seeds of worry spreading.

    After all, the mighty and powerful King ss Mystic Martial Artist, Fabian of the Spear, an elder of some renown, was unable to cross the 50th stair mark. If ''Lord Inigo'' truly pushed himself, it was possible he might get seriously injured or even die.

    Despite their worries, all the watching Shades looked on as Lord Inigo ignored all of this, nobly pushing onward.

    When he reached the 30th step, Dorian''s shoulders quivered slightly.

    That shake alone almost sent all the Shades to the floor as they called out,

    "Holy Highlord, careful!"

    "Don''t push yourself too far, Great hero! You are only still Lord ss!"

    "Our faith in you shall remain unchallenged!"

    Several of them had voices filled with concern. Even Captain Fabian joined in, trying to encourage Dorian to go slowly. After all, even he had been thrown down, and he was a King ss fighter.

    At that, Dorian paused. Slowly, he turned around, looking down at the Shades that were poised toe rescue him.

    "Who do you all think that I am?" His voice boomed out, shaking the air. Dorian twisted on Fate slightly, willing for it to sound as majestic as possible to the Shades down below.

    The Shades all stood, transfixed and frozen as they were swept up in Dorian''s Aura and words.

    Mello simply rolled his eyes.

    "My name¡­" As he spoke, his voice fluctuated with raw power.

    "Is Inigo Montoya."

    BOOOM

    An explosion of energy rolled off his shoulders as he finished the sentence, almost causing some of the Shades down below to faint.

    "I am here on a mission to cure my wife and kill the being with 6 fingers on his right hand."

    BOOM

    "I am here to cleanse Moria."

    BOOM

    "I am here to do what is right."

    BOOM

    Ever sessive sentence rocked the onlookers. Even Mello seemed affected, ncing at Dorian with worship in his eyes for a moment before he caught himself and then red at Dorian as if it was his fault.

    "Have faith." Dorian finished speaking, turning his back to them.

    "Great Hero!"

    "We are not worthy!"

    "Praise!"

    Several of the Shades broke out in tears, yelling apologies as they bowed and backed up. Fabian looked on all of this proudly, his arms crossed as if he hadn''t, just a moment ago, been yelling for Dorian to be careful as well.

    With the cheers of the Shades at his back, Dorian strove on proudly. He soon passed the 30th step and crossed onto the 40th, his plodding progress seemingly inevitable.

    When he reached the 50th step, the ce where the pressure on Captain Fabian had greatly increased, everyone became hushed, not daring to make a sound.

    "Hup!" He bravely kept walking forward.

    For Dorian, all of this had been a breeze.

    ''There''s really no pressure.'' He smiled internally. This was quite a convenient way to impress his followers.

    The higher up he moved, however, the stronger the ominous Aura that he could sense became. It weighed down on him, filling him with unease. It didn''t feel dangerous¡­ just¡­ he couldn''t quite exin it in words. To him, it felt like something tragic had happened here in the past, long ago.

    While his thoughts were muddled, Dorian absentmindedly climbed all the way to the 80th step before he realized it.

    Down below, all the Shades looked on. Their eyes no longer held a trace of shock. Instead, it was pure, fanatic faith.

    His ability to move past the step that had thrown back even a King ss warrior like Fabian, famed for his power, and bear it steadily all the way up so high had won them all overpletely, putting to rest any doubt that any of them may have sheltered in their hearts.

    All of them now, one and all, believed that Lord Inigo could truly do anything he attempted. Not a single soul there, with the sole exception of Mello, thought otherwise.

    "He is¡­ the Greatest Hero of the Shade Race¡­"

    "Praise the Light¡­ Praise Lord Inigo¡­"

    "He is the chosen one¡­"

    Some of the Shades were even tearing up. Dorian actually felt kind of bad for them.

    Mello eyed all the fanatic Shades askance and then turned his eyes up towards Dorian, as if impressed by his handiwork.

    If Mello had known Dorian had never intended for all of this to happen in the first ce, his opinion might''ve been a bit different.

    When Dorian reached the 95th step he took onest nce at all the Shades. He made his entire body shake, as if he was bearing a burden so great it was death-defying.

    He slowly raised his hand in a fist.

    "LORD INIGGOO!!"

    "PRAISEEE THE LIGHT!!!"

    "WOOOOOOOOOO!"

    As if by some hidden signal, a cacophony of cheers was unleashed from the crowd, pure pandemonium.

    Dorian nodded gravely as he saw this, and turned back to his quest.

    He put his foot on the 95th step. Then the 96th. The 98th.

    The 99th.

    And finally, the 100th step, the one that was part of the tform itself.

    As he stepped on it, he could finally see the tform. It was set as arge, grey square of stone, finely cut and sharp edged. It was devoid of almost any decoration, save for two visible objects.

    One was a throne, set in the back of the tform. It was a tall creation, covered in circr symbols and markings.

    The other object was arge, ck tube that was stuck out of the ground, surrounded on the sides by a cage of metal. As Dorian looked at it, the ominous Aura that he sensed almost overwhelmed him, his mind rocketing.

    ''It''sing from that tube!'' He realized instantly.

    He raised his other foot and set it down as he came to that conclusion, fully stepping onto the tform.

    The instant he did, as he moved forward out of sight from the Shades down below, a sh of light blinded Dorian''s eyes. An image of the stark throne in front of him filled his eyes for the briefest second.

    Right after that, he fainted.

    When he came to, he found himself in a mysterious room full of scantily d women.

    That was his present situation. Surrounded by a trio of luscious girls that were barely clothed, all of them looking at Dorian with intense desire.

    ''What?!'' As he sat there shocked, trying toe to terms, a piece of innate knowledge appeared in his mind.

    This was a Magic Array of some sort, one that had trapped him, created by abination ofplex Spells and Artifacts. To get out of it, he would need toplete the challenge it held. The knowledge of what he had to do had instinctively appeared in his head thanks to the Array itself.

    It wanted him to take these women in some kind of magic fantasy orgy. The wet dream of many a schoolboy back on Earth. By doing so, he wouldplete whatever challenge or trial this was and be rewarded.

    "I refuse." Dorian outright put his foot down, his eyes enraged as he looked around.

    ''Hmm?'' A voice appeared in Dorian''s head, humming with confusion.

    As Dorian heard this voice, once more, innate knowledge appeared in his mind. It seemed that the Magic Array he was in would inform him of certain things if he was confused, something he found rather convenient, though also unsettling.

    ''How is it doing that?'' He thought, his eyes narrowing.

    Meanwhile, the voice continued to speak. A voice that he now knew was an ''Array Genie,'' a simr creation whenpared to Ausra. A rtively autonomous consciousness of Magic.

    ''Why are you resisting the Inheritance ceremony? You have been found worthy. Please proceed with the ceremony.'' The voice echoed in his head.

    ''Ausra, can you hear that?'' He queried, asking his own Soul Spell Matrix Genie.

    ''Yes. It is an energy signal thatmunicates directly with your soul, through a connection that was formed the moment you entered this Array.'' Ausra replied, her voice cool.

    ''Can you do anything about this situation?'' He asked, hopeful.

    ''No.'' Her reply was rather deadpan.

    ''Do you know anything else about Arrays?''

    ''No.''

    ''Alright never mind.'' He rolled his eyes and smiled. His Soul Spell Matrix Genie only seemed to ever know anything about creatures, using the knowledge inscribed upon his Soul Spell Matrix.

    If she really was a remnant of the Wise Lady''s Soul Spell Matrix, he couldn''t fault the autonomous Genie.

    ''You have been invited here freely, yes? Then ept the Inheritance! This is a huge opportunity!'' The Array Genie''s voice was full of irritation as it spoke again, a voice that felt decidedly intelligent, like a real, living being.

    Before Dorian''s eyes, a translucent bubble appeared in front of him in the fancy room. This bubble had a rather ethereal air to it, slowly bobbing up and down.

    "I can''t ept this Inheritance, not when it''s like this." Dorian shook his head, staunch in his refusal as he looked at the bubble.

    ''W-what?'' The Array Genie controlling the array stuttered.

    "I''m kind of seeing someone right now." Dorian continued, shrugging.

    ''¡­'' The voice of the Array Genie

    ''I can sense that you''re lying from the wavelengths in your soul!'' The Array Genie''s voice seemed to be filled with a sensation of victory, as if it would convince Dorian to ept now.

    "Okay, well, it''s not official yet, but it''s pretty close." Dorian freely admitted, shrugging a second time,

    "Trust me, I got this one in the bag. Hehe."

    ''¡­''

    ''¡­''

    ''¡­''

    "Oi, don''t you judge me, you freaky ghost bubble. Romance takes time, you gotta take it slow. Especially if the girl you''re interested in is a freakishly talented warrior."

    ''¡­you¡­''

    ''¡­I¡­''

    ''¡­my mission¡­'' The Array Genie''s voice seemed almost as if it was broken before it continued,

    ''This is a grand Inheritance setup by the Demon Emperor HIMSELF!'' The Array Genie continued,

    ''Something that would vastly enhance your power! You can gain ess to an entirely new Law! That''s right, I can sense you already have some Demonic Laws, you could follow in His Glory''s footste-''

    "Yeah, lemme stop you right there." Dorian shook his head,

    "The way things have been going, I highly doubt I won''t be able to get this Law on my own. I''m kind of lucky, you know? Things usually go my way." With his ability to manipte Fate and extremely unique soul, as well as all the other Laws he had picked up, Dorian was confident in what he said. His Jade Memory meant he just needed a single taste of a Law and he would be able to achieve it.

    "So this is gonna be a no from me, dawg." He waved at the floating bubble dismissively,

    "Now tell me, how do I get out of this ce? Can I just break it down with someser beams?" He ignored the scantily d women, figuring that they were merely illusions and not real people at this point, not that that changed his mind.

    ''¡­''

    ''¡­''

    ''¡­I''m sorry, but you are getting this Inheritance whether you want it or not¡­'' The Array Genie seemed to sigh, its voice defeated.

    "What?! No, I already told you! I don''t consent!"

    ''¡­''

    ''It''s a magical Inheritance, the ceremony was triggered the moment you stepped in here, even I can''t stop it. There is certainly nothing you can do to stop it. If you won''t take it in the willing form like this, then you will receive it in the traditional energy transfer way.'' As the bubble spoke, the scantily d women blurred and then all reappeared, standing around Dorian in various seductive poses.

    All three were gorgeous, like women from Dorian''s dreams. Each one was a perfect 10 in pure looks, a ravishing beauty in their own rights.

    "Bubble! How could you! I trusted you!" Dorian red at it reproachfully. At the same time, as he kept its attention, he began to gather his will, ready to fully defend himself.

    Only, he found that everything he tried to do had no effect. His soul, his powers, they all seemed to have vanished. It was as if only his mind was here, for something he had no control over.

    In fact, he couldn''t even physically move now.

    ''ept this Lustful Inheritance!'' The bubble yelled out, its voice full of righteous indignation, as if it had never encountered a situation like this before where it was unjustly used.

    "Noooo!" Dorian''s eyes widened as he felt the girls reach out for him. Panic filled his heart as he thought of Helena. After all, he was technically a virgin in this world. It was kind of dumb, but he had decided that he wanted his first time to be with her.

    "Noooooooooo! My chastity! I refuuuusseeeee!" His eyes pulsed as he pulled at everything, trying to make his body move, all to no avail.

    The three girls allid a hand on his head. Immediately, dark, scandalous knowledge and energy flowed into his mind.

    WHOOOOOSH

    As the knowledge and sensation of energy flooded into Dorian, he also felt something else¡­ Another source of energy that he could just barely sense, one that tapped into the very edges of his awareness.

    At the exact same time, Dorian felt twopletely opposite sources of energy appear at the corner of his mind. One full of sultry, riveting energy, while the other was full of devout, chaste power.

    Somehow, in the same instant, Dorian managed to simultaneously grab hold of both the Law of Lust and the Law of Chastity.

    "Helenaaaaaaaa!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Back on Shaptle, in the depths of the city of Cracktyl, in a fancy inn room¡­

    Helena abruptly sat up from her meditation, her eyes zing.

    After a moment, she paused in confusion.

    "¡­"

    "Why do I suddenly feel like I should be murdering someone?"

    .

 Chapter 185 Chains

    The sensation of the two Laws overloaded Dorian''s senses for a brief moment. Thepletely opposing forces swarmed within his soul, energy greedily flooding in as he grasped at them.

    He intended to use the energy to protect himself. After all, he hadn''t been able to even move when that evil bubble was keeping him still. Anything that could power him up to break out was something he would grab hold of.

    As he reached for this energy, however, a somewhat familiar feeling settled upon him.

    Fluctuating energy washing his soul in power¡­ crackling light that shivered around him, increasing the strength of his soul¡­ a oneness with the world around him¡­

    He was undergoing a Baptism of the Laws of the Universe.

    And not just a single Baptism of the Laws¡­ but two at the same time. And not a normal Baptism, either. For, the Laws of the Universe had a very weak presence on Moria. As a result, arge amount of strain was ced upon Dorian''s soul as he forcibly drew the presence of the Laws of the Universe towards him.

    ''Oh dang.''

    That was Dorian''s only thought before the opposing Laws of Lust and Chastity swarmed his mind, undting sensations serenading him. Instantly he took several deep breaths, throwing everything else to the side as he focused fully on containing the energy.

    The two very different energy sources were currently trying to escape his grasp. If he let either of them go loose, they would tear into his soul, badly damaging it.

    Normally, this could be resolved by simply focusing on the concept and sensation of energy, absorbing it bit by bit.

    However, thanks to the opposing natures of the two energy sources, Dorian was forced to actively bnce each one. He let one part of his soul immerse a bit of one type of energy while shifting around the other type to a different part of his soul.

    The primal, raw energy from the Law of Lust could note into contact with the chaste, devout strength from the Law of Chastity, not unless Dorian had fully harmonized his soul with each Law.

    As it stood now, his soul was trying to reject both energies. Until the Baptism was finished, he wouldn''t be able to freely control either power source.

    "Ughhhh." Dorian grunted out loud, his body shaking. As that happened, he faintly realized that he had exited that vision world where the bubble had been, returning back to the top of the stairs where the throne was.

    He couldn''t spare any more thought for this, sweat covering his forehead as he did everything in his power to prevent his soul from rupturing.

    ''Perfect Body, activate!'' He didn''t dare to draw upon any other Laws, even the ones that could power up his soul. Instead, he used what was left of his willpower to forcibly activate his Perfect Body Ability.

    Immediately, the world around him lost some of its color as it faded to a grayer tone. At the same time, Dorian''s mind and body were greatly enhanced. His perception of time increased, letting him see the world in slower motion.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian felt the whishing energy moving around in his soul and imposed his will on it, forcing it to obey him. With his Perfect Body Ability active, he was able to more easily direct the energy, keeping it from injuring him. The Ability sheared off a great deal of the stress put on him.

    Still, he suffered arge headache from his efforts. The work and pain his soul and mind had been put through were abnormal for even his standards.

    Gradually, the two opposing energy sources began to calm down. The sultry energy from the Law of Lustpletely covered his soul, sessfully imbuing it with the power to control that energy. Right after, the same thing happened, but this time for the Law of Chastity.

    As Dorian gained an instinctive level of control over eachw, knowledge flooded into his aching head. Specifically, knowledge of what each Law did.

    Once again, despite their opposing natures, Dorian discovered that the two Laws had very simr effects. It seemed that the Laws of the Seven Great Sins and Seven Great Virtues mirrored each other.

    Pride and Valor were seen as opposing Laws, he realized at that moment. Leader''s Pride centered around believing in himself for the sake of himself, while Dorian''s Valor centered around believing in himself for the sake of others.

    Both Laws, despite their contrary beliefs, gave the same raw effect. Great power imbued to enhance one''s physique.

    The Law of Mercy and the Law of Wrath were opposing Laws, yet both Laws gave the ability to enhance the power of your attacks, imbuing them with powerful energy, energy that could be used to attack individually as well, if so desired.

    Both the Law of Greed and the Law of Charity enhanced the overall power of one''s soul, granting one better offensive and defensive powers.

    And, now, as Dorian picked up both the Law of Lust and the Law of Chastity, he realized what they brought to the table.

    Both Laws gave powers that were rted to both the soul and the mind. The Laws didn''t give powers that were solely one or the other, but ones that mixed with both. The two Laws enhanced the power of one''s mind, allowing one to think clearer and faster, granting the ability to multitask multiple things at once.

    But, more importantly in Dorian''s eyes¡­

    The two Laws affected one''s perception of time. And not only in the mind or soul, but also the perception of time for his body as well, at a physical, base level as he interacted with reality.

    His eyes shed as he realized what this meant.

    ''When I draw upon these two Laws, it''ll be like when I use my Perfect Body Ability¡­ only stronger.'' He could instinctively tell that by using each Law, the world around him would slow down. Or, rather, he would speed up. From his perspective, however, it would slow down.

    The amount he could enhance his perception of time would start at a rather small amount, and increase with his understanding of the two Laws. How exactly much it would enhance his perception of time would be something he figured out on another day.

    ''Wow. That''s an incredibly useful power! It''s just like the power I had in that dream vision a while ago, back in the Life Years Dream Zone.'' He muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

    ''Alright, damn ghost bubble. Maybe your Inheritance wasn''t that bad after all. Still, to try and force it on me¡­'' He shook his head, mentally rebuking the uncaring Array Genie.

    ''Status.'' He called his status to mind, feeling a sizable increase in the power of his soul.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 215,877/230,900

    -

    ''Oh man! Another big increase! Soon I''ll overtake what the genius Vice-Head of the Diamond Department had achieved in terms of raw Energy.'' He smiled at the thought.

    Abruptly, Dorian''s thoughts were broken as he looked around, jerking himself to awareness.

    He was currently kneeling on the floor of therge, stone tform. The stark throne he had seeny against the wall before him, solemn and foreboding.

    Directly in front of him was the stone tube he had seen before, covered by a metal cage. The source of the uneasy, ominous Aura he could feel.

    Dorian took several deep breaths, waiting for his Constant Regeneration to kick in and help lessen his aching head, as he studied the tube. He frowned slightly as he looked at it, leaning closer.

    ''Now that I''m up here, I might as well figure out what you are.'' He had just gained quite a bit from being up here and it was very likely he would never return.

    The ominous Aura this tube gave off might be unnerving, but it also drew Dorian in. He could feel a connection to it, now that he was so close, a connection he felt in his soul.

    ''Is it rted to the Demon Emperor?'' His eyes narrowed as he studied it.

    Slowly, he raised his hand till it was hovering over the top of it. As he did this, he flinched, his eyes widening.

    For, the moment his hand was ced directly above the tube, raw sparks of energy began to flow around the metal cage that kept the tube securely locked to the dais. Dorian could visibly make out some sort of green symbol glowing atop the previously smooth surface of the tube.

    ''Huh.'' He stared at the symbol, unblinking. He felt a strange familiarity here, as if he knew what this was. The cage that surrounded the sides of the stone tube also felt oddly familiar, though he couldn''t quite ce why.

    After a moment, however, he came up with nothing. He didn''t remember ever actually seeing it before, not at any point while he had the Jade Memory Ability. At least, nothing that was a perfect match.

    ''Hmm¡­ Is it like the Array? Rted to the Demon Emperor?'' Given the location of the tube, it seemed like a likely guess.

    He studied it for a few more moments before sighing.

    ''Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'' He put his entire body on high alert as he reached down with his right hand, his left hand ready to jerk his arm back if needed. He would even go so far as to cut his arm off, knowing he could regrow it using his Growth Points.

    He grasped the top of the stone tube, his hand clenching down upon the shining glyph.

    Immediately, an electrifying flow of energy covered his body. It set his cells to tingling, a warm, dazzling feeling seemed to hit every cell in his body. As this urred, Dorian felt something strange.

    He didn''t get a feeling of danger. In fact, the ominous Aura seemed to havepletely disappeared. Instead¡­

    WHOOOSH

    A mental image filled Dorian''s mind.

    A vision of a world that was teeming with life. Beautiful grass, plentiful trees, a plethora of wildlife and nts. Beautiful rivers and rocky mountains, sweeping ins and vast oceans. A world that looked like a virtual paradise.

    As this vision bloomed in his mind, it began to change.

    From out of nowhere, hundreds ofrge, metal chains appeared, each one thicker than a mountain. These chains were full of foreboding and powerful energy, energy that seemed to Seal the itself.

    For, as these chains appeared, the began to wither. Life fled from it, energying to a still. The Laws of the Universe weakened, their presence almost vanishingpletely.

    ''These chains¡­ they are what caused this world to die! Moria is a frozen, lifeless because of them!'' An epiphany struck Dorian as he witnessed this, the knowledge from the tube pouring in.

    ''And if I truly want to cleanse Moria¡­ I need to remove these chains.'' The thought processed in his mind for a moment.

    ''And these chains¡­ they are inherently connected to this metal tube. And not just this one¡­ but several other ones.'' Dorian could feel a connection between the tube he was holding and the chains, but only for a portion of the chains.

    ''But a small number, nevertheless. The reason the castles reappear even after they are destroyed is probably rted to this. This must be some sort of grand secret of this world¡­ something that the Demon Emperor left behind.'' All the pieces to the puzzle fit together in his mind as he nodded.

    ''Legends about cleansing Moria must''ve arisen from people that divined Fate, learning that it was indeed possible. You just needed to have a special soul¡­ or at least to have studied some Demonic Laws.'' Dorian doubted that anyone that hadn''t studied a Demonic Law, or at least had the aptitude to, could get up the stairs. He didn''t think they would make it up even if they were a Pseudo-Angelic expert, though he wasn''t sure about Angelic ss experts.

    ''And if I pull out this, this Sealing Tube, forck of a better name, I will shatter arge number of the chains¡­ and change the world of Moria itself.'' His eyes shed as he looked down at the tube.

    And then, without hesitating, clenched on tightly and pulled.

    .

 Chapter 186 Cleanse

    CLANG

    Nothing happened.

    The tube didn''t move at all and remained perfectly stable.

    Dorian stared at it in consternation for a moment before his eyes shed, a small smile appearing on his face.

    "Ah, like this. Of course." He pulled on the Sealing Tube again, this time infusing it with energy from his Soul Spell Matrix, activating it.

    WHOOSH

    Immediately, Dorian felt a wave of energy swarm over his body. The tingling sensation he got from the electrifying flow of energy was heightened, expanding to a throbbing burn. Despite the pain, however, Dorian could tell that he wasn''t being injured. If anything, the energy that was swarming around him was actually healing any minor injuries he still had, protecting him.

    It was almost as if the energy was a part of him and didn''t want to harm him. It wasfortable, though the sheer amount of it stretched the limit of his tolerance.

    Meanwhile, the world around Dorian began to undte. Bright sparkles of red, green, and blue energy appeared in the air, streams of pure light that glowed with mystical power.

    The air itself began to vibrate.

    "Arrrrgh!" Dorian groaned out loud as he felt his body be so full of energy it was painful. A virtual explosion of energy and light sted out from his body.

    Despite the incredible quaking of energy, the dais and throne he was standing on remained unchanged. The castle walls, roof, everything was undamaged.

    It was only the sensation of energy that could be felt, brutal waves of power bursting free and filling the air.

    ''I need to control this! I need to let it out gradually!''

    In Dorian''s mind, a mental image of the world being held down by thousands of chains could be seen. When he pulled this Sealing Tube out, around 15% of the chains had started to pull back with it, trembling.

    This trembling had manifested in reality as a powerful wave of energy, shaking the air.

    Dorian realized the seriousness of the situation as he maintained his Perfect Body state, taking several deep breaths as he concentrated fully on controlling the Sealing Tube.

    Distinctly, he could feel the Sealing mechanism that the Tube controlled. It was as if his awareness had been thrust into this weird Artifact-Spell hybrid, giving himplete control over it. He could instinctively tell that it was something he was unable to absorb, an abnormality in itself.

    ''I need to gradually pull the Tube all the way out¡­ the more I pull it, the tighter those chains will be. They will reach their maximum level of tension right as it''s about to be fully removed¡­''

    The Sealing Tube was nted firmly in the floor of this raised dais. However, through some type of Magic, it was as if the Tube was nted in reality itself. By pulling it out of its spot, Dorian was functionally breaking the effect of the Sealing Tube.

    When it was fully removed¡­

    All the chains that it controlled would snap like twigs.

    Down below the dais, where all the Shades and Mello were currently waiting, it was as if a concussive st had knocked them all to the ground. Most of them were clutching their heads, even Mello, as they blearily looked around.

    The world around them was shaking, the very fabric of reality vibrating.

    "Arrrgh!" Dorian grunted again as he slowly pulled, his arms screaming at him. He felt like he was trying to drag a huge, enormous mountain using his bare hands.

    Despite that, inch by inch, he made progress.

    The world around him began to fluctuate more and more. The air began to feel stretched out, as if a huge amount of tension was building. A deep, inborn fear in him began to rise as he felt like he was about to be hit with an enormous blow.

    It was kind of like stretching out a rubber band, back on earth. Eventually, that rubber band was either going to break or you were going to have to let go of it. Either way, arge amount of tension and force would build up.

    "Almost there¡­" As the force grew, Dorian''s control grew alongside it. The more he felt the energy tugging at him, the easier he found it to control the Sealing Tube and remove it. It was like his soul was adapting to the strain, perhaps something to do with his existence as an Anomaly.

    CLINK

    Finally, Dorian felt the Sealing Tube reach the very tip, pulled almost all the way out. By this point, the world around Dorian was a crescendo of violent energy, cascading in the air and all about. Explosions of light and sound echoed around him, blinding and deafening.

    As all of this built up, Dorian made onest final jerking motion.

    He pulled the Sealing Tube fully out.

    WHOOOSH

    Immediately, the mental image in Dorian''s mind had shattered as the Sealing Tube he was holding in his hand fell to dust. Before the image dissipated, Dorian could just barely see a multitude of the massive chains being pulled to their very edge, tightened beyond reason as they impossibly tensed up for one more brief second¡­

    ...and then snapped.

    The world around Dorian changed.

    In a single, heart-pounding second, the terrifying feeling of tension, the fluctuating waves of energy, the chaotic lights and sounds¡­

    All of that vanished in an instant.

    The sudden and abrupt absence was incredibly jarring, one that shocked Dorian. He stood frozen atop the dais, his eyes widened as he looked at the world around him.

    Slowly, his eyes widened even more as he realized something, a smile appearing on his face.

    ''I can sense the presence of the Laws of the Universe.''

    He had done it. The world around him¡­ the presence of the various Laws of the Universe had been restored.

    As he sensed this, he drew upon some of the Laws, feeling energy swell from them. He frowned slightly,

    ''It''s notpletely fixed¡­ I still can''t fully use the Laws.'' He noted.

    ''Still, at least right here in this part of Moria, it''s possible to use maybe 40% or 50% of any Law effectively. Far more than before.'' He made a rough estimate, his fine senses able to keenly pick out minor details.

    RIP

    A ripping sound caught his ears, causing him to turn around.

    Right where the throne was, set just in front of it, a three meter tall, dimly glowing white portal had appeared.

    A faint, trembling tear in space that led to another location.

    As Dorian looked at it, he felt an odd connection to it. He instinctively knew that if he entered this portal... it would bring him to another ce on Moria.

    To a dais just like this one, with a Sealing Tube and whatever Inheritance the Demon Emperor had left behind¡­

    His eyes widened as he realized this.

    ''This¡­ this is a lucky chance that might catapult my strength! This might be my ticket! If I can clear out all the Sealing Tubes, not only can I cleanse Moria for real, cementing my reputation and fully protecting Helena and myself, I can also greatly enhance my strength!'' The thoughts flew through his mind, excitement burning in him.

    As he realized this, he heard loud cheers echoing in the air. He broke off his chain of thoughts, walking over to the edge of the dais. He stood on the very top step, looking down the 100 steps towards where the Shades and Mello were.

    "LORD INIGO DID IT!"

    "Look! He''s cleansed part of Moria!!"

    "He is the legend!"

    "Praise the Great Hero!"

    Cheers and shouts of joy swarmed through the air up at Dorian as devout faces all stared at him, full of glee. Shades danced for joy, celebrating. Even Dorian couldn''t help but smile as he saw this, feeling their festive mood.

    He began to walk down the stairs, headed towards the Shades. He couldn''t leave through the portal without talking to them first, after all.

    ''The pressure, it''s still here?'' His eyes narrowed as he saw this. The pressure that forced people down the stairs remained, even with the greatly increased ability to sense the Laws of the Universe.

    In just a few short moments, he reached the cheering crowd of Shades. All of the warriors looked at him with worship in their eyes.

    "Holy Highlord!" Captain Fabian rushed forward, his voice half rushed as he bowed.

    "You have done it! You have cleansed Moria!"

    "Woooo!"

    More cheers echoed out from the onlooking Shades.

    "Only partially." Dorian held up his hand and shook his head, his voice calm.

    "I have managed to weaken and break some of the chains that bind Moria, but I did not shatter all of them. You all should be able to sense this, through the Laws of the Universe." His tone was deep andmanding.

    All the celebrating Shades paused and then nodded, including Fabian. They were all experts. The fact that they could only draw on half their strength was not something they would miss.

    "But the progress you made, Lord Inigo, does that mean we can keep going? That we can cleanse Moria entirely?!" Fabian''s voice boomed as he spoke, his attempt at a subtle whisper a miserable failure.

    Dorian paused for a moment, ncing at the Shades. They were all watching him attentively.

    "It is possible." He began. Immediately, hushed gasps of excitement spread about the room. Before things got out of hand, he steadily added,

    "But to achieve it¡­ I must take this challenge on my own. I have learned of the Magic that Seals Moria and I can unravel it, but you all will be of no help to me here. Your journey was in escorting me this far safely, fighting off the Demonic remnants." His voice was loud andmanding, convincing every Shade onlooker of its truthfulness,

    "You all, my loyal soldiers, must return back to Shaptle, to prepare to receive my victorious return. You must safeguard my lovely wife and ensure her safety while I destroy thest chains that hold down Moria." His every word boomed in the air, infused with his Fate-twisting soul''s will.

    There was a brief pause as all the Shade''s stared at him wide-eyed in shock.

    Hesitantly, Fabian queried,

    "Is there no way we can help you, Holy Highlord?" His voice was full of reluctance.

    "No. I can only move onward alone from here, you all must leave me behind."

    The Shades took everything he said asplete truth, none of them daring to question his words. Their faith in Dorian had long since reached an absolute level. Yukeli would be proud.

    Gradually, the Shades all rumbled in agreement as Dorian directed Fabian to begin to retreat.

    The Shades that had been exploring the other pathways and scooping up treasure had already returned, bringing the rare valuables with them. They hadn''t run into any trouble.

    As a group, they all worked together, preparing to leave the castle.

    In the midst of this direction, Mello slunk over to stand near Dorian, eyeing him with an unknown emotion. He held out his hand to Dorian, greeting him with a warm smile.

    "Go on ahead without me. I am going to create a ritual to help me track down Fifteen. We''ll probably end up at the same ce, eventually." Mello sent him a message that was shielded by energy as he shook his hand.

    "Best of luck, Lord Inigo." He said out loud for everyone else to hear. All the Shades nodded, their eyes fervent.

    Dorian turned back towards the staircase and began to walk forward, his footsteps confident. The Shades had all finished organizing by this time and were ready to leave.

    He climbed back up to the top of the steps, his shoulders proud and unbroken. He looked like a hero from legend, challenging higher powers.

    At the top of the stairs, he turned and faced the crowd of onlookers.

    "I, Inigo Montoya, will cleanse the rest of Moria! Prepare for my return, my loyal Liberation Force!" He dered loudly, his voice full of Valor.

    "Praise!!"

    "Great Hero!!"

    "Holy Highlord!"

    Dorian stepped back away from the edge, his face impassive.

    After he left their field of view, he exhaled slightly. The stress of maintaining his image for so long had taken its toll on him. It was a relief to back away from it, even if it was just temporary.

    ''I should probably don a different form if I am going to be sweeping through the other castles. Probably something more Demonic.'' His eyes shed as he considered the thought, nodding.

    Not a secondter his Shade body shifted and transformed, turning into his powerful Bnce Demon form. Dorian smiled cheerfully as he took up the form, flexing his fingers.

    "Ahh¡­" This form was significantly stronger and tougher than his Shade form was. He hadn''t used this form in a while and had missed the far stronger capabilities it held.

    Then, without hesitation, Dorian walked up to the glowing portal that floated just in front of the throne. He eyed it for a moment before stepping forward, walking fearlessly into the portal.

    WHOOSH

    A sh of light blinded Dorian''s eyes and, a secondter, he vanished, teleporting away.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Mistress of Lust?! What are you doing here?"

    "My Lodestone brought me here, Radishow¡­ It was supposed to bring me to the Castle of Lust, I would never havee to this filthy ce on purpose."

    Two voices could be heard, arguing loudly in the middle of arge, mostly empty circr chamber. At the center of this chamber, arge, raised tform could be seen, with exactly 100 carved stone steps leading up to it, a set of stairs that went up to the tform on all sides.

    At the center of this tform was a stone tube, covered by a metal grate, and a bit farther behind that, arge, stone throne.

    Two figures could be seen, one a man and one a woman, arguing with each other. Each figure was covered in shadows, making their appearance seem illusory and vague.

    WHOOOSH

    KREEEEEE

    A shuddering, echoing noise rang out, one that sounded like the fabric of space itself was tearing.

    Both of these figures turned, shock painted on what was visible of their faces, as they looked at the source of the noise.

    Arge, glowing blue portal had appeared, in the center of the inner sanctum of the Castle of Gluttony.

    "Oof!" A new figure tumbled head over heel out of the portal,nding in an unceremonious heap on the stone floor.

    Dorian struggled to his feet, brushing off his shoulders as he took in his surroundings. He froze as he looked up, staring at the two figures in front of him.

    The two figures stared back.

    Dorian blinked.

    "Uh, hello there."

    .

 Chapter 187 Disciple

    "Uh, hello there."

    When Dorian had stepped into that portal, he felt an odd, twisting sensation. The world around him seemed to stretch while he stood absolutely still, unmoving. Energy began to swarm around him chaotically.

    ''Choosing my Bnce Demon form was a good idea.'' He noted as he felt the distorted energy knock against him. His physique was a very tough one, able to shrug off such buffets without injury. This was partly because he had maintained his Perfect Body Ability, his caution raised to the maximum.

    As Dorian looked at them, his powerful eyes were able to pierce the veil of shadows that swarmed each figure.

    The woman was quite tall, a Shade that stood just a little below 2 meters of height. She was also absolutely gorgeous. A perfect, feminine face with warm red lips and gorgeous brown eyes, a button nose, and small ears. Her brown hair was tied up haphazardly, adding to her beautiful appearance. Her figure matched her beauty, with a sensual dress clinging tightly to herrge chest and curvaceous figure.

    A single nce at her, however, drove an incredibly odd feeling into Dorian''s soul.

    ''We¡­ I can sense that we study the same Law! She studies the Law of Lust!'' As he realized this, her extremely attractive, almost seductive appearance, made even more sense. She virtually personified the Law.

    ''Not just studies¡­ She''s mastered it. She''s King ss!''

    -

    Species: Demonic Shade

    ss - King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,803,771

    -

    The other figure was male, an elderly Shade that was reedy and very thin. He had a heavily wrinkled face that was spotted with age. The Shade wore a fine, silk robe that was covered in patterns of a snake circling around a shield.

    ''He studies a Demonic Law too, but one I haven''t studied!'' Dorian instinctively could feel this as he looked at the elderly Shade. Demonic Law practitioners could sense other Demonic Law practitioners.

    ''And he''s King ss too¡­''

    -

    Species: Demonic Shade

    ss - King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,832,500

    -

    ''Damn, they''re both freakishly strong.'' Dorian cursed his luck. How could he have known he would immediately be greeted by powerful Demonic practitioners as soon as he arrived.

    ''Are they Demonic remnants? Part of the''s defense force? They aren''t attacking me¡­ Who are they?'' He was full of questions, with few answers.

    "Wha-who-how-huh?!" The tall woman stuttered, temporarily unable toe up with a response, as she looked at him in astonishment.

    "It¡­it uses the Law of Lust?" She stared.

    "It''s a Demonic remnant! Quick, strike it before it attacks! It must be rted to the weird state of the world and why you didn''t return to the Castle of Lust!" Almost immediately, the elderly man prepared to attack, without giving Dorian a chance to say anything else.

    Dorian felt mildly offended at being called a Demonic remnant.

    WHOOSH

    Bright green energy wrapped around the elderly man, energy that covered him from head to toe in a protective barrier. This energy was powerful and gave off a unique Aura, one that Dorian was faintly able to recognize as it resonated with his soul.

    An Aura that seemed to swallow all the energy in the air, powering itself. An Aura that gave off a feeling of indulgence and satisfaction.

    If he had to describe it one word, it would be¡­ Gluttonous.

    The barrier coated the elderly man and was at least 5 inches (13 centimes) thick.

    "Hold on-" Before Dorian could finish speaking, the elderly Shade''s body blurred as he attacked.

    "Hiya!" The elderly man appeared right next to Dorian, his movements fast and sure. A powerful, rippling King ss Aura emanated from him, causing the air to fluctuate.

    He punched out, a blurringly fast punch aimed at Dorian''s chest.

    "Hup!" Dorian crossed his arms in front of him, his eyespletely serious as he focused. At the same time, he drew upon the Law of Valor, trying to enhance his physique.

    As soon as he tried, however, he noticed something.

    While the section of the world he had just been at had the connection to the Laws of the Universe greatly restored, to a point where around it was back to 40%-50% normal, this location did not.

    It wasn''t as bad as it had initially been. Dorian felt like his connection to the Laws here was at about 25%, much stronger than it had initially been. But still a weak pittance whenpared to normal.

    The Shade''s fist collided with Dorian''s crossed arms.

    THUD

    Dorian didn''t move. A st of wind shook the air in the closed off room, causing the shadowy darkness that partially hid the appearance of each Shade to fall away, not that it obstructed Dorian in the first ce.

    ''I blocked it?'' Dorian''s mind raced ahead of him as he managed to fully block the brunt of the attack, his body flexing as he pulled upon his powerful physique and Perfect Body, as well as the Law of Valor.

    He had managed topletely nullify the attack without any negative effects to himself. He hadn''t even needed his Mystic Armored Body Ability to kick in.

    ''But¡­ ah, it must be the Laws! At only around 25% strength, the strength of these two Demonic Shades is greatly weakened, while my powerful physique and Perfect Body greatly boosts me!'' He instantly reached a conclusion, his eyes shing.

    Two screens appeared as he had Ausra adjust the values of the two foes he was facing based on the power of the Laws of the Universe in this area.

    -

    Species: Demonic Shade

    ss - King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 700,943

    -

    Species: Demonic Shade

    ss - King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 708,125

    -

    When he saw the figures, all of this taking ce in a split second, he couldn''t help but grin.

    ''They''re stronger than my base strength¡­ but with my powerful Bnce Demon form and Perfect Body, I''m at least equal to them!''

    With that thought in mind, Dorian punched back with a blow of his own. He didn''t use the power of the Law of Valor anymore, instead switching over to the Law of Wrath. It was the Law he was most adept with and great for frontal attacks.

    "Hiya!" Dorian''s Bnce Demon fist smashed into the green energy that covered the attacker.

    THUD

    The blow sent the elderly Demonic Shade back a single step, but otherwise left him unharmed. Small cracks appeared on the man''s green energy barrier, cracks that instantly healed. The elderly Shade frowned when he saw this, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

    "Mistress! Attack it quickly! Its physical strength is too high for me to easily deal with, all I can do is block it!" The Shade''s voice boomed out.

    "Sigh."

    Out of the corner of Dorian''s eye, he just barely made out the tall female Shade shrug, her face emotionless. An instantter, her body blurred and she vanished, moving so quickly she appeared to telepo-

    WHAM

    Before Dorian could even finish the thought, a heavy blow mmed into the right side of his face, jerking his body and neck to the side. The blow sent reverberations through his skull, pain swarming over him and then quickly leaving as his Bnce Demon form recovered.

    Dorian''s Mystic Armored Body had kicked in, blocking arge part of the impact. Despite that, the blow was a truly powerful one and arge portion of it got through the inborn barrier Ability.

    CRACK

    Dorian cracked his neck casually as he turned to face the woman.

    Immediately he jumped forward, punching out with his right hand while imbuing it with the Law of Wrath. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the elderly Shade barreling forward, charging at him. This time, the elderly Shade had brought out what looked like a very long sword, swinging it at him.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian''s punch missed.

    SHKKK

    Before he could think about doing anything else, the elderly Shade mmed into him, swinging a long sword at his face. Dorian held his armored arms up to block, causing the de to stop.

    thudthudthud

    Unfortunately, as a result of his blocking the sharp edge of the attack with his body, a great deal of force made it past his Mystic Armored Body, forcing him to take several steps backward to avoid falling.

    WHAM

    Another blow mmed into Dorian''s head as the female Shade moved faster than he could react to, yet again rattling his skull.

    It was at this point, with his eyes bloodshot, that Dorian almost lost it.

    ''YOU MOTHERF-!'' He mentally cut himself off as he clenched his wed fists.

    ''Peace. Bnce.'' His eyes grew cool as he red at his enemies.

    ''Don''t just attack blindly like an idiot. What have I been training for this whole time?'' He took a breath.

    ''Hyperion Beams! Activate!''

    WHOOSH

    Not even a full secondter¡­ 10 ck orbs formed in the air, crackling with power.

    Dorian smiled nefariously.

    "Mistress, watch out!" The elderly Shade yelled out loud as he seemed to instinctively sense the danger he was in, kneeling down on the ground and putting his hands in front of him. An amulet on his chest began to glow weakly with light, seemingly enhancing the defensive strength of the green barrier of energy that surrounded him.

    "Hmph." The quick-moving female Shade merely sniffed, her body blurring.

    WHOOOSH

    An instantter...

    10ser beams sted forward, shot at precise angles.

    The beams of energy melted through the air, full of potent power. The stronger Dorian''s soul got, the more dangerous his Hyperion Beams would be. It was an extremely useful Ability, one that he could use to make up for his mediocre skill when it came to closebat.

    BOOM

    5 of the beams shot off towards the crouching elderly Shade, mming into the green barrier that surrounded him.

    The other 5 all cut through the air towards the blurringly fast female Shade. Dorian had aimed one at where the woman had been standing, and four more at locations she was liable to move to, to try to dodge the fast-moving attack.

    Four of thosesers missed¡­ but thest one mmed into her as she was fleeing, knocking her backwards in a miniature explosion that shook the air.

    ''Sending out 10 Hyperion Beams is already enough to help me pin down these experts with ease, though they are only able to use 25% of their strength. If I can keep increasing that number as well as the strength of each individualser¡­'' The thought shed through his mind as he watched the female Shade fly through the air, her body knocking hard against the wall of the room.

    Meanwhile, 5 of his Hyperion Beams had mmed directly into the unmoving old Shade, exploding forth with energy. Crackles of power and sparks of light flipped into the air, temporarily obscuring the old Shade out of sight.

    When the obstruction settled, however, Dorian found himself shocked, by both the elderly man and the attacking woman.

    "Not so eager now, huh?" Dorian''s voice was cool as he walked forward, crossing his arms. Internally, however, he could barely control his surprise.

    ''That old Shade''s defensive power¡­ it''s extremely high, even with his ability to draw upon the power of Law weakened! And that woman, she must be using the Law of Lust to enhance her speed to a super high degree, my attack almost missed her! How powerful would she be if the restraints on the Laws of the Universe were removed?!''

    His Hyperion Beams had badly damaged the old Shade''s bright green energy barrier, but not broken it. Those cracks slowly healed before his eyes, the barrier returning to normal.

    The female Shade, in the meanwhile, was shrugging off Dorian''s attack as she got up, her eyes alert, if a bit pained. Blood could be seen dripping from her face and shoulder.

    There was a reason the Seven Great Laws of the Demonic Race were called the ''Seven Great.'' Each Law, when mastered and wielded properly, could propel a user to greatness, allowing them to draw upon fantastic powers. Even at 25% power, the mastery these two experts had over their Laws meant they were considerably strong.

    "W-wait. It''s speaking to us?" The elderly Shade froze as he looked at Dorian, stuttering.

    "I spoke from the start, fool! How dare you attack me so randomly!" Dorian pulled back his chest as he spoke, his voice booming with the authority he was so used to faking now.

    "It, no, he is talking¡­ and HE''S able to use multiple Demonic Laws¡­ MULTIPLE LAWS!" The elderly Shade''s voice shook as he came to a certain realization, going over the events of the fast-paced fight. Fervor appearing in his tone as he stared at Dorian and then spun around to address the female Shade.

    "Mistress, the fallen prophecies state the chosen redeemer of the Demon Race shall bear that burden! After so many years, it must be he!" The elderly Demonic Shade zeroed in on Dorian,

    "What is your name?! Who are you?!"

    "Hold on, Radishow. How do we know he is anything but another Demonic practitioner? Just becau-" The woman that the elderly Shade called ''Mistress'' cut herself off as Dorian held out his hand, deciding to seize the moment.

    Over the course of a few seconds, Dorian cycled through the Law of Wrath, the Law of Greed, the Law of Lust, the distinctive energy of each rippling in the air.

    "Just because¡­ huh. That really is multiple Demonic Laws¡­" The female Shade seemed to be at a loss, her voice trailing off.

    Dorian looked back at the duo mysteriously, his eyes calm and collected, as if he hadn''t just been in a fierce battle. He took full advantage of whatever misunderstanding they were having, attributing it to his lucky soul status as an Anomaly. He began to speak,

    "Who am I? ¡­ I am thest disciple of the Demon Emperor." He did look the part, all Demon-ey. He directly began to make up convincing sounding lies, his mind racing ahead of him.

    "While you foolishly attacked me, I will not hold it against you should you aid me in thepletion of my mission." As he spoke, his voice gained volume,

    "I am here on a mission to resurrect the Demon Emperor himself! I have returned to thend of my birth, to carry out the will of the ultimate protector of the Demonic Race!" His words echoed in the air as he lied through his teeth.

    "My name¡­" He paused for a brief moment, trying to think up an intimidating name. An instantter, his eyes shed as inspiration struck,

    "My name is Obelisk."

    "The Tormentor."

    WHOOOOOOOSH

    As he spoke his name, he twisted upon Fate, giving himself an awe-inspiring Aura. The air around him whipped back and forth as he struck an epic pose, his eyes glowing with untold power and light. He felt arge amount of energy leave his soul as he twisted Fate, changing the future itself.

    This energy and Fate change seemed to be directly rted to the situation at hand. Specifically, to the two Demonic Shades he was talking to.

    The elderly Shade seemed to waver for a moment before falling to one knee,

    "Great Demon Disciple!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On the top of a random tree that overlooked the Castle of Lust, a small, armored figure could be seen, crouching down. Blue light glimmered around the arms of this figure, hidden behind a set of dark vambraces. The eyes of this figure glowed a cool blue behind a mask as Hallow stared at what was in front of him.

    "They are¡­ retreating." Hallow stuttered, his voice incredulous.

    Right in front of him, a long line of soldiers could be seen filing out of the Castle of Lust. All of them looked cheerful and happy, celebrating as they journeyed away. No Demonic remnants attacked them, any nearby ones in the area apparently already cleared out.

    Indeed, after making so much progress and somehow changing Moria itself¡­

    The Moria Liberation Force, as he learned they called themselves, were, for all intents and purposes, giving up.

    "But? They? Huh?!" Hallow''s hands fell to his waist as he watched the army retreat, takenpletely by surprise.

    ''Wait¡­ wait¡­. WAIT.'' Hallow smacked his forehead, forcing himself to push back his shock.

    ''You''re up against an evil genius, Hallow. A cretin of such diabolic intelligence. He would never simply give up here, not after he managed to damage the Great Emperor''s world.'' His eyes shed as he scanned the retreating army. After a long moment, he chuckled darkly.

    "Lord Inigo¡­ I don''t see you among those leaving¡­" He smiled grimly as he talked out loud,

    "He must be heading to the other Castles! He is why the world changed so much! I don''t understand what he''s doing, but it''s doubtlessly something that will harm us Demons! I''ve finally gotten a step ahead of you, bastard." Hallow''s smile widened, his fists clenched,

    "The entire Demon Council is already lying in wait. Go on and charge towards those hallowed castles, my friend, and be prepared to meet the strongest living Demons in existence!" His grin hardened,

    "They will stop you or die trying!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "We would never dream of stopping you, Great Demon Disciple!"

    "Please, Great Demon Disciple, do whatever you please."

    Dorian smiled sharply as he looked at the two powerful Demonic Shades, his eyes glinting.

    "Good. Be on guard in case that vile hero of the Shade Race attacks. He is wily and strong, able to disguise himself as anyone! His intelligence and good looks- cough, I mean his power cannot be underestimated." Dorian''s voice boomed.

    "He will do anything to stop this Godly Demon." His eyes shed as he walked up to the Sealing Tube, the ominous Aura that came off it, Sealing the power of Law from this world and leaving it as a Demonic ruin.

    "The Demon Emperor must be revived!"

    .

 Chapter 188 Break

    Dorian raised his hand over the Sealing Tube, his eyes glowing. He could sense the ominous Aura it gave off, a familiar yet dangerous feeling.

    Slowly, energy began to coalesce as he reached down, his hand mere centimeters above the stone tube. Light and energy began to sh off it as he reached down, grabbing hold of it.

    The two Demonic Shades in the room, the Mistress of Lust who didn''t give a name, and the reedy old Shade, who had introduced himself as Baron Radishow, the Master of Gluttony, were both members of the Demonic Council.

    When he heard that, his suspicions had been confirmed.

    The duo in front of him were rted to Fifteen. The vicious Anomaly that had attacked him and proimed he would murder Dorian. When they had first fought, Fifteen had stated he was a member of the ''Demonic Council.'' While the detail was a rather minor one at the time of the fight, his Jade Memory kept him from forgetting it.

    With that thought in mind, he immediately knew he had to keep his true identity a secret. If they learned that he was actually the famous Lord Inigo¡­

    "Hup!" Dorian shook the thoughts from his head as he imbued the Sealing Tube with energy from his Soul Spell Matrix. Immediately, just like with the other tube, he felt the world around him start to shiver. Energy fluctuated, crackling and exploding in the air.

    "Great Demon Disciple?!" Baron Radishow yelled out loud, his voice full of caution. The Shade was covered in green energy again, protecting himself despite his alleged faith. It seemed that while he was convinced Dorian was ''the chosen redeemer of the Demon Race,'' it didn''t mean he fully trusted his safety to him.

    "Calm yourself and be on guard! The vile Lord Inigo could attack at any moment! Releasing the Seal that has locked the Emperor away will take a few moments, it will require my full concentration! These energy fluctuations are arising as a result." Dorian rebuked him, his voice domineering just like a real disciple of the Demon Emperor would be.

    In his mind, Dorian visualized the world around him. The vision automatically appeared when he began to pull on the Sealing Tube, mystically present. In this vision, the same, mountain-sized chains existed, thousands of them, all bearing down and Sealing the world of Moria.

    ''The other chains¡­ they are still absent!'' His eyes shed as he realized this, ecstatic. The chains that he had broken off with the other Sealing Tube, they hadn''t reformed!

    ording to Fabian, these castles had been wiped out before,rgely destroyed by heroes of the past. Yet, somehow, they magically reformed, the world remaining in its deste, unchanging state.

    ''I really can cleanse Moria! Perfect! Not only can I do something good, but I will 100% also be able to cement my public image and ensure Helena''s and my safety!'' Excitement filled his veins as he confidently confirmed the conclusion he had drawn earlier,

    ''I just need to safely finish.''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, at the center of Moria, there existed a grand city set atop a small mountain. Argeke surrounded the northern side of this mountain, transforming into a slow-moving waterfall that dropped off on the southern side of the mountain.

    Large bulwarks, grand walkways, and towering stone towers dominated the mountain, with small homes and buildings seemingly set about haphazardly. A rtively small castle could be seen at the peak of this small mountain, one and all carved from cool, white stone.

    This scene contained a certain epic scale, a feeling of historical greatness, as if this had once been a ce where the mighty dwelled.

    This was known as the Central Castle of Moria to the Shades. Among the Demons, it had another name.

    The City of the Demon Emperor. The Capital of the Demon Race. The birthce of Demonkind.

    Ba''artova.

    (Image inspiration for Ba''artova - https://i.imgur/NuHZbJ5.jpg )(Doesn''t Open In App)

    Theke that surrounded this mountain split off into arge river, one that wound its way through several grassy ins and small torge hilly mountains, coated in trees. On one hilled area, in particr, arge, white stone tower rose up, rather nondescript apart from its above average scale.

    A figure could be seen, standing calmly atop this tower.

    A human, wearing a grey wool huntsman''s vest and pants. His face was lined with age, a small, greying beard borne upon his chin. His eyes were a cid brown, at odds with his constant pacing.

    In his hands was a long, red bow, held at the ready.

    "How incredible¡­" Leader muttered as he looked out at the City of Ba''artova.

    "Who would''ve guessed the entire ce is a true dead zone to the Laws of the Universe." He shook his head.

    After establishing a temporary alliance with Fifteen, the duo had talked and nned. Leader got the feeling that Fifteen was rather unstable, but the fact that he was trying to kill Lord Inigo was undeniable. They shared amon enemy.

    ''ording to Fifteen, the world''s changes are caused by that cretin.'' Leader''s eyes shed coolly as he thought of his target. Energy fluctuated around him from his Law of Pride.

    Leader wasn''t actually within range of the dead zone at the center of Moria. Instead, he was about 100 meters out from it. The reason he had set up shop here in this tower so far from the city was because of that.

    ''And that vile bastard will be warping in here, once he''s fully shattered the protections or wards or whatever it is that the Demon Emperor put into ce, preventing the power of Law from being used fully on Moria¡­'' Leader''s eyes zeroed in on a spot in particr about 1500 meters from him.

    On arge bridge that led across the flowingke to the base of the small mountain the Demon Emperor''s Castle was on, arge, circr za could be seen. Several hundreds of mysterious inscriptions could be seen, carved into this circle.

    ''Fifteen has done a ton of research about this ce, apparently. I hope his knowledge is urate.'' Leader pulled back on his faintly glowing bow, aiming it precisely.

    "I won''t be missing this time, Lord Inigo." His words rumbled out, a deadly promise.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Energy whipped around Dorian as he pulled fiercely on the Sealing Tube. Once more, he felt and saw the chains that were holding down the world of Moria, restricting and damaging the foul haven, tremble, stretching taut.

    SNAP

    Dorian pulled the Sealing Tube out.

    The chains broke.

    The world around Dorian seemed to whish back to apletely normal state, the wild and fluctuating energy spreading out in a wave and dissipating. At the same time, Dorian instinctively felt that the world had changed.

    Once more, he could feel a closer connection to the Laws of the Universe.

    "Great Disciple Obelisk, you seeded!" Baron Radishow didn''t quite know what all Dorian was doing, but he could tell that it had been a sess. The changes the Demon had wrought were quite noticeable.

    "Yes, another of the Seals that chains my master has been shattered." Dorian clenched his fists,

    "Only 5 remain! I shall cleans-, cough, the Demon Emperor shall be revived!"

    Baron Radishow cheered with Dorian, the old man''s body shaking with excitement. Even the Mistress of Lust who had remained silent up to this point seemed to be caught up with emotion, trembling as she heard those words.

    Both had been fully convinced of his identity.

    RIP

    A glowing portal appeared, floating in mid air over the throne. The air around this portal vibrated, shaking ever so slightly.

    "Now, before I travel to the next castle¡­" Dorian began, looking around the circr sanctum, as Baron Radishow called it,

    "The Inheritance left behind by the Demon Emperor, I must receive it. It will refresh my understanding of the Law of Gluttony. Long ago, I was Sealed away, just like the Demon Emperor. I only recently managed to break free and return here." He made up a convincing sounding excuse, twisting on Fate slightly just to be certain, opting to not borate further on his made-up backstory.

    "Of course, Great Demon Disciple Obelisk! Right here!" The reedy looking Shade immediately waved towards a specific spot in the inner sanctum, pointing down at a ce between the throne and the center of the room.

    "The Inheritance is open to anyone with a soul that is aspected towards the Great Seven Laws!" ording to what Dorian had found out, non-Demonic beings often had great difficulty epting or even sensing any of the Seven Great Demonic Laws.

    Part of epting the power of the Demonic Laws would transform a being. It was why the two Shades in front of him were ''Demonic Shades'' and not just ''Shades.'' The Laws were extremely powerful, and power like that did note free.

    Despite that, it was still easier to sense one of the Seven Demonic Laws than it was to sense one of the Seven Virtuous Laws. There was a reason many of the Laws Dorian used were practically unheard of in the greater 30,000 Worlds. The Virtuous Laws might not transform the user, but they were much harder to acquire as a result.

    He shook the thoughts from his mind as he looked at what Baron Radishow was pointing at.

    On the ground, aplex and miniature Array could be seen, carved into the floor. This Array was shaped like a circle and covered in mysterious symbols. It glowed faintly with Magical energy.

    Dorian walked up to it, feeling a strange allure. He could almost sense the Array itself, feeling his soul seem to resonate. This was, indeed, the Inheritance.

    Without hesitation, Dorian sat directly next to it. He then reached out with his hand, cing it atop the Array. He felt an odd, unsettling feeling sweep over his body, faint sparks of energy appearing in his vision.

    Dorian blinked.

    WHOOSH

    Instantly, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in apletely different ce.

    The transition was jarringly abrupt, causing him to gasp out loud as he looked around in confusion. He was standing in what looked like a public park, back on Earth in America. He could see severalrge pic tables and a long table off to his left, and further down a yground full of swings and slides. To his right, the park eventually ended and arge road began, leading to several different neighborhoods.

    "I recognize this¡­" He muttered out loud, rubbing his chin.

    This was the park across the street from his neighborhood! Champion''s Park!

    A cool breeze blew across the empty park, rustling the grass. Dorian took a deep breath as he felt it, nostalgia filling him.

    ''It''s just like in my memories¡­'' He smiled, bittersweet.

    ''Well, only without any people.'' The park had always been semi-crowded, from what he remembered.

    Abruptly, a mostly transparent bubble appeared, just a couple of meters in front of Dorian.

    "Ah! Master Bubble!" Dorian eximed, his eyes narrowing. As he reached for the various energies linked to his soul, he realized that, once more, he couldn''t ess any of them.

    ''Just like the other one¡­ I must truly be inside another Law Inheritance from the Demon Emperor!'' He was picking up Laws like they were candy. If either of the two members of the Demonic Council had been aware of his exploits, or that they were actively helping ''Lord Inigo'' get stronger, the duo might have died from anger directly.

    After all, picking up even a single Law was an exceptionally difficult task, let alone picking up more than one. Even for the Wise Jade Dragons of the Wise Jade Dragon Tribe, with their inborn Jade Memory, it was a difficult trial. Most Laws wouldn''t resonate with each other. This would make sensing other Laws far, far more difficult.

    "Ah¡­ Ah! You again!" The bubble seemed shaken as it floated in front of Dorian, flying back and forth in the air forcefully. Well, as forcefully as a bubble could look.

    "Oh? You''re the same Array Genie?" Dorian gave the bubble a winning smile.

    "You!" The Array Genie was indeed the same one, magically linked to all of the Inheritances.

    "I take it this is another Inheritance, yes? Well, this Godly Demon is humbly willing to ept it." He gave a slight bow.

    "¡­"

    The bubble merely red at him. As much as a bubble could re, anyway... Which wasn''t really much at all. Life as a bubble must be hard. Dorian shook the stray thoughts from his head, focusing on the present.

    "Very well, but ONLY because his Great Highness set the Inheritances up in a way that I cannot reject you." The bubble seemed to sigh in defeat, despite itsck of a visible throat.

    "This is the Inheritance of Gluttony. It draws upon your past memories, melding them together to create a challenge unique to yourself." The bubble''s voice echoed.

    "Ready yourself, for it will start immediately!"

    WHOOSH

    Without giving Dorian actual time to prepare, the bubble vanished.

    A momentter, the world transformed. Instantly, the empty pic tables were reced, with tables teeming with, of all things, hundreds of delicious smelling hot-dogs. The long table off to his left suddenly was covered with arge table cloth, with several figures appearing sitting on one side, all holding up signs with numbers on them.

    Arge number of figures appeared as well, all sitting at the pic tables, or standing near them.

    When Dorian saw who was sitting down, his jaw fell open in shock.

    A man with long brown hair and a mustache, dressed in a brown vest and a white shirt.

    ''The actual Inigo Montoya?''

    A man with short brown hair, dressed in a brown cloth shirt and pants, and a set of brown boots.

    ''The Jedi Obi-Wan-Kenobi?''

    A man wearing a full set of ck armor, covered with a ck mask that echoed over and over with a mechanical breathing noise.

    ''The Sith Lord Darth Vader?"

    A gargantuan, towering greenish-blue colored demonic beast, somehow sitting down on the opposite side of several of the tables, taking up more than a dozen meters of room.

    ''The actual God Monster, Obelisk the Tormentor?''

    A man with mid-length dark blond hair wearing sses and a suit,

    ''Is that John Denver, the singer of ''Take Me Home, Country Roads?''

    A bald, muscr and very tall man with a mechanical mask covering his mouth.

    ''Is that¡­ Bane from the DC Comics universe?''

    A tall, muscr purple-skinned man wearing a metal gauntlet on one of his hands.

    ''Is that... Thanos from the Marvel Universe?''

    Dorian''s eyes widened as he realized what had happened.

    This Array had drawn upon his memories to create the challenge he would face. It seemed to have drawn upon his memories of Earth. However, it must''ve drawn upon some of his more recent memories¡­

    And of those memories he had, some were of him impersonating several figures from movies, or borrowing famous quotes to intimidate, or other random things¡­

    ''The Array didn''t differentiate from real people and fake characters¡­'' He stared, his entire body physically shocked. Before he could do or say anything, however, a loud voice echoed across the park,

    "On your marks, gentlemen! The official Champions Hot Dog Eating Contest will begin in 30 seconds!" The speaker was one of the five judges sitting at the long panel. Thankfully, all five of these appeared to be regr humans, albeit ones he didn''t recognize.

    Only hispetitors appeared to be drawn from his recent memories, perhaps in an attempt to seem more familiar.

    "I have to¡­ I have to out eat all of them in a hot dog eating contest toplete the Inheritance of Gluttony?" He stuttered in disbelief.

    "20 seconds!"

    Dorian threw up his hands in the air at the sheer ridiculousness of the scenario and sprinted towards one of the open tables, his eyes shing with determination.

    It was hot dog eating time.

    .

 Chapter 189 Inheritence

    I know the schedule''s been a bit spotty, been very busy, so I promise that, for at least the next 4 days, including today, daily chapters posteexactly on time :) <3 -----hup! he sprinted over towards one of the tables with a free spot

    each table was wooden, filled with several tters that had mountains of hot dogs on them

    long wooden benches could be seen on either side, taking up space

    15 seconds! as the judges counted down, dorian nced at the contestant sitting next to him

    it was the real inigo montoya

    uh, hello

    i''m dorian

    he stuttered out, staring at the man

    he had never expected to meet the character in real life and had no idea what to say

    the man nced at him

    my name is inigo montoya

    the man''s voice was smooth and confident, carrying a rich spanish ent that made his words unmistakable

    after he spoke, he turned to look at the hot dogs, his eyes zing with passion

    i have no idea how i came to be here¡­ but hot dogs, i know you are my enemy

    i will defeat you

    inigo''s bodynguage made his words seem grand,prepare to die

    "10 seconds! as the judges continued to count down, dorian noticed something

    the closer the judges got to 0, the more and more aware he felt

    his eyes widened as he realized something

    ''my soul¡­ my powers¡­ i can feel them returning!'' it seemed that, for this challenge, he would be able to use his full strength once it started

    he was only cut off from his powers before it began

    ''still¡­ even if i can shift forms or use my abilities, how am i supposed to win against that?'' he turned to stare at the gargantuan obelisk the tormentor

    the god monster was huge, far bigger than anything else in sight, easily 40 meters tall sitting down

    5 seconds!"anakin¡­ you were a brother to me

    don''t make me defeat you once more! his ears almost stretched out as he heard the jedi obi-wan rebuke the sith darth vader

    both were sitting at a table off to his right

    off to his left, he heard still more familiar speakers,i was born in the darkness¡­ bred in it¡­ there can be no bnce in the shadows¡­ bane''s mechanical voice rang out

    there cannot be shadow without light

    everything in life has bnce

    thanos replied, closing his hand on the partiallyplete infinity gauntlet he wielded

    dorian''s eyes widened as he saw that

    ''oh man¡­ they really are all here

    the various characters i''ve referenced

    think, dorian

    how do i win this? i need toplete the challenge to get the inheritance

    '' unlike the lust inheritance, the design of this gluttony inheritance seemed centered around thispetition

    he had to actively win to receive it

    3¡­2¡­1¡­"begin! immediately, dorian reached forward, grabbing a hot dog

    right after he did that, however, absolute mayhem unfolded

    boom dorian was sted backwards, his entire table incinerated in an explosion

    poor inigo montoya was just a regr human and died instantly, hisst move proudly stabbing one of the hot dogs with his rapier before perishing

    bits of wood and rock shot into the air, clouds of dust fizzling off

    huh?! dorian grunted out as he spun around andnded, cradling a hot dog in his hands

    he looked out at the scene before him in sheer shock

    the moment the judges said go, all of the viins sitting at the table had taken the opportunity to attack

    what better way to win a contest than to ensure that you were the onlypetitor? however, each character stayed true to their motivations, pulled from whatever movie they had been in

    darth vaderunched obi-wan away, using the mystical force that apparently worked here, jumping after him with a lightsaber

    the jedi are the ones in the wrong, obi-wan! i did what i had to because i could see that!"anakin! if that is what you truly believe, then you are lost! bwssshh the duo broke out in a lightsaber duel, jumping among the treetops of champions park,pletely ignoring the hotdogpetition

    thanos, on the other hand, had ignored all the otherpetitors and vanished, using his infinity gauntlet to teleport himself into the air, floating directly in front of the giant obelisk the tormentor

    your presence here has thrown thispetition out of bnce¡­ how could any singr beingpete against a being of such proportion like yourself? thanos shook his head, his voice deep and methodical

    obelisk had picked up an entire table and was reaching to eat the whole thing when this urred

    the god beast turned its piercing red eyes to look at thanos

    it looked at him as if he was merely an insect in its way, unworthy of attention

    boom its massive arm whipped upward at light speed as it dropped the table and attacked

    thanos, in the meanwhile, tapped into the powers of the infinity gauntlet, causing space to freeze up around him

    when obelisk''s massive arm mmed into the frozen space, a huge shockwave spread out as greenish-blue energy exploded outward, blowing apart hundreds of trees and annihting the nearby park area

    strangely enough, the judges sitting at the long table appeared fine, some type of invisible protective barrier protecting them

    ''what in the heavens? who are these beings?! how can they be so powerful?!'' as dorian witnessed all this, a familiar angry voice sounded off in his head

    oh? master bubble! dorian muttered out as he swallowed the lone hotdog he''d managed to snag in a single gulp, looking around

    are you watching thi- boom before he could finish speaking, an explosion sent dorian''s bnce demon form flying backward a few meters, the unexpected st taking him by surprise

    dirt was sent flying in the air as a crater formed, the already damaged ground damaged even further

    thankfully, with all his abilities active and his bnce demon form out, he waspletely unscathed

    oh? you survived that well, strange creature

    bane''s mechanical voice tumbled in the air as he emerged from the cloud of dust, carrying what appeared to be several explosives with him

    ''ah, the explosion was from him

    '' dorian turned to look at the still corpse of the real inigo montoya, his eyes shing

    he also couldn''t see the other regr human, john denver, and assumed he was dead as well, killed by the st

    ''or maybe he just left

    '' denver was known to be against violence and an environmental activist

    dorian couldn''t really see himpeting in a hot dog eating contest where food would be wasted

    you killed him before i could even talk to him¡­ his voice was full of danger as he stared at bane, his thoughts turned to inigo

    he knew the character wasn''t real, nor was the now dead inigo

    they were all made up illusions from the inheritance

    yet, the scene before him felt undeniably real, the magic that powered it advanced far beyond his expectations

    whoosh dorian''s body blurred

    in a split second, hended down on the ground next to bane, his movements incredibly quick

    for, in that moment, dorian had drawn upon both thew of lust and thew of chastity, simultaneously, for the first time

    when he did so, he felt the world around him seem to shift

    simr to how it functioned in his perfect body state¡­ everything slowed down

    this increase was hugely noticeable

    the world around him slowed down by at least 50%

    thew of chastity and thew of lust had almost identical effects

    by using them both at once, dorian was able to increase their overall effectiveness

    eachw slowed the world down around him by roughly 25%, with his current understanding

    when he used them both at once, these twows seemed to work together and slowed reality to roughly half its normal speed

    ''wow

    '' his only thought was one of awe

    everything around him was moving at half speed

    of all the seven greatws of the demonic race that he had acquired, thisw was the one that most impressed him

    his understanding of it was still only middling, yet if he fully mastered it, he instinctively felt that he could slow the world around him by more than 25%

    perhaps by 30%, or 40%, or even more, he was unsure what the upper limit would be, especially whenbined

    even further, the fact that thew of chastity of the seven virtuousws had a simr effect and could even bebined was huge news to dorian

    the increase was far more noticeable in his bnce demon form, his best humanoid closebat form

    as hended down next to bane, heshed out with his ws in an almostzily fast strike

    his hand mmed into the huge, muscr character from his memories¡­ and instantly killed him, ripping his heart and chest apart in one single motion, sending red blood spattering everywhere

    ''oh, right, he was just an above average human in the movies

    '' the bane that dorian was familiar with wasn''t that strong of a character whenpared to beings like him

    boom dorian felt an explosion shake the air as obelisk the tormentor and thanos began to battle

    explosions of light and sound seared out as reality itself trembled

    the two beings were colossally powerful in their own right, thanos with his infinity gauntlet and obelisk with, well, himself

    great beast, i admire your strength, but i cannot allow you to upset the delicate bnce of this contest! thanos'' deep voice echoed out as he and the huge blue demon separated temporarily

    obelisk was standing upright with blue energy crackling around his arms, his eyes shing, while thanos had his hand stretched out upward

    gworrrnnn aser beam of blue energy shot forward and mmed into thanos

    this beam twisted at thest moment as it was about to hit him, the powerful attack absorbed into his infinity gauntlet

    thanos then shot the attack back at the towering god beast, knocking it several dozen meters through the air

    when the creaturended, it formed a crater of cracked earth and fallen trees, sending up a shower of wood and stone shrapnel

    so be it, beast

    thanos called out loud,hup! thanos made arge, jerking motion, as if he was pulling something hard

    the extremely powerful infinity gauntlet on his hand shed, light sparking off of it

    a momentter, dorian''s eyes widened in awe

    for, in the sky far above, he could now make something out

    a huge object, hurtling towards them

    thanos had pulled earth''s moon out of orbit and brought it sting down towards where they were

    are you an idiot?! you brought down the entire moon to deal with a single being here?! this will wipe out th- oh right, this is all a fake earth

    dorian caught himself mid-yell as he watched the unfolding scene of apocalypse before him

    strike me down, anakin, and i will only return stronger than before!"huah! over to the side, dorian witnessed a somewhat familiar scene

    obi-wan being killed by darth vader, the duel they had apparently ending

    ''how would darth vader even eat a hotdog? he doesn''t look like he wants to take that mask off

    '' the character wore arge ck mask that obscured his face

    roaaaaar! obelisk the tormentor let out a rage-filled roar as it saw the moon descending upon them

    even dorian was shaken, despite knowing this was all fake, as he watched the gargantuan rock plunge towards them

    rge clumps of the moon seemed to fall apart, shooting down ahead of its main body in waves of ming meteors

    it was horrifying to see

    the moon blocked out the sun and the sky, a huge piece of white and grey rock that stretched more than 2,000 miles wide

    the meteors that fell from it cascaded through the air, a true ending of the world

    dorian felt the air tremble around them as the moon prated the atmosphere, huge vibrations of heat and pressure shaking reality

    my god¡­ what do i do? dorian stared up at the massive rock, his heart dropping

    how on earth was he supposed to do literally anything about that?!there are no longer any hot dogs remaining! thus, the champions hot dog eating contest isplete! the judges are now tallying the numbers! as he was facing his death, trying to think up a n, a loud voice cut through the mess of the world around him

    dorian spun to the left, staring

    the panel of human judges were all currently sitting down casually, talking amongst themselves, ignoring the literal millions of tons of rock that were hurtling towards earth, about to cause itsplete destruction

    the results are now tallied! the judges called out confidently, apparently unaffected by the quaking waves of heat and pressure as the atmosphere of earth began to dissipate

    gworrrnnn obelisk shot another toweringser beam at thanos, one that thanos promptly reabsorbed and shot back as the two began to duke it out

    darth vader, meanwhile, silently looked at where the corpse of obi-wan had been

    upon his death, the body had vanished, disappearing

    the winner, with a grand total of 1 hot dog eaten, is the demon challenger dorian! dorian blinked

    ''that''s right¡­ almost all of the tables and hot dogs were wiped out by the explosions from bane and obelisk

    the heat and pressure waves from the descending moon must have wiped out any remnants

    '' he slowly came to the realization as more explosions shook the air between the dueling foes

    ''i managed to snag a single hotdog and ate it quickly¡­ many of the characters that showed up from my memories were viins, all from movies or tv shows

    as such, they all attacked each other without eating, causing the contest to be thrown into disarray¡­'' as he realized that he had won the contest, dorian felt a feeling of epiphany settle upon his shoulders

    he felt energy swarm his soul, a familiar feeling descending upon him

    green, vibrating energy surrounded his body, wrapping around his soul like a warm nket

    it was rxing and energizing, filling him with satisfaction

    he was undergoing another baptism of thews of the universe directly

    this time, for thew of gluttony

    as the world around him fell apart and dorian was about to vanish, teleporting away afterpleting the inheritance, he heard a voice call out in his head, ''what is going on?! what are these creatures?! how are they doing what they are doing?!'' the frantic voice of the array genie continued, ''what kind of past did you have?! what is going on?!?!'' whoosh dorian vanished, leaving behind a copsing world and a greatly panicked bubble

    >

 Chapter 190 New Developments

    WHOOSH

    Dorian blinked, his body tingling. He took a single deep breath as he cleared his vision.

    He had returned to the inner sanctum of the Castle of Gluttony. As soon as he returned, he called up Ausra and had her disy his Laws Progress, sorting the mental disy to be read a little easier.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Virtuous Laws

    -

    Law of Valor: 25%

    Law of Charity: 5%

    Law of Mercy: 20%

    Law of Chastity: 1%

    -

    Demonic Laws

    -

    Law of Greed: 22%

    Law of Wrath: 40%

    Law of Lust: 1%

    Law of Gluttony: 1%

    -

    ''I''ve gained 4 of each now¡­ I didn''t manage to get the opposite of the Law of Gluttony, though.'' He frowned, ever so slightly. When he had achieved the Law of Lust, he had also snagged the Law of Chastity. It seemed he wasn''t lucky enough to engender a repeat of that scenario when he grabbed the Law of Gluttony.

    ''Still¡­ the more Laws I get, the better. Heh.'' He couldn''t help but grin.

    "Great Demon Disciple Obelisk?" The reedy voice of Baron Radishow caught Dorian''s attention, turning his thoughts away as he looked up.

    "Baron Radishow. Ah, the refreshing of my memories was a sess." Slowly, Dorian held his hand out to the side.

    Immediately, bright green energy began to swarm, a very faint protectiveyer appearing, like a smaller version of the powers Baron Radishow had shown.

    ''The Sealing Tube has been withdrawn here¡­ I can feel the presence of the Laws again, much more strongly, just like at the Castle of Lust.'' He noted as he felt the energy from the Law of Gluttony cover his wed hand.

    Each Demonic Law had something unique about it. The Law of Wrath was for attack power, the Law of Lust modified one''s physical perception of time, the Law of Greed strengthened the soul.

    The Law of Gluttony, as Dorian learned, was all about defensive power. It allowed one to cover themselves in a protective barrier that vastly enhanced their defensive prowess. It was because of this that Dorian had barely been able to scratch Baron Radishow even with multiple Hyperion Beam attacks.

    It was a Law entirely focused on defense.

    ''If I continue to master this, I will slowly be a turtle¡­'' He smiled ruefully. The green light would cover him in a protective shell that, from a distance, would vaguely bear some resemnce to arge turtle.

    He took a brief nce around the inner sanctum of the Castle of Gluttony. If he went exploring, he likely would find simr troves of treasure as he had in the Castle of Lust.

    ''Those treasures must be put there for a reason, though¡­ likely to reward those seeking the Demonic Inheritances here, or at least, to keep people interested ining to Moria.'' He thought, his eyes narrowed.

    "Congrattions, Great Demon Disciple. If you truly can bring back the Demon Emperor, our loyalty will be undying." A warm, passionate and sultry voice broke his thoughts as the Mistress of Lust spoke aloud, her eyes gleaming.

    It seemed his actions had fully convinced her as well. Now both the Master of Gluttony and the Mistress of Lust were on his side.

    ''How many of them are there on the Demonic Council? I''ll need to maintain my cover or else¡­'' He realized as he nced at them. Even with the Laws weakened, they were very powerful foes.

    "Ah, Mistress of Lust? Do you have a name I could call you by?" He turned his attention directed towards the attractive older Shade, smiling genteelly.

    "Uh-it-uh well." She stuttered for a moment, her mouth twitching as she nced at Baron Radishow for some reason, before she replied,

    "Prisci."

    "Ohoho, you finally reveal your true name, Mistress of Lust. Not Danielle, eh?" Baron Radishow almost immediately chortled, his reedy figure shaking from both the excitement of the moment and enjoyment at the expense of the Mistress of Lust. Of those on the Demonic Council, she had always been very secretive, never revealing her name, only going by a fake one.

    She turned and red at him, her beautiful features nevertheless making even that look attractive.

    "Well, my fellow Demonic practitioners." Dorian stood up, his Bnce Demon form stretching as he looked over at the two Demonic Shades.

    "Let us continue our journey! Guard my back as I Unseal all the Seals, and free the Demon Emperor!" He motioned at the rippling portal that had appeared over the throne at the back of the room.

    "Yes sir, Great Demon Disciple!"

    "As youmand, Great Demon Disciple!"

    As Dorian began to walk towards it, he thought about the other aspect to these castles. The Demonic remnants that guarded them.

    ''After I Unseal Moria and allow the world to return to normal, those Demonic remnants will likely all perish¡­'' The fact that they constantly reappeared over time had clued Dorian in to the fact that they likely were rted to the Sealing Tubes.

    ''I''m guessing that the energy that is Sealed away is used to power and resurrect them, or something of that nature. The Inheritances won''t be damaged by my actions, but the Demonic remnants likely will.'' The Demonic remnants all existed in a desated state. Without Magical energy to power them, they would eventually die.

    ''That''s probably why the remnants thate out from Moria don''t cause too much damage. They likely are greatly weakened and die off before they can do much harm.'' The thought shed into his mind. He''d heard that the nearby area was gued by waves of Demonic remnants on asion, but if those remnants had been nearly as strong as the ones they faced, regr citizens would be wiped out in the tens of thousands.

    It was like the undead Giants and Grakons on Blizzaria. They were very rarely seen outside of that, and for good reason. They would eventually perish if they left it, only kept alive through the mysterious Magic that operated there.

    By this point, Dorian reached the glowing portal. He paused in front of the throne, turning to look back at the two Demonic Shades. He gave them each a small nod.

    The Demonic Shades were currently withdrawing what looked like some type of brown ted armor, covered in archaic markings. Some type of Artifact that seemed to be defensively focused.

    When they saw Dorian nod and step right up next to the portal, they stared at him with confusion.

    "Great Demon Disciple, if you step into the Transport Portals without protection, severe harm or even dea-" Baron Radishow began but cut himself off as the Demonic Shade''s jaw dropped.

    "Onward!" Without waiting to hear the rest of what the Shade said, Dorian boldly walked directly into the portal, activating his Perfect Body Ability as he did so.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian vanished.

    "By Chaos itself¡­ he just went in¡­" Baron Radishow stuttered as he saw this, almost falling over from shock. A leg piece of the brown armor he was strapping to himself slipped from his hands, ttering on the stone floor.

    "Space itself will rend you apart if you are unlucky in there¡­" Prisci mumbled, her eyes wide,

    "Yet¡­ he just went in¡­ as if it was nothing¡­" The two Demonic Shades stood awestruck for a moment before they began to frantically gear up, rushing in after Dorian.

    "Incredible!"

    "What a true Great Demon Disciple!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Moments after Dorian stepped into the portal, he felt an odd, twisting sensation. The world around him seemed to stretch, distorting. Energy began to swarm around him chaotically.

    ''Just likest time!'' He thought, his eyes shing. He was randomly buffeted, chaotic energy shing against his physical form. With his Perfect Body and Mystic Armored Body Abilities active, the energy couldn''t harm him.

    Just as he was thinking that, a burning sensation spread through his body.

    ''H-huh?'' Dorian''s eyes widened as he realized what had happened.

    A huge gash had appeared on his back, blood vaporizing from the wound as it came into contact with the shing energy all around him.

    Without him noticing at all, almost instantaneously, he had be injured.

    ''How?!'' As he went on full alert, his body automatically began to repair itself, his Constant Regeneration going strong. His energy levels were close to full, especially after the Baptism for the Law of Gluttony, though he didn''t have time to check specifics right now.

    ''I think¡­ space ruptured?'' With his Jade Memory, he couldn''t forget even the slightest detail, no matter how minor. As he cast his mind back, he could recall extremely minute spatial fluctuations, right before the pain in his back.

    ''Still, the blow was greatly weakened and didn''t kill me¡­'' As he realized this, he rxed slightly.

    Most of the impacts here couldn''t harm him, and he was confident that even the ones that could harm him would have a great deal of difficulty when it came to killing him.

    ''Ah! Let''s try using the Law of Gluttony!'' He realized, blinking.

    ''This is a perfect opportunity!''

    WHOOSH

    Just as he was thinking that too, he arrived at his destination, cast out from the portal into arge, mostly empty room.

    "Ah, dammit." He groaned as he got up, feeling the wound on his back. It was still healing, fighting off remnant energy particles as it was restored.

    ''I should''ve used the Law of Gluttony at the beginning. I got lucky the first time around by not encountering any dangerous impacts. Teleporting is scary stuff.'' He rebuked himself, making a promise to go into the next one fully prepared.

    He stood up from the ground, wincing slightly as his back twinged. He then looked around, studying his surroundings.

    He was standing in arge, enclosed arena. The walls were covered with long scratches from weapons or beasts, marring the otherwise smooth grey stone. The ground was cracked and stained dark red, giving the room a rather ominous appearance.

    At the center of the room was arge, crimson de, stabbed into the ground. Several cracks in the floor appeared to have originated from the sword, making it seem like it had been stabbed down with a tremendous amount of force, long ago. Not far from the de was one of the Sealing Tubes, set behind it.

    "No throne in here?" He muttered, looking around. All the other Castles had had thrones in them, while this one didn''t. He shrugged and walked over towards the sword.

    He stopped before he reached it, however, his powerful eyes catching sight of a somewhat familiar sight.

    A circle carved into the ground, where dozens of mystic symbols could be seen. Faint particles of red light drifted off this particr circle, floating in the air.

    "The Wrath Inheritance¡­" He could sense a faint resonance with the mystic symbols carved into the ground, one he felt in his soul. He knelt down slowly, resting his hand upon the symbols.

    He blinked.

    WHOOSH

    He vanished, reappearing on the bulwark of a castle. The noon sun beat down overhead, while a stifled breeze swept pass, carrying with it the stench of blood. Dorian''s powers were once again sealed away, leaving him as a regr mortal.

    Well, a regr Bnce Demon, which was quite a step up from a regr mortal.

    In the background, he could make out a great wall of mountains, spiked and pointing up towards the sky. Arge castle was visible behind him, aged grey stone stained by the winds of time. In front of him, he could make out arge, mostly empty in. At the edge of his vision, he could see several thousands of red tents set up, but no one actually appeared to be upying them.

    In fact, he couldn''t see another living figure anywhere at all.

    "Wee to the Inheritance of Wrath where yo- wait, no!"

    "Not you!"

    "Master Bubble!" Dorian let out augh as he saw the translucent bubble appear in his vision, floating just a meter away. Light refracted oddly when it went through the bubble, making the mountains behind it seem inverted.

    "It''s good to see you again! Sorry for leaving so abruptlyst time!" He began, giving the bubble his best smile.

    "You-you!! What kind of freakish past do you have?! Who were those beings?! I''ve never heard of anything like it!" The bubble angrily responded, its voice full of rebuke,

    "They almost destroyed the Memory Array that Master set up to contain the Gluttony Inheritance! I don''t even know how that is possible! They shouldn''t be able to do anything outside of your memories of them!"

    "Um- err¡­" He muttered, scratching his head. His memories of Movies and TV Shows had been picked up by whatever Magic Array controlled the Gluttony Inheritance and tranted as real. Apparently, this had strained the Array so much that it nearly copsed the entire thing.

    "Well. I''ve had an interesting past. Those were all things I witnessed first hand." He wasn''t technically lying, after all. He did see all of those beings, right on the TV.

    "So what about this Inheritance? Does it draw on my memories too?" He smiled cheerfully.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­yes¡­" The bubble''s voice was strained and begrudging.

    "Haha, excellent! Then I can try to see if it will further my understanding of the Law of Wrath." Dorian smiled wider, feeling pleased.

    "Ah! You already have an understanding of the Law of Wrath!?" The bubble shook for a moment.

    "Right, you do! I can sense it!" Abruptly, its voice took on a bright, cheerful edge,

    "That means I can eject you!"

    The world around Dorian began to grow slightly fuzzy, all of a sudden, as he felt his connection to this Inheritance fizzle slightly.

    "Wait! You can''t kick me out! That''s discrimination!" Dorian yelled out loud, incredulous. He had just gotten here!

    "Hahaha, the process is automatic! There is nothing I can do to stop it! You would be kicked out even without me!" The bubble''s voice was filled with glee,

    "Out with you, foul Demon!"

    "We''re all Demonic practitioners here, that isn''t even an insult!" Dorian shot back.

    "Send him awaaaaaaaay, Array!" The bubble ignored him, yelling happily.

    WHOOSH

    The world around Dorian vanished as he returned to where he''d been just moments ago, his consciousness focused back on his physical form.

    He blinked as he came to, mentally cursing the Array Genie.

    ''Damn you, Master Bubble! Just you wait till I get a needle near you¡­ I bet I''ll see you at the other Inheritances¡­'' He mentally grumbled, plotting his revenge as he smiled,

    ''Then again, these Inheritances only seem geared towards giving you a basic level of understanding of a single Law. The Law of Wrath is one of the Laws I understand most, the Wrath Inheritance would''ve likely done nothing for me.'' He shrugged and then turned his attention to the Sealing Tube, located just behind the center of the room.

    "Let''s handle that Seal first." He nodded sharply.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ¡­Meanwhile, back in the city of Cracktyl¡­

    "Greetings, citizens of Cracktyl! I am the Third Shadow Captain, Kanto Ren, under the Southern Duke of Shadow!" A voice echoed out as a Shade wearing a long green robe, with finely manicured fingers and a rather weak looking face, yelled aloud. He had a weak chin, a small nose, and eyes that looked downcast, yet his voice was powerful, thronging with a King ss Aura.

    "I bring a message from the Southern Duke of Shadow himself¡­"

    "Lord Inigo Montoya¡­ has betrayed the Shade Race!"

    "The Southern Duke has obtained intelligence that states that his wife¡­ is none other than a filthy, evil, conniving Vampire!"

    .

 Chapter 191 Stand

    After being rudely kicked out of the Wrath Inheritance, Dorian set about concentrating on the Sealing Tube. As he was walking towards it, he felt energy ripple out in the air.

    WHOOSH

    Two figures could be seen smoothly walking through a portal, d in brown protective armor. Neither of the figures had so much as a scratch on their person, the gear they wore apparently protecting them fully.

    "Baron Radishow, Mistress Prisci." Dorian nodded at both of them and then continued, not giving them time to respond,

    "I will now prepare to unleash the Sealing Tube here. Be on your guard!" He didn''t want to give them much time to think and doubt his story. He was confident he could fake it, but if they found a hole or something he wasn''t able to exin¡­

    "Of course, Great Disciple!" The Baron''s voice was respectful as he checked over the armor he was wearing, nodding.

    "As youmand, Lord Obelisk." Mistress Prisci responded, bowing slightly. Her luscious figure was barely hidden by the full set of brown armor, Artifacts designed to protect against buffeting spatial waves.

    Dorian reached the Sealing Tube and hovered his hand over it. Immediately, it began to react, energy particles fluttering in the air. He didn''t waste any time as he went to town,tching his hand onto the Sealing Tube and preparing to pull it out.

    In his mind, Dorian visualized the world around him, once again. He saw the same thing as before, mountain-sized chains, thousands of them, all bearing down and Sealing the world of Moria.

    ''Yep, once more, a noticeable decrease in chains.'' Dorian ignored most of the awe-inspiring vision as he counted the massive chains, able to sense all of them. While there were still a huge number of chains Sealing Moria, many of the original ones were gone, snapped and shattered into dust by his actions.

    "Hup!" He grunted as he began to pull the Sealing Tube out. Many of the chains began to tighten and grow taut, just like before. The energy in the real world fluctuated, setting the air to shaking.

    As Mistress Prisci and Baron Radishow saw all of this, the duo began a quiet conversation. When they spoke, they shielded their words with energy, keeping the conversation between the two of them. Doing so was rather strenuous in their current environment.

    "Did he interact with the Wrath Inheritance?" Baron Radishow''s eyes gleamed as he cast his senses into the air. The fluctuating energy of the world didn''t startle him. He had just first hand witnessed Dorian do the same thing at his own Castle of Gluttony and was prepared for it.

    "¡­"

    "I can''t tell¡­" He grunted, his voice calm. The fanatic look in his eyes was unfeigned, but ayer of cunning intelligence could now be seen, lurking within.

    "The energy in the surroundings is too violent." He motioned at the world around him, his reedy arms shaking slightly.

    "ording to Hallow, Lord Inigo is a traitor that uses the Law of Wrath." Prisci broke in, her words harsh. Her eyes were like diamonds, beautiful to behold but sharp and tough in essence.

    "Yes¡­ For these two to show up at the same time, it can only mean one thing." Radishow''s entire face contorted as he looked at Dorian.

    "The traitor must have broken whatever Seals were holding back the Great Demon Disciple, likely without knowing the consequences of his actions. When he learned of him, he returned here to hunt the Great Demon Disciple down, to stop him from freeing the Demon Emperor!" His voice was supremely confident as he reached a conclusion,

    "He is likely a nt from the Church of Light! There''s a reason the Church spread his name! He must be one of theirs!" Radishow wasn''t entirely sure why the Church acted as it did, but if he assumed that ''Lord Inigo'' was one of their agents, studying the Law of Wrath at their direction, everything made a lot more sense.

    If Dorian had been able to hear, he would''ve internally praised the Light, Chaos, or whoever was avable, for the logic the Demonic Shades used.

    At its core, it made some sense. Dorian''s physical form was undeniably Demonic, as was the Aura his Soul Spell Matrix gave off. Things like that could not be faked. The fact that Anomalies could transform so fully and perfectly, like Dorian had, was not a well-known fact.

    Even more than that¡­ Dorian had well and truly studied and used multiple Demonic Laws. The importance of such a thing to the various members of the Demonic Council could not be underestimated.

    Only a single figure in history was known to have mastered multiple Demonic Laws. The Demon Emperor. Logically, it made perfect sense that a hidden or long lost disciple of the Demon Emperor from hundreds of years ago, a sessor, would have mastered multiple Demonic Laws as well.

    After all¡­ why else would Dorian be here, if not for what he stated?

    If the Demonic Shades knew that Dorian was merely here to grab some treasures and make some money, picking up a few powerful Inheritances on the way, they might have died directly from rage.

    ''Tighter¡­ tighter¡­'' Dorian pulled the tube out, his senses tingling as the chains he envisioned stretched to lengths they weren''t designed for. Creaking noises echoed out in his vision as they trembled.

    The energy in the real world reached a fluctuating crescendo. Once again, nothing physically changed, but to anyone in the nearby area, it felt as if the apocalypse hade. The oscitingyers of energy made everything confusing.

    Even the two Demonic Shades were shaken up by it, despite already witnessing it once before.

    "Incredible¡­"

    "He''s at the focal point¡­ the strain¡­"

    The two members of the Demonic Council exchanged nces, their eyes wide and impressed once more.

    SNAP

    WHOOSH

    Abruptly, everything returned to normal.

    The abrupt change was as jarring as usual, the mental image of Moria and massive chains vanishing from his vision as he fully pulled the Sealing Tube out.

    The full process actually took around 40-45 minutes, though when he fully concentrated, it felt like just a few seconds. The pushback from the Sealing Tube and the effort required made any progress at all extremely slow. Quite some time had already passed since the first Sealing Tube had been released, almost two hours.

    "Ahh." Dorian let out a relieved breath as he stood up, feeling the energy of the world fluctuate. Once more, the Laws of the Universe became a bit stronger and more effective, slowly pushing back against the stagnant air.

    RIP

    At the same time, a rippling portal appeared, floating right above the sword that was pierced through the ground. This portal shimmered with light, glowing as energy moved within it.

    "Three Seals down, Four to go." He said out loud, nodding at Prisci and Baron Radishow,

    "We grow closer to un-Sealing my Master."

    "Excellent work, Great Demon Disciple!"

    "We shall follow you and guard against any attacks! The Shade that''s hunting you is bound to show up eventually." The two responded in kind, their voices eager. It seemed they had beenpletely won over by his act.

    WHOOSH

    Without hesitating, Dorian stepped into the portal.

    This time, he activated the Law of Gluttony, feeling a cool wave of energy sweep across his body, forming a protective barrier. He activated his Perfect Body Ability at the same time, ready to defend himself as he vanished.

    Energy buffeted him, smashing against his body as he teleported from one point to another.

    This time around, he wasn''t hit with any particrly damaging spatial waves, emerging from the portal unscathed.

    "Hmm?" He looked around where he had justnded as he gathered his bearings. It appeared to be arge treasury, of all things, with several dozenrge chests stacked against a wall. The room wasrge, with sweeping grey stone walls and an arched ceiling.

    ''Oh, the chests are all carved stone too, not real ones.'' He noted, mildly surprised.

    "Who are you?" A sharp voice cut through Dorian''s thoughts, startling him as a figure seemed to appear out of thin air. A Shade covered in a veil of shadows, dressed in a set of ck garments and wearing a nk, white mask that Dorian couldn''t see past. A rippling, King ss Aura emerged off of him as his voice shook dangerously,

    "How did you get here?!" The portal that had brought him here had vanished shortly after he arrived.

    "I am Lord Obelisk, Disciple of the Demon Emperor, here on a mission to un-Seal and revive him." Dorian twisted on Fate as he spoke, giving his voice the most Demonic look possible. This,bined with his appearance and the multiple Auras he emitted as he shed his Demonic Laws, was incredibly convincing.

    His words boomed out, shaking the air itself.

    "Huh?!" The masked figure stuttered, his King ss Aura freezing as he stared.

    "It''s all true, Kandor." The familiar voice of Prisci, the Mistress of Lust, echoed out as she and Baron Radishow arrived, still d in the brown, protective gear that allowed them to safely teleport.

    Several minutes passed as the two exined everything to the third member of the Demonic Council, a Shade known as Kandor that studied the Law of Greed. When Dorian saw this, everything made a bit more sense. The reason he missed detecting the powerful Shade likely had to do with some type of power rted to the soul. The Law of Greed greatly enhanced the strength of one''s soul.

    As they talked, Dorian scanned the treasury, eventually finding what he was looking for.

    ''Aha! The Greed Inheritance!'' He saw a collection of symbols carved into the ground, one that resonated with his soul. As he saw it, however, he frowned slightly.

    ''¡­if I go in there, will the bubble kick me out because I already have that Law?'' A sinking suspicion filled his heart.

    He walked over to the array, his eyes narrowed. He knelt down by it while the members of the Demonic Council were still talking, hovering his hand over it.

    He blinked.

    WHOOSH

    The world around him blurred and vanished. A momentter, he found himself in a-

    ''NOPE!''

    Before he could even mentally process where he had been transported to, a loud, glee-filled shout echoed in his mind as he was instantly kicked out of the Inheritance Array.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian blinked, finding himself exactly where he had been just a moment ago, kneeling down by the Greed Inheritance.

    ''That son of a bi-''

    "Lord Obelisk?" Dorian stood up smoothly as he heard a voice call out.

    Baron Radishow had finished talking to the other Council member and had waved at him.

    "Yes, I was just looking over Master''s Inheritance. Where is the Sealing Tube? We must begin immediately, stand watch for the vile Lord Inigo. He is likely to attack, if not here, then somewhere during the process!" Dorian called out, his eyes full of murderous passion.

    As the three Council members heard and felt this, they all looked at Dorian with a new sense of appreciation.

    ''He clearly wants to annihte that evil Lord Inigo just as much as we do!''

    Dorian, in the meanwhile, made a mental vow, his eyes sending out an evil light, befitting a Demon,

    ''Just you wait, you damned bubble. Let me see if I have any Porcupine Bloodlines, then we will see who gets thestugh¡­''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "By the orders of Duke Barmo, the woman known as Helena is hereby under arrest for questioning! Step aside!"

    Outside of the Royal House Inn, a confrontation was currently happening. Hundreds of civilians, travelers, hunters, and experts could be seen in the streets, all watching with eager eyes as the drama before them unfolded.

    Several dozen Shades dressed in stately blue armor could be seen, standing outside near the front of the inn. They wore the colors of the Duke of Shadow, giving off powerful, Lord ss Auras. A veritable army that had been prepared ahead of time.

    The Royal House Inn was a resplendent inn, arge multi-storey building made from fine wood and stone, magically enhanced. It had severalrge sections and took up several lots of space in the inner city.

    Behind these armored Shades, a Shade wearing a long green robe could be seen, watching everything. That Shade was none other than the speaker that had announced Helena''s alleged crimes to the city, the Shadow Captain Kanto Ren.

    Standing opposite the Shadow Captain was a small army of Shades, all with their arms crossed as they stared back. The Moria Liberation Force that had just recently returned.

    At the head of this force, Captain Fabian stood with his arms crossed. nking him were Captain Horvold and Captain Ayra.

    "You are asking me to step aside?" Fabian''s elderly body shivered slightly as a powerful King ss Aura of Might burst from him, shaking the air.

    "Fabian of the Spear. I know of you." A ragged and dark, malicious King ss Aura sted out from Kanto Ren in return, powerful and mighty. This Aura was powerful, stronger than the Aura of Might that Fabian had released by at least half its power. The Aura of a powerful expert, at Late or close to Late King ss.

    "If you do not step aside, you, and all the Shades behind you, will die." His voice was cool,

    "You are harboring the wife of a traitor, a fugitive. That man has given up what it means to be a member of the Shade Commune, wedding a vile Vampire while we are at war, misleading the innocent. No deeds he attempts can make up for his betrayal." Kanto continued,

    "By standing by him and his traitor wife, you are forsaking the Commune! You will all bebelled traitors and hunted as dogs, the honor of your families stained and torn down." His voice echoed out, rippling across the city,

    "Is that the future you want?" He continued, speaking several lines,

    "Are all of you content to that end?"

    "For your children to grow up without fathers or mothers? To leave behind a legacy stained with dishonor?"

    Kanto''s gaze blistered as it ran across the Shades that just returned from Moria. His eyes and words were extremely impactful. Many of the Shades that had joined the Moria Liberation Force were experts with families they had left back home.

    While none of them were from any powerful organizations or famous families, they all had their own loved ones to consider. The knife Kanto had thrown cut deep as the expressions on many of the stalwart Shades sank.

    Fabian stepped forward, his Aura of Might trembling, as he faced the Shadow Captain. The other Shades remained back, even the other two Captains. Whether it was from a sense of respect for Fabian, or for other reasons, only they knew.

    "While that man risks his life, fighting against Demons and cleansing Moria itself, the Blighted Land of Demons, he entrusted me with a simple task." Fabian''s hands trembled,

    " ''Protect my wife.'' "

    Fabian tapped his Spatial Ring, bringing out a long, gleaming spear, one he held aloft in his hands. His hands no longer trembled in the face of the pressure he was facing. Instead, they were perfectly calm.

    "I cannot speak for everyone. I can only speak for myself." His voice was peaceful,

    "My name is Fabian Altraz Bourdan." He looked Kanto Ren dead in the eye,

    "I will die before you touch even a strand of her hair."

    .

 Chapter 192 Savior

    Hey everyone :) 4 days in a row with no misses, just as promised :) The next chapter update will be on Friday, though, not tomorrow! Today is a busy day for me v.v

    -------------

    "Radishow? Kantor? Damal?" Hallow looked out from the castle he was standing in, his hands raised in frustration. In his hands, he held a glowing green ring.

    The daylight was slowly dying outside, fading to evening. Even the undead world of Moria had a day and night cycle. From his viewpoint in the Castle of Envy, he could see arge, sweeping forest full of Demonic remnants.

    "What under Chaos is going on?" Hallow muttered as he looked around,

    "My connection to the Law of Envy is far more powerful than it should be here. It keeps jumping in effectiveness¡­ none of the other members of the Demonic Council are answering my messages." He mumbled, talking to himself.

    The ring in his hand was a magic device that couldmunicate to a designated holder of a simr ring using Fate Magic, as long as they were on the same. It usually wasn''t very effective on Moria due to the weak connection with the Laws of the Universe.

    He turned away from the window, walking back into arge stone hallway. He quickly moved down it, taking several turns till he found a ratherrge doorway, lined by ancient pirs. He moved through the door, entering into arge room that had, of all things, an indoor moat. The water in the moat glowed a light blue color, faintly lighting up the dim room.

    A stone bridge crossed this moat, leading to a small ind where an ancient stone table could be seen. A small stone pir could also be seen, surrounded by a metal grate. It almost looked like a tube, set in the back of the ind.

    Hallow made his way to the moat and then began to cross. The air seemed to quicken around him, as if a huge amount of pressure had settled upon his shoulders and then vanished instantly.

    He moved swiftly across the bridge, a frown ever present on his face. As he arrived at the ind, he nced down at aplex circle covered in mystical symbols. The Envy Inheritance.

    "What under Chaos is going on¡­" He repeated himself, looking around. He clenched his fists.

    "It must be rted to Lord Inigo and the Demonic Inheritances¡­ Very well." His eyes grew cold, his entire body crackling with energy.

    "Juste and try to take these Inheritances! The Council will stop you!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    ''Man, taking these Inheritances really is easy. Thank goodness the Demonic Council is helping me out.'' Dorian thought with a smile as he stood up,

    ''So this is what the Law of Sloth does.''

    After un-Sealing the fourth Sealing Tube, there were only three Castles left that Dorian needed to visit for their respective Sealing Tubes. The Castle of Envy, the Castle of Sloth, and the Castle of Pride, as he learned they were named.

    Coincidentally, these were the three Demonic Laws that Dorian hadn''t sensed yet.

    Kantor, the member of the Demonic Council that was guarding the Castle of Greed, was ecstatic when he learned the ''truth'' of what was happening. With the other two Demonic Council members to back Dorian up, and the fact that Dorian could ess multiple Laws and was clearly a Demonic being, everything went smoothly.

    Thus, he joined Dorian''s entourage, vowing to protect him as he un-Sealed the Demon Emperor.

    ''What should I do when I finish un-Sealing everything and the Demon Emperor doesn''t return?'' He frowned slightly as he considered the thought. He had a few backup ideas and ns, but he wouldn''t be able to know for sure.

    The likelihood that the Demon Emperor was actually Sealed here, and not the itself, didn''t reallye into Dorian''s consideration. Yukeli''s memories had made it very clear that they had defeated and killed the Demon Emperor, and Dorian couldn''t see the powerful warrior settling for just Sealing the Demon Emperor away.

    Given his past, Yukeli wasn''t the type to give up on his obsession with wiping out the Demon Race for pretty much any reason at all.

    He tossed the thought to the side as he focused on the Law he had just gained.

    The Law of Sloth.

    ''How interesting. It greatly boosts my recovery and healing powers, by a veryrge margin.'' His eyes shed as he focused on the sensations, his soul undting.

    When he and his entourage had left the Castle of Greed, they''d arrived directly in the Castle of Sloth. Unlike the other castles, however, this castle had been unupied. The room they''d arrived in had arge, ancient stone carving of a bed in the center, and was an otherwise empty area. The same type of mystic Array set with an Inheritance was there as well, the Inheritance for the Law of Sloth.

    "Where is Duke Orbit¡­?" Prisci, the Mistress of Lust, had been the first one to speak, looking around therge room. Her voice was rather scathing.

    "..."

    "Sigh." Baron Radishow shook his head,

    "He is a Duke, after all, and one that studies the Law of Sloth. Him not showing up is hardly surprising."

    Kantor nodded in agreement, his eyes alert as he kept watch for a stray Lord Inigo, ready to fight to the death against him.

    Dorian''s eyes widened ever so slightly as he heard this.

    ''Duke Orbit?! Isn''t that one of the Shadow Dukes?!'' He blinked. The Demonic Council had spread their wings far and wide, it seemed, throughout the Shade Commune. He would have to be very careful in the future, should he ever return here.

    Right after that, Dorian had immediately set upon the Sloth Inheritance, making up an excuse that he was checking it over. He''d activated it and was transported to, once again, a new world.

    ..

    "Ah, Master Bubble. We meet again." Dorian''s voice was cool as he looked around, this time not instantly ejected.

    He had arrived at arge pavilion, one covered with luxurious purple and white pillows. It was an open pavilion with no roof, the sky above adrift withzy clouds and an evening sun. A cool breeze swept through the open room, letting in the scent of wine and fresh earth.

    Dorian had appeared in the center of this pavilion, sitting atop several of thefortable pillows. Right in front of him was arge, mostly transparent bubble.

    "¡­" The bubble didn''t respond.

    "Eh? No words for me?" He chided the bubble with a small smile. At the same time, he probed his soul, seeing if he could ess any of his powers

    ''Hmm. It''s like the first challenge, I can''t do anything.'' He mentally sighed. It seemed this challenge wouldn''t be as fun as the previous one.

    "¡­"

    "Wee to the Inheritance of Sloth." The bubble talked as if it was trying to whisper. Unfortunately for it, it was a bubble and bubbles can''t whisper, thus it failed. How it was speaking, at all, Dorian wasn''t quite sure, but it seemed to have to follow certain rules. Everything made sense as he looked at it in the moment.

    "This Inheritance immutably draws upon your experiences in reality, putting you face to face with challenges that will strain your very soul! To pass, you must resist all, and prove yourself a true slovenly sloven!" The bubble''s voice shifted to be loud and powerful, as if trying to be enthralling.

    Despite the bubble''s grand tone, Dorian couldn''t help but be put off by the description.

    "I suppose if I must." He shrugged, epting it for what it was.

    Immediately, the world around Dorian morphed slightly, a doorway appearing in the air in front of him. This doorway glowed with magical light, as if it was about to open up to something or someone from a mysterious reality not like the 30,000 Worlds.

    "The first challenge focuses on your filial piety! Almost every man or woman respects their parents and cares for them." The bubble''s voice boomed out,

    Dorian was thrown backwards as a huge, gaping hole appeared in front of him, causing several of the pillows to fall into an empty pool of darkness. The hole seemed to go on forever, never stopping as he looked over it. Just staring down it caused him to shiver, despite knowing none of this was real.

    "What will you do when you see your mother put in mortal danger?" The bubble''s tone was full of anticipation.

    Abruptly, the glowing door shivered and then opened in a sh, light pouring out¡­

    And promptly revealed nothing.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Dorian exchanged nces with the bubble, or at least he thought he did.

    "¡­do you not have a mother?" The bubble sounded incredulous.

    "Well, no." Dorian shrugged.

    The bubble seemed to shiver,

    "How can you not have a mother?! Everyone has a mother!"

    Dorian shrugged again,

    "What about orphans?"

    "Are you an orphan?" The bubble returned,

    "No? Yes? I''m not really sure."

    "¡­"

    "How can you not be sure if you''re an orphan?!" The bubble''s voice was full of disbelief.

    "It''splicated." Dorian shrugged for the third time. It really was quiteplicated, now that he thought about it.

    A brief pause ensued as the bubble tried toe up with a response. After that, however, it seemed to give up, sighing.

    "The first challenge has been passed! On to the second!" The bubble''s voice resumed its grandeur, though this time sounding slightly strained.

    Immediately, a new door appeared, glowing with light. It floated right next to the giant, endless hole that had appeared

    "What will you do when you see your father put in mortal danger?" The bubble zeroed in on Dorian.

    The door slowly opened, light flowing out from it. This time, a figure actually appeared, falling down from the door andnding on the very edge of the hole.

    As Dorian saw the figure, however, his jaw dropped. His entire body froze, going on high alert.

    A lean, muscr warrior with dark brownish-ck hair and rich blue eyes, carrying an intensity that seemed to flow from the very fiber of his being. He had a handsome, suave face that made him appear like a noble.

    "Oh my god." He muttered in horror.

    It was Yukeli.

    "Look upon this challenge! Your father lies upon the brink of death, about to fall into the pit of never-ending darkness! Make your decision now! Chose to rescue him or let him fall to his death because of your slovenly ways." As the bubble finished speaking, a certainpulsion seized Dorian.

    He knew, for a certain fact, that the being he was looking at was his father. This feeling of certainty was clearly magically influenced, part of the challenge, but despite knowing that, it was a feeling he couldn''t shake. He was 100% convinced that he was looking upon his real father, and that if he did nothing, his father would die.

    "Good riddance."

    Dorian snorted as he looked at the figure of Yukeli grasping hold of the ledge. He wavedzily at the figure, feeling extremely rxed.

    ''So what if that was the real Yukeli?'' He thought with a shrug,

    ''Why should I bother helping that major pain in the rear. The dude tried to kill me and take over my body.'' Yukeli was literally thest person he would bother to help.

    "W-what?! You are so easily abandoning your own father?" The bubble''s voice shrieked as it red at him in all its bubbly might.

    "Yep." Dorian grunted, shifting his body so he couldyfortably on the pillows. The figure of Yukeli on the ledge, meanwhile, stood absolutely still, not even looking as if he was remotely in danger as he ignored the unending hole of darkness. The man''s eyes were almost predatory as looked around his environment, his forehead crinkled slightly in confusion.

    "He seems fine to me." Dorian stated.

    "What, no, of course he isn''t fi- huh?!" The bubble cut itself off,

    "Oi! What are you doing? You are supposed to be slipping!"

    "There is no being in existence that canmand me to do something, even if I am a mere shadow of my true self." Yukeli''s voice caused Dorian to shiver. The words were rich and deep, each one full of absolute confidence in himself.

    "Dammit, obey the Inheritance Array! You can''t jus-" The bubble began but was cut off,

    "I refuse."

    "You CAN''T refuse, you don''t even exist!" The bubble shouted back.

    "I refuse!"

    Yukeli ignored the bubble, leaning on the edge as he looked around. For some odd reason, it seemed that Yukeli wasn''t able to see Dorian. The Array must''ve set it up so that the parent figure could be seen, but not see the son or daughter that was being tested, likely for someplex reasons.

    Dorian watched all of this go down, deeply impressed.

    ''Wow, even an imitation of Yukeli is so powerful and strong-willed, it can resist the Array that created said illusory imitation.'' He hadn''t even known such a thing was possible. It was likely that it was only possible because Yukeli was who he was, and probably wouldn''t work for anyone else. The man was an Anomaly in his own right.

    "Arrrrgh!" The bubble seemed to gnash its teeth in frustration, sounding almost as if it was about to cry.

    "First your freakish past from the other Inheritance, then now you don''t have a mother, but somehow you do have a father, as if that makes sense, and now your father is just as freakish as your past..." The bubble''s voice shook,

    "Oh hold on a moment¡­ why is this man familiar?" The bubble''s tone became curious,

    It was at that exact moment that a feeling of enlightenment abruptly settled upon Dorian. At the same time, Yukeli''s form wavered and vanished, as did the giant hole.

    "Wait, you''re already receiving the Inheritance?! But you didn''tplete the challenge! Wha-"

    Before the bubble could finish speaking, the world around Dorian twisted and distorted as he was abruptly teleported away. His eyes grew unfocused as the sensation from the Law of Sloth covered him, a Baptism of the Laws.

    And, a short whileter, Dorian reached where he was now. He had gained ess to the Law of Sloth andpleted the Sloth Inheritance, somehow.

    ''A Law that vastly enhances my recovery, huh? That sounds useful indeed.'' His eyes shed as he smiled, pleased. The Inheritance had ended rather abruptly, as if he couldn''t be tossed out quick enough, but he had still gained the reward from it.

    Before he did anything else, however, he walked over to the Sealing Tube.

    ''Time to get the 5th Sealing Tube handled. Then there will only be 2 remaining.''

    ''I''m almost done¡­''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, back in the city of Cracktyl¡­

    The Royal House Inn''s entrance was virtually destroyed, as were the nearby buildings. Wood, stone, and shards of things inbetween coated the area, giving it a damaged appearance. Screams and yells could be heard in the background as various Shadesy on the ground, injured.

    Fabian''s breath wheezed in and out of him as he fell to one knee, his entire body exhausted. He was covered in wounds, as were Captain Harvold and Captain Ayra. All three Captains stared up at the figure of Kanto Ren, shock and horror in their eyes.

    Kanto Ren, in the meanwhile, shook his head. His long green robe was stained with blood, none of it his own.

    "I may only be Third Captain under Duke Barmo, but I am second to only him in terms of strength. Even the Holy Prince of the Church is just my equal." He sighed, wiping the pair of long, slender silver sabers he wielded. Dark energy crackled around his body, giving him an ominous appearance.

    Kanto stepped forward, his eyes cool as he looked at the downed King ss Shades.

    Around them, the battle seemed to have mostly subsided. The Lord ss fighters that Kanto had brought were the elite forces of the Southern Duke of Shadow. They were the absolute best, trained and experienced in the art of warfare.

    Conversely, the Shades here were strong, but many were glory-seekers or elders, with not nearly as much experience and training. They were a cohesive force, but whenpared to the elite troops of the Commune, they weren''t quite equal.

    Despite that, the Moria Liberation Force had somehow managed to fight the elite forces of the Southern Duke to aplete standstill. They showed a level of ferocity that couldn''t be imitated, one that indicatedplete faith. Not a single member of the force retreated.

    In their eyes, Lord Inigo had already found great sess in his mission to un-Seal Moria, sess that they themselves witnessed. While Kanto Ren clearly didn''t believe that ''Lord Inigo'' would actually cleanse Moria, the Shades of the Moria Liberation Force believed otherwise.

    What ended up breaking the tie, however, was the presence of Kanto Ren. A true, elite expert at the Late King ss, trapped at the jump between Late King ss and Pseudo-Angelic. Second to very few.

    Kanto Ren had taken on all three King ss Captains and won, his powerful Law of Darkness and great skill as a Sabermaster scoring him the victory.

    "You have made your choice, Fabian. I gave you every opportunity to leave. I will give you one more, here and now." Kanto began, his voice causing the air to shake.

    "Step. Aside."

    "Or die."

    Fabian stared up at Kanto, his bloodied arms trembling. Every muscle the Shade had was screaming at him, his entire body badly wounded. He barely had the strength to stand, let alone do battle.

    "I¡­ will not." He coughed as he spoke, blood spattering up.

    "If you want to take Lord Inigo''s wife¡­ you will have to kill me first¡­" He slowly struggled to his feet, his entire body as if about to copse.

    Kanto Ren sighed,

    "So be it." With an almost casual wave of his arm, he cut forward with one of his sabers, a wave of ck energy slicing through the air.

    Fabian looked at his iing death and met it with a sad smile.

    ''I have failed you, Lord Inigo. I did all that I could, but I was not enough.''

    ''Go in peace with the Light.'' He closed his eyes, unable to physically dodge or block the blow.

    CLANG

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    Fabian didn''t die.

    He slowly opened his eyes, blinking in befuddlement.

    Right when the saber strike of dark energy was about to collide with him and strike him down¡­

    From seemingly out of nowhere, arge, oversized cauldron appeared.

    "Ahaha, you see the sharpness of my cauldron?!" A cheerful, jovial voice echoed out as a thin, reedy looking Shade appeared, standing atop the Royal House Inn.

    "It is my duty as a Shade to uncover those I believe are spreading lies¡­" The Shade began, an extremely powerful Aura of Cutting emanating from his body. This Aura was just slightly unstable, but undeniably at the Late King ss, as if the owner of the Aura had only broken through within the past day or two.

    It was none other than the Shade that had challenged Dorian when he first arrived in Cracktyl, illogically wielding a round cauldron as if it was a mighty, and sharp edged weapon. The warrior had used Dorian of leading his army to its death and challenged him to a duel. He eventually was sent flying away by ident mid-duel by one of Leader''s extremely powerful arrow shots, an attack that had been intended to hit ''Lord Inigo.''

    "I, Bayran Handsworth, the greatest Warrior-Alchemist to have ever lived, shall stop you!"

    .

 Chapter 193 Pride

    Next chapter on Sunday :) The finale of this Volume is fast approaching.

    -----------------

    "Incredible! He really can open up portals to the other castles and has changed the world itself, over and over, without a Lodestone!" Kantor''s voice was full of shock as he looked at the glowing tear in reality, floating near the carved stone bed.

    "His Great Lordship has powers far beyond our understanding." The elderly Baron Radishow replied, bobbing his head up and down as he looked over at Dorian.

    "But of course. A disciple of the Great Demon Emperor could hardly be normal." Prisci added.

    All three of the present council members looked at Dorian with something akin to reverence. It faintly creeped him out, though he didn''t let any of that emotion show.

    "It is not my powers, Kantor." His voice was grand as he stepped forward, his wed feet clinking against the carved stone,

    "It is that of the Demon Emperor and the Inheritances he left behind, before he was Sealed away by the vile Yukeli." He threw some shade at Yukeli, figuring the Shades would appreciate it.

    Indeed, all three Shades hardened their eyes as they heard this, the air fluctuating as they all fiercely frowned.

    "However, he failed, in the end, toplete his mission. Demonic practitioners are still alive in the 30,000 Worlds, and the Demon Emperor is about to make his return! Nothing can stop us now, save for that vile, insidious Lord Inigo!" Dorian continued, his eyes shing. After he absorbed the Inheritance of Sloth, an idea had sprouted in his mind.

    "As we reach thest few Inheritances, it''s bing clearer and clearer that he will strike, sometime soon. He either has the ability to pretend he has a Demonic Law, or is an actual traitor despite having a Demonic Law." His voice was dour,

    "You all must be prepared to stop him! He cannot interfere with the return of the Demon Emperor!" His voice boomed, echoing mightily.

    "WOOO!"

    "NOTHING WILL STAND IN OUR WAY!"

    "GREAT DISCIPLE!"

    As soon as Dorian finished speaking, all three of the Demonic Councilmembers cheered in response, King ss Auras bursting into existence as they made vows to defend him. Dorian took full advantage of their passion, encouraging it as he twisted upon Fate, though he was unsure if it would have that much effect on beings as high level as them.

    ''Fifteen still hasn''t attacked me¡­'' His main concern was the other Anomaly that had vowed to kill him when he was here.

    Dorian had a sinking suspicion that if he wanted to fully cleanse Moria, the path he had set himself on, he would inevitably run afoul of Fifteen. He was well aware that Fifteen was a member of the Demon Council, thanks to Fifteen telling him so.

    Therefore¡­ He slowly began to enact the secret n he thought up.

    "Just be alert, my fellow practitioners. He is wily and intelligent, a devious and handsom- cough, ahem, I mean an evil genius who will stop at nothing to prevent the Demon Emperor from returning! Do not underestimate him!" He looked at all three of the powerful King ss fighters intently.

    They all nodded back, their powerful Auras causing the air itself to fluctuate. Even Dorian felt mildly affected, the powerful King ss Auras holding strength that outssed his own soul.

    ''The restraints on the world are indeed getting weaker and weaker, more than before!'' His eyes widened as he felt this keenly. The chains he''d shattered, slowly un-Sealing Moria, were having great effect.

    ''That said¡­ it appears to be a bit of a lesser difference.'' Between un-Sealing the 4th Sealing Tube and the 5th, the difference it made was noticeably smaller. Even further, when Dorian visualized the chains that Sealed off Moria, he could see that despite all the ones he had shattered, there were many more remaining.

    Far more than just 2 other Sealing Tubes would contain, given that the previous ones seemed to control equal numbers.

    ''Thatst set of chains, it probably holds about 30% of the power, directly Sealing it away from the world.'' He mentally added up the remaining amounts, his thoughts racing ahead of him,

    ''If my guess is right, thest Sealing Tube, or whatever it is that is holding those chains, can be found in the Central Castle¡­'' ording to the intel he''d gotten from his army of subordinates, the Central Castle was the number one danger region on Moria, not that any other areas were particrly safe. The outsides were swarming with Demonic remnants, after all.

    He blinked as he looked at the three Demonic Shades and then gave them all a stately nod.

    "Baron Radishow. Enter the portal first and announce my presence to anyone waiting there. I will follow shortly with Prisci and Kantor." His voice was stern, brooking no argument.

    "As youmand, Great Demon Disciple!" Radishow hadn''t even taken off the brown protective armor and practically threw himself into the glowing portal. Of all of the Councilmembers, he was the one that believed in Dorian the most.

    In a sh of light, the Demonic Shade disappeared. At the same time, Dorian could sense faint fluctuationsing off the portal, ones that were slowly weakening.

    ''Oh? It seems the portal will slowly start to vanish once it''s used.'' He nodded.

    "We shall wait a moment¡­" Dorian held his hand up, waiting a few seconds.

    He didn''t want to have a repeat or ident where he got attacked again. Instead, the Councilmembers could simply exin who he was to the other Councilmembers. With them backing him, he would look extremely convincing.

    ''I did just get the Law of Sloth, after all. I should put some effort into beingzier.'' He nodded again. It made sense.

    After a few seconds passed, he lowered his hand and walked forward, motioning for the other Demonic Shades to follow him.

    ''5 down, 2 to go.'' Dorian smiled as he stepped into the rippling portal that had appeared, feeling energy swarm around him. He activated his Perfect Body Ability and covered himself in a wave of protective energy from the Law of Gluttony.

    Instantly, he was cast off into the cascading light and buffeting energy. Power thronged in the air around him as he was transported, moving through space.

    As he traveled, he felt a searing blow m into his chest.

    ''Oh?'' The energy from the blow managed to pierce his protective energy barrier from the Law of Gluttony, some of it even managing to st past his always active Mystic Armored Body, and smash directly against his chest, unable to injure him in his Perfect Body state.

    ''Good job, Gluttony. You''re making me into a great turtle.'' He mentally gave the part of his soul that was pulling on that Law a thumbs up. The barrier had just managed to block enough of the energy bolt to leave him unscathed thanks to his other powers.

    WHOOSH

    In a sh of light, Dorian abruptly found himself in another room. The air cascaded around him, creating a miniature tornado as hended, arriving from the portal.

    "Ah, there his Greatness is! The Great Demon Disciple!" Baron Radishow''s eager voice greeted him as he arrived, the elderly figure standing next to a tall, hulking brute of a Shade. Dorian was taken aback as he saw this, the uncharacteristically muscr Shade startling him.

    "This is him?" The Shade had a face only a mother could love, with a nose that had clearly been broken before, a strong jaw, narrow eyes and a mean frown. His body gave off an overwhelming feeling of strength, as if nothing in the world could stop him. It faintly reminded Dorian of Excelsior Gamin, the extremely strong Pseudo-Angelic Shade from the Church of Light.

    As he looked at the Demonic Shade, he also realized that the Shade reminded him of someone else.

    Leader.

    Dorian casually held out his hand. As he did so, he randomly pulled upon a few different Demonic Laws at once. Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, and Greed.

    WHOOSH

    The air boiled with chaotic, Demonic energy as he flexed.

    Immediately, the muscr Shade''s eyes widened.

    "Great demon Disciple!!"

    Everything else happened as he expected. He talked with the Demonic Shade, a man named Damal, about his ''purpose'' here and exined who he was, who Lord Inigo was, and how they needed to stop him. The Shade nodded his head along with every word, his eyes zing with passion.

    After all, if the Demon Emperor returned, they wouldn''t have to live away in hiding, obscuring their true powers and never daring to show off. If the Church found out where they were¡­ well, it would only end poorly.

    That didn''t mean they wanted another Demon war. They just wished for the ability to survive out in the open. The Demonic Laws weren''t necessarily evil in nature, though many Demons were. The Demon Emperor was glorified as a protector of the Demon race and not one of the warmongering Demons, and hence had earned the full respect of any Demonic practitioner.

    If he existed in this day and age, the Church would have to think twice before attacking and hunting down Demonic practitioners that hadn''t harmed anyone.

    And now, Dorian found himself standing in front of a small, carved Array. The room he had arrived in looked like arge stage, as if for ys, with hundreds of seats carved into the ground on the outer edge of the room. On the stage, there was arge stone throne, carved into the wall.

    Dorian had arrived from a portal that opened and closed right here.

    The Inheritance he was looking at was set in the middle of the stage. The Sealing Tube for this castle was located next to the throne at the back. The other members of the Demonic Council stood around it, talking in an animated fashion.

    Damal was known as the Master of Pride among the Demonic Council and, not unexpectedly, studied the Law of Pride, just like Leader.

    ''The Pride Inheritance.'' He smiled slightly as he looked at it, thinking about Leader.

    ''I hope you''re doing alright, friend.'' He had long since begun to consider the enigmatic archer a friend. With his starting mastery of so many Demonic Laws, he was probably close to how Leader envisioned him now.

    Without hesitating any more, Dorian held his hand over and activated the Array.

    He blinked.

    WHOOSH

    And was teleported away instantly.

    He found himself in arge, grassy valley. Dozens of trees could be seen just beyond the clearing, a forest teeming with color and life. A gentle breeze swept through the valley, bringing a rich, earthy smell to Dorian''s nose.

    "Oh my, so realistic." He spoke aloud as he took a few steps, taking in the surroundings in one sweeping nce.

    ''I have ess to my Soul Spell Matrix!'' This Inheritance challenge allowed him to use his powers fully it seemed.

    "Greetings, Inheritor. Wee to the Inheritance of Pride." A formal sounding voice boomed out loud, echoing with authority. Dorian spun around to look at it.

    He grinned,

    "Hey, Master Bubble. No need to pretend, we both know who we are." Standing, or rather, floating, at the center of the valley was none other than a familiar transparent bubble, billowing ever so slightly in the wind.

    "¡­"

    "¡­sigh¡­"

    The Array Genie didn''t make any otherment about what Dorian had mentioned, ignoring him as it announced the Inheritance.

    "The Inheritance of Pride is a simple one. A warrior must have pride, even when fighting an enemy more powerful than them. To push through the chains of weakness that drag one''s body down and break past that, bing a Prideful expert, one must have a powerful strength of will." The bubble''s words echoed in the air.

    "You will nowe face to face with thest challenger thatpleted the Inheritance of Pride. Prove your worth against them! Even in death, do not bend your will an inch!" The bubble added a few more lines,

    "Hehe¡­ even if you have freakish memories and a freakish past, you won''t be able to stand up to thest expert thatpleted the Inheritance of Pride! He''s a genius who gained special permission to use the Inheritance despite already mastering the Law of Pride!" The bubble''s voice was smug, detracting from the epic tone he had just a few moments ago.

    "Feast your eyes on my almighty champion!" The bubble seemed to waver and then vanish.

    WHOOSH

    Before Dorian''s eyes, a figure appeared.

    A figure of a human, wearing a brown vest and loose leather pants. He had cid brown eyes that gave his unlined face a youthful appearance.

    In his hands was an ornate looking bow.

    "¡­"

    "Leader?"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The energy of the world was fluctuating around a certain archer as he looked out at the city of Ba''artova.

    ''My ess to the Laws is getting stronger and stronger¡­'' Leader thought, his eyes rumbling. A slight hint of nervousness could be seen in them, as if he wasn''t quite sure what was going on.

    Nothing like this had ever happened before when he was herest. He had gone to the Castle of Pride to check out the Pride Inheritance, helping solidify his somewhat strong understanding of the Law of Pride. He had even found a rare treasure left behind by the Demon Emperor for experts like him, seeking to further their understanding.

    For some odd reason, despite the energy of the world wavering where he was, the Laws bing easier to sense, the dead zone that surrounded the central castle remainedpletely unaffected. Leader had tested this multiple times.

    ''This must be the actions of Lord Inigo¡­ what is he doing?'' Just as he was thinking that, Leader abruptly froze.

    "Huh?!"

    Leader''s soul shook slightly as he felt an emanation from Fate itself affecting him. His eyes widened as he sensed this, abruptly realizing what it was.

    ''When Ipleted the Inheritance of Pride, the Array Genie asked me to form and leave behind some of my own consciousness. It took me a whole week to safely refine what he asked for using the treasure the Genie had let me borrow.''

    He hadn''t had to cut off part of his soul or anything like that, just refine a treasure by imbuing it with arge amount of energy from his soul. The process was painstaking, but to help other Pride Law users in the future, and to thank the Array Genie, he had made the effort. His pride wouldn''t let him do otherwise.

    And, right now, Leader could feel that piece of his consciousness activate for the first time. The next person to sessfully reach the strongest Inheritance of Pride and activate it had appeared, something that hadn''t happened in a very long time.

    ''Damn it! It is that sted Lord Inigo! He is already at the Inheritances, that must be what is changing the world.'' His eyes turned red as he realized this.

    In his mind, a vision appeared. In that vision, for just a split second, he could make out what his consciousness saw.

    A weird, freakish Demonic being appeared, covered in armor and ted crystals.

    ''That must be ''Lord Inigo''s'' true form.'' The vision onlysted an instant, but from that split second, Leader felt a form of absolute surety.

    The Demonic creature in that vision and the ''Lord Inigo'' he had tried to kill in Cracktyl, they were one and the same. The emanation in Fate he''d sensed had helped solidify this feeling.

    ''Fifteen told me that Lord Inigo was a monster in disguise.'' He had talked with the Demonic Councilmember about their mutual target, sharing information.

    "Don''t worry, Great Lord. If that vile Lord Inigo tries to destroy the Inheritances for real, he has to travel to the Central Castle. The moment he does so¡­" Leader''s voice was a deep growl as he clenched his fists, ready to jump into battle.

    "I will strike him down immediately."

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Ah, Leader, my foolish subordinate. Do you really think you can defeat this Godly Demon?" Dorian pounded on his chest with a grin as he saw the familiar figure.

    "Come,e! Be this Godly Demon''s 6th Demonic Law!"

    .

 Chapter 194 Truth

    Dorian activated his Perfect Body Ability, causing the world to lose some of its color. At the same time, he activated a flurry of Laws, enhancing himself.

    WHOOSH

    Leader, in that time, had taken out his bow, armed it, and fired an arrow, all in that single split second. His talent as an archer, even in a younger form, was quite clear.

    "Whoa!" Dorian ducked down hard, barely able to dodge the lightning fast attack. The arrow shot past him and mmed into several trees, obliterating them. Shards of wood and bark flew into the air, scattering.

    ''I dodged it! I saw it!'' As this realization hit him, Dorian rushed forward, his eyes full of glee.

    "Hah!" In just moments, his bodynded next to Leader''s moving incredibly quickly. He no longer needed to rely on Yukeli''s Mystic Martial Arts to move fast, able to use his raw, enhanced physical state as a stand-in.

    BOOM

    The valley floor exploded as hended on it, cracks spreading as huge chunks of rock were thrown skyward. Before Dorian could attack, Leader was knocked backwards by this impact, flipping through the air.

    ''Oh geez.'' Dorian realized,

    ''I need to move carefully. Landing with too much force can destroy the ground if it isn''t extremely solid.'' His physique was boosted by his Law of Valor, in addition to all his other powers, making everything he did formidable.

    "Super State!" A rainbow Aura burst out around Leader as the skillful archer activated the ultimate power of the Law of Pride. The man''s body was greatly enhanced, his physique jumping from that of a strong human to that of an overwhelmingly strong human.

    ''Ah, he''s still King ss. I didn''t think whatever remnant or memory of him here would be able to use that power.'' Dorian''s eyes narrowed.

    He immediately gave chase.

    WHOOSH

    Over the next several moments, Leader fired arrow after arrow at Dorian, intent on striking him down. Each of these arrows was imbued with energy and power. Leader''s strength as a King ss archer could not be underestimated.

    Yet, this time around, Dorian found that he could just barely dodge the arrow attacks thanks to his enhanced perception. Leader fired shot after shot, and each attack missed.

    The time Dorian spent dodging was just enough for Leader to get away, but, gradually, the gap between them was closing.

    "Hahaha, Leader! Of everyone I know, you probably match up best against me!" He wasn''t lying in that regard. Leader''s powerful physique and very strong long range attacks were a solid counter to Dorian, who depended on close quartersbat.

    "But, at least against an early version of you¡­" Dorian smiled,

    "I no longer have to risk dying to stand a chance." Dorian stopped chasing Leader, jumping back towards the middle of the original clearing. By now, hundreds of trees had been obliterated and the nearby forested area was in ruins. Craters littered the ground, the air still covered in a haze of dust and debris.

    Dorian could see Leader sprinting away, roughly 100 meters distant, his bow in hand. The warrior seemed to be nning on getting to a safe distance before raining down attacks on Dorian.

    ''Focus.'' Dorian''s eyes narrowed as he stared at Leader, concentrating.

    "Hyperion Beams!" Without hesitation, he activated an Ability he had been preparing the entire fight.

    11 ck orbs formed, crackling in the air. These orbs each formed about half a meter away from each other, floating above Dorian''s head and shoulders, off above or in either direction.

    As they formed, Dorian imbued them all with the power of his ck mes, transforming them. This energybination upgraded the strength of the attack tremendously. Dragonfire was one of the most potent substances in the 30,000 Worlds, very few would dare to face it head-on.

    "My ck Dragonfire Beams! Fire!" He renamed the Ability, deciding on a better sounding name, as he waved his hand forward.

    WHOOSH

    11ser beams of molten fire sted across the air. They melted through the sky, incinerating any dust or debris in their path as they shot forward. Their movement was incredibly fast, far quicker than Dorian was capable of moving.

    BOOM

    Theser beams mmed into the ground near where Leader was running. When Leader moved, he made quick, unpredictable and jagged movements, taking full advantage of his Super State. It made it very hard for Dorian to urately hit him with anything at such a distance.

    While none of his newly dubbed ''ck Dragonfire Beams'' made direct contact, an explosion of ck mes and energy caused the air to shiver, annihting hundreds of trees in multiple searing sts.

    Dorian didn''t let up as he jumped forward, his body lithe and rxed. He carried himself with a confident air, a swell of Demonic Auras burst off of him.

    "What?! Yo-you''re just Lord ss! How is this possible?!"

    "Hmm? Master Bubble, you''vee back out!" Dorian paused as he turned to look at the floating Array Genie that had just appeared, angrily rebuking him.

    "I know that you have ess to multiple Laws, but what are these strange techniques? Is that¡­ Dragonfire?!" The bubble was awestruck.

    Dorian smiled,

    "I am thest disciple of the Demon Emperor. My powers are beyond understanding." He couldn''t exactly tell the bubble that he had absorbed and created a Draconic Bloodline and the Abilities that came with it.

    "¡­"

    "Ah! It all makes sense if that is the case!" The bubble seemed to be struck by an epiphany,

    "Your freakish past, your powerful strength, your use of multiple Demonic Laws, you must be rted to the Demon Emperor!" The bubble seemed to jiggle in mid-air,

    Abruptly, the world around Dorian froze. The air, Leader, even he himself froze as the Array Genie temporarily seized control.

    "While I can''t stop the Inheritance, I can interrupt it once. I must ascertain the truth of your words!" The bubble moved to float in front of Dorian, gleaming lightly.

    A warm, soft light floated off the bubble, mystical and mysterious.

    "This is a Truth Aura, one of the many powers these Arrays can control. Itsmon use is to determine if a supplicant is lying. The words you speak will reveal their truth before this Aura!" The bubble loudly proimed,

    "If you are lying, it shall be obvious. If you are telling the truth, it shall be obvious!" The bubble inched closer to Dorian.

    "So you want to test the truthfulness of my words?" Dorian tried to cross his arms, but then realized the world around him was still frozen. He could still talk, somehow, using his mind.

    "Hmph. What''s in it for me?" How would a Great Demon Disciple act? Probably arrogantly and proudly, Dorian concluded, doing his best to match that image.

    "Why should I care if you believe me or not?" He grunted.

    The bubble paused,

    "Ah, of course! My apologies for the intrusion." The bubble seemed to try and bow its head, though the fact that itcked a head made such an action rather difficult.

    "If I can confirm the truth of your words, I will ensure that the Defensive Array in His Glory''s Domain Castle will not reject you!" The bubble''s voice sounded almost apologetic.

    "Now!"

    WHOOSH

    The warm, soft light, colored white, surrounded Dorian. As he felt it touch him, he instantly knew that if he uttered a single untruth, it would twist away from him, revealing his lie.

    Without pause, he put his focus on his soul. He immediately pulled as hard as possible,manding Fate to fall in his favor.

    ''Make its questions one I can answer!'' His soul quivered as arge amount of energy vanished, invisible waves of Fate spreading.

    "Are you rted to the Demon Emperor?" The bubble asked its question, in no uncertain terms.

    Dorian stared right back at it, unblinking. His heart pounded as he considered his answer.

    "Yes."

    shiver

    The white light shook briefly but remained unmoving.

    Dorian hadn''t lied. After all, he was brought into this world by the man that murdered the Demon Emperor, and even had a remnant of that man''s soul on him. His entire life was heavily rted to Yukeli, and by default, rted to the Demon Emperor, from his perspective.

    "Do you seek to harm the Inheritances left by Master?"

    "No."

    "Are you a member of any of the organizations that are opposed to Demonkind?"

    "No."

    "Did you fight against the Demon Race in any of the Great Wars?"

    "No."

    The bubble unloaded a series of questions. Dorian was able to answer ''no'' to each one, without lying or even stretching the truth.

    He didn''t wish to harm these Inheritances, he only wanted to cleanse Moria and keep his cover clean, helping to heal Helena and escape. He wasn''t a member of any organization, opposed to the Demons or not, and he wasn''t even alive at the time of any of the Great Wars.

    The Moria Liberation Force that he had created had a singr focus and wasn''t what he considered an organization. It was more of a temporary alliance, centered around cleansing Moria. Or, more urately, centered around serving as a cover to protect Helena, a cover that had gotten a bit out of hand.

    Therefore, from his perspective, it wasn''t a group that was ''opposed to Demonkind,'' even though others might see it differently.

    Throughout this, the cool light of the Truth Aura remained still, warm and unchanging.

    Finally, the bubble asked onest question.

    "Do you seek to damage the world of Moria by your actions here?"

    "No." With finality, he finished speaking, his eyes cool and rxed.

    The Truth Aura shivered onest time and, without suspense, vanished.

    "s! Forgive me for being blind, disciple of my Master!" The bubble''s voice echoed as it appeared right in front of Dorian, bending over in a bubble-bow.

    "Greetings!"

    Dorian wiped a sheen of sweat off his forehead in a casual sweeping motion, his heart pounding at a million miles an hour. He could feel faint waves in Fate, as if his answers had been extremely important. Somehow, he had managed to pull it off, carefully thinking each question and answer over to ensure he truly believed what he said.

    ''Excellent! With this, I should be able to cleanse Moria without any obstructions at all!'' His eyes glowed as he spoke,

    "It is fine. Now that I have answered your questions¡­ Allow the Inheritance to resume." Hemanded.

    "Of course, Master''s Disciple!"

    WHOOSH

    The world returned back to normal.

    Leader was scrambling as he emerged from the waves of ck mes, his body singed. Steam rose off him as he made a huge leap, twisting in the air as he shook off thest of the fire.

    "ck Dragonfire Beams." 11 more orbs formed. The stress on Dorian''s soul was light at best, due to the advances he''d made. With more practice, he was confident he''d be able to up the number from 11 to an even higher amount, beyond his current limit.

    "Fire."

    WHOOSH

    BOOM

    Several more explosions rang out as spurts of ck fire spread like a miasma,ser beams shooting through the air. By now, sparks and heat had stained the forest, arge fire starting to spread. Dorian''s attacks had started a virtual forest fire, giving the area a hellish appearance.

    "Arrrgh!" The younger Leader grunted in pain as he fell to the ground. One of Dorian''s Dragonfire Beams had clipped his waist, injuring him in mid-air.

    "Hup!"

    THUD

    Dorian grunted as hended on the ground, cratering the earth just a couple of meters away from the enigmatic archer.

    "Guiding Light!" A sword of molten light appeared in his hands.

    "Moving Force!" Dorian''s body hurtled forward like an unstoppable giant as he rushed at Leader, picking up speed.

    To Leader''s credit, the warrior managed to raise his bow and fire onest shot, imbued with his powerful King ss Aura. Even when he was at death''s door, he refused to give up. Dorian could see a lot of the Leader he knew in the illusory figure.

    WHOOSH

    THWICK

    Dorian split the arrow with his sword, causing it to melt into shreds as hended right next to Leader. His power, his speed, everything about Dorian could no longer bepared to the him of old. A younger version of Leader, even at the King ss, was no match.

    "Goodbye, old friend." Without a moment''s pause, he thrust forward with his de of light.

    "Ulp!" The fake young Leader''s face turned white as he looked at the burning de. The bow he wielded fell from his grasp as the molten sword sted through his heart, killing him instantly.

    "Ugh." Dorian muttered as he saw this, twitching. The death and everything in this challenge was far too realistic. He stepped back away from the body, his hand waving as he dismissed the sword.

    WHOOSH

    "You havepleted the Inheritance!" A voice echoed in his head as the world blurred.

    In the back of his mind, he abruptly felt an odd, tickling sensation. Energy began to vibrate in and around his soul as a Baptism of the Laws of the Universe settled upon him, making his eyes sh.

    The energy from this Baptism was strong and powerful, bending knee to nothing and no one. A myriad of lights shed before him, incandescent and mighty.

    He had sessfully obtained the Law of Pride.

    ''That''s 6 down¡­ only 1st Law to go. The Law of Envy.'' As he warped away from the Inheritance, Dorian found himself standing back in the Castle of Pride. He was back on the stone stage, kneeling down just in front of the Array.

    He blinked as he looked around, feeling the changes his soul was undergoing.

    ''I''ve obtained so many Demonic Laws, but not nearly as many Virtuous Laws¡­'' He didn''t have a way to force the Virtuous Laws to appear. They came mostly on their own, almost through chance it felt like, though his actions helped that out to some degree.

    ''I''ll check my Status in a bit.'' He decided, smiling slightly.

    ''First, let''s grab thest Law. The final one, the Law of Envy.'' He stood up.

    "Great Demon Disciple!"

    "Lord Obelisk!"

    "Your Lordship!"

    The members of the Demonic Council all bowed. Dorian nodded, giving off a stern and grateful air as he stepped forward.

    "Prepare yourselves. I will unleash the 6th Seal and then we shall move on to the final outer castle." He began,

    "The Demon Emperor will be set free soon!"

    His words echoed in the air as he walked up to the Sealing Tube, stopping by it. He could see that all the members of the Demonic Council were ecstatic, swept up in a wave of excitement.

    He smiled as he looked at the 6th Sealing Tube.

    ''All I need to do next is greet thest member of the Council after I get the Law of Envy and then head to the Central Castle!''

    ''This is all going perfectly! I''ve got this in the bag!''

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A short whileter¡­

    "You fools¡­ This ''Great Demon Disciple'' is not truly named Lord Obelisk¡­" The speaker''s voice was harried, a masked man with crackling blue energy surrounding him.

    A Shade known as Hallow.

    "He is none other than the vile Lord Inigo!"

    "Quickly! Strike him down!"

    .

 Chapter 195 Lord Inigo

    A few moments after he''d finished the Inheritance of Pride¡­

    After Dorian gained ess to the Law of Pride, he tested it out slightly. The energy filled him with a not unexpected sense of superiority, enhancing the power and toughness of his body.

    ''Pride is for the body. Greed is for the soul. Wrath is attacking energy. Gluttony is defensive energy. Lust is the perception of time. Sloth is for recovery.'' In his head, he listed off the various Demonic Laws he''d gathered, alongside the powers they held.

    ''What on Earth could Envy give me, then?'' His eyes shed at the thought.

    ''First though¡­ Let''s get this 6th Sealing Tube done.''

    While the Demonic Shades were still cheering for his earlier spiel about the Demon Emperor, Dorian hovered his hand over the stone tube. Faintly, particles of light began to flutter off of it as he concentrated.

    The world held down by chains appeared in his eyes once more. He ignored the fantastic image as he focused, mping his hand down on the Sealing Tube.

    "Hup!" Just like the previous times, he strained his muscles as he pulled on the tube, injecting it with energy from his soul. The Sealing Tube interacted with that energy, a feeling of strain settling on him as he began to pull it out

    CLINK

    Arge number of chains stretched taut in his vision. He continued to pull the tube, his muscles bulging.

    ''Almost there¡­ almost there¡­'' He mentally muttered.

    He felt the chains grow taut, stretched almost beyond their breaking point. At the same time, the world around Dorian fluctuated with energy. The Laws of the Universe were thrown into disarray, bing a confusing mess as reality trembled.

    The watching Demonic Shades all looked on in awe,pletely convinced of Dorian''s power.

    "Hup!" He grunted out loud a second time and pulled hard.

    SNAP

    The chains shattered. The world seemed to whish as the chaotic energy abruptly vanished, reality turning back to normal, as if the quaking energy waves had never existed.

    "Ahhh." Dorian tossed the Sealing Tube down as he felt a certain level of soreness in his arm, and deep within his soul. The strain of pulling out so many Sealing Tubes in quick session was starting to take a toll on him.

    RIP

    A glowing portal of light appeared, floating at the back of the room, near the throne.

    "Great Disciple!"

    "Amazing!"

    The Demonic Councilmembers congratted him ormented on his sess, eagerness in their voices. Each member, from Prisci to Kantor, from Damal to Baron Radishow, had their fists clenched and their eyes shining. To them, this was the beginning of the greatest sess for those that studied the Seven Great Laws of the Demon Race.

    "Come, my fellow Demonic practitioners! To thest outer castle!" Dorian yelled out loud, motioning at them grandly.

    "Woo!"

    "Yes, onward bravely!"

    "Of course, Great Demon Disciple!"

    The Shades all rushed in behind him as he stepped towards the portal. They were cheerful and happy, smiles shared all around. Likest time, Dorian had a couple of them run ahead and enter before he joined them, stepping into the portal of light.

    ''Time to get the Law of Envy and finally finish up with the outer castles¡­'' Protective energy swarmed Dorian as he vanished, leaving behind an empty stone stage, the Castle of Pride falling into silence.

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, back in the city of Cracktyl, a very different scene was taking ce¡­

    "Bayran, do you understand what you are doing here?" Kanto Ren''s voice was dour as he spoke, darkness wrapping around him like a cloak. Spikes of dark shadow floated in the air all around him as he looked across the ruined street at the Shade he was facing.

    "Duke Barmo invited you here to stop Lord Inigo¡­ Yet now you are defending his wife? A traitor to the Shade race?"

    After the battle broke out between the Shades defending the Royal House Inn and the attacking Shades from Duke Barmo, the street had bergely deserted. Dozens of shops had been destroyed, sending everyone nearby fleeing for cover in therge scale fight. The paved stone road itself had enormous gashes in it, giving the area the appearance of a ruined warzone instead of a popted city.

    Bayran''s reedy appearance stood stalwart, an oversized cauldron held at the ready as he looked back at Kanto Ren.

    "I was asked toe here to find out the truth." He began, his words slowly and methodically sweeping through the air,

    "I was told a fake hero was leading a group of brave Shades to their death." His eyes gleamed with unknown emotion,

    "I was lied to."

    A powerful Aura surrounded the Warrior-Alchemist as he stamped his foot on the ground, in a ready position.

    "After being knocked away by the mighty Lord Inigo, I was flung through the air for several dozen kilometers. While I sailed through the sky, I had time to think. Was it my fighting technique that let me down? My own ws? A mistake I made?" The Alchemist''s words carried with them a feeling of determination,

    "I had an epiphany then, as I sailed through the air." He nodded,

    "I was so focused on my own strength and my own ideals, so sure of myself and in what I believed, that I lost sight of what my true goal should be. Lord Inigo''s might, his strong will to persevere and challenge Moria itself... I learned an important lesson, one that expanded my mastery of the Law of Cutting and helped me break into the Late King ss." He nodded a second time, sharply,

    "And that lesson¡­" He puffed his chest up,

    "Sharpness can be found in anything, but without the determination and ability to move forward, that sharpness is useless! A weapon is only as strong as its user!" His eyes boomed with light,

    "Therefore¡­" His entire body trembled, as if the next words he was about to speak were a gift from the Heavens themselves,

    "Sharpness can not only be found in round objects like this cauldron, but also square objects, like this box!"

    WHOOSH

    From a Spatial Ring, the Warrior-Alchemist pulled out arge, ornate looking golden Artifact, shaped like arge box.

    "I will not allow you to harm the wife of that Shade! His determination is worthy of respect and I owe him a great debt!"

    BOOM

    The air sted away from Bayran as he stood in front of the downed Fabian, protecting him.

    "If you want to get at her, you will have to go through me and my Heaven Stomping Box first!"

    "..."

    Floating far above this ruined street, an elderly man could be seen sitting on a small cloud. Despite the Shade''s elderly appearance, his body gave off a feeling of overwhelming strength, like that of a powerful beast.

    At this exact moment¡­ that Shade was munching on a pie, watching what was happening down below with an interested gaze, as if he was gazing upon a good y and snacking on some concessions.

    "Mmm¡­mmmmmmmm¡­" Excelsior Gamin smacked his lips in delight as he finished devouring the pastry.

    "Now that was delicious." He wiped his fingers off on a cloth napkin he pulled from a Spatial Ring. He then turned his attention downward, where the ongoing battle was taking ce.

    He sighed,

    "Lord Inigo¡­ I trust my judgement and the judgement of the Haydo Truth Seeking Bell. But¡­" His eyes shed,

    "Now that I''ve checked, they really aren''t lying. Your wife is a Vampire, though she clearly has an injured soul, like you said." He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

    He had just gotten another intelligence report from the Church, one that looked into the background of Lord Inigo and his wife. The report was extensive, the result of intensive research and coordination from intelligence gathering experts.

    From it, he''d actually gained very little. Just like before, he knew practically nothing about the mysterious Shade, other than his loud initial public appearance and his proimed mission.

    The fact that even their most extensive research could uncover nothing, whenbined with the results of his own judgement and the Truth Seeking Bell''s check, led Gamin to reach the conclusion that Lord Inigo must''ve been trained by a reclusive expert.

    ''Perhaps that expert didn''t feel any animosity towards the Vampires we are at war with. Still¡­ how exactly these two met is quite the mystery.'' He tapped his fingers together before sighing again.

    "I suppose I should just go and ask her directly." He said out loud, a powerful, energetic Aura gathering around him. Instead of moving down, though, he paused, smiling slightly.

    "But before I do anything, I suppose I should ask what you want, hmm?" Gamin''s face maintained its cheerful appearance as the Excelsior turned to the left, his eyes piercing through the air.

    A transparent, vague shadow shivered slightly as it was pierced by his gaze. A momentter, a humanoid figure appeared from the shadow, grinning slightly.

    "Excelsior Gamin, your eyes are as powerful as they say." From out of thin air, a lithe and muscr humanoid appeared, dressed in a long, ck suit. He was handsome, with bright red hair and beguiling red eyes. On his back was arge, ck scythe that seemed to absorb the light around him.

    Most importantly of all, however¡­ as this humanoid smiled, a pair of pointed teeth could be seen.

    He was a Vampire, one that was currently giving off a very powerful King ss Aura, morphing back and forth between Pseudo-Angelic and Late King ss.

    Gamin looked at the Vampire, his eyes narrowed.

    "I don''t think we''ve had the pleasure of meeting before¡­ but with a scythe and Aura like that, I suppose I know who you are." The Excelsior continued,

    "Balbinus, one of the four Aurelius Family Generals." Gamin stretched his arms, leaningnguidly on the cloud he was resting on.

    "One and the same." The red haired Vampire pounded his chest, smiling cheerfully. He seemed to preen as he continued to speak, puffing himself up like a peacock,

    "Of course you have heard my legendary name. The Scythemaster of Urn, the Warrior-Knight of Fndwar, the Savior of Kibab, the Remunerator of Egon, the-"

    Gamin waved a hand at him, cutting him off.

    "Yes, yes, it''s definitely you." He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The mouth of this self-obsessed Vampire was almost as strong as the genius Scythemaster was inbat.

    "Only, I''m not quite sure what you think you''re doing here." The feeling of jovial civility between the two wavered as Gamin''s eyes turned serious,

    "You do realize you are far behind enemy lines, yes? And that you are at war with the Shade Commune? In fact, we are rather close to where the Shade King himself is stationed." Gamin slowly stood up. As he moved, the ferocious Aura that his body naturally gave off seemed to shiver.

    "Well aware, Gamin. But it''s not like you, or the Church, have any appreciation for the Shade King, no? He started this war on his own. Why should we be considered enemies when you aren''t even a part of his faction?" Balbinus'' words were cool as he spoke, his arrogance and confidence bleeding together.

    Despite that, there was a certain logic to his words that Gamin couldn''t deny.

    "Apart from that, I''d be happy to give you an exnation¡­ but I can''t allow you to harm that little birdie down there. I''m afraid she''s off limits." As he finished speaking, the jovial tone faded entirely, a dark Aura bursting out from the powerful Vampire.

    Gamin smiled a small smile.

    "You think you can interfere with my investigation on your own, Balbinus? They say you are arrogant, but I didn''t hear you were brainless."

    The air around Gamin seemed to shiver.

    Suddenly, Gamin seemed to change. His physical appearance remained the same, as did his size, and other visible things. Instead, his body gave off a certain sensation that was impossible to mistake.

    A feeling of unrestrainedness, of being boundless, as if he had suddenly be something beyond Shade, beyond a normal being. As if he had broken past any limits on his growth or physique, transforming from just a normal Shade¡­ to something else.

    An Aura that only an expert who had mastered the Law of Limits and stepped into the Pseudo-Angelic Stage could give off.

    If Dorian had been here, he would''ve described the Aura in a single word.

    Horrifying. It was like a massive dragon had been bound and shackled inside the body of a Shade, enhancing his physique to such an enormous degree that he could barely still be considered a Shade.

    "Regardless of what I think, you are still an avowed enemy the Commune is at war with. I think you will give me that ''exnation'' right here and now." Excelsior Gamin''s eyes brooked no argument as he began to step forward, ready to attack and capture the Vampire.

    Balbinus looked at the Shade in front of him, a single thought on his mind.

    ''Highlord Marcus, your wisdom and nning are the same as ever.'' His eyes gleamed,

    ''There is a weak but beautiful damsel in distress and an evil, monstrous enemy that must be defeated, all while behind enemy lines!''

    ''This battle will fit perfectly into my new y!''

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    WHOOSH

    Dorian stumbled out of the portal, his passive Exuberant Grace Ability helping him instantly recover as he quickly scanned his surroundings.

    He had been spat out in what looked like arge, stone ind. There were carved stone trees, a small house, even a moat of some sort with a bridge leading off to the other side. Actual flowing water ran along this moat, sloshing about.

    Standing about a dozen meters from him, Baron Radishow was talking in an animated fashion with a Shade dressed in a set of metallic armor with a sword strapped to his lower back. This particr Shade had glowing blue eyes visible behind the mask he wore, with blue energy crackling around his armored vambraces.

    Dorian recognized him as the Councilmember described by the others as Hallow.

    WHOOSH

    Behind Dorian, the various members of the Demonic Council all arrived, dressed in protective gear. They all had eager looks in their eyes, excitement running in the air.

    "Hmm?" Dorian muttered as he stared at the talking Shades.

    "¡­ridiculous to even think, clearly a disguise-" The Shade that was talking to Baron Radishow cut himself off as he saw Dorian, spinning around.

    "You fools¡­ This ''Great Demon Disciple'' is not truly named Lord Obelisk¡­" Hallow began, his voice echoing,

    "He is none other than Lord Inigo!" He pointed a finger at Dorian viciously,

    "Quickly! Strike him down!"

    Dorian blinked. His heart plummeted a thousand feet, his brain going into overdrive as he heard the Shade use him.

    "What?" He stuttered out, pretending to be confused.

    As Dorian''s senses turned to the max, he quickly noted that all the other Shades were staring at the speaker in confusion.

    "How dare you use me of anything! Do you think I won''t retaliate simply because we are both Demonic Law users?" His voice boomed out as he projected multiple Auras, the Demonic Laws he was capable of using drawing energy from the air.

    ''The power of Law is somewhat weak here, again.'' He noted, feeling slightly more confident. Anywhere near a Sealing tube, the Laws of the Universe seemed to be universally weaker, despite him having shattered many of the chains that Sealed Moria.

    "I have not even met you before." As he spoke, he twisted Fate, trying to make the situation more favorable for him. Energy left his soul, but only a small amount. His Fate twisting powers weren''t omnipotent, and it seemed there were too many high level figures here for him to easily change much.

    "Hmph, ''Lord Obelisk,'' I am Hallow, the Master of Envy. I see straight through you. I know of your deviousness." Hallow held his hands out in front of him, electrical energy surging around his arms.

    WHOOSH

    Space seemed to freeze.

    Dorian blinked as he felt this. Large chains made of invisible force seemed to have settled upon his arms and legs, immobilizing him.

    ''Hmm?'' Dorian shifted slightly, feeling the incredibly solid sensation the chains gave off. It was as if reality itself had been frozen.

    Faintly, within the chains, Dorian could sense energy from a Law fluctuate.

    ''Perfect Body. Laws¡­'' One by one, Dorian activated all of his Demonic powers or useful Abilities. Despite hisrge energy use over the past several hours, the multiple Baptisms he had experienced had kept him energized and strong.

    Immediately, his body transformed, his Bnce Demon''s base statistics evolving in a huge manner. The world around him slowed, while protective and attacking energy covered his body.

    With a single motion of his arm, he ripped apart the spatial chains that had frozen him, making the movement look almost casual.

    Despite that, he felt uneasy in his heart.

    ''Even with the power of Law weakened here, that chain was incredibly strong. I could feel Law energy flowing within it. Is it rted to the Law of Envy?'' He tossed the thoughts from his mind as he stepped forward, his Aura overwhelming.

    "I am Lord Obelisk, disciple of the Demon Emperor. I have fought against beings you can not even imagine, been to ces so extraordinary they don''t even exist in reality anymore. I have seen things you all will never see, done things you all will never do." His voice boomed, causing the air itself to tremble.

    All the Shades that hade with him shook, their eyes full of devotion as they were swept up in his Aura. Every iota of feeling he gave off was like that of a powerful Demonic ruler.

    "Do not question my authority." His eyes zed as he bored holes in Hallow''s face, the air crackling around him.

    Hallow seemed stunned, unable toe up with a response briefly. However, the anger and refusal to ept Dorian remained in his eyes.

    ''Damn, I can''t just bluff my way past him.'' Dorian''s heart sank as he realized this. His mind raced ahead of him as he went over every option he had.

    As he took onest nce at the various Councilmembers, he remembered something some of them had mentioned earlier, how they were missing the Master of Sloth.

    ''That''s not the only Councilmember that is missing¡­'' As this thought appeared in his mind, inspiration struck.

    "Fear not, I will not strike you down for being misled. After all, I have onlye to this conclusion recently, after greeting all of you." Dorian''s voice had a certain level of grandeur.

    "In my journey here to un-Seal His Highness, the Great Demon Emperor, I was constantly attacked and hunted. As I went through this trial, this dangerous journey, badly injured and weakened, I learned of the goings-on of the world around." His eyes shed,

    "Specifically, I learned about a type of creatures known as Anomalies."

    He paused. His words had taken all of the Shades by surprise, even Hallow, as they stared at him expectantly.

    "I recognize these Anomalies. For, in my time before I was Sealed away, I personally met and battled against a man who was intent on wiping out our kind. I learned of experiments he worked on before and after the final battle. Experiments that could end up with results like these Anomalies." His voice was cold,

    "A man named Yukeli Shorn."

    The air shivered. Every single Demonic Shade looked at Dorian, their full attention thrown his way.

    "I''ve had my suspicions, but I am certain now¡­" Dorian''s eyes glowed as he looked up, his words causing the air to tremble,

    "The reasons I was constantly hunted down¡­ the reasons I was un-Sealed¡­ the reasons you all are here¡­"

    "It is all because of that man!"

    "The creature you know as Fifteen is none other than a conniving Anomaly! A spawn of Yukeli himself!"

    He had talked with the Shades about the other members of the Demonic Council that were on. Apart from the absent Duke Orbit and Hallow, there was also another member they had informed him of.

    Fifteen. The Anomaly he had already encountered before.

    "And the Shade you know as Lord Inigo is none other than Fifteen! Either a clone or one of his fellow Anomalies, targeting not only me, but all of you as well!" His eyes shed,

    "You all have been lured here for a reason! He not only wants to wipe out all the Demonic remnants here, he wants to kill all of you, me, and prevent the return of the Demonic Emperor as well!"

    "Fifteen is Lord Inigo!"

    .

 Chapter 196 Dare

    Stayed upte to get this out to you all (1 AM here), though I wish I could''ve posted it sooner. Next chapter on Saturday, and then Sunday, and then Monday, no breaks in-between, a promise.

    Why sote? My dang wrists are getting to me + I''m very busy, working on multiple things IRL.

    I went out and bought a pair of wrist braces to wear, which have helped.

    I went through this post, but am super tired, so I might''ve missed a typo here or there. Apologies if y''all spot any, let me know! (This note does not affect SS price)

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Fifteen is Lord Inigo!"

    "¡­"

    After Dorian''s triumphant deration, there was a brief, stunned silence as all the Shades looked at him.

    A momentter, pandemonium erupted.

    "Hold on, what?!"

    "Hallow! How dare you use Lord Obelisk!"

    "I never trusted that damned Fifteen! I told you all it was a mistake inviting him!"

    Several of the Demonic Councilmembersshed out at Hallow, while others raged against Fifteen, convinced by Dorian''s words. Energy and various Auras crackled in the air as things grew heated.

    Dorian had underestimated how convincing he appeared,rgely because of how simple it had been for him to acquire multiple Demonic Laws.

    The soul of each Anomaly was uniquely built. Their Soul Spell Matrixes were versatile, able to easily handle multiple types of energy and adapt. Even further, they were far more sensitive to changes in energy as a result of this.

    This,bined with Dorian''s Jade Memory helping him out, meant that in each Inheritance, he could sessfully obtain each respective Demonic Law.

    The other Councilmembers all had Demonic Laws that would thus resonate with other Demonic Laws. But their Soul Spell Matrixes didn''t have the same advantages as an Anomaly, and they certainly didn''t have the Jade Memory Ability.

    Even if they could sense another Law for a split second, it would be excessively difficult for them to snag it. Thus, they all chose to focus on their own Law, achieving mastery over it and using it to work towards the Angelic ss. Trying to master multiple Laws would lead to them bing jacks of all trades, but masters of none.

    Thus, when they saw Dorian use multiple Demonic Laws with ease, and his clearly quite Demonic physical form, especially with how he could rip holes in reality to each castle and cause so many changes in the world itself¡­

    They epted what he imed he was at face value. No one other than the Demon Emperor had ever done that before.

    "Hold on! Hold on!" Hallow''s voice bellowed out as he stepped forward, his eyes cold. As he saw that most of the Councilmembers weren''t siding with him, that cold stare was reced with confusion.

    "What is going on?"

    "¡­"

    Several minutes passed as the other Councilmembers got Hallow up to speed. Dorian watched this all, focusing internally. He was meditating on all the newly acquired Laws he controlled, preparing himself to gain onest more.

    Finally, the Councilmembers finished exining, though it didn''t seem to sit well with Hallow.

    "That is ridiculous! I will admit something may be fishy about Fifteen, but how can you ept this creature without evidence?! We have no solid proof!" Hallow''s voice was irate as he berated his fellow Councilmembers.

    "He can control multiple Demonic Laws, Hallow." Baron Radishow crossed his eyes, his opinion clearly set in stone.

    "Who else but a disciple of the Demon Emperor can do that?"

    The other Councilmembers all murmured in agreement.

    "His grasp of multiple Laws is not everything! I''m willing to believe he is a powerful expert, but if we just let him walk in without even a basic che-"

    "You''ve seen the changes he has caused in the world, Hallow. This is a matter that involves the revival of the Demon Emperor! Nothing can throw that into jeopardy." The speaker this time was none other than the Mistress of Lust. Her voice was cool as she stared down the Master of Envy, interrupting him.

    "Or are you trying to obstruct that revival¡­" Her eyes shed.

    "I¡­ I¡­" Hallow stuttered, clearly at a loss. The entirely unexpected scenario seemed to have been turned on its face, thrown right back at him.

    Dangerous tension filled the air.

    "Hold! Alright. I''ve got it." After staying silent for several seconds, Hallow responded, his mind racing ahead of him.

    "There is a clear and impartial way to prove if this ''Lord Obelisk'' truly is the disciple of the Demon Emperor!" He nodded as he spoke, clearly bing more and more confident. His voice carried a tone of ridicule, clearly not believing in Dorian.

    All the Demonic Councilmembers stared at him. Dorian watched as well, internally sweating.

    ''Come on¡­'' He thought, not daring to show a hint of emotion. The real Lord Obelisk likely wouldn''t care much for their pettyints, either way.

    ''He clearly suspects that I''m using some type of trick on them, but theck of proof is forcing his hand.'' Hallow had good instincts.

    "Speak it quickly, then." Kantor, the Master of Greed, broke in, his voice rumbling,

    "There is no time to waste."

    "It''s simple. Who personally knew the Demon Emperor and has existed since before his death, who has overseen the world of Moria for centuries, who ispletely impartial and would have no reason to show any bias?" Hallow smiled, his voice triumphant as he turned to re at Dorian,

    "The Array Genie that guards the Inheritances! All we need to do is have the Genie confirm his identity!"

    The words rocked in the air. All of the Shades nodded slowly as they heard them, as if what he said made sense. While they all believed in Dorian''s powers, the fact that they had only just met him, when various chaotic events were happening, was bound to stir some doubt.

    What if he had just happened upon a hidden inheritance from the Demon Emperor and wasn''t truly his disciple, here for nefarious reasons or to rob the remains of the Demon Emperor? While such a thought was far-fetched, the doubt Hallow instilled couldn''t be easily removed. None of them were fools.

    "Of course, the Genie has existed since the time of the Demon Emperor."

    "Yes, that makes sense. The Array Genie should recognize him, no questions."

    "Excellent, Lord Obelisk can check over the final Inheritance and settle Hallow''s worries once and for all."

    Almost all the Councilmembers spoke up, sharing their agreement.

    "Hmph, fools. Doubting Lord Obelisk when he has already proven himself. I for one stand by him." Baron Radishow''s voice echoed out as his reedy form stood strong, crossing his arms with disapproval.

    ''Aw you.'' Dorian mentally thanked the Baron,

    ''You remind me of Fabian.''

    "Good, a majority agrees. Then, ''Lord Obelisk.''" Hallow''s voice contained just a minuscule hint of smugness as he ignored Baron Radishow, guarded behind a veneer of politeness,

    "I trust you will have no objections. Please forgive me for my impertinence, this is just a precaution to ensure the safety of the Great Emperor''s resting ce." His feelings expressed here appeared to be genuine, though it was obvious he didn''t believe Dorian''s story.

    At the same time, Hallow tensed up, his hand drifting to the sword at his waist. Dorian could just barely detect him preparing to spring forward and attack.

    ''Hahahahahahaha.'' Dorian couldn''t help himself as he internally burst intoughter,

    ''Poor guy.''

    "Cough-ahem." Dorian cleared his throat before rumbling out,

    "Hmph, foolish Shade. I will spare you despite your arrogance because I am a benevolent Demon." A heavy Demonic Aura wafted off of Dorian. As he spoke, Hallow grew more and more tense, his eyes filling with anticipation.

    "Sure, let''s meet this Genie." Dorian waved casually.

    "See?! He won''t agree to-huh?!" Hallow cut himself off mid-speech, stuttering as his jaw dropped.

    "You agreed to meet the Array Genie?" He repeated back, rocking back on his heels. He had clearly expected Dorian to refuse using some type of excuse.

    "Yes, obviously. Master of Envy, is there a problem with your hearing?" Dorian shrugged.

    "Yes, of course Lord Obelisk would agree without fear. That was never a question, he is a true Great Disciple." Baron Radishow added, his confidence in Dorian unwavering.

    "Quick! Go to the Array!"

    "Where is the Inheritance?"

    The other Shades quickly found thest Array. It was located near the center of the small stone ind they were standing on, carved into the ground.

    Dorian walked directly over there, his Demonic ws clinking on the stone as he came to a rest.

    "Well?" He tried to sound arrogant as he waved at the Array and then at Hallow, as if he was impatient.

    "¡­"

    "Very well¡­" The Master of Envy straggled over, his eyes still rather confused as he moved within range of the Array.

    Hallow kept his eyes piercing towards Dorian as the two of them put their hands above the Magic Array. It slowly activated.

    Dorian blinked.

    WHOOSH

    Just like that, Hallow and Dorian vanished and instantly reappeared in apletely different ce, while the other members of the Demonic Council stayed behind, guarding the Array.

    They arrived atop a small, brown clump of rock and dirt, with a single palm tree rising up in the center. This clump appeared to be floating in the air, suspended as if by magic.

    Apart from the clump, everything else within sight was covered by opaque, white fog. Just a small floating ind, with no other ground, no sky, no nothing. Just a lonesome speck ofnd soaring among the nothingness surrounding them.

    "Master Genie! I, a humble Inheritor of Envy, would like to beg an audience." Hallow''s voice was full of the utmost respect as he spoke, kneeling down on one leg. He immediately cut to the chase, not mincing words.

    Dorian''s eyes widened marginally as he saw this.

    ''Oh, I knew the Array Genie was important to the Array but¡­ that important?'' As he realized how poorly he had treated the Array Genie, he mentally thanked his lucky stars that he had managed to pass the Array Genie''s questioning session. If his previous rtionship with it was revealed...

    "Greetings, Inheritor Hallow, wee back to the Inheritance of Envy!" A familiar voice echoed out as a bubble appeared, floating in the air.

    "Master Genie." Hallow''s voice was cool as he nodded. Before he could add anything else, however¡­

    "Ah! Disciple Obelisk!" The bubblepletely ignored Hallow as it detected Dorian, its voice ecstatic,

    "Wee back!" Warmth flowed in its tone as the Array Genie floated in front of Dorian.

    Hallow''s jaw dropped, sheer disbelief present on his face.

    He looked from Dorian to the bubble, and then back from the bubble to Dorian.

    "Master Genie¡­ you are aware of who this is?"

    "Of course. Disciple Obelisk is one of High Highness''s Direct Disciples. I have confirmed this myself with the Master Array''s Truth Aura." The bubble''s voice was respectful, but far cooler when it spoke to Hallow.

    "I would have to be blind to not recognize him."

    ''That''s right, bubble. You tell him!'' Dorian grinned internally as he saw Hallow''s shocked response, his eyes opened wide.

    "But-the situation- I, it makes no sense- I don''t¡­" Hallow stuttered out multiple lines, eventuallying to a drawling stop as he stared at the bubble. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Dorian, looking lost.

    "I¡­ am wrong?" He spoke out loud, his words more of a question than a statement, as if he wanted to throw up his hands in frustration.

    "Yes, yes you are. I am one of the more benevolent of Master''s Disciples, so I will spare you. Leave the Inheritance." Dorian''s voice boomed out as he spoke authoritatively,

    "I will check it over like the others before we head to resurrect his Highness in the Central Castle."

    Hallow simply stared at Dorian for a long moment. He then slowly bowed his head and vanished, leaving without another word, unable to respond.

    ''Hahahaha¡­ aww poor guy.'' Dorian couldn''t help but feel for him again.

    ''He tried so hard and waspletely right in the end. Too bad I don''t y fair.'' He shrugged, focusing back on the present.

    "Ah, Master Bubble." Dorian smiled as he was fully left alone,

    "You look extra bubbly today."

    The bubble didn''t reply. It seemed to have gained a more somber and serious mood now that it acknowledged Dorian as the disciple of the Demon Emperor. Dorian couldn''t me him, though he felt slightly disappointed.

    "Very well. Let''s get it started, what do I do?" He inquired, getting serious.

    "The Inheritance for the Law of Envy is simple." The bubble began, instantly exining, as if on cue,

    "The Law of Envy is about coveting, drawing upon the energy in the surroundings to manipte space itself, leaving nothing in sight you cannot take for your own."

    The Array Genie bubble moved over to the edge of the small floated ind they were on as it continued,

    "This world is iplete. Your desires, your wants, will fill it. To prove yourself worthy of the Law of Envy, you must be able to fill an entire world full of that which you want, shaping space itself. That is the challenge left behind by His Greatness!" The bubble''s voice boomed.

    And, with that, it vanished, leaving Dorian alone.

    Standing atop an empty ind, surrounded by nothing.

    ''I have to fill this world with my desires, huh? Enough toplete it¡­'' He rubbed his chin, staring out at the nk canvas around him. As he looked, excitement began to fill him.

    It was time to pick up thest Demonic Law. After that, he would have sessfully obtained all 7 Demonic Laws.

    He would have reached at least the starting point that led the Demon Emperor to be feared as an ultimate genius. A point that no person or being had ever achieved since.

    It was time to obtain the Law of Envy.

    .

 Chapter 197 Merge

    "I have to fill this world with my desires¡­ what I am envious of¡­" Dorian blinked as he looked around.

    "Well, that''s rather vague and unhelpful." He threw his hands up in the air, but got no response.

    He concentrated for a moment before sighing.

    ''Can''t use any Laws or Abilities from my Soul Spell Matrix.'' Thest challenge apparently wanted him to purely rely upon himself.

    He looked out at the nk canvas of reality in front of him.

    And then willed it to change.

    "¡­"

    Nothing happened.

    He sighed.

    "Why can''t you just tell me how all this works in clear terms? No need to be so mysterious." He walked over to the edge of the ind he was standing on, leaning off the edge slightly to look down.

    Beneath him appeared a seemingly endless void of whiteness. He could see no bottom or ground beneath him, only stark whiteness.

    ''It kind of reminds me when I was trapped in my Soul Spell Matrix, with time operating weirdly around me.'' He muttered, rubbing his chin.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    As he stared at the void, he felt a certainpulsion seize over him. An idea that sprouted in his head, tugging at him.

    ''Step¡­ step¡­ step forward?'' He blinked slowly.

    Tentatively, he picked up his right foot and ced it out over the void. Steadily, he lowered it.

    thud

    When he was at about even with his other foot, itnded on something solid. Dorian stared at this, curious.

    ''I''m standing on the air?''

    Indeed, as he pressed his weight against whatever he was standing on, he found it to be stable and solid, able to handle him. He took another step forward, both feet standing on air itself.

    ''Huh. Neat.''

    He took a few more careful steps. As he moved, he became more and more confident. Despite the ground he was walking on being invisible, it felt the same as any other floor he''d stood upon.

    "Hey bubble,e check this ou-" He turned around with a smile but abruptly cut himself off.

    The floating ind that he had appeared upon was no longer there. Instead, the entire world around him was now the endless white void.

    He gulped slightly as he saw this.

    ''Well, I guess I''m not in Kansas anymore, that''s for sure¡­'' He thought, looking around.

    SHIFT

    Dorian blinked as the world around him jarringly changed. The endless white void vanished, reced by arge, mostly-empty gym room.

    The lights were dimmed and music echoed out loudly, with severalrge posters hanging up on the walls. A few tables were set up, with punch and light snacks.

    ''Dancefest Prom! J&S.'' He stared at the posters, memories arising.

    He was back on Earth, at the scene of his Junior Year prom back in high school. He recognized the old gym, the location their Prom had been at. The school directors had cheaped out on dance nning, something that caused a minor scandal with the parents that year.

    ''Huh, memories again. Reusing old concepts, that''s starting to get stale with these Inheritances, ol'' Empery.'' He smiled nostalgically as he looked around the hall.

    WHOOSH

    "Wooo!"

    "Go Stacy! Yeah!"

    "¡­? Weeee are the Champions my friiieeends ?¡­"

    Dozens of teenagers abruptly appeared, dancing out on the makeshift floor. The music taste was great, but not exactly dance material, something that had already exceeded the younger Dorian''s expectations.

    "Tom¡­ Sarah¡­ Jessica¡­" Dorian''s eyes widened as he saw several of his childhood friends, people he had grown up with. Tom with his dark ck hair and obsession with lifting weights, Jessica with her desire to be a Lawyer, Sarah with her¡­ well, she was Sarah, anyway.

    He smiled andughed out loud as he saw all of his old friends, taking a step forward.

    Clink

    He froze as he heard an echoing clink. He looked down, at his Demonic form. The body of the ferocious and monstrously powerful Bnce Demon.

    He held up his hands, staring at them for a moment. He slowly lowered them, a small smile appearing on his face.

    He looked back out at his old friends, his eyes glimmering.

    "Ah. I see what it is trying to say." He nodded slightly,

    "I am envious of them. Living their lives back on Earth, carefree and not having to worry about constantly getting hunted down and murdered, branded a freakish ''Anomaly.'' Hated by many, understood by few." He spoke his thoughts aloud.

    He raised his hand again as he looked at his old friends, his old life. He sighed.

    "Just like I let my family go, I guess I have to let you guys go too. There is no turning back the clock. I can never go back." He eyed the cheerful dance hall, unable to help himself as he smiled,

    "But that''s right. I do envy you. I understand that. I envy you all." As he spoke aloud, his eyes shed with light.

    The world around him quivered.

    His soul felt some sort of signal, something that indicated to him that he was making progress with the Inheritance.

    WHOOSH

    The scene around him jarringly switched once more.

    He blinked as he looked around.

    He was standing at the edge of an enormous cliff. Down below, his vision was obstructed by some type of fog, not letting him see the ground. He turned to look behind him, scanning his environment.

    Behind him was arge, familiar looking city wall. A huge crater could be seen right in front of this wall, withrge burn marks covering a once grassy ground.

    "I''m¡­ back on Taprisha?" Memories flooded within him as he looked at the city wall and the crater.

    Memories of his harried journey here, right after entering this strange universe.

    Memories of the Eleventhborn lobbing a gargantuan fireball at him and how he barely stopped it using his Ifrit form.

    Memories of meeting Helena for the first time, the genius Vampire warrior that had lived a rather lonely, training-intense life, focused on a singr goal.

    Andstly, memories of the time he spent trapped in his Soul Spell Matrix, the mental trial honing his will and helping shape the expertise he''d gained in using his will to bend Fate.

    ''I was just thinking about that.'' He thought, his eyes shing.

    He took a single step forward.

    Instantly, his body and surroundings blurred as he was transported into the city, flung over the tall city walls. He passed over dozens of various shops and buildings, soaring through the air.

    ''Oh, hey, that''s where all those Pce Lords were, and the barrier that I absorbed was.'' He smiled as he looked at a collection of towers. He quickly turned away and whistled casually, pretending he saw nothing.

    In no time at all, hended down in the middle of an empty intersection, arriving at a familiar looking inn. The same Inn Dorian had woken up at after his soul was repaired.

    He felt apulsion seize him, a type of morbid curiosity. He walked into the inn.

    He didn''t see anyone inside. He followed thepulsion that had seized him, walking in through the main entrance and up a flight of stairs.

    He entered into a dimly lit hallway, glowing magical torches of some sort set on the walls. A thin rug covered the floor, the hall opening up to several different doorways.

    He walked down it till he stopped in front of one particr door. As he stepped to it, his heart palpitated.

    He opened the door.

    "¡­and that is why it''s extremely important that you donate to my Everbel Walrus Restoration Fund!"

    "Trajan! Stop trying to steal Probus'' money!"

    "Quiet, Helena, it''s for a good cause! They need it more than he does!"

    "Also, how exactly would the seals spend the money in the first ce?"

    "They''re walruses, damn it! Not seals!"

    A myriad of familiar voices echoed in Dorian''s ears as he stepped into the room.

    It was arge living room, one that connected to a bedroom in the back. It was lit using the same magical torches, giving the closed off room a warm and bright appearance. Arge wooden table and severalfortable looking chairs were set up, three of which were upied.

    ''Helena and her friends¡­'' Dorian looked at Trajan and Probus, recognizing them.

    Warmth and camaraderie, built from a friendship that spanned decades, could be sensed in the air as the trio talked to each other. It was like looking upon a family, watching close friends rx and have fun.

    "Hahaha, sureeee Trajan. The seals will create a fiscally independentmune, mhm. Totally." Dorian smiled wide as he saw Helena take a crack at Trajan. This scene looked to have been constructed from right after they had defeated the Eleventhborn, when spirits were still high.

    ''Did this actually happen? Or are these memories magically created based on my knowledge of them?'' He had no idea either way.

    "You know, Trajan. She does have a-" Probus began,

    "Don''t you say it." Trajan interrupted him, mming his hands onto the table as he red at hisrade.

    "A point." Probus smirked slightly, fingering a long de he had strapped to his back,

    "She really cuts straight to the chase. A sharp woman. Her thoughts are on the bleeding edge of-"

    "NO MORE!" Trajan threw his hands up into the air and spun around, abandoning the party to peals ofughter from Helena and Probus.

    As Dorian saw this, he felt his heart twinge.

    ''¡­''

    ''Ah¡­'' He took a deep breath, feeling emotions run through him.

    ''I get it. I envy this too. Having a rxed, silly, fun rtionship with Helena. Not one fraught with danger and peril.'' He could definitely feel something between him and her. But they hadn''t had the free and rxed time to enjoy it, to take it slow, to really get to spend some quality time together.

    ''I envy that.''

    The world around him quivered. Once more, he felt as if had made progress, as if he was getting closer to finishing the challenge.

    WHOOSH

    Finally, Dorian arrived in a ce he didn''t recognize.

    A world covered in unfamiliar darkness. Chaotic lights shed in the background, giving everything an ominous appearance. He seemed to be standing on some type of ind again, a sea of darkness surrounding him on all sides.

    ''Hello again.''

    Dorian''s heart spasmed as he heard a voice speak in his mind. He spun around, searching the ind for this voice, finding no one.

    The voice was a familiar one. One he had not heard in a very long time.

    The remnant of Yukeli, speaking to him from his soul.

    "You¡­ what do you want?!" Dorian''s tone was harsh and unfavorable. Yukeli had helped him out before, but was also a huge liability. The danger the man put Dorian in was considerable. Dorian would do a great many things to get rid of him, removing the remnant soul.

    ''What do I want, child? It is not for me to ask.'' Yukeli''s voice was wizened and old, echoing with ancient power.

    ''I did note here of my own will.''

    As Yukeli finished speaking, the air began to blur in front of Dorian. Gradually, a vague, shadowy figure formed, standing on the isted ind with him.

    "After all, you are the one that called me here." Yukeli''s voice echoed out loud,ing from the shadowy figure. The darkness seemed to tremble all around them, the shes of light shaking the air.

    "I brought you here?" Dorian muttered, his hands tensing up. While he couldn''t use any of his Abilities presently, he could still make use of his powerful Bnce Demon form. His mind raced ahead of him as he tried to understand the situation.

    "I am¡­ envious of YOU?" He said out loud, incredulous.

    "It would seem so. Believe me, I do not envy you a whit." Yukeli responded, his ancient voice mildly amused. The shadowy figure seemed to look around, turning its vague head about.

    "This reeks of the Demonic Laws. Ah, right, you are practicing several of them. I am somewhat up to date on your developments." Yukeli mused out loud. It had been so long since Dorian heard him speak, he had begun to forget he was still with him, lying dormant in his soul. Well, he would''ve forgotten if that was possible with his Jade Memory.

    "Vile Laws from a vile race."

    Dorian ignored Yukeli as he focused, taking several deep breaths. He calmed himself down, trying to understand the situation.

    "Why on Earth would I be envious of you?" He muttered out loud, frowning.

    There was a quiet moment. In this strange world of darkness and shing lights, there was no other sound save for him and Yukeli. It was strangely surreal to hear, unsettling.

    "Hmph. It''s obvious, isn''t it?" Dorian looked up as Yukeli spoke. The shadowy figure had crossed his arms as he looked at Dorian, supremely confident.

    "Many people were envious of me while I was alive, all for the same reason." Yukeli gradually raised an open hand.

    He then clenched down hard, forming a fist.

    "You''re envious of my power."

    A few memories rose to the forefront of Dorian''s mind. A few leftover scraps of memory from Yukeli, vicious battles of him fighting against ridiculous odds. Memories of his genius battle technique that made him the strongest warrior in all of existence.

    Yukeli was able to take on the powerful King ss Demonic archer Leader while Leader was in his Super State.

    All using his own talents and skill, without even being able to ess the power of Law. Purely with technique and a little help from the Perfect Body Ability that he constructed.

    At least during the time when Yukeli was alive, there was literally no one else that could match him in battle skill and technique. He was the absolute greatest.

    ''His power¡­'' Dorian stared at the shadowy figure, his face frozen. Slowly, he nodded.

    ''That''s right¡­ If I had that power, I wouldn''t have to take on all these ridiculous disguises. I could directly break out of the Commune and save Helena.'' Dorian clenched his fists, staring at the shadowy figure.

    ''Power. If I had that, I wouldn''t have to live in fear or constantly on the run. I could fight off even the strongest foes. He''s right.''

    ''That is what I''m envious of¡­ his power.''

    Dorian''s eyes shed.

    "Oh good, it looks like yo-"

    WHOOSH

    Before Yukeli could finish speaking, the world around Dorian transformed once more. The world of shing darkness faded away, returning back to the initial white ne he had started at. He was back on the original ind, standing just a meter from the edge.

    The whiteness in front of him now, however, was full of twisted images. His memories were spread out upon it, causing the ne to transform into a myriad of colors. His desires were full of emotion, of raw want and desire, and seemed to have satisfied whatever requirements the challenge had put into ce.

    "Congrattions onpleting the Inheritance of Envy!"

    Dorian ignored the voice that called out to him as he felt a new source of energy flicker into his awareness. The world around him seemed to shift and focus, enabling this sensation to reach him. This energy source resonated with the various other power sources in his soul.

    A source that he instantly seized upon, not allowing to escape. As he grabbed hold of it, this energy began to serenade his soul, surrounding it. It ran flush within his mind, rippling waves of power that covered his soul and body.

    It was an energy source he instinctively recognized¡­

    The Law of Envy.

    He had sessfully obtained thest Baptism of the Demonic Laws he would ever need.

    And, as his body once more teleported and vanished, returning him back to where he came from in the Castle of Envy, Dorian felt an odd sensation in his mind.

    As he took in the Law of Envy, the energy source gradually bing avable, he felt something unique start to ur.

    Seven of the various energy sources in his soul, from all of the Demonic Laws he had sessfully obtained and from the still-forming Law of Envy, were slowly starting to react. Individually, they each began to writhe and shake, fluctuating.

    Bit by bit... deep within his soul... they began to draw closer to one another¡­

    .

 Chapter 198 Original

    The Laws¡­ his understanding of them¡­

    Something in his soul was changing. All the interchangeable energies, the separate powers, each unique in their own way¡­

    WHOOSH

    Light glimmered behind Dorian''s shut eyes as he returned to the stone ind at the center of the Castle of Envy. The air around him fluctuated, vibrating with power. Screeches and whistles sounded out, the air bing tense.

    Around him, the various Demonic Shades all stared in surprise. Just moments ago, Hallow had returned and begun to fill the other Shades in on what had happened. Hallow, despite his reluctance, had been honest, telling them how the Array Genie had recognized Dorian as a disciple of the Demon Emperor almost instantly.

    This information solidified the stance the other Shades had of Dorian, fully convincing them. With that in mind, they gradually began to shift and focus on how they would deal with Fifteen.

    Dorian''s abrupt arrival,plete with a Baptism that set the nearby Laws to chaos, had caught them off guard.

    Dorian finished his Baptism for the Law of Envy.

    The moment he did, the energy from the various Laws in his soul that had begun to draw close to each other all shivered.

    All of a sudden, knowledge filled Dorian''s head. Archaic, mystic knowledge that magically appeared as a result of the interacting energies.

    Knowledge about a new Law. One that was formed from an amalgamation of the seven Laws he now had ess to.

    ''The Law of Original Sin. An Origin Law.'' He exhaled as he opened his eyes, excitement thronging within him.

    ''Ausra, show me my Laws Progress, but condense it down to show this new Law.'' He mentallymanded, ignoring his surroundings.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Virtuous Laws (4/7) - ???

    Demonic Laws (7/7) - Law of Original Sin - 1%

    -

    As he looked at this screen, he realized several things.

    ''The Law of Original Sin grows in mastery depending on thebined level of all my Demonic Laws. If any of the 7 Demonic Laws are at 1%, it will be stuck at 1%.'' He instinctively could tell this was true.

    At the same time, he noticed something odd.

    ''The Virtuous Laws set have a ''???'' by them? Ausra?'' He queried.

    ''From the inferences gained from your obtaining the Law of Original Sin, it is confirmed that there is a respective counterpart for the Virtuous Laws.'' The cool voice of his Soul Spell Matrix Genie echoed in his head.

    ''That''s what I figured.'' He thought, excited.

    ''But what does this Law do?'' He frowned, ''How do I know it''s an ''Origin Law?'' What does that even mean?''

    ''How does itpare to Yukeli''s Law of the Absolute?'' From the few memories he had left of Yukeli, he was well aware of how horrifyingly powerful Yukeli''s Law of the Absolute had been. None of his Demonic Laws had ever feltparable, despite being very powerful Laws in their own right.

    Dorian tossed the thought to the side for now as he rose up, blinking slowly. He had dyed for a bit too long already, he would figure the new Law out after he settled his current situation.

    "Lord Obelisk!"

    "Great Demon Disciple!"

    "Greetings, my fellow practitioners." He replied in return as he was greeted. He eyed them all and then turned his attention to Hallow. The man was standing at the center of the other Shades, his face pensive.

    "Have you made your decision?" Dorian spoke aloud, staring at him cooly.

    Hallow looked at Dorian for a long moment and then bowed his head slightly,

    "I was blind." His words were genuine, the disbelief he had held earlier nowhere to be seen. The proof that Dorian had shown him seemed impossible to fake, after all. The Array Genie would not lie.

    Dorian nodded back, mentally relieved. It seemed he''d get away with everything after all, for now, anyway.

    "Good! Then I will go release the final Sealing Tube! After that, we shall head to the Central Castle and free the Demon Emperor! If Fifteen or ''Lord Inigo'' tries to stop us, we will directly strike him down!" Dorian proimed, pounding on his chest. He forgot that he had sharp ws in his Bnce Demon form, however, and identally stabbed himself.

    ''Ow, damn it.'' He didn''t let a hint of the pain show on his face as he donned a proud look.

    "Yes!"

    "Let''s do it!"

    He got a few cheers from the excited Masters of the Demonic Council. To them, this was all a dreame true.

    He tossed aside any worries of how he would handle the situation for now. He had a few ideas up his sleeve and wasn''t worried yet. What most concerned him was the brand new Law he had gained.

    Dorian began to walk over towards the Sealing tube, his eyes determined. Before he got there, however, Hallow spoke up.

    "Hold on a moment, Lord Obelisk!" His voice was guided and respectful, as if he didn''t want to anger Dorian.

    Dorian slowly turned to face him, giving him a slow nod, and returned,

    "Yes?"

    "Before anything else, I thought it wise to see if we can confirm the identity of Fifteen." Hallow began, his words carefully chosen.

    "Oh?" Dorian shrugged,

    "Can we do that from here?" He could see interest appear in the eyes of the other Demonic Shades.

    "Yes, I have a way to contact any members of the Demonic Council¡­ as long as they choose to ept themunication." As he spoke the final half of that sentence, Hallow sent a re at a few choice members of the Council. Those members all looked away as if they had noticed something fascinating on the walls or floor of the stone ind.

    "Hmm, eptable n. I''ll allow it. Let''s see the results." Dorian immediately agreed, knowing that ''Lord Obelisk'' would''ve done the same. No true ''Great Demon Disciple'' would allow loose ends like that to continue without confirmation. Internally, however, he had no idea how this would go down.

    ''Should I have said no?'' He sighed. There was no point in worrying about it. He just needed to stick to being Lord Obelisk.

    "As youmand." Hallow bowed his head slightly and then withdrew a small, glowing yellow stone from his Spatial Ring. He clenched the stone in his hand for a moment, his eyes growing unfocused.

    WHOOSH

    The air in the chamber began to stir slightly. Particles of light flowed off of Hallow, creating a miniature vortex.

    Abruptly, the particles flew up into the air, starting to form a vague, humanoid shape.

    "He will only be able to see me, Lord Obelisk. I''ll keep my questions precise to avoid leaking your presence." Hallow let out a quick statement as the image was still forming.

    A secondter, the image finished forming, transforming into a form Dorian was quite familiar with.

    ''It''s him! He''s in his Grey Mantor form!'' Dorian clenched his fists slightly, his eyes cold.

    "What is it, Hallow? I am in the middle of important work, preparing to kill that sted Lord Inigo." Fifteen''s voice warbled through the air, the image projection showing him with his arms crossed.

    "Fifteen, fellow Councilmember." Hallow began, speaking slowly.

    "Or rather¡­ should I say, Fifteen, the Anomaly? Spawn of Yukeli." Hallow''s voice took on a harsh tone, crossing his arms back at Fifteen.

    The Anomaly overhead froze, his facial features giving away nothing. After a single, stark moment, his face twisted into a smile.

    "Hahahaha, what gave it away? You finally caught on. Damn, that''s annoying." The Anomaly let out several spurts ofughter, shaking its head.

    "Is that why you called me up? To let me know you found out what I am?"

    As he spoke, all the Shades in the room clenched their fists in rage. To hear that one of their members was a traitor was one thing, but to find out directly from his own admission, to hear that he really was rted to the Great Murderer¡­ it was infuriating.

    "No. I contacted you to let you know that we''reing to kill you." Hallow''s hands shook slightly as he spoke, real rage leaking through. He was now fully convinced that Dorian was who he said he was, and infuriated that he had fallen for a trap from one of his own.

    ''Of course he managed to avoid all my searches and effort. There was a traitor on the council, leaking everything and aware of all my efforts!'' If looks could kill, Fifteen would''ve been dead a dozen times through.

    "We? Ah, the other members of the Council know too? But if you abandon your positions, your precious Inheritances will be destroyed by the vile Lord Inigo. Are you willing to give all of that up?'' Fifteen smirked, apparentlypletely unconcerned with Hallow''s threat.

    "I''m safe here in the Central Castle and won''t be going anywhere. Come and get me if you want, hahaha!" Without giving Hallow time to respond, Fifteen ended themunication, vanishing.

    "That bastard." Hallow visibly shook with rage.

    "He''s set up in the Central Castle! Where the Demon Emperor himself lived!"

    "As a spawn of Yukeli, he''s probably already desecrated it!"

    "We must stop him, immediately! The fake ''Lord Inigo'' is probably with him!"

    The Shades all roared in anger, their thoughts unified.

    "The Inheritances can be destroyed most effectively at the Central Castle. As a spawn of Yukeli, he''s probably already working towards that end right now!" Dorian added fuel to the fire, using the knowledge he''d gained from the other Councilmembers.

    "Ready up quickly! I will go release the final Seal and we can immediately charge to the Central Castle, using the final portal that will appear!" He was almostpletely certain that after he removed thest Sealing Tube, a portal to the Central Castle would form.

    Without hesitation, Dorian spun around and loped over to thest and final Sealing Tube in all of the Outer Castles.

    He hovered his hand around it. Like all the times before, sparks of light appeared. He focused the energy of his soul, interacting with the unique Artifact and Array hybrid.

    For thest time, he saw a visualization of Moria from a Sealing Tube, the still chained down. He immediately started pulling on the tube. Gradually, the chains stretched taut, creaking. He went all out, pulling it with great force as quickly as possible.

    He drew on every iota of his willpower to pull it out.

    Time passed and, eventually, Dorian felt the chains reach a breaking point. The energy around him, in reality, was set into a flurry, the Laws of the Universe fluctuating wildly.

    "Grrrr!" Dorian grunted out loud, tugging with all his might.

    WHOOSH

    He managed to release the Sealing Tube. Instantly, all of those chains cracked and shattered, the vision of Moria vanished as he blinked.

    The fluctuating Laws of the Universe returned to normal, everything around him whishing back. As he sensed this, he could tell that the Laws of the Universe had gained an even stronger presence on Moria, but were not fully free.

    ''There''s only the Central Castle left!'' As he thought this, a crackling noise caught his attention.

    Reality itself tore, a gleaming hole of light and energy forming at the center of the stone ind. This portal cast blue light outwards, creating a myriad of shadows in the dimly lit room.

    Dorian smiled, his eyes cool and confident.

    It was time to end this.

    "Let''s go!" He threw the empty remnant of the Sealing Tube to the side as he marched towards the portal. All of the other Shade Councilmembers quickly followed, putting on protective gear. Powerful Auras burst out as they prepared themselves, readying for anything.

    Dorian walked right up to the glowing portal, staring at it. He felt slightly uneasy being so near the rippling hole in reality.

    He took a deep breath and then, without waiting further, stepped into it.

    WHOOSH

    The world around him transformed into a myriad of chaotic shing lights and explosions of buffeting energy. Dorian activated his defensive Laws, Perfect Body Ability, and anything he thought might prove useful, blocking out any and all damage he might take.

    He could feel himself stretching, transported at a fast speed. His mind moved at an incredibly fast speed as well, however, making the journey feel longer.

    As he travelled, he focused his mind on the new Law he had just obtained.

    The Law of Original Sin.

    ''It''s only at 1% but I should still be able to use it¡­''

    Deep within his soul, Dorian could feel a sort of dark energy present. This energy was colored pure, midnight ck and gave off no feeling or emotion of any sort, unlike the other energies. It was something foreign, something hecked a clear understanding of.

    This new energy had formed when he gained ess to the Law of Original Sin, without needing any sort of Baptism.

    ''Hmm¡­'' As he grasped hold of this energy, he felt himself starting to arrive at the end point of the portal.

    ''What exactly do you do¡­?'' A tidbit of the ck energy was absorbed into his body, just mere instants before he arrived.

    As it came within his full control, Dorian gained a hint of what the Law of Original Sin was capable of. The single impetus that filled his thoughts as he realized this was one of unadulterated shock.

    ''It¡­ it can reshape reality?! What?!''

    WHOOSH

    Dorian arrived.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Leader''s body shook as he tensed up, going on high alert. His eyes opened wide as he focused, the air around him tense.

    In the spot he had been staking out, his eyes focused on a location thousands of meters away¡­

    A glowing portal had just appeared, rippling in reality.

    And from that portal appeared a figure he was very familiar with. The figure of a creature he had seen in a vision.

    "Lord Inigo." His voice was cold.

    A figure that had just arrived in a dead zone, where the energy from Laws couldn''t be absorbed from the universe, leaving him vulnerable and weakened.

    "I''ve got you now."

    Leader whipped his ancient red bow forward as he prepared to attack.

    .

 Chapter 199 Twis

    As Leader drew his bow forward, he paused.

    A group of figures had just arrived next to the figure of Lord Inigo, dressed in brown armor. They all leapt from the glowing portal,nding down on the ground.

    Leader entered into his Super State, not wasting any time. A rainbow Aura colored the air around him as his physique jumped to be much stronger, enhancing in power by a great degree. The air around him set to storming, the energy around his body vibrating with power.

    He pulled back on his bow in one smooth motion. A glowing arrow made of energy appeared on it, crackling with power as he concentrated.

    "Hold on¡­ are those the Masters of the Demonic Council? Why are they with Lord Inigo?!" Leader paused, confusion filling his voice as he stared at the figures that had just arrived. He recognized some of them. He had met several of them over the years, though never grew allied or close with any of them.

    While he didn''t feel particrly close to any of them, it was a fact that there were very few Demonic practitioners and that they were usually reviled, no matter their actions. He didn''t hold any animosity against them as a result and would try to avoid shing with them.

    "I¡­" Leader was at a loss for words.

    WHOOSH

    The world around him jarringly shifted, an instantter. The magnificent city before him seemed to shake, bits and pieces of it crumbling off in a grand avnche of stone and destruction.

    His connection to the Law of Pride had continuously grown stronger and stronger as time went on. The world around him had begun to change, no doubt due to the nefarious effects of Lord Inigo.

    As Leader saw the unfolding destruction the city was suffering, he instantly made a decision.

    ''I don''t know if he tricked the Masters of the Council, or if they are allied with him¡­ but I cannot allow him to destroy what is left of Moria. The Great Lord must have the chance to seek out those Inheritances!''

    He made up his mind, his arms shaking as energy concentrated.

    "Breaker Empyrean Shot!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Doriannded upon arge, circr stone tform. In front of him, a huge, white stone castle could be seen, built into a towering, rocky cliff. Water flowed all around him, pouring out from several dams that blocked up argeke. Towering white spires could be seen, dozens of buildings decorating the cliff.

    The tform he had arrived upon appeared to be part of a mid-sized bridge, connecting to this cliffside castle. The cliff was set in the middle of the river like an ind of sorts, an oasis ofnd breaking the rushing water.

    ''The Law of Original Sin¡­'' Dorian felt the energy from this Law vibrate in his soul, full of deep, ancient power. At the same time, as he arrived, he felt his connection to the Laws of the Universe sever.

    He had entered a dead zone, where the power of Law could not be reached. The energy he had taken within himself was still present, but once it was expended, there was no getting it back.

    ''Activate!''

    Immediately that ck energy was absorbed into his body. As it came within his full control, Dorian realized what the Law of Original Sin did.

    Legends in the 30,000 Worlds held that reality was created by the natural Laws of the Universe. Everything in existence came to exist because of the unexinable, natural existence of the Laws. There was no known godly creator or ruler on high.

    How exactly the Laws came to be was unknown, a mystery of the highest order.

    The creation of the Heavens was considered the origin of the creation of the 30,000 Worlds. The Heavens were a ce one could visit only upon achieving Ascension, rising to an untold paradise where reality was fantastic and amazing, where perfection could be achieved.

    It was said that there existed an entire world in the Heavens, separate from the 30,000 Worlds.

    The concept of Original Sin centered around the immutable fact that no one was born perfect. In every being, everywhere, there was always some type of imperfection. This was the ''Original Sin'' of reality. Everyone was born with some type of stain on their body or soul, something that proved them unworthy to be born in the Heavens.

    The Demonic Laws could be seen as representations of these stains. Various faults that could gue a being, ideas that broke off from the concept of Original Sin.

    For most, the biggest ''stain'' was simply the level of their soul. They were born far too weak to be considered perfect.

    Yukeli''s obsession upon achieving perfection had led him to journey towards Ascension and the Heavens, though what happened after that even Dorian was unsure.

    As the concept of the Law filled Dorian''s mind, the energy thronging within him, he became fully aware of its purpose.

    The Law of Original Sin was a Law that could affect reality itself. It changed reality, creating imperfections in whatever it touched.

    ''Incredible¡­'' The concept was hard to understand, and Dorian could tell he had only grasped a fraction of its potential.

    WHOOSH

    Around Dorian, the various members of the Demonic Council began to arrive.

    The first to arrive was the fanatic Baron Radishow, promptly followed by the Mistress of Lust Prisci and Damal, the Master of Pride, and the others. They allnded down on the ground smoothly, quickly storing the armor they used to protect themselves while teleporting.

    As they arrived, the castle in front of him began to shake, small bits of it breaking off. The ground beneath them trembled slightly, a few small cracks appearing. Their arrival seemed to have set off some type of chain reaction, damaging the nearby area slightly. It might also be rted to his un-Sealing of the world, though he wasn''t certain.

    ''Huh. This really is a dead zone. I can feel nothing.'' Only the leftover energy from the Law of Original Sin, and that of his other Laws, could be sensed. Everything else was gone, as if the Laws themselves had vanished.

    It felt rather surreal and unnerving. He had been able to feel the presence of the Laws for so long, to lose that so abruptly was jarring.

    Just as he was thinking this, and taking in his surroundings, Dorian''s eyes widened. His entire body tingled, his Bnce Demon body shivering as a huge feeling of danger filled him.

    He was about to be attacked.

    The sensation was unnatural, something that came as if a wave in Fate had mmed against his soul, warning him. As an Anomaly that was extremely sensitive to Fate, the feeling was inescapable.

    He was about to die, in less than 2 seconds.

    And he was going to die from something familiar. Something he had sensed before.

    An attack just like the one that hadunched the Warrior-Alchemist Bayron flying. He couldn''t exin how he knew this, attributing the feeling to Fate.

    He couldn''t ess any of his Laws. The defensive Abilities he had were already active, but Dorian was well aware that they wouldn''t be enough.

    He might be able to shift forms to something small to dodge from whatever attack was going to hit him in a split second, but he wasn''t confident the transformation would move him out of the way of the shot. It was toote for him to twist Fate using his soul, there wasn''t enough time.

    In the instant just before he felt he was going to die, as all of these thoughts raced through him in a split moment, he did the only thing he could think of.

    He used the energy from the Law of Original Sin.

    WHOOSH

    The pure ck energy from the Law of Original Sin moved instantaneously. When Dorian made the conscious decision to use it, the energy shivered. Throughout his entire body, it seemed to meld with his physique¡­ and fully activated.

    A tiny speck of darkness drifted across Dorian''s eyes.

    Abruptly, Dorian''s entire outlook on reality changed.

    The world around him seemed to coalesce, everything bing clear. Dorian could make out the fine details on the zing arrow of energy that was barreling towards him, able to sense the rippling power of the Law of Pride emanating off of it. Everything seemed to slow down.

    ''Power¡­ I can feel it in me. Incredible, burgeoning power! Power the likes of which I have never felt!'' Emotion soared in Dorian''s heart as he felt a sense ofplete might fill him, as if the world around him would bow to hismand. As if he could control reality itself.

    At that exact moment, an arrow of light blurred into existence, melting through the air towards Dorian. Even with his perception of reality enhanced to an incredibly powerful level, such that the members of the Demonic Council were all frozen still, falling stone debris stuck in the air, unmoving, the beam of light shot across his vision at a visible pace.

    The arrow of light was only a few meters from his chest as he saw it. The world around Dorian seemed frozen in this brief instant, his thoughts moving so quickly it defied reason.

    ''An arrow made of pure energy, condensed with power from the Law of Pride and a King ss Soul Spell Matrix¡­ if it hits me, I will almost certainly die.''

    ''Is this from¡­ Leader?'' As the thought crossed his mind, it didn''t perturb him. Instead, he epted it calmly, his eyes shing. In this odd mental state, nothing seemed able to shock him.

    ''This arrow is powerful, an attack that I cannot feasibly block, even in my Bnce Demon form¡­'' He frowned as he watched the arrow move forward in slow motion, now only a single meter out. If it hit him, it would obliterate his chest and pierce through without problem.

    Even in this all-powerful state, he couldn''t dodge it. His movement was restricted to his normal speed, the ck energy from the Law of Original Sin only seemed to have enhanced his mental perception of time, unlike the Law of Lust.

    As he thought this, Dorian felt the energy from the Law of Original Sin be almostpletely used up. He could only remain in this state for a fraction of a second at his current mastery of the Law, especially when he couldn''t ess the Laws to draw more energy.

    ''I can reshape reality.'' Dorian looked at the arrow, his eyes cold.

    Dorian could instinctively tell that it was beyond his means to directly affect Leader''s arrow attack. The Law of Original Sin was something he had just barely obtained. Affecting something as high powered and full of Law energy as Leader''s arrow wasn''t possible.

    However¡­ the space between the arrow and his chest, on the other hand¡­

    He was standing in a dead zone, where the Laws of the Universe essentially functioned at so low a level that he couldn''t draw upon them. This also happened to greatly weaken the fabric of reality. The air in front of him was practically unprotected, defenseless in the clearest way.

    Without hesitating further¡­ Dorianmanded reality to change.

    A ring imperfection appeared.

    An imperfection in space itself, between him and the arrow.

    SHKKKK

    Space ruptured.

    Dozens of cracks appeared, in reality itself, as space twisted in on itself, fluctuating. This distorted area was incredibly sickening to look at, light changing wildly as it passed through it.

    WHOOSH

    The energy from the Law of Original Sin waspletely used up, the ck energy burning into nothingness. Time returned back to normal, Dorian''s vastly enhanced senses falling to their standard state.

    WHIISSH

    Instead of arge explosion or impact, an odd sound whistled out as the arrow of light cut right towards the ruptured space and then twisted along its path. From the perspective of the arrow, it was flying in a straight line. However, because space was ruptured and twisted, the path of the arrow twisted.

    Instead of colliding with Dorian, the arrow shot off through part of the cliff in the background, boring a long tunnel in the rocky earth before flying off towards the sky.

    This all took ce in a split fraction of a second, far too fast to be reacted to by anyone, Dorian included.

    The resulting shriek from the ruptured space caught everyone''s attention, however.

    What happened right after that was even more eye-catching.

    Dozens of Demonic remnants appeared, pouring out from various buildings and structures.

    -

    Species - Igloo Demon (Desated)

    ss: Lord ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 79,283

    -

    Species - Gazelle Hoofed Fire Demon (Desated)

    ss: Lord ss (Middle)

    Maximum Energy Level: 57,883

    -

    Species - Iron Wasp Demon (Desated)

    ss: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Maximum Energy Level: 102,883

    -

    ''A Lord ss Igloo Demon, a Lord ss Gazelle Hoofed Fire Demon, a Pseudo-King ss Iron Wasp Demon¡­'' Dorian''s eyes widened as a veritable army of freakish, undead Demons appeared.

    The Igloo Demons were great towering brutes that looked like a mix between an elephant and arge ape, with huge tusks and arms, but thick grey fur. The Gazelle Hoofed Fire Demon looked like an abnormallyrge deer with hooves of fire and a demonic, many-teethed face. The Iron Wasp Demons were huge wasps easily as tall as a man, covered in dark ck lines.

    At least 100 Demons had appeared, of various types. All of them were currently charging right at Dorian and the Councilmembers, howling into the air.

    "It''s an ambush set by Fifteen! He''s trying to stop us! Quick! To the Central Castle before they take us down!" Dorian took full advantage of the shock Leader''s attack and the ruptured space had formed, causing all of the Demonic Councilmembers to charge forwards with him.

    Despite being unable to ess any Laws, they all still had arge amount of energy that they had previously drawn within them. All of them were powerful King ss warriors, and even when limited to lesser amounts of energy, they were still capable fighters.

    A mass melee broke out as they desperately scrambled forward, dodging and ducking to avoid bing an easy target.

    Dorian''s eyes shed as he ripped the head off one Demon, blood spattering the air as he took a single nce up at the central castle. In his Bnce Demon form, even without the power of Law, he was a veritable monster. He absorbed what he could from each dead Demonic remnant, not letting their Soul Spell Matrixes go to waste. His heart pounded as he moved, jumping erratically to avoid being hit by another one of Leader''s arrows.

    ''I''m almost there!''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    In the depths of therge white castle that was built into the cliff, the former castle of the Demon Emperor himself, arge throne room could be seen. Several pirs supported the roof of the throne room, shooting up to the grand, arching ceiling.

    A long, ck carpet led up to the slightly raised throne. White, crystalline torches lit up the walls, giving the room a well-lit appearance.

    The throne itself was made of a harsh, ck stone. It had a jagged, rough appearance, with little decoration. Sharp cracks could be seen at its base and arms, as if it had been damaged in a grand battle, long ago.

    Sitting atop this throne was a grey-skinned, unassuming humanoid.

    Fifteen, in his Grey Mantor form.

    "You''ve arrived, brother¡­" Fifteen sighed,

    "And you''ve managed to break more than half the chains that Seal Moria, something even I couldn''t manage."

    If Dorian saw Fifteen right now, he would''ve been shocked. The Anomaly, Fifteen, had undergone an enormous, jarring change.

    No longer was he a violent killer, rampaging and cackling with insanity. The chaotic emotions he had shown before were nowhere to be seen. The mental instability, the fast-paced manner of talking, the entire personality of the Anomaly seemed to have changed.

    Instead, he appeared cool, calcting, his eyes full of wisdom.

    "I never expected things to end quite this way. Still, it''s within the bounds of reason." Fifteen tapped on one of the arms of the throne he rested on.

    WHOOSH

    Bright lights red up as a visual image of the castle and the nearby river, waterfalls, and bridge appeared, floating in the air in front of Fifteen. On this visual representation, tiny figures of Dorian and the Demonic Councilmembers could be seen, charging their way across the bridge towards the castle.

    "You and the Masters of the Demonic Council¡­ if I include you, it should be more than enough. You all will be the catalyst I need." He muttered, opening his hand,

    "I will break free from the chains HE set on our souls." He closed his fist, as if he was crushing something,

    Fifteen waved his hand, zooming the image in till he saw a clear image of Dorian, smashing aside Demons like a brutal warrior-beast of legend.

    "Come¡­ brother¡­"

    "Let''s end this."

    .

 Chapter 200 Guardian Knights

    "Growl!"

    SMASH

    Dorian threw the body of a now dead Igloo Demon away, blood spattering out from its desated form. He absorbed its Soul Spell Matrix almost casually, his Bnce Demon form shivering as he dashed forward.

    "Hup!"

    With onerge, powerful leap, he managed to clear the white stone castle walls that guarded the central castle. When hended, he threw up a small cloud of dust, the remains of this castle rtively untouched for decades if not longer. None of the Demonic Remnants had appeared to being from the castle itself, but only from the surrounding area.

    The courtyard that hended in was empty. The floor was cut from the same white stone that could be seen everywhere on the cliff, lined with age. Several smaller buildings connected with the courtyard, as did the main area of the castle in front of him. He didn''t sense the presence of anything living, either within the smaller buildings or the castle itself.

    thud

    thud

    Various noises echoed out quietly as the other members of the Demonic Council followed behind him. Some of them were lightly injured, Kandor cradling a broken arm and Prisci with blood dripping down her face, but the rest seemed otherwise fine. Those two, in particr, paused and took in some type of healing medicine, working on restoring their wounds.

    "We''ve wiped out all the remnants. I can''t sense any more within range." Dorian spoke up, his eyes narrowed as he nced from side to side.

    "Take a moment to prepare, before we dive into the castle." His voice echoed authoritatively.

    Internally, his thoughts were somewhat scattered.

    ''Leader?! What on earth are you doing here?!'' Now that he was outside ofbat, he could safely be surprised at Leader''s presence. The Demonic archer was a being he hadn''t truly seen in a while, not counting the memory of Leader he''d fought. Those attacks were clearly from him, however, of that Dorian was certain.

    ''He must not know who I am¡­ right?'' His mouth drew thin at the thought, slightly unsure. Leader was rather¡­ unpredictable.

    ''If anything, as I am now, I am pretty much what he thought I was back then. I can''t see any reason he''d want to attack me.'' After a few moments, he nodded his head stiffly.

    ''It must have something to do with Fifteen.'' It was the only thing he could think of.

    "Great Demon Disciple¡­" Dorian turned to his left as Baron Radishow called out to him. Hallow stood right behind the Baron, his arms glowing with blue light.

    "Yes?" He responded, his voice calm.

    Despite being cut off from the Laws, the Demonic Councilmembers had performed admirably. They sessfully managed to keep up with Dorian, the remnant energy they could still use proving well adequate.

    ''It won''tst them too much longer, though, not if we get into many more big fights.'' He noted as he scanned the Councilmembers. Already he could see the exhaustion in some of them.

    "Hallow has found the trail to the Anomaly." Baron Radishow nodded over at Hallow. Hallow stepped forward, nodding back as he turned to look at Dorian.

    "As you well know, the Law of Envy allows me to manipte space to some degree. I have finely trained my abilities with this Law, granting me a very powerful sense of spatial awareness. Even without ess to the Law, I can still pan my senses over the surrounding areas, using the remnant energy from my Soul Spell Matrix." Hallow exined himself thoroughly, not leaving any room for possible confusion.

    "I''ve met Fifteen before. Every being in existence has their own unique soul wavelength. No two souls are identical. I''ve trained in spatial sensing for dozens of years and can be considered an expert in this." Hallow continued,

    "It''s part of why I am good at tracking or hunting for things." His eyes shed slightly guiltily as he looked at Dorian, likely thinking about how he''d been tracking Lord Inigo and mistook Dorian for him. Quite understandable, given that Dorian actually was Lord Inigo.

    "As a result, I can faintly sense his location now that I''m this close to him." Hallow pointed to a space on the right side of the courtyard, within the main castle area,

    "He''s in a room deep within the castle."

    Dorian nodded. It was about what he had expected.

    "Alright! Let''s move out!" He took a moment to send a sweeping nce at the rest of the Demonic Shades. They all seemed to be more or less ready to go.

    They moved forward as a team, with Dorian leading the way. They directly left the stone courtyard, scattering a cloud of dust in their wake.

    The entryway to the castle was clear. They moved down an open-air stone corridor until they ran into a heavy wooden door. Dorian walked up and, with an almost casual push, opened it.

    The door opened smoothly, revealing a well-lit hallway. There was no sign of rust or damage despite the clear age of the castle, everything functioning perfectly.

    Glowing crystals lit up the carved stone walls, a faded ck carpet covering the floor. There were slitted windows on the side of this corridor, the light they let in merging with the light from the crystals in an uneasy swirl of color.

    Their group moved down the corridor fearlessly. Hallow''s spatial sensing allowed him to search for and detect any hidden traps, while Kandor''s powerful soul, thanks to training in the Law of Greed for so long, allowed him to sense traps of a magical or spiritual nature.

    In no time at all, they moved through three separate passageways. They found themselves in the depths of the castle, moving quietly. On the walls, grandiose paintings of powerful Demons hung, images of them being worshipped by the masses or ughtering enemies. The air took on a very clear Demonic feeling, as if they had entered an ancient stronghold of the Demon race.

    ''Well, it used to be that.'' Dorian mused as his ws clicked on the hard stone. His movements created small echoes that chimed in the air ominously.

    Abruptly, at almost the same time, both Hallow and Kandor yelled out.

    "Careful!"

    "Something ahead!"

    Their group had just turned a corner and found themselves in front of the entrance to what appeared to be a receiving hall. It was a type of grand hall where those that were waiting to meet the king might stand, unworthy or unable to stand in the throne room where the king conducted his business.

    This hall wasrge, thergest room they''d found in the castle yet. Eight different pirs could be seen supporting the arching roof, painted a pale grey. The base of each pir was covered in gold and decorated with detailed carvings of Demonic beings. In the back of the room, the door that led to the throne room could be seen, a towering edifice that glowed faintly with ck light.

    Apart from the pirs and the door, the only other thing notable about the room were the ominous figures set in the background.

    The race of these creatures was indeterminate. They were tall, easily 4 meters in height, fully covered by a set of grey armor. Large grey swords that were bigger than Dorian was tall were strapped to their backs, reminding Dorian faintly of the Grakons he had seen on Blizzaria. The faceguards they wore were shaped like dragon heads, built to look intimidating.

    There were seven of these figures standing there, unmoving, directly in the path of the door that led to the throne room.

    Despite standing still, Dorian was ovee with a powerful feeling of danger as he looked at them.

    "These¡­ these are Guardian Knights from the Third Great War?!" Baron Radishow sputtered out, his voice shaking with disbelief,

    "What are they doing here?! Damn that Fifteen!"

    Dorian''s eyes shed as he heard the term, recognizing it with his perfect recall. It pulled him back to some of the research he had done a while back, when he was trying to figure out who Yukeli was.

    The Third Demon War, Third Great War, or the Yale Demon Invasion, depending on who you asked, was a massive war that swept across thousands ofs. Entire species were wiped out, with billions of beings dying.

    Guardian Knights were a type of rtively well-known force that served the High Generals of the Demon Army, like the Dream Mentor who left behind the Exotic World of Ballians with its many Dream Zones.

    They served as powerful bodyguards and elite warriors that would faithfully serve each High General. Betrayal was never a risk from Guardian Knights for a rather simple reason.

    They weren''t actually living beings with a soul. They were incredibly realistic golems, created from a mix of Magic and Arrays,plexly woven together. They were simr to Artifacts, but also very different.

    "There''s seven of them. A perfect number to match all of us." Prisci''s voice was cool as she stared at the figures, rolling her shoulders.

    "Guardian Knights are extremely powerful, though they are weaker when they can''t draw upon Law Energy. Despite that, without ess to the Laws, even I won''t be able to defeat one." Damal, the physically strongest Shade here, even without his Law of Pride, grunted out loud, his muscr arms crossed.

    ''Seven of them¡­'' Dorian stared at the ancient golems, a frown on his face.

    "Fifteen is beyond that door, Lord Obelisk." Hallow chimed in from the side, pointing,

    "He is waiting for us within the throne room."

    Dorian stared at the room for a moment, sighing. He stepped away from the entrance and walked over to one of the surrounding walls.

    "Hup!" With a grunt, Dorian punched forward hard with his hand, the ws of his Bnce Demon form stabbing forward.

    ''Perfect Body! Activate!'' He activated the Ability for a split second.

    CLINK

    A huge amount of force was concentrated in his body, force that exploded forward to smash into the walls of the castle.

    The blow visibly caused the castle walls to bend, shivering ever so slightly. Almost immediately after, however, the walls snapped back, only a faint white mark left over as a remnant of his blow.

    ''The walls are super tough, like the other castles. I would probably need several hours to break through, if I can at all, without being able to ess any of the Laws.'' He shook his head, giving up on the option.

    "Alright. I guess we''ll have to go through them." Dorian walked back over to the entrance, ignoring the odd looks the Demonic Shades gave him.

    ''There are 7 of them¡­ a perfect number to counter us, but also a perfect number to counter the members of the Demonic Council if they had all showed up.'' The Master of Sloth had never arrived.

    They didn''t wait. The longer they took, the more energy would fade from their system and the poorer they would fare.

    Even worse, in the eyes of the Shades, the longer they took, the more time Fifteen would have to wreck anything left behind by the Demon Emperor and destroy any of the Inheritances.

    The moment their group stepped into the room, the Guardian Knights all shivered. Slowly, the metal heads of the golems turned to zero in on their team.

    "Everyone! Split off and take on one at a time! Work together if you get overpowered!" Dorian bellowed as he jumped forward, his fists clenched.

    The Demonic Shades rushed forward with Dorian, and the Guardian Knights began to rush back, both groups charging at each other.

    BOOM

    They collided and another melee broke out.

    .

 Chapter 201 Meeting

    ''Perfect Body! Stay on!'' Dorian kept the Ability on, trying to use it as sparingly as possible. He was already tired and his energy stores were less than 2/3rds full.

    Dorian''s first thought was that his physical body, even without being enhanced by the power of Law, was quite a bit stronger than he had thought.

    Thud

    Dorian knocked the towering golem back several meters, sending it stumbling. His arm didn''t shake at all as he pulled back, his eyes focused.

    It wasn''t that the Golem was weak. In fact,pared to the physical strength of the members of the Demonic Council, it was at least 2-3 times stronger. It was simply that here, without the power of Law to enhance it further, Dorian was much, much stronger.

    His Bnce Demon form was arguably in the upper tier of all physical forms. It was a form that did not even exist before he created it, a freakishly powerful being that could rival dragons. While it might not be on the level of the truly powerful Divine Beasts, it was extremely strong, especially when boosted by his various Abilities.

    The golem that was knocked back, however, got up almost immediately. Severalrge cracks could be seen in its metal armor, cracks that visibly healed in an instant, the damage Dorian had inflicted negated.

    Dorian frowned. He leapt forward and punched the golem again, smashing it backwards with a backhanded blow.

    The attack sent it mming into one of the gold ted pirs, bouncing off it in a wide spin as it hit the wall. It didn''t leave any markings or damage on the wall or pir, unlike his own direct attack from before.

    Once again, despite visible injuries, the golem got up. By the time it was fully standing, all the injuries had beenpletely restored, leaving it in a pristine state.

    When he smacked it backwards, he had checked to see if he could absorb it. Unfortunately, he couldn''t. The golems seemed to be part of the unique type of creations that were separate from regr Artifacts. They were closer to living beings than regr Artifacts.

    "Great Demon Disciple! The Guardian Knights must be bound to Fifteen! If you can render him unconscious or kill him, they will automatically give up!" Baron Radishow''s voice echoed loudly as his reedy form blocked a massive punch from one of the towering golems. The blow sent the defensive-minded Shade tumbling backwards, but left him otherwise uninjured.

    "He is correct! Unless we can take out the controller, the Guardian Knights will keep on regenerating, no matter how much damage you do! He must have linked them up to some type of energy source he controls!" Kandor, the expert on souls, chimed in as he ducked and weaved under a powerful punch from one golem. His arms blurred as he grabbed the arm of that golem and then shifted his weight, sending it hurling in the air like a judo expert.

    "We will hold them off while you take down Fifteen!" Baron Radishow''s voice boomed out as he jumped forward again, standing stalwart.

    Dorian quickly scanned the hall.

    The Councilmembers had entered into a stalemate with the golems. The experience and skill of the Masters of the Council had given them arge upper hand, but the physique of the golems neutralized that.

    If they could ess their Laws or use Magic, or even use specialized Artifacts, they would''ve had a much easier time. As it was, they had fallen into a battle of attrition.

    Despite that, they had faith in ''Lord Obelisk'' and his Demonic prowess, willing to fight off the golems and make it so that he could charge through.

    SHHKKKK

    BOOM

    A loud noise distracted everyone.

    The doorway that they had all passed through had somehow mmed shut, a magical barrier of some sort appearing out of nowhere. This barrier looked like it was made of pure ck stone, but also crackled slightly with energy.

    "Hallow?! I thought you said there was nothing else here?!" The speaker this time was Prisci, her outraged voice echoing in the air as she brought out a pair of steel fans, slicing into the golem that was attacking her.

    "There was nothing when I checked¡­ this trap looks to have appeared out of thin air." Hallow''s voice was edged with anger as he whipped out the sword at his waist.

    SHKKK

    He directly cut the attacking golem in half, splitting it. Blue energy crackled off his gauntlets, his mask faintly glowing.

    WHOOSH

    The golem magically reformed itself, twisting to continue attacking the powerful Demonic Shade.

    None of the Shades were able to move as freely as Dorian was. If they gave up more than a split second of their focus, the attacking golems would rip them apart.

    "That''s not possible! The Laws don''t work here!"

    "I bloody well know that! I don''t know how it works, but it clearly does!"

    The two bickered, the majority of their attention now focused simply on survival.

    ''Damn, what a unique trap. If it had only been the members of the Demonic Council in here, it probably would''ve worked with ease.'' To hide something so effectively that it couldn''t be detected by even the alert Masters of the Demonic Council, even without ess to their Laws, was a notable achievement. Dorian''s eyes shed as he bashed aside his golem once again, yelling out loud,

    "I''ll go ahead! Stay strong while I''m gone!" He didn''t quite know what to make of the Masters of the Demonic Council, but he didn''t directly consider them enemies yet. He would at least try to save them, just for the help they had given him when it came to taking on Fifteen.

    Without a second thought, he rushed forward towards the entrance of the throne room, leaving behind the members of the Demonic Council behind. The golem he had tossed away zed after him, giving chase.

    The moment he touched the door, something unexpected happened.

    The door seemed to physically suck him into it. Instead of opening like he would expect a door to, the entire door itself shivered.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian blinked as he teleported, finding himself on the other side.

    "Hello, brother." A familiar voice echoed in the air as Dorian gathered his bearings. Dorian''s guard was up as he blinked again, scanning where he had arrived at.

    ''I made it to the throne room!''

    The throne room, like the waiting room outside, had severalrge pirs supporting its roof, each one at least 3 meters wide and more than a dozen meters tall. These pirs were covered in ck metal cages that looked vaguely familiar.

    The room was sparsely decorated, save for a long, ck carpet that led up to the slightly raised throne. White, crystalline torches lit up the walls, giving the room a well-lit appearance.

    The throne itself was made of a harsh, ck stone. It had a jagged, rough appearance, with little decoration. Dorian saw several long cracks and depressions in it, as if it had been handled rather roughly in the past.

    Sitting atop this throne was a grey-skinned, unassuming humanoid.

    "Fifteen." Dorian responded calmly, slightly surprised that he could make out the other Anomaly. Clearly, Fifteen had decided to allow Dorian to see him, instead of Phasing through reality and hiding.

    "What do you really want? Why are you here?" He asked, not expecting much of an answer. He stepped forward as he spoke, his eyes alert as he walked towards the throne.

    Fifteen surprised him, however, giving him a small smile as he responded,

    "This is the Sealed Prison that our Father, the Thunder Saint, and the Wise Lady set up to help them kill the Demon Emperor, so many years ago. It''s also the former throne room of the Demon Emperor."

    Dorian blinked, his eyes widening.

    "You already broke all of the Sealing Rods he left behind. I''m sure if you look around, you might feel some simrities."

    Dorian stood still, taking a closer look at the world around him. Specifically, at the 6 pirs that were supporting the roof, covered in ck cages.

    ''¡­He''s right. They give off the same kind of feeling that the Sealing Tubes, or Rods, or whatever, did.'' Dorian turned his attention back towards Fifteen.

    "What is this all for? Why is it still active?" He asked slowly, surprised by Fifteen''s attitude. The Anomaly seemed far more reasonable now than he had been before.

    "I don''t know, I''m not omnipotent. The Demon Emperor is indeed dead, though, if that is what you''re wondering. Father is nothing if not thorough. I couldn''t even find a trace of the fallen Emperor, his body would''ve proved quite useful."

    Dorian took a few more steps forward. By this point, he had reached the end of the rug and was standing just a few meters away from the throne, in front of the raised tform. His entire body tensed up as he looked at the Grey Mantor.

    Fifteen smiled,

    "Thinking of attacking me, huh? It''s useless." Fifteen''s body shivered. It then began to distort. His voice transformed, bing one that echoed in the room from overhead.

    Dorian reacted by jumping forward, his body blurred as he smashed down where Fifteen''s distorted body was. The image exploded into a cloud of steam, the Anomaly vanishing from his sight. He twisted his head to the left and right, trying to catch sight of him. He kept his Perfect Body Ability active, not letting himself miss anything.

    "Brother, brother¡­" Fifteen''s wavering voice echoed as he tutted,

    "This is a room that is not only sealed off from the presence of Laws, but from space itself. The only entrance to it is a teleportation matrix set on the door you entered through, one that doesn''t exist in this space. The throne, and the tform holding it, are merely connected to an Illusion Array where I am." His voice boomed,

    "This was a trap that caught the Demon Emperor himself. While you may have weakened it by releasing the Sealing Rods, it is still more than enough to hold you and the foolish members of the Demonic Council." Fifteen sighed.

    "Oh? So that''s it? All it does is hold us?" Dorian stepped off from the throne, his eyes peering around the room as he continued to scan for Fifteen.

    "Doesn''t sound that scary." He maintained a cavalier attitude as his heart pounded, ready to react to even the slightest hint of movement.

    "The Seals will drain your energy over time. You will be unconscious in just a few hours, dead in half a day." Fifteen returned, his voice supremely unconcerned.

    Dorian narrowed his eyes. Indeed, he could feel his energy stores being sapped, deep within his soul. He was roughly down to half energy already from all thebat he had been in.

    ''Think, Dorian. If this is a trap, there has to be a way to break out.'' As he realized all of this, he looked around the room for anything of note. All he could find were the six pirs that stood out in the open and the throne he was standing next to.

    "I was never supposed to catch you up in this, brother. It was supposed to be a trap for the Demonic Council, but you just had to butt in. I had no choice but to act like I did. It would go against the persona I made to do otherwise." Fifteen''s voice contained a hint of genuine regret.

    "Is that so? A persona?" Despite the dire situation, Dorian smiled slightly, paying little attention to Fifteen''s words.

    The feeling of familiarity he sensed from those pirs¡­ an idea formed in his mind. One that he grew more and more certain of as he began to walk towards them.

    "Ah, brother. This was a trap that Sealed the Demon Emperor himself at one point! Do you really think you stand a chance at breaking it? Even if you could affect those Sealing Rods, this is something on an entirely different level."

    Fifteen appeared to have some way to observe him, watching from afar. He sounded interested in Dorian''s actions, watching him carefully.

    ''Hmm¡­ it doesn''t sound like he can do anything to me while I''m in here.''

    Dorian merely smiled and ignored Fifteen as he walked up to one of the pirs, slowly resting his hand on it. A small tidbit of energy shot off from his soul, interacting with it.

    This energy vibrated as it came into contact with the pir. His soul itself then shook, his eyes faintly glowing.

    The pir seemed to recognize several of the energy sources in his soul, the various imprints many of the Demonic Laws had left behind. In particr, Dorian could feel it resonate with the Law of Original Sin.

    However, as it did all of this, Dorian''s unique soul make up interacted with the pir as well. Just like with the Sealing Tubes, Dorian could also feel a sensation of familiarity. The pir seemed to inherently recognize him and his soul.

    He was able to gain ess to the pir itself due to its recognition of the Laws he used. His unique soul, one that was formed from part of Yukeli himself, changed that ess, morphing it into something more direct¡­

    Something more controlled.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian blinked.

    He found himself looking at a rather recognizable sight.

    The world of Moria, covered in thousands of mountain-sized chains, peeling off into space.

    This time, however, Dorian was no longer a random onlooker from the ground.

    Instead, he was standing atop a floating yellow tform, hovering thousands of meters high in the air. Wind brushed against him lightly, but he didn''t feel short on breath like he might expect so high up.

    "Woah." Dorian muttered as he saw this, feeling faintly disoriented. This view was jarringly different from what he expected, but the sensations were still close to the same. He couldn''t pull on the pir, but he felt that if he concentrated, he could cause hundreds of the chains to grow taut.

    "Oh? A visitor? It''s been quite some time since I had one of those." Dorian spun around as he heard someone speak, a voice that was quiet and peaceful, like that of a calm river.

    The speaker was a young man with spiky, bright blonde hair, dressed in an orange monk robe that was left open at the chest. His ears were pierced with two ck studded diamonds, twinkling with light. A long, jagged tattoo of a lightning bolt marked his face, going from his forehead all the way across his right eye, down to his chin.

    "You¡­" Dorian''s words failed him as he stared at the figure. The man''s appearance... it was identical to that of someone else, someone he had read up on, long ago.

    Someone famed throughout the 30,000 Worlds.

    One of the Great Heroes that had mysteriously vanished, long ago.

    "Hi, my name is Kdin." The man spoke up cheerfully, holding out a hand,

    "But you might know me as the Thunder Saint." He grinned cheekily,

    "Nice to meet you!"

    .

 Chapter 202 The Thunder Sain

    "You¡­ You''re the Thunder Saint?!" Dorian eximed out loud as he stared at the blonde haired human, excitement overwhelming him.

    This was one of the legends of this world! A fantastic hero that fought against the mighty Demon Emperor of old! A literal fairy tale character! While Dorian hadn''t grown up in this reality, and thus didn''t see the man in the same light as most folk, he still found it amazing to meet an actual legend.

    Dorian paused slightly as he looked at the man. He could sense, instinctively, that the man in front of him truly was a human. It wasn''t an illusion created by the Array he was in, nor was it his mind ying tricks on him. He was actually speaking to Kdin, the Thunder Saint.

    "Aren''t you supposed to be something like a monk? Why do you have so much hair?" He spoke up, saying the first thing that came to mind. He internally rebuked himself right after, trying to think up a better question.

    "I was never good at being a monk. But hey, if at first you don''t seed, try, try again, right?" Kdin smiled back. When he spoke and smiled, the long, lightning bolt tattoo scrunched up, making it look like it was striking down.

    Dorian frowned slightly,

    "Didn''t you found an entire monastery full of monks?" He nodded at Kdin.

    "I am a terrible role model." Kdin shrugged.

    "But¡­ you''re the Thunder Saint! You''re supposed to be famed for your dedication and bravery!" Dorian felt like the stories he''d read about this particr Great Hero didn''t seem quite so urate.

    "Well, I suppose that does make me a great role model." Kdin rubbed his chin,

    "I guess the two cancel out? That makes me a mediocre role model?" He pounded a hand on his chest, giving Dorian a full-toothed grin,

    "I have always strived for mediocrity!"

    "I''m not sure that''s how any of that works¡­" Dorian returned, stuttering.

    "Ah, don''t worry about it, don''t sweat the small stuff." Kdin waved him off, seemingly unconcerned that his logic waspletely wed, instead digging into his own line of questioning,

    "Who might you be, young Demon, if you don''t mind me asking?"

    "Ah, oh, right! I''m Dorian! And, well, I''m not reeeeally a Demon, but it''splicated." Dorian began.

    A few moments passed as Dorian gave the legendary hero a somewhat vague exnation. Despite feeling instinctively that this was indeed the legendary Thunder Saint, he kept his responses guarded and careful.

    He exined that he was here to un-Seal Moria and wipe out the dangerous Demonic remnants that prowled about here. He also mentioned that his ''wife'' had her soul injured and he was trying to find medicine to help her recover.

    Oddly enough, Kdin gave him an actual round of apuse when he heard that, even tearing up. The supposed monk had none of the decorum Dorian would expect from a monk, but at this point, nothing would surprise him.

    Dorian kept his questions rather pointed, knowing that time was of the essence, to at least some degree. The Demonic Shades outside were locked in a stalemate with those golems, he had a few hours at most. Spending a few minutes getting some answers was a worthy endeavor.

    Kdin seemed perfectly fine with answering, talking freely. There was a ton he wanted to ask the legendary Thunder Saint, but he needed to focus on his immediate needs first.

    "This all is an enormous, interconnected Array, constructed using the biggest remnants of the Soul Spell Matrix of the Demon Emperor, to prevent him from resuscitating." Kdin was currently exining where they were right now, and what the Sealing Tubes functioned for.

    "I thought you all fully killed him at the final battle?" Dorian asked back, curious. Understanding the trap he was in was the first step to escaping it.

    "Well, yes and no. We definitely obliterated his body,rgely thanks to Yukeli, myself, and Arthur. We then harnessed the power of an entire world, drawing on every bit of energy from the Laws we could manage to create this prison, all to Seal away his Soul Spell Matrix."

    "Why didn''t you just destroy it?" Dorian replied, scratching his head.

    Kdin gave him an amused look.

    "Do you think we didn''t try?" He shook his head,

    "The Demon Emperor was a freakish monster in his own right. He split his soul into multiple pieces right before he died, scattering them into the air through some type of mystical Spell. While we managed to destroy his main body,rge pieces of his soul still existed, hidden within the fabric of existence here on Moria."

    "Such a thing was unheard of, unthinkable, even. Who would willingly split 7 pieces of their soul away? It was suicidal, but, then again, he was dying to us anyway." Kdin then gestured at the world below,

    "It''s part of why we chose to harness the power of this world, transforming it into a rtively Lawless wastnd. We thought we might be able to starve out and obliterate the remnants of the Demon Emperor."

    "But¡­?" Dorian queried.

    "No buts. We did it. The Demon Emperor is most certainly dead, any remnant pieces of his soul stamped out. He may have been a powerful Angelic ss Demon, but he was not a God." Kdin smiled, this time a bit sadly,

    "Pray few can out march the clutches of Time."

    There was a quiet moment as Kdin seemed to ponder something. Dorian waited patiently, but when it became clear that Kdin could sit still there for hours or even days, he broke in with another question,

    "Well, then how did you end up here?"

    Kdin looked up and sighed,

    "The final battle was grueling. In the end, I was struck with an attack that rent my soul, very nearly killing me. The injury was likely to be fatal if I did not receive immediate treatment or rest for hundreds of years, which would kill me anyway from old age. I am not an immortal and the injury was very draining on my life force." He rubbed his chin lightly,

    "Even the boost from my enhanced Soul Spell Matrix couldn''t make up for that." He shrugged,

    "The Demon Emperor''s attacks were incredibly strange and difficult to defend against, bypassing even the sturdiest of shields." Kdin''s voice became engaged as he went on, enjoying the opportunity to talk,

    "Arthur and Sun Wukong left to fight off the High Generals as they rushed back to attack the castle, while Ausra and Yukeli began constructing this enormous Sealing Array. It was eventually determined that theplexity of the Array was too great. To Seal an entire¡­ it was something incredibly difficult to aplish. There was no normal Matrix Genie that could maintain something of such scale." His eyes shed,

    "However¡­ the soul of an Angelic ss monk like myself, on the other hand¡­ it was something I could handle with ease, even in my near-death state."

    "You sacrificed yourself?" Dorian said slowly, his eyes wide.

    Kdin eyed him, a small smile on his face,

    "You don''t understand the evils that the Demons inflicted, Mr. Young-Demon-that-ims-to-not-be-a-Demon. The Demon Emperor actually wasn''t that bad a fellow, but he didn''t control his subordinates and refused to keep them in line. Something had to be done." He sighed,

    "If I could prevent a repeat of all that pain, all that suffering¡­ yes, I would be willing to die for that. There is a reason I went on such a suicidal mission in the first ce." He shook his head,

    "The war was horrifying. Billions and billions of innocents were swept up in it, the constant ughter, the destruction of entires¡­ anything was worth it to stop that unending war."

    "And so here you are now." Dorian stared at Kdin, without blinking.

    "Indeed."

    Dorian stayed silent for a moment, taking the information in. His heart was tinged with genuine, heartfelt respect as he heard the man''s tale first hand.

    After that moment, he asked another question.

    "You don''t seem particrly in control of the Array." He began slowly, waving his hand, "In fact, I spoke to another Array Genie, one that was in control of awork of Inheritances connected to this. He didn''t mention you at all."

    Kdin nodded as he heard this,

    "Each of the Sealing Lances was ced at a spot where a remnant of the Demon Emperor''s soul was detected. Eventually, the soul remnants would be absorbed into each Sealing Lance. The n was for them to slowly dissipate. Unfortunately¡­" He shrugged,

    "Emperor Karsos was a wily bastard. He co-opted the Sealingwork we built to spread all the knowledge he had of his Demonic Laws, and created his own Arraywork on top of ours. Over time, these twoworks have merged somewhat, making a mess of everything. That Array Genie was his creation."

    ''Sealing Lances? Tubes? Rods? Can no one pick out a single name for the damn things?'' Dorian tossed the thought from his mind as he continued to listen.

    "It''s because of that, though, that I''ve managed to get a few indirect messages out to some of my descendants in the Monastery. Karsos was also able to send out rumors and information of his own, drawing Demonic disciples here." Kdin continued.

    "Wait¡­ does that mean you heard what happened to Yukeli?" Dorian interjected.

    "Oh? You know of that? Well, yes, I''m aware of how he went insane in the end, though only because of a few messages Ausra sent me. I''ve already done everything I could to help her." He sighed.

    "Still, all in all, living in here hasn''t been that bad." Kdin motioned with his hand.

    Immediately, a chair appeared, made out of what appeared to be crackling yellow energy. He sat down in the chairfortably, turning to look back at Dorian.

    "It is what it is, I can''t change the past." He smiled.

    "But¡­" As Dorian went over all this, his eyes narrowed,

    "Does that mean the Demon Emperor is still alive, in part? Just, somewhere in the Array?" Dorian replied, feeling confused.

    Kdinughed out loud,

    "I already told you. He''s dead. Even with only a few disassociated soul remnants left, the Demon Emperor truly was a great foe to face, but time is the one enemy that no one can truly defeat." He looked over towards Moria with a sad gleam in his eyes,

    "Karsos faded into theher several hundred years ago. The injuries he sustained by splitting his soul were not survivable. I only managed to survive so long by leeching off the Array, having it slowly heal my soul." He frowned ever so slightly,

    "I have been alone ever since."

    Dorian felt his heartstrings tug. Kdin''s experience reminded him of when he was trapped in his own Soul Spell Matrix for years, time elerated and forming a mental prison of sorts. He couldn''t imagine how awful it would be to be trapped here for centuries.

    "Well¡­ How do we get out?" Dorian tookmand as he began to walk around the floating disk, his eyes narrowing.

    Kdin gave him a cheerful smile,

    "You can''t. There are tons of safeguards in ce locking the area down. Both myself and the Demon Emperor tried for centuries to leave and failed. I''m just a soul so escaping wouldn''t do much for me, but it was fun to try. It''s quite great to havepany now, but I am sorry to have to bring forth such sad tidings." For the first time, Kdin''s unwavering optimism broke slightly as he gave Dorian a sympathetic look.

    "Right, right." Dorian waved him off,

    "But, hypothetically, if I wanted to get out, how would I do that? I''m a bit¡­ special when ites to doing things I shouldn''t be able to do." He turned a questioning eye upon Kdin.

    The monk paused for a moment.

    "Well, the first thing you''d need to do is be able to ess the Demonic Array left by Karsos. You actually stand a chance of that, given your Demonic nature." Kdin made a few motions in the air.

    Immediately, a vertical glowing circle of green light appeared, floating in the air. Strange symbols could be seen, flowing in aplex pattern.

    Dorian stepped forward as he looked at it, rubbing his chin.

    "However, you''ll need to be recognized by the Signature Control Key from Karsos'' Arraywork, and there''s no way you can ge-" Kdin abruptly shut his mouth as he saw Dorian reach forward.

    WHOOSH

    A sh of light lit up the world as the air, and every single chain that was holding down Moria, shivered. Dorian''s eyes began to glow, a faint Aura wrapping around him.

    "You¡­ you are recognized by his Signature Control Key?!" Kdin''s jaw dropped.

    After a moment, however, he recovered, the excitement fading from his eyes.

    The chains that had shivered did only that. They didn''t stretch taut and the light that Dorian had brought into existence faded. The world around him returned to normal, nothing changing.

    "It''s still useless. You might be able to ess Karsos'' Array Network, but the Array Network left behind by us can only be directly essed by Yukel-"

    His jaw dropped a second time as a second glowing circle formed in the air, this one a cool white color.

    "W-w-what?! By Ausra''s spat, how in the 30,000 Worlds is that possible?!?!"

    "You can ess Yukeli and Ausra''s Array? It recognizes you?! How?!"

    Kdin''s eyes seemed as if they were about to pop out of his head.

    He tentatively sighed again after a moment, noting that the world around him was still stable.

    "Even if you can ess thework Yukeli and Ausra built, there is a safeguard that requires Ausra''s presence to be-"

    WHOOOOOSH

    Light zed as the chains pulled away from Moria, the world trembling about them.

    Kdin stared at Dorian, his jaw looking as if it was about to fall off his face in sheer, unadulterated shock. Despite being only a soul his eyes almost rolled up in the back of his head, as if he was about to faint.

    "What in the 30,000 Worlds are you?!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile, while all of this was going down, on a World not too far from here¡­

    The King of the Shades, Hasith Shanty, looked at the sword he held in his hand quietly. It wasrger than average, a type of longsword known as a bastard sword. He held the sword gingerly, as if he didn''t want to be wielding it at all.

    His full greying beard had been cut short, giving him a more military appearance. His calcting grey eyes and lean muscr figure remained the same, as were the dozens of knives that were strapped to the long and ornate purple robes he wore.

    He was standing in arge, glittering sunroom. Light was let in from giant panes of ss overhead, illuminating a mostly empty practice room. The floor was covered with arge grey mat. One wall had a selection of weapons on it and a door, while the other three were filled with mostly clear windows.

    "The preparations are almostplete. Highlord Marcus Aurelius¡­ I will seize Evonon from you even if I must kill off your entire to do so." He grit his teeth as he spoke.

    "My people are depending on me. The entire Commune is, though they don''t know it. We have less than a century left." He slowly sheathed his de with a sigh. A ck Angelic Halo appeared around his head for a brief moment before vanishing.

    He sighed again, his eyes flicking to the side.

    "Bariel. Enter now." His voice echoed as he waved his hand to the side.

    "Your Highness! I bring urgent news!" A Shade wearing a set of dark grey te armor walked in, holding a metal helmet in one hand. The Shade was older, with a lined face and grey hair. Despite that, a vibrant Lord ss Aura surrounded him. He was one of the Shade King''s trusted aides, in charge of bringing important information to the King in a timely manner.

    "Just moments ago, Excelsior Gamin sent in a request for backup! He''s be entrapped in a prolonged battle with one of the Family Generals of the Aurelius Family, General Balbinus, on Shaptle! Specifically, just above the city of Cracktyl."

    As Hasith heard this, he froze, not revealing a hint of emotion.

    "Have any of the Dukes or the Church sent any significant forces to intervene yet?" He queried quietly, his voice calm and collected.

    "No, sir!" Bariel responded, barking out a fast response.

    Hasith blinked.

    "You are dismissed. Have word passed on to the Church and the District Commander that oversees the of Shaptle. Also¡­ I believe Duke Barmo has some influence there? Send him word as well, as a courtesy."

    "Yes, sir!" Bariel dashed off, his voice echoing as he ran to fulfill the Shade King''s orders.

    A quiet pause ensued as the Shade King was left alone.

    "Balbinus is on Shaptle? Marcus would never give up Evonon, even with a hostage to trade. Bloodshed is unavoidable. However, I might be able to lure him out alone if I have one of his Generals¡­" Hasith''s eyes shed, his mouth twisting slightly as if in distaste,

    "And if not, killing him would save tens of thousands of lives and precious time that we can''t afford to waste. The sooner this pointless war ends, the better." The Shade King seemed to talk himself into it.

    He blinked slowly and then took a deep breath. The dark Angelic Halo appeared, hovering around his head once more. A vast, overwhelmingly powerful Aura burst forth around him, visibly fracturing the air within a few meters of him.

    A momentter, both he and the fractured air vanished, disappearing as if they had never been there at all.

    .

 Chapter 203 Status

    "What in the 30,000 Worlds are you?!"

    Dorian''s eyes were focused as he ignored Kdin, staring intently forward.

    When Kdin had called up the first Array ess point, Dorian had felt an instinctive connection. Just as the Thunder Saint said, the Array was one built by the Demon Emperor, essible only by other Demons.

    Thus, essing it was a cinch.

    When he had activated it, he found himself surrounded by a flurry of lights. Various sensations washed over him as the Array seemed to scan him, his soul vibrating. The scan detected the various Demonic Laws he had gained, automatically epting him as a Demon.

    At the same time, he sensed a feeling of obstruction, as if he didn''t have the authority to do anything despite being a Demon. It recognized him as someone that wasn''t an enemy, but didn''t give him full control.

    As the scan finished, a familiar voice greeted him, tinged with confusion.

    ''Disciple Obelisk? Why are you in the central Array Control Zone?''

    Dorian smiled.

    ''Master bubble!''

    He sent a mental message back to the Array Genie in response,

    ''I am undergoing official business for the Demon Emperor. Please refrain from interfering and grant me full ess.'' His mental voice was authoritative, filled with absolute confidence.

    ''Of course!'' The Array Genie didn''t hesitate a whit. Immediately, the feeling of obstruction vanished as Dorian gained full ess to the Array.

    WHOOSH

    Light blinded Dorian for a moment. Briefly, he could sense the chains that bound Moria shiver but eventually remain still. A faint Demonic Aura wrapped itself around him, causing him to frown slightly.

    ''There''s the other Array Network Kdin told me about.''

    "You¡­ you are recognized by his Signature Control Key?!"

    Dorian ignored Kdin again as he focused on the new Arraywork. He could sense it with his soul, feeling the various lines of energy and mysterious symbols it wasposed of. The Magic was foreign to him, at its very core. He had never studied anything about Arrays and the Magic behind them.

    ''I''ll add that to the list of things to learn about.'' That and Magic itself were two things he hadn''t had the time to grasp. He relied on his powerful forms, Abilities, and various Laws to show off his might.

    ''Hmm¡­ I can feel a certain something resonate in my soul¡­'' Dorian frowned, his eyes gleaming with light. When he touched the second Array Network, he could feel a level of familiarity. It wasn''t quite like the first one, but it was still something simr.

    It was as if the Array was recognizing him.

    ''No¡­ it''s not recognizing me!'' He smiled slightly as he realized what was happening.

    It was recognizing the fragment of Yukeli''s soul that was partially fused with his.

    "It''s still useless. You might be able to ess Karsos'' Array Network, but the Array Network left behind by us can only be directly essed by Yukel-"

    A second circle of light burst into existence in the air in front of Dorian as he sessfully managed to ess the Array Network Yukeli had helped set up. When it detected the remnant soul of Yukeli, it automatically set about forming a connection, almost as if the Array itself was desperate to form one.

    ''Eesh, is it¡­ clingy? Can an Array Network be clingy?'' Dorian''s face twitched as he sensed the response from the Array.

    "W-w-what?! By Ausra''s spat, how in the 30,000 Worlds is that possible?!?!" Kdin''s words echoed his shock. For something to stun so powerful a figure as the Thunder Saint, it was doubtlessly something momentous,

    "You can ess Yukeli and Ausra''s Array? It recognizes you?! How?!!"

    Once again, Dorian ignored his words as he focused.

    ''Hmm? It won''t let me do anything?'' As he tried to make the Array activate and open up,manding it to let them out, he felt something blocking him. Unlike how it was with the other Array, this one didn''t seem to have given him full, unlimited ess.

    ''Oh?'' As he thought this, he felt a faint tingling in his soul.

    This tingling sensation came from his Soul Spell Matrix, theplex collection of magical symbols in his soul that were connected with millions of lines of energy.

    ''It''s¡­ resonating?'' When he ran into a wall blocking his ess, his Soul Spell Matrix had started to vibrate and shiver¡­

    "Even if you can ess thework Yukeli and Ausra built, there is a safeguard that requires Ausra''s presence to be-"

    WHOOSH

    In his mind, Dorian felt a connection once again form, this time between his Soul Spell Matrix and the Array. Specifically¡­ Dorian felt it form between Ausra, his Soul Spell Matrix Genie, and the Array Network.

    ''Ausra? Can you unlock this Array and help us break past thisst set of chains?'' He instantly asked, excitement filling him.

    ''Scanning¡­'' Ausra''s cool voice echoed in his head.

    The Array had detected Ausra''s presence in his Soul Spell Matrix and seemed to ept that as a substitute for whatever requirements it had.

    A perfect collection of coincidences had all lined up, through a trick of Fate or sheer luck, Dorian wasn''t sure, but he wasn''t going to let this opportunity go to waste.

    ''¡­This Array is now essible¡­'' Ausra''s voice responded mechanically. At the same time, Dorian felt a full, unobstructed connection form.

    He now had full ess to both ovepping Arrays, giving him full control over the Sealing Array Network.

    With a single thought, he was able to bring all of the chains that were binding Moria up into the air, pulling them all taut. Light shuddered and shed as hemanded this action, smiling fiercely.

    "Who the hell are you?!" Finally, as Dorian safely finished concentrating, he looked over at Kdin. The Thunder Saint had his hands in his hair, his mouth open as he looked at Dorian as if he was a lunatic.

    "I''m Batma-, cough. Ahem." He patted on his chest lightly,

    "I''m Dorian." He hardly went by hisst name these days. Simply Dorian was enough.

    "I''ve managed to gain control of both Arrays. I can sense that it''s possible to pull almost all of the chains off of Moria, and at the same time, pull us out of here." He could indeed feel that all of this was possible. When he gained control of both Array Networks, almost everything within them was at hismand.

    ''If I wanted, I could wipe out those Demonic Inheritances with a snap of my fingers¡­'' He frowned slightly,

    ''But if I do that, that would be the same thing as basically cutting off an entire branch of knowledge.''

    Laws were merely Laws. Despite their names, the Demonic Laws were not inherently evil. While they were Demonic in nature, there were examples, Dorian knew, of Demons that weren''t evil in the past.

    Most people had their opinions colored by the multiple Great Wars, but Dorian, an outsider, considered everything from an outsider''s point of view.

    ''¡­Who am I to be the arbiter of what Laws can exist and what cannot? I myself am no longer even truly human. In fact, I study all of the Demonic Laws¡­ yet I would not consider myself evil.'' As thisst thought ran through his mind, he made a conscious decision.

    He would leave the Inheritances intact, protected and powered by the powerful Array.

    "I can''t remove all of the chains. I can see that some of them are set almost permanently into Moria, sunken and fused after so many years." Probably 15% of the inner chains seemed to be impossible to remove, either because of time or by design.

    Just by looking at this, Dorian could tell that the chains would absorb enough energy to power the Array protecting the Inheritances, as well as keep the center of Moria a deadzone.

    ''The rest of the world, however, will return to exactly how it used to be. Flourishing with energy, with life. A renaissance of Law for Moria.'' He nodded,

    ''Aplete victory. With this, the Shades will have to acknowledge me and Helena, and our escape should be assured!''

    "Hup!"

    The chains that he could affect began to shake and tremble, stretching towards a breaking point. At the same time, a glowing doorway appeared in thin air, vibrating with warm yellow light.

    Dorian walked up to the doorway. In the background, the chains continued to stay pulled taut, slowly stretching out. They no longer needed his full focus, pulling to a breaking point almost on their own now. This caused the world around him to vibrate, light and energy fluctuating in the air. A fairly normal urrence for him at this point during his time on Moria.

    "Are you going toe with me? I''m about to snap the chains. The moment I walk through the portal, they will break on their own." He turned his attention fully towards the Thunder Saint, asking him a question.

    Kdin looked at the glowing door, his eyes wistful for a moment before he sighed,

    "Your performance today has exceeded my every expectation, Mr. Demon Dorian. I have never met a being quite like you before. You don''t give off the vicious vibe that many Demons of old did. If anything, you seem almost human to me." He gave him a small smile,

    "Unfortunately, I''m just a soul and Soul Spell Matrix. I might be able to live for a few hours, but unless you can create a body for me out of thin air-"

    "Yep, I can do that, though I''ll need some kind of gic data." Dorian immediately interjected, nodding his head as if it waspletely normal.

    Kdin stared at him.

    "You¡­ you can make a body out of thin air? You do understand how extremely difficult that is, right, especially if you want to make it suitable for a random soul?" His response was muted, for some odd reason that Dorian couldn''t deduce, as if he was almost afraid of Dorian''s answer.

    "Yes, and yep." Dorian replied with an offhand shrug.

    "¡­"

    "Have you done this before?" Kdin''s unblinking gaze never strayed from Dorian.

    "Yep. Not too long ago, actually. You could say I''m a bit of an expert." He shamelessly bragged, feeling confident. The rush of control from the multiple Array Networks, plus the excitement from knowing he could escape this trap and aid the Demonic Councilmembers, had won over him.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Kdin stared at him again.

    Dorian stared back.

    Abruptly, Kdin broke outughing,

    "Well alright then, friend! That''s good enough for me!" The cheerful man walked up and patted Dorian on the back, apparently deciding that nothing Dorian said could be too far-fetched. His eyes grew serious as he looked at him, the many years he had spent alone in this world likely contributing to his willingness to believe in Dorian.

    "This is a favor I will never forget, till the day I pass. Let it not be said that I, the Thunder Saint, am a miser. As a show of trust, allow me to gift you this, young Demon." Kdin tapped Dorian one more time, on the head. This time, however, his finger glowed with white light when it made contact.

    WHOOSH

    "Huh?!" Dorian felt energy coalesce and swarm around his soul. Raw, natural energy that thronged with power, pulsating. Despite the vast amount of energy, all of it remained rtively calm and safe, not pressuring or damaging him.

    It was still a huge amount of energy, despite that. Therge amount caused some slight amount of pain, though nothing too significant.

    This energy began to seep into Dorian''s soul, soaking in deep and empowering him.

    "Over the hundreds of years that I have spent here, I''ve built up quite arge store of purified energy, something known as Soul Essence, thanks to my Angelic ss Soul Spell Matrix. The amount I lent you should be enough to greatly enhance yo-" Kdin cut himself off.

    "Mmm, that felt great!" Dorian smiled as he sensed the feeling wear off, checking the effect on his soul.

    "Is that all of it?" He looked up, his eyes eager. He could feel a notable increase in his personal strength. He would check his Status in a moment to see the exact growth.

    "Err¡­" Kdin looked at his finger and then shrugged,

    "I guess you aren''t really a normal being." Instead of a finger, this time he just openly smacked Dorian in the head, literally pping a vast amount of energy into Dorian''s soul.

    WHOOSH

    "Ahhhhhh!" Dorian yelped out loud as equal parts pain and bliss filled his soul, an overwhelming torrent of energy serenading him.

    "It hurts so gooood!"

    Right as he finished yelling out loud, before Kdin could even give him a weird look, the Thunder Saint''s eyes widened.

    When Kdin smacked Dorian, he had identally sent Dorian tumbling into the doorway. The moment this happened, 85% of the remaining chains burst, setting everything in sight to a chaotic explosion of light and energy.

    Without hesitation, Kdin dove headfirst after Dorian, grabbing onto his shoulder as they both vanished into the glowing doorway.

    "Hahahaha, great job, Mr. Demon Dorian! I really admire your decisiveness!" The Thunder Saint shamelesslyplimented Dorian as if it had been his decision to dive into the portal out of the blue.

    Dorian didn''t have time to respond as he put all of his focus into having his soul devour the energy Kdin had bestowed on him. A few seconds passed as the world warped and twisted around them. This shifting didn''tst long, however.

    Just momentster, the duo appeared exactly where Dorian had been before,nding back in the sealed-off throne room.

    Dorian''s soul devoured the energy Kdin had imbued within it voraciously. It took only a few seconds for him to absorb almost everything he possibly could manage. Only about 10% of the Soul Essence went to waste as a rather full feeling settled upon him, making it very clear that even if Kdin wanted to share more energy, his soul currently couldn''t handle it.

    This method of sharing Soul Essence to boost another being''s soul was one very few people could attempt, and not many could gain much from it. The minimum requirement to attempt it was to be at the Angelic ss. As for receiving it¡­ one would need a decently strong soul that had a somewhat low understanding of the Laws of the Universe, open to arge amount of growth.

    As he arrived back in the throne room, Dorian didn''t hesitate and instantly did something he''d been nning on for a while.

    ''Status.'' He opened up his status, checking over all the various gains he had made from acquiring multiple Laws to taking in the energy that Kdin abruptly gifted him with.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "Oh my gosh, what?!" He stared at this status inplete shock.

    The numbers¡­ they were simply too ridiculous!

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 500,909/533,221

    -

    He had already fully surpassed the average Energy Level of an Early King ss being, despite still being in Lord ss!

    His Energy Level was double that of the Vice-Head of the Diamond Department, someone considered a freakish Lord ss genius with an abnormally powerful Energy Level!

    Something that was supposed to be functionally impossible to achieve, the gap between the two sses considered nearly insurmountable!

    His Energy Level had, after all this time, more than doubled!

    "This¡­" He blinked, smiling ferociously,

    "This I can use."

    .

    .

    Next chapter on Friday (maaaybe Thursday, but expect it Friday, just in case). I know it''s a few days, but these climatic chapters take a lot of nning to write and are very important; I want them to be perfect. I rewrote this chapter alone twice, making it match my vision. Also, I''m tired hahaha.

    I''d rather post slowly but steadily than need to take a long hiatus/break or anything like that, eventually working our way back up to a semi-daily schedule.

    .

 Chapter 204 Thanksgiving

    "We''ve made it back!" Dorian smiled as he looked around the familiar room, his eyes shining. His smile faded slightly as he looked at the various pirs that were holding up the roof.

    All of them were crumbling and cracked, the pristine appearance they''d had before nowhere to be seen.

    ''I must''ve damaged them by breaking thest chains that I could break, even if this area is still a dead zone.'' He realized, nodding his head slightly.

    ''Huh¡­ is this ol'' Karsos''s throne room?'' A voice echoed in Dorian''s mind, feeling as if it was right behind him.

    "Woah!" Dorian spun around, his eyes widening as he stared at the speaker.

    "Kdin? What exactly are you now?" He blinked.

    Right in front of him was a glowing orb of yellow light. The orb was slightly translucent, letting him just barely see through it. As the orb floated, it bobbed up and down, refusing to remain in one ce.

    ''He kind of looks like Mister Bubble.'' Dorian noted wryly.

    ''This is my soul, manifested in reality. Angelic ss souls canst quite a bit, though the advanced age of my soul will cut that time down pretty harshly. I probably have less than an hour to live.'' Kdin said cheerfully.

    WHOOSH

    The ball of light shifted and stretched, gradually transforming into a floating image of Kdin, down to the lightning bolt scar that cut across his face and his spiky blonde hair.

    ''Pretty cool, right? Bet you''ve never seen an Angelic ss soul out in the wild, eh?'' He grinned at Dorian, apparently ignoring the fact that he was slowly dying.

    Dorian''s mind went back to when he was rescuing Will, all the way back on the world he''d firstnded on, Hasnorth.

    ''That old Wizard guy that rewarded me for saving Will back then¡­ wasn''t he an Angelic ss Wizard? That must''ve been part of why he couldst so long, despite being only a soul!'' Dorian came to a certain realization.

    "No, I have. I can see the simrities between you two a bit." Dorian nodded.

    Kdin eyed him briefly before sighing,

    ''You''re not lying.''

    "Nope!" Dorian replied, upbeat.

    Kdin sighed again, shaking his head ruefully,

    ''Mr. Demon Dorian, you seem to have led quite the wild life so far. How old are you, 50 years? 70? To have seen so man-''

    "I think I''m¡­ a couple months old? Maybe 2 and a half? 3?" His Jade Memory boosted his memory greatly, but it didn''t make all of his old memories from before he had the Ability have perfect recall. The exact amount of time he had been in the 30,000 Worlds was a bit fuzzy to him.

    Kdin sighed deeply and held his hands out to the side inplete surrender,ughing.

    ''Never mind.''

    Dorian waited for a moment and then spoke out loud, turning his attention to a different topic,

    "Heyo, Fifteen. Looks like your trap didn''t quite work perfectly, huh?" As he talked, he walked over to the doorway he''d arrived at. He grabbed one of the handles, tugging on it.

    He frowned. The handle remained in ce. Fifteen didn''t respond, either because he couldn''t or because he was choosing not to.

    ''I still can''t sense any Laws, and I''m basically out of most Law Energy.'' His mind raced ahead as he tried to figure out a n.

    "Hup!" In quick session, Dorian punched forward several times, his wed hands mming into the doorway.

    ''Nothing.'' His eyes shed,

    ''The Councilmembers should be able to hold up for a couple of hours at most¡­'' He thought, taking a step back,

    ''How do I get out of here?!''

    As Dorian was contemting his situation, Kdin''s figure floated over.

    ''I hate to bother you right now, but I will disperse and die pretty soon if you can''t help me construct a body.'' His voice maintained its unwavering optimism, his tone casual and without fear, as if he was talking about the weather.

    "Right, right." Dorian nodded at him,

    "Hold on¡­" Dorian stared at him, concentrating,

    "I don''t have any gic information about you, or even your original body. Do you have anything I can use to help reform your physique?"

    ''I can help with a bit of that.'' Kdin nodded,

    ''As a former Angelic ss expert, I still contain a bit of my old strength. While I can''t reform my old body, I can create a small piece of Soul Skin that is bound to my soul.''

    Bright light shed as Kdin''s body wavered. Just a momentter, a small piece of glowing light appeared in the air, separating itself from the Great Hero.

    "Soul Skin?" Dorian muttered out loud as he looked at the floating object. When his eyes got used to the warm yellow light, he could faintly make out what looked like¡­ skin, he guessed. It wasn''t as if a piece of skin had a very unique look on its own.

    ''Yes. All Angelic ss beings can form a Soul Body, condensed from the energy of their Soul Spell Matrix and the Laws they study, gathered over time. Mine was almostpletely destroyed by Emperor Karsos, but over time, I managed to condense a small piece of it.'' Kdin seemed to shrug,

    ''Without ess to my Law of Heavenly Lightning, I was unable to make much progress beyond this.''

    "Oh, I see." Dorian''s eyes widened slightly when he heard the Law Kdin had studied.

    ''The Law of Heavenly Lightning? Dude, that''s badass!'' He kept the thought to himself as he raised a finger, tapping on the Soul Skin. Gaining an ally out of one of the Great Heroes, especially a former Angelic ss warrior, was definitely worth the price of reviving him, if it was possible.

    Immediately, he felt his finger tingle. As soon as he touched it, he could sense that there was some type of gic material he could replicate or absorb here.

    ''It''s only because of my unquestionable talent, looks, charm, charisma, style, intelligence, body odo-'' Dorian ignored Kdin as the man went off on a tangent, staring at the Soul Skin.

    ''Well, absorbing it would kill him, so I can''t do that.'' He tossed the thought from his mind as he stared at it.

    ''Ausra, show me my Growth Points!'' Hemanded, thinking it over. He knew he had arge number of Points, but it had cost him millions of Points to revive Will, even when he used Veritas'' body. Whether or not he could revive Kdin wouldrgely depend on that.

    -

    -Bnce Demon - Growth Stage: (3/3) Elder Demon -

    Growth Progress ¨C 32,187,122/0 -

    -

    ''Hmm, that''s not that bad bu- HOLD ON! WHAT?!'' He mentally yelled out loud as he saw the numbers in his mind.

    ''Is that 32 MILLION?!'' He was shocked. Previously, holding so much energy would cause arge amount of pain to sweep through his soul. Now, however, it was a sum he hadn''t even noticed.

    ''How did I get so many Growth Points?!'' He stared at the number, at aplete loss.

    ''Is everything alright, Mr. Demon Dorian?'' Kdin''s voice brought him back to the present.

    "Y-yeah, everything is cool. Hold on, I might indeed be able to bring you back." Internally, he remained shocked.

    ''It must be from all the chains that were binding Moria that I shattered!'' He realized after a moment''s thought,

    ''I didn''t think I was able to absorb the Sealing Tubes, so I didn''t pay that much attention to them as I released them. The energy in the surrounding world was whishing constantly, while my entire focus was on drawing out the Sealing Tubes.'' His mind raced ahead,

    ''I must have drawn the energy into my soul as I drew out the Sealing Tubes, without noticing due to my intense focus! It''s more than possible¡­ it''s even probable that that is where the energy is from!'' He realized, nodding.

    ''With this much energy¡­ I should stand a very real chance at reforming his body, even if all I have is a scrap of this Soul Skin!'' He smiled, looking over at the Soul Skin.

    "Alright! Kdin, float over here, would ya?" He waved at the floating soul. Kdin waved back and then blinked, realizing what Dorian had asked after a moment. He obediently floated over.

    "I''m going to try the method I have. It may feel kind of wei-"

    ''Hey, if you''re gonna be swirling around my insides with weird chemicals or magic, I definitely do not consent.'' Kdin interjected, crossing his arms stubbornly,

    ''This body of mine is 100% natural grown!''

    Dorian squinted at him,

    "Are you really the Thunder Saint Kdin?"

    ''Do you know anyone else iming to be him?'' He puffed up his chest.

    He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he clutched the Soul Skin in one hand and rested the other on Kdin''s shoulder. The floating soul felt ephemeral and cool to the touch, Dorian''s hand slipping through him slightly. He felt an innate connection when he had his hand there, however, signifying that his soul was detecting it.

    ''Ausra¡­ Here''s what I got. Can you work with this, recreating a body for Kdin?'' After he''d gathered everything he could, he sent the fateful question over to Ausra.

    ''Scanning¡­ calcting¡­ running simtions¡­'' Ausra''s voice rang out cooly in his head.

    A few moments passed, turning into a few minutes as they waited patiently. Dorian''s Soul Spell Matrix was far stronger than it had been before, but he also had far less gic material to work with,pared to now. Before, he eventually was working to morph an already formed body to match Will''s soul, while now he had to recreate one out of basically thin air.

    Finally, Ausra responded,

    ''Yes. It will cost roughly 17,827,289 Points. Sess is rated at 87.26%. However, the current material will only allow for one attempt.'' Her words came off mechanical.

    ''87% with some change? Roughly 18 million Growth Points? That''s good enough!'' His eyes shed as he added out loud,

    "It''s possible, though I can''t guarantee sess! It''s almost a 9 out of 10 chance I can make you aplete body! Do you wish to go through with the attempt?"

    ''9 out of 10?'' Kdin''s response was ecstatic,

    ''Hahaha, Demon Boy, I used to go into battle with odds stacked against me 99 to 1! 9 to 1 in my favor, now that is something I can get behind!''

    "Alright!" Dorian nodded. He didn''t think Kdin would''ve refused. After all, saying no would be essentially the same thing as dying.

    "Then¡­ I''ll begin immediately!"

    ''Ausra, initiate the procedure! Let''s go!'' He ordered, determination filling him.

    Immediately, the world around Dorian seemed to condense in. He felt as if he was growing small, his consciousness zeroing in on the patch of Soul Skin. He stared at it, feeling various bits of energy flood off from his soul as Ausra began to direct the operation.

    The air quivered as dots of energy floated in the air, vibrating. Dorian''s body felt hot, and then cold, and then somewhere in between, power fluctuating in his veins as the Growth Points from his soul began to pour out, soaring into the patch of Soul Skin.

    ''Focus, Dorian¡­ feel the energy! Feel the Growth Energy!'' Growth Energy was the manifestation of Growth Points in reality, though he used the two terms almost interchangeably.

    Gradually, Dorian could vaguely sense Ausra forming some type ofwork of energy in the air, all centered around the patch of Soul Skin. She was even more controlled and precise than she had been before when trying to resurrect Will, probably a result of his more powerful Soul Spell Matrix.

    Minutes passed as she kept working. Gradually, more and more light began to emanate from the small patch of Soul Skin. This light began to be blinding, blocking Dorian''s vision, though Ausra seemed unobstructed. If not for his passive Demonic Eyes Ability, he would''ve long since gone blind from staring at it so intently.

    "Grrr¡­" A growl escaped his lips as he concentrated on controlling a now-vast torrent of Growth Energy that was flowing out of his soul. This energy was powerful and vigorous, full of life.

    WHOOSH

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the world around Dorian seemed to quiver as a small explosion shook the air. Onest sh of light blinded him and set him to stumbling back as the patch of Soul Skin vanished from his hand.

    ''Sess.''

    "Hup!" Dorian caught himself, managing to retain his bnce as he cleared his vision, looking up.

    Standing in front of him was a picture-perfect, clothed replica of the Thunder Saint Kdin, giving him a cheeky smile, no longer translucent or floating.

    "Well, that worked out well." Kdin''s voice sounded exactly how it did in Dorian''s mind, nodding at Dorian,

    "Seems like I''m back among the living. Thank you!" The man''s response was rather muted for having juste back to life.

    "Yes! It worked!" Dorian fist pumped the air, jumping with excitement. He had a huge grin on his face as he looked at the Thunder Saint, beyond pleased.

    He had managed to bring one of this universe''s Great Heroes back to life! And it had been surprisingly easy!

    ''It must be because of how powerful my Soul Spell Matrix is now.'' He realized, still smiling.

    "This is¡­ you made me a full Soul Body! Hahaha interesting!" As Kdin spoke, he poked himself a few times. Each time he poked, faint blue light gleamed off his body.

    "Oh right, what exactly is a Soul Body?" Dorian kept grinning as he looked at Kdin, asking a question.

    "It''s a type of unique physical form that is half spiritual, half physical. With a body like this, I should be able to safely traverse the 30,000 Worlds and make it over to my Free School of Thunder without issue, though my power will be rather limited." Kdin shrugged as he finished,

    "But I''m fine with that. Far better than dying, right?" He grinned cheekily back.

    Dorian nodded, feeling a sensation of tiredness sweep into him. Creating Kdin''s Soul Body had taken a lot out of him, energy that he couldn''t easily rece. It was tiring to his soul, something that would take time to recover.

    "That is, though, only if we can get out of here in the first ce¡­" Kdin gestured with his hand,

    "Without ess to the Laws, I''m pretty useless in this Soul Body. Well, I have my devilish good looks to raise morale, but that''s about it." He sighed dramatically.

    Dorian frowned, ignoring Kdin''s unusual personality as he nced around. He focused back on the present situation.

    "You''re not wrong¡­"

    "I know, I was voted Most Handsome in my Academy ss when I was gro-" Kdin began.

    "No, not about that!" Dorian red at the Thunder Saint,

    "About here. I''m not sure how we will escape."

    ''Guiding Light!''

    WHOOSH

    A brilliant sword of molten light appeared, burning in the air. Dorian wielded the sword in his hand, staring at the door in front of him as he walked up to it.

    "Hah!"

    FZZZZZ

    The sword mmed into the door and instantly fizzled out, unable to affect it in the slightest.

    "It''s no use. Now that I have a Soul Body, I can sense a bit more about us. This ce is sealed off from space itself, regr attacks, even powerful ones like that ming sword, are useless." He shook his head as he continued,

    "Unless you can figure out a way to teleport without using Magic and being cut off from the Laws of the Universe, it doesn''t look good for us."

    Dorian blinked.

    Abruptly, a memory filled him. His eyes widened as he called upon Ausra.

    ''Ausra¡­ do I still have the Warping Turkey Bloodline?'' It was a Bloodline he had picked up but never found the time to use, mainly due to its annoying side effect.

    It was a powerful beast that could teleport naturally using an Ability.

    However, it also contained another Ability that could not be removed, vastly lowering its intelligence to below that of even a child. An idiot turkey, as some on Shaptle called it.

    ''Yes.''

    ''Show me that Bloodline plus any new Lord ss Bloodlines I have that I can Evolve!'' He ordered.

    ''Acknowledged.'' Ausra''s voice rang out in his head as a screen popped up.

    -

    Stored Bloodlines

    -

    Lord ss

    -

    Igloo Demon - - - Gazelle Hoofed Fire Demon

    Iron Wasp Demon - - - White Demon Worm

    Blue Armed Demon - - - Yellow Beak Demon

    Gorringer Tiger Demon

    -

    Grandmaster ss

    -

    Warping Turkey - - - Tayzon Rhino

    Midnight detiger - - - Giant Bore Snake

    Ester Ground Dragon¡­ (etc)

    -

    He blinked a second time, slowly turning to eye Kdin.

    "Err¡­ I might have a way out of this mess for us¡­ but, uh¡­ there might be a few¡­plications¡­"

    "What kind ofplications?" Kdin shot back, his voiceced with suspicion.

    Dorian hesitated for a split second before asking, "How good are you at handling turkeys?"

    .

    .

    .

    Sunday.

    .

 Chapter 205 Warping Turkey

    Dorian had a multitude of Demonic Bloodlines to expand upon, many of them looking like very useful additions. If hebined them with his Bnce Demon form, even he didn''t know how powerful he could be.

    ''That will have to wait forter, though. I can''t afford to waste any time at all.'' The Demonic Councilmembers were fighting for their lives right outside.

    "How good am I at¡­ handling turkeys?" Kdin blinked, staring at Dorian.

    A few short moments passed as Dorian filled the Thunder Saint in. He didn''t share everything, but gave the man a general gist of the situation. He had the power to shapeshift and could temporarily morph into a brainless turkey that could teleport.

    However¡­ the soul adaptation period meant he couldn''t instantly shift back.

    ''As long as I ask Ausraa, even if I be an idiot turkey, I should revert back after the adaptation period is done.'' He nodded his head, sighing as he tried to convince himself.

    ''This is our best bet out of here. I don''t really have any other options.''

    "Well. I can make a mean turkey cobbler." Kdinmented, answering Dorian''s question ratherte.

    ''They have cobbler in the 30,000 Worlds?'' Dorian pushed the thought aside as hemanded Ausra,

    ''Begin evolving the Warping Turkey Bloodline!''

    ''¡­Acknowledged¡­'' Ausra''s voice echoed in his head.

    "You''ll need to hold on tight to me when I transform!" As Dorian reiterated some instructions, he saw Kdin nod back.

    ''This had better work¡­ Ausra, transform me into the turkey as soon as it''s ready!''

    ''Acknowledged.'' Ausra replied, and then a momentter,

    ''Absorptionplete. Transformation beginning. Soul adaptation period starting¡­''

    Dorian transformed into a Warping Turkey.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    WHOOSH

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Cluck.

    Life is cluck.

    Cluck is life.

    I look around.

    Everything looks dull.

    I don''t like this room.

    It feels old.

    Cluck.

    I walk up to a wall.

    PECK

    The wall is hard.

    I don''t like the wall.

    thud

    A noise!

    I spin around.

    A being.

    An ugly being.

    I don''t like it.

    It jumps at me.

    I don''t like it more.

    I try to jump back.

    Oh wait, there''s a wall behind me.

    I hit the wall.

    Ouch.

    The ugly being grabs me!

    No!

    I hate ugly things!

    I try to run.

    It won''t let go!

    I struggle.

    It still won''t let go!

    Bad ugly being.

    It''s why you''re ugly.

    ''Cuz you''re bad.

    I can''t escape.

    Wait, I can!

    I feel a¡­ hole.

    A hole that I can''t see.

    But I know there is a hole there.

    I jump into the hole!

    WHOOSH

    We leave the old room.

    Oh hey, the ugly being let go!

    We both appear in another room.

    Lots of beings in here!

    Lots of small ones, and then lots of big ones.

    They''re fighting!

    "¡­"

    They''re also ugly.

    One of them tries to hit me!

    I jump backwards.

    I am mad.

    Oh?

    I can feel something.

    I can hit back!

    But not with my wings!

    They are too pretty to hit such an ugly being.

    I feel like I can¡­

    Create a ball.

    And that ball will shoot something.

    Aser.

    Oh no, the new ugly being is trying to hit me again!

    It''s covered in metal and shiny!

    But still ugly.

    I jump in a hole!

    I appear right behind it!

    I make a ball and shoot aser!

    The ball feels like it''s hard to make.

    But I ignore that and then it''s easy!

    Theser hits the metal ugly thing and knocks him backwards.

    Hahahahaha.

    Stupid metal thing.

    Oooh, wiggling is really easy here.

    ~Let''s wiggle and dance~

    Shake that turkey butt.

    ~wiggle wiggle~

    Oh? I see a bunch more of the ugly metal beings!

    They''re fighting small ugly beings.

    I don''t like the metal ones.

    They''re mean.

    And ugly.

    Well, they''re all ugly.

    But those ones are super ugly.

    I frown fiercely.

    Wait, I can''t frown.

    I don''t have lips.

    What is a frown?

    What are lips?

    Ah, another ugly metal one ising at me!

    I make 5 more balls.

    5 moresers knock it back.

    I really don''t like it!

    Oh no!

    More of them are appearing from the walls!

    Dozens of them!

    They''re so ugly!

    No!

    I raise my mighty head.

    Bow before this Godly Turkey!

    CLUCK!

    I wiggle.

    100 ck balls appear above me as I re at the ugly metal beings.

    Go away!

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The first thing Dorian heard when he woke up was Ausra''s voice echoing in his mind.

    ''Transforming back into Bnce Demon physique as requested. Soul adaptation periodplete.''

    "Ughh." Dorian groaned, clutching at his head as he blinked blearily. After a second he shot up, his heart pounding.

    ''I''m back to-'' His train of thoughts abruptly cut off as he looked around, his eyes widening in shock.

    He was standing in a wastnd.

    "Huh?! Wh-what happened?! Where I am?"

    The only thing he saw was utter devastation and destruction. Copsed rocks, shards of metal and rock, cracked stone, smoke rising from small fires, it was as if he was standing in the aftermath of some horrific war.

    The stench of burning sulfur, melted steel, and smoke stained the air, causing his nose to twitch.

    "Co-cough." He coughed by instinct, not because he needed to, as he waved his hand, clearing some of the smoke around him.

    ''Ausra?! How long was I in a Warping Turkey form?!'' His heart was filled with worry as he stared at his surroundings. Vast destruction like this didn''t just happen in 5 minutes after al-

    ''Approximately 5 minutes.''

    Dorian blinked.

    "Oh. Huh. Errr. That was quick." He rubbed his head sheepishly.

    "Did I cause all this?" He queried.

    ''I do not track your ongoing activities beyond Evolving forms and Law progression.'' She replied unhelpfully.

    Dorian took a few steps as he sifted through the rubble. He could make out some heavily scarred white stone, simr to the stones that built up the Central Castle.

    ''I must''ve wrecked it when I was brainless.'' He rubbed his chin,

    ''Did un-Sealing so many things weaken the protection that made the castle so durable?'' It was the only thing he could think of. The pirs inside that room had indeed crumbled after all. It wasn''t an unreasonable conclusion.

    ''Wait! My Warping Turkey Bloodline! Ausra, show me the info for it and my status!''

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 210,827/533,221

    -

    Warping Turkey - Grandmaster ss (Peak)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1012

    Ability: One With Nature, Warping Physique, Resilient Body

    Warping Turkeys are creatures beloved by nature. Standing roughly half a meter tall with a coat of thick brown feathers and a several meters wide wingspan, they possess the unique Ability to create holes in reality and instantly transport from one hole to another. However, because they are blessed by nature, storing a great deal of energy and the extra organs needed to have a Warping Physique, their intelligence is greatly limited.

    Warping Turkeys have tough, durable bodies equivalent to a Grandmaster ss beast in raw strength despite their small size.

    -

    ''The Warping Physique Ability¡­ that''s the one that screwed me over, but also saved me.'' The Ability required extra organs stored in one''s brain to operate, but as a result, vastly limited the size one''s brain could reach.

    ''Woah?! I spent so much Energy in only 5 minutes?!'' Dorian ignored the other Abilities for now as he blinked, his head looking left and right in shock. The area around him looked like it had been destroyed for an hour or two at least, not just a few minutes.

    "Kdin? Baron Radishow?" His voice was calm and collected, not betraying the nervousness he felt. The smoky surroundings were eerily quiet, something that he found faintly unsettling.

    Abruptly, Dorian felt a twitch in his soul. A feeling of familiarity, one that touched him to his core.

    A feeling he only got when another Anomaly was present.

    He spun around, his heart pounding as he zeroed in on where the feeling wasing from. He immediately began to jog towards it, his eyes cool.

    Several seconds passed as he scampered over the rubble, his Bnce Demon form agilely dodging through the ruins of therge Central Castle. As he moved, the smoky and dusty air gradually began to clear in front of him.

    thud

    He came to a halt on a type of solid stone floor, only marginally cracked. He could vaguely make out several cracked pirs and a partially broken down wall in the background, much of the room destroyed.

    At the very back of the room, there was a familiar stone tform, with an archaic, cracked throne.

    As soon as he saw it, he instantly realized this room was a physical replica of the one he had been trapped in. Or, rather, the room he had been trapped in was a replica of this room.

    These thoughts were brushed to the side, however, as he saw the figure restingnguidly on that throne, staring back at him calmly.

    A vaguely human looking being with grey skin, wearing a set of ordinary grey clothes. A small dagger was sped into a sheath on his waist, while his fingers tapped lightly on the side of the throne.

    "Fifteen." Dorian''s voice was calm, but on the inside he raged as he stared at the creature that had tried again and again to kill him, putting him and Helena into grave danger.

    "Brother. You never did tell me what number you are." Fifteen shrugged.

    Dorian took a few more steps forward, energy starting to crackle around his body.

    ''Touching Light.''

    A brilliant de of molten light appeared in his hand, one he held up and pointed at Fifteen.

    "You aren''t going to get away this time." He red at the other Anomaly.

    Fifteen sighed,

    "I didn''t even want to kill you." He kept tapping on the throne as he watched Dorian walk towards him.

    "I can sense that you used the same method as I. You dted time to gain an advantage, I can feel that your consciousness is older than it should be. I''ve done quite a bit of research into souls."

    Dorian paused,

    ''Is he talking about when I was trapped in my Soul Spell Matrix for several years?'' That had been a trying experience, so long ago.

    "Why are you doing all of this, Fifteen? What are you trying to gain from me?!" Dorian decided to question the Anomaly directly before doing anything else. If he could force Fifteen to stop attacking him, he would be fine with simply leaving, though he had little trust in Fifteen''s words.

    "You understand nothing, brother. You and I¡­ we are merely pawns in HIS game. Gathering experience, gathering knowledge. Experimenting." Fifteen sighed. As he spoke, his body shook, as if he was weighed down with some terrible burden.

    "Anywhere the Laws touch, he can see. He can''t read your mind or see into your heart, but everything you say, everything you do¡­" Fifteen''s Gray Mantor body looked up, his eyes piercing towards Dorian,

    "HE KNOWS."

    A brief pause ensued as Fifteen''s words echoed. More smoke continued to clear around them, revealing more chunks of rock and destroyed castle.

    "You cannot permanently hide from him, lest you break the chains he has set upon your soul." Fifteen gestured at Dorian. The Anomaly leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands as he brought them up.

    "The chains? Do you mean¡­ the remnant of Yukeli that is connected to our soul?" Dorian asked back, his mind racing as he went over Fifteen''s words. If what Fifteen was saying was true¡­

    Fifteen''s silence was all the answer Dorian needed.

    "But how can you kill that? The remnant isn''t something that can be destroyed. The moment it''s removed or an Anomaly dies, it will merge with Fate and vanish, seeking out more of its kind." This was all knowledge Dorian could instinctively feel, tidbits he''d picked up over time.

    Fifteen was silent for a moment. He seemed to be talking to Dorian as an excuse to go over his own ns, instead of genuinely wanting to talk. Dorian got the feeling that he didn''t talk to people often.

    "I cannot kill the remnant. I don''t know if anyone can, not before he escapes to inform others."

    "But you sai-" Dorian began but was interrupted.

    "I said I could break the chains he left." Fifteen''s eyes shed,

    "The method I devised can dislodge the soul remnant and free my soul. It can''t kill him."

    "But then, the remnant will just merge with another Anomaly. It won''t have stopped him at all!" Dorian countered.

    "Yes, that is urate. And that remnant will carry memories of an insane, foolish Anomaly that risked its life doing foolish things. He will assume I died, allowing me to survive freely. With my Grey Mantor form, it should be simple to avoid interacting with him ever again." Fifteen smiled grimly, nodding his head.

    "But¡­ if you''ve interacted with the remnant, you know what he is like! He is an actual monster!"

    As Dorian spoke these words, he surprised himself.

    Deep down, in his core, he realized that he had be fiercely opposed to Yukeli. From the memories he had of the man, as well as the vision of the future he saw, Dorian was certain that if Yukeli was left to his own discretion¡­

    Something terrible would happen. Something that would kill billions, that would kill trillions.

    And, as he grew stronger and stronger, as he grew closer to Helena and made friends, he gradually came to realize that he wanted to stop that thing.

    If he let Yukeli go unchecked, people he knew and loved would die.

    As an Anomaly, and as a man that cared about justice, he had a responsibility to face off against the other Anomalies.

    "Why should I care for their lives? No one has cared about mine." Fifteen''s voice was cutting as he shook his head,

    "Who do you think you are? This reality''s destined savior or something? The universe does not revolve around you, brother. You are merely a small piece, just like me." His words were biting,

    "A single pebble cannot block a raging river."

    Dorian stared at the other Anomaly, his eyes narrowing. He didn''t let his emotions fly through, controlling them as he stared at Fifteen.

    "A pebble alone can stop nothing. Yet it only takes a single pebble to start an avnche." Dorian began,

    "What if it''s not a single pebble, but many. Working together, shaping as one. It may take time, but even the course of a raging river will change as the eons pass." His eyes shed,

    "Do not discount the might of a single pebble."

    Fifteen started at Dorian and then shook his head,ughing quietly,

    "Your foolish idealism will merely lead to your death." Fifteen waved around them, motioning at the ruined castle,

    "Here¡­ this is my sanctuary. The one ce I can hide. Where I can be myself. He has no idea what I truly am, he has never seen my true self." As he looked around, his face wrinkled slightly. The damage Dorian had caused was quite... extensive. Dorian pretended he didn''t notice.

    "The same applies to you. What happens here, he cannot see. Try to contact the remnant soul, you''ll find that he cannot respond. In his soul form, he is tied to the Laws. In ces where there are no Laws, he can''t see or hear anything through you." Fifteen finished, looking back at him.

    Dorian took Fifteen''s words in, blinking. He tried what Fifteen suggested, seeing if he could contact Yukeli.

    ''My connection with that small remnant of Yukeli¡­ it''s¡­ distant?'' As he tried, he instantly realized that something was strange. It was as if the remnant soul that he could sense, a tiny portion that was faintly attached to him, was no longer present. He was used to constantly knowing that the remnant soul was there, in the faintest depths of his soul. For it to suddenly feel distant...

    ''It''s not like I try to talk to it ever, not these days.'' He was more than strong enough to ignore the tiny remnant now.

    ''But that... that is odd.'' There was at least some truth to Fifteen''s words.

    ''Still¡­ He''s like a mad dog. If I leave him here, he will juste back to haunt me. I need to take him out now.'' It felt somewhat callous, but with Helena at risk, Dorian wasn''t willing to leave Fifteen walking free.

    He took a few steps forward, halfway across the ruined stone room towards Fifteen''s throne. As he walked, he activated his Perfect Body Ability, the world around him losing some of its color as his physique was greatly boosted.

    Fifteen noticed all of this with a smile,

    "Are you sure you have time for this now, brother?" He nodded at Doriannguidly.

    "I have all the time in the world to deal with you." Dorian didn''t let himself be swayed.

    ''When I get a few steps closer, I''ll send out a dozen Hyperion Beam-'' His thoughts were broken as Fifteen said something that caught hisplete attention,

    "Oh? What about your lover?"

    Dorian felt his heart freeze over.

    "What do you mean?" He stuttered out, his stomach dropping.

    "Are you sure you have all the time in the world? I must say¡­ your lover is in quite the sticky situation right now. You might want to retreat and go check on that." Fifteen''s words sounded sincere and honest.

    "What did you do?" Dorian stared at Fifteen, his every iota of being emanating killing intent. The air around him trembled, Fate itself reacting to his emotions. Darkness swarmed around Dorian, a deep-seated, deathly Aura faintly appearing.

    "Me? I didn''t do anything¡­ But I happen to know some extremely powerful people are on Shaptle right now, looking for you and her. Do you really have the time to waste here with me?"

    Dorian froze, blinking several times. His heart pounded as he tried to make a decision, caught in a quandary.

    "You don''t have time to dal-"

    THUD

    BOOM

    Fifteen cut himself off abruptly as blood spattered from his lips, a look of shock rising as he looked down.

    Arge, glistening ck dagger had appeared, speared right into the center of his chest. A small explosion of blue light formed from the dagger, energy crackling in the air and then instantly fizzling out.

    "Would you look at us, this is practically a family reunion." A sardonic voice broke in as, out of the smoky darkness, a new figure appeared, juggling a half dozen blue daggers. A somewhat handsome human, with short blonde hair and a lean build.

    One that Dorian instinctively recognized, his soul pulsing as his heart grew steady, pushing past his emotional turmoil.

    "Mello."

    "Damn. Another one. Brother, you were supposed to leave so I could kill you on the way back. I can''t believe you enlisted another one of us as an ally." Fifteen''s body seemed to shiver as he looked at Dorian with a sigh,

    "You''re smarter than you look."

    Fifteen''s body blurred and then vanishedpletely, leaving behind onest, fading remark,

    "I guess I''ll bury the two of you here and now¡­"

    .

    .

    .

    Next chapter on Tuesday.

    .

 Chapter 205 The Saga of the Godly Turkey

    Dorian had a multitude of Demonic Bloodlines to expand upon, many of them looking like very useful additions. If hebined them with his Bnce Demon form, even he didn''t know how powerful he could be.

    ''That will have to wait forter, though. I can''t afford to waste any time at all.'' The Demonic Councilmembers were fighting for their lives right outside.

    "How good am I at¡­ handling turkeys?" Kdin blinked, staring at Dorian.

    A few short moments passed as Dorian filled the Thunder Saint in. He didn''t share everything, but gave the man a general gist of the situation. He had the power to shapeshift and could temporarily morph into a brainless turkey that could teleport.

    However¡­ the soul adaptation period meant he couldn''t instantly shift back.

    ''As long as I ask Ausra, even if I be an idiot turkey, I should revert back after the adaptation period is done.'' He nodded his head, sighing as he tried to convince himself.

    ''This is our best bet out of here. I don''t really have any other options.''

    "Well. I can make a mean turkey cobbler." Kdinmented, answering Dorian''s question ratherte.

    ''They have cobbler in the 30,000 Worlds?'' Dorian pushed the thought aside as hemanded Ausra,

    ''Begin evolving the Warping Turkey Bloodline!''

    ''¡­Acknowledged¡­'' Ausra''s voice echoed in his head.

    "You''ll need to hold on tight to me when I transform!" As Dorian reiterated some instructions, he saw Kdin nod back.

    ''This had better work¡­ Ausra, transform me into the turkey as soon as it''s ready!''

    ''Acknowledged.'' Ausra replied, and then a momentter,

    ''Absorptionplete. Transformation beginning. Soul adaptation period starting¡­''

    Dorian transformed into a Warping Turkey.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    WHOOSH

    .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Cluck.

    Life is cluck.

    Cluck is life.

    I look around.

    Everything looks dull.

    I don''t like this room.

    It feels old.

    Cluck.

    I walk up to a wall.

    PECK

    The wall is hard.

    I don''t like the wall.

    thud

    A noise!

    I spin around.

    A being.

    An ugly being.

    I don''t like it.

    It jumps at me.

    I don''t like it more.

    I try to jump back.

    Oh wait, there''s a wall behind me.

    I hit the wall.

    Ouch.

    The ugly being grabs me!

    No!

    I hate ugly things!

    I try to run.

    It won''t let go!

    I struggle.

    It still won''t let go!

    Bad ugly being.

    It''s why you''re ugly.

    ''Cuz you''re bad.

    I can''t escape.

    Wait, I can!

    I feel a¡­ hole.

    A hole that I can''t see.

    But I know there is a hole there.

    I jump into the hole!

    WHOOSH

    We leave the old room.

    Oh hey, the ugly being let go!

    We both appear in another room.

    Lots of beings in here!

    Lots of small ones, and then lots of big ones.

    They''re fighting!

    "¡­"

    They''re also ugly.

    One of them tries to hit me!

    I jump backwards.

    I am mad.

    Gobble, gobble.

    Oh?

    I can feel something.

    I can hit back!

    But not with my wings!

    They are too pretty to hit such an ugly being.

    I feel like I can¡­

    Create a ball.

    And that ball will shoot something.

    Aser.

    Oh no, the new ugly being is trying to hit me again!

    It''s covered in metal and shiny!

    But still ugly.

    I jump in a hole!

    I appear right behind it!

    I make a ball and shoot aser!

    The ball feels like it''s hard to make.

    But I ignore that and then it''s easy!

    Theser hits the metal ugly thing and knocks him backwards.

    Hahahahaha.

    Stupid metal thing.

    Oooh, wiggling is really easy here.

    ~Let''s wiggle and dance~

    Shake that turkey butt.

    ~wiggle wiggle~

    Oh? I see a bunch more of the ugly metal beings!

    They''re fighting small ugly beings.

    I don''t like the metal ones.

    They''re mean.

    And ugly.

    Well, they''re all ugly.

    But those ones are super ugly.

    I frown fiercely.

    Wait, I can''t frown.

    I don''t have lips.

    What is a frown?

    What are lips?

    Ah, another ugly metal one ising at me!

    I make 5 more balls.

    5 moresers knock it back.

    I really don''t like it!

    Oh no!

    More of them are appearing from the walls!

    Dozens of them!

    They''re so ugly!

    No!

    I raise my mighty head.

    Bow before this Godly Turkey!

    CLUCK!

    I wiggle.

    100 ck balls appear above me as I re at the ugly metal beings.

    Go away!

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The first thing Dorian heard when he woke up was Ausra''s voice echoing in his mind.

    ''Transforming back into Bnce Demon physique as requested. Soul adaptation periodplete.''

    "Ughh." Dorian groaned, clutching at his head as he blinked blearily. After a second he shot up, his heart pounding.

    ''I''m back to-'' His train of thoughts abruptly cut off as he looked around, his eyes widening in shock.

    He was standing in a wastnd.

    "Huh?! Wh-what happened?! Where am I?"

    The only thing he saw was utter devastation and destruction. Copsed rocks, shards of metal and rock, cracked stone, smoke rising from small fires, it was as if he was standing in the aftermath of some horrific war.

    The stench of burning sulfur, melted steel, and smoke stained the air, causing his nose to twitch.

    "Co-cough." He coughed by instinct, not because he needed to, as he waved his hand, clearing some of the smoke around him.

    ''Ausra?! How long was I in a Warping Turkey form?!'' His heart was filled with worry as he stared at his surroundings. Vast destruction like this didn''t just happen in 5 minutes after al-

    ''Approximately 5 minutes.''

    Dorian blinked.

    "Oh. Huh. Errr. That was quick." He rubbed his head sheepishly.

    "Did I cause all this?" He queried.

    ''I do not track your ongoing activities beyond Evolving forms and Law progression.'' She replied unhelpfully.

    Dorian took a few steps as he sifted through the rubble. He could make out some heavily scarred white stone, simr to the stones that built up the Central Castle.

    ''I must''ve wrecked it when I was brainless.'' He rubbed his chin,

    ''Did un-Sealing so many things weaken the protection that made the castle so durable?'' It was the only thing he could think of. The pirs inside that room had indeed crumbled after all. It wasn''t an unreasonable conclusion.

    ''Wait! My Warping Turkey Bloodline! Ausra, show me the info for it and my status!''

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 210,827/533,221

    -

    Warping Turkey - Grandmaster ss (Peak)

    Maximum Energy Level: 1012

    Ability: One With Nature, Warping Physique, Resilient Body

    Warping Turkeys are creatures beloved by nature. Standing roughly half a meter tall with a coat of thick brown feathers and a several meters wide wingspan, they possess the unique Ability to create holes in reality and instantly transport from one hole to another. However, because they are blessed by nature, storing a great deal of energy and the extra organs needed to have a Warping Physique, their intelligence is greatly limited.

    Warping Turkeys have tough, durable bodies equivalent to a Grandmaster ss beast in raw strength despite their small size.

    -

    ''The Warping Physique Ability¡­ that''s the one that screwed me over, but also saved me.'' The Ability required extra organs stored in one''s brain to operate, but as a result, vastly limited the size one''s brain could reach.

    ''Woah?! I spent so much Energy in only 5 minutes?!'' Dorian ignored the other Abilities for now as he blinked, his head looking left and right in shock. The area around him looked like it had been destroyed for an hour or two at least, not just a few minutes.

    "Kdin? Baron Radishow?" His voice was calm and collected, not betraying the nervousness he felt. The smoky surroundings were eerily quiet, something that he found faintly unsettling.

    Abruptly, Dorian felt a twitch in his soul. A feeling of familiarity, one that touched him to his core.

    A feeling he only got when another Anomaly was present.

    He spun around, his heart pounding as he zeroed in on where the feeling wasing from. He immediately began to jog towards it, his eyes cool.

    Several seconds passed as he scampered over the rubble, his Bnce Demon form agilely dodging through the ruins of therge Central Castle. As he moved, the smoky and dusty air gradually began to clear in front of him.

    thud

    He came to a halt on a type of solid stone floor, only marginally cracked. He could vaguely make out several cracked pirs and a partially broken down wall in the background, much of the room destroyed.

    At the very back of the room, there was a familiar stone tform, with an archaic, cracked throne.

    As soon as he saw it, he instantly realized this room was a physical replica of the one he had been trapped in. Or, rather, the room he had been trapped in was a replica of this room.

    These thoughts were brushed to the side, however, as he saw the figure restingnguidly on that throne, staring back at him calmly.

    A vaguely human looking being with grey skin, wearing a set of ordinary grey clothes. A small dagger was sped into a sheath on his waist, while his fingers tapped lightly on the side of the throne.

    "Fifteen." Dorian''s voice was calm, but on the inside he raged as he stared at the creature that had tried again and again to kill him, putting him and Helena into grave danger.

    "Brother. You never did tell me what number you are." Fifteen shrugged.

    Dorian took a few more steps forward, energy starting to crackle around his body.

    ''Touching Light.''

    A brilliant de of molten light appeared in his hand, one he held up and pointed at Fifteen.

    "You aren''t going to get away this time." He red at the other Anomaly.

    Fifteen sighed,

    "I didn''t even want to kill you." He kept tapping on the throne as he watched Dorian walk towards him.

    "I can sense that you used the same method as I. You dted time to gain an advantage, I can feel that your consciousness is older than it should be. I''ve done quite a bit of research into souls."

    Dorian paused,

    ''Is he talking about when I was trapped in my Soul Spell Matrix for several years?'' That had been a trying experience, so long ago.

    "Why are you doing all of this, Fifteen? What are you trying to gain from me?!" Dorian decided to question the Anomaly directly before doing anything else. If he could force Fifteen to stop attacking him, he would be fine with simply leaving, though he had little trust in Fifteen''s words.

    "You understand nothing, brother. You and I¡­ we are merely pawns in HIS game. Gathering experience, gathering knowledge. Experimenting." Fifteen sighed. As he spoke, his body shook, as if he was weighed down with some terrible burden.

    "Anywhere the Laws touch, he can see. He can''t read your mind or see into your heart, but everything you say, everything you do¡­" Fifteen''s Gray Mantor body looked up, his eyes piercing towards Dorian,

    "HE KNOWS."

    A brief pause ensued as Fifteen''s words echoed. More smoke continued to clear around them, revealing more chunks of rock and destroyed castle.

    "You cannot permanently hide from him, lest you break the chains he has set upon your soul." Fifteen gestured at Dorian. The Anomaly leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands as he brought them up.

    "The chains? Do you mean¡­ the remnant of Yukeli that is connected to our soul?" Dorian asked back, his mind racing as he went over Fifteen''s words. If what Fifteen was saying was true¡­

    Fifteen''s silence was all the answer Dorian needed.

    "But how can you kill that? The remnant isn''t something that can be destroyed. The moment it''s removed or an Anomaly dies, it will merge with Fate and vanish, seeking out more of its kind." This was all knowledge Dorian could instinctively feel, tidbits he''d picked up over time.

    Fifteen was silent for a moment. He seemed to be talking to Dorian as an excuse to go over his own ns, instead of genuinely wanting to talk. Dorian got the feeling that he didn''t talk to people often.

    "I cannot kill the remnant. I don''t know if anyone can, not before he escapes to inform others."

    "But you sai-" Dorian began but was interrupted.

    "I said I could break the chains he left." Fifteen''s eyes shed,

    "The method I devised can dislodge the soul remnant and free my soul. It can''t kill him."

    "But then, the remnant will just merge with another Anomaly. It won''t have stopped him at all!" Dorian countered.

    "Yes, that is urate. And that remnant will carry memories of an insane, foolish Anomaly that risked its life doing foolish things. He will assume I died, allowing me to survive freely. With my Grey Mantor form, it should be simple to avoid interacting with him ever again." Fifteen smiled grimly, nodding his head.

    "But¡­ if you''ve interacted with the remnant, you know what he is like! He is an actual monster!"

    As Dorian spoke these words, he surprised himself.

    Deep down, in his core, he realized that he had be fiercely opposed to Yukeli. From the memories he had of the man, as well as the vision of the future he saw, Dorian was certain that if Yukeli was left to his own discretion¡­

    Something terrible would happen. Something that would kill billions, that would kill trillions.

    And, as he grew stronger and stronger, as he grew closer to Helena and made friends, he gradually came to realize that he wanted to stop that thing.

    If he let Yukeli go unchecked, people he knew and loved would die.

    As an Anomaly, and as a man that cared about justice, he had a responsibility to face off against the other Anomalies.

    "Why should I care for their lives? No one has cared about mine." Fifteen''s voice was cutting as he shook his head,

    "Who do you think you are? This reality''s destined savior or something? The universe does not revolve around you, brother. You are merely a small piece, just like me." His words were biting,

    "A single pebble cannot block a raging river."

    Dorian stared at the other Anomaly, his eyes narrowing. He didn''t let his emotions fly through, controlling them as he stared at Fifteen.

    "A pebble alone can stop nothing. Yet it only takes a single pebble to start an avnche." Dorian began,

    "What if it''s not a single pebble, but many. Working together, shaping as one. It may take time, but even the course of a raging river will change as the eons pass." His eyes shed,

    "Do not discount the might of a single pebble."

    Fifteen started at Dorian and then shook his head,ughing quietly,

    "Your foolish idealism will merely lead to your death." Fifteen waved around them, motioning at the ruined castle,

    "Here¡­ this is my sanctuary. The one ce I can hide. Where I can be myself. He has no idea what I truly am, he has never seen my true self." As he looked around, his face wrinkled slightly. The damage Dorian had caused was quite... extensive. Dorian pretended he didn''t notice.

    "The same applies to you. What happens here, he cannot see. Try to contact the remnant soul, you''ll find that he cannot respond. In his soul form, he is tied to the Laws. In ces where there are no Laws, he can''t see or hear anything through you." Fifteen finished, looking back at him.

    Dorian took Fifteen''s words in, blinking. He tried what Fifteen suggested, seeing if he could contact Yukeli.

    ''My connection with that small remnant of Yukeli¡­ it''s¡­ distant?'' As he tried, he instantly realized that something was strange. It was as if the remnant soul that he could sense, a tiny portion that was faintly attached to him, was no longer present. He was used to constantly knowing that the remnant soul was there, in the faintest depths of his soul. For it to suddenly feel distant...

    ''It''s not like I try to talk to it ever, not these days.'' He was more than strong enough to ignore the tiny remnant now.

    ''But that... that is odd.'' There was at least some truth to Fifteen''s words.

    ''Still¡­ He''s like a mad dog. If I leave him here, he will juste back to haunt me. I need to take him out now.'' It felt somewhat callous, but with Helena at risk, Dorian wasn''t willing to leave Fifteen walking free.

    He took a few steps forward, halfway across the ruined stone room towards Fifteen''s throne. As he walked, he activated his Perfect Body Ability, the world around him losing some of its color as his physique was greatly boosted.

    Fifteen noticed all of this with a smile,

    "Are you sure you have time for this now, brother?" He nodded at Doriannguidly.

    "I have all the time in the world to deal with you." Dorian didn''t let himself be swayed.

    ''When I get a few steps closer, I''ll send out a dozen Hyperion Beam-'' His thoughts were broken as Fifteen said something that caught hisplete attention,

    "Oh? What about your lover?"

    Dorian felt his heart freeze over.

    "What do you mean?" He stuttered out, his stomach dropping.

    "Are you sure you have all the time in the world? I must say¡­ your lover is in quite the sticky situation right now. You might want to retreat and go check on that." Fifteen''s words sounded sincere and honest.

    "What did you do?" Dorian stared at Fifteen, his every iota of being emanating killing intent. The air around him trembled, Fate itself reacting to his emotions. Darkness swarmed around Dorian, a deep-seated, deathly Aura faintly appearing.

    "Me? I didn''t do anything¡­ But I happen to know some extremely powerful people are on Shaptle right now, looking for you and her. Do you really have the time to waste here with me?"

    Dorian froze, blinking several times. His heart pounded as he tried to make a decision, caught in a quandary.

    "You don''t have time to dal-"

    THUD

    BOOM

    Fifteen cut himself off abruptly as blood spattered from his lips, a look of shock rising as he looked down.

    Arge, glistening ck dagger had appeared, speared right into the center of his chest. A small explosion of blue light formed from the dagger, energy crackling in the air and then instantly fizzling out.

    "Would you look at us, this is practically a family reunion." A sardonic voice broke in as, out of the smoky darkness, a new figure appeared, juggling a half dozen blue daggers. A somewhat handsome human, with short blonde hair and a lean build.

    One that Dorian instinctively recognized, his soul pulsing as his heart grew steady, pushing past his emotional turmoil.

    "Mello."

    "Damn. Another one. Brother, you were supposed to leave so I could kill you on the way back. I can''t believe you enlisted another one of us as an ally." Fifteen''s body seemed to shiver as he looked at Dorian with a sigh,

    "You''re smarter than you look."

    Fifteen''s body blurred and then vanishedpletely, leaving behind onest, fading remark,

    "I guess I''ll bury the two of you here and now¡­"

    .

 Chapter 206 Shear

    "I guess I''ll bury the two of you here and now¡­" Fifteen''s words faded into the air, leaving behind an empty throne. Mello''s bloodstained dagger fell atop the stone throne with a ng as Fifteen''s body vanished.

    "Careful, Mello! He''s here but we can''t see him!" Dorian yelled out loud. His Perfect Body Ability was active, as were any other passive Abilities that increased his power. His Mystic Armored Body in particr kept a strong barrier around him.

    "I''m aware, Dorian." Mello returned. As he finished speaking, Mello leapt backwards, a pair of ck wings appearing as he floated in the air. Crackling, ck energy surrounded him, fluctuating. At the same time, a long, glowing sword appeared, floating in the air in front of Mello as he summoned it.

    ''Mello''s not using a Law¡­ none of us can use the power of Law here. None of my Artifacts will work either, though he might have some rare ones that do.'' The thought shed through Dorian''s mind as he twitched, looking to the left and right as he tried to track Fifteen.

    He kept his senses spread, trying to feel for the familiar sensation of an Anomaly. Unfortunately, Mello''s presence made it harder to detect. He was already feeling a strong sense of familiarity from Mello, trying to find a much lighter one under that was much more difficult.

    "My dagger is not a normal Artifact. That was a Soul Shearing Dagger created by the Pseudo-Angelic ss Craftsman God of Trion, Golber Bruin," Mello began, his voice echoing,

    "While most of its power is nullified here, the attack will have seriously injured him! The blood he spilled is Heartblood, the core essence of his Bloodline! He will slowly bleed out if he doesn''t immediately retreat!" As Mello finished, he pped his hands together. A cocoon of ck lightning surrounded him, creating a seemingly imprable barrier.

    "Here!" The sword flew over to Dorian, slightly taking him by surprise. He snagged it out of the air, blinking.

    As soon as he grabbed the sword, he almost dropped it. It weighed several tons, at least, and was much heavier than he had expected. It gave off a faint metallic glow, powerful and sharp. A very high-quality sword.

    "I prepared both of these weapons to help us kill him! This is a Body Shearing Sword, also made by the Craftsman God! If you can stab him with this, its effects will stack with the Soul Shearing Dagger, and cause fatal injuries to his soul! He will almost certainly die from it!" Mello eximed.

    Dorian eyed the de briefly before replying,

    "Why don''t you just stab him yourself, then?" He wasn''t exactly a swordmaster, his Lord Inigo persona notwithstanding. Mello''s skill with the de likely outssed his. He kept the thought to himself as he looked around. He saw the empty stone floor and an unknown grey-skinned man walking towards him right where Fifteen had vanished from, just a few dozen meters away. No sign of Fifteen or anything unusual.

    "This clone of mine is too weak without ess to Law Energy, all it is good for is surprise attacks! Your body is more than 10 times as strong as mine! I can barely use this ck Lightning thanks to an Artifact I brought, most of my Artifacts aren''t working!" Mello quickly exined.

    At the same time, he began to send out streaks of crackling lightning, the energy swarming through the air. These bolts fluctuated back and forth, seeking out the corners of the teau and the open areas, going over different ces repeatedly.

    If Fifteen had been sneaking about invisibly or anything of the sort, he would''ve found himself not only zapped by lightning but also exposed.

    Unfortunately, the lightning had no effect. The bolts flew past Dorian, crackling the air but returning no result.

    "He can Phase beyond reality, beyond Fate itself! The lightning won''t change that!" Dorian was incredibly tense as the world around him seemed to devolve to chaos. The grey-skinned man that was walking towards him seemed unaffected by the lightning, something that waspletely normal in Dorian''s eyes. He casually ignored that being, trying to find Fifteen.

    "I know! I''m trying to draw him out!" Mello returned.

    ''Ah, screw it.'' Dorian stored the Body Shearing Sword in his Spatial Ring, his heart pounding.

    ''Let''s do it my way.''

    ''Transform! ck Scaled Rage Dragon, go!''

    Immediately, his physique expanded and changed into a towering ck dragon. His scales gleamed as his body formed, giving off a sense of raw power and majesty.

    The instant he finished morphing, he unleashed a sea of ck mes, covering the entire area in the deadly Dragonfire. Mello was flying in the air and flew several meters higher when he saw this, dodging the attack.

    The ocean of mes melted the surface of the rock and stone it encountered, creating a hellish nightmare to almost all living creatures. The mes interacted with the ck Lightning Mello sent out, even causing the lightning bolts to morph and gain certain burning properties. Soon the entire throne room was swept up.

    Dorian showed no signs of stopping. The increases to his Soul had greatly enhanced his Ability to unleash ck mes, especially in his draconic form where it both came naturally to him and had a low energy cost.

    Throughout this all, thepletely normal grey-skinned man continued to walk towards Dorian, unaffected.

    ''Come on, Fifteen! Come out!'' Dorian thought, snorting as his Draconic body shivered.

    ''I can do this all day!''

    His wish came true.

    From out of nowhere, a grey-skinned figure appeared right in front of Dorian''s draconic visage, just a couple of meters to his right.

    The moment it appeared, two things happened.

    The grey-skinned figure instantaneously transformed.

    It immediately morphed into a 30 meter tall demonic being, covered in huge muscles and green scales. The air around it pulsed with a Demonic Aura, giving it a terrifying appearance. Fifteen''s Greater Throne Demon form.

    At the same time, Dorian''s senses tingled as he felt the sensation only an Anomaly could give off, just a couple of meters from him.

    ''Fifteen!'' The Anomaly had struck.

    His thoughts raced ahead in an instant. Fifteen was right beside him, but out of sight. By the time Dorian managed to turn and try to defend himself, he would already be attacked.

    In the split second he had to react, he did the only thing he could think of.

    He changed back to his Bnce Demon form.

    WHOOSH

    The transformation process waspleted in a fraction of a second. His body rapidly shrank to that of his Bnce Demon form. The sweltering sea of ck mes didn''t affect him even in a different form, leaving him unencumbered.

    Less than a heartbeatter, an enormous fist punched through where Dorian''s draconic head had been. A shockwave formed as Fifteen unleashed some type of Ability, causing the air to explode out.

    BOOM

    A concussive st of wind spun Dorian''s Bnce Demon form around, not because he was unable to tank the hit, but because the ground he was standing on shattered and broke apart, causing him to lose traction.

    Fifteen, in that moment, had stumbled slightly as he shrugged off the ck mes all around him. The explosive gust of wind knocked part of the sea of Dragonfire away, but not before singeing his legs, just enough to slow his attack, the unexpected pain taking him by surprise. While Fifteen was ''Phasing'' he was unable to sense what was happening in reality, and thus unable to avoid the ck mes.

    "Hup!" Dorian immediately jumped forward as soon as hended, leaping back into the fray. His Mystic Armored Body had dispersed most of the impact, leaving him uninjured. It would take a direct blow to harm him, at the bare minimum.

    He led forward with a punch of his own, his extremely strong Bnce Demon form smashing the rocky floor as he sent up shards of stone shrapnel.

    Fifteen crossed his arms as he blocked Dorian''s punch, several of his green scales cracking at the impact. The blow sent his huge, 30 meter tall body sliding backwards, kicking up a small cloud of stone dust.

    BOOM

    Several bolts of ck Lightning mmed into Fifteen, knocking him back several steps and causing him to stumble. Many of the scales that covered his body visibly burnt and cracked, falling off of him.

    "Nice shot, Mello!" Dorian yelled out loud as he refused to let up.

    In just a few short seconds, Dorian exchanged multiple blows with Fifteen, all while the other Anomaly was being pelted by Mello. He experimented with twisting Fate as he fought, but found that its effectiveness wasn''t high.

    He wasn''t sure if it was because they were all Anomalies, or because they were in the center of the dead zone where Laws couldn''t be reached, but it offered only minor assistance at best.

    Due to the size difference, most of Dorian''s attacks were leaping ones. Dorian''s form was more agile and, despite the veryrge size difference, roughly on par in terms of physical strength. His Perfect Body Ability plus his already strong Bnce Demon form was enough to tip the bnce.

    BOOM

    Mello shot off several more bolts of ck Lightning, working mostly as support. Dorian tried to figure out a good time to work in the sword Mello had given him, but found no opportunities. He was able to get away with punches, but none of his attacks managed to do significant damage.

    After just a few moments, all of the injuries that had appeared on Fifteen''s body had miraculously healed. His regeneration levels seemed to be incredibly high, as if he was facing no burden in this battle.

    ''If close range won''t work, I''ll go for long range!'' Just as he was thinking that, Fifteen did something rather unexpected.

    He jumped up into the air, raising his arms above his head. He ignored another lightning bolt sent out by Mello, instead mming his hands down onto the ground.

    BOOOOM

    Arge shockwave spread as Fifteen activated his shockwave-creating Ability,bining with the raw power of his Greater Throne Demon''s physique. A literal wave of stone shrapnel serenaded the air, flinging away from Fifteen like bullets.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian''s wed feet dug deep into the ground as he held himself in ce, his arms covering his face and chest. He felt his bones rattle, his teeth cking off each other as he withstood the blow, dozens of rocks mming into him and fading to dust, unable to pierce his Mystic Armored Body Ability.

    Mello fared a bit worse, knocked out of his protective lightning bubble, right into the waiting ck mes. When Dorian saw this, he instantly cancelled his ck mes Ability, causing them to dissipate.

    "ept your fate!" Fifteen''s voice boomed as he growled, immediately charging right at Dorian again.

    As he ran, Fifteen''s body shivered as he transformed once more, this time bing arge, ck skinned wolf with white stripes on its tail. ording to a brief note from Ausra, he had be a Sonic Mane Wolf. Dorian didn''t have time to check up on what that was as Fifteen''s body blurred forward.

    Dorian tensed up as he saw this, his heart pounding as he activated multiple Hyperion Beams.

    ''If close range won''t work, I''ll take you out from afar!'' He repeated his earlier thought, this time prepared to go all out.

    Fifteen''s body hurtled towards him and then¡­

    ¡­charged right by him, breaking off into a mad sprint towards Mello. His Sonic Mane Wolf was especially fast, crossing the distance between him and Mello before Dorian could make a move.

    Another concussive st of wind shook the air, this one stronger than before, as Fifteenunched an attack from point nk. It seemed it was the natural Ability of the Sonic Mane Wolf. Just like ck mes were stronger and easier to use in Dorian''s ck Scaled Rage Dragon form, Fifteen''s shockwave-creating Ability was likely enhanced when he was in that form.

    Mello was strong, but the body he had here was just a clone. Further, he couldn''t ess any Laws to support himself. Dorian still wasn''t certain what Law Mello studied, but it obviously couldn''t help him here. His clone was at least Lord ss, butpared to Fifteen''s true body going all out, it fell short.

    With a resounding grunt, Mello shot across the sky, his bodynding somewhere in the distance. The impact audibly snapped arge number of bones, a sickening crunch that made it clear that he had been taken out ofmission. If he wasn''t dead, he would at least need several minutes to recover.

    ''Damn.'' Dorian swore as he saw this, blinking furiously. Fifteen was an opponent he could not take lightly.

    His heart thumped as he felt a very real sense of danger.

    He could die here.

    Even worse, if he did so, he would leave Helena to her fate, captured by the Shade forces or whomever it was that was looking for her. She was a powerful enemymander that was currently very weak, and even if they didn''t torture her for information, they would undoubtedly still execute her.

    As this thought shed through him, a fanatic sense of determination ran in his veins. He absolutely would not give up if he could find a chance of victory.

    ''All I need to do is pierce him with Mello''s sword and I win. Even if he has a freakish ability to recover, injuries to the soul are not a joke. At the least, he will be stunned and leave himself open.'' Dorian''s reasoning was sound. As the thought crossed his mind and he saw Fifteen jump up into the air to attack again, his Sonic Mane Wolf form reusing the same type of attack, inspiration struck.

    "Hup!" Instead of waiting for Fifteen tond, Dorian jumped into the air. He jumped quite high, leaping more than 50 meters up. The ground beneath him exploded due to the force, a webwork of cracks spreading out. After Dorian weakenedrge parts of the Array, the nearby stone had lost its previously invincible nature.

    Fifteennded on the ground, his wolf form pausing as it looked up at Dorian instead of unleashing a shockwave. The air began to quiver around it as it sprinted over to be below him, preparing to ambush him as hended.

    When Dorian saw Fifteen stand still, just as Dorian reached the apex of his leap, he smiled.

    He then withdrew and threw Mello''s Body Shearing Sword at Fifteen, transforming into a ck Scaled Rage Dragon right after.

    A fraction of a secondter, he activated an Ability he hadn''t used in a long time.

    ''Expand!''

    Earlier, before he entered the dead zone and was still getting ready, Dorian had made a few silent preparations.

    One of those was to regain the Expand Ability.

    ording to Ausra, that Ability had vanished when he got the Perfect Body Ability. The Perfect Body Ability was a mix of both his Expand and his Condense Abilities, mysteriously created by Yukeli.

    However¡­ she also stated that Dorian still had the Titan and Grakon Bloodlines stored. They were stored within him.

    While it was impossible to activate the Perfect Body Ability and either of the Expand and Condense Abilities at the same time, he discovered that he could still reconstruct the Abilities. It would be possible to use one of them as long as he deactivated his Perfect Body Ability.

    The process of reforming his Grakon Bloodline turned out to be surprisingly strenuous on his soul, something that wouldn''t have been possible if his soul hadn''t grown to be so abnormally strong after taking in all of the Demonic Inheritances. He had managed to regain the Condense Ability long ago, due to the Titan Bloodline being far easier to manipte, but never used it since it was inferior to his Perfect Body Ability.

    Dorian''s ck Scaled Rage Dragon form abruptly grew a gargantuan amount. Its bones, muscles, tendons, and scales expanded a huge amount, growing to several times its previous size.

    It was now a behemoth that towered over everyone and everything present, weighing millions and millions of pounds. In terms of height it was more than 70 meters tall, stretched and expanded to the very limit that Dorian''s soul could handle.

    Despite that, in terms of raw strength, it was much slower and only on par with his Perfect Body ck Scaled Rage Dragon form.

    Dorian ignored all of that, however. None of those were the reasons for his transformation.

    Instead, he focused on the Body Shearing Sword that he had lobbed at Fifteen.

    His entire mind zeroed in on this single de. Every iota of focus was on it as he put almost everything he had into his next movement.

    ''Lesser Maic Maniption, go!''

    ''Push!''

    His Lesser Maic Maniption Ability allowed him to push and pull maic things. The Body Shearing Sword was metallic and reacted to hismand. It was created by a legendary craftsman and was incredibly durable, carrying with it mystical properties.

    If Dorian had pushed it with his normal dragon form, despite his ck Scaled Rage Dragon being quiterge, the impact wouldn''t have been anything too significant. It would''ve been a powerful strike, but that was it.

    However¡­ when he pushed with the full force and weight of a leviathan that weighed millions of pounds¡­

    The attack was almost unfathomably strong. The impact alone would''ve disintegrated a lesser Artifact. It even managed to slightly damage the Body Shearing Sword, cracking it. The Artifact still maintained its coherency, however, only the hilt suffering a small amount of damage, keeping its mystical properties.

    An instant after Dorian activated his Ability¡­

    The sword he had thrown vanished, moving so quickly it seemed to teleport as it plummeted towards Fifteen with enough kic energy to level a mountain.

    .

    .

 Chapter 207 Absorb

    The de shot downward like a bullet, aimed right at Fifteen. It moved faster than Dorian could make out, stabbing through the air. In a fraction of a second, it had already arrived right next to Fifteen.

    THUD

    WHOOSH

    BOOOOOM

    An explosion shook the air as the ground Fifteen had been standing on erupted, shards of stone and rock scattering as arge cloud of dust formed.

    "I hit him but¡­" Dorian shifted back to his Bnce Demon form, instantly activating his Perfect Body Ability, as he stared at the remnants.

    The magical sword had managed to hit Fifteen, shearing into his right shoulder. In the middle of the impact, however, as the de was cutting in, Fifteen''s body had vanished from Dorian''s sight.

    "Hup!" In just a second, Doriannded on the ground, running over to where Fifteen had been hit.

    CLAP

    He mmed his wed hands together, creating a storm of wind that brushed aside the dust as he cleared his vision.

    "Damn it." He spoke aloud as he spotted something lying in the ruptured stone floor.

    The sword Mello had lent him.

    The attack had hit Fifteen, but because the sword didn''t pierce all the way through, the injury wasn''t fatal. Fifteen Phased through reality as he was being stabbed, avoiding half of the attack.

    ''Still, his soul should be heavily injured. I can''t let him escape! Helena will be in dire risk if I do.'' Dorian''s eyes zed as he spun around, scanning everything.

    Dust spinning in various clouds, chunks of shattered rock and stone, small mes and various pieces of wreckage, a grey skinned man sitting on one knee¡­

    He couldn''t see anything suspicious. Fifteen was nowhere he could consciously detect, the area around him devoid of life.

    "So be it." He muttered aloud.

    "If I can''t find you directly, we''ll do it the hard way."

    He held a hand up.

    When Dorian had entered into his Warping Turkey form, he gained a few unique Abilities. Some only applied to the Warping Turkey form itself, like its ability to teleport.

    Others applied to all of his forms.

    One of those Abilities was called ''One With Nature.''

    .

    Ability: One With Nature

    This passive Ability enhances the body and soul of a being, adapting them to bear energy in great amounts. Energy will course through one''s veins naturally, greatly easing the burden ced on one''s body and soul when activating an Ability.

    .

    This Ability was arge part of why Warping Turkeys survived as a species, despite their low intelligence. It was because of this Ability that they could teleport over and over, escaping enemies with ease.

    It was a passive Ability.

    An Ability that applied to all forms¡­ Not just Dorian''s Warping Turkey form.

    Above Dorian''s hand, a small, ck ball appeared. Then another one. Then another. Followed by another. And another¡­

    In less than a heartbeat, 45 ck balls appeared, floating above Dorian''s hand.

    ''Ugh¡­ the strain¡­'' Energy consciously ran through Dorian''s body at an incredible rate.

    Previously, hisprehension of his Hyperion Beam Ability allowed him to activate up to 13 separate Hyperion Beams, all at once. Each Hyperion Beam had enough power to threaten a King ss fighter, especially when imbued with his ck mes.

    Dorian''sprehension was extremely high.

    The only thing limiting him was the extreme burden that activating the Ability ced on him, especially for simultaneous activations. Even with the Soul of Bnce and Body of Bnce passive Abilities his Bnce Demon form held, activating so many Hyperion Beams was extremely difficult.

    The One With Nature Ability resolved these conflicts. His body was now adapted, able to handle raw energy like it was blood, with very little burden.

    So little that he was able to activate 45 separate Hyperion Beams, simultaneously infusing each one with his ck mes.

    Thanks to his Jade Memory, Dorian could make out vague images of his Warping Turkey form activating a multitude of Hyperion Beams. While the number of Hyperion Beams Dorian was activating now was less than half that, these Hyperion Beams were also infused with ck mes, making each one a rippling orb of raw, burning destruction.

    "You think you can hide from me?" Dorian''s eyes bled red light as a truly Demonic Aura rippled around him, his voice rising in volume.

    "Let''s see if you can." He clenched his fist.

    ''Activate.'' Roughly half the remaining energy he had in his soul vanished.

    WHOOOSH

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    The world around Dorian transformed into Hell.

    ck mes, earth-shattering explosions, air whishing back and forth¡­ everything became a miasma of death and destruction.

    Dorian''s body was beaten and battered in the chaotic detonation. While the ck mes couldn''t harm him, and he was able to control the attack to limit the impact to where he was standing, he still was standing at ground zero.

    "Hah!" Dorian was flung up into the air several hundred meters. He blinked several times, dazed as he looked around.

    Below him, a huge sphere of ck and white fire was expanding, incinerating everything in its path. Multiple shockwaves visibly flew out of this sphere, shaking the air and spreading out.

    BOOOOM

    BOOOOOOOM

    Dorian was flung upward twice more as these explosions rang out. His attack seemed to have triggered some sort of defensive or leftover mechanic in what was left of the Array Networks, making his attack even stronger.

    Despite the awesome power of the attack, most of it was self-contained within a 100 meters range. Mello and the various Demonic Councilmembers, if they were still lurking in the nearby area, would likely be fine, though also likely beating a full retreat.

    ''T-transform!'' Dorian''s thoughts were muddled as a result of the huge impact. As he began to fall back downward, from a height of roughly 1000 meters, he transformed, catching himself.

    WHOOSH

    His Sun Eagle form came into existence, his body transforming. Dorian moved into a dive-bomb as he rushed downward, not wasting any time.

    ''Dismiss!'' The raging ck mes all vanished as he let them fade. Keeping so many in existence was incredibly draining, especially when his energy stores were at roughly 20% of their maximum.

    In just a few moments, he managed tond on the ground.

    Everything around had be perfectly t, the stone and rocks melting together to form a smooth surface. The explosion had finished spreading, and not even dust or smoke was left in its wake.

    Instead, everything seemed pristine.

    A few hundred meters away, there were clouds of dust and broken stone, but nothing close to Dorian.

    He returned to his Bnce Demon form, his senses expanding as he scanned his surroundings. Not a single thing within a few hundred meters could escape his vision.

    His efforts were rewarded.

    For, a momentter, a bedraggled, grey figure appeared, copsing onto the ground just a couple dozen meters away from Dorian.

    The bleeding form of Fifteen, using his Grey Mantor body. He was shaking from exhaustion and the injuries he''d sustained, a gruesome sword wound visible on his right shoulder.

    "Touching Light!" Dorian didn''t mince words.

    WHOOSH

    A de of light appeared in his right hand.

    His body blurred as he rushed forward, his every iota of focus zeroing in on Fifteen. He crossed the distance between himself and the Anomaly in just a few seconds.

    Fifteen''s eyes glowed as he looked at Dorian. The Anomaly was in terrible condition, his body and soul both severely injured. His face twisted as he saw the iing attack, a shuddering hand raising to point at Dorian.

    "Halt."

    WHOOSH

    Dorian froze.

    "Huh?!" He sputtered out loud, shock filling him as he nced at his arms.

    Every part of his body seemed to be frozen in space.

    "ARRRRGH!" He roared out loud as he pulled with all his might, trying to take a single step forward. The muscles in his arms bulged, his body shivered as he tried to break past whatever was blocking him.

    He remained still.

    ''Transform! Expand!'' Dorian''s body shifted between a plethora of forms and sizes as he tried to escape and move forward, all to no avail. No matter how big, or how small, he got, he was unable to take a single step forward.

    "Do you think I came here with nothing?" Fifteen''s voice shuddered into the air as the badly injured Anomaly stood up, yellow light still gleaming from his eyes.

    "You may have weakened the Array HE made, but it isn''t destroyed. You may have ess to it with part of HIS soul¡­ but so do I." The injured Anomaly began to walk towards Dorian, taking slow, stumbling steps.

    "Maybe not full ess brother¡­ after all, my Demonic forms could only get me so far. But I do have this¡­" Fifteen gave Dorian a bloody smile, bringing out a glowing grey ne. One that was eye-catching, with several fluttering lights and glowing symbols built into it.

    "The only Array Key that ever existed." He spat out loud.

    Dorian watched all of Fifteen''s actions, his mind racing ahead of himself as he tried to figure out a way to move, preparing to attack at a moment''s notice. He was unable to move or even speak,pletely at Fifteen''s mercy.

    This was an Array Network that was built to Seal the Demon Emperor himself. Whilerge portions of it were damaged, its power was extremely focused in the area Dorian was standing at, a dead zone where Dorian was unable to ess any of his Laws. Space itself waspletely locked down, preventing even teleportation.

    Stripped of the Ability to touch any Laws, unable to move a single muscle, the situation had taken a dire turn.

    By now, Fifteen was standing right in front of him.

    "This is a power left behind by HIM! A tool I found from the memories HE left. As much as I hate using it, you have no chance of stopping it!" Fifteen''s free hand shot forward, grasping ahold of Dorian''s neck.

    "I''m sorry, brother. All I want to do is live, and live freely, not as a ve. The only way that will happen is if you die." He shook his head.

    "You almost killed me. If I had stayed even a second less outside of reality, I would have died. I suppose you can say I survived due to luck." He smiled grimly,

    "But that''s what we''re known for, isn''t it? Our luck." He shrugged,

    "Goodbye, brother."

    He began to crush Dorian''s throat.

    ''A power left behind by Yukeli?'' Dorian''s eyes shed, a grim smile appearing on his face as Fifteen attacked him.

    His heart pounded in his chest, his eyes boring into Fifteen as he stopped breathing. His head felt murky, his entire body restrained and helpless.

    ''Fine. We''ll do it that way.'' Determination flooded his veins as he did the only thing he could think of.

    When he had first arrived in this reality, he had been gifted with a temporary Ability. One he could use 3 times.

    The Ability to Absorb anything that his soul could bear the strain of absorbing.

    He had used this power twice already, once to gain a form, and once to save his life.

    He had saved this third use of the Ability, keeping it for a rainy day. It was one of his trump cards, something he would only use if he absolutely had to. Being locked into an Array designed to Seal an extremely powerful Angelic ss Demon certainly qualified.

    As Fifteen held his battered body up by the neck, starting to kill him, Dorian felt a physical connection form. He could, faintly, directly sense Fifteen, as if he had rested a hand of his own on the Anomaly''s shoulder.

    He activated this life-saving Ability for the third and final time. A power gifted to him by Yukeli, one he could never use again.

    ''Absorb.''

    WHOOSH

    His Soul Spell Matrix shed, causing his entire soul to shiver. A few symbols that had been carved into it, a temporary Ability grafted onto his soul by his creator, glowed and then vanished.

    "..."

    "W-what?! No. No!" Fifteen froze, stuttering as he looked at Dorian.

    "You¡­ How¡­"

    "You are¡­ HIM¡­ Only HE can do¡­ You have his¡­ How¡­"

    A momentter¡­

    With no fanfare, no great explosions or sts of energy¡­

    Fifteen''s body dissipated into dust, killed instantaneously.

    A huge torrent of energy poured into Dorian''s soul, a massive amount of Growth Points. At the same time, several mental notifications appeared.

    ''¡­''

    ''Grey Mantor Bloodline absorbed.''

    ''Greater Throne Demon Bloodline absorbed.''

    ''White Illusion Demon Bloodline absorbed.''

    ''Sky Edge Eagle Bloodline absorbed.''

    ''ck Tyrannosaurus Bloodline absorbed.''

    ''Pale-faced Lion Bloodline absorbed.''

    ''Sonic Mane Wolf Bloodline absorbed.

    ''¡­''

    Dorian''s body fell to the floor. Unlike his previous uses of the Absorption Ability, he didn''t automatically start transforming into Fifteen''s form, possibly due to Fifteen having multiple Bloodlines.

    He instantly got up, pushing aside his exhaustion, his pain, his everything.

    He didn''t have even a second to waste. He forced himself to stand, withdrawing multiple healing Pills from his Spatial Ring as he turned to the north, where the World Bridge to Shaptle was located.

    And then transformed into his Sun Eagle form, his body blurring as he shot forward at maximum speed.

    He had a vampire to save.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Back on Shaptle, the battle in the city of Cracktyl had reached a crescendo. Up overhead, a series of explosions had shaken the air, sts of light cascading all about. The locals had long since gone undercover as this urred, hiding. This scale of sh could only be a battle between experts, powerful King ss ones.

    Outside the Inn Helena was resting in, a fierce battle was still underway.

    Dorian''s army of Shades was bravely defending the front line, led by the fearless Warrior-Alchemist Bayron. The Third Shadow Captain Kanto Ren was forced to personally take action, leading to a stalemate.

    The entire street had long since been deserted. While none of thebatants were aware of who was fighting up overhead, it didn''t distract from the ongoing battle below.

    With neither the City Lord nor any of the City Guards taking action, everything was allowed to run its natural course. The smell of smoke, burning buildings, and shattered stone stained the air, marring the otherwise beautiful afternoon.

    The Inn Helena was hiding in was badly damaged, withrge portions of its roof caving in. Her specific room was entirely untouched, however, fully protected.

    Inside that room, Helena''s body was pale and shivering as she looked outside a window, watching the unfolding battle. She coughed several times, looking small and pitiful as she forced herself to stay awake. Her body desperately wanted to rest and focus on healing, yet the danger she sensed refused to allow her peace.

    "Where are you¡­" She muttered, her hands trembling. Abruptly, her eyes widened and she spun around, her heart pounding as she realized something.

    She was no longer alone.

    "Hello there, child." A man''s voice softly sifted into the air, carrying into her ears as she stared at him.

    It was a Shade, with cool grey eyes and a short grey beard. He wore a set of open purple robes, with several knives strapped to them, exposing his lean, muscr figure. His hands were held folded together and held in front of him as he looked at her, his voice calm.

    "Who are you?" Helena stuttered out, feeling as if she faintly recognized the Shade, as if something about him tugged at her memories.

    "My birth name was Farrow." His eyes were deep, endless founts of darkness, threatening to sweep up the world as he nodded back at Helena. His words were gentle, as was his expression as he looked at her.

    As he spoke, Helena realized something. She knew who this was.

    She had seen this particr Shade, many years ago.

    In a duel a long time ago, when the man she knew and loved as a father had suffered a permanent, sinister wound that could never heal.

    The grand battle that happened dozens of years ago, between Highlord Marcus Aurelius and¡­

    "But you probably know me as Hasith Shanty."

    ¡­the Shade King.

    Helena stared at him, transfixed for a brief instant.

    A microsecondter, she let out a ferocious growl as she hurled her body at him, her fists taking on a weak glow as she attacked.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Back at the site of Fifteen''s demise¡­

    The smoke and dust had cleared, after a few minutes. A few fires still crackled, and the ruins of the Demon Emperor''s castle were quite apparent. There was almost no one in sight, every being, whether a living Demonic Shade, an undead Demonic Remnant, or a non-living Guardian Knight, was nowhere to be seen.

    Almost no one in sight¡­

    In that empty wastnd of destruction, a lone figure could be seen, dragging a badly injured body towards the location where Fifteen had died.

    Mello coughed several times as he swallowed a Light Pill, his body slowly regenerating from the injuries he took. He shook his arms and chest out a few times, taking a few tentative steps as he moved onto the smooth, melted stone.

    After a few seconds of walking, he stopped at a particr spot.

    "Return." His voice was soft as he held his hand out.

    CRACK

    WHOOSH

    The rocky floor cracked and shattered as a small, ck dagger shot into the air,nding in Mello''s palm. Mello smiled as he saw this, staring at it.

    "The Body Shearing Sword broke, but you did not." He was pleased.

    "Excellent." He tapped on the base of the ck dagger, where a small, red jewel was set.

    This jewel fluttered with light for a moment before shattering.

    Red liquid flowed out of this shattered jewel, magically floating in mid-air. This liquid looked as if it was about to fall, the dead zone that covered this area still active.

    "The Gray Mantor''s Heartblood, enough to absorb aplete Bloodline." Mello smiled,

    "My main goal has been achieved." After a moment, he absorbed the blood, not waiting. Immediately the liquid vanished.

    After a moment''s thought, Mello turned to look at a spot not far from him, at exactly where Fifteen had died. He walked over to this spot, tapping on the ground lightly.

    "Come on out. I know you''re here. Well, you can''t hear me, but you should be able to feel this¡­" Mello brought out a small shard of metal, cutting his own hand and letting some blood drip.

    There was a moment''s pause as nothing happened.

    Then, slowly, a small strand of white essence rose from the earth. This strand was pure and condensed, fluctuating with light.

    If Dorian saw it, he would''ve recognized it instantly.

    It looked identical to the remnant soul of Yukeli that was attached to his own soul, unable to be removed.

    Mello''s eyes twinkled as he brought out a small bag. He then physically scooped up this passive, white soul remnant, tucking it away with a smile.

    "Now then¡­" He pped his hands together, wiping off any grime and dust he had picked up.

    "Off to find my main body."

    .

    .

    .

    Next chapter on Tuesday, 1-2 hours after PS reset.

    .

 Chapter 208 Rescue

    Dorian moved through the air incredibly quickly. The moment he managed to get out of the dead zone that locked down the Demon Emperor''s castle, his Sun Eagle''s body blurred as he drew upon the power of various Laws to enhance his strength and speed.

    The world of Moria hade back to life, all around him. The Laws of the Universe pulsed powerfully in the air, a rippling return that ran flush with energy. The previously dead trees, nts, and ground were starting to revitalize, strands of life returning. Grass began to flourish, trees truly grew, the air itself seemed toe alive.

    The Demonic remnants that roamed this world retreated, hiding away in the Inheritance strongholds or retreating towards the dead zone at the center of Moria.

    It was a miraculous sight for a world that had been dead for centuries.

    A sight that Dorian ignoredpletely as he soared across the world, his mind bearing a singr focus.

    Save Helena.

    Dorian made fantastic progress. In just a few minutes, his Sun Eagle form managed to st all the way from the center of the world to the first World Bridge they had originated from. His Jade Memory had let him memorize the makeup of the world when he saw it while removing the Sealing Tubes, letting him find it with ease.

    He happened to pass by several figures on the ground below giving off King ss Auras. The members of the Demonic Council, slowly starting to investigate the aftermath of the battle between Fifteen and ''Lord Obelisk.''

    As soon as he reached the World Bridge, he immediately flew up it. His body transformed into a blur of golden light as he shot forward, speeding past everything.

    A journey that took multiple hours by flying ship was cut down to a couple dozen minutes in Dorian''s frantic rush, his speedy flight ignoring everything else. He didn''t encounter any spatial storms or wild beasts, managing to cross the World Bridge in uneventful safety.

    When he emerged from the World Bridge and moved officially back onto Shaptle, his heart dropped.

    ''What is happening?!'' Air wheezed in and out of his chest as he pped his wings, staring.

    Above the city of Cracktyl, explosions of light and energy were shaking the air. Dorian could sense huge waves of powershing back and forth, hundreds and hundreds of meters above the ground. None of the attacks shot downward or damaged the city, but the explosions themselves were horrifying in strength. They also appeared to be gradually rising upward, away from the city.

    ''That''s at least two Late King ss experts, and extremely strong ones at that¡­ Maybe even Pseudo-Angelic.'' Just from the rippling Auras alone that he could feel, Dorian instantly knew he was outssed. Either one of the two beings that were fighting up there was strong enough to wipe him out in his physically exhausted state.

    If he was operating at full energy, and given a bit of time to gain a better understanding of the Law of Original Sin that he had gained, it might be another story. But the one thing he didn''t have right now was time.

    Dorian dived down towards the ground near the city, his body a blur. He transformed back into his Shade form just as he reached the ground, knowing he couldn''t exactly show off his transforming abilities in the city itself.

    Back in his Shade form, he sprinted towards the city, moving at top speed. While he ran, he changed into a set of clothes, a white silk shirt and a set of ck pants and boots, donning a presentable appearance. His previous outfit had been destroyed back on Moria. This was his backup outfit, one that could stretch or be stored when he shifted forms.

    In just a few moments, he managed to reach the city gates.

    They were manned, but no one was currently moving in or out of the city. Instead, everyone was fearfully crouching, watching the explosions above.

    For a battle of this scale to continue without any of the rulers of Cractyl stepping in¡­ it was definitely a major urrence that no one wanted to be caught up in.

    Dorian frowned slightly when he saw this. As he ran up to stand in front of the gate, he blinked.

    He then kicked his feet off the ground, activating one of Yukeli''s movement techniques to send himself sting off into the air.

    He flew up more than 5 dozen meters, easily enough to clear the wall and gate.

    "And the- oh, hey?! Did that person just-"

    "What was that-"

    "Hold on!"

    Dorian faintly heard some of the guards and onlookers yell out as he soared over them and rushed towards the inner city, ignoring thempletely. By the time they fully realized what had happened, his figure had already vanished into the distance.

    Dorian navigated through the city, using the rooftops to avoid the gaping crowds. Most people had turned out to watch the explosive battle above. Apparently none of the attacks hadnded in the city at all, giving people the courage to watch.

    As he reached the spot where he had left Helena, a horrid look appeared on his face.

    The entire street her Inn was on looked to be in ruins. Several buildings were on fire and the paved road had been ripped apart, giant chunks of rock impaling multiple nearby buildings. It was like a war scene.

    BOOM

    WHOOSH

    As he reached this area, he heard a few explosions.

    ''There''s a battle happening still?!'' His heart pounded, adrenaline pumping in his Shade veins as he sprinted forward.

    In an instant, he found himself looking upon a full-blown battle, situated right in front of Helena''s Inn.

    ''It''s my army!'' Butterflies of happiness exploded in his stomach as he saw the Moria Liberation Force bravely defending Helena''s inn. They had managed to protect her!

    The inn was badly damaged in several parts, but the section that held Helena''s room waspletely unscathed.

    "Don''t think about¡­ it, Kanto Ren¡­ As long as I stand¡­ you shall not pass¡­" A wheezing, but powerful voice, echoed in the air, catching Dorian''s attention.

    A bloody, beaten, but brave fighter stood directly front and center defending the inn. This figure was currently engaged in holding off a ferociously powerful looking Shade that was lobbing bolts of darkness and attacking with twisting des of shadow.

    The two were closely matched, but the attacking Shade was clearly stronger. Both of them had powerful King ss Auras, though nowhere near as fierce as the Auras up above. Both of them were also somewhat constraining their power, trying to avoid causing massive damage to the city around them.

    In the defending Shade''s hand was a rather familiar, enormous cauldron¡­

    ''Warrior-Alchemist Bayran?! And he''s Late King ss now? Did he just break through?!'' He recognized the Shade, his heart abruptly swelling as he heard the conversation between the two fighters continue.

    "You betray your people for a traitor!" The attacking Shade was one that Dorian didn''t recognize, but a Shade that carried himself with a sense of authority. That,bined with his fearsome strength, meant he was clearly someone important. He had a weak chin and a weak looking appearance that werepletely at odds with that, but at his level, appearances were often deceiving.

    "You will die with him!"

    WHOOSH

    The Shade sped his hands together. Immediately, energy flowed in the air as two giant hammers made of darkness appeared, striking the Warrior-Alchemist directly in the chest.

    BOOM

    The impacts knocked into his cauldron before they could reach him. The resulting blow sent Bayran back a couple of meters, cracking the earth beneath him.

    ''The attacker is a Wizard. Is that¡­ Shadow Magic? Darkness Magic?'' Dorian wasn''t sure which.

    "I have made my choice, Kanto Ren. I will stand up for what I believe in. That man is no traitor, and you ought to be ashamed for using such vile tactics, targeting his wife of all things!" Bayran''s voice boomed and echoed as he shrugged off the attack.

    Behind Bayran, Dorian made out several other members of the Moria Liberation Force. Several of the Captains of the force, including Fabian, were injured and trying to recover, standing guard in front of Helena''s inn. A dark, depressing air hovered around them, wavering between hopelessness and hope. He also saw several unknown Shades that appeared to be with Kanto Ren, standing opposite the inn. Many of them were injured and recovering as well.

    The battle between Kanto Ren and Bayran had taken center stage, causing the other battles in the street toe to a pause. Everything hinged on that battle.

    ''You¡­ I forgive you for everything, Warrior-Alchemist!'' His heart zed with emotion as he saw this.

    "His words are true, foolishckey of the Southern Duke!" Fabian''s voice shook the air as he stood up, recovered enough to fight. A King ss Aura of Might burst around him,

    "You will not touch a hair on her head!" Fabian took a few shuddering steps forward, a broken spear trembling in his hands as he held it out in front of him.

    Dorian took a deep breath.

    Then and there, he made a promise that no matter what, he would live up to the expectations of Fabian and his Moria Liberation Force. His heart felt incredibly full, gratefulness and pride filling him.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian entered the fray.

    BOOM

    thud

    He mmed onto the ground between the two parties, his Shade body keeping his Aura tucked in close. He had so many Laws he was drawing upon, including many that were Demonic. He felt it a better idea to keep his Aura constrained, not letting it emanate freely.

    The moment he appeared, there was a brief, stunned silence.

    An instantter¡­

    "WOOOOO!"

    "LORD INIGO IS BACK!"

    "IT''S LORD INIGO!!"

    Hope-filled yells of adoration filled the air, the murky fearful air that had previously existed vanishingpletely as everyone did aplete 180. The downed Shades all became ecstatic, several of them forgetting their injuries as they hopped up and down in excitement.

    "Holy Highlord!!" Tears appeared on Fabian''s face as he saw Dorian. The King ss warrior immediately pounded his chest, bowing.

    "We have protected your wife!"

    Dorian nodded at him, maintaining an air of cool andplete power.

    "You did well, Fabian. I will take it from here."

    Tears streamed down Fabian''s face as he heard this response, his body shuddering as he bowed again. He took several steps back and then copsed to one knee, popping a Light Pill into his mouth as he nearly fell unconscious from exhaustion and his injuries. The fighter put his full focus into healing, his faith in Dorian absolute.

    "Lord Inigo." The Warrior-Alchemist Bayran gave Dorian a pensive nod, his expression slightly troubled. Just as he was about to continue, Dorian held his hand out,

    "Our differences are in the past. Your actions today have gone beyond all measure. You are a brother to me now." He preemptively spoke, meaning every single word that he said,

    "I will take it from here." He repeated himself.

    The Warrior-Alchemist looked at Dorian for a moment before bowing his head. He took a few steps back and joined the celebrating warriors from the Moria Liberation Force. He wiped a stream of blood from his mouth, taking in medicine of his own as he sat down to heal.

    Slowly, Dorian turned his attention to the Shade known as Kanto Ren.

    "Lord Inigo." The Shadow Captain stared at the other Shade, swallowing slightly. For some odd reason, he felt the faintest hint of nervousness. The way the Shade carried himself, his confidence and posture¡­ it felt as if he was facing someone that was in absolute control of the situation without a hint of worry.

    "You are hereby under arrest for viting the¡­" His voice trailed off as he crossed gazes with Dorian.

    Dorian had taken several steps forward. He gave off no Aura, seeming like a rather regr Shade.

    Despite that, his gaze felt colossal to the Shadow Captain. As he looked into Dorian''s eyes, he felt a sensation he had not felt in a long time.

    Fear.

    Dorian took several more steps forward, till he was only a couple of meters away.

    "The Southern Duke has determined that your so-called ''wife'' is none other than a vile vampire!" Kanto Ren found his bravery as he swallowed hard, speaking up.

    "By order of-" He cut himself off as Dorian held up a hand.

    "Kanto Ren." Dorian''s words were soft, his voice calm. Despite that, a terrible, fierce anger could be sensed, simmering behind those words. The air around him trembled from his presence, energy wanting to burst free and crash about chaotically.

    "Do you believe in Fate?" A small smile appeared on Dorian''s face, a smile that failed to reach his eyes.

    "Huh?" Kanto Ren stuttered back, not expecting that question.

    "I have sessfully cleansed Moria. The chains that Sealed that world are broken, bringing it back to life from the dead." His words took on a certain level of grandeur, informing the entire world of what he did.

    Behind him, all the celebrating Shades grew even more ecstatic as they heard that. However, at the same time, they all grew hushed. Dorian''s words carried a strange power in them, one that demanded respect.

    "And yet when I return, I find that you are threatening my wife. My vulnerable, sick, dying love."

    The air seemed to quiver between Kanto Ren and Dorian, the tension beating almost unbearable. Everyone was staring at Dorian at this point, the Shades from both sides paying himplete attention.

    "You don''t seem to understand something." Dorian blinked,

    "I am a Shade that is beloved by Fate. I do not bend to the will of reality, reality bends to MY will."

    WHOOSH

    Despite Dorian not releasing even the slightest hint of an Aura, Kanto Ren felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead, pressure mming onto his shoulders.

    "Do you think, Kanto Ren, that if I willed it right now, your heart would stop beating?" Dorian''s voice took on an odd tone.

    The Third Shadow Captain''s eyes were locked into looking at Dorian, as if he was unable to look away. The Shade''s heart pounded erratically, his breathing bing ragged.

    "Through a¡­ string of luck or¡­ a twist of Fate. A series of coincidences that all fall into line, ending with your heart¡­ stopping." Dorian''s small smile grew a little wider.

    "Do you believe I could do that?" He tilted his head slightly to the left, gazing into Kanto Ren with eyes that seemed to pierce into his very soul.

    "I¡­ I¡­" Kanto Ren stared at Dorian, a look of horror appearing in his eyes. The man''s hands twitched, stepping back half a step in fear.

    In Dorian''s eyes, Kanto Ren saw a darkness that he had never seen before. An almighty, all-consuming, deathly darkness that was overwhelming in power, impossible to stop.

    In that moment, he knew that if he said a single thing wrong, he would die without question.

    "You have a single second." Dorian''s voice was cold,

    "Leave."

    WHOOSH

    The Shadow Captain gave up on all pretenses and immediately fled. At the same time, all of his allies booked it, beating a fast retreat. Not a single enemy Shade was left remaining by the time Dorian''s words finished echoing.

    With just a few spoken words, Dorianpletely ended the fight, forcing aplete and total victory. His ims on reality bowing to his will wouldn''t necessarily give away that he was an Anomaly, but even if they did, it would onlye outter. There were various types of Magic and unique dispositions that could cause Fate to ripple or twist, his words held a certain level of logic. By the time anyone figured anything out, he would be long gone.

    A hushed silencedsted for only an instant before the Shades went back to celebrating and cheering. Dorian''s heart still wasn''t steady, however. The battle up overhead was still ongoing, though the explosions were so distant now as to almost be inaudible.

    With that thought in mind, he raced up towards Helena''s room, pushing aside his exhaustion once more, his thoughts only on her safety.

    .

 Chapter 209 Reason

    Dorian moved through the inn in an instant. The entrance was in shatters, as was much of the lobby. Shards of ss, shattered chairs and tables, broken nks, the ce was a mess. The patrons of the inn had long since fled, leaving the entryway abandoned.

    thud

    crunch

    Wooden boards cracked beneath his feet as he sprinted up a set of stairs at the back. He ran up to the second floor and then down a small hallway till he found the exact room he''d left Helena at.

    Without hesitation, he threw the door open, a mix of happiness and worry filling his heart.

    "Helena?! Are you al- who the hell are you?!" He abruptly cut himself off, starting. His body was already on edge, his every sense flooding forward.

    A Shade wearing a set of ornate purple robes turned to look at Dorian. The Shade was handsome and muscr. He had several throwing knives strapped to the front of his robe.

    When his eyes collided with Dorian''s, Dorian felt as if a huge weight had mmed into him. His mind was sent back reeling, almost stunned from the nce. His heart pounded deep in his chest as he gasped for breath.

    This person was strong.

    Overwhelmingly strong.

    The strongest being he had ever met.

    ''Ausra!'' His eyes shed as hemanded the Soul Spell Matrix Genie, conveying his will. Immediately, he received a notification.

    -

    Species - Shade

    ss: ???

    Maximum Energy Level: ???

    -

    ''She can''t scan him?!'' This was the first time Dorian had ever encountered a situation like this. Even the Pseudo-Angelic Excelsior Gamin had been seen through by Ausra. Yet this Shade here¡­ it was inconceivable.

    ''How powerful is he?!'' His heart was filled with horror.

    He pushed past that feeling, taking in the rest of the room.

    Helena wasying down on an ornate bed, resting quietly. The room was mostly the same as it had been before. A few paintings had fallen from the walls and the window was cracked, likely a result of the explosive battle that had taken ce outside.

    What caused his entire body and soul to freeze, however, as he looked around, was what he sensed when he looked at Helena.

    Dark bruises covered her neck, as if she had been grabbed roughly by the throat. Her clothes were ruffled and damaged, the result of some type of struggle.

    Her bodyy still.

    Her chest did not rise and fall with her breath.

    Her heart did not beat steadily.

    It did not seem to beat at all.

    "You¡­ What did you do to her¡­" Dorian blinked slowly. The air around him began to quiver, his eyes glued to her body. Reality itself seemed to twist in slightly as he spoke, a deathly Aura rising about him.

    "She''s not dead, child. There''s no need to go into some sort of insane killing rage. She''s only resting." The Shade sighed as he spoke, his voice deep and authoritative, preempting Dorian''s actions.

    "Uh." Dorian blinked and stuttered, the dangerous Aura fading slightly at the reply. That was not at all the response he had expected. After a second, he rushed forward, running up to her body and ignoring the ominous Shade. For some reason, he got the feeling that the Shade didn''t mean him harm.

    ''Ausra! What''s wrong with her?''

    Out loud, the Shade continued to speak,

    "Her soul has been badly injured. She drew heavily on the Laws to attack me, injuring it worse. I sent her into a magically induceda to restore this damage. I did not mean to harm her."

    ''Scanning¡­ her body has gone into aa after suffering severe injuries to the soul. A supplemental healing additive has been applied, however, and she is in a stable condition. She should recover awareness in a few days. Her body has also taken moderate physical damage from an abrupt impact.'' Ausra''s voice confirmed the man''s words.

    "Why? Who are you? What do you want?!" Dorian clenched his fists as he looked up, his hands trembling. It took every inch of his willpower to not leap across the bed and strangle the man for daring to hurt her.

    ''Helena, I''m so sorry! I thought I''d be able to make it back before anything dangerous happened!'' He mentally berated himself for leaving her here. It wasn''t as if he had had any other options, but he felt like he could''ve thought something up.

    "A dead Vampire Reaver, one that is beloved by Highlord Marcus Aurelius, is far less useful than a live one." The Shade sighed again, rubbing his forehead. He gave off an Aura of morose exhaustion.

    The Shade took a deep breath.

    Before Dorian could reply, an Aura of raw majesty poured out from the Shade. An awe-defying, heaven-challenging Aura exploded forth. One that represented absolute power and might, one that was blindingly powerful, shocking Dorian to his soul.

    "You would be Lord Inigo, yes?" The Shade''s voice took on a sense of grandeur, like a king looking down upon one of his servants.

    Despite that, and the shocking Aura, Dorian felt strangely unaffected. His only thought was for the danger Helena was in and his rage at this particr Shade for hurting her. Nothing else seemed to matter.

    "Yes. Who are you?" Dorian replied back, the air around him twisting as he released a stubborn Aura of his own. One full of righteous, Valorous might, of Chaste power, Charitable spirit, and a Merciful mind. Every single one of the Virtuous Laws he had he made use of.

    The Shade''s eyes widened slightly as he sensed this. After a tense moment, he replied,

    "I am Hasith Shanty." His words echoed like rippling explosions in Dorian''s ears,

    "The leader of the Shade Commune. Your king." The Shade King smiled ever so slightly, a smile that did not reach his eyes.

    ''Damn.'' Dorian blinked, his heart pounding as he realized the enormity of the situation. It was the worst possible scenario.

    He was facing an Angelic ss Shade.

    "Inigo¡­" The Shade King shook his head slowly,

    "Why would you choose a Vampire, despite knowing we are at war with them? You must be aware of who she is. She is one of the worst enemies of our kind." The Shade King seemed to want to reason with Dorian. When he heard this, Dorian felt a spark of hope fill him. If this was the case, then getting Helena and himself out of this scenario was a possibility.

    "Your war is not a just one." Dorian spoke from his heart, standing under the pressure given off by the Shade King without trembling.

    "Just because you consider her an enemy does not mea-" Before he could finish speaking, he was cut off.

    "You do not understand." The Shade King shook his head again as he broke in with a frown. The Aura he gave off felt even more powerful, full of a hint of anger that mmed against Dorian''s shoulders, trying to crush him where he stood.

    "I know more than enough. Your way is not in self-defense, you ughter others to gain territory. Your actions are wrong." Dorian remained steadfast, weathering the Aura without a visible hint of strain.

    "You criticize from a position of ignorance, child." Hasith replied slowly.

    "A wise king would not lead his people to their deaths." Dorian returned, moving in front of Helena to shield her from the fluctuating Aura the Shade King gave off.

    "Yes, that is right, child. And that is why we must go to war." The Shade King sighed again, rubbing his eyes.

    "Uh?" Dorian stuttered back slightly, not understanding.

    "You do not understand." The Shade King stated the obvious.

    "Then make me understand. Our kind does not need to wage war. We can find peace. Don''t just leave me with questions!" Dorian''s voice was full of passion.

    "Peace is impossibl-" The Shade King began but was cut off by Dorian this time. Instead of being angry, he seemed to ept it, allowing Dorian to speak as if he was humoring a child.

    "It is only impossible because you have yet to try!" Dorian replied, clenching and unclenching his fists.

    "We have already tried. It is not feasible." Hasith took a few steps away from the window, crossing his arms slowly. It was apparent that he intended to reason with Dorian, likely because of Dorian''s status and potential, something Dorian took full advantage of.

    "Then let me try! Just because you did not manage to seed does not mean I will." He urged, staring the Shade King in the eyes. The weight of the Shade King''s gaze was incredibly heavy, one that made Dorian''s soul shiver. He held steady under it, however, his body brimming with purpose.

    "You?" The Shade replied slowly, tasting the word as if he had never considered it.

    "Am I not worthy? I am a genius Shade, able to kill King ss warriors despite being in the Lord ss. A Shade that is beloved by Fate. A Shade that just returned from cleansing Moria, a world of death brought back to life!" Dorian began to exin himself, pounding on his chest.

    He meant everything he said. The wars between the Vampires and Shades had been horrific, ones that had killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, over the years. If he could put a stop to it, not only would it save Helena''s family from arge amount of grief, but it would also protect her from the dangers she''d face fighting against the Shades.

    "Who else but me?"

    For a single split second, the look on the Shade King''s face wavered.

    Right after, however, he made a decision, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Dorian.

    "You are too weak. You don''t have the strength to have an impact on this war."

    "I am not! Not everything depends on- woah!"

    WHOOSH

    Abruptly, Dorian found himself outside the city walls, a few hundred meters distant. He, the Shade King, and Helena had all been transported. Helena''s bed had teleported too, moving them away from the inn. She was currentlyying down in it, off to the side, several dozen meters away from him.

    "What?" He blinked.

    "I locked down the space of that room when you arrived. I warped us away now that I have seen the level of your obstinance." Genuine anger filled the Shade King''s voice as he spoke.

    "I value you greatly, and the potential you hold. But you need to wake up from this childish dream of yours. There are some things you simply cannot change, and the Fate of the Shade Race is immutable, regardless of what you have done on any or what exploits you have achieved." His voice shook the air, thundering mightily. The air trembled, a glowing Halo appearing on the Shade''s head.

    "It¡­ is not¡­ a dream¡­" Dorian''s reply was stunted as the full force of Hasith Shanty''s Angelic ss Aura mmed into him.

    The pressure he felt was absurd. His entire soul seemed to be locked down, sealed into space by a gargantuan weight, as if a mountain was pressing down on him. His body was unable to move, not even a finger.

    ''Damn it¡­ shrug it off! SHRUG IT OFF!'' He mentally yelled at himself, drawing upon the various Laws he controlled to enhance his soul.

    Slowly, the burden he felt eased, allowing him to move and free himself.

    When the Shade King saw this, his eyes widened again, this time in genuine shock.

    He was not holding back anymore. His full Aura had been unleashed. Anyone else that wasn''t at least a powerful King ss expert should''ve fallen unconscious on the spot. A Lord ss being like ''Lord Inigo'' should''ve copsed long ago.

    As he came to terms with this, a stiff frown appeared on his face.

    ''...Your power is still far too weak to have an impact on this war. Resisting my Aura is a feat that merits respect, but...'' He shook his head slowly.

    "Very well, child. I will give you a chance." His hand reached out, grasping hold of one of the daggers that the Shade King had attached to his robe.

    As he held it, the dagger transformed into a bright blue orb. The moment Dorian caught sight of it, he felt his entire body shudder, an incredible feeling of danger sweeping through him.

    Space itself seemed to fold in slightly, aimed towards the orb. It was heavy, excessively heavy, and incredibly concentrated. While it was less than half a meter across, in terms of weight, it likely weighed more than several mountains.

    "This is a Force Orb. I was only able to make this after I achieved the Angelic ss, the culmination of all of my studies, my effort, and my strength." The Shade King''s voice was cool. As he spoke, he took a few steps forward, making sure that Helena waspletely out of the way.

    "Block this attack and I will consider your request." Hasith flicked his wrist, without waiting for a response from Dorian.

    "Prove to me you have the power to change the future of the Shade Race."

    Dorian''s mind went into overdrive when he heard those words, his eyes boring in on the glowing orb. His heart was pounding, thoughts of protecting Helena filling his heart with absolute faith and courage.

    WHOOSH

    The glowing blue orb shot through the air, aimed right at Dorian''s chest. It moved with incredible speed and precision, crossing the distance in a split second.

    As Dorian saw this, he drew upon every Law he held. With such a massive congration of energy, he wasn''t worried about his Demonic Laws being sessfully recognized, even from an Angelic ss expert.

    ''Perfect Body, activate! Mystic Armored Body!'' He activated his strongest Abilities, his many passive Abilities already running strong.

    He put everyst bit of energy he had into this defense, twisting Fate with all of his might as he drew heavily upon his soul, causing reality itself to warp.

    Everything he had he threw forward, his mind focused on a single thing.

    Stopping the Shade King''s attack.

    "¡­"

    ''I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!''

    .

 Chapter 210 Block

    The Force Orb mmed into Dorian''s chest like a meteor. The moment it hit Dorian, he was able to sense the gargantuan amount of force behind it. It was not a lie to say that this sole attack was the heaviest blow he had ever taken.

    However, despite the colossal weight behind the orb, the attack itself felt restrained. Instead of trying to annihte him, it was more like the orb was mming into him and knocking him backwards.

    ''The Shade King''s still holding back so he doesn''t identally kill me.'' The fact raced through his mind in an instant, his body straining as his bones creaked.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian''s legs sank into the ground as he was blown backwards and then continuously shoved away. In just a single second, a 10 meters long gouge in the earth appeared as he was forced back, straining with all his might to stop the attack. Shards of rock, clumps of dirt, and bits of grass were thrown into the air, forming a chaotic cloud of debris.

    "Arrrgh!" He grunted out loud, his body burning.

    ''I can''t let it keep pushing me or I''ll be overwhelmed!'' Dorian''s arms and legs were bulging, Law Energy flushing forward to block the attack. The orb blew past everything, through the defensive prowess from his Law of Gluttony, his attempt at locking down space with the Law of Envy, his enhanced physique from the Law of Valor and Law of Pride, the attack energy from the Law of Wrath and Law of Mercy, the defensive power of his Mystic Armored Body.

    Every singleyer he threw up was instantly sted through with impunity, as if they weren''t there at all.

    ''Damn, so this is Angelic ss.'' Blood spurted from his lips as the insane pressure continued, his arms trembling.

    The gap between his current level and a true-blue, Angelic ss expert, one of the ultimate peak figures in the 30,000 Worlds, was still quite wide.

    ''Reality¡­ be imperfect!'' He grasped hold of the Law of Original Sin, using his rudimentary understanding of it to cause reality to twist in front of him.

    For a brief moment, a crack appeared in reality, right in front of the Force Orb. This distortion twisted the air, causing space to fracture.

    BOOM

    A small explosion echoed out as the Force Orb collided with this crack and shivered for an instant. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the Force Orb was about to shoot off away from Dorian at another angle.

    A momentter and the crack copsed, a bacsh mming into Dorian''s soul. It felt like a huge hammer had smashed into his mind, a blinding headache forming.

    ''Damn, it''s too strong.'' Unlike Leader''s arrow, this Force Orb was the condensed attack of an Angelic ss expert.

    Dorian''s understanding of the Law of Original Sin was far too low to be able to hold up when he tried to direct it. Even if he tried to twist Fate, the cost of stopping or changing an attack like this would be far toorge for him to bear.

    However, the reality shifting managed to slow the Force Orb slightly. It was still smashing against him like a meteor, sting him along the ground, but it was also moving slightly slower.

    ''Arrrgh! I just need to stop it!'' His arms were blocking the orb, crossed over his chest in an X. As he felt the orb slow slightly, a spurt of hope red up.

    Since switching forms was obviously out of the option, Dorian went for n B: Be Shameless.

    Artifact after Artifact zoomed out from his Spatial Ring, therge store of offensive and defensive Artifacts he''d gradually collected flung out one after another. He had always been one to focus on using his own Abilities, eschewing most Artifact use.

    As a result, especially after all the treasure he''d gained or enemies he''d defeated, he''d gained quite the store of Artifacts thaty dormant in his Spatial Ring. Magical ck me Shields, Exploding Sword Charms, Green Vine Bombs, Defensive Mire Shields, he threw out more than five dozen Artifacts of various power.

    BOOOOM

    Explosion after explosion rang out as energy ricocheted in the air as a flurry of Law energy shook the air. Each treasure he used had power at least at the Lord ss level, or higher, bringing its own unique twist to the fluctuating power in the air. It was a menagerie of various Laws, smashing against the excessively heavy Force Orb.

    Dorian''s various usages of Law Energy, as well as his raw strength, had managed to slightly slow the Force Orb. When thisbined with the store of Artifacts he practically dumped on the Force Orb, that effect grew stronger and stronger.

    Soon, the Force Orb was only crushing him at 30% its original speed.

    ''But it''s still not enough¡­'' He mentally swore, his eyes bloodshot. His entire body was wracked with pain, the seemingly unstoppable blow pushing him farther and farther. This was a blow that even Pseudo-Angelic experts would be unable to stop, let alone Dorian.

    CRACK

    His left arm cracked under the strain, his bones creaking and trembling. In his Perfect Body state, for a bone to crack was a huge deal. The more injuries he sustained in this state, the harder they would be to heal.

    ''Wait!'' As a wave of pain swept through him, Dorian''s consciousness fell on one particr Artifact he had yet to use.

    The Artifact that Excelsior Gamin had given him.

    He flicked his wrist.

    Immediately, a small, green stone carving of what looked like a crane standing in front of a small pond appeared.

    He had never been told what this Artifact did, only that it woulde in handy.

    With few options left, Dorian immediately activated the Artifact, sending energy from his soul into it tomand it to awaken.

    The moment he did, a sh of cool, green light spread out around him¡­

    And the Force Orb that was mming into him vanished, freeing Dorian from its incredible pressure.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Hundreds of meters above the city of Cracktyl¡­

    Excelsior Gamin cracked his knuckles lightly, wiping a small dribble of blood away from his lips as he floated in the air.

    ''Family General Balbinus is as strong as they say. I''m only his equal in terms of attack power. He might even be a little better than me at that. In defensive prowess, however, I outmatch him.'' Gamin admitted the fact to himself, feeling no need to lie.

    Several dozen meters away, a red haired vampire in a ripped and torn suit looked back at Gamin, wielding a long, glowing scythe in his hands. Blood dripped from severalrge injuries on this warrior, sizzling in the air due to the heavy Aura that covered the Vampire.

    "This is an exercise in futility, old man!" Balbinus'' voice echoed in the air, sounding slightly exhausted and harried.

    The battle between the two had been fantastic, yet seen little in the way of results. The two were at a stalemate.

    Gamin simply looked back, waving his hand slightly. Wind began to gather around him, green energy shing as a protectiveyer covered him.

    At that exact moment, as he was preparing to jump back into the battle, Gamin''s eyes widened in surprise.

    ''Lord Inigo is using the Crane Sealing Pond Artifact I gave him?'' He blinked as he felt a surge of energy emanate deep in his soul.

    The Crane Sealing Pond was a special construct that he created himself, an Artifact that was linked back to him. As a master of the Law of Wind, and an extremely powerful fighter, Gamin had put years of effort into researching various ways to utilize his unique Law.

    One of those was the Crane Sealing Pond.

    This Artifact was special in that it had multiple uses. It could be used to attack, to defend, or to escape. It could only be used once, but which ability it showed depended on what the user needed the most when they activated it.

    ''He''s using it to defend himself!'' As he realized this, he braced himself slightly.

    The Crane Sealing Pond would magically warp any attack Lord Inigo was facing away, absorbing it and redirecting the blow towards Gamin himself. That was the price of such a powerful and versatile Artifact with so many different possible uses. Most of its powers depended on Gamin itself.

    Still, Gamin had no qualms with it. He was a powerful Pseudo-Angelic ss expert, one of the strongest beings in the world. Very few attacks could cause him any trouble.

    ''Alright, let''s see¡­ what do you have for me, Inigo?'' Thankfully, the attack hade during a lull in the battle between Gamin and the Aurelius Family General. Even if it was an attack from a Pseudo-Angelic expert, it would be weakened by the Crane Sealing Pond and therefore blockable.

    WHOOSH

    Family General Balbinus looked on in surprise as the air in front of the Excelsior shifted and warped with light. Emanations of energy shot out, some type of Artifact activating.

    As he sensed this, he held his scythe up in a tight, guarded formation, ready to defend himself against anything.

    Back over with Gamin, a single emotion was currently filling his mind.

    ''Is that¡­'' A sense of sheer horror dominated his heart for an instant.

    ''Is that one of His Highness''s Force Orbs?!'' His jaw dropped.

    BOOOOOOOM

    ''How?!'' Gamin''sst thought before he was smacked down from the air and cratered into the ground down below, smashed down like someone swatting a fly, was one of pure outrage and confusion.

    ''Your Highness, why me?!''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "Was that¡­ Excelsior Gamin''s Crane Sealing Pond?" The Shade King''s mouth fell open as he saw his Force Orb vanish, feeling the connection he had with it sever. It had been transported through space directly, removing any control he had over it.

    Dorian didn''t respond as he fell to one knee, exhaustion mming into him. He barely had the energy to stay conscious, let alone respond. He took several deep breaths, throwing a Light Pill in his mouth to help recover some energy.

    "You withstood my Force Orb¡­ but you relied partially upon outside help." The Shade King looked at Dorian for a long moment.

    If the Shade had to describe his feelings in a single word, it would be ''Shock.''

    ''He managed to slow my Force Orb by a decent amount¡­ despite only being at Lord ss. He clearly is using multiple Laws, an almost unheard of power, with a soul that far outstrips every Lord ss expert in existence.'' These thoughts raced through Hasith''s head in an instant.

    ''My Shade race has finally birthed an incredible genius.'' He clenched a fist behind his back slightly.

    ''If he is allowed to grow safely, let alone beating the Vampires, my kind might even gain another Angelic ss expert.'' Even Hasith couldn''t im that Dorian''s talent would 100% mean he would reach Angelic ss. But in terms of potential¡­ the Shade King had never met any being with a higher chance.

    ''I cannot let him waste that potential. But he clearly is very attached to this Vampire.'' Dozens of thoughts ran through the Shade King''s head as his eyes hardened.

    For the first time, in a very long time¡­

    The Shade King did not know what to do.

    "Arrrgh." Dorian slowly made it to his feet, his arms and legs trembling. He made eye contact with the Shade King, his spirit unbreakable.

    WHOOSH

    The air around Dorian shook as he slowly began to gather energy, able to use just the tiniest amount to prop himself up.

    As the Shade King saw this, he frowned ever so slightly.

    ''No matter his potential¡­ I must put our people first. I cannot sacrifice the security of the Shade race''s continued survival. The Desecration Curse is down to mere years till it activates.'' The Shade King made his decision.

    "I value you, child, but you are still too weak. Maybe in the future, you would be able to change my mind. But we simply do not have enough time left." He shook his head as he grabbed hold of one more dagger on his robe, holding it in his hand.

    The dagger shifted and transformed, power condensing around it as a second Force Orb appeared, identical to the first. The air around the Force Orb trembled, the sheer concentrated might too much for the nearby area to bear. Just by holding the Force Orb, the Shade King cracked the earth beneath him.

    Before Dorian could react, the Shade King threw the Orb.

    "Go to sleep, child."

    WHOOSH

    Dorian watched it fly at him, his mind feeling delirious. An incredible feeling of helplessness settled upon his shoulders as he saw this, the unfairness of the situation crashing against him.

    ''No¡­ no!'' He struggled with all his might to draw on energy from around him, all to no avail. The exhaustion that had hit him was deep, not something he could just snap his fingers and recover from.

    He truly had no way to respond.

    Before he could think of doing anything else, the Force Orb arrived. Dorian''s eyes snapped shut as he braced himself for the blow, unable to do anything else.

    THUNK

    BOOM

    Dorian''s breath wheezed in and out as he stood still, still braced for the blow. A loud impact shook the air right in front of him, the Force Orb mming into¡­

    Not him.

    "Huh?" He blinked, exhaling in confusion as he opened his eyes.

    "What?" The Shade King stuttered out loud as well, his voice full of confusion.

    When the Force Orb was merely a couple of meters away from Dorian''s chest, somethingpletely unexpected happened.

    A blindingly pure bolt of white lightning shot down from the sky, smashing into the Force Orb. This lightning moved almost instantaneously, intercepting the Orb and hitting it.

    That bolt of lightning caused the Force Orb to freeze in ce, its forward momentuming to aplete stop.

    "My¡­ my attack was blocked? What?" For the first time, the facade of absolute confidence that Hasith Shanty wore cracked. Immediately, his awe-inspiring Aura swept forward as the King went on guard, grabbing hold of two of the throwing knives he had attached to his robe.

    WHOOSH

    A figure appeared, descending from the sky above. A rather familiar, semi-translucent human waving jovially.

    "Greetings, my fellow Shades!" Kdin''s voice boomed out loud as hended on the ground next to Dorian, looking very much like a human and not a Shade. A powerful, energized Aura surrounded the man as a golden-yellow Halo appeared around his head.

    When Dorian saw that Kdin hade to his rescue, an indescribable feeling of happiness and gratefulness filled him.

    "An Angelic ss¡­ Soul Body? Who are you?" Hasith Shanty kept his voice calm and controlled despite his shock, raising his hands as if he was ready to attack.

    "I am the mighty me!" Kdin replied, decidedly unhelpful.

    ''Get away,d. I can only posture a bit, I am much weaker than a full Angelic ss being. He''ll recognize that, and me, before long.'' A mental message poured into Dorian''s mind, magically sent to him from Kdin.

    ''No, I can resolve this!'' Dorian couldn''t respond in the same way, but clenched his fists, taking a step forward as inspiration struck.

    "King Hasith. This is my ally, Bolto, the Lord of Thunder." He spoke out loud, his voice strong and confident.

    ''Bolto? Really? That was the best you had?'' Kdin''s voice whined in his head, a voice Dorian promptly ignored as he continued,

    "If power is what I need to have standing, then surely his presence should suffice, yes?"

    The Shade King stared back at him silently.

    "With this ally at my side, give me a chance! A chance to end this war that you are refusing to end!"

    "War¡­ Do you think I want to go to war, child?" King Hasith sighed, the Aura of morose exhaustion returning around him as he slowly lowered his weapons. He didn''t lower his guard, keeping Kdin in full sight as he continued,

    "Do you think I want to see millions of my fellow Shades perish, to see agony and violence spread among our people?" He shook his head,

    "I have no choice. We must take Evonon. The existence of our kind depends on it."

    "You do have a choice." Dorian returned, his eyes shing as he patted on his chest,

    "And that choice is me."

    "You?" Hasith blinked slowly and began to shake his head in exasperation.

    "You have a reason to need Evonon, right? Something you must obtain?" Dorian had slowly begun to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together as their discussion and fight went on, his Jade Memory picking up on every tell, every clue, and every piece of information offered. His mind was racing ahead of him as he began to understand,

    "Helena and I¡­ we are a bridge between races. Neither of us wants this war to continue. We can end this, here and now." Dorian mmed his hand against his chest, his words full of passion.

    "Do you think Aurelius would listen to you, child?" Hasith replied, his eyes cool.

    "Maybe not to me¡­ but to her." He pointed at Helena, still resting in a magic, her soul slowly mending.

    "He loves her as a daughter. I will represent our kind while she represents theirs. Together, we can form a bridge between races and stop this unending violence. We can resolve this issue peacefully." Dorian''s words carried a strange persuasiveness in them, aided by his Anomaly-Fate-Twisting soul.

    "You just need to give me a chance!"

    The Shade King stared at Dorian, his face emotionless as Dorian''s words echoed softly.

    A long moment passed in silence as he studied Dorian and Kdin.

    The echoes of their battle faded away. Everything around them seemed to fall still, an air of peace and tranquility settling.

    Finally, the silence broke as the Shade King slowly spoke aloud,

    "¡­You have my attention."

    .

 Chapter 211 End End of Volume

    (Very long chapter)

    Several hourster¡­

    Dorian sat down next to Helena''s bed as she rested, looking at her with only a small hint of worry. The reassurances he''d received from the Shade King that she would wake soon had calmed him, but he couldn''t help how he felt.

    He sighed, rubbing his forehead slightly.

    "We''ve got a lot to do, smalls." He muttered, looking at her wryly.

    He had sessfully managed to convince the Shade King to at least attempt a ceasefire using the two of them.

    After his attempt at convincing the Shade King seeded, the powerful ruler had finally exined to Dorian why everything was happening. It had to do with a core secret that very, very few people were aware of.

    It had to do with the origins of the Shade Race.

    The Shades were the descendants of an ancient race known as the Shadoir. The Shadoir were far more attributed to darkness and shadow, creatures that could slip into a distorted Realm of Shadow to move about, hiding from the real world.

    Their ability was kind of simr to that of Fifteen''s Grey Mantor form, except that the Realm of Shadow they traversed was still part of the 30,000 Worlds, and therefore detectable.

    The Shadoir were extremely strong. They lived as rulers back in the ancient times when the Dragon Race reigned supreme and the Demon Race was only starting toe active, many tens of thousands of years ago.

    The number of Shadoir dwindled as time went on. Not from dangerous wars or traitors attacking their kind, however.

    They were a reclusive race that fiercely defended their territory, but also stayed to themselves, refusing to travel or even talk with other Shadoir. As a result, their numbers dwindled simply because very few Shadoir ever came into existence.

    As their poption fell, it became apparent that the Shadoir Race was likely to disappear from this world. Their numbers were simply too few to be sustainable for longer than a few thousand years.

    One of the leaders of the Shadoir, the Wiseman Shanoa, came up with an idea to address this.

    Even if the Shadoir were to fall, their descendants must flourish. It was impossible to change the nature of the Shadoir and even if they could, it was likely toote.

    Instead, he came up with the genius n to create an entire species of descendants, directly rted to them. He decided that the descendants must be populous and widespread, unlike the solitary nature of Shadoir that had doomed their kind.

    Their descendants would carry on the glory of the Shadoir, bearing their strength and affinity for darkness and shadow.

    As a result, eventually, the Shade Race was born, from the meticulous work of the greatest Wizards and researchers of the Shadoir Race.

    However¡­ The Shadoir, again, were naturally reclusive. Their trust for even each other was low, and their trust for other Races was non-existent.

    The Shade Race was destined to overwhelm them in numbers. What if they eventually turned on their creators?

    The thought, itself, might be seen as a foolish or pointless one to those looking from afar, especially considering that the Shadoir Race was already dying, but to the arrogant and reclusive Shadoir, it was a serious concern.

    Even with their dying grasp, they would refuse to release the reins and grant their descendants free control of their destinies.

    Thus, the Wizards included a failsafe. A way to control the Shade Race, should it ever be necessary. They figured that if it was never needed, then it would go forever unused. If the Shadoir died out before anything happened, then the failsafe would never be necessary and their descendants would be fine.

    This failsafe was known as the Desecration Curse.

    The Shadoir''s Wizardry, when it came to Shadow and Darkness Magic, was incrediblyplex. The Desecration Curse arose from this, a built-in defect that, when activated, slowly transformed a Shade''s Soul into that of a Shadowmonger.

    A Shadowmonger was a type of being that lived in the Realm of Shadow. They could not exist outside of the Realm of Shadow. They were instinctual creatures that had little intelligence and very short life spans. They would die after only a few years, while new Shadowmongers were magically created by the Laws of the Universe shortly after.

    If a Shade''s soul fully transformed into that of a Shadowmonger¡­ unless they moved into the Realm of Shadow, their body and soul would degenerate. Their bones would grow brittle while their muscles and skin grew rough and stone-like. Even their organs would harden as their soul rejected life in the 30,000 Worlds proper.

    Within months to years, depending on how powerful the original Shade had been, their body would seal itselfpletely. Their soul would leave and their body would turn to stone, killing them.

    The Desecration Curse was the ultimate fail-safe left behind by the Shadoir Race. It was never intended to activate on its own.

    And yet¡­ apparently, it had, for reasons even the Shades were unaware of. It was postted by some to have activated automatically due to various errors that umted over time as the Shade Race flourished. Some thought it might be a vindictive Shadoir or someone that found out how to activate the curse, trying to wipe out the Shades.

    The exact how wasn''t known, but more than 100 years ago, it was discovered that several Shades had suffered from the Desecration Curse. At first, the incidents happened to only a few. They gradually increased in number as time went on until the rtively newly formed Church of Light stepped in, alongside the Shade Monarchy.

    Using incredible Magic and expensive Artifacts created by a crack team of the most elite Shade Wizards, a way to temporarily stave off the Desecration Curse was discovered. A huge, massive Magic Spell that epassed the entire race, forcibly stopping the spread of the curse.

    This Spellsted dozens of years. In that time, King Hasith broke into the Angelic ss, training like a maniac as he did everything he could to ensure the survival of his race. Huge teams of hundreds of thousands of Shades worked on various solutions, all trying to crack the puzzle that was the Desecration Curse.

    Eventually, after years and years and years of effort... a lead was found.

    An ''Origin Point'' for the Desecration Curse.

    An area that held some type of key clue to stopping the Desecration Curse.

    And that Origin Point was discovered to be located on none other than the World of Eternal Evening, Evonon, the Headquarters of the Aurelius Family.

    The Shades and the Aurelius Family were already on poor terms. There was no feasible way they could see to convince the Aurelius Family to give up on their most secure homeworld, nor was there a chance of them letting the hundreds of thousands of Shade Wizards set up shop and get to researching on the.

    Telling the Vampires about the Desecration Curse was also a non-option. Even the various researchers working on the curse were not aware of the big picture, 99% believing it to be a rather dangerous type of disease that they were working to quash instead of a sure-fire apocalyptic killer. Even the Shadow Dukes were unaware of the truth.

    The Shades had done a great job disguising the full truth, even among their own kind. Some Shades certainly found therge manpower put towards defeating the curse unusual, but with the altruistic Church of Light at the helm, it was generally epted and not an issue.

    Thus¡­ the Shades were left with few options. Their only real one was to invade.

    And so, the various wars between the Shades and the Vampires took ce.

    When Dorian learned all of this, he had felt overwhelmed. He now understood why the Shade King had been so reluctant to tell him anything or give him any responsibility.

    This was a secret that rted to the survival of trillions of innocent beings. The survival of the entire Shade Race.

    He could see why the King had trouble trusting him with it.

    He took a deep breath and then let out. He then stood up and walked over to afortable looking chair.

    They were at a new Inn, the Golden Sheath Inn, an expensive and fancy establishment. After the long conversation with the Shade King, where Dorian sessfully won him over, he and Helena had returned to the city proper.

    The room they were staying in was luxurious, with arge,fortable looking bed that Helena was resting on, silken curtains that blocked the windows, and arge couch and table in a living room like-area. Picturesque natural paintings decorated the walls, giving the ce a very homey feel.

    The Moria Liberation Force had been reunited with him and moved over to the new inn, the previous inn suffering far too significant damages to be habitable. All fighting had ceased, including the mysterious battle that had been taking ce overhead.

    He picked up a small golden ne, pulling it from his Spatial Ring.

    The Shade King had given it to him. By using it, he could contact King Hasith himself. He was only to do so when he sessfully found a way to negotiate and secure the survival of the Shade Race.

    ''All I need to do now is convince the leadership of the Aurelius Family to give up on their homeworld, or at least, agree to share it¡­'' He sighed again. It was bound to be a difficult task, even more so considering Kdin had already left.

    The Great Hero had told Dorian he needed to prepare to fight against Yukeli now that he had returned and couldn''t afford to wait any longer. He had set off almost immediately, vanishing just a few minutes after King Hasith left.

    After several hours of rest and meditation, Dorian felt a thousand times better. His energy stores had been partially rejuvenated and the grueling exhaustion that had besieged him was nowhere to be found. The 5-6 hours of rest were more than enough, whenbined with his excess Growth Energy, to get him back into fighting form.

    ''Speaking of Growth Energy¡­ I have so many new Bloodlines to experiment with. Tons of Demonic ones¡­ what will happen if I grow them all andbine them with my Bnce Demon form?'' A small bead of excitement formed in his heart. After all, the stronger he grew, the more influential he would be.

    Several more minutes passed in silence. It was dark outside, well into the night and on the way to early morning. Dorian split his focus between examining his new Bloodlines and focusing on his new Laws. He needed to gain a better foothold on each one, especially the big one, the Law of Original Sin.

    ''If I merge enough Bloodlines that are Demonic, I feel like I might be able to make a form that can have an easier time studying the Demonic Laws.'' He rubbed his chin at the thought. His Bnce Demon form was already uniquely suited to studying Laws in general, its powerful Bnced State from its Body of Bnce and Soul of Bnce lending it great capabilities.

    As he was in the midst of nning, a light groan caught his attention.

    Dorian reacted almost instantaneously, his heart pounding as adrenaline pumped through him.

    On the bed in the back of the room, Helena''s body slowly shifted as she came awake.

    "Helena!" He whispered quietly, his eyes ecstatic as he rushed over.

    "D-D-Dori-Inigo?" Helena caught herself mid-sentence as she looked at him groggily.

    "Yes! It''s me!" Without hesitation, Dorian carefully gathered her up in a huge hug, a few tears trailing from his eyes as a massive feeling of relief swept through him.

    "You''re okay! Hahaha! That''s great!" Heughed out loud as he ignored those tears, hugging her tightly.

    Helena seemed to freeze up for a moment before softly returning his hug.

    "What happened?" She whispered quietly.

    Dorian let go and cleared his throat, giving her a smile.

    "Well¡­ Quite a bit, actually¡­"

    Almost half an hourter, Dorian finished exining almost everything, though only after checking to make sure they weren''t being spied on and covering them up in ayer of energy to block out sound. He told her about Moria and the expedition there, how he cleansed it and became a secretive member of the Demonic Council, about Kdin, about Fifteen, about Leader, about being a Turkey, and about the problem with the Shades. He hid almost nothing.

    He embellished the story a little, avoiding talking about the times where he was close to death, making it seem much safer than it was.

    Still, Helena was suitably impressed. She gasped when she heard about the Demonic Councilmembers, oohed and ahhed as she heard him describe the fight with Fifteen,ughed in delight when she heard about his Warping Turkey antics, and gained a serious look in her eyes when she heard about the plight of the Shades.

    As a Vampire, especially one that had seen a great deal of suffering due to the war with the Shades, Helena naturally felt a certain level of animosity. When she heard that more than 1 trillion innocent beings had their lives at stake, however, that look in her eyes changed.

    Helena had been willing to risk her life to save a city that only had a small number of Vampires in it and was mostly humans and other humanoids, back on Taprisha. Of everyone that Dorian knew, she was the one most likely to be able to put aside her differences to protect the innocent, regardless of the cost to herself. It was just who she was.

    "That¡­ that is a serious problem. And you said he trusted you¡­ or rather, us, to resolve this entire war?" Her voice contained a hint of helplessness as she spoke, as if the task was impossible.

    "Yes. I know, especially with the injury to your soul, it seems daunting but I''m confident that I ca-" Abruptly, Dorian cut himself off, his eyes widened as an Aura gradually formed in the air in front of him.

    An Aura of Might, rising from Helena.

    "What?! You can ess the Laws?!" He stared at her in shock. Her face was pale, but there was no sign of pain or stress, as if she wasn''t injured at all.

    "My soul¡­ my soul has been treated with some type of amazing medicine! The injuries on it are already close to healing! I should be fully healed in just a few days!" Helena''s voice was full of cheer as she spoke, her body rippling with power.

    "But¡­ what?! It must''ve been King Hasith!" Dorian''s eyes widened as he realized what had happened, a sense of gratefulness filling him.

    When the Shade King treated Helena, he must''ve gone all out, greatly healing the injuries in her soul. As a powerful and rich ruler of a multi nation, something like a Soul Reborn Pill or Soul Cleansing Pill, or any other high-level Pill that could treat injuries to the soul, was likely chump change to him.

    ''I don''t have to use the treasures the Moria Liberation Force gained and set aside for me on Moria!'' He had been fully prepared to spend all of them to gain her either of the Pills she could use to heal her injured soul at the Golden Moon Auction House.

    His worth immediately jumped a huge amount, opening up arge host of options he could spend it on, including treasures to enhance his Lawprehension speed and more.

    "That''s great news! With that in mind, we can just direc-!" Dorian cut himself off as his senses tingled, a feeling of danger appearing.

    ''Perfect Body! Laws!'' Immediately, energy flooded his body as he spun around, ayer of defensive light covered his hands.

    SHKK

    Not a momentter, a beam of ck energy mmed into his waiting palms. The beam immediately dissipated, but not before shocking his hands, setting them numb. Dorian''s eyes widened as he felt this.

    He was in his Perfect Body mode, with ayer of defensive energy up and his always active Mystic Armored Body live. In terms of physical defense, very few attacks that weren''t overwhelming in scale or potency could do too much to him.

    For such a low-key strike to able to numb his arms¡­ it meant that whoever was attacking was a powerful King ss expert, at the bare minimum.

    "Show yourself!" Dorian''s voice boomed out loud, his fists clenched as he stood protectively in front of Helena.

    "It''s no use asking for help, kiddo, I''ve sealed off any sound from this room. Step away from the- oh. Huh. You stopped my attack?" From seemingly nowhere, a lithe and muscr humanoid appeared, dressed in a long, ck suit. He was handsome, with bright red hair and beguiling red eyes.

    The moment Dorian saw him, he felt a very real sense of danger.

    -

    Species: Vampire

    ss - King ss (Pseudo-Angelic)

    Maximum Energy Level: 4,312,882

    -

    ''Oh damn. He''s Pseudo-Angelic?! Wait, he''s a Vampire!'' These thoughts raced through his head in an instant as he blinked, staring at the figure.

    WHOOSH

    The red haired Vampire''s hands twitched as energy gathered around them. In an instant, a cursing Aura mmed into Dorian, trying to knock him unconscious.

    This powerful Aura hit Dorian''s soul and then washed right off.

    ''My soul is much tougher, even if my Energy Level is significantly lower¡­ Pseudo-Angelic figures can''t overwhelm me in terms of raw Aura anymore!'' Dorian realized in a heartbeat.

    "Stop!" Dorian twitched as he heard a strong, feminine voice echo out behind him. He kept his guard up as he continued to face the Vampire, letting Helena speak.

    Helena''s eyes were filled with strength and determination as she spoke.

    "Don''t hurt him, Uncle Balbinus. He''s on our side!" Her voice softened as she went on, genuine warmth filling it.

    "Uh..? This¡­ Shade¡­ is on your side? Our side? Are you alright, girl?" The elite Vampire scratched his head in confusion, lowering his hands slightly. The monstrous Aura he was giving off lessened in strength.

    ''Uncle Balbinus?'' The moment Dorian heard this, his eyes widened. An incredibly strong Vampire named Balbinus that Helena called uncle?

    This had to be Family General Balbinus of the Aurelius Vampires!

    "Be that as it may, Helena, I am here to help you escape. Highlord Marcus sent me." The Vampire continued, shrugging.

    "I''m going to have to knock him unconscious to be safe. I won''t risk bringing him with us, not when I''m behind enemy lines."

    ''This is perfect¡­ this is the opportunity I need! Fate is helping me!'' Dorian, in the meanwhile, had his mind racing, ns rapidly forming as he took the situation in.

    General Balbinus was one of the 3 Family Generals in the Aurelius Family and extremely influential. He could act as a liaison and representative of the Aurelius Family for almost certain, especially since he was sent here by Highlord Marcus himself, per his own words.

    ''This is it! I can fix this right now!'' The energy in his soul fluctuated.

    ''All I need to do is convince the Family General, with Helena here to help me! King Hasith is already convinced, with him here, we can actually get this all to work!'' Dorian eyed the Family General. As he did so, his soul twitched and he concentrating, feeling the strands of Fate seem to warp around him.

    ''I will end this war, here and now.'' His hand clenched onto the Artifact King Hasith had given him.

    "Actually, General Balbinus¡­ Helena and I would like to have a discussion with you about stopping the war between our races, if you wouldn''t mind listening to us¡­" As he spoke, hemanded Fate to bow to his will¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a dominated by an enormous, gargantuan tree.

    "Let''s go, a journey, a journey to the west!"

    "It will be fun, it''s definitely, definitely for the best!"

    "Who knows what friends will meet along the way?"

    "A journey''s start shall begin with us this day!"

    An eager voice echoed in the air, the speaker''s words echoing out in an odd, rhyming cadence.

    Will smiled as he looked at the Eleventhborn,ughing out loud. The Anomaly had taken on a humanoid appearance, with light red skin and a mostly human body and face. He had thin red lips, a sharp nose, and a set of red-colored pupils that felt faintly Draconian.

    He was wearing a set of ck leather hides, with arge battle-axe strapped to his back. The axe was mostly just for looks, Number 11 had no idea how to actually use it.

    "You aren''t wrong, Number 11. We''ve been cooped up so long with Sun Wukong, it''s nice to finally be free." Will shook out his long, brown hair, tying it up in a bun. His blue eyes gleamed as he looked at the flying ship that was in front of them.

    The duo were standing on the edge of arge, brown root, one of the many that grew off the World Tree behind them.

    Will rubbed his chin, feeling the stubble that was growing. His body was lean and muscr, the result of intense training with Sun Wukong, both physical and magical. The monkey was an incredible tutor, able to predict and correct many of his mistakes.

    The changes were so notable from his previous self, it seemed impossible that only a few weeks had passed.

    And, for Will, it actually had been more than a year, instead of just a few weeks.

    Sun Wukong had led them to a secretive and Magically enhanced room, a ce carved inside the World Tree, where time itself operated at a faster rate. Will had gone inside the room multiple times to train, vastly increasing the speed he gained strength and a better understanding of the Law of Light.

    And now¡­ in terms of understanding, he had already reached the King ss and progressed well into it.

    ''The Inheritance I gained is the only reason why my progress was so fast. I will never forget the favor you did for me, old man.'' Will clenched his fists and nodded sharply, his entire body glowing slightly.

    "After we go pay back a debt I owe, we can both go searching for our mutual friend. I''m sure Dorian is doing well." That Anomaly, and friend of his, was so incredibly capable, Will couldn''t see him being anything other than fantastic. ording to Sun Wukong, Dorian was located within the reach of the Shade Commune currently.

    "Agreeable, agreeable! That sounds very much agreeable!"

    "We shall travel the worlds, to find a friend to see-able, cough."

    At the end of his rhyming reply, the Eleventhborn nced around furtively, as if recognizing his rhyme didn''t quite make it.

    Will grinned as he saw that, but chose not toment. He had formed a friendship with the Eleventhborn, and the several other Anomalies that were all saved by Sun Wukong.

    The odd monkey had formed a type of sanctuary here, filled with various Anomalies that fought against their nature. Most of them were reclusive, but Will had spoken to and developed friendships with several of them. The Eleventhborn was one of the most social ones.

    "Sun Wukong said he was off to visit an old friend he hadn''t seen in a very long time, so we should have at least a few days or weeks." Will continued.

    "Ah, one more friend is on his way to the ship, and is set to join our team!"

    "Quetzy got a human form, he''s healed like a puddle into a stream!"

    Will chose not to question the logic of Number 11''s phrases, simply shrugging in response.

    "Oh? Quetzy ising with us?" Quetzy, or Number 4, or the Fourthborn, was an enormous serpent-beast that was massively powerful. Having him alongside them would be a huge boon and practically guarantee their safety.

    Number 11 nodded back cheerfully.

    "Well then! We''ll wait for him here, but after that¡­" Will smiled,

    "We set sail for the Elector Empire!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a far away, in thends controlled by the Draconic Tribes¡­

    Arge, underground cavern existed. This cavern was wide and tall, with a roof that stretched more than 100 meters tall and sides that stood even farther apart. It was gloomily lit by glowing moss and mushrooms, giving the area an eerie appearance.

    A man with golden hair could be seen sitting at the center of this cavern, meditating quietly. A rxing Aura covered this man, one that glowed faintly with white light.

    WHOOSH

    From out of nowhere, a bright, portal of blue light ripped a hole in space, just a few dozen meters away from this man.

    The portal appeared and vanished in an instant, leaving behind the figure of another man.

    This man had short, greying hair, and a well-maintained ck beard that had streaks of grey appearing in it. His violet eyes gleamed, while his strong jaw and small nose gave him a masculine, handsome appearance. A long, red scar ran down the length of his right cheek onto his neck, leading down to a set of muscr shoulders.

    The man wore a loose, white vest and a pair of white pants. He sighed as he looked around the cave, turning his attention to the man with golden hair.

    "Ah, you must be the being that calls himself Zero." The man with short, grey hair spoke aloud, slipping his hands inside his vest as he took a few steps forward. His voice was confident but contained a faintly friendly air.

    Finally, the golden-haired man reacted. He blinked as he exited his meditation, turning to gaze upon the interloper.

    "That is I." The air quaked despite the soft tone of his voice as he replied, his eyes shing with bright gold light. A powerful Aura began to flood out from the man, simply from his force of presence.

    "And who might you be, Wizard? Or are you another failed Drake, here to challenge me and die." Zero shrugged as his eyes flicked to the left and right, taking in the rest of the cave and missing nothing.

    "To face me alone, you have earned my respect." Zero slowly stood up, his attention fully focused on the other man.

    "My name is Arthur." The man replied, smiling warmly with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

    "Arthur Telmon." The Wizard King took a few more steps forward, till he was only a few meters away from Zero. He then spoke two more lines, each one sounding off in therge chamber, full of calm intent.

    "Hello, old friend."

    "I am here to kill you again."

    .

    .

    .

    End of Volume:

    No stats for now :p will post themter.

    This volume was a long one, woo! But it''s done, on to the next :)

    As some of you know, my releases slowed down a bit due to me being busy IRL.

    With the end of this volume, I am going to take a roughly ~5-7 days break to refresh myself and finish a lot of that IRL stuff, and then go into the next volume with all the renewed vigor I can muster! Thank you so much for enjoying my story, I can''t wait to keep writing it :)

    .

 Chapter 215 The Core

    Dorian soared through the air, pping his wings agilely. It took him only a few moments to st more than a mile away from Potor City, his Sun Eagle form''s speed faster than many flying ships.

    To the very few people that were scaling the cliff, he appeared as a brief blur of fading, fiery light that vanished into the distance.

    As he flew, Dorian drew upon the Laws of the Universe. In particr, he focused on the Law of Pride and the Law of Valor, both Laws that boosted the power of one''s physique.

    In terms ofprehension, every individual Law had three interim stages and one final stage. The Early Stage, the Middle Stage, the Late Stage, and the Completion Stage.

    Dorian''s Law of Pride had reached the Middle Stage, as had his Law of Valor. He had already progressed arge amount on his Law of Valor, one of the earlier Law''s he''d obtained, and his Law of Pride was something he focused on significantly over the past several weeks, raising it, alongside many of his other Demonic Laws, at a high speed.

    Comprehension wasprehension. Once you reached Completion, yourprehension of a Law would be equal to any other King ss expert, with no exceptions. Each Stage reached was a milestone and the speed that you reached each Stage at didn''t matter much.

    There was no need to steady your understanding or foundation after reaching a new Stage, everything you learned built up upon itself. It was entirely possible to rush to Completion, as long as your soul could bear the increase and you knew intimately how the Law worked. This was why Inheritances were viewed with such importance, due to the great powers they could quickly convey.

    On the other hand, after you reached Completion, the state of your soul and your understanding of it would solidify. You could only grow the limit of your soul before you reached Completion of whatever Law you were studying, per what Dorian had researched. You could still greatly increase in power, but the maximum strength you could reach was determined by how powerful your soul was at the time you reached King ss. Rushing toplete a Law wasn''t always the best idea.

    As for people that used multiple Laws¡­ Dorian had no idea how that worked. The number of people like that was extremely minuscule. There was no record or historical writing that he had seen, or word from anyone he''d spoken to, on what would happen to him after he reached Completion in any of his Laws.

    With his enhanced physique, Dorian''s body rapidly began to grow stronger. The air around him shivered slightly as a powerful Aura of energy appeared. His flesh grew sturdier and his bones stronger, enhanced by the thronging energy.

    These two energies gradually built upon each other. Soon his body was soaring through the air at a blur.

    Finally, when he felt his two Laws reach their maximum usage with his current understanding¡­

    He activated his Perfect Body Ability.

    BOOM

    He broke the sound barrier.

    With his Law of Valor and Law of Pride enhancing him with energy, and his Perfect Body Ability perfecting his physique, his strength increased at an exponential level. This form alone was equal to an Early King ss expert, even without having reached Completion of any Law.

    His Sun Eagle form smashed through the air like a missile, the faint trail of mes he left cindering and dissipating behind him into the night.

    He soared through the sky with impunity, flying over a vast, deste wilderness. His Demonic Eyes allowed him to see even in the dark, letting him spy on the world below.

    There were scattered teaus that held small inds ofnd set haphazardly about, but the majority ofnd on Taprisha was centered in the deep and dangerous ocean of nothingness that existed, far below.

    As he flew over Taprisha, he made out huge chains of mountains, jagged forests with tough, gripping trees,rgekes set deep into the ground to avoid being blown away, and more. Taprisha had dangerous wind storms that swept through its oceans of nothingness on asion, making it unfeasible to inhabit the lower areas long-term.

    He could make out a variety of creatures, with the majority of ones he could detect being at the Sky ss or stronger. It was hard for weaker creatures to survive out here in the wild.

    ''Let''s see¡­ first I go this way¡­ alright¡­'' In his head, he followed a mental trail plotted based on the map of Taprisha he''d found. He flew for more than an hour as he shot along in the air, hurtling forward at breakneck speed.

    He tapped into the Law of Sloth, enhancing his recovery speed as he flew. This allowed him to not only heal at a faster rate, but also gather energy and replenish his soul. As long as his energy expenditure with the Laws of Valor and Pride, and the Perfect Body Ability, was not too significant, his Law of Sloth could make up most of, or all, of the difference.

    Functionally, that meant he could fly for as long as he wanted. Eventually he''d have to eat, or drain his Growth Points to stave off physical exhaustion, but that wasn''t something he needed to worry about presently.

    Another hour passed as he flew, following a trail ofndmarks. He encountered a few flocks of creatures, most of them Master ss, with a few Grandmaster ss beings. One and all immediately turned tail when they saw him, the powerful, rippling Aura he gave off scaring them away.

    Finally, after one more hour of extended flight, he found his destination. He''d lost track of the miles as he flew, crossing such a long distance over such an extended period it felt vaguely surreal. He didn''t actually lose track, thanks to his Jade Memory, but his immediate memory of the travel was somewhat vague unless he focused.

    He hovered several hundreds of meters in the air as he looked down at his destination.

    A gargantuan, grey crater in the ground, carved into the rough stone by some terrible force many years ago. The crater waspletely smooth, without any cracks or crevices in the edges or sides. No creatures were visible and there were no teaus of any sort in the area. This entire one was abandoned, ignored by most.

    At the center of this crater arge, gaping hole could be seen. Warm, orange light shot out from this hole, simmering up into the air. When Dorian flew within a few thousand meters, he could feel a veritable wave of heat wash over him. Even his Sun Eagle form, which was a creature very used to heat and fire, felt vaguely ufortable.

    He had found the Molten Core of Taprisha.

    That said, while the Molten Core was indeed out of the way, it wasn''t as if it was particrly hidden. The wave of heat and light it gave off was noticeable as soon as one entered the area, and visible even from a distance.

    Dorian dived down towards the ground after making sure that everything was safe. The wind rushed past his feathers as he cut through the air, forming a small gust.

    The closer he got to the crater floor, the more and more heat swarmed over his body. Even in his Sun Eagle form, he could feel himself start to grow singed simply from growing near to the crater.

    As a result, in mid-air, Dorian shifted over to his Bnce Demon form.

    THUD

    His body mmed into the earth, surprisingly not making even the slightest mark. The ground beneath him was incredibly tough, his ws leaving only the faintest scratches as hended.

    His eyes flicked to the left and right, double checking everything from the ground level. As he had expected, no one guarded it nor was there anyone nearby that he could sense. This particr World Phenomena was rather unpopr.

    And, as hended, he fully experienced the reason for itsck of poprity.

    Heat.

    Sweltering, crushing, hellish heat.

    His Bnce Demon''s Body of Bnce Ability was passively active, helping throw off the heat and keep his body in a stable position. He tapped into the Law of Sloth, but released his other Laws as he blinked, gradually keeping himself in a state of homeostasis.

    The ungodly heat crashed against him and was no longer able to affect him, any energy he lost recovered quickly after.

    He stretched as he felt this. He then turned his focus towards the gaping hole that was emitting heat and light.

    He began to walk towards it.

    ording to the map he''d looked over, the Molten Core of Taprisha was located in the hole at the center of this crater, several miles down. The Core was exposed, and as a result, constantly emitting heat and energy. This source of power disturbed the atmosphere and caused weather like the violent wind storms that swept Taprisha, rippling in the air.

    The closer Dorian got, the more energy was drained from his Bnce Demon form. Still, it was all within eptable bounds thanks to his Law of Sloth dealing with the brunt of the drain.

    In no time at all, he reached the edge of the hole. It was about 5 dozen meters wide and long, a sizable cavern more than just a hole. The ground around it was perfectly smooth, an unusual sight for such arge cave entrance.

    He peeked over the edge, and then immediately winced.

    The moment he looked down, a huge wave of heat mmed into him, far more intense than anything before. Dorian could feel the blood in his Bnce Demon''s form expand and vibrate, the agonizingly brutal temperature far exceeding its normal conditions.

    Energy began to fly off him in a torrent as his Body of Bnce Ability made up for the difference, fighting back against the heat. As Dorian felt this, he took several steps back, frowning.

    If it was like that, he wouldn''t stand a chance at getting anywhere near the Molten Core.

    ording to the map, the Core itself was still quite a bit down below this crater, tucked deep into the tunnel that connected here. The unique stretching of the Laws could only be felt if one reached an area closer to the Core.

    ''Did the Eleventhborn really fly through all of this?'' Dorian raised his mental opinion of the rhyming Dragon in his head.

    As he thought of the old Anomaly, inspiration struck him. He abruptly smiled as he stepped forward, leaning over the edge and crashing into the pir of heat once more.

    This time, Dorian shifted right into his Ifrit form.

    Immediately, the overwhelming sensation of heat vanished as if it had never existed, reced with only a moderate sensation of pressure, something that he could easily ignore.

    "Ahh, that''s better." As soon as he returned to this form, he let out a rxed smile.

    While in terms of raw strength the Ifrit Bloodline was not a particrly powerful Bloodline, the Bloodline did have the rather unique ability to both manipte and be virtually immune to fire.

    It just went to show that power wasn''t everything.

    He felt almostpletely unaffected by the Molten Core in his Ifrit form, at least, from the surface. He was aware of the heat, but keenly could tell that it couldn''t hurt him. It was ever-present, but unable to do much of anything.

    With that in mind, he leaned fully over and looked down the hole. His eyes were able to pierce past the glittering light down below to get a vaguely clear picture.

    The tunnel continued down into the earth for about a mile. This crater, and the ground area around it, was already extremely deep into the of Taprisha itself.

    At the end of that mile-long tunnel, Dorian could make out a huge ball of white fire. He couldn''t make out everything clearly, but the massive zing fire was clearly visible. It was from this storm of mes that he could feel the boiling heat and beams of light shoot out into the air, up and all around him.

    ''Interesting.'' He thought, after a moment of studying it.

    He climbed into the tunnel, sticking to the sides as he began to scale down it. His Spatial Ring could easily bear the brunt of the heat, designed tost in extremely dangerous situations. Small, extremely tough Spatial Rings like his, were not at all umon. They were created with Space Magic and imbued in such a manner to make them very resistant.

    As Dorian began to scale down the sides of the tunnel, the feeling of pressure slowly increased. Even if his Ifrit form could ignore the heat, he couldn''t ignore the sheer amount of energy that was being emitted by the zing fire down below. However, with his powerful physique and soul, he could bear it, if not ignore it outright.

    The walls of the tunnel were mostly smooth, but in here, Dorian could find a slew ofrge and small cracks, as if they had been immortalized in the stone. He was able to use these to help himself have a controlled fall, taking several dozen meter long drops.

    As he scampered down, the waves of pressure continued to grow in intensity. Several times, his Ifrit body was banged forward or backwards, knocking him into the walls as he descended.

    Dorian stuck past all of that, grunting as he ignored it and continued on his way.

    In a short period of time, he found himself at the edge of the huge sea of boiling white mes that he had found. At this point, the huge pressure on his body had reached a peak, making moving forward difficult.

    Despite that, the overwhelming temperature still didn''t affect him in the slightest.

    ''Hmm¡­'' Now that he was up close, Dorian could see that an entire, massive chamber existed in the room with the mes. This chamber seemed to stretch for miles downward, back towards the center of Taprisha. The noise from the chamber was deafening, constant explosions and impacts crashing all about.

    From this chamber, he could sense something strange.

    It felt as if the world around him was being¡­ pulled in, towards this chamber. It was a surreal, and ufortable, stretching sensation, one that he couldn''t seem to shake.

    ''Interesting¡­'' He repeated his earlier thought. After a moment, Dorian found himself a good perch just outside the entrance. The cave hole had several small outcroppings back from, but near, the edge that led into the main chamber. He sat down at one of these and shut his eyes, spreading his senses out to the world around him.

    What he found delighted him.

    "My Laws of Lust, Envy, Pride, and Greed¡­ I can sense them all more strongly here!" He muttered out loud, his eyes closed. The words actually vibrated out of existence beforeing to any fruition, the ungodly heat present preventing him from actually speaking.

    The violent energy before him didn''t do much for Virtuous Laws, maintaining a fairly neutral stance for all of the ones he currently held.

    His Bnce Demon form was his best form for sensing the Laws of the Universe. However, with his now advanced understanding of most of the Laws, he could more finely grasp them when he focused. Even in his Ifrit form, he could now sense the Laws even clearer than when he was in his Bnce Demon form, by a noticeable degree.

    The power of a World Phenomena was just that significant. It was mysterious and magical, a ce in the Universe where reality itself functioned differently. A truly miraculous spot.

    The only really difficult to grasp Law was the Law of Original Sin, but that was a Law that he could only understand through gaining progress with all of the Demonic Laws and then slowly merging that progress.

    "But my connection with the Laws of Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth actually feel as if they have decreased." He frowned for a moment before shaking his head and smiling, noting the detraction. While this World Phenomena clearly brought some Laws closer, it also pushed others farther away.

    After a moment''s thought, he shook the negative from his mind. Boosting hisprehension of 4 of his Demonic Laws was already worth it in his book. Anything that could save him time and allow him to grow his strength at a faster rate was a huge win.

    Dorian blinked as he exited his meditation, stepping over to look into the chamber that housed the Molten Core.

    The Molten Core of Taprisha was special because of its extreme heat and unique position as the center and supporting core of a. It was part of why Taprisha was such an interesting Exotic World, unlike regrs.

    ''Perhaps a ce of extreme cold would help the other Laws?'' While the idea was simplistic, Dorian felt there was a certain logic to it.

    ''I''ll check around Blizzaria while I''m there for something like that.'' He grinned,

    ''But first¡­ I''m in no hurry to leave here.'' He nodded his head, stepped back away from the edge as he sat back down.

    ''Of the Laws of Lust, Envy, Pride, and Greed, only Pride has reached the Middle Stage.''

    The idea of staying here to meditate had jumped into his mind. While he was in a hurry to gain a King ss form, he also wanted to increase his strength before he did anything too dangerous. Making a small pit stop here on Taprisha before he left for Blizzaria sounded like an excellent idea in his book.

    The Laws of Lust, Envy, and Greed were all in the Early Stage ofprehension at the moment, but decently close to the Middle Stage. Breaking through to that Stage would boost his Maximum Energy Level, marking a tangible increase in power.

    With how close he felt to the Laws of the Universe here, specifically for those Laws, Dorian figured it would only take a couple of days at most, as long as he used up some of the treasures he''d brought with him. All of the meditation he''d done over the past two weeks had helped build him up to this, preparing his foundational understanding.

    Without hesitation, Dorian settled in for a period of meditation, to break through each of those Laws to the Middle Stage. He would take full advantage of the World Phenomena, not letting it go to waste.

    Without anything like this, he had originally nned on it taking him between one and two weeks to break through. The higher his Lawprehension reached, the slower it seemed to keep increasing.

    With this World Phenomena working in his favor, however¡­

    He closed his eyes shut as he focused on the world around him.

    The next time he opened his eyes, he would leave for the world where the dead walked.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On a world far from Dorian, a certain monkey sat atop a small tree branch, staring down at a trio of visitors¡­

    Sun Wukong looked tired. Hisrge prayer beads hung limply around his neck, his body seemed to lean back slightly against the huge tree he was sitting next to, even his Aura felt somewhat faded. He held his staff loosely in his hands as he rxed,zing aboutfortably.

    It was mid-afternoon on the that hosted the World Tree, the sun overhead shining its warm sunshine, barely able to pierce through the thick foliage that housed the upper branches and leaves of the World Tree, far above.

    The three visitors and Sun Wukong were all standing on or near one of therge roots that rested upon the surface of the.

    When Sun Wukong looked at the beings in front of him, he couldn''t help but smile.

    "You must be Xaphan and you must be Aron. I''ve heard a bit about you two, from a pair of merry Vampires that passed by not too long ago." His voice was full of warmth as he nodded at two of the figures, giving them a smile.

    Xaphan''s vaguely demonic looking figure, with arge, glowing green gem set in his forehead lit up as he saw that he was recognized. The Anomaly looked as cheerful as ever, fully recovered from the trauma he''d suffered on Magmor.

    Behind him, Aron''s heavily armored form stood stalwartly, his wolf-head mask covering his head uppletely. Beneath his armor, a powerful, deadly Anomalyy bristling, watching everything around himself carefully.

    The third andst figure was a being Dorian would''ve recognized in a heartbeat.

    It was a very in and unassuming form with grey skin. A form that possessed a unique Ability to ''Phase'' through reality. A form that Dorian had just obtained the Bloodline for quite recently.

    That of a Grey Mantor.

    "Oho? Well, I was unaware my cooking talent had spread so far but-" Xaphan began but was cut off almost immediately as the third figure interjected.

    "Xaphan." The Grey Mantor''s voice echoed out coolly, full of authority as he motioned for silence. Xaphan nced at the being, his mouth twitching slightly before he bowed his head.

    "Ah yes. You¡­" Sun Wukong looked at the speaker, his eyes twinkling.

    "We finally meet." Sun Wukong stood up. His body blurred as he moved incredibly quickly, so fast that he couldn''t be visibly tracked with the naked eye of anyone present. This got surprised nces from both Aron and Xaphan, but merely a blink from the Grey Mantor.

    Sun Wukong held out a hand as he reappeared right in front of the third figure,

    "I''ve heard a lot about you as well, Mello."

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    Next chapter will likely be on Tuesday. Maybe sooner on Monday, maybe not, I''ll keep you all posted!

 Chapter 216 Annihilate

    Back on the of Evonon¡­

    Helena looked out at the turning sea with a sigh. The ever-present evening light cast a dark shadow behind her as she waited quietly, staring at the sloshing waves.

    She had heard from Marcus of how war had broken out between the Borrel Autarchy and the Draconic Tribes. These two major powers going to war was a huge incident. It was something that was bound to shake the entire 30,000 Worlds, if both forces were serious about this. The effects of such a war were bound to reach them, even all the way over here.

    Yet here¡­ All she could think about was a certain Anomaly that was no longer present.

    "Come home soon¡­ Dorian¡­" She whispered quietly to herself, her eyes gleaming.

    Helena had never been a social person, much preferring a life to herself. Yet with Dorian, everything feltfortable, everything felt safe. He reminded her a lot of Highlord Marcus in that way.

    She smiled ruefully as she stood up, ncing around.

    She was standing on one of the stone towers that connected to the Castle of Darkness. No one else was present,

    thud

    Someonended on the roof right next to her.

    Helena remained perfectly calm as she swiveled, her hands at the ready. She leaned down in a fighting stance, every cell she had alert. She perfectly entered her martial focus, an Aura of Might ready to burst out around her at a moment''s notice.

    "Lady Helena." The figure thatnded on the roof immediately went to one knee, bowing.

    Helena started when she saw this. Not because of the bowing, but because of the man''s appearance.

    He wasn''t a Vampire¡­ but instead was a human, dressed in ck leather pants and a ck shirt. He had smooth, brown eyes, with a small grey beard and with a short head of grey hair.

    On his back, a beautiful, ancient looking bow was slung, colored a blood-red hue.

    "Yes?" Helena began, her voice carrying a hint of confusion.

    "My name is Leader. I''vee in search of the Great Lord." Leader''s words carried a hint of fanaticism as he nced up, looking into Helena''s eyes.

    "The Great Lord? You mean¡­ Dorian?" Helena stuttered.

    When Leader heard that, his eyes lit up, a warm smile appearing. His entire demeanor seemed to rxe as he looked at her, genuine happiness appearing.

    "It is as I suspected, please forgive my abrupt appearance. The Great Lord indeed fooled the Council all along. What they thought was an enemy was merely a clever test, to help find the traitors like Fifteen." He nodded to himself, as if everything now made sense.

    There were a swirl of rumors about Lord Inigo''s mysterious wife in the Shade Empire. It wasn''t publicly known that Helena had been the one apanying him as his ''wife,'' nor was it even well known that his ''wife'' was a Vampire.

    The usations thrown out by the Southern Duke''s subordinate had been silenced and any stray rumors quashed by the authority of the Shade King. The leader of the Shade Commune was currently in talks with the Aurelius Vampires, under a strict ceasefire, and would allow no distractions to interfere.

    Leader, however, had picked up on everything. When he pieced it all together, putting all the clues up, he gradually reached a different conclusion than the one that Council reached.

    Everything only made sense to Leader if the Great Lord, Dorian, was the man known as Lord Inigo all along.

    And for that to be possible, it meant that Dorian must have killed the original clone or subordinate that Fifteen had sent out as Lord Inigo, taking his ce. He then used that as cover to test the Demonic Council.

    "A bunch of blind idiots¡­ there''s a reason I never joined them."

    As Leader was in the midst of congratting himself and his own genius, Helena began to realize who she was talking to.

    She remembered hearing about a powerful archer that used to follow Dorian around faithfully, an archer that had been separated from him after the disaster at Magmor. An archer that used the Demonic Law of Pride, but was not evil, one that believed Dorian''s presence was a sign that the Demonic Laws would return to operate openly.

    And, indeed, given that Dorian had gained all 7 of the Demonic Laws, he wasn''t really wrong in that regard.

    He was an archer of supreme skill with the same name as the man before her¡­ Leader.

    "Lord Ini-, ah, I mean, the Great Lord is no longer here. He is off on a journey to increase his strength and understanding of the Laws of the Universe." She responded quickly, wondering how Leader had managed to sneak up to her. This was the Castle of Darkness, after all. To achieve this much, his strength must''ve increased greatly since thest time he talked to Dorian.

    "Hmm¡­" Leader seemed to sense Helena''s intent, figuring out that Dorian didn''t need or wantpany right now.

    "Then I will stay behind here with you, mydy." Leader''s eyes shed as he nodded, making up his mind.

    "The 30,000 Worlds are no longer safe."

    Helena stared at him oddly.

    "I am in the Castle of Darkness, Leader, one of the safest ces in the world, home to a Pseudo-Angelic expert and the strongest stronghold of the Aurelius Family." She continued,

    "I am quite safe, and¡­" She clenched her fists.

    WHOOSH

    A raw, but tightly constrained Aura of Might burst out from her. This electrifyingly strong Aura forced Leader back a couple of steps, widening his eyes.

    "I need no protection."

    "As expected from the Great Lord''s woman." Leader nodded knowingly to himself. When Helena heard that, and realized what it meant, she blushed faintly and donned an annoyed expression.

    "I meant you no disrespect, Great Lady." He seemed to take it for granted that she was with Dorian now.

    "But¡­ a storm is brewing, Lady Helena¡­" Leader''s eyes narrowed, his demeanor shifting to one that was extremely serious.

    "He has returned."

    "He?" Helena stared at him, not understanding.

    "The Council confirmed it. It''s why I took so long to get here." Leader rubbed at his eyes,

    "The Great Destroyer now walks the 30,000 Worlds."

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Two and a half weeks prior¡­

    "Hello, old friend."

    "I am here to kill you again."

    After the words left Arthur Telmon''s lips, the Wizard King sped his hands together.

    As Zero watched all of this, his golden hair slowly started to flutter. An Angelic Halo appeared and flickered around his head, shing a myriad of colors in its iplete form.

    "You may find that quite a bit harder than you anticipate, Wizard." Zero remained sitting, but the air around him seemed to shiver as he stared at Arthur.

    Therge underground cavern the duo stood in seemed to quiver, the air quaking as energy surrounded the Wizard King. A golden, Angelic Halo appeared around Arthur''s head, shining with light and power.

    Arthur''s eyes gleamed with yellow light as he stared back at Zero.

    "I may find this hard?" Arthur''s voice was soft as he spoke, filled with a hint of amusement.

    "I have trained every day for a thousand years for this moment. In fact¡­" The Wizard King casually waved his hand to the side.

    "Creation Magic: Universal Space Prison Reveal."

    WHOOSH

    Immediately, a huge tear in space appeared, thirty meters wide and long. A burst of wind whished throughout therge cavern as reality tore, cascading about chaotically.

    Inside this tear, a world of white fog appeared. This fog shed with ethereal light, glimmering mysteriously, and seemed to go on endlessly. After a few seconds,rge tracts of the fog began to fade away, revealing something rather strange.

    Dozens of figures floated in this fogscape, spaced several meters from each other. Some figures had demonic features, while others looked angelic. Some were huge and towering beasts while others were small and diminutive.

    "I have already done this many times before. You will be the 47th Anomaly I have captured." Arthur took a step forward.

    Zero''s eyes remained unperturbed,

    "I am not like them. I am the strongest. Nothing can defeat me." ck energy crackled around Zero, a powerful Aura rising.

    However, for a split second, his attention wavered as he looked at all the other Anomalies that were Sealed within the tear in space.

    The Wizard King took advantage of that split second, dismissing the portal and activating two spells.

    "Creation Magic." The words sted from his mouth like a meteor, cascading in the air,

    "Form."

    A meter in front of the Wizard King, a small particle of light appeared. This particle was extremely tiny, so small it was invisible to the naked eye. Despite its small size, however, this particle contained an incredible amount of energy.

    Right after this particle came into existence, the Wizard King uttered one other Spell.

    His body moved unnaturally quickly throughout all of this, his physical speed enhanced thanks to a small ring that glowed on his finger. It was such that hepleted both Spells within that split second, the words shooting out of him.

    "Creation Magic." He whispered,

    "Detonate."

    As this particle finished forming, in a fraction of a second after the Wizard King activated his second Spell¡­ it began to twist.

    And then, near instantaneously¡­ it broke.

    This tiny particle suddenly became two tiny particles.

    Then¡­ it broke again. And again. And again.

    Every time it broke, a small bit of the huge store of energy present in it would sh out. This caused a chain reaction as the pieces of it that formed broke over and over, repeatedly.

    All of this happened in less than a millionth of a second, so incredibly quickly that no one present could react.

    The small particle broke 27,812 times.

    The resulting energy was hyper-concentrated, but after the numerous chain reactions, it rapidly began to expand.

    A sh of white light shot out.

    The Wizard King''s body flickered and vanished.

    A momentter¡­

    A gargantuan explosion obliterated the underground cavern.

    BOOOM

    WHOOSH

    Raw energy expanded outward at a speed exceeding the sound barrier. This powerful force not only destroyed the underground chamber, but it also sted into and incinerated the surrounding earth and continued to expand.

    Entire mountains of rock were sted apart, thrown into the air with abandon.

    In ten-thousandths of a second, the explosion broke free to the surface and destroyed everything within 5 miles.

    In a thousandth of a second, it destroyed everything 15 miles.

    In one-hundredth of a second, it destroyed everything within 50 miles.

    And finally, as a full second passed¡­

    The explosion''s radius settled after creating a gaping hole in the surface of the that spanned roughly 70 miles wide and long. Dust and debris rained down as huge chunks of rock littered the air, cast up by the impact. Severalrge, mountain-sized chunks of earth escaped the atmosphere, blown up with such force.

    The surface above the underground chamber was a deste wastnd, hidden and tucked far away from civilization, a ce Zero had thought safe. In fact, the entire Lesser World of Hani was considered a wastnd, upied only at the edge of its World Bridges. It was once considered a sacred zone for the Draconic Tribes, but was heavily damaged and left deste after a series of vicious, internal wars.

    As a result, no lives were taken in the initial st and the resulting expansion.

    A figure emerged into the huge cloud of dust, glowing with white light. Arthur Telmon waspletely uninjured, his fine robes and open vest not even the slightest bit damaged.

    "Wind Magic: Vanish."

    WHOOSH

    The huge storm of dust seemed to freeze for a moment. Right after, a huge windstorm shook the air, multiple tornadoes forming. All of the floating dust and debris became sucked into these tornadoes and shot up high into the sky, exiting the atmosphere and moving into Chaotic Space.

    The huge torrents of wind cleared an area roughly 30 miles wide, at the epicenter of the explosion.

    As this dust cleared, the huge scale of the explosion became clear.

    A hole that was roughly 10 miles deep into the surface of the had been bored, spread out along a huge area. The raw explosive power required to obliterate so much dense rock was gargantuan.

    A few underground rivers began to pour water into the massive crater from the sides or bottom, while exposed veins of rare ores and minerals gleamed. There were even a few geothermal magma veins bursting forth with molten rock, sizzling into the crater.

    Arthur''s body blurred and vanished as he shot forward, however, his eyes zeroing in on something specific.

    At the very center of this explosion¡­ a creature could be seen.

    A bruised, burnt figure of a huge lion, shimming with ck energy. It stood roughly 60 meters tall, a huge beast that looked tiny in the scale of the crater it stood in. Its formerly majestic, gold and white fury covered in burns and injuries, appearing quite pitiful.

    "Wizard¡­ I stand yet." Zero''s voice was harried as he looked at Arthur''s glowing form.

    In the moment right before the explosion, Zero had felt a dangerous premonition in his soul, as if Fate itself was guiding him.

    If he did not return to his Divine Golden Lion¡­ he would die.

    He followed that feeling and instantly transformed.

    A mere fraction of a second after, he was hit with the deadliest attack he had ever suffered from. All of his Abilities, all of his power, all of it almost failed in the face of the raw explosive might of a single Spell from the Wizard King.

    "Your¡­ attack failed." Zero continued, his head raised proudly,

    "And so shall you!"

    Divine Golden Lions were unique creatures. They drew upon the natural energy of reality, and by doing so, through their own natural physique, they had a near limitless supply of energy to use for attacks.

    Zero had picked up several protective Abilities as he absorbed multiple Bloodlines. Bybining these with his near limitless energy supply, he was barely able to survive Arthur Telmon''s explosion.

    "You don''t even remember, huh? You were the one that gave me the inspiration for that Spell, from the memories of your past life, old friend." Arthur shook his head as he looked down at the huge lion that was raging below him.

    Zero''s entire physical form blurred as he raised his front legs. Above his head, a massive ball of energy formed, made up of gold and white particles that fluctuated. This energy was condensed from the very air itself around Zero, and the unending supply of energy within him, all in a split second.

    WHOOOOOOOSSH

    This attack took only a split second to summon, yet seemed to tire the giant lion greatly, causing its body to tremble from exertion. The golden light that surrounded it trembled in fury, particles shivering and shuddering.

    A concentrated beam of raw might shot forward, moving at an extremely fast pace. It melted through the air, destroying space itself as it ripped forward.

    It was the same attack that Sun Wukong had barely deflected, even with his near all-seeing-eyes, one that made the hidden injuries the ancient monkey bore grow worse, the sheer effort needed to block the attack requiring an extreme level of skill.

    An Ability only a Divine Golden Lion possessed.

    Annihtion Beam.

    .

 Chapter 217 Back

    Arthur sped his hands together right before Zerounched the attack, casting a Spell.

    "Creation Magic: Myriad Portal."

    A shimmering blue portal appeared in the air, between Arthur and Zero. It opened up into a world of white, ethereal fog.

    Not a momentter, the glowing Annihtion Beam ripped through space right towards the Wizard King¡­

    And then shot into the portal and vanishedpletely, leaving behind a crackling trail of golden and white energy.

    "Foolish. If you want to stand a chance, you''ll actually need to hit me first. Your Law of Annihtion isn''t half bad, though, not when it''s paired with this beam attack." Arthur waved his hand casually.

    The portal vanished and then instantly reappeared.

    Right as it reappeared, however¡­ a golden beam of energy shot out of it, identical to the one Zero had just fired off.

    WHOOOSH

    This beam shot downward and mmed into the stunned figure of Zero, setting off another huge explosion that littered the air with dust once more.

    Zero''s proud figure was thrown down, forming a second, smaller crater in the earth. Huge cracks spread out as jagged chunks of rock ripped free, stone shrapnel shooting off into the air.

    Zero''s Annihtion Beam was an attack that was aligned with his essence and soul, and couldn''t seriously injure him. The Law he studied, the Law of Annihtion, was a natural boost to that attack, and as a result, it immediately neutralized the beam when it hit him. The raw force of the attack, however, could not be neutralized.

    BOOM

    Blue mes melted into the air as Zero instantly jumped out of the new crater, shooting off six separate geysers of Dragonfire. Each one of these quaked with power, covering a huge area.

    Arthur didn''t sit and wait for the dangerous mes to hit him. His eyes glowed, as did the Halo around his head, as he cast another Spell.

    "Water Magic: Pantheon Ocean Spear."

    WHOOSH

    Six, 100 meter wide spears of pure, deep blue water merged into existence, hovering near Arthur. He waved his hand forward,manding the spears.

    The six spears of water shot out rapidly, mming into the burning Dragonfire at six specific points.

    The moment they made contact, the water sizzled and vaporized. The blue mes, however, vanished, neutralized by the magical water.

    These six spears knocked into and covered all of the blue mes,pletely wiping them out. The water spears were formed from a special type of Dampening Water native to the deepest depths of certain water or ocean-based Worlds.

    "Grr¡­" Zero didn''t give up when he saw this, instead raising his head once more as he yelled out loud,

    "ROAR!"

    An extremely loud, supersonic st of noise shook the air. This st was concentrated, particles of energy appearing around Zero''s face as he yelled. The Hyperion Voice Ability, a rare power native to the rare Grand Hoop Tiger.

    When the vocal attack reached the Wizard King, however, it fizzled out as a white barrier appeared around Arthur''s skin, blocking it off.

    Zero''s chest heaved as he shook, his injuries slowly starting to take their toll. Even if he had an infinite supply of energy, it still took him time to recover from each attack.

    Still, his body was already regenerating from the horrifying burns and blows he''d taken, visibly healing. His defensive prowess had increased far beyond the level it used to be,pared to a few months ago when he had first arrived.

    "You are far too inexperienced." Arthur''s voice sounded almost disappointed as he dropped down, flying towards Zero.

    "And here I thought the Secondborn would prove more of a challenge. I have only used Magic thus far." He shook his head as he cast another Spell.

    "Creation Magic: Heavenly Chains."

    WHOOSH

    8 portals emerged into the air, not far from Zero. Each portal rippled in the air, their edges ck and splotchy. They led to a world that seemed to be made of pure, white fog, simr to the other portals.

    When the Anomaly saw this, he growled. Immediately, ck energy appeared and surrounded him, a protectiveyer.

    From the portals, 8 pure, baster chains shot forward. Each chain gave off a majestic, golden glow, full of imperial might. Each chain''s end contained a sharp and jagged golden spear, several meters long in length.

    When Zero saw the chains, his eyes widened with horror. However, before the Anomaly could do anything, they had already arrived, moving extremely fast.

    BOOM

    crackle

    The spears at the end of the chains mmed into the protective ck energy that covered Zero.

    For a good couple of seconds, that barrier of energy held. The chains seemed to quake as they came into contact with them, imbued with energy but still unable to break through. It was a huge sh of energy that took up all of Zero''s focus, leaving the Divine Golden Lion frozen.

    When Arthur saw this, he frowned and tapped on the small, purple ring he wore. It immediately glowed with light.

    A momentter, the spears glowed with purple light.

    BOOM

    They broke through Zero''s barrier.

    In the split second after, they mmed into his tough body and pierced through it. 4 of the chains stabbed into each of his legs, while two stabbed into his chest, one stabbed into his neck, and one stabbed into his lower back.

    Blood and light spasmed out as Zero mmed into the ground, his entire body pierced through and frozen. The chains wrapped around Zero once, covering his joints and preventing him from making even the slightest motion.

    Zero''s muscles bulged, blood streaming from his huge body as he quaked against the chains, doing everything he could to shatter them.

    Arthurnded on the ground not far from Zero, shaking his head,

    "These chains were designed to trap and restrain a creature with a Divine ss Bloodline. I worked on this spell for so many years I lost track, all in preparation." His eyes glinted as he snapped his fingers.

    Zero''s huge body spun around and floated into the air, twisting till Zero''s face was looked right at Arthur.

    The two faced off, Zero''s chest heaving as blood dripped from his body, while Arthur looked on,pletely dispassionate.

    "I suppose this makes capture number 47 a sess." He nodded. He began to fiddle with his Spatial Ring, bringing out several odd looking materials.

    "You¡­ are mighty¡­ Wizard. But¡­ I¡­ will never¡­ surrender¡­" Zero''s voice had lost none of its majesty as the Anomaly spoke, wheezing between words. Both of his lungs had been punctured, making it agonizingly painful to speak. His eyes bored into Arthur, glimmering with golden light.

    "I don''t need your surrender. Your Abilities are Sealed and you can''t draw upon the Laws of- ah." Arthur cut himself off.

    "You have¡­ detonated your soul?" As the dust settled all around them, dispersed to several miles away by their shes, the Wizard King frowned. He studied the lion in front of him seriously.

    "That''s right¡­ even¡­ you won''t be¡­ able to escape¡­ space is¡­ destabilized¡­ my death¡­ glorious¡­" Zero''s mouth leaked blood as he grinned. His entire body began to shake, small blips of light starting to float off of it.

    A sensation of impending doom filled the air as energy began to concentrate on Zero''s form, reaching horrifying levels. Reality around them seemed to distort, making it impossible for any portals to be opened.

    "Huh." The Wizard King rubbed his chin when he saw this.

    "Well, you got me there. I didn''t know you could do that. Your determination is many times stronger than other Anomalies. But¡­" He shrugged,

    "I wasn''t going to kill you, but you have forced my hand. I can''t just let you destroy the." Arthur sped his hands together, staring at the quaking Divine Golden Lion onest time.

    "Goodbye, Zero." Arthur''s voice was cold,

    "Creation Magic: Atomic Deconstruction."

    Zero looked the Wizard King in the eye onest time, seeing a figure that was emzoned, imprinted, onto his very soul.

    A proud, resilient human that gave off an almost divine feeling. The strongest being he had ever faced.

    The strongest human in existence.

    Zero''s huge, lion body, the mighty Secondborn that boasted incredible strength, the strongest known Anomaly to walk the 30,000 Worlds¡­

    His body froze for a split second¡­

    And then fell apart, turning into particles of grey ash. His legs dissipated into dust, his proud mane falling to nothingness, his mighty chest billowing into tiny clumps of grey. The impending feeling of doom vanished, the terrifying energy dissipating as space returned to normal.

    Zero died.

    "¡­"

    A period of silence reigned.

    The falling chunks of rock in the far background finished falling, many of them tumbling into the giant crater. Deep rumblings asionally shook the air, the damage the had suffered causing a worldwide earthquake.

    Arthur took a deep breath as he waved his hand, retracting and dismissing his Heavenly Chains. He took a few steps forward, looking at the pile of ash that had once been the Secondborn.

    A quiet, unfair death for a being with aspirations of greatness.

    He bowed his head slightly, his Halo vanishing.

    He then turned around, his eyes steeled as he prepared to leave. A faint hint of exhaustion lurked at just the edges of his eyes, indicating that the battle hadn''t been quite as easy and nonchnt as he made it seem.

    The Wizard King sped his hands, summoning up the energy to cast a Spell.

    "Creation Mag-" Abruptly, Arthur froze, cutting himself off and prematurely ending his spell.

    Slowly, he turned around, light starting to gather around him once more.

    For, in the midst of Zero''s ashes¡­ a figure began to emerge. Particles of light flowed into this figure, drawing on the natural environment to appear.

    In just a few moments, that figure fully formed, revealing itself.

    It was a man, wearing a simple set of ck pants and nothing else. He was muscr, with a handsome face and piercing blue eyes. He had short brown hair and a strong chin.

    This man gave off no Aura.

    He gave off almost no energy at all.

    Despite that, he carried himself with a sense of absolute confidence. As if there was nothing in existence that could cause him to falter.

    When the Wizard King saw him, a look of sheer horror and disbelief shed on his face.

    "No. It cannot be." Arthur stuttered, his eyes wide in shock.

    "Hello, old friend." Yukeli Shorn smiled, his ancient eyes studying the world around him as he took a deep breath,

    "It''s been a while."

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    The two beings looked at each other silently.

    The Wizard King face returned to its cid calm state, every hint of shock vanishing as he looked at Yukeli. Arthur''s golden Halo reappeared, flush on his head as he stared at the man he had once killed, long ago.

    Gradually, his Halo vanished, as did any signs of energy or threat. He calmed downpletely, gaining the appearance of a regr human.

    "How?" Arthur spoke a single word, waving his hand casually. Arge,fortable looking chair appeared, one he slowly sat down on as he looked at his formerrade.

    Yukeliughed out loud as he saw this, stretching his arms,

    "It took a while, but one of my clones finally stumbled upon someone that was aware of a Law I''ve been hunting for." Yukeli seemed to taste the words as he spoke, as if he hadn''t talked under his own will in a very long time. Every action the man made, every word he spoke, seemed perfectly calcted.

    Despite theck of energy or threat he gave off, Arthur gave his full andplete attention to Yukeli, never wavering.

    "It''s called the Law of Holy Light. A certain Shade Prince named Isaac was quite adept with it."

    Yukeli continued to speak. It had been a very long time since he was able to talk using his own body, especially to an oldrade like Arthur Telmon, and the master warrior seemed to have no qualms exining himself,

    "The memories I gained were iplete. It seems that soul fragment did not fully transfer over, and is straggling somewhere, in a mortal''s body. Still, it was enough to help me gather my own understanding of it." He shrugged,

    "The Law of Holy Light. You have practiced a new Law?" Arthur blinked, not giving off a hint of emotion.

    Yukeli smiled again at the question.

    "Anomalies can study multiple Laws, I built their Soul Spell Matrix specifically to help adapt their souls for that. For every one of my clones that dies, I gain a deep understanding of various Laws, Abilities, and any information they held." Yukeli waved his hand casually.

    WHOOSH

    A golden beam of energy shot off into the air, one that ripped through space itself.

    A beam very simr, but much lesser in scale, to the beam Zero had shot off, just moments prior.

    A lesser version of the Annihtion Beam, essible only through the Law of Annihtion.

    "The Law of Holy Light is an interesting Law." Yukeli looked at his hand for a moment, studying it,

    "It allows you to resurrect from death. When you annihted Zero, his soul itself was shredded, preventing him from returning to life. My soul, however¡­ I have touched the Divine. I have Ascended." Yukeli nodded,

    "Even though my soul is split into 88 pieces, each piece is near invulnerable. Only a being that has touched the Divine Realm would be able to permanently injure it.

    "Zero''s death gave me a chance, the huge remnant energy stores he built up supplying me with what I needed. He has achieved his purpose, and now I can begin mine" Yukeli finished speaking for a moment, stamping the ground with his legs. He was rapidly adapting back to his new body, testing out the movement of his arms and legs.

    Another moment of silence passed as Arthur tried toprehend everything he was being told. Despite his rxed demeanor, his heart was pounding at a rapid pace.

    "You nned¡­ all of this?" Arthur waved his hand.

    "Well, yes and no. I did n this, but it happened in a way I didn''t quite expect. It worked out in the end, but I think I got a bit lucky, eh? Fate and what not." Yukeli grinned cheekily with a smile that did not reach his eyes. After a moment, he added one more line,

    "It might not havee to this if you hadn''t attacked me back then, while I was in the midst of Ascension."

    Arthur''s eyes zed with light as he stood up,

    "You were drawing upon the World Tree''s life force to help you! I had no choice, a single misstep could kill trillions! Your preparations caused Ausra''s death and nearly killed Sun Wukong!" His voice was full of anger.

    "You endangered the lives of trillions just so you could seek your version of perfe-" He stopped talking as Yukeli held up a hand, nodding along with him.

    "Arthur¡­ you were right. You did the right thing."

    The Wizard King''s jaw dropped.

    Yukeli smiled again when he saw this, his eyes tinged with sorrow as he spoke aloud, taking the conversation on a different track.

    "Reality is imperfect, even in the Divine Realm. Do you know what I found up there, in the Heavens?"

    Arthur froze, his eyes wide as he looked at Yukeli. The Wizard King didn''t say anything, but Yukeli took it as a cue to continue,

    "The legends are wrong. The Heavens are deste. The Divine Realm is worthless. There is no God, there is no Light, there is no paradise. There is nothing. It was a wastnd, not a holynd, where the weak live a tortured existence and even the mighty live in squalor." Yukeli''s words were cutting,

    "The Heavens were destroyed in the wars waged by Ascenders from other realities, long ago. I became powerful, yes, but a ruler of a wastnd is still a ruler of a wastnd. A Godking of nothing¡­ What value is there in that,cking perfection?" He shook his head.

    "Life is a cycle, of both order and chaos, ever repeating. After reaching a state of great power¡­ even then, I found that I could not achieve perfection. A shattered Divine Realm was incapable of forming what I desired." He sighed sadly,

    "And I realized something. For all my strength, for all my determination, for all my might, I¡­" His eyes gleamed,

    "I was selfish. I was wed. Ickedpassion, Icked tolerance, Icked pity. I was so caught up in my own desires that I abandoned what was right, what was just, what was fair. What was equal." He spat out the criticisms of himself mercilessly,

    "I was a fool."

    Arthur Telmon looked at Yukeli in pure, unadulterated shock as Yukeli continued, his voice echoing in the air,

    "Think of the child starving because her mother cannot bring home enough money to buy them bread.

    "Think of the beggar that is scorned, riddled with illness, living a life of solitude and fear.

    "Think of the cripple who does everything right, yet is forced to live as an outcast.

    "How can reality allow any being of perfection to form, when reality itself is so wed?

    "As I realized that, I reached a simple conclusion.

    "If I want to achieve perfection, reality itself must change."

    The more Yukeli talked, the more surprised Arthur was. He looked at the ancient warrior in a new light, as if this was the first time he had ever seen him before. Arthur''s heart was turning,pletely unable to tell what was going on.

    Never in a thousand years would he have imagined their meeting going like this.

    "The me of then¡­ the me that risked life in the 30,000 Worlds to Ascend was indeed foolish. You were right to kill me, even if I did get lucky and have my soul Ascend as I died." Yukeli nodded.

    "I was wrong."

    Another moment of silence passed as Arthur looked at Yukeli, and Yukeli looked back.

    Yukeli sighed,

    "And after I realized that, everything changed." His eyes began to glow with dim, grey light, his voice taking on a passionate tone,

    "Arthur, people must be made to see the value of life. Every starving child should be seen as a glorious seed of the future, every ill beggar as a wise elder, every cripple as a brave hero.

    "Only when people truly understand that life has value, only when this reality itself has changed, can perfection truly flourish. It is not I that has failed to achieve perfection! It is reality itself that is holding me back!" His words shook the air, booming with confidence as he smiled, raising a clenched fist into the air,

    "That is why I have returned, Arthur. This part of my soul here¡­ it has all of the important memories I need, stored within it. I apologize if my other versions have caused trouble, even I cannot control them. Their memories are iplete." He shook his head apologetically.

    Arthur held up his hand, his eyes piercing as he looked at the supreme martial artist,

    "How do you n on making people see the value of life?" Arthur''s intelligence was not low. He instantly saw the key issue with Yukeli''s argument, going straight to the point,

    "That is not something you can do with a wave of your hand."

    Yukeli sighed,

    "I knew you would ask about that, Arthur. It is the key part of my goal¡­ it is a task of such enormity, few could bear such a burden. After living for so long in the Divine Realm, a n gradually came clear to me.

    "How do you make people see the value of life?" He smiled, half sardonically, half sorrowfully.

    "It''s simple. You take it away.

    "There are 30,000 Worlds in this reality. When I regain all 88 pieces of my soul, I will regain the powers I held back in the Divine Realm. I will have be a God." His voice began to grow in strength, a righteous Aura breaking into the air around him.

    "When I have that¡­ I will sever the 30,000 Worlds from the Source World."

    "Have you lost your mind?!" Arthur trembled, unable to hold himself back when he heard that. As he spoke, his hand casually fell to touch the purple ring he wore on his hand.

    "That would kill hundreds of trillions! Every World that is severed would be swarmed with Spatial Storms! All of reality would perish!" Arthur''s rebuke was filled with vehemence.

    "No." Yukeli shook his head, holding up a hand,

    "Under my Divine guidance, when I amplete, I can shape those storms withpassion.

    "On every, on every World, every being will see the might of these Spatial Storms, but only half of them will suffer its fury. The other half will remainpletely unharmed, spared of even the slightest injury. The deaths of the first half will be painless, a merciful and fast ending.

    (Author''s Note - This bit was inspired (in part) by Europe''s infamous ck gue wiping out half its poption and the huge change in outlook that came about as a result, back in 2016 when I originally started nning, well before I posted it to AllNovelFull. Not by Marvel/Thanos)

    "Doing so will require me to burn the essence of my soul, expanding my senses to epass all of reality. I may very well perish as a result. But this reality will live on and evolve into one that sees the value of life." He smiled sadly,

    "For only when you know loss can you appreciate what you have lost. Only when you realize the great gift you have been given can you truly understand it. Only when you experience death all around you¡­" He took a deep breath,

    "¡­Only then can you truly appreciate life."

    "And at that time¡­ reality will have changed. Under my Divine guidance, it will have shifted and be born anew. One in which perfection may truly arise, where it will be possible to break past the limits of reality through one''s own strength."

    "I may never experience that." He paused and then sighed,

    "But if that is the price I must pay, then so be it."

    Arthur trembled, his body shaking from rage. He was able to control his emotions to minute levels in front of anyone else, yet when he was in front of Yukeli, he always found it difficult,

    "You will bring about a genocide the likes of which have never been seen before¡­ and you call that¡­passion?" He spat his words out, full of scorn.

    "To save the child that has nothing to eat from starvation, to save the beggar that owns nothing from disease, to save the cripple that is treated as nothing from torturous scorn¡­ Yes." Yukeli answered without hesitation,

    "I call thatpassion.

    "Those that live will survive, and they will flourish. Life will be treated with the value it deserves. Peace and harmony will reign, forgiveness and mercy will fly freely." He quietly added one more line, a calm whisper that sounded off in the air,

    "Perfection¡­ will no longer be unachievable. The descendants of this new reality will bear this lesson in their hearts, passing it forward forevermore. This shall be a scar reality shall never forget."

    A shocked silence filled the air as Arthur looked at Yukeli.

    "You are insane."

    Yukeli turned away, an expression of pain filling his face.

    "Arthur, you were my greatest friend. I know that I have wronged you, but surely, you can see the logic of my words. Only when this reality has understood great loss will it understand the true value of life."

    The Wizard King took several steps backward, shaking his head all the way.

    "You are wrong, old friend, far more so than you were in the past." Arthur''s ring began to glow the purple light, one that surrounded his body.

    Yukeli sighed again, abruptly changing the conversation,

    "I know you have many of my clones, sealed away. I can sense their location, even from this distance, locked into a space that is connected to the capital of your Autarchy.

    "Arthur¡­ do not force me.

    "If I charged in to rescue them alone, I''m sure all the contingencies you''veid would be enough to potentially stop me, and perhaps even capture me." Yukeli shook his head,

    "But if I borrow the strength of the Draconic Tribes, it will only be a matter of time." His eyes began to glow with energy as he turned around,

    "One of my clones has united all of the Tribes to fight against my former self. Taking his ce is something that would take a matter of hours.

    "Turning them into an army to take down your Autarchy would take a couple of weeks at most."

    Arthur remained silent as the purple energy glowed around him. His ring was a special Artifact he had made himself, over a period of 100 years. It contained a multitude of powers, one of which allowed him to separate himself from reality and teleport to a preset location, once every 5 years.

    By doing so, he was effectively invincible, but also unable to respond to any attack or do anything until he finished teleporting to his new location.

    It was his ultimate safeguard, an extremely powerful tool that he kept on him just in case. It was a one-of-a-kind Artifact.

    "You have built up such a fount of knowledge, a beautiful paradise where trillions live. Why bring unnecessary warfare and violence into their lives? This reality has suffered enough, Arthur." Yukeli looked Arthur in the eyes.

    "You are the one making that choice, Yukeli." The Wizard King''s voice was quiet as he replied, his voice echoing as it prated theyer of purple energy, barely able to make it through.

    "I am doing what must be done, Arthur. What I have to do. For if I don''t¡­ then who will?" Yukeli turned away again,

    "This is my destiny, old friend. I have found my purpose."

    Behind him, Arthur''s body shimmered and then vanishedpletely, teleported away.

    Leaving Yukeli alone inside a crater filled with death, standing tall as the world around him starting to shiver and shake, the reverberations from Arthur and Zero''s fight causing unforeseen side effects.

    "I will break reality itself if I must." Yukeli spoke quietly to himself,

    "One day¡­ you will understand." His voice was somber,

    "You all will."

    .

 Chapter 218 Bound for Icicar once more

    Weekster, back on Taprisha¡­

    Near the Molten Core of Taprisha, a certain unique Anomaly was currently standing up, a huge smile on his face.

    "That went well." Dorian smiled with pleasure as he came to, feeling the results of his meditation keenly. He clenched his fists, his body shivering with energy as he called to mind his energy levels.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: Lord ss (Pseudo-King)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 620,055/628,291

    -

    "A max of around 630,000 Points of Energy, huh?" He nodded as he saw the figure, knowing it was inherently correct.

    "Not bad." It was far from bad. It was insanely strong for a Lord ss being.

    Time had passed by Dorian while he was in the midst of meditation, at a pace that felt both fast and slow. He had been immersed fully, the mysteries of the world, the unique Laws of the Universe, all dancing in his consciousness.

    In this ce, he sessfully broke into the Middle Stage ofprehension for the Laws of Lust, Envy, and Greed. As a result, the strength of his soul jumped. It was especially so for the Law of Greed. That Law alone had provided the lion''s share of the increase in strength to his soul. It made sense, given that Greed was the Law basically tailored to enhance the power of one''s Soul.

    As Dorian fully came to, he nced around where he was.

    The Molten Core was doing just fine and no one came to disturb him. His key moment ofprehension in a secret ce went perfectly fine, no one stumbled upon him and attacked, nor did any of his enemies use this moment tond a surprise blow.

    It was nothing like some of the book''s he''d read back on Earth imed something like this would be like.

    "Ah well." He shrugged, feeling half disappointed. If someone hade to attack, he would''ve been fully prepared. Still, this was real life, not everything came as he wished.

    With thatst fleeting thought, Dorian maintained his Ifrit form as he began to climb out of the hole that led to the Molten Core.

    He hopped from wall to wall, using the draft of sweltering heat to boost his jumps as he quickly scaled up. In no time at all, he managed to reach the top of the entrance area, his Ifrit form not the slightest bit bothered by the life-crushingly hot air.

    As he left, his heart built with excitement. He was ready to continue his journey. Meditation was fun and never boring, but some things simply were more interesting.

    He emerged to a world of darkness.

    "Oh, it''s night." He blinked.

    It took him a second to realize that. For some reason, he''d assumed it would be daylight when he left.

    He jogged several dozens meters away from the entrance, leaving behind the ungodly heat. When he got far enough away to feel safe, he then transformed, returning to his Sun Eagle form.

    "Caw!" He let out a quiet shout as he then jumped high into the air, leaving behind a small trail of fire that lit up the night. His eyes shed with light as he turned in a specific direction, his Jade Memory letting him know exactly where to go.

    ''I''m all done here¡­ time to head to Blizzaria.''

    WHOOSH

    The only thing left after Dorian flew off was the fading line of fire his Sun Eagle form gave off, fizzling out like a meteor flying through the sky, disappearing to ces unknown¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Several hours passed.

    Dorian''s journey across Taprisha flew by in what felt like an instant. His Sun Eagle''s form made insane progress and it took only a rtively short period to reach Potor City.

    He opted not to return to the city. He felt a great deal of nostalgia by being there, the memories of his earlier times returning to him, but he also knew the past was the past. He couldn''t get stuck up on it just because he had the opportunity to. It was far more important that he continued making progress.

    The budding sense of urgency he felt only seemed to be growing stronger, day by day.

    Once he arrived, he flew directly up the World Bridge, skipping over the protective wall that blocked it off without issue.

    He then directly blitzed through the World Bridge. He saw several bands of hunters and gatherers moving about their business, and even a group of warriors that seemed to be headed for Blizzaria, in search of treasure.

    A few hours into his journey, his mouth twitched as he passed over one rather familiar zone.

    By this point, daylight had returned to the World Bridge and it was early morning. The cycle of day and night on the World Bridges operated simr to how it did ons, despite their rtively small circumference, a magical process that was dictated by the Laws of the Universe.

    He passed over the ce where his and Yukeli''s mind had shed, long ago.

    Instead of flying on his way, Dorian dived down andnded. A frown appeared on his face as he shifted to his Human form, his clothes magically appearing on him.

    He hadnded in a small clearing, in the middle of arge forest. From his memory, this was the spot where he killed several hunters that had been torturing and celebrating their torture of an innocent deer.

    He had originally nned to let them off, but when he eavesdropped and heard how they would continue their actions, Dorian had lost it.

    He had killed them for that.

    ''Yukeli''s memories had shed with my own, tainting my judgement.'' His frown widened as he stopped in front of one particr tree, looking at it.

    This was the exact tree he remembered standing behind when eavesdropping on those four hunters from dozens of meters distant.

    "Would I have killed them under my own, sane mind?" Dorian spoke to himself, blinking several times as he thought it over.

    "¡­I don''t know." It was a sticky situation.

    "All intelligent life has value. Killing someone is a big decision." He sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

    He wasn''t a vegetarian that would shy away from killing other beasts or creatures for sustenance or energy. However, he also would try to avoid killing fully sentient beings, unless they hadmitted a vile crime.

    "I should have faked poisoning them, and threatened toe back and check on it yearster, or something of that nature." It took him only a few seconds of clear thinking toe up with a solution.

    "If I used my Abilities, I could''ve convincingly faked it, even at the time. Killing them¡­" He shook his head,

    "That was excessive." As he reached this conclusion, he felt a weight rise up from his heart.

    It was Yukeli''s influence that twisted his mind and caused him to kill those men. The Dorian he knew he was would''ve made another solution work, he was absolutely confident of that.

    He bowed silently for a few seconds, in the general direction of where those men had died. He couldn''t change his actions now. Undoing death was something that was extremely difficult to do even when fully prepared to reform a body, with someone that had just died.

    He didn''t even think it would be possible for him to restore 4 people back to life, even if he had their souls and viable bodies to help reform right now. Bringing back Will and Probus had been difficult enough.

    With these doubts in his mind settled, Dorian left the forest clearing, returning to his Sun Eagle form as he went back to his journey. His eyes shed clearly, not a hint of self-doubt present.

    He zed across the rest of the World Bridge, making great progress.

    And, some amount of timeter¡­

    A calm, but cold breeze brushed past Dorian''s face as he looked out from the World Bridge, his Human eyes gleaming with energy.

    "I''m back."

    A frozen world spread out around him. The world where the dead walked.

    Blizzaria.

    The World Bridge provided a type of magical protection until one got very close to the ground of Blizzaria. As a result, Dorian could see the storming winds and thundering lightning that gued the strike and whip all around the World Bridge, all while remaining safe near the top of it.

    He began to jog down the World Bridge. As he ran, his eyes scanned the dangerous environment, keeping tabs on everything.

    The closer he got to the end of the World Bridge, the more and more he felt the wind and weather of Blizzaria start to affect him.

    He ignored that as he ran, picking up speed as he charged forward.

    He crossed the distance down in seconds, his body blurring due to his great speed. In no time at all, he had almost reached the end.

    "Thest time I was here, I was weak. Icked the strength to stand up for myself. I even had to rely on Yukeli''s memories and consciousness at one point, and was almost fatally wounded by a certain fox." As he spoke aloud, his eyes twinkled.

    "Transform."

    WHOOSH

    His Human body vanished, instantly reced with a scaled, armored Demonic figure that gave off a sense of control and bnce.

    Dorian leapt forward several dozen meters, jumping high into the air¡­

    Andnded just before the end of the World Bridge, where the weather of Taprisha was almost fully unleashed.

    Instantly, a flurry of chaotic winds smashed against him, the deadly weather of the surface trying to overwhelm him. The air whished all around him, blistering cold ice crashing into his scales, freezing rain and wind knocking into his back.

    ''You are currently caught within a Distorted Field Storm. Rmendation: Leave the Distorted Field.'' Ausra sent him a notification that he promptly put aside.

    "But I am weak no longer." Dorianpletely ignored the weather, not bothered in the slightest as he jumped forward several more times. Soon hepletely escaped the bounds of the World Bridge and was left with the brunt of the harsh weather.

    Still, he was unaffected. The worst he felt was the buffeting of the wind, something he could easily ignore. His passive Body of Bnce Ability that his Bnce Demon form had instantly rejected any internal changes in temperature, keeping him perfectly fine. He was able to perfectly maintain his sense of bnce, moving with rity.

    As he fully realized how far he hade, how much stronger and more capable he was now, he couldn''t help but grin cheekily.

    He jogged forward through the dangerous weather, following the trail his memories had left behind.

    "Now then¡­" His eyes gleamed as he looked at what was in front of him after he finished jogging.

    A huge statue of a dragony before him. He could only see part of it, its enormous mouth, its domineering eyes, and a portion of its shoulders, while the rest of it was obscured from even his vision by the constant flurry of ice and snow. The open mouth alone was huge, stretching up nearly a thousand meters in height, set into a widespread, rocky stone floor and, unsurprisingly, covered in ice.

    The entire statue appeared to be buried almost entirely in the ground, sunken into a type of depression, shielding the bottom part of it from the brunt of the weather above.

    It was the same stone carving he''d seen when he''d first entered Blizzaria.

    He nodded as he remembered this was the entrance to the Western Cave System in this area. Blizzaria was split up into multiple Cave Systems, each of them full of shambling undead.

    This particr statue was called the ''Dragon''s Mouth.''

    "Let''s get to it." He waltzed inside.

    The insides of the Cave System were identical to his memories. The stone ceiling was roughly four to five hundred meters above his head, with a few long stctites hanging from it. The walls were dark brown, coated with clear or light blue ice, and arge number of glowing crystals.

    "Pourmaline Rock Crystals, right?" He smiled as Ausra confirmed it. They were a special type of rock that glowed with light, giving the Cave System a certain level of visibility.

    "And this all is the Great Road to Icicar." He nodded again, staring down the cavern. It continued on seemingly endlessly, the end of it disappearing from sight into the distance, forming a sort of road. It was more than 100 meters wide, covered in patches of ice and stone.

    "I need to find a Desated being with a King ss Soul Spell Matrix. I know there used to be a Grakon King down at Icicar¡­ That one-armed Giant should be shambling somewhere in this Cave System too." As he talked over his ns out loud, Dorian rapidly moved forward.

    Only a few minutes passed before it happened.

    Arge, 3 meter tall minotaur appeared in Dorian''s vision,ing from a side-passageway onto the main roar to Icicar.

    The creature was covered in ck metal tes that seemed to resemble scales, bearing an appearance very simr to Earth''s Minotaurs, with the head of a bull, a humanoid set of arms and chest, and hooved legs like that of a horse. A deathly aura hung around it as its head stared at Dorian.

    It wielded a massive, ancient looking greatsword on its back, a weapon that was easily as tall as Dorian in his Human form.

    For a split second, the two beings stared at each other.

    Right after that, the undead Grakon let out a roar¡­

    "GRAAWWRRRRR!"

    ¡­and then rapidly began to expand, its body swelling to stand 9 meters tall, bing a towering monstrosity.

    -

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss - Lord ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 29,127

    -

    The powerful being''s greatsword expanded with it, growing to be huge as it charged at Dorian. He recalled that each sword was a special magical Artifact that could expand in size when a Grakon Expanded.

    Therge being reached Dorian in a split second, roaring out loud as it swung its massive greatsword down with abandon, a blow filled with all of its fury and anger.

    A blow that Dorian casually ducked to the side of, dodging the Grakon''s huge sword swing with a single step.

    BOOM

    The sword collided with the cave floor, cracking the stone and shattering a thinyer of ice that covered the ground.

    As that urred, Dorian almost slowly punched out with his right hand, his Bnce Demon form making a wed fist.

    BOOM

    The Grakon''s body instantly exploded.

    Shards of bone and debris scattered out as it was killed, what was left of it copsed to the floor in front of Dorian. Its magical Artifact weapon was obliterated before Dorian could snag it, metal shrapnel pelting the air as it flew through it. The deathly aura that had swarmed over the Grakon vanished into nothingness.

    "Absorb."

    Dorian absorbed the Soul Spell Matrix of the dead creature from habit, taking in its energy with a casual wave of his hand.

    "To think you all used to give me so much trouble." He muttered as he stared at the scattered remains of the now-permanently dead Grakon.

    The undead Grakons lived a torturous existence, from what he knew. For every one he killed, there were billions more to rece that one, spawned into existence by the strange curse that seemed to hold Blizzaria together.

    "Rest in peace." He muttered as he stared at its dead body, his eyes zing with energy.

    "If I get a chance, I''ll see if I can alter the curse that forced you all to live such a cursed existence here." He spoke the words aloud as he turned his head back to the front.

    They were directed not only at the Grakon he had just killed, but at arge group of 12 patrolling Grakons that had just appeared, one and all snorting and growling as they spotted Dorian. Their bodies rapidly expanded to 9, 10, or 11 meters of height, towering brutes that thundered forward, bringing their huge greatswords to bear.

    "But for now¡­" Dorian stepped forward,

    "Allow me to wee you into eternal sleep."

    .

 Chapter 219 Discovery

    The Lesser of Hani had transformed after the battle between Zero and Arthur. The resulting crater that Arthur formed had sweeping effects on the rest of the world, causing arge scale tectonic shift that threw the entire into turmoil. The world itself copsed and reformed, transforming into a jagged, edged Exotic World that no longer resembled the it had before.

    Hundreds of thousands of sharp mountains covered thend now, bereft of life. The World Bridges that connected to Hani had broken off or were whittled down, only the bare minimum still connecting. Some of them even hovered hundreds of meters above contact, no longer fully connected to the.

    The weather had turned erratic, wind and rainstorms sweeping the globe.

    In the depths of one of these random mountains¡­

    A small spark of light began to flicker.

    Then it flickered again. And again.

    And again.

    Gradually, dozens of sparks flickered. These sparks rapidly began to condense as they flickered at a fast speed until, finally, theybined to form a humanoid body.

    Gradually, the light faded away, leaving the figure of a man sitting alone in darkness, in the depths of a random mountain range.

    Up above, a sweeping storm of wind flowed, setting the air back and forth haphazardly. This storm didn''t seem to affect the lower regions of this valley, leaving the newly formed man in a state of silence and peace.

    After a while, the man spoke.

    "Father¡­ I am free atst¡­" A deep, enthralling voice echoed from the speaker.

    Gradually, light began to flicker once more, this time around the man''s head. A myriad of colors that eventually stopped changing, settling on a single color.

    A deep, beautiful red.

    This flickering light slowly stopped flickering, resolving into a solid, tangible image.

    Aplete, glowing Angelic Halo.

    "To achieve the Angelic ss is to step beyond the Laws of the Universe, in preparation to Ascend¡­" Zero spoke the words aloud, a smile appearing on his face,

    "To step beyond the Law of Annihtion¡­ I chose to experience annihtion." His eyes began to glow with red light,

    "It was a risk. My body and soul almost died permanently there." Zero''s words echoed out softly,

    "If I failed to immerse myself in the Laws of the Universe as I burned my soul, merging my consciousness as it was shredded, if I had taken even a single misstep as I broke into the Angelic ss, if I had been unable to handle giving up everything as my life shed before me¡­" He reflected out loud to himself, flexing his arms and legs. He was currently in the Humanoid Form of his unique Divine Golden Lion body.

    "But I seeded. I have stepped beyond annihtion and returned. My will, Father, is just as indomitable as yours¡­ and I will not be shackled. Not even by you." His voice took on a cold edge,

    "Foolish Zero who let himself get trapped by the Wizard King, foolish Zero who was sent fleeing by yourrade Sun Wukong, foolish Zero who mindlessly ughtered Dragons to absorb their Growth Energy, all ording to the subtle whispers you sent through my soul¡­" When Zero said thest part, his voice gained a slightly uncertain tone.

    Yukeli''s touch was so incredibly fine, Zero wasn''t actually sure if he was correct. He felt that he was, but he wasn''t actually able to sense that. He had only guessed it.

    "How could a fool like me outsmart you?" His smile became grim.

    No one answered Zero as he sat alone, forgotten.

    Gradually, the sweeping windstorm above began to die down, the shing sounds fading to the background.

    Throughout all of this, Zero refused to move. Instead, he maintained a state of meditation, drawing energy towards his body as he focused on his health.

    He may have returned to life and sessfully broken through to the Angelic ss, but he had still suffered from apparent annihtion. He was able toe back thanks to his oveing the Law of Annihtion by his breakthrough, but the horrifying injuries he''d suffered, in both body and soul, were so devastating any other being would''ve already perished anew.

    For an Angelic ss Divine Golden Lion who had ess to near infinite natural energy from his surroundings, however¡­

    His unique disposition mitigated any chance of death, allowing for a full recovery, given enough time. Considering the state of his body and soul, returning to his full strength would take anywhere from several days to a couple of weeks.

    "I am your ve no longer." Zero whispered, his words full of intent,

    "I will absorb all of the Bloodlines you left for yourself¡­

    "I will allow you to scrape together those split soul fragments,bining as one¡­.

    "And then I will annihte you, once and for all.

    "For only with your death will I truly be free of the chains you have set upon me." The air around Zero exploded with light as a majestic, Angelic Aura rippled into the air.

    "You are not the only one that has found their purpose, Father."

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Back on Blizzaria¡­

    Crunch

    Crunch

    Crunch

    The sounds of ice crinkling echoed out methodically as a particrly strong Grakon plodded its way towards the entrance to the Great Road to Icicar. Particles of ice and stone dust flicked into the air as it moved, slowly falling to the ground behind it.

    Abruptly, this Pseudo-King ss Grakon froze. It cocked its head to the side as it looked down the dimly lit cavern that opened up before it, as if curious.

    A few scant secondster, a familiar, demonic figure burst free from the cave, yelling out loud while rapidly spinning and holding on to two gargantuan greatswords.

    "Wooooo!" Dorian spun around like a tornado as he whipped the two ridiculouslyrge greatswords around, shing them through the air.

    If the undead Grakon had been alive, its jaw would''ve dropped in surprise as the extremely odd sight.

    Before it could react further, Dorian arrived.

    SHKKK

    Dorian was no genius swordmaster, but the raw power behind his spinning was enhanced by both his Perfect Body Ability and multiple powerful Laws.

    The Pseudo-King Grakon didn''t stand a chance.

    It was blown apart, ripped to shreds as its scales cracked and shattered. Shards of bone flew out into the air as the corpse literally fell to pieces, killed in a single blow.

    "Huh." Dorian stuttered as he kept spinning, sting past the corpse.

    "Wo-woah!" His rapid spinning had thrown off his concentration, even more so with the extremelyrge, and extremely heavy, des he was spinning.

    Dorian skipped forward, his arms going out wide as his two greatswords began to m into the ground. The erratic vibrations that arose as a result finally sent the huge weapons tumbling from his fingers, where they rapidly returned back to normal size, and him tumbling to the floor.

    thud

    thud

    Dorian skipped off the stone ground, mming into it twice before he managed to right himself,ughing all the way.

    "Ahahaha." He shook his head as he skidded to a halt, looking back at the dead Grakon and his still sliding swords,

    "That went a lot better in my head."

    After he wiped out the group of Grakons that had ambushed him, destroying them all with ease, Dorian made fast progress down the Great Road. He got lucky, or unlucky, depending on one''s perspective, and didn''t encounter any treasure hunters or expedition forces out exploring Blizzaria.

    Instead, he was able to quickly race down the road at a fast speed, blowing past any and all opposition.

    Literally nothing seemed able to stand in his way. He was unstoppable, wiping out enemy after enemy with absolute ease.

    It was such a stark difference from his first time here, he couldn''t help but celebrate.

    And now¡­

    He had arrived at the exit of the long cavern.

    The cave entrance opened up into the enormous chamber that housed the grand city of Icicar, a chamber known as the Cavern of Ice.

    This cavern stretched for dozens of miles into several directions, with long stgmites and stctites dispersed throughout, creating a huge, rtively open in. Ice and frost coveredrge portions of the ground, as did the Pourmaline Crystals, lighting the area up.

    Arge number of ruins were built into the walls of the Cavern of Ice. Dorian eyed them as he looked to the left and right. He recalled first seeing the King ss Giant he was looking for in this area.

    "Hmm¡­" Dorian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He waved his hand casually after a moment.

    ''Lesser Maic Maniption.''

    WHOOSH

    The two des he''d taken from some of the Grakons he defeated flew up into the air and shot towards him. He snagged both of them skillfully, storing them in his Spatial Ring right after.

    He then began to jog off to the side.

    The cave exit ended in arge outcropping that had a long stone path that lead off towards Icicar. Dorian jogged along the edge of this outcropping, towards the stone ruins built into the side of the cavern wall.

    When he reached the edge of the outcropping, he jumped up high into the air and transformed into his Sun Eagle form.

    The frigid cold could barely be felt as the natural heat of his Sun Eagle form brushed it off, a smallyer of steam rising from his feathered body. Dorian pped his wings hard, flying to the edge of the roof of the cavern, several hundreds of meters up in the air.

    And then¡­ he began to search for his target.

    He covered ground at a very fast rate, able to avoid interacting with any enemies as he scanned his environment, flying high up. Even if the trail of mes he left was visible, it was quashed out so quickly by the cold he was practically unnoticeable.

    For the next hour, Dorian went on patrol, searching everyrge passageway he saw, following various potential trails in the Cavern of Ice, scanning everything.

    At one point, he looked over the city of Icicar once more, remembering everything that happened here.

    Icicar had been an expansive city, with tens of thousands of stone buildings. All of them were oversized, meant for beings quite a bit taller than regr humanoids. Dorian could make out several collections of buildings built into various stgmites and stctites, some high in the air while others low to the ground. There didn''t seem to be any ground ess to the buildings built up into the hanging stctites.

    Most of the buildings were a faded grey color, and in ruins, often covered with ice.

    At the center of the city was the magical stream of liquid ice Dorian was very familiar with.

    It was a waterfall of Gworen Ice, mysterious, magical ice that was frozen to a temperature far below freezing. Just getting too close to the river could freeze a creature to death, let alone getting in it, as he well remembered.

    It was in this area that he had those fraught encounters with the Shades, with Arial, with the King ss Grakon.

    Thest time he was here, Icicar had suffered a huge amount of damage from a massive explosion that ripped part of the city to shreds.

    Now, however¡­ everything was magically restored back to its normal self.

    The mysterious curse that modted thisnd seemed to defy time itself.

    To his partial dismay, Dorian wasn''t able to find the King ss Grakon that had caused him so much trouble here. While the city had beenrgely restored, the deadly Grakon that had caused half of his problems was nowhere to be seen.

    It didn''t matter too much, in the end.

    His target was still the same.

    The infamous, undead, One Armed Iron Giant of the fallen Giant Race.

    The Giant was, ording to the research he did long ago, a masterful swordsman that, even in death, was still able to grasp hold of the Law of Cutting, and wielded a gargantuan sword made out of Thorin Iron. The undead creature was extremely powerful, a terrifying enemy that towered to an absurd height.

    Dorian felt confident that if he could find it and take it down, he would get exactly what he needed to Evolve.

    And as the hour of hard work and flying finished up¡­

    Dorian''s effort paid off.

    Dorian had just emerged from one of the massive side tunnels, taking sharp turns and twists at breakneck speed, relying upon his greatly enhanced reflexes to survive unscathed.

    Right as he exited, he was greeted with a rather terrifying image.

    A massive, towering figure that stood a bit more than 200 meters tall, so unfathomablyrge it made any other creature look diminutive inparison. The Expanded Grakons, even Dorian''s Expanded Dragon or otherrge forms, would look like infants whenpared to the massive figure that towered before him.

    This figure, as Dorian studied it closely, was a one-armed skeleton covered in ice. Dorian made out a collection of long, pointed horns, and a strange blue glow that was emanating from the eyes of the creature.

    Wielded in its lone, right arm was an extraordinarilyrge ck de, at least 100 meters long and a half dozen meters wide, with a huge chunk of frozen ice and rock stuck to the end of it.

    When Dorian fully recognized it, a huge smile appeared on his face, as did a feeling of anticipation.

    -

    Species: Giant-Four Horned Variant (Desated)

    ss: King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,458,882

    -

    "Why, hello there."

    He had found his King ss Undead.

    .

 Chapter 220 Lure

    After he spotted the King ss Giant, Dorian dived down to the ground. His Sun Eagle form shifted and twisted as he transformed mid-flight, returning to his customary Bnce Demon form.

    thud

    Hended on the ground with a resounding thud. The moment he touched down, he activated everything.

    His Perfect Body, all of his Laws to boost his physique and defense, he instantly went on guard as he steadied himself. His Law of Lust enhanced his perception of time and speed, allowing him to truly step well beyond the limits of a Lord ss creature.

    His preparations were warranted.

    The moment he began to dive, the King ss Giant noticed him.

    Dorian wasn''t sure whether or not the creature sensed that he was living, or sensed that he was a threat, but the second that the Giant saw him, it began its assault without hesitation.

    SHKK

    Its lone arm twitched, a raw, powerful Aura bursting around it as the creature clenched onto its enormous de.

    Just a split secondter, it brought its huge sword crashing down deceptively quickly, the de''s huge scale making it appear to move slower than it actually was.

    Back when he first came to Blizzaria, an attack of this speed would''ve been a mere blur to him, moving far too quickly for him to react.

    Now, however¡­

    "Ah, dammit."

    BOOOOM

    The de smashed into Dorian before he could sessfully dodge it, knocking him backwards and sending him flying through the air at a literal supersonic pace, breaking the sound barrier. He shot away from the cavern wall, rocketing towards Icicar.

    THUD

    THUD

    His body mmed into and obliterated two stgmites, sending up bits of ice and rock, until he finally crashnded.

    BOOM

    A dozen stone buildings copsed as Dorian''s body blew into and came to a halt in the city of Icicar. Huge chunks of stone shot off into the air, rubble flying left and right. A wave of dust covered the nearby air, the ancient city shivering.

    In just a couple of seconds, he had flown thousands of meters through the air, knocked back by a brutal attack.

    The huge Giant he was facing down was at the Late King ss in terms of energy level. However, that was taking into ount the fact that it was in a Desated state. If it had been living, in full health, it would''ve been a very powerful Pseudo-Angelic ss expert.

    Its single de strike also happened to be its most powerful attack. It was a blow it had mindlessly practiced for tens of thousands of years.

    While its other strikes or attacks might not be absurdly strong, this single blow moved at such an unnatural speed, guided by so many years of practice and a powerful understanding of the Law of Cutting, that Dorian had been unable to dodge it.

    However, while Dorian was unable to fully dodge it, he was able to block the brunt of the strike.

    A protectiveyer of energy surrounded his body, from his Mystic Armored Body as well as his Law of Gluttony. When these twobined with his Perfect Body and already powerful Bnce Demon form, the biggest portion of the damage was mitigated.

    The Giant''s de attack was terrifying in strength but, partially due to how ridiculouslyrge its sword was, its attack power was somewhat spread out. This helped Dorian''s defenses hold up.

    The previous him would''ve been reduced to a spot of flesh and gore.

    "You''re a bit tougher than I thought you would be." He muttered to himself as he pushed a chunk of rubble off his body.

    The jarring impact had rattled his bones, tearing multiple muscles and causing several fractures. His Law of Sloth rapidly set about healing the injuries as he forced himself to stand, ring at the Giant.

    The Giant seemed to sense that Dorian wasn''t dead. Dorian saw its towering figure in the distance ominously growingrger in his vision as it rushed towards him. It was so tall, it looked as if it was moving in slow motion, yet covered arge amount of ground in just mere moments.

    "GRAAWWRRRRR!" A more immediate, nearby roar caught Dorian''s attention.

    Tworge, 15 meter tall Grakons had charged over, their scales glistening in the dim light. Dorian''s abrupt entrance to the city had caused a great deal of noise, catching their attention. Each Grakon wielded a huge greatsword, bristling as they yelled and prepared to attack him.

    "Sorry, I don''t have time for you." Dorian waved his hand.

    ''Hyperion Beam!''

    Six small ck orbs formed next to him, crackling with energy. An instantter, these orbs finished charging and shot forward,ser beams that melted through the frigid air.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    The Grakons were fast and strong, both of them Lord ss experts, but his instant attack had left them with no time to react.

    Each one was instantly skewered by 3 Hyperion Beams, killed before they even finished charging at him. Their bodies copsed to the ground a few meters off from Dorian, hitting it with a thud. He casually absorbed their Soul Spell Matrixes as he finished gathering his bearings, turning his focus back to the charging Giant.

    Grakon bodies were sent flying in the distance as the huge creature continued to rush forward. There were hundreds of stray Grakons in the city and patrolling the ground between the cave wall and the city. All of these creatures turned on the huge Giant, suicidally assaulting it, to little effect.

    The Giant held an absolute advantage, in size, in skill, and in strength, over all of the attacking Grakons.

    ''There''s no chance I can take it in a close-range battle.'' He wasn''t an idiot.

    With that thought in mind, Dorian took several deep breaths, his eyes shing.

    The Giant was about six seconds from him. In that time, he began to gather a huge amount of energy as one of his passive Abilities red.

    The ''One With Nature'' Ability that he''d picked up from his Warping Turkey form, a power that allowed him to handle usingrge numbers of Abilities, or repeatedly using the same Ability, with ease.

    "Hah!" Dorian yelled out loud as his eyes zed with light.

    Just an instantter¡­

    A full, 52 separate Hyperion Beams formed in the air, the dozens of ck orbs infused with his ck mes to grant them their ultimate destructive capabilities. The raw concentration of energy caused the air to quake.

    Forming so many beams stretched the limits of Dorian''s concentration. However, in his Bnce Demon form, with all of his Abilities and Laws boosting him, he was just barely able to focus and control all of them, creating a veritable army of attacks.

    The charging Giant seemed to sense the threat that was forming as it brought its huge sword out to bear in front of it. It kept running, however, only a couple of seconds away from reaching the city and Dorian.

    Dorian merely narrowed his eyes in response, zeroing in on the huge creature.

    He then focused once more, this time on all of his Hyperion Beams.

    The ck orbs all quivered, particles of light and energy flying off of them.

    Then, all as one, the orbs shot multiple, stacking beams forward.

    52 ck Hyperion Beams sted out through the air, crackling and searing the underground cavern as they melted forward. The Hyperion Beams were concentrated andyered in a way that, under Dorian''s careful guidance, caused all of their attacks to line up.

    The resulting impact meant that the 52 Hyperion Beam attack, infused with Dorian''s ck mes, transformed into arge, meter wideser of raw, concentrated energy.

    An attack of devastating potential.

    Theser beam crossed the air in an instant, aimed at center mass for the towering Giant. Smaller Hyperion Beams packed a punch, but Dorian didn''t think they would be able to seriously injure, or do much at all, to such a huge figure.

    However, if hebined all of his Hyperion Beams into one massive attack¡­ even this enormous Giant would be pierced through and sorely injured.

    The Giant, whether drawing from instincts honed over thousands of years or from memories long ago, somehow was able to predict Dorian''s attack and protect itself, raising its huge de to block the blow. The massive Artifact was ancient, but also powerful.

    BOOOM

    The hugeser collided with the Giant and mmed him backwards, not only cancelling its momentum but causing it to slide back more than 100 meters. The Combined Hyperion Beam, as Dorian decided to call it, split off into a dozen reflectingsers when they hit the sword, shooting off in the air and melting into the stone and ice.

    Some of the deflectedsers seared long tracks into the earth, while others melted through or sliced apart various stgmites and stctites. A few even cut apart some charging Grakons.

    Throughout this all, Dorian kept up the Combined Hyperion Beam. Instead of just firing it once, he constantly gathered the energy and continuously kept it firing, relying upon his powerful soul to draw everything he needed.

    The continuing st forced the Giant back 200 more meters, causing it to collide with and destroy several morerge chunks of rock.

    Finally, however, it managed to set its feet, its body creaking as it came to an abrupt halt.

    Dorian continued firing off his Combined Hyperion Beam.

    The Giant, however, slowly began to push forward, using its huge sword as a shield. No matter how powerful Dorian''s beam was, it seemed unable to prate the Giant''s massive de.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    Stray explosions shook the air as Dorian''s deflectedsers continued to wreak havoc in the underground cavern. He identally cut the wall to Icicar in half, stray beams splitting dozens of buildings in twain.

    Inch by inch, meter by meter, the huge Giant continued to walk forward, relentlessly.

    ''Damn.'' Sweat dripped down Dorian''s head from the strain of controlling the Combined Hyperion Beam. As he saw the results, he couldn''t help but curse.

    ''Who told your race to be so damn tough?!'' Hisints went unheard as he made a snap judgement.

    ''Overpowering it from a distance isn''t going to work.''

    He flicked his eyes to the left and right, quickly scanning his environment.

    When his gazended on the magical waterfall of Gworen Ice that was raining down from the ceiling, inspiration struck.

    With a wave of his hand, the Combined Hyperion Beam abruptly stopped, the powerful energyser vanishing as if it had never been. Rocks and stone still shifted and copsed in the background, the aftermath of Dorian''s attack.

    He then began to sprint towards the center of the city, his body transforming into a blur as he moved rapidly. He had recovered enough from the Giant''s attack that he could move with ease, his fast regeneration restoring his body to working condition.

    If Dorian wanted, he could escape from this Giant. It would be rather easy, in fact.

    However, if he fled, he would be unable to obtain the very thing he came to Blizzaria for.

    With all of that in mind, when he spotted the waterfall of Gworen Ice, an idea had appeared in his mind.

    The most dangerous aspect when it came to the Giant was its attack speed and seemingly indomitable strength.

    If he could neutralize either one of those¡­ defeating it and releasing it from the curse that trapped the fallen Giant here would be much, much easier.

    It took Dorian approximately 8 seconds to cross the city and reach the general area where the Gworen Ice waterfall fell. He dodged any and all Grakons, using his small figure and deft movements to lose them.

    He entered arge, open courtyard-like area that stretched for several hundred meters. No other buildings or homes could be seen in this area, a ce he had been to before.

    The only other notable things were the enormous flowing waterfall of ice, and, set in the ground behind this waterfall, the entrance to the underground dungeon where the Grakon King used to dwell. At its front, arge, stone doorway at least 3 dozen meters wide and a dozen meters tall, with cut steps leading downward, opened up to arge, locked gate.

    It was all the same as it had beenst time.

    As he arrived and scanned the huge waterfall, he felt that, for some reason, it was difficult to look straight at. The air around it was distorted.

    He forced himself to stare at it, studying it in the scant seconds he had.

    ''I see¡­'' Dorian could see things now that he could not see before, sensing keenly with his powerful soul.

    The waterfall appeared to be a unique creation that rejected conventional physics. The ice that was flowing was solid, yet moved as a liquid. It was unnaturally cold, such that it could severely harm or even kill someone just by getting too close to it.

    And as he cast his senses at it, he realized something.

    ''This¡­ the Laws of the Universe are distorted around it as well!'' His mouth fell open as he reached an abrupt conclusion.

    This was a World Phenomena! Just like the Molten Core on Taprisha! And not only was it a World Phenomena, but it was also one that worked in an opposing manner to Taprisha''s Molten Core, a ce of extreme cold!

    He would be able to test his meditation theory on his other Laws right here!

    He couldn''t help but grin ferociously when he saw this. He had hoped Blizzaria would have something like Taprisha''s Molten Core and he hadn''t been let down.

    He just hadn''t expected to find it so easily. It had been hiding in in sight, like a twist of Fate.

    BOOM

    THUD

    THUD

    An explosion and two loud thuds caught Dorian''s attention as he tossed the stray thought to the side for now, his eyes narrowing as he focused back on the present.

    The one-armed Giant had forced its way into the city and was destroying anything that tried to stop him. A small army of Grakons were throwing themselves at the awe-defying figure and ruthlessly being cut down.

    The Giant made a beeline for Dorian, rushing at him without a hint of hesitation.

    Dorian smiled when he saw this.

    He sprinted around the courtyard, dashing towards the waterfall as he raced to put it between him and the immense, charging Giant.

    ''Come and get me.''

    .

 Chapter 221 King Class

    Dorian settled down, his wed feet digging into the rock as he nted himself opposite of the Giant and the Gworen Ice waterfall. The air around him seemed electric, the various Laws he was using giving off a powerful and Demonic Aura.

    The Giant, throughout all of this, didn''t slow down.

    As it dashed through Icicar, it obliterated dozens of buildings, creating a storm of rock and ice. Grakon bodies were constantly sent flying, not a single one of them able to halt the creature. Without the Grakon King that used to be here, they were essentially helpless.

    In just a few scant seconds, it arrived.

    BOOM

    The Giant had eyes for only him, ignoring everything else.

    It attacked the moment it got in range, swinging its huge de out to the right and cutting in from the side. The sword tore a huge gouge in the earth, smashing up the rocky ground as it shed towards Dorian extremely quickly. The shrapnel from the blow scattered up into the air, forming a small cloud of debris.

    In his enhanced state, with the foresight and knowledge that it was going to attack him, Dorian was able to react this time.

    He did that by jumping up into the air.

    WHOOSH

    The huge de passed beneath him, ripping up the ground but missing him by a solid dozen meters.

    Right after that, the middle of the de collided with the Gworen Ice waterfall.

    SHHHHKKK

    As soon as the de made contact, a screeching sound echoed out. A mass of ice formed over the middle of the de, spreading out a good dozen meters. The magical Gworen Ice wrapped around and fell over the de, shivering.

    When this happened, the de''s momentum vanished and it stayed frozen in the air.

    The Giant stumbled forward slightly, its feet shaking the earth. Its head turned to stare at the frozen de. It then began to pull on it, a raw, King ss Aura sting outward as it tugged with all its might.

    CREEEEEAK

    The de shifted slightly. At the same time, however, the Gworen Ice waterfall reacted violently as well. The magical ice that distorted the air seemed to object to the movement, and a huge stream diverted from the main flow, sshing all the way up to the hilt of the de.

    The Gworen Ice waterfall was not a being and the reaction was not a conscious one. Rather, it seemed to be a built-in reaction to anything interfering with the waterfall''s state.

    Immediately, the entire de all the way up to the hilt was covered in a huge chunk of extremely solid ice. The frozen mass spread over past the hilt and onto the giant''s lone arm, solidifying and preventing it from letting go.

    When the Giant saw this, its Aura flushed out even more powerfully. Slowly, the ice began to melt off as the powerful King ss Cutting Aura whittled away at it. The stream of Gworen Ice had only shot out only briefly as a reaction. The waterfall had already returned back to its normal state. Lacking the Gworen Ice''s influence, the mass of ice wasn''t able to put up any defense.

    Of course, as all of this happened, Dorian wasn''t just standing still.

    The moment he saw the de be trapped, he knew his n had worked. An evil looking grin appeared on his face, made worse by his Demonic appearance.

    Dorian''s perception of time slowed as both his Perfect Body Ability and Law of Lust red. His muscles bulged as, the moment hended, he crouched down, concentrating all of his strength into his legs.

    BOOM

    The ground beneath him exploded as he leapt off it, forming a crater due to the amount of force behind his jump. He shot through the air like a bullet, racing towards the one armed Giant with abandon.

    It took him around a second to reach the height of the Giant''s shoulder.

    The Giant was aware of him this entire time. Its urgent efforts to free its arm and de showed that as it slowly turned its head to stare at him.

    "Sorry, friend." Dorian''s words were apanied by him raising both of his hands.

    Immediately, 52 more Hyperion Beams formed in the air, infused with ck mes. It took him only a fraction of a second to form them.

    In that split moment, Dorian could see the Giant''s eyes close up. They gave off a subtle glow of blue light. Its head was huge, farrger than he was.

    For a single moment, the two stood frozen in time.

    That moment ended.

    Dorian''s Combined Hyperion Beam shot directly towards the Giant''s face¡­

    And then pierced through it.

    BOOM

    An explosion of light sh out as the Giant was near-instantly killed, its consciousness destroyed. Its skull cracked and then shattered, its body copsing as it lost the power to move of its own ord. It rapidly slumped down, held up only by the de that was frozen in the Gworen Ice waterfall.

    Dorian was flung backwards from the shockwave. However, before he hit the ground, he transformed into his Sun Eagle form, allowing himself to fly freely.

    ''I need to absorb its Soul Spell Matrix!'' The only thought on his mind was one of small urgency as he rushed forward, pping his wings without hesitation. A small trail of mes fizzled out behind him as he shot forward andnded on the shoulder of the dead Giant.

    "Absorb!"

    The moment Dorian arrived, he was able to sense the presence of the creature''s rapidly vanishing soul. He took that time to immediately absorb the remnant Soul Spell Matrix.

    He would be able to keep the Soul Spell Matrix intact for use, while still also copying down all the information and taking in arge amount of Growth Energy.

    And, as expected, Growth Energy rushed into Dorian''s soul, a huge torrent gained from defeating the King ss Giant. At the same time, Dorian was able to notice something different.

    When it came to Lord ss Desated beings, he was unable to absorb aplete Soul Spell Matrix from them. However, when it was a King ss Desated being, that rule didn''t seem to apply. Perhaps it had something to do with their fullprehension of a Law. Even if the power of their soul was limited, it seemed that their Soul Spell Matrix wasplete enough to function fully.

    As a result of that¡­ Dorian was able to fully absorb almost everything!

    ''Giant Bloodline obtained.'' Ausra''s cool, mechanical voice echoed softly in his head as Dorian felt a new line of knowledge appear.

    "Yes!" He couldn''t help but grin, a feeling of victory arising. He didn''t n on growing the Giant Bloodline fully till after he was all done with his business here, but grabbing the Bloodline sessfully was still important. It was an immensely powerful Bloodline, after all.

    Right after that, he sent Aursa a mental question.

    ''Ausra, is this Soul Spell Matrix I absorbed enough to help me form the Empyrean Vampire form?'' He waited patiently.

    Ausra was silent for a moment before replying,

    ''Yes, it is likely sufficient material. If you make use of the Giant''s corpse in front of you, it should provide a 100% guarantee of sess.''

    "The bones? I need to absorb its body?" Dorian muttered out loud, looking down at the huge creature. The shoulder he was standing on, alone, was much bigger than many buildings back on earth.

    ''Thetent energy in its body, and the energy signatures left behind, will be used up. The corpse itself will stay as it is, though with the energy from it removed, it should dissipate soon after. Given the conditions of the environment around you, it may remain frozen for an extended period, however.'' Ausra gave a rather clear response.

    ''Alright. I want to do it, right now.'' Dorian nodded his head as he sat down, crossing his legs atop the Giant''s shoulder.

    ''Absorb everything you need and let''s go.'' His eyes shed.

    ''Evolve me.''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    2 dayter¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The City of Icicar had restored itself to its former state, before the one armed Giant and Dorian wreckedrge tracts of it. The magic curse that controlled thesends restored all damage to the area over a number of hours, reconstructing everything.

    Grakons continued to patrol the city in seemingly endless numbers as they went about their regr patrol, back and forth covering thend. The freezing cold that covered this world continued on its path, unimpeded.

    At the center of Icicar, however, stood something that had never been.

    The corpse of a huge, frozen one armed Giant that was sealed in a thickyer of ice.

    The Giant''s arm was stuck out, the massive de that it wielded still frozen in the middle of the waterfall of Gworen Ice, unmoving.

    On the shoulder of this Giant''s corpse stood an elegant, handsome figure.

    It was a man with lustrous, white hair that ran down his shoulders, a lean, but muscr physique, and red pupils that gleamed ominously in the cold air. This man gave off a feeling ofplete control and majesty, of absolute power, the air of a ruler. He was dressed in a set of slim ck cks and an elegant, silk grey shirt.

    This figure was Dorian.

    "Ahh." Dorian took a deep breath, his eyes glowing as he looked at the world around him.

    "That went well." He smiled.

    After he absorbed the Giant''s Soul Spell Matrix and immediately tapped on Ausra to help him Evolve, the Evolution process began.

    It was a rather unique undertaking. Ausra''s cool touch helped guide everything as he absorbed energy from the bones of the enormous, undead creature, drawing upon the remnant essence of the fallen Giant. He thenbined that with the Soul Spell Matrix he had absorbed.

    The energy was mixed up in hundreds of different ways, with dozens of strands of energy tying various things together. Then, Ausra helped guide an even moreplex process using these things tobine with various Bloodlines he had absorbed, forming a massive experimental creation, all within his Soul Spell Matrix.

    Such a thing would be very dangerous for any creature to do. For Ausra, however, it came off as something that took just a few minutes of calction, her work guaranteeing him a 100% sess rate. While the calctions only took a few minutes, the actual Evolution andbination of Bloodlines took a veryrge amount of time.

    It seemed upgrading his Soul Spell Matrix to King ss without actually having reached a full understanding of any Law had put arge burden on him, and, as a result, the Evolution had to happen slowly.

    He had adopted a meditative pose, focused purely on the upgrade. He was aware of his surroundings and could pause it at any time, meaning he wasn''t helpless, but he opted to get it all done in one shot.

    And¡­ after two days¡­

    He sessfully became an Empyrean Vampire and his Soul Spell Matrix reached King ss.

    "Shift." He spoke aloud.

    Immediately, the space before him trembled. A visible distortion formed in the air as Dorian casually waved his hand. This distortion was shaped like a solid, meter by meter block.

    Dorian flicked his wrist to the right.

    Immediately, this block of frozen air rushed sideways. A small gust of wind burst out around Dorian as it bashed to the right before freezing again, all sat hismand.

    He smiled and waved his hand again, releasing it.

    This was the Void Control ability he''d picked up from the Empyrean Vampire. It was a powerful Ability that gave him an inborn control of the world around him, able to use his will to manipte it.

    When hebined this with his Law of Envy, a Law that focused on spatial maniption, his powers when it came to controlling space became substantial.

    ''Ausra, show me the description of the Empyrean Vampire Bloodline again.'' He mentallymanded.

    -

    Empyrean Vampire - King ss (Early)

    Maximum Energy Level: 312,820

    Ability: Void Control, ck Luster, Blood Sense, Constant Regeneration, Bat Transformation, Blood Contract, Demonic Eyes, Exuberant Grace

    Empyrean Vampires are a previously unknown species that arose as a result of a mutation of the Ancestral Vampire line, bearing a very simr appearance to regr Vampires, with a lean physique, white hair, and dark red eyes. The strongest possible form a Vampire can grow into, Empyrean Vampires have precise control over the world around them, able to manipte space with their will, forming invisible barriers or attacking with invisible blows. They are protected by a powerfulyer of ck energy, shielding them from injury.

    Empyrean Vampires are naturally graceful and can transform into a discreet bat form, can form contracts with lesser Vampires, have enhanced vision, and enhanced regeneration. They are the natural rulers of the Vampire Race.

    -

    ''Hmm¡­'' Dorian looked it over. Apart from the Void Control Ability, most of the other abilities were ones he already had. One in particr, however, was not.

    The ck Luster Ability.

    After he nced at it, he could feel how the power worked in his head.

    A near invisible flicker of light covered Dorian as ayer of ck energy appeared on his skin. The energy was near formless, only clinging to his body at an extremely fine level.

    He nodded as he felt it.

    ''It seems to be a direct upgrade to my Mystic Armored Body Ability. A passive protective power. I might as well use this one now.'' Keeping both Abilities active was pointless. Only one of them could be used at a time due to their unique functions.

    After gathering his bearings, Dorian let out augh.

    He had finally reached King ss!

    .

 Chapter 222 Impending

    Dorian felt as if he had experienced a rebirth. The world around him felt clearer, his senses were expanded, and he had be¡­ stronger.

    Much stronger.

    Dorian called up his status.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: King ss (Iplete)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 2,003,920 / 2,018,810

    -

    ''2 million?! My energy level has reached 2 million?!'' When Dorian saw the statistics, his jaw dropped.

    It was an incredible gain. Most Early Stage King ss experts had an energy rating of around 500,000. With a rating of a bit more than 2 million, Dorian had be a true-blue powerhouse among the King ss.

    While his Empyrean Vampire form did boost his base strength arge amount, it was Dorian''s abnormally powerful soul exploding forth with strength as soon as he hit King ss that resulted in thergest direct increase in power. That increase was a result of the huge number of Laws he trained in as well as the constant increases in power to his base soul, vastly boosting his energy beyond expectations.

    With this much energy, and a King ss Soul Spell Matrix, Dorian''s overall power had jumped significantly. The number of Hyperion Beams he could handle, the power behind his blows, the amount of Law Energy he could use¡­ everything would go up because of this.

    With all of his Abilities and the multitude of Laws he could ess, Dorian had instantly be one of the most powerful King ss experts in the 30,000 Worlds.

    ''It says ''Iplete'' as my Stage?'' He frowned as he saw that. After a moment, however, he understood.

    His Soul Spell Matrix had reached King ss. He was inarguably at the King ss. However, the only normal way to reach King ss was topletely master and understand a Law.

    Dorian had not done this.

    Because of this, he was both at the King ss, and also not at the King ss. No matter how strong his soul got, he would always be stuck as a sort of fake King ss state until he mastered a Law to Completion.

    ''Still¡­'' Dorian grinned, feeling ridiculously pleased.

    He clenched his fists, feeling an incredible sensation of strength.

    ''With power like this¡­ No, it''s not enough.'' He cut off his thoughts, his eyes shing as he called something else to mind.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Virtuous Laws (4/7) - ???

    Demonic Laws (7/7) - Law of Original Sin - 7%

    -

    "My body and soul have be truly powerful. Now it''s time to increase my understanding of my Laws." He nodded sharply.

    He couldn''t let himself ck off.

    Dorian could sense that, despite the fact that he had reached King ss, it was still possible to increase the base power of his soul.

    For regr King ss experts, the maximum strength of their soul was limited by how powerful their soul was when they reached Completion and broke into the King ss. Dorian, however, was an exception, due to the multitude of Laws he possessed, as well as the unique way he reached King ss in the first ce.

    Dorian looked over at the magical waterfall of Gworen Ice. His body shifted as he transformed back into his Bnce Demon form. While his Empyrean Vampire form was now his strongest body, his Bnce Demon form was still the best for meditation on the Laws of the Universe.

    He took a few steps forward, over to the edge of the Giant''s shoulder. He then stepped onto its arm, his feet crunching on a thickyer of ice.

    He looked back at the frozen shoulder, a small smile forming.

    "I suppose you could say I was standing on the shoulder of giants. Well, at least a Giant, anyway, hahaha." He couldn''t help himself as he thought up an old, rather famous saying from Earth.

    He shook the merriment away as he walked forward onto the ice, moving till he reached an optimal position. His Bnce Demon form could handle the brutal cold far better than it could the overwhelming heat of Taprisha''s Molten Core.

    Once he reached a spot close enough to the Gworen Ice waterfall, he sat down and began to meditate.

    After a few moments, he smiled.

    ''It''s just like on Taprisha, but the opposite! Some of my Laws are enhanced, while others are weakened! I was right!'' When he reached out to sense the Law of the Universe, he found that the Laws of Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth had all be easier to sense. His other Laws, however, had be more distant and hard to feel.

    Once he found that out, he made his decision instantly.

    ''I can take turns moving back and forth between Taprisha and Blizzaria as I get all the Laws to progress up a Stage, and then more.'' His Law of Original Sin would only make progress if all of his Laws were at a simr or greater level ofprehension.

    He shifted slightly as ayer of ice began to cover his body. He then began pouring all his focus into strengthening his understanding of the Laws of the Universe.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile¡­ on a far away...

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Sun Wukong looked out at the setting sun with a small smile on his face. The sunlight reflected in his eyes, glowing with light that didn''t seem to trulynd on him.

    "My time has finallye."

    The words he whispered aloud echoed around therge branch he sat on, jutting out of the lower side of the World Tree. He sat alone, leaning up against arge clump on the branch. His staffy across hisp as he sat, resting quietly.

    Time passed silently as Sun Wukong watched the day die.

    Soon, night was upon him. Various creatures could be heard, chirping or growling. A bustling ecosystem of life flourished, creatures hunting creatures, animals finding rest. The lonesome light of a single moon fluttered into existence above, dimly lighting the world around him.

    The night continued its inevitable march forward.

    Hours flew by.

    Still, Sun Wukong sat, looking to the west.

    Gradually, the night began to slip away. The light of the sun once again began its gentle creep over the horizon, back behind Sun Wukong on the opposite side of the tree.

    A small smile appeared on Sun Wukong''s face as he spotted something else, however.

    A group of figures had appeared in the distance, walking along one of therge roots to the World Tree that was directly adjacent to him.

    "Wise Lady¡­ have I made you proud?" Sun Wukong muttered as he gazed out at the distant group that was approaching him.

    "The Free School of Thunder has begun to take action. The free-spirited Anomalies have left, with a guardian far more powerful than he understands, while my Beast Generals stand guard over the others and this Source World." He talked to himself.

    "Everything I have done, everything I have achieved in this life¡­ I have made all the preparations I could." He reflected quietly.

    He was Sun Wukong.

    The Monkey King.

    The Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance.

    An alliance he helped forge with blood and steel, conquering huge amounts of territory and pouring vast amounts of resources into it. A vast empire that spanned thousands of worlds, controlling trillions of lives.

    All for a single mission, preparing for a single moment across its thousand-year history.

    A single purpose.

    To stop a single man.

    A man that had be a God.

    "I always knew you would make it back, my old sparring partner. The Divine Realm would hold little charm for you." Sun Wukong shook his head, a sad smile appearing.

    "Even if my eyes couldn''t see that far¡­ I always suspected. s¡­ it truly hase to pass." He sighed.

    "And yet¡­ before we can truly meet, my time hase. Perhaps you and I can meet in the next." Sun Wukong slowly began to stand up.

    He took a look up at the early morning sky, his eyes growing distant.

    "I¡­ I have done my best, Wise Lady. I am but a simple monkey. I have done all I can for these 30,000 Worlds." His gaze wavered as his shoulders hunched.

    For a lone moment, it seemed like he was bearing an enormous burden upon his shoulders. One that had haunted him for a thousand years, one he bore silently, freely, out of love for life and its inhabitants, and a desire to do what was right.

    Sun Wukong''s hands began to tremble. He clutched at his heart, his chest shivering. A few drops of blood appeared on his lips. His eyes shed with light, a momentter, as he instantly regained control. He wiped the blood off on his hand and then looked at it, his eyes calm.

    "But before I go¡­ there is one more thing I must do." He looked away from his blood, burning it off his hand in a sh as he began to walk towards the group of figures that were approaching him.

    In no time at all, he intercepted them.

    The group was not unfamiliar to him.

    "Greetings, Lord Wukong!" Mello''s respectful voice echoed in the air as he nodded at Sun Wukong.

    Behind Mello stood Xaphan and Aron, as well as three other unique looking beings. One looked as if he was madepletely out of glowing, translucent crystal rocks, with a face carved from that rough crystal, towering 3 meters high. Another seemed to be half-woman, half-nt, with green eyes that glowed ominously. Thest had dark red skin and looked vaguely like a Titan, except one that was much smaller and leaner, with stark blue hair, of all things.

    Mello''srades that he had introduced to Sun Wukong before. Number 29, Number 40, and Number 83. At the time, they hadn''t picked names for themselves yet, ording to what Mello imed.

    "I havee here to ask if there is any way we might be able to help you. While we might not all be the strongest, all of us have sessfully broken into the King ss now and are-" Before Mello could finish, however, Sun Wukong cut him off.

    "Hello, Mello, andpany." The Monkey King gave them all a somber smile as he continued,

    "There actually is something you all can help me with." Sun Wukong didn''t beat around the bush.

    Mello''s jaw dropped open slightly as the extremely direct and abrupt response. He blinked for a single moment and then wiped away the expression of shock, giving Sun Wukong a strong nod.

    "It has to do with one of your brethren. One you are familiar with. An Anomaly that goes by the name¡­ Dorian." Sun Wukong began.

    Mello nodded quietly when he heard the name, giving away nothing. Aron and Xaphan, on the other hand, both seemed to freeze up, turning their full andplete attention over to Sun Wukong.

    "I happen to know that he is soon to be in danger. Grave, mortal danger that cannot be avoided." Sun Wukong paused for a moment.

    In that pause, the usually silent Aron jumped forward, the metallic armor that covered him nking.

    "We must rescue him. We cannot allow our brother to die! Not him." Aron''s words shook the air, full of conviction. Aron had never forgotten all that Dorian had done for him, back when Dorian had saved him on Magmor.

    The other Anomalies seemed taken aback, especially the three newer ones, as they all turned and stared at him. None of them spoke, however, as Mello held up a hand.

    "I know of him. What danger is he in?" Mello asked back quietly, his eyes ring up.

    Mello didn''t like humans. He didn''t like Shades. He didn''t like Aethmen. He didn''t even like monkeys.

    He did, however, care about and like his fellow brethren. Those that came into this world, just like him. The ones he considered true family. Dorian even more so, given their alliance in the past.

    "What danger¡­ mm." Sun Wukong turned away from the west, his gaze soaring out to the east, beyond the World Tree behind him.

    "A being of great power has set off to kill him. If you alle with me, we will make it there in time. If you all do not¡­ then we will be toote."

    "What being? Who ising for him?" Mello cut in, a sense of urgency coloring his tone.

    Sun Wukong turned to look back at Mello and sighed,

    "A misguided fool."

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    "I can sense it. Finally, after all this time." Zero''sughter filled the air as he stood on the highest peak of the restructured of Hani. Lightning and wind sted all around him, the erratic weather of the running roughshod over the atmosphere.

    Time had passed quickly for the Secondborn. He had focused purely on meditation and thanks to that made great progress.

    He was now fully restored, healed at a pace that exceeded his hopes. His boosted regeneration seemed toe about because of the current state of the now Exotic World of Hani.

    This World had just undergone a huge change. Everything here was chaotic, with huge tracts ofnd and space suffering annihtion.

    That change seemed to have even caused an effect in the Laws of the Universe itself.

    Zero had found it easier than ever to draw upon the Law of Annihtion, especially so in his Angelic ss state.

    His recovery speed has been greatly enhanced thanks to that.

    And now¡­

    Restored back to his prime, Zero made a discovery.

    His soul had been purged of HIS presence. The soul remnant of Yukeli was no longer present. However, by removing that piece, his soul seemed to have gained an inherent draw to all of the other soul remnants, as if looking and seeking to try and be whole again.

    His soul had grown used to that attachment, and without it, it felt like he was missing something.

    This inherent draw pulled him in multiple directions, along invisible lines of Fate. Because of that, he found that he could sense these remnant souls, able to pinpoint almost exactly where he felt them, and transposing that on a mental map of the 30,000 Worlds.

    But beyond even that¡­ Zero found that he was able to distinguish between all of the remnant souls, by a simple factor.

    He could roughly sort them by age.

    He could detect how long each fragment had been in the 30,000 Worlds for, the remnant souls distinguishable by minute amounts. While Yukeli''s soul had obviously been in the 30,000 Worlds long ago, the traces of age Zero could sense covered only their time from their recent re-arrival.

    And of all the soul fragments he could sense¡­

    Only a single one felt older than the age of his own soul.

    "Firstborn. The greatest achievement of HIM. The being that HE put most of his hopes into." Zero clenched his fists.

    A rippling, blood red Halo appeared around his head.

    The air around him shivered, bright red light appearing and, just momentster, causing a small explosion. The mountain peak he stood on was obliterated into shards of dust as a huge, gaping hole in reality appeared. This tear in space itself was jagged, with ck lines that shivered ominously.

    However, instead of ck nothingness caused by the tear, another world appeared within Zero''s vision.

    By using his Law of Annihtion and Angelic ss Soul Spell Matrix, as well as all the Abilities of his various forms, Zero had had an epiphany.

    He had discovered a way to rip through reality, gaining the ability to teleport from World to World, vastly increasing his travel speed.

    "He is far to the east. If I travel as fast as I can, I should be able to reach him in just a couple of days." Zero''s words cut through the air, the red light staining the world around him like blood.

    "My brother¡­ the only way HE can be killed is if I free all of his remnants and then kill him personally." Zero''s chest heaved as he talked out loud to himself, causing the world around him to distort slightly, due to the sheer, massive amount of energy he was concentrating.

    "I will put your Bloodlines to use against him. And I will kill him, no matter how difficult, no matter how painful, no matter how impossible it may prove to be. I will bear that burden." The words boomed in the air.

    Zero was silent for a moment, his eyes gleaming as he exhaled slowly.

    "Forgive me. This is the only way you or I will ever truly be free." Zero''s voice was somber.

    It held a hint of anger, but also a hint of guilt and self-hatred. Beyond all of that, however¡­

    It carried a tone of absolute determination.

    "He must be stopped."

    .

 Chapter 223 Everything

    [Long chapter]

    The Greater World of Boraldo was a massive. Most Greater Worlds were of such size and scale that it was mind-boggling. Whenpared to the Earth that Dorian was familiar with, the Greater World of Boraldo was 20 timesrger.

    Despite its massive size, the gravity on this functioned the same as it did on every other, almost identical to Earth''s. This was a function of the unique Laws of the Universe, mystical rules that made this reality possible.

    On this, more than 800 billion beings existed. 90% of them were human, with the other percentages split up between Aeth, Vampire, Shade, and other races. It was a diverse world with a thriving popce,rgely in part because of its nearness to both the Graal Alliance and the Borrel Autarchy.

    Despite being set between rival powers, thend here instead acted as a buffer zone. It was a world that neither side controlled.

    For, the Greater World of Boraldo was overseen by 2 extremely powerful forces, both ones that dated back with a history more than a thousand years old.

    The Golden Kingdom and the Elector Empire.

    "I finally made it here¡­" Will spoke quietly to himself as he looked down at the mug of beer he held in his hand,

    "And yet I am useless."

    Will raised the mug up to his face and took a long draw from it, feeling the rough liquor slide into his stomach. It had a strong taste, simr to the drinks he''d had back when he still lived with his family.

    The moment the alcohol entered his system, his body automatically purged it, treating it like a poison. His body was miraculous and powerful, possessing unique Abilities that were inborn and innate.

    As a result of that¡­ he could never get drunk.

    He sighed.

    Around Will, a grungy, dismal-looking innmon room spread out. The mid-afternoon light shined brightly outside, mostly blocked by the shuttered windows. Themon room was made of wood, with two dozen brown wooden tables and chairs, a couple of long tables, and arge firece that currently had nothing in it. The floor was covered in dirt, over ayer of rough wood.

    A doorway off to the left opened up into the main lobby of the inn, while a doorway off to his right was one of several entrances to a closed off stable.

    Only about a fifth of the tables around Will were upied, with several other humans nursing drinks, wasting away as the day slipped past.

    "Why is it that every time I grow stronger¡­ all of my enemies all of a sudden seem to be one step above me." Will took another swig of the useless alcohol, sighing again.

    "I suppose it''s just that any enemies on my level have already been defeated, leaving me to deal with threats that I can''t already deal with." He nodded as he reached the conclusion.

    He had worked so hard to make it this far. He''d travelled across numerous Worlds, bringing along severalrades and allies.

    And, after all of that¡­

    He realized the enormity of his mission and his own mistake.

    The man he was looking for, to pass on the Elder Mage''sst words, the Holy Duke Archel of the Elector Empire¡­

    The powerful, Pseudo-Angelic ss expert wasn''t even here.

    From the rumors he''d managed to find, the powerful warrior had gone out to train in seclusion and hadn''t been heard from in years, though it was a fact that he was still alive.

    Even worse, the enemy that was behind the Elder Mage''s death, going by the memories he had been given, was the ''Great Pariah'' of the Golden Kingdom, Bruiner Gammal.

    A Pseudo-Angelic ss expert.

    And not only was he a Pseudo-Angelic ss expert, but he was one that was ranked on the Recording of Might, indicating he was an extremely powerful expert among experts.

    "I can''t find the one person I need to meet, and my enemy is much stronger than me, with a literal army of experts at his beck and call¡­" Will''s face scrunched up as he sighed, feeling exhausted.

    He looked at the empty seats at his table with another sigh.

    All of the Anomalies that had apanied him had decided to go off on a touring adventure of the city they were in, a decent sized ce that held around 1 million people. It was a unique looking city called Bapbo, built into the middle of a thriving forest, with a huge stream running through part of it.

    That left him alone, drowning in his misery as he tried to figure out a way to find the Holy Duke, or defeat the Great Pariah.

    "Maybe one of the Holy Duke''s descendants would be able to pass along a message?" He mused quietly to himself, lost in thought.

    Several minutes passed as Will sat, thinking about his future. He had put all of his energy into everything that led up to this moment. Aftering back to life, this had be something he lived as a mission.

    He would repay what he owed the elderly Wizard that had helped change his life forever.

    Faintly, Will heard someone open the door to themon room and slip inside. He ignored that at first, focused on inner reflection.

    His thoughts were scattered, however, as a woman appeared and sat down at his table, right in front of him.

    He blinked and looked up at the woman, his mouth falling open at her abrupt entrance.

    "Err¡­ can I help you?" He stared at her in confusion.

    The woman was gorgeous. She wore a semi-translucent gown, with her long brown hair wrapped up in a braid. Her face was dotted with small, jade-colored scales and she had an ethereal quality about her, something that felt otherworldly.

    The moment he realized this, Will instantly went on guard.

    The woman looked incredibly out of ce in this dingy inn''smon room.

    She studied Will for a moment, her lips pursing. The two simply looked at each other for a few seconds in silence.

    Finally, she spoke aloud,

    "I need your help." Her voice was cool and refreshing, but carried with it a hint of urgency.

    "You need my help?" Will stuttered back, his eyes narrowing.

    "Yes. Your name is Will, right?" The woman gave him a small nod.

    "Yes¡­" Will muttered slowly. As he spoke, he leaned back slightly, his hand going to his Spatial Ring, just in case.

    "Please help me! I must find Lady Ausra''s Sessor! He is ourst hope!" The woman stood up from where she''d sat and then knelt down on the floor of the inn, bowing her head. She leaned over so low her face was mere inches above the ground.

    "Wo-woah, hold on now. Lady, I don''t even know who you are." Will took a few steps forward, bending over and helping the woman to her feet. Her dress didn''t grow stained from the dirt that cluttered the wooden floor, magically preventing it from sticking.

    "Who are you?" He continued, staying on alert the entire time.

    "My name is Mira. I am a member of the Wise Jade Tribe. And I need to contact a friend of yours." She slowly began to exin herself, her eyes welling up as she spoke, as if she was struggling with something.

    "You need to- who do you need to talk to?" Will replied slowly.

    "Lady Ausra''s Sessor. Ah, his given name is¡­ Dorian." Mira quickly replied, nodding her head.

    When he heard that, he frowned internally.

    ''Dorian? What does she want with him?'' That Anomaly was a being he considered a friend for life. He would never rat him out, not in a million years.

    "How do you even know I know this Dorian? How did you even find me?" Will was full of questions as he stared at Mira, processing everything she had told him.

    ''The Wise Jade Tribe? Wait¡­ isn''t that a Tribe of Dragons?!'' Just as he realized that, another voice broke into the conversation.

    The speaker came seemingly out of nowhere, the man''s words echoing in the air just a few meters behind Mira as he walked forward. Will blinked when he saw this, wondering if his eyes had betrayed him, something that was quite unusual for his powerful body.

    "That would be because of me, young Will."

    The new speaker was a ck-skinned human wearing a set of loose, open vest and pants that were stained grey. He had shoulder-length dreadlocks and a variety of facial paint on, giving him a rather odd appearance.

    His force of presence seemed to be incredibly¡­cking, Will noticed. It was almost like he wasn''t here at all. Despite that, he could feel a subtle sense of dangering off this figure.

    The man in front of him was a powerful expert.

    "And you are?" Will crossed his arms as he slowly sat back down. He didn''t waver or fumble, but kept a cool head, something that came from his newfound confidence in himself. The power he had gained, under Sun Wukong''s tutge, his own growth, and the Inheritance he''d gained, all helped contribute to that.

    "I am known to some as the Nameless Monk, a member of the Free School of Thunder. You and I haven''t ever properly met." The monk held out a hand, sitting down at the table across from Will. Mira sat down again, this time next to the monk.

    Will gingerly took his hand and shook it. The monk had a strong handshake.

    When he heard that the monk was from the Free School of Thunder, his heart began to pound.

    The Free School of Thunder was one of the most mysterious and powerful organizations in all of the 30,000 Worlds. They were famed for the Virtuous Laws many of them studied, or had records of, as well their charitable work. They had a considerable amount of influence, but never seemed to use that influence except to enact minor changes.

    "I was there the day you came back to life, on Magmor." The monk dropped this bombshell remark as he let go of Will''s shocked hand, smiling slightly.

    "We at the Free School of Thunder have a simple mantra. Lightning strikes at the beck and call of nature. One must live freely and unfettered if one wishes to survive in this world. We do not seek to control reality, but rather¡­ guide it, in times of need." His voice was deep and contained only a hint of emotion, buried far within his words.

    "You¡­ I don''t understand. What are you trying to say? What does your group want with me or Dorian?" Will stared at the monk, his voice containing a faint hint of irritation as he pushed past his shock at the monk''s knowledge of his resurrection.

    "The tyranny of virtue is as unbearable as the stranglehold of vice. s, our passivity seems to have led us into a quandary. And that is what draws me here to you." The Nameless Monk sighed.

    Will didn''t bother trying to decipher the man''s cryptic words. Instead, he simply waved for him to continue.

    "You see, young Will. Everything ties back to you. You were at the start of all of this, and you will be at the end of all of this as well. It is your destiny, should you choose to ept it. You are the key to the survival of this reality." The monk waved back at him.

    "And that is why I am here." The monk finished.

    "I''m the key to the survival of this reality? What?" Will stuttered out a response, taken aback. Everything the man said hade off so abrupt, their meeting something that happened out of nowhere.

    "Do you think everything in your life has been for nothing? The magical Inheritance you obtained, your return to life by your friend Dorian, your presence here, greeting me." The Nameless Monk began.

    "All of this has happened for a reason.

    "Everything in life has purpose. You may choose to step away from that purpose if you wish. That is your right, as a free being." The Nameless Monk paused for a moment, as if to catch his breath.

    Will jumped into that moment to reply.

    "Look. I can tell that you are strong and likely pretty important, somewhere. But I''m not here to do whatever it is you want me to do. I am here to fulfill my mission, and I''m not going to give you any info about my friend." Willid it all out.

    The Nameless Monk seemed slightly taken aback as Will continued,

    "You are part of the Free School of Thunder, right? If your group is so powerful, why don''t you all solve whatever problem you have yourselves? Who are you to demand I do anything at all?" Will''s voice shook the air as particles of light fluctuated around him, a pure, blinding Aura of Light forming around him.

    He wasn''t going to do anyone''s bidding, even if they asked nicely.

    There were a few moments of tense silence as both sides stared at each other. The other people in themon room had long since frozen, the powerful Auras Will and Mira alone had given off enough to send many unconscious.

    "Let me exin by telling you this, first. Are you aware of who the Head Monk of the Free School of Thunder is?" The Nameless Monk took up a different approach.

    "Yes¡­ It''s Homa Whistleberry, the Thunder Prophet." Will replied slowly.

    "Yes. And the Head Monk sent me here to find you, and her. He sent me here bearing a prophecy, one that concerns your purpose in this reality, should you ept it." The monk returned, equally slowly.

    Will slowed down, his expression dimming as he heard this.

    If what the man said was true¡­ His current physique and understanding of it, as well as his Magic, gave him the ability to tell whether someone was lying to him, up to some degree. And, right now, he could tell that the monk in front of him was telling the truth.

    "What did the Head Monk''s prophecy read?" Will queried, a frown on his face. He gradually began to treat the two in front of him like guests instead of possible enemies. He could feel that theycked any bad intentions.

    If there really was a prophecy made about him, it would be wise to at least hear this duo out.

    The Head Monk of the Free School of Thunder was an entric, rarely heard from figure, but he was also a true-blue Angelic ss expert. He was famed for the magical prophecies he left, ones that often, but not always, came true.

    Will had learned all of this from both Sun Wukong and from his own personal research and exploration into the mighty powers of the 30,000 Worlds.

    "His prophecy for you is short, only two sentences." The monk''s voice took on a mystical echo as he gazed at Will. Will gazed back, taking a deep breath as he felt tension rise in his heart.

    "Listen well, young Will, for:

    "The weight of reality shall rest upon your shoulders. To save it, you must lose everything, but give up nothing."

    Will''s mouth fell open as he heard the monk''s words.

    "What?!"

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    The Lesser World of Toraph was a very normal. It had no special features and was a rather boring ce. The size of its oceans were average, and the number of mountains or other unique natural creations were minimal. The was dominated mostly byrge, sloping ins and hills.

    In terms of popce, this particr world had only around 10 million people living on it, quite small for any. The inhabitants of Toraph were nomadic in nature and, as one of the worlds of lesser importance to the Borrel Autarchy, this was allowed to maintain its unique culture.

    Not only did the Autarchy allow it, they even supported it, providing funding and guards to keep the in its natural state.

    Right now, however¡­

    The nomads of Toraph had fled away to the farthest corners of the, moving away from one specific area.

    A ce where one World Bridge connected.

    A World Bridge that led to the Lesser World of Nugdol. A controlled by the Borrel Autarchy, one that was right next to a world that bordered the Draconic Tribes, Aingdo.

    Both Aingdo and Nugdol had fallen.

    The resistance offered in either World had been minimal. After all¡­

    What can anyone really do against an army of dragons? For regr beings, resistance was a sheer impossibility. Even the Borrel Autarchy hadn''t seemed interested inbat, pulling back all of their troops before the Draconic Tribes even invaded.

    The sun gleamed overhead as the daylight on Toraph as a single man appeared on the World Bridge from Nugdol, heading towards Toraph.

    The man wore a simple set of ck pants and no shirt. He was muscr, with a handsome face and piercing blue eyes, his blue eyes shing with energy thatplimented his strong chin. He wielded no weapon and didn''t seem to have any Artifacts on him, beyond a Spatial Ring.

    Abruptly, this man smiled.

    His body blurred.

    An instantter, it reappeared, a full 15 miles away from the World Bridge, in the lowest part of arge, sloping hill. He was in a sort of valley-like depression between a set of hills.

    He stood in this valley, looking up at the horizon, the smile still present on his face.

    In the background, what sounded like rumbling thunder began to echo.

    This rumble grew louder and louder until it reached a crescendo, shaking the air itself.

    Throughout all of this, the lone man waited patiently.

    Finally, as the rumble hit that peak¡­

    People began to emerge over the top of the hilly slope to the west.

    First it was just a handful of armored warriors. Then a dozen. Then a hundred. Then thousands. Then tens of thousands.

    A virtual sea of muscle and metal appeared, powerful currents of energy rippling in the air as a massive army of warriors formed up into position on therge, hilly slope, all facing towards the lone man at the center.

    Hundreds of Wizards began to float up into the air, using magical Artifacts in coordination to stand above the warriors, prepared to provide support. The crackles of fire, the twirls of wind,rge chunks of rock, frozen spears of water, a myriad of energy and magical creations slowly began to form.

    At the very front of this army, a woman walked about a dozen meters out. She had long, lustrous ck hair and eyes. She wore a full set of tight, rust-colored armor that was covered in ornately carved skulls.

    She gazed out at the lone man, an orange gleam of energy appearing in her eyes.

    A momentter, a blistering, orange Halo appeared around her head, proiming her presence for all the world to see.

    She was Cynthia Gudet, the Death Wall.

    Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Annihtion Department.

    Ranked 7th on the Recording of Might¡­ in the Angelic ss section.

    An Angelic ss expert.

    Behind her stood 2 other figures.

    One was a small man that stood well below the average height of a man. He was balding, with greying hair and a lined face. He wore a set of ck robes and held a long, ck staff in his hands.

    He was Heptorel Entei, the World Wall.

    Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Gravity Department.

    Ranked 9th on the Recording of Might, in the Pseudo-Angelic ss section.

    The other figure was a middle-aged man wearing a tight, bright pink robe, with arge gourd strapped to his back. The air around this man was pure and almost crystalline, carrying with it a calm, but powerful, Aura.

    He was Jiro Korc, the Diamond Wall.

    Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Diamond Department.

    And an extremely powerful Wizard that, while not at the Pseudo-Angelic ss, was renowned for his great might.

    All three of these figures were some of the true elites of reality, some of the most powerful beings in existence.

    They all watched silently, in front of an armyposed of tens of thousands of powerful Lord and King experts.

    The 2nd Main Division of the Borrel Autarchy, a force built up over years and years of recruitment and effort, one of the oldest branches of the Autarchy military.

    All of this prepared for a single man, and whatever he may bring.

    All of this prepared for the lone man that stood before them.

    "To stop me from saving reality, they could only muster this much, huh?" Yukeli muttered, frowning slightly as he gazed out upon the sea of enemies.

    "Has the 30,000 Worlds forgotten who I am?" He shook his head.

    And then¡­ slowly¡­ he began to walk forward.

    "Steady! Hold!"

    "Wait! Hold the lines!"

    "Stand at the ready!"

    A burst of yell boomed in the air as hundreds of Captains and Commanders ordered their men and women to prepare for battle. The sounds of tens of thousands of warriors shifting, of Wizards pping their hands together and preparing to cast new Spells. The air became even more electric, energy vibrating as the world itself seemed to distort due to the huge concentration of power.

    Back at the front of the towering, elite force of humanity¡­

    "Alright, Cynthia, what do we do?" Jiro''s voice was soft, but his words carried a huge amount of energy and weight as he stared at the slowly approaching man. He reached onto his back and took a long gulp of alcohol from his gourd, his body taking on a shiny gleam.

    Cynthia nced back at him dispassionately.

    "We do as His Majesty said." Her voice was cold,

    "We stop him."

    .

 Chapter 224 Found

    Laws were a funny thing.

    To Dorian, who saw himself as a native of Earth, it had been almost inconceivable that he could focus on or think about something, and by doing so, open up his senses to an entire Law that governed reality.

    Logically, something like that made no sense. At least, not on Earth.

    Yet here, in the mysterious 30,000 Worlds, the impossible happened on a daily basis.

    Sitting atop the shoulder and outstretched arm of an enormous Giant was arge clump of ice. This ice gleamed with light, as if something mysterious was taking ce within it.

    Around this clump of ice, the world was still and cool. The huge waterfall of ice nearby moved in a strict area, never flowing outward unless something else interfered with it.

    Down below, Grakons could asionally be seen patrolling the outer area, but none of them would evere close to the towering, frozen Giant.

    Abruptly¡­

    This clump of ice began to crack.

    Bit and pieces of it trembled as awork of cracks spread out, shattering into nothingness. The air around the ice suddenly was cast a flurry as a wave of energy sted forward.

    BOOM

    The clump of ice fully disintegrated, revealing a demonic figure.

    Dorian, in his Bnce Demon form.

    "Laws Progress." He spoke the words out loud, his voice hoarse as he blinked. He rubbed at his shoulders and arms, flicking off chunks of ice.

    -

    Laws Progress

    -

    Virtuous Laws (4/7) - ???

    Demonic Laws (7/7) - Law of Original Sin - 25%

    -

    He smiled.

    "I''m more than halfway to the Middle Stage." He muttered out loud.

    Hitting an understanding of roughly 40% was a big deal, though most people weren''t able to track it so numerically. His control of the Law of Original Sin was split into 10 minor stages, a thing that was unique from most other Laws, something he could intrinsically sense. Every 10% he achieved, his grasp of the Origin Law grew stronger.

    ''My understanding of it has grown enough¡­ it''s time.'' As he sensed the increased power he held, he came to a decision.

    Deep within the farthest recesses of Dorian''s soul, there existed something that was not part of him. Something that had been with him ever since his birth in this world. Something he had never managed to sessfully remove.

    Yukeli''s soul fragment.

    Yukeli had gone dormant long ago, after he determined it was impossible to sway Dorian or seize control of his Soul. Dorian had had multiple mental confrontations with the man, all of which ended in a draw or himing out ahead, eventually.

    However, just because Yukeli was no longer active didn''t mean he was gone.

    To the best of Dorian''s knowledge, it was impossible for him to get rid of Yukeli''s soul fragment unless he purged his own soul, ripping it to shreds and killing himself. The fragment had melded with him.

    "The Law of Original Sin allows me to corrupt reality. It is an Origin Law, a Law of power that reigns over a multitude of others." He continued to speak out loud,

    "I may not ever be able to remove Yukeli''s dormant soul fragment. But what if I tear down the walls that protect it, overriding its defenses?" This was a thought that had struck him long ago, the moment he learned of the Law of Original Sin.

    It was a Law that reshaped reality itself, creating weaknesses, corrupting things.

    "What if, instead of being absorbed by Yukeli like he wants¡­" Dorian smiled, his eyes glowing in the cool air of the underground cavern,

    "I absorb him."

    Dorian closed his eyes.

    Immediately, he focused not only on his soul¡­ but also on the Law of Original Sin.

    He felt raw energy flow into his body. This energy felt vtile and dangerous, seductive in its overwhelming strength. Power that left him feeling almost drunk, giddy on the feeling of control.

    Power to change the world around him with his will alone.

    He grasped ahold of that energy, seizing upon it. As he did so, a stray dot fluttered across his vision. This dot was joined by a second dot. The dots only appeared for a moment before they vanished.

    "Arrrgh." With an understanding of 25%, the energy Dorian could muster was incredible. The air around his visibly warped, taking on a dark, evil tone.

    After a few seconds, Dorian seized control fully. The huge increase in power had left him temporarily stunned at first, but his powerful soul and willpower allowed him to regain his focus.

    ''I''ll need to be more careful in the future. Each big increase is likely to prove shocking to my soul.'' He took mental note of this.

    Dorian then sat down on the frozen Giant''s shoulder. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing on himself.

    Gradually, Dorian was able to call to mind an image in his head.

    In a world covered in white fog, Dorian saw a huge, massive white orb. Sparks of energy and electricity could be seen flowering in and around this orb, shooting out and then falling back in.

    Dorian appeared next to this orb, looking up at it. It towered over him, standing easily 10 times his height.

    He froze when he saw this.

    ''This is¡­ my soul?'' He was viewing his own soul from the ''outside.''

    His soul was so powerful now he could do many things he couldn''t have done before. He could actually examine his soul in its full form, peering into every detail.

    ''It''s so big¡­'' His first thought was to its sheer size. It was incrediblyrge and gave off a majestic, mighty feeling.

    His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw something off to the left, while scanning the massive orb.

    There was a smaller orb, one that was so tiny inparison to the main orb that he had missed it at first. It was colored a dim, grey color, not matching the pure white of his soul. This orb fluttered right next to the big orb, solidly connected to it. Fully half of its surface seemed to be embedded and merged with Dorian''s soul.

    ''Yukeli''s fragment¡­'' Dorian muttered, frowning.

    Now that he consciously studied it, he could tell that this wasn''t going to be easy.

    ''It''s¡­ merged with me already. Not fully, but part of it is definitely merged with my soul.'' He couldn''t just try and directly destroy it. Doing so would irreparably damage his own soul, and that was assuming he could even destroy Yukeli''s fragment.

    The fragment was set up in a way that it would steal energy from Dorian''s main soul, allowing it to continue its existence. It was a parasite, connected to him irreparably. It only required a very small amount of energy, but it was able to take that amount freely, thanks to its condition.

    ''Well, my n is still the same.'' He shrugged. He was only going to try and absorb it. The fact that it had partially merged with him would make that easier.

    Dorian vanished and then reappeared, floating right next to Yukeli''s soul fragment. It was about his size, in this odd, mental-soul world he was in. He wasn''t actually here in person, but rather, personified by the will of his soul, looking inward.

    Slowly, Dorian reached out andid a hand on the smaller orb.

    Nothing happened.

    He grinned ruefully. He didn''t have a sense of touch here, he couldn''t actually feel anything strange about it.

    Still¡­ from inside his soul, he could sense the aberration that was Yukeli.

    ''Very well.'' After a few moments, he began to gather his concentration. The thronging energy within him was begging to be used, causing his heart to pulse.

    His eyes shed as he looked at the spot where the smaller orb joined up with the bigger orb.

    ''Absorb.'' He issued the mentalmand with all the authority he could muster.

    Immediately, the rippling energy he held within his soul sted outward and mmed into the small orb. Dorian''s vision distorted as reality began to twist, the air around him creaking. Sweat formed on his forehead as he panted in the real world, his heart pounding.

    Dorian''s soul trembled. Abruptly, parts of his soul began to twist.

    Excruciating pain flooded through Dorian''s mind as the very essence of his being felt as if it was being ripped apart.

    Dorian forced his way past the agony as he stared at what was happening in his soul.

    His own soul was visibly twisting, the orb''s previously smooth lines vanishing.

    This had caused Yukeli''s orb to twist as well.

    As soon as this twisting began, Dorian''s soul had rushed forward, seeking to envelop and swallow Yukeli''s orb. If he could sweep around and take in Yukeli''s remnants, he would be able to force it to fully merge with him.

    However¡­

    As Dorian drew upon the Origin Law of Original Sin, causing Yukeli''s defenses to weaken at the cost of living through agonizing pain, he found that Yukeli was still, somehow, managing to resist him.

    Dorian''s soul mmed against Yukeli''s remnants and was rebuffed, again and again. The reality twisting powers of the Law of Original Sin were effective at weakening Yukeli''s soul, but even with all of that throw against him, the man was still resisting his efforts.

    ''Incredible¡­ his soul remnant is able to resist even when reality itself is turned against it.'' Dorian shook his head as he rxed his soul. Yukeli was truly a monster if even his soul fragment was this powerful.

    ''However¡­'' A small smile appeared on Dorian''s face.

    When Yukeli''s soul remnant was in the midst of being hit with his Law of Original Sin, Dorian was able to sense several changes.

    Previously, the soul remnant had been like a magical wall, imprable despite Dorian''s best efforts.

    Now, however¡­ whenever the Law of Original Sin touched it, that wall began to weaken. It wasn''t currently enough, even if he went all out, for him to absorb the soul remnant. But even the strongest being in the world couldn''t perfectly resist the changes of reality.

    ''My mastery is not even at the Middle Stage yet, let alone the Late Stage, or Completion.'' A feeling of exultation filled Dorian as he realized this.

    ''You may resist me now, leeching onto my soul like poison¡­ but what about then?'' The thought fluttered in his mind.

    Yukeli did not respond. The remnant remained dormant, refusing to do anything other than defend itself.

    Dorian closed his eyes again as he once more entered meditation, his motivation to free himself of Yukeli''s touch stronger than ever.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On the Exotic World of Manuka, a peaceful desert known as the Sbi Desert existed. This desert wasn''t veryrge, but there was something unique about it.

    In this particr desert, arge World Bridge shuttled into the ground, connecting it to a far away. This World Bridge normally teemed with life, one of the rare oases in the Sbi Desert.

    Right now, however, not even a single being dared to make a peep.

    For there stood a man on this bridge, a man that exuded an Aura of dominance and might. An Aura that spoke to the truths of Annihtion itself.

    "I can sense several of my brethren moving towards the Firstborn''s location." Zero frowned as he rubbed his chin, looking up at the sky. His eyes were unfocused, as if he was looking past the sky to things only he could sense.

    And, indeed, that was the case. Right now, he was currently tracking the locations of his Brethren. In particr, he was focused on a clump of Anomalies that were headed in the direction of the Firstborn.

    Zero took a few seconds to think, trying to understand their motive.

    From Zero''s perspective, it could only be one of two things.

    Either his fellow Anomalies were, like him, hunting the Firstborn, or they were allies and subordinates of the Firstborn returning to his aid. Given how powerful the Firstborn must be, Zero felt it likely to be the second option.

    He paused for a few more seconds in thought.

    Though his brethren were moving quickly, they still weren''t moving anywhere near fast enough to exceed his speed. His Law of Annihtion and Angelic ss Soul Spell Matrix allowed him to rip holes in reality itself, moving at an extremely quick speed.

    If he wanted to, he could arrive at the Firstborn''s location more than a dozen hours before the others, going by their current speed.

    "Hmm¡­ I''ll need to collect their Bloodlines anyway." After he finished thinking it over, he nodded slightly.

    He began to step forward again, raising a hand as he prepared to rip through reality. This time, as he traveled, he modted his pace. He didn''t rush forward as fast as possible, but instead moved with purpose, slowing his pace so that he''d reach the Firstborn just a half hour before the other Anomalies, allowing him to swoop them all up one after the other.

    And like that, in what seemed like no time at all¡­

    Zero ripped through one final hole in reality, jumping forward andnding on the ground.

    The powerful warrior blinked as he took in his surroundings.

    Flurries of snow and wind, crackling lightning and thunder, a literal blizzard rushing in the air¡­

    "Ah. I made it to Blizzaria." Zero smiled, his deep voice echoing softly in the air around him. The thronging weather was unable to touch him, an invisible forcefield blocking it off as he gathered his bearings.

    Zero looked to the left and to the right, before his head slowly began to turn and look down.

    "Firstborn¡­" Zero''s eyes shed,

    "I have found you."

    .

 Chapter 225 Fated

    ''Ah, I managed to reach 26%!'' At this rate, he would be able to reach 40%prehension in no time at all. Dorian grinned beneath the ice that had reappeared around him, feeling the energy flow in his veins.

    He had reached the Middle Stage for all of his other Demonic Laws on Taprisha, he just needed to reach the Middle Stage for the remaining ones here. After that, he decided he would ferry himself back and forth, stopping for nothing until he reached Completion. He had too little time to waste.

    ''Alright, back to-'' Dorian stopped mid-thought as he sensed somethingpletely unexpected.

    A faint awareness appeared,ing from a few miles out. One that resonated with his soul.

    The feeling he got when he sensed a fellow Anomaly.

    ''Wait¡­ it feels¡­ different?'' He couldn''t quite ce why, but this time, it felt odd. The sensation was there, but it no longer felt quite like the other Anomalies he had sensed. Something about it was¡­ subtly different. He couldn''t exin exactly what with words.

    BOOM

    The ice that was shrouding Dorian exploded as he stood up, going on high alert. A shower of fine snow particles cascaded in the air as he expanded his senses, turning to look in the direction of his fellow Anomaly. He was taking no chances.

    At the same time, a ck, near invisible flicker of energy covered his body. The ck Luster Ability he''d gained from his new Vampire form was the strongest defensive Ability he controlled. He also activated his Perfect Body Ability, raising the raw power and senses of his physique to a new level.

    As he pulled on his various powers, he leapt off of the frozen Giant,nding on the ground nearby.

    By the time he finished activating his Abilities andnded, the other Anomaly he sensed had already arrived, moving at an incredibly fast speed.

    "Hello, Firstborn." A man''s voice rumbled out as a figure appeared. The man had long, golden hair and a majestic bearing, with a handsome, muscr face that practically oozed masculinity.

    "Who are you?" Dorian replied without missing a beat, mentallymanding Ausra to scan him.

    To his shock, Ausra came back with almost nothing.

    -

    Species - Divine Golden Lion (Humanoid Form)

    ss: ???

    Maximum Energy Level: ???

    -

    ''He''s¡­ I can''t scan him at all?!'' As Dorian saw this, his heart seemed to plunge.

    Thest time he remembered seeing this was when he tried to scan an Angelic ss being.

    "I am Zero, the Secondborn." Zero''s voice boomed out loud as he responded to Dorian''s question. A rippling Aura burst free from the man as he spoke, sting away the cold and melting any nearby ice.

    Dorian simply stared back, his body tingling as he prepared for anything. His eyes zeroed in on Zero, giving away nothing.

    Zero looked back and shook his head.

    "This moment¡­ for all my existence, I thought about what I would say, how this would happen. Yet, now that I stand before you¡­" Zero held up a hand and then slowly lowered it with a sigh,

    "I am sorely disappointed. You stand before me as the First of our kind, yet youck the capacity to bear the burden we face." Genuine disappointment filled Zero''s tone.

    "Wha-" Dorian was in the middle of replying when Zero attacked, giving him absolutely no warning.

    One second, Zero was standing several dozen meters away.

    The next second, he had already appeared in front of Dorian.

    BOOM

    A small explosion shook the air as Zero punched forward, violent red energy covering his fist as he drew upon his Law of Annihtion. The powerful warrior''s body shivered as fluctuations of energy ran through it, his sheer physical power condensed into such a small being.

    A flurry of ice and dust were thrown into the air, creating a cloud of debris as Dorian''s body was flung backward, instantly obscured. A loud rending sound sounded off in the air, stone cracking and shivering.

    Zero watched all of this dispassionately, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the cloud of dust.

    For, after a few seconds, that cloud of dust cleared up and away.

    And when it did¡­

    It revealed a demonic figure standing still. Two long lines were gouged out into the stone for several meters, ripped apart by Dorian''s feet when he forced his body to absorb the impact and not get sent flying.

    "That was a bit rude." Dorian casually raised his hand to his shoulder, flicking off a few random pieces of ice.

    In the split second Zero had used to attack, Dorian fully realized how powerful the foe that had found him was. He absolutely could not afford to underestimate the warrior.

    He instantly called upon his Law of Lust, enhancing his perception of time and allowing him to do several things in an instant.

    Then, as he was attacked, he simultaneously activated the new Void Control Ability he''d gained from his King ss Evolution and his Law of Envy. Both things focused on control of space, something he immediately manipted to create a dense wall between him and Zero''s fist and weaken Zero''s attack.

    He then activated his Law of Pride and Law of Gluttony. One to toughen his body, and the other to add anotheryer of defensive energy around him.

    This,bined with his ck Luster Ability and Perfect Body, allowed him to not only tank the hit but absorb and disce a good portion of Zero''s surprise attack.

    However, as he stood there, Dorian could feel small streams of energy rampaging inside his body. These streams annihted everything they touched, trying to rip him apart from the inside, an insidious and subtle attack.

    His eyes shed as he called upon the Law of Original Sin. He used that to weaken the streams of Annihtion Energy and then eradicate them.

    Just like that, Dorian sessfully blocked an attack from an Angelic ss warrior.

    "Don''t you want to at least talk first, Zero?" Dorian frowned. Even if the Anomaly truly was Angelic ss, that didn''t mean Dorian would just give up. He had ess to such a variety of Laws, Abilities, and forms, as well as his own extremely powerful soul, that it wasn''t necessarily given that he would lose.

    He had heard of this Anomaly. This was the one that, long ago, had dered that he was going to hunt Dorian down. It seemed the creature had held true to its word, searching for and somehow finding Dorian here. If possible, Dorian would prefer to reason with him, like he had with Mello or the Eleventhborn.

    From Zero''s perspective, all he saw was Dorian casually brush off some ice and then form an incredibly evil and Demonic Aura, one that spoke to the core of sinful nature itself. Thisbined with Dorian''s Bnce Demon form to make him appear as a horrifying monstrosity.

    "Of course. It was my mistake." Zero shivered as he saw this, his heart starting to pound. His initial disappointment partially vanished as he saw Dorian''s seemingly effortless block of his attack.

    "The Firstborn is the Firstborn, after all. There''s no reason for me to hold back." A giant, overpowering Aura burst free from the Secondborn as he looked at Dorian. A majestic, red Halo appeared around Zero''s head, gushing with energy. The very air around Zero seemed to shiver, sparking as the Anomaly''s energy condensed to an extreme level.

    This powerful Aura drew the attention of every single creature within several tens of thousands of meters. The initial sh between Dorian and Zero had woken the frozen city up, turning hundreds of Grakon heads, but this release drew thousands of the armored minotaur''s eyes.

    ''Oh man.'' Dorian cursed in his heart.

    This wasn''t going to be easy.

    "Annihte." Zero pointed at Dorian and spoke a single word.

    A wave of red fire sted forward, simmering through the air as they rocketed towards Dorian. The very fabric of the Law of Annihtion was imbued into these mes, causing them to destroy everything that blocked their path.

    Even the stone floor Dorian and Zero were standing on was instantly melted through, the red mes eating away at everything.

    "ck mes!" Dorian responded by taking a deep breath and throwing out a huge wave of ck fire, crackling mes of his own that collided with Zero''s mes of Annihtion.

    Dragonfire was inherently destructive, containing mystic properties that allowed it to melt through things with incredible ease. Conversely, Zero''s mes of Annihtion held the condensed might of the Law of Annihtion within them.

    The resulting sh created a maelstrom of fire that exploded multiple times, turning the center of the city into a chaotic sea of burning fire. Dorian''s mes were less potent than Zero''s, but Dorian''s extremely fine grasp of fire maniption, gained through his long experience using them, won out over Zero''s rtive inexperience.

    As a result, neither party took any serious injuries from the raging fire.

    A dozen Grakons that had charged in to investigate were instantly vaporized. The frozen waterfall of Gworen Ice created a massive cloud of steam that swooped over the battlefield, but otherwise ignored both types of fire, neither one able to sessfully melt through the World Phenomena.

    "Huff." Dorian''s breath wheezed out of him as he jumped up high into the air. At the same time, he transformed into his new, Empyrean Vampire form. His Bnce Demon form was his best choice for studying various Laws, but his Empyrean Vampire form had a stronger physique and could better use the Void Control Ability.

    He blinked.

    When his eyes opened, Zero reappeared in front of him once more. A small trail of multi-colored mes twisted in the air around him, moving seemingly in slow-motion due to Dorian''s enhanced perception of time.

    ''This motherf-'' The thought was cut off as Zeroshed out again with an extremely powerful punch, this time going all out. The air itself seemed to literally die as he punched forward, annihting anything in his path. Red streams of energy shot out from his body, crackling backwards in the air.

    BOOOOOOM

    Dorian smashed downward as if he had been hit by a meteor. Before the blow hit, he threw up every Law he could hold onto, tossing out multiple Abilities again once more as he sought to weaken Zero''s attack. He used his soul to twist Fate, and, at the very peak of the warrior''s blow, he activated the Law of Original Sin, forcing a weakness to appear as reality itself bent to his will.

    As a result, the blow only shattered his left arm instead of killing him.

    "Huah!" Doriannded on the ground with his feet nted, causing a 50 meter wide stone crater to form. Huge chunks of rock shot out into the air, the explosion cascading dirt all about.

    Dorian''s body, once more, stamped out the remnant Annihtion Energy, using the Law of Original Sin to crush them. A few stray ck dots floated across his vision as he drew upon the Origin Law, straining himself. He ignored the pain from his injured arm, feeling his regenerative powers start to kick in.

    "As expected of the Firstborn." Zero saw all of this, his eyes shining more and more as he nodded. His disappointment had nowpletely vanished, a smile appearing on his face.

    Dorian red upwards, his eyes practically spitting fury as he focused.

    ''Void Control.'' He locked the space around Zero, causing the Anomaly to freeze in mid-air. Zero almost immediately shattered these Envy-boosted restraints, but not before he was frozen for a split second.

    And in that split second, Dorian charged and activated a certain Ability dozens of times.

    ''Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam!'' Roughly 100 ck orbs formed in the air, surrounding Dorian. Each one was charged with not only raw energy, but also his ck mes, granting each one the destructive power of Dragonfire.

    After breaking into the King ss, all of his Abilities had jumped in strength. In particr, his Hyperion Beams and ck mes had seen a significant increase in potency. The Hyperion Beams that had struggled to injure the one-armed King ss Giant he''d faced could now easily obliterate it.

    ''Fire!''

    100sers shot through the air. A mixed, red and gold Aura of energy formed around Zero, covering him in ayer of light right before the attacknded.

    BOOM

    The nearby storm of mes scattered as an explosion of energy sent them flying. Before that explosion could fully spread, however, Dorian struck again.

    ''Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam!''

    BOOM

    And again.

    ''Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam!''

    BOOOOOM

    And again.

    ''Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam! Hyperion Beam!''

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    Fully four consecutive explosions from multiple hundreds of Hyperion Beams shook the air, temporarily blinding Dorian. The explosions were mostly concentrated upward, spreading out in an expansive fashion alongside a multitude of shockwaves. The resulting ball of fire mmed all the way into the roof thousands of meters overhead, turning the gloomy darkness of the underground cavern alight for a few scant seconds.

    Dorian''s breathing was ragged as he watched all of this, his every sense attuned forward. Such a powerful attack was not something that could just be brushed away, not at his current state.

    For, hidden in between all those blistering Hyperion Beams was an insidious strand of ck energy.

    A blip of energy from the Law of Original Sin.

    Dorian had snuck this beam into the third attack, using the first two in an attempt to trick Zero into a sense ofcency. The reality shifting energy would''ve weakened Zero''s defenses enough for his fourth and final attack to st through most barriers blocking it.

    Dorian felt his soul twinge as the explosions from his attacks settled, leaving behind arge cloud of dust and ash. A deep-seated ache that came from drawing upon too much energy had settled in, letting him know he was reaching his limit.

    He had been in the midst of meditation and wasn''t in an optimal state to fight in the first ce. He then drew upon gargantuan amounts of Law Energy to block and weaken multiple attacks whileunching arge number of his own.

    Unfortunately for Dorian, his hopes of an easy victory were shortly dashed.

    "Firstborn¡­ you have truly surpassed my expectations." Zero''s voice was haggard but full of happiness as his figure emerged from the cloud of dust, shooting downward towards the ground.

    BOOM

    Another small crater formed as hended, sending shards of stone shooting out into the air.

    Zero''s figure was a mess. Blood dripped from his lips and several serious and visible burns could be seen on his arms and chest. His injuries weren''t healing, something that only seemed to please the Anomaly for some odd reason.

    "To injure me like this, an injury that prevents me from regenerating¡­ that is something indeed."

    Dorian''s Law of Original Sin had many unique quirks. One of those had to do with its corrupting power.

    When the streams of energy invaded Zero''s body, forcing its way past the barrier the Anomaly formed, it corrupted every wound left on Zero. It was an insidious energy that was extremely hard to expel. However, after itnded, the energy moved beyond Dorian''s control, turningrgely dormant.

    The energy remained present, weakening Zero''s physique and preventing him from healing, but was unable to inflict any more serious injuries, unlike Zero''s Annihtion energy. It would take Zero some time to expel the injury, time he couldn''t exactly afford in the middle of a battle.

    Zero smiled grimly at Dorian. He didn''t move to attack or defend, standing still as if he was waiting for something.

    Dorian took advantage of that brief moment of reprieve, resting his aching soul.

    Around them, the waves of energy and chaotic storm of mes began to settle down and fizzle out. The huge cloud of steam formed from the Gworen Ice Waterfall dissipated into minute particles of ice, tinkling to the ground.

    Thousands of undead Grakons had fully focused on the center of the city and were all rushing here in a flurry. Most of them remained in their non-Expanded state, but were preparing to transform as they sensed the multiple explosions taking ce.

    "What do you want, Zero?" Seeing as the man had stopped attacking him, Dorian took that time tomunicate, hoping to stall the Anomaly out for a few moments. The more time he had to recover, the better.

    "In general? To be free." Zero shrugged as he continued to stare at Dorian, unmoving.

    "But as of right now¡­" Zero raised up a hand, a smile appearing on his face.

    Abruptly, he clenched his fist.

    At the same time, Dorian felt the world around him seem to seize up. Strange, mysterious symbols appeared in the air around him, locking down and mming into him instantly. He had no time to react to the near-instantaneous appearance, shocking him to the core.

    "I was waiting for my Myriad Restriction Ability to activate. I picked that one up from one of the forms I gained in thends of the Graal Alliance." As Zero spoke, his body rapidly transformed.

    A huge, 40 meters tall Divine Golden Lion shot out into existence, towering in front of Dorian in all its majestic fury. Its simple appearance was enough to inspire both fear and awe, a glorious creature out of legend.

    ''What is this?!'' As Dorian felt the symbolsnd on him, he pped his hands together, trying to shake them off. The symbols refused to move, standing all the same.

    As he pped, he suddenly realized that moving had be incredibly difficult. Even a simple movement was much harder to handle. The symbols that hadnded on him were affecting his soul, slowing him down.

    His soul rebelled against such a dy and rapidly began to burn the energy off. It would take only a half dozen seconds for Dorian to fully throw off the effects of the Ability, shaking free.

    "This Ability isn''t that useful most of the time, but was one I sought out after I learned of its existence. It was one I got specifically to help me hunt down other Anomalies." When Zero spoke in his Divine Golden Lion form, his words shook the air itself, causing the fading smoke and steam to tremble. The Angelic halo he bore grew even more powerful, an Aura of such grandeur pressing down upon Dorian it felt insurmountable.

    "It traps a being in ce, drawing on the mystic Law of Stillness. For an Anomaly, that means you can''t flee and¡­" As Zero finished this sentence, he raised his head.

    Above him, a massive ball of energy formed, made up of gold and white particles that shivered. This energy was gathered from the very air itself around Zero, and the unending supply of energy within him, all in a split second.

    "You can''t transform."

    WHOOSH

    A concentrated beam of raw might shot forward, moving at an extremely fast pace. It melted through the air, destroying space itself as it ripped through the air of the underground cavern, headed straight for Dorian.

    The attack had taken only a small second for Zero to form andunch. In that time, Dorian had almost fully removed the restrictionstched upon his soul by Zero''s Myriad Restriction Ability. The freakish symbols had done as Zero imed, preventing him from fleeing.

    Unfortunately, almost freeing wasn''t enough.

    The concentrated beam of energy mmed into a stream of near invisible energy from the Law of Original Sin, weakening it, and then mmed into Dorian''s ck Luster shielding, and then into theyer of defensive energy from the Law of Gluttony, and then simultaneously into Dorian''s Perfect Body and the raw defensive prowess of a Pride-boosted Empyrean Vampire¡­

    And ripped through all of that, leaving torn gaps in reality itself as the beam shot into and through Dorian, obliterating most of his chest and destroying his heart.

    .

 Chapter 226 Breakthrough

    A huge explosion of stone dust scattered into the air as Zero''s Annihtion Beam shot through Dorian and melted into the ground. The dust mixed with frozen particles of ice, obscuring Dorian''s form from even the strongest eyes for a few scant moments.

    Dorian felt an overwhelming sense of loss. His abnormally powerful willpower allowed him to remain conscious as the totality of the injuries he had suffered settled upon him.

    He had tried to shift forms six times before the beam hit him. Unfortunately, the trap Zero had set had taken its toll and prevented him from escaping.

    For a short, frozen moment, Dorian felt his body tremble on the edge of death.

    ''Ausra, heal me. Use my Growth Points, now!'' Rapidly, he issued a mentalmand without hesitation.

    ''Acknowledged.'' Ausra didn''t question him as she automatically set about using the vast store of energy Dorian still had left in his soul.

    A frighteninglyrge amount of Growth Energy vanished as Dorian forcibly regenerated, his body healing at a visibly fast rate. Strands of flesh shot upward as his organs began to reknit themselves, expelling the traces of Annihtion Energy. An unsettling, crawling sensation flooded into Dorian''s chest as he began to rapidly heal.

    Meanwhile, an onerous feeling of strain settled upon Dorian''s soul as he acted as a conduit for this torrent of energy. The regeneration process took only a couple of scant seconds, but the amount of energy expended reached a huge sum.

    This type of regeneration wasn''t something Dorian had pulled out of a hat, nor was it something he could do over and over. He had used his Growth Energy, in the past, to regenerate before. Never had he done it for something of this scale, where his body had to reject traces of powerful Law Energy that were set trying to ravage him from the inside out.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian''s body shed with light as the huge hole in his chest vanished and his body was almostpletely healed. A burst of wind cleared the air around him as he healed, scattering the cloud of dust.

    ''Ausra, what''s my remaining Growth Energy at?'' The moment he finished healing, he sent a mental query over to her.

    ''Roughly 178,398 Growth Points remain in store.'' Ausra replied coolly.

    Dorian couldn''t help but frown fiercely. From millions of points of Growth Energy just a short while ago to less than 200,000¡­ he wouldn''t be able to use his Growth Energy to regenerate again.

    After Zero hadunched his all-out attack, he had returned back to his Humanoid Form. He stood floating in the air as he looked down at the remains of his attack, waiting for the cloud of stone dust that had formed to clear.

    When Dorian cleared it after healing, Zero finally managed to see the end results of his handiwork.

    "Oh?" Zero blinked slowly as he saw Doriane back from what should''ve been death, a small frown appearing on the Anomaly''s face. The attack he had used was imbued with his Angelic ss grasp of the Law of Annihtion. It was not something that could be easily recovered from or blocked. Even a being with the Strong Constant Regeneration should''ve died.

    Dorian''s ability to regenerate his body so quickly through the use of Growth Energy was only possible because of Ausra. Theplex calctions and cell-by-cell restoration was not something even a person with an Angelic ss Soul Spell Matrix could so easily handle. Ausra was uniquely positioned, with her huge store of data and calcting nature, to be able to handle such a task.

    "You just don''t know when to stay down, do you?" Zero''s body shot down to the ground andnded on it with a resounding thud.

    "I''ve never been one to follow¡­" Dorian''s will burned with fighting spirit as his heart pounded. A lot of the worry and fear that had begun to build up in him through the course of this brutal battle seemed to have dissipated with his near-death experience.

    Off to the side, hundreds of Grakons were slowly moving towards the battle site. By this point, everything within a hundred meters of here had beenpletely ttened, leaving only rubble and ruins.

    Dorian stretched out his hand to the right, towards the mass of growling Grakons.

    "I look at myself more as a leader." He smiled.

    ''Lesser Maic Maniption!'' As he activated the Ability, he pulled hard on the energy in his soul, once more driving a torrent of energy through his body.

    WHOOSH

    He jerked his arm forward, pulling along a full 200 of the undead Lord ss Grakons. Most of them had yet to Expand and were in their normal state, surprised by his sudden appearance. With bodies that were covered in metal and massive metal swords they wielded in their hands, they were extremely easy totch onto.

    As he pulled them forward, the ground beneath him shattered anew, stone and rock shards shooting off into the air. He exerted a huge amount of force just keeping himself still, relying upon his extremely strong physical body. The sheer force required to throw so many Grakons was considerable, enough so that Dorian''s body creaked under the strain, even in its highly enhanced state.

    In mid-air, all 200 Grakons Expanded, transforming into towering behemoths. They carried the same momentum they held from when they were small, however, still hurtling towards Zero.

    All of the Grakons may have been Lord ss, but none of them possessed any flight rted Abilities. In fact, most of them were rather helpless to slow themselves, relying upon brute force for almost everything. At best, they could use the energy of their soul to resist Dorian''s Lesser Maic Maniption a little, but not enough to make a difference.

    All 200 of those huge, Lord ss Grakons sailed through the air towards Zero in mere moments, blotting out the proverbial sky.

    "Hmph. Insignificant worms." Zero''s frown deepened as he clenched both of his fists. The Angelic Halo around his head shed with light as he then knocked his two fists together.

    Blood red energy shot out from Zero, covering him in a huge suit of red armor. This towering, 8 meter tall creation then physically separated itself from Zero, moving seemingly autonomously. A pair ofrge, energy swords formed in each ted hand of the red energy golem.

    BOOOOOM

    The red energy golem leapt up into the air and intercepted the Grakons.

    BOOOOOM

    BOOOOOM

    Several explosions of energy rang out as the energy golem sent out several sword strikes at the Lord ss Grakons. Each strike from the golem obliterated half a dozen Grakons, the destructive Annihtion Energy it was imbued with tearing apart its enemies.

    "My will cannot be stopped, brother. This is something I must do. I am sorry." Zero''s body was covered with a sheen of energy once more. This time, however, the energy was a pale pink instead of a vibrant red.

    As undead Grakon bodies fell to the floor, Zero shot forward at an extremely fast pace. The energy coating his body appeared to be some sort of enhancement power, rapidly boosting his speed.

    It took him only a split moment to cross the distance between Dorian and himself.

    When Dorian saw how easily Zero handled the Grakons, using a method that didn''t even require his attention, he felt a string of panic creep its way into his heart. He didn''t let it control him as he forced himself to remain calm, his Empyrean Vampire form standing strong.

    In the split moment it took Zero to reach Dorian, Dorian recognized Zero''s attack and adapted.

    Dorian abandoned his focus from most of his Laws, and amped up his focus on two Laws in particr. The Law of Lust and the Law of Pride, two Demonic Laws he had a strong grasp on.

    ''Time! Slow down, now!'' He pulled as hard as he could on the Law of Lust, enchaining his perception of time as much as possible. His Law of Pride helpedpound the effects of the Law of Lust, not only allowing his body to handle its increased strain, but also enhancing his raw might.

    The world around him shifted and slowed down. Zero''s blurringly fast-moving form slowed down to one that was still extremely fast but visible.

    By this point, Zero had already arrived.

    "Woah!" Dorian ducked to the side as Zero punched out at him, narrowly dodging Zero''s fist. The enemy Anomaly followed up the punch with a roundhouse kick, one that Dorian had to throw himself down on the ground to avoid.

    A secondter and Dorian was forced to dodge 7 different attacks, each one an attack he barely avoided by the skin of his teeth. His body tingled with exhaustion as he was stretched to his limits.

    Meanwhile, Zero seemed to be, of all things, growing faster.

    "Arrrgh!" Dorians left arm cracked as one of Zero''s punches nced off it. The slight contact was enough to break it, a few hints of Annihtion Energy knocking against it and sting through his defenses.

    The ncing blow sent him tumbling backwards more than a dozen meters.

    ''This isn''t working! I need more speed!'' Dorian''s eyes zed with light as he drew even harder on the energy in his soul, pulling upon the Law of Lust with all his might.

    ''More. More! MORE! Give me more! I need it! I must have it!'' His desires grew overwhelming as blood began to drip down from his eyes. He was overextending both his mind and soul, stretching them to the absolute limits.

    Dorian saw Zero''s fiste rushing in towards his face. By this point, Zero was moving so quickly that Dorian, with his injuries, was unable to dodge in time.

    This single fist looked like the kiss of death to Dorian, piercing through the air with inevitability.

    ''MORE!'' As Dorian saw the fatal blow crash towards him, he felt a reaction set off in his soul.

    A light, warm feeling abruptly began to swarm him. Not a momentter¡­

    A feeling of epiphany settled upon Dorian''s shoulders.

    ''I need more. And by needing more, by desiring more, by wanting more, I can draw more from the world around me. And from that, I gain more of what almost no one can get.'' His body trembled as he closed his eyes.

    ''Time.''

    Dorian felt as if he was one with reality around him. He could innately feel the flow of energy in his body and soul, tracing every iota of power, every minute particle. In particr, Dorian''s soul seemed to be adapting to this energy perfectly, allowing him to continue his epiphany past normal, reasonable limits.

    In what felt like hours, but happened in an instant, Dorian''s understanding of the Law of Lust shot up.

    Its first spurt of growth brought it all the way to 50% understanding, growing without pause in Dorian''s mind till he reached this point. However, as the energy flowed in Dorian''s soul without pause, his epiphany continued.

    He broke through to 60%.

    And then to 70%.

    And then to 80%.

    At this point, reality around Dorian had slowed down to roughly half speed.

    Zero''s fist was a quarter of a meter away from Dorian''s face, crashing towards him with abandon.

    Despite that¡­ Dorian continued to breakthrough.

    From 80% to 90%.

    And then from 90% to 95%.

    Energy vibrated in Dorian''s soul without pause as his Energy Levels expanded. This was an epiphany the likes of which Dorian had never seen. His powerful soul could handle King ss understandings already, making him a vessel that was ready to be filled. As an Anomaly, he had a much easier time understanding any Law. Thisbined with his powerful desires, and led him to where he was now.

    From 95% to 100%, Dorian broke through and mastered the Law of Lust to Completion.

    Dorian opened his eyes.

    And gazed upon a world that had been slowed down to the absolute maximum his Law of Lust could currently boost his speed by, a value made possible by his abnormally powerful body that could handle the enormous strain.

    A world where time was slowed down to a mere 10% its normal speed.

    Dorian smiled.

    .

 Chapter 227 Facing Death

    Zero''s fists rushed towards Dorian''s face in slow motion. Dorian could make out small streams of red energy flicker all around it as it moved right at him with unerring uracy, crackling with power.

    "Hmph." Casually, Dorian stepped to the side of it, dodging it with ease.

    The punch flew past him, as did Zero''s body as the powerful warrior continued his blitz. A look of startlement was slowly beginning to form on his face as he realized his attack had missed.

    The moment Zero noticed that, the pale pink energy transformed into the deep red energy from before. Zero''s movements slowed down ever so slightly as his defenses and raw attack power enhanced, costing him slightly in speed.

    The Anomaly''s body then began to shift, turning towards where Dorian was standing. Zero''s right leg stamped down hard onto the rocky floor, sending out a webwork of cracks as he forcefully halted himself.

    Once more, Zero punched out with an extremely powerful punch.

    And, once more, Dorian dodged it with almost casual ease.

    "Well then." Dorian spoke aloud as he saw the results of his newfound speed, his eyes zing with emotion as he looked at the Anomaly that had nearly murdered him,

    "How unfortunate for you."

    BOOM

    Dorian''s body transformed into a blur as he ran up and punched Zero in the face.

    The resulting impact sent Zero''s body flying a dozen meters through the air, Dorian''s eminently powerful Empyrean Vampire form proving more than strong enough to manhandle the slow-moving Secondborn.

    Dorian quickly chased after Zero, moving so quickly he caught up to the Anomaly in just a split second. Then, while Zero was still flying away from the force of Dorian''s first punch, Dorian raised his right arm and mmed the Anomaly in the stomach, sending the Secondborn soaring off to Dorian''s left.

    Both times, Zero''s eyes managed to perceive the iing attack, but he was physically unable to block the blow. The warrior was able to shift some of the red energy that covered him, but not enough to block out Dorian''s blindly fast strikes.

    Pure ecstasy flowed in Dorian''s veins as the energy from the Law of Lust flooded his body. He watched as Zero flew away in slow motion, feeling an incredible sense of power.

    At the same time, however, he couldn''t help but frown.

    ''Why is it so difficult to use any of the other Laws?'' Both times now, when he went in to attack, he attempted to activate the Law of Wrath. This Law greatly boosted his attack strength and, when it came to direct attacks, was his most powerful tool. He should''ve been able to st apart Zero''s weakly raised barrier of energy in an instant.

    Instead, however, Dorian felt as if it was almost impossible to ess any Law save for the Law of Lust. Even the Law of Original Sin was something he couldn''t draw upon. His body was still boosted a bit by the Law of Pride, but it was a boost that was rapidly fading away.

    Small bits of red Annihtion Energy had singed his hands ever so slightly, minor injuries he''d gained from punching Zero. Without Wrath Energy boost his attack, the Annihtion Energy was free to run amok.

    As he questioned this, a piece of innate knowledge settled in his mind, born from his new understanding of the Law of Lust.

    He was currently operating in a specific, special state the Law of Lust could activate.

    The Law of Pride, when mastered, had its ''Super State'' that Dorian had seen Leader control.

    Conversely, the Law of Lust had its own version of a Prideful ''Super State,'' a ''Speedy State.''

    In this Speedy State, Dorian could draw upon the Law of Lust to enhance his perception of time, dependent on the strain his body could bear. A regr being would be able to reach a speed of 2-3 times as fast.

    For Dorian, who possessed the body of one of the strongest beings in existence, a natural King ss Empyrean Vampire, he could stretch his perception of time to an incredible 10 times.

    It was insanely powerful. It did, however, have its downsides.

    The energy from the Law of Lust was naturally created and formed to operate at different speeds. It was an internal part of its Law, after all.

    This was not the same for Dorian''s other Laws.

    The only Law of his that felt like it might be possible to use was the Law of Original Sin. However, at 10 times speed, Dorian still found it impossible to grasp onto. His understanding of the Law needed to fully integrate the Law of Lust into it, and that was only possible when all of his Demonic Laws reached Completion. Anything else created an unsustainable imbnce.

    ''Still¡­'' Dorian clenched his fists as he looked back up.

    Zero''s body was still flying through the air in slow motion. In real time, less than one second had passed between his two attacks and his moments of pondering.

    ''I refuse to believe I can''t hurt you.'' Dorian''s body transformed into a blur as he rushed forward again and attacked.

    Dorian''s speed was already at an extremely high level in his normal state, with a perception that operated on a far higher level than regr beings thanks to his strong soul. While Zero was quicker than him, it was only by roughly 10-20%. Very noticeable, yes, but not impossible to respond to.

    Dorian''s perception boosted his speed to 1000% its normal rate, meaning his advantage over Zero in terms of speed was essentially insurmountable.

    Dorian appeared in front of where Zero was hurtling towards in a split second. He quickly studied Zero''s body, specifically any areas that were vulnerable, like his eyes and throat.

    In every weak spot, Dorian saw that the red energy that protected Zero had a heavier hue to it, as if it was more concentrated.

    Zero''s life had been one of constant war. In that time, the Anomaly had adapted to that by consistently protecting himself in whatever manner he could.

    After achieving the Angelic ss, Zero realized that while his Humanoid Form wasn''t his most powerful one, it was the easier form he could use when manipting Annihtion Energy. Its small stature but considerable power made it a perfect choice.

    ''Damn, it''s really like a suit of armor.'' As Dorian stared at the concentrated red hue of energy, he could instinctively tell that it would be a very bad idea to try to force his way through that. Zero was only able to create a few spots that deadly, even with his essentially infinite energy stores, showing the absolute prowess in those defenses.

    Zero was taking Dorianpletely seriously, holding back nothing at all and not underestimating him. It was the smart choice, but left Dorian in a sore spot.

    ''Still¡­'' Zero couldn''t protect his entire body.

    BOOM

    A slowed, but still resounding shockwave spread out as Dorian raised his right elbow and then mmed it into the side of Zero''s chest. The ground beneath Dorian shattered, stone and rock debris flying into the air in slow motion.

    The wind gushed in behind Dorian as he moved supernaturally fast, pulling some of the rocks and stone shrapnel into the air behind him as he moved to where Zero had been sent flying.

    He then punched him again.

    And again.

    And again.

    And again.

    And then 12 more times.

    Each blow contained the full force that Dorian could muster, powered by his Perfect Body Ability. He tried to activate a few of his other Abilities, like the Touching Light Ability, but found that any energy that extended beyond his physique was extremely hard to stabilize. He had to rely on brute force.

    At this point in time, from Dorian''s first punch to hisst, roughly 2 seconds had passed.

    By now, hundreds of pieces of rock and stone floated in the air, slowly moving upwards. Dorian knocked a few out of his field of view as he looked down at Zero''s floating form.

    The full impact of all of his blows hadn''t yet been realized by Zero''s body due to Dorian''s extreme speed. Still, the red energy shield that protected Zero was fluctuating in several parts, a huge amount of force sessfully transferring through.

    ''Arrrgh.'' Dorian''s arms and hands were covered in burning red energy. In his Speedy State, limited by the energy sources he could ess, he found it much harder to expel and resist the Annihtion Energy.

    Abruptly, Dorian raised his right arm, ring down at Zero''s floating body. He then mmed it downward with all of his might, focusing his full strength into this one single blow at Zero''s back.

    BOOOOOM

    Arge crater formed in the earth as huge chunks of stone shattered upward. Zero''s bodyy at the epicenter of this crater, smashed down into it by the tremendous power behind Dorian''s attack.

    His body blurred as he sprinted a dozen meters backwards, his chest heaving from exertion. Going all out while in his Speedy State was extremely tiring, draining him of both energy and strength.

    WHOOSH

    It took only a single thought for him to release his Speedy State. Immediately, the red energy that had been eating away at his arms and hands was smacked backwards as Dorian drew upon all of his Laws once more, returning to his full physical strength.

    All the slow-moving shards of rock, the scattered dust and minutely moving stone chunks, all of them abruptly sped up as time returned to normal.

    "Wheeze¡­ wheeze¡­" Dorian''s chest continued to heave as he caught his breath and allowed his hands and arms to quickly regenerate using the recovery powers of the Law of Sloth. The energy from the Law of Sloth was his most effective tool when it came to helping push out and heal from the Annihtion Energy.

    "You¡­ got pretty fast." An ominous voice echoed out as severalrge chunks of stone cracked before Dorian''s eyes. A momentter, Zero''s body slowly rose into view as the Anomaly stood up. Stone dust cascaded off his body as he stamped down hard, sting all the debris off of him.

    "No¡­ no way." Dorian stuttered, staring at him in disbelief. His lightning-fast attacks had all been extremely powerful, even if he could only use the Law of Lust for them. The might of his physical body was far beyond most reasonable realms.

    Despite that¡­ Zero looked mostly fine.

    "Cough." Zero pounded his chest as he spat out a small amount of blood. When his blood came into contact with the air, it instantly burst on fire, dissipating to nothingness thanks to the overpowering Aura Zero gave off.

    "You''re the third being that has made me bleed. I didn''t think you had a trump card like this in store for me." Zero''s shoulders shrugged as he hunched down slightly. He raised his arms in a guard position, his eyes pinpointed onto Dorian.

    "But it won''t be enough, Firstborn. I cannot be stopped." Zero took a step forward.

    BOOM

    "I am the end." His red Aura of energy expanded, sting forward in a shockwave that sundered the air.

    "Like hell you are." Dorian clenched his fists as he drew upon the Law of Lust to the maximum once more, entering his Speedy State.

    ''Arrrrgh!'' His soul writhed in agony as he fully overextended himself. He had officially drawn upon too much Law Energy, exceeding his limits even with the spontaneous growth of his soul that he got for reaching Completion with the Law of Lust.

    While Dorian was powerful, whenpared to an Angelic ss being, the amount of Law Energy he could handle was definitely smaller.

    Still, he pushed himself forward regardless.

    Reality slowed down.

    Dorian burst past the shockwave of energy, his entire body undergoing a burning sensation as the Annihtion Energy sought to rip him apart. He dashed right up to Zero, his eyes gleaming.

    Zero''s left arm was in the process of being raised to block his attack while his right arm remained still.

    Dorian snorted as he lobbed a punch into Zero''s left shoulder, smashing the warrior off to the side. Once again, Zero''s body flew out in slow motion, knocked away by the powerful strike.

    ''He may be tough¡­ but I am still far, far faster than him.'' Dorian refused to believe that he couldn''t seriously injure the warrior and take him down. The fact that he managed to injure Zero, however minor, was proof that the Anomaly wasn''t invincible.

    Twice more Dorian rushed forward and intercepted Zero,shing out with a strong blow each time. Dorian felt his blood seem to boil with power as he refused to give up and continued his attack.

    As Zero flew through the air, his right arm had not continued to remain still. In the tiny moment that Dorian took to bring forth his first three strikes, Zero''s right arm had moved steadily forward. Trails of red light began to shine from Zero''s eyes as he focused, seemingly ignoring Dorian''s blows.

    Just as Dorian was about tounch his fourth strike¡­

    He felt somethingtch onto his right leg with a crushing, agonizing grip.

    "What?!" Dorian jerked his head down in shock.

    A small, jagged tear in reality had appeared right next to his legs. And from that tear in reality a familiar looking hand had emerged, covered in red energy.

    Dorian''s head spun up as he looked at Zero in horror.

    Zero''s right arm ended in a second tear in reality.

    "No¡­" Dorian only managed to utter one more word before¡­

    CRACK

    Zero''s hand crushed down as it broke Dorian''s leg and ankle, particles of red Annihtion Energy burrowing into him.

    Dorian''s grasp of his Speedy State was already an extremely delicate maneuver that required his full concentration. This abrupt intrusion shattered that focus, returning reality around him back to its normal speed.

    "Arrgh!" Dorian couldn''t help but to yell as the pain swept over him. Despite his clouded mind, he immediately raised an arm, covering it in Wrath Energy as he shed downward.

    Instead of trying to cut off Zero''s arm, however, Dorian tried to cut off his own leg while simultaneously attempting to jump backwards.

    The powerful Annihtion Energy that protected Zero was extremely durable. Dorian had experienced enough of it to know that his Wrath Energy wouldn''t be able to break through it in one go.

    However, his leg was rtively undefended at the current moment. As long as he weakened the effects of his Perfect Body for a split second, he should be able to slice it off.

    SHKK

    Unfortunately, just as Dorian was about to slide it off, a webwork of red energy shot up and covered his left, blocking his blow.

    BOOM

    A small explosion of energy shook the air as the two energies collided. Dorian''s leg broke in several more ces, the pain forcing tears to his eyes.

    "It took me a while to get used to how you attacked." Zero''s voice was cold as he expanded the tear in reality and walked through it, picking Dorian up casually and throwing him a dozen meters.

    "Arrgh." Doriannded on the ground hard, barely remaining standing as he focused everything he could to push out the Annihtion Energy that was currently trying to ravage him from the inside out. His soul was overextended, however, forcing him to use only a small amount of energy, barely enough to hold it back.

    "You even managed to crack one of my ribs." Zero casually appeared in front of Dorian, looking down at him. Zero touched his chest, wincing ever so slightly.

    His body was extremely powerful, and as a result of that power, any injuries he took would need huge amounts of energy to heal. As a creature with virtually endless energy thanks to his Divine Golden Lion Bloodline, that wasn''t a big deal, but healing the wounds still took time. For Dorian to injure him despite being barely an official King ss warrior was a very serious matter.

    Blood spewed from Dorian''s mouth as Zero''s Aura forced him down to his knees. Dorian''s vision was blurred as he felt the world seem to turn against him, leaving him shaking.

    Even then, he didn''t give up.

    He froze as he prepared to transform into his Grey Mantor Bloodline.

    "Ah, no, we can''t have that." Zero seemed to predict his actions as he spoke aloud, flicking a finger at Dorian.

    Strange, mysterious symbols appeared in the air around Dorian, locking down and mming into him instantly. Even uninjured, Dorian was unable to react to them in time, let alone now. Zero''s Myriad Restriction Ability activated in full, preventing him from shifting forms or even moving.

    "I''ve killed and absorbed enough of our brethren to know how we work." Zero held his right hand out to the side.

    A momentter, arge, glowing white sword appeared, created by some unknown Ability. This sword gained a red hue as Zero spread his Annihtion Energy all along its edge.

    ''No¡­'' Dorian''s thoughts remained clouded by pain and muddled by his overextended soul. He was just barely aware of what was happening, but helpless to stop it.

    ''I cannot die here¡­'' Memories of Helena shed in his heart. He had just finally managed to start what might be a real future in this world. How could he be willing to abandon all of that now, after everything he had been through?

    He struggled with all of his might, blood dripping from his eyes as he focused his full force of will on Zero,manding Fate to change.

    "Hm?" Zero froze for a moment. The sword he held in his hand shook briefly. The area around him seemed to lock up, leaving him unable to move.

    "Ah." A small shockwave shook the air as Zero shivered and broke that lock, freeing himself as he turned his head to stare at Dorian.

    "You are full of tricks, Firstborn." Zero smiled down at Dorian,

    "But this is a Fate you cannot avoid, no matter how you rail against it." Dorian could manipte Fate with his soul, with a level of skill and power that outstripped all other Anomalies. Zero, with his much more powerful Angelic ss soul, could as well. While his skill wasn''t on par with Dorian''s, it was just enough to stalemate Dorian''s efforts.

    Dorian gazed up at Zero, despair slipping its way into his heart.

    A spontaneous breakthrough couldn''t just solve all of his problems for him. This wasn''t a fairy tale, no matter how magical his existence felt. It was reality.

    He had done everything he could.

    And he still failed.

    Zero was not only an Angelic ss being, but also possessed a Divine Bloodline, an Abnormal soul, and an unworldly grasp of the Law of Annihtion. He was the Secondborn, a creature that had known constant war and battle his entire life.

    Zero pulled the sword to the side and then aimed it at Dorian''s chest. The Secondborn slowly raised it up, preparing to plunge it into Dorian''s heart.

    Dorian simply stared at it,ing to a somber realization.

    He was going to die.

    There was nothing he could do to stop Zero.

    The fused part of Yukeli''s soul never roused or made any movements. Dorian was unable to switch forms and teleport or phase out of reality. Manipting Fate had failed, his soul was overextended and it was impossible to draw upon any of the Laws. No Artifacts he possessed would be able to do anything at all in a battle of this scale.

    This was the end.

    A single tear formed and fell from Dorian''s visage as Zero sighed.

    "I''m sorry. Farewell, brother."

    Dorian shut his eyes.

    ''I''m sorry, Helena.''

    SSHKK

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "Huh?" Dorian slowly opened his eyes.

    Zero''s de stood frozen a few inches from Dorian''s heart, just moments from rending his flesh and dissipating his soul. As Dorian''s eyes trailed upward, he saw a long, wooden staff rest against the hilt of that de, freezing its momentum.

    BOOOOOOOOOM

    A momentter, a huge explosion shook the air. Red energy crackled as several shockwaves spread out, knocking over all of the undead Grakons that were still milling about in the background, hundreds of meters away. The nearby Gworen Ice Waterfall shot out haphazardly, waves of solid ice sttering about the city at random.

    Miraculously¡­ Dorian waspletely unaffected by the st. When he blinked and cleared his vision, the sword that had been about to kill him was nowhere to be seen.

    Instead, he saw a new figure appear in front of him.

    A proud looking monkey, wearing a bead ne and wielding a long staff in its left hand, its right hand pointed out in front of it with its palm facing forward and steaming.

    "It seems we arrived just in time. These eyes of mine yet work." The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, turned around and gave Dorian a small smile.

    "Dorian!" A loud yell as a familiar looking Anomaly, Aron, appeared, wearing his full set of metal wolf armor. Next to him stood another Anomaly Dorian was familiar, Xaphan. He didn''t know the food-obsessed being super well, but knew a bit about him through Aron.

    Standing behind those two were four other Anomalies, three he didn''t recognize, but one he did.

    "Hello, Dorian." Mello''s eyes gleamed as he waved casually at Dorian, giving him a thumbs up and a confident smile.

    Next to him stood a man that seemed to be madepletely out of glowing, translucent crystal rocks, with a face carved from that rough crystal, towering 3 meters high. Another seemed to be half-woman, half-nt, with green eyes that glowed ominously. Thest had dark red skin and looked vaguely like a Titan, except one that was much smaller and leaner, with stark blue hair.

    "We''re here to help."

    .

 Chapter 228: Zero vs Wukong

    <strong>Chapter 228: Zero vs Wukong</strong>

    Dorian didn''t reply. Instead, he remained sitting on the ground and focused his entire body on healing. He released any Abilities he had active and stopped trying to draw on various Laws.

    His body immediately began to regenerate while his soul calmed down. The various injuries he''d rued slowly began to heal as he entered a zen-like state of meditation. His focus was at such a high level due to the sheer scale of his fight with Zero that the feeling came almost naturally to him.

    His soul rapidly began to rejuvenate, easing the strain he was feeling. The injuries to his body healed slower due to the high power of his physique, but they still started to heal nheless.

    "Monkey." Zero''s voice was a dark growl as he stared at Sun Wukong. A feeling of rage carried in his tone as he red at the powerful warrior.

    "Lion." Sun Wukong merely nodded back politely. Behind him, the rest of the Anomalies that had all arrived waited quietly, knowing the impact

    "I am not the same as I was before." Zero raised up his right hand.

    WHOOSH

    The glowing white sword had been sent flying away after Sun Wukong deflected it shot through the air andnded in Zero''s hand, giving off a few sparks of red energy.

    "I can see that." The monkey raised up his own right hand slowly while storing his staff securely on his back.

    Zero snorted, his eyes boring into Sun Wukong.

    "Thisnd of endless death will be your grave, monkey. For you to havee to me on this day¡­ I should be thanking the Heavens."

    Despite his confident bluster, Zero''s entire body tensed up as he stared at Sun Wukong, as if he was prepared to flee at a moment''s notice. If Dorian had been able to look up, he would''ve been shocked.

    For, it almost looked as though Zero feared Sun Wukong.

    Zero held his sword up, pointing it to the roof. Almost immediately, the air around Zero began to swarm as red energy began to condense. His entire body was covered in a protectiveyer of Annihtion Energy, twisting and sparking ferociously. A small ball of red energy started to form roughly a meter above his sword.

    "You are far too weak, child, to think of threatening me." Sun Wukong''s voice took on a grand, royal air. All of a sudden, an overpowering Aura burst free from the monkey, one full of majestic might.

    Zero flinched just the tiniest bit when he sensed this, but otherwise maintained his focus as he continued to gather energy above his head.

    "Curse Magic." Sun Wukong whispered quietly,

    "Release the Seventh Seal: Herculean Strength."

    As soon as he finished speaking, his right hand hovered over the left side of his chest, right on his heart. He then stabbed down with his fingers, blue light sliding off them to form the shape of a riveting seal. This seal sank into the flesh of his chest, and seemed to react, taking on a dark glow.

    Sun Wukong''s body began to gleam as his muscles bulged, his physical form transforming from that of a small, average-sized monkey to a hulking, 3 meter tall muscr ape. His skin itself stretched outward, veins popping out as every fiber of his being seemed to be energized and mighty.

    "I am Sun Wukong, the Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance!" His voice boomed in the air, the sheer force of presence he bore visibly causing all of the other Anomalies except Mello to flinch.

    Right after that, in another silent whisper, he casts another spell.

    "Release the Sixth Seal: Golden Body."

    Another collection of energy swarmed from his hands towards his heart, an image of a seal forming and sinking into his chest.

    Sun Wukong''s body that had bulged out with muscles began to condense, shrinking back down to around 2 meters in height. The air around him seemed to solidify, as if his body had be incredibly dense and was beginning to physically affect the world around him.

    His every movement was imbued with virile energy, derived from the Law of Might, one of the strongest Laws that focused on physical power, and the Law that the Monkey King had masteredpletely.

    "You wish to thank the Heavens? Child, I was born from the Heavens themselves!" Another st of Aura soared out. This time, it physically forced all of the other Anomalies to take a step back. Only Mello and Zero managed to stand their ground. Dorian was somehow able to ignore all of it due to his meditative state causing the Aura to wash over him.

    "Release the Fifth Seal: Soul eleration."

    "Release the Fourth Seal: Latent Burn."

    Sun Wukong''s body shook, outwardly not changing much. His eyes seemed to be endless, gaining a depth that could not be matched. His physical form seemed to be even stronger and mightier, all while standing still.

    As this happened, he winced, his mouth twitching. A small spurt of blood spat free from his lips but was quietly sted into nothingness by his raw Aura.

    Zero''s ball of energy had swollen to be a full 3 meters in width by this point. Once it reached that level, Zero''s sword shifted slightly.

    Abruptly, that energy siphoned off from the ball above and rapidly began to be absorbed by Zero''s sword. Red veins popped out in Zero''s body as this went on, causing his eyes to glow brightly.

    "This is my ultimate technique, monkey. I didn''t intend to use this on you, but instead on HIM. But I suppose you can help me test it out."

    As Zero spoke, his voice became infused with the essence of the Law of Annihtion. Everything about him, in fact, had be infused with the Law. His sword seemed to be made of red, Annihtion mes while the red energy that had epassed him was now glued to his body like a set of translucent scales.

    Zero looked like an epic God from legend, his appearance giving off a feeling of overwhelming power.

    "Before I had my Annihtion Mode, you might''ve had a chance." Zero slowly took a step forward.

    That single step, not an attack nor a punch or a stomp, just a light step, caused a sonic shockwave to spread out. The Grakons in the background had long since been flung back hundreds of meters, as had most of the loose rubble. The rocky floor beneath shattered once more, forming a massive crater of jagged stone.

    Much of this stone was obliterated as soon as it cut upwards. The pieces that weren''t were sent flying off in the distance, infused with Annihtion Energy and destroying anything in their path.

    "But now?" Zero shook his head, confidence filling his voice.

    "Even Father himself could not stand against me."

    Sun Wukong looked at Zero''s fearsome appearance and then slowly shook his head.

    "If you cannot even defeat me, you will stand no chance against that man. And I am no ally of his." Sun Wukong simply shrugged.

    He raised his right hand and then ced it on his chest, right in front of his heart.

    "Prove to me your power, lion."

    "Release the Third Seal: Nature Epass."

    Sun Wukong''s Aura changed.

    Well, rather than changed, it was more correct to say¡­

    It exploded into light.

    Dorian''s meditation had just reached a point where he could now open his eyes. His body was rapidly regenerating, as was his soul. He was still heavily injured, but if it came down to it, he could once more fight.

    The moment he opened his eyes was the moment Sun Wukong activated his Third and Second Seal.

    Everything in Dorian''s vision suddenly became three shades lighter.

    Sun Wukong was a warrior, right down to his core. Ever since he was born with his magical, future-seeing eyes, Sun Wukong had focused on growing stronger so he could handle any enemy that came his way. With his almost all-seeing powers, life was easy for him.

    One day, however, he met an enemy that he could not defeat. An enemy that was so much more powerful than he was, that even if every single attack he made was perfect, every single strike heunched was immacte¡­

    He would still lose.

    And that enemy was a woman named Ausra. Or, rather, a Dragon. A Wise Jade Dragon.

    Ausra was a genius in her own right, possessing a wise mind and incredible martial prowess, as well as the body of a monstrously powerful Dragon. She had been intrigued by Sun Wukong''s mystical eyes and opted to befriend him, intent on learning more.

    She had had dreams ofpiling a list of all living creatures and their characteristics, and she had never heard of a monkey quite like Sun Wukong.

    Sun Wukong was fine with it. After all, what he sought was the power to live without worry, and Ausra seemed to have that.

    Like that, Sun Wukong joined her as she traveled through the 30,000 Worlds.

    They dueled each other 100 times during their first year traveling.

    Ausra won all 100 duels.

    Sun Wukong learned a lot from her. He learned that he had been a Master ss expert when he met her, while Ausra was King ss. The discrepancy in power between them was gargantuan at the time.

    He also learned that all the martial techniques she used were not actually her own.

    Those moves had been taught to her by a young genius she''d met not too long ago, a man by the name Yukeli Shorn. A warrior that, ording to Ausra, was obsessed with the ongoing wars with the Demon race that were currently sweeping the 30,000 Worlds.

    Before their meeting, Sun Wukong had lived his life in a small mountain range in a small Lesser World that few people cared about. After a year traveling with Ausra, his mind had greatly expanded.

    There were countless millions of races, incredible Dragons that possessed fearsome power and ferocious Demons that could obliterate a country with a wave of the hand. Sun Wukong truly understood how weak he was, despite his miraculous eyes, and set about on a promise to fix all of that.

    He pledged his formal discipleship to be Ausra''s student.

    And Ausra had epted. Even now, Sun Wukong never understood why such a kind, wise, and gracefuldy would care about someone like him. He knew his eyes were special, but that still couldn''t ount for everything.

    From there on, Sun Wukong had rapidly grown stronger. As he grew, he found that he was limited by something.

    His body.

    While his eyes were truly Divine, his body was naught but a regr, simple monkey. In fact, as heter found out, his body was actually even weaker than a regr monkey. His Divine eyes had badly damaged his future potential, making every increase in strength difficult. They were half a blessing, but also half a curse.

    He never found out why his eyes were this way. Ausra had thought it was a random stroke of heavenly luck, a twist of Fate that couldn''t be ounted for or predicted.

    The strain his body suffered from when he pulled upon his eyes was rather extreme, especially as his power grew. His eyes required a huge amount of energy, energy that other warriors or creatures would use to power their physique.

    He realized, over time, that he needed a way to increase the power of his body if he ever wanted to be able to fight at a high level. Even with his ''Eyes of God'' that could see through Fate, if he wasn''t physically strong enough, losing a fight would remain a possibility. Ausra had hammered that lesson into him time and time again.

    So he took up two practices. He studied the Law of Might, using that Law to help him break past barrier after barrier.

    And he studied a vein of highly abstruse Curse Magic. Specifically, the ''Inner Seals'' of Curse Magic.

    Throughout his lifetime, Sun Wukong had created 7 Inner Seals. Each one possessed mystical powers that were formed through mystical rituals and raw effort. Each Seal had absorbed a sizable portion of his life energy, his cultivation, and his own soul itself to form.

    The smaller the number of the Seal, the more power and life he had imbued into it.

    Activating any of his Seals was extremely trying on his body, but by doing so, not only could he vastly increase his prowess, but he could also gain additional Abilities or powers.

    The Aura Sun Wukong gave off thanks to his Third Seal was one that emanated beautiful light. Everything within range of that light was now an area under Sun Wukong''s partial control. He could manipte pressure, twist the air, or rupture the earth with his will alone. This Seal was one that drew upon the fabric of reality itself, granting him incredible power for a brief time.

    It was only possible for him to use this one because all of his previous Seals had enhanced his body to an ungodly degree, changing his physique from that of a regr, weak monkey to a legendary creature that could handle such a strain.

    Zero''s body shot forward like an infinitely powerful meteor as he charged at Sun Wukong. The brutal, red energy that Zero exuded shed with Sun Wukong''s godly Aura, causing multiple shockwaves to shake out.

    The ground beneath Zero had long since been obliterated. The center of this once-majestic city was now a ruined war zone, full of huge craters and jagged chunks of rock.

    Sun Wukong watched as Zero drew close. Behind Sun Wukong, the various other Anomalies were barely able to react to the ongoing fight, even Dorian. Everything was happening at a level that only the Angelic ss experts seemed able to react to. They were only unharmed still right now because Sun Wukong''s Aura was shielding them.

    The air itself seemed to be slowing Zero down. The powerful Anomaly was flying through the air, but at a speed that was at least a third what he seemed to be expecting. Despite that, a vicious smile appeared on his face as continued to fight his way forward, throwing off Sun Wukong''s Aura.

    Sun Wukong frowned slightly.

    "Thundering Winds: Flush Gale."

    Sun Wukong vanished.

    An instantter, he reappeared right next to Zero. By the time Zero realized the monkey was right next to him, Sun Wukong was already attacking.

    "Rumbling Earth: Boulder Breaker."

    A massive explosion sted out as Sun Wukong punched Zero right in the chest. This punch created an image of a boulder shattering under an incredible amount of force. A punch that Dorian himself had used before.

    This explosion tried to sweep out and envelop everyone within hundreds of meters. However, as the explosive force tried to escape, it instead rebounded on the glowing light of Sun Wukong''s Aura. As a result, it sted back inwards and mmed into Zero''s form, repeatedly, more than a dozen times.

    The subsequent impacts carried enough force to obliterate a mountain.

    The power of the attack forced its way through Zero''s protective Annihtion barrier, smashing into his chest and knocking him backwards. Instead of being flung away hundreds of meters, Zero likewise rebounded off the glowing light of Sun Wukong''s Aura.

    His body then transformed into what Dorian would call a pinball as Zero was knocked back and forth across Sun Wukong''s Aura more than a dozen times.

    Blood spurted out of Zero''s lips as he tanked the hit. His face ran flush with blood as his body reconciled the impact, nearly causing the powerful lion to fall unconscious.

    8 of his ribs were broken, and all of the other ones were cracked. His left lung had been punctured, and most of his organs had sustained serious damage, all from a single blow.

    Despite the vicious injuries he''d sustained, as Zero managed to force himself to fall to a halt, a blood-soaked smile appeared on his face.

    For he was not the only one injured in that exchange.

 Chapter 229: Eyes

    <strong>Chapter 229: Eyes</strong>

    Sun Wukong held up his right hand, examining it cooly. All the way from his lower shoulder down to his fingertips, blood-red lines could be seen, set right next to horrible, ck and badly burned skin. His entire right arm had beenpletely ruined, annihted almost beyond recognition.

    "You dared to touch my full-strength Annihtion Energy with your bare hands." Zero''s words came out wheezing. The man snorted harshly when he noticed this. He promptly punched his own chest, forcibly inting his injured lung as he returned to speaking at a normal level. His body was currently in ruins, but the fact that he had virtually infinite energy meant it was automatically repairing itself.

    "The personification of Annihtion itself¡­ You will never move that arm agai-" Zero''s voice brutally cut off.

    Before the Divine Golden Lion''s very eyes, Sun Wukong raised his right arm up, flexing his fingers as he casually yawned.

    "It did sting a little. It will probably take me a couple of days to fully recover."

    "No¡­ No! That isn''t possible!" Zero''s voice contained a hint of shock and horror as he saw this, looking at Sun Wukong as if he was a freakish monster.

    "I annihted the essence of your arm! It is burnt from the fabric of existence itself! That''s impossible!" He gazed at the monkey with a look in his eye that hinged on insanity, as if this action was making him question his own sanity.

    "I won''t- I can''t- that isn''t possible!!" Zero''s eyes glowed bright red again as he rushed forward, ignoring everything else as he sted towards Sun Wukong. The energy he had gathered around himself was abruptly fully thrown forward into his sword, abandoning all attempts at defense as he threw everything he had for one final attack.

    If Zero had been paying careful attention to his surroundings, he would''ve noticed the Aura Sun Wukong gave off shivering slightly every time the monkey moved his burnt arm. He might have even seen the Aura of light condensing slightly under Sun Wukong''s arm, twisting in odd, puppeteering-like ways.

    If he hadn''t been so caught up on Sun Wukong''s casual expression and words, he might even have noticed that, for a brief moment, Sun Wukong''s body had shivered in shock, as if he had just taken an extremely serious injury.

    However, a perfect storm of coincidences had led to a perfect situation where everything went in just the direction that Zero missed all of this.

    As Zero rushed in at Sun Wukong, the monkey gazed at the iing attacker with a sense of resignation. His eyes gleamed as he raised his uninjured left hand and tapped on his heart.

    "Release the Second Seal: Life Condense."

    Sun Wukong''s vast Aura shivered¡­

    And then vanishedpletely.

    The change was so abrupt, Dorian''s jaw fell open in shock when he noticed it. The sheer speed in which the Aura vanished in totality was incredibly jarring, blindingly noticeable even to Anomalies that were off to the side.

    A hint of confusion appeared in Zero''s gaze, but none of his ferocity faded as he shot through the air. In just a fraction of a second, he arrived in front of Sun Wukong.

    Zero''s sword swung down like a copsing as it crashed down. This attack was fueled by the very essence of Annihtion itself.

    Sun Wukong raised his left hand to meet that sword.

    And, without any fanfare, the two collided.

    WHOOOOOOSH

    The world seemed to freeze.

    In one moment, Zero''s sword was about to split Sun Wukong, and the ground behind him for miles, in twain.

    In the next¡­

    Sun Wukong caught Zero''s full-powered, all-out attack with merely two fingers.

    There was no explosion of force, no shockwave or grand impact. Instead, there was merely stillness as the force of Zero''s attack seemed to dissipate.

    The red Annihtion energy vanished as if it had never existed.

    Zero''s mouth trembled as the sword he had formed vanished, falling apart into nothingness. His gaze took on unknown emotion as he looked at Sun Wukong silently, saying nothing.

    Sun Wukong gazed back, a sad look appearing in his eyes.

    "Child¡­" He shook his head,

    "You will never defeat me."

    Zero stumbled back as he heard that, his breathing in rapidly as the impact of today''s fight began to sink in. His body was in tatters, extremely heavily injured while facing an opponent that struck fear to his very core.

    As the Divine Golden Lion realized that, he abruptly jumped backwards more than 100 meters.

    "Lion¡­ if you cannot defeat me, how can you hope to defeat HIM? I''ll tell you now¡­" Sun Wukong''s voice took back its grand air,

    "HE defeated me when I was in my prime."

    These words seemed to sink into Zero''s very soul as he looked at Sun Wukong.

    And, right after that, he fled.

    WHOOSH

    The air around him seemed to scream as he tore open a hole in reality. A small, forest de was revealed, alongside a warm, sunny sky. The Secondborn didn''t wait to respond to Sun Wukong as he retreated, throwing himself through to the other side with a sense of urgency.

    Before that magical portal shut, Sun Wukong yelled out onest phrase, words full of menace and majesty.

    "These Anomalies are under my protection. The next time youe for them, child, I will kill you myself. Do not mistake my mercy for weakness."

    WHOOSH

    The portal shut as Zero made his escape.

    A half-second after that, Sun Wukong''s body shook. Blood dripped out of his eyes, his ears, and his mouth as he stood absolutely still. If one looked closely at him, at that exact moment, it would be possible to see his skin itself writhing, as if he was in pure, unadulterated agony.

    For all that he gave off the image of a godly warrior, Sun Wukong''s almighty power had a major w.

    Many years ago, he had been mortally injured. Not by an enemy or a mistake he made in cultivation, but instead by a man he trusted and loved as a friend.

    Yukeli betrayed him.

    By all rights, Sun Wukong should be dead. The injuries he''d suffered had permanently damaged his soul itself. Despite that, he stuck around, not because he wanted to, but because he felt he had to.

    For he knew that one day¡­ one day Yukeli would be back. And the world would not understand that man like he did. Not even Arthur truly understood Yukeli.

    But Sun Wukong did. And he knew that he would be needed.

    For it was what Ausra would have done.

    Whenever Sun Wukong used any of his Seals, he would experience a huge amount of bacsh. The more Seals he used, the bigger the bacsh.

    Right now, he had been forced to use all but hisst, final Seal. As a result, the bacsh he suffered was something that would''ve driven a lesser being insane. Every single cell in his body seemed to be rebelling, his insides twisting and ravaged by energy.

    However, he was not immobilized, nor was he powerless.

    In the end, the agony he was undergoing was just that.

    Agony. The pain was blinding, but he could deal with it as long as he had strength.

    "Huh." The monkey looked down at his body, shock coloring his tone as he walked back over to where Dorian and the others were.

    "I can see only a little bit more, I should be about to die¡­ My old injuries have risen up and I''ve strained my body far beyond what I should as a result. But¡­" The monkey shook his head.

    "I feel fine?" Sun Wukong looked down at his hands in genuine surprise. Well, he didn''t feel fine. He felt awful. But he certainly didn''t feel like he was about to die.

    Dorian caught the back half of Sun Wukong''s statement, his eyes lighting up as he heard Sun Wukong proim he was fine.

    "That''s great news!" He slowly stood up, smiling at the odd monkey. He had met Sun Wukong before, but couldn''t possibly have expected the warrior would reappear here and save him. Dorian was still getting over his shock at the abrupt reversal.

    As Dorian spoke, a in-looking grey humanoid stepped between Dorian and Sun Wukong silently. Both of them ignored the grey creaturepletely as the being walked up in front of the exhausted monkey.

    "Yes, young Dorian. You will not hear me disagreeing." Sun Wukong smiled at Dorian. The monkey winced slightly as he looked at his right burnt right arm.

    The arm was dead andme as it could be, showing not even the slightest hint of movement.

    Dorian took a deep breath before he spoke again, a wave of exhaustion and pain hitting him. He forced himself to stay conscious, steadily drawing upon various Laws to help recover as he continued,

    "You have my utmost gratitude, Lord Wukong. I truly thought I would die today." Dorian bowed his head towards the monkey.

    As he spoke, he felt something slightly odd. An unsettling feeling that he couldn''t quite ce, at the edge of his mind. He didn''t feel like he was in any danger, nor did he sense any ill intent. As a result, the feeling vanished, but he took notice of it, keeping his eyes alert as he scanned the surroundings.

    When he didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary, he continued on,

    "I couldn''t fully take in your battle with Zero." He had been focused much more on healing himself than the outside world.

    "What exactly too-" Before he could finish his sentence, he froze as he witnessed something horrifying.

    A in, unassuming grey-skinned humanoid appeared, shimmering into existence before his very eyes. A creature that Dorian himself was very familiar with. A Grey Mantor, beings that had the Ability to step outside of Fate itself.

    This creature appeared right in front of the exhausted figure of Sun Wukong.

    Before Dorian could process this, before Sun Wukong could react, before anyone or anything could make even the slightest movements¡­

    Mello tore out Sun Wukong''s eyes.

 Chapter 230: Revelation

    <strong>Chapter 230: Revtion</strong>

    The raw brutality of the surprise attack horrified Dorian.

    Sun Wukong''s eyes were covered in ayer of green energy as Mello tore them out. The moment they were ripped free, the world seemed to scream in agony as the eyeballs transformed into two glowing orbs of white energy. A heart-rending sensation of pain flooded Dorian''s soul as he felt this, nearly knocking him unconscious.

    This sensation seemed to impact everyone here, even Mello. All of the other Anomalies winced and fell backwards, several of Mello''s allies copsing. Dorian was forced down to his knees,rgely because he was still recovering from the battle with Zero.

    Mello merely grunted, as if he had been expecting this. He jumped backwards a dozen meters after securing the two glowing orbs, covering them up protectively.

    Sun Wukong, in the meanwhile, fell down to one knee, blood spurting up from his lips. His Aura fluctuated wildly, bing incredibly weak, more so than it already was from his injured state.

    "Mello?! What have you done?" Dorian fought against the fog that clouded his mind as he threw off the pain, spinning to face the Anomaly angrily. The air around him trembled as he jumped between Sun Wukong and his attacker, ring at Mello.

    Mello was staring intensely at the two orbs, focusing on them as if preparing something. He replied to Dorian without breaking that focus,

    "I did him a favor, in a way. These Eyes were killing him. You could say that I have saved his life."

    Dorian blinked and turned back to look at Sun Wukong.

    The monkey was still on one knee, the Aura around him still very weak. A line of blood dripped down from his lips as he sat frozen.

    "How can you call that saving?!" Dorian spun back, his voice stillced with anger. As Dorian spoke, he put his full focus on recovering his strength as fast as possible.

    He had never fully trusted Mello. After all, the Anomaly had even attacked him before. However, considering how they had worked togetherst time, he had at least gained some modicum of trust for the Anomaly. The fact that the Anomaly showed up here with help had originally solidified that.

    This incident, however, served as a stiff reminder. Mello would act and do whatever he thought he needed to do, regardless of Dorian''s opinion. His thin level of trust for Mello promptly dissipated, causing him to view everything the Anomaly said with suspicion.

    "Give it a few minutes, brother. He''s greatly overdrawn the power of his Soul Spell Matrix, and his soul in general, especially given the dire injuries his soul already bore." Mello held the two glowing white orbs in one hand as he raised his other hand and gestured at Dorian and Sun Wukong,

    "I know you can hear me, even if you can''t respond, monkey. I''m sure you''re feeling pretty confused right now, eh?" Mello smiled slightly,

    "After all, all of those permanent injuries to the soul you had¡­ they should all be regenerating now, right?"

    Dorian''s eyes widened slightly when he heard that. He nced back at Sun Wukong again.

    Now that he looked closely, he could faintly tell that Sun Wukong had entered a state of meditation. While his Aura was incredibly weak, Dorian could just faintly tell that the monkey was in some type of healing state.

    Mello continued to speak as he studied the two glowing orbs,

    "The injuries you suffered to your soul were never permanent. The energy you spent to keep yourself stable should''ve been used to heal you. After all, Yukeli is powerful, but to cripple your soul, an Angelic ss soul, for a thousand years? " Mello gestured with his wrist, as if such a suggestion was ludicrous.

    A tired, sardonic voice echoed out, one that caused Dorian to spin around, again, as he looked back at Sun Wukong.

    "Is that so, young one?" Sun Wukong crossed his legs as he fully sat down, assuming a better meditative pose. Despite hisck of eyes, he stared straight at Mello. He didn''t look angry or mad, but rather, tired.

    "Indeed. It was these Eyes that kept you crippled. They grant incredible powers but have costs of their own." Mello returned smoothly,

    "These Eyes were never meant for mortal bodies. When they are borne in a mortal frame, they Divinely envelop parts of your soul, forever preventing any type of soul healing so long as they exist." Dorian blinked as he heard this exnation, slowly putting together the pieces, assuming Mello wasn''t lying. Mello went on,

    "It was never Yukeli''s attacks that kept you crippled, but parts of yourself that even these Eyes did not let you see." Mello''s smile widened a fraction as he finished,

    "You know I''m right. You can feel it now, can''t you? You''re an Angelic ss being. How many creatures alive could possibly injure your soul? Only Yukeli, and yourself, when you overdraw on it. All the injuries you''ve umted over the years were always heble." Mello repeated himself slightly, reinforcing his points.

    Sun Wukong sat in silence for several seconds. His Aura, Dorian noted, was gradually increasing in power. Whether or not Mello was speaking the whole truth, it seemed that at least part of what he said was being proven, here and now.

    "I find myself astonished at your breadth of knowledge. I suppose I must thank you for the overwhelming care you have shown me." A sardonic grin appeared on Sun Wukong''s face. Despite the loss of his eyes, Sun Wukong seemed faintly relieved.

    "Oh, it''s not me you should be thanking¡­" A smile appeared on Mello''s face as he waved his free hand once more.

    "It''s her."

    WHOOSH

    A body appeared,nding in Mello''s free arm.

    A calm, peaceful Aura enveloped the world as soon as that body appeared, washing over everyone present. Dorian felt his soul resonate slightly at first.

    It was a small, petite body of a clearly dead woman. Even in death, the woman was clearly beautiful. She had long, flowing silver hair, and a gentle smile that graced her face.

    When Dorian saw her, he felt as if his entire soul was on fire, the slight resonation exploding into a torrent of emotion. An incredible feeling of longing swept through him as he looked at that body.

    But that feeling wasn''ting from him.

    ''Ausra?'' He muttered in his soul.

    ''Yes.'' Quietly, the Soul Spell Matrix Genie replied.

    ''Who is that?'' The feeling of longing wasing from the Genie, somehow. A certain suspicion began to lodge itself in Dorian''s mind.

    Ausra was silent for a time, something that was very unusual. The Genie wasn''t a true consciousness, and was far closer to an Ai of sorts, than anything else. Its replies were often automatic, and very rarely would they take a long moment.

    However, she still responded in the end.

    ''That body once held the Soul Spell Matrix I was formed from.''

    Dorian''s eyes widened as he heard that.

    In that same moment, Sun Wukong frozepletely, his body turned towards Ausra''s original body. The monkey leaned forward, as if he was about to jump at her with all of his might, and was just barely holding himself back.

    "What¡­ are you doing?" Sun Wukong''s voice was dangerously calm as he faced Mello.

    "I''m merely using something that was prepared long ago." As Mello spoke, the various Anomalies that had travelled here with him surrounded him in a protectiveyer. A multitude of powerful Auras zed into the air as they prevented anyone from interfering.

    Among that group, both Xaphan and Aron, Anomalies Dorian knew, stood stalwart with Mello. Dorian made eye contact with them, staring at them in disbelief. The duo shook their heads silently, not offering an exnation. He could feel their determination, even if he couldn''t understand their actions.

    "You never knew, did you?" As Mello spoke, he slowly brought the two glowing orbs over to float in front of the dead woman''s face.

    "Knew what¡­?" Sun Wukong replied slowly. His words still carried a hint of danger within them, despite his obviously weakened state. It was a feeling that made Dorian''s neck shiver, a feeling of buried killing intent that threatened to swarm and overwhelm everyone present.

    "The kinddy that picked you up and trained you, selflessly raising you and teaching you the ways of the world¡­" Mello''s voice became rather sarcastic,

    "You thought you could trust her." He shook his head,

    "Trust is amodity the weak can never truly have." Mello''s voice deepened to a growl.

    Before Sun Wukong could respond, Mello continued,

    "She didn''t take you in out of the kindness of her heart. She took you in because of your eyes."

    Sun Wukong simply shrugged, unperturbed,

    "Of course. They were what made me unique, at the time. Without them, I would''ve been but a regr monkey."

    "No, Lord Wukong. She took you in BECAUSE of your eyes." Mello raised up her body briefly,

    "For years, she began to purify and prepare her body, researching those eyes. Her unique constitution as a Wise Jade Dragon allowed her to stabilize many types of energy. Through experimentation on herself, she began to adapt her body so that it could maintain its purity and control no matter what energy it needed to conduct."

    As Mello spoke, Sun Wukong listened silently. Dorian, in the meanwhile, continued to re at Aron and Xaphan, trying to demand a silent exnation while he regenerated.

    "And do you know why, monkey?" Mello finished, smiling sardonically.

    Sun Wukong didn''t reply, but Mello seemed to take that as a response to continue.

    "Because she was interested in a pair of eyes. But if she wanted to take those eyes for herself¡­ her body would need to be able to handle them perfectly. After all, the transfer of something so Divine would put a huge amount of strain on someone''s soul." Mello added twost lines,

    "From the moment she met you, monkey, she was plotting against you. The woman you view as a hero, the woman you looked up to, was a woman that nned to betray you from the very start." His words contained a hint of satisfaction and venom, as if he was revealing a truth that validated his own beliefs.

    The air seemed to freeze over as Mello finished speaking. Even Dorian froze, looking back at Mello in shock as he heard all of this.

    ''Ausra, is that true?!'' He mentally queried. His image of the Wise Lady had always been a positive one. He could hardly believe Mello was speaking the truth.

    Ausra didn''t reply.

    Sun Wukong, however, did, after waiting for a couple of seconds.

    "I judge a being not by their words, but by their actions." He spoke slowly, but with confidence so unshakable it was difficult to fathom,

    "You can''t be serious." Mello shook his head slightly as he replied, eyeing Sun Wukong,

    "That woman based your entire friendship ON the fact that she wanted to betray you, and you find nothing wrong with that?" His tone became rather cutting.

    "I cannot speak for her motives, nor for the truth of your words. But¡­" Sun Wukong began, his voice still unshakably confident,

    "She had every opportunity to act against me. And yet, she did not. Indeed, had she asked me to give up these eyes, I would''ve been the first to oblige. The care she showed me is not something that can be faked." Sun Wukong shook his head,

    "I have never viewed her as a perfect being. We are all wed, one and all. I will not judge her for mistakes and desires that she never acted on, if what you say is true at all." Sun Wukong finished with one final line,

    "No one is perfect."

    Mello didn''t seem to be angered. He just shrugged, silently, as if he hadn''t expected anything different. Only Dorian was able to catch the faint hint of disappointment in Mello''s gaze,rgely thanks to his association with the Anomaly, but also because of the fact that Dorian still had eyes.

    "A man exists that would disagree with that sentiment." Mello returned.

    "He, of all people, should know it best." Sun Wukong sighed, sounding like an elderly man that wanted nothing more than to sit down and rest, to let go of the burden he bore.

    In the time the duo had been talking, Mello had brought the eyes he stole from Sun Wukong all the way to Ausra''s face. Light had begun to concentrate around Ausra''s body, causing the nearby air to warp slightly.

    This light sent waves throughout the world, causing Dorian to shiver once more as his soul seemed to burn.

    Sun Wukong stood still throughout, though likely not of his own will. Sun Wukong hid it well, but Dorian could tell that the monkey was close to copse. Dorian wasn''t in too much better of a shape.

    Right after that, Mello finished his preparations.

    A bright sh of white light blinded the air. An instantter, an odd, pale grey cocoon of some type of fabric wrapped around Ausra''s body and the two eyes, sealing them out of sight. Not a momentter, the cocooned body vanished, disappearing as if it never was.

    "Lord Wukong, your gift, willing or not, will not go unused." Mello''s voice was tinged with exhaustion and a hint of victory as he smiled,

    "Just as you have now broken free from the shackles that bound your soul, I will break free from the shackles that bind all of us." Mello gestured at the Anomalies that stood with him, as well as at Dorian. Right after, he also sharply gestured at his men. Immediately, they began to retreat, ignoring Sun Wukong and Dorian.

    Xaphan and Aron refused to make further eye contact with Dorian, looking away.

    "You are blinded by your own arrogance, young one. You have put yourself onto a path of ruin." Sun Wukong replied sadly,

    "He cannot be defeated in a direct battle. He simply can''t, with my eyes or not." A hint of despair colored Sun Wukong''s voice.

    "That would presume I will fight fair." Mello retreated with the other Anomalies, never looking back as they began to trudge away from the cratered earth, heading towards one of the exits to the underground cave system.

    The Anomaly never looked back as he left, leaving behind onest remark,

    "No being is truly invincible, monkey. Live on and witness the truth of my words."

    Just like that, Mello and his allies left, all of them transforming into various flying forms as they soared off into the distance.

    "The truth of your words¡­" Sun Wukong let out a long sigh,

    "I have pondered how to defeat that man for a thousand years, young one, and still do not have an answer. You may have more eyes than I, but you do not truly see."

    Right after he said that, Sun Wukong copsed to the ground, his soul forcing him into unconsciousness as it shut down to focus on healing from the grievous injuries he''d umted over a thousand years. His words sailed out as a fading echo, solemn and filled with sadness.

    Dorian rushed forward and caught the monkey before he fully fell, easing him to the ground. He checked Sun Wukong''s condition, noting that the powerful warrior was recovering, but at a slow rate andpletely unable to defend himself.

    Thud

    Thud

    Dorian looked up from Sun Wukong, his eyes narrowing as he heard some quiet thuds in the background.

    Arge horde of Grakons were relentlessly approaching the mostly obliterated center of the city. The number of undead creatures had truly built up to a horrific count, drawn in by the fearsome battle.

    Dorian coughed, his eyes going slightly red as he red at the enemies. His body and soul were in no condition to do battle. As he was about to change forms, however, he winced, and abruptly changed his mind.

    His soul still felt incredibly off-bnce thanks to Ausra''s old body''s appearance, as well as the injuries he''d sustained. The hex that Zero had used to force him into remaining in a single form had not fully been thrown off due to his weakened state.

    His eyes darted to and fro as he scanned his surroundings. The body of the frozen giant had long since been blown to ash. There were no easy ways to get to anything like a high ground nearby. He had a few Artifacts that might help out, but he didn''t want to risk simply levitating to the exposed roof up above unless he had to. Sun Wukong needed a safe ce to rest, as did he.

    After a second, however, he noticed a copsed area of stone that he slightly recognized. Memories of a secret, underground building where a powerful, King ss Grakon had lived, and a betrayal he had suffered at the hands of a certain Lightsworn Fox.

    With only one more nce at the approaching horde of undead Grakons, Dorian scooped up Sun Wukong''s unconscious body and began to sprint towards the entrance, making a fast escape.

 Chapter 231: Focus

    <strong>Chapter 231: Focus (End of Volume 8)</strong>

    Dorian took a deep breath, feeling the cool air soothe his lungs. His eyes were closed tight, shut to help him meditate as he focused on healing. Deep inside him, various Pills that he''d pulled from his Spatial Ring were currently releasing energy, slowly working their magic on him.

    Around him, an old, familiar sight spread out.

    The Ice Keep.

    The Ice Keep was huge, stretching for miles underground. Dozens of sets of stairs led through twisting and winding corridors, giving it an almost maze-like appearance. The path Dorian had traveled was one from his memory, leading towards a specific ce.

    When he''d entered the Keep, he''d found it mostly the same as before. There was a throne room near the entrance, with a throne that he could activate just like Arial did to turn on the Red Portal, down below.

    The further down they moved, the colder it got. Thankfully, even in their injured states, neither Sun Wukong nor Dorian truly needed to worry about temperature.

    Dorian took several deep breaths, focused on his interior. Hot air fell from his lips, turning to icy stream in the cool air.

    Slowly, after a few moments, he opened up his eyes, ncing around.

    A massive, thousand meters wide and hundreds of meters long room stretched out around him. Ice coated everything, but beneath that ice, Dorian could make out dozens of what appeared to be forges, where a cksmith would toil and work, smithing weapons, tools, and armor.

    The Ancient Refinery of this Ice Keep. The same ce he had fought against a team of attacking Shades, sent by the Church of Light.

    After a moment, he nced behind him, his eyes narrowed.

    The exit to this room was the same as before. A vast, open doorway that stretched all the way to the ceiling, nearly a hundred meters above them.

    Beyond that doorway, Dorian could make out a wall of crystalline blue.

    It was cold, terribly cold. Dorian''s breath froze in front of him when he breathed in its direction, tinkling to the ground as tiny, little pieces of ice.

    The Traveling Ice Waterfally just beyond that frozen wall. The World Phenomena he had just been practicing at before.

    ''I forgot you were down here.'' He smiled as he looked at it. He hadn''t truly forgotten, but it just hadn''t crossed his mind to try practicing here.

    It had been several hours since he started healing down here. In that time, his body had rapidly regenerated, healing at an incredible pace. He was already back at roughly 70%, easily able to defend himself if needed.

    What worried him, slightly, however, was the monkey next to him. Well, not quite next to him, but around a dozen meters from him.

    Sun Wukongy on the ground, shifting restlessly. The monkey''s body was giving off a huge amount of heat, causing the air around him to steam up. Any ice near him had long since been vaporized by the raw power he was giving off.

    The monkey appeared to be starting a long recovery process that was linked to the dire injuries his soul had umted over the years. By the looks of it, this was a process that wasn''t going to stop anytime soon, nor was it something Dorian could help with.

    However, the cool, frozen environment of Blizzaria actually appeared beneficial to Sun Wukong, helping cool off the raw heat he was emanating. Thus, Dorian left him be, setting up his body to rest against the wall. He thought about putting the monkey in the Traveling Ice Waterfall, but opted against it in the end, not knowing how the World Phenomena would affect his savior.

    After checking on Sun Wukong, Dorian walked over to the part of the room that faced the World Phenomena. He looked out upon it, his eyes piercing through the wall of ice to see whaty beyond it.

    Past the wall of ice, he could see a long, faintly-glowing bridge that seemed to be made of pure gold. It was covered in smooth carvings of Grakons using their enormous des and other Grakons smithing those same swords, a constant cycle of creation and destruction.

    He nodded.

    As the Ancient Refinery where many of these weapons had been forged, everything here remained unchanged despite the destruction this ce sufferedst time. The mysterious properties that magically restored this world when things got destroyed had done a solid job rebuilding everything.

    The unending stream of pure, blue and white ice that smashed into that bridge, however, was what Dorian was truly here for. This ice sted into Dorian''s ears as he raised his hand and destroyed the frozen wall that separated him from it, revealing the waterfall in its true glory.

    The sheer fury of the ice as it collided with the magic bridge and ricocheted off was something he had once viewed as terrifying. Indeed, even as he looked at it now, he could see its raw power.

    He smiled as he took several steps forward, feeling the familiar sensations of the World Phenomena wash over him. He reverted to his Bnce Demon form as he sat on the ground, ignoring the fearsome noise and power of the frozen waterfall.

    ''Focus¡­'' He shut his eyes, a solid line of determination filling his body.

    He was going to meditate, and this time, he wasn''t going to leave until he made a substantial amount of progress. With the meditation-boosting tools he had, as well as the World Phenomena at his beck and call, he had everything he needed, between here and Taprisha.

    ''I will break through every barrier. I need strength, now, more than ever.'' He clenched his fists slightly, the pain of his loss to Zero still cindering within him,

    ''I will not lose again.''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On the Lesser World of Toraph, very far from Dorian, a man sat upon a rock, looking out across a vast in. His simple ck pantsy unruffled and stainless, melding well with his tanned, muscr chest. His blue eyes held aplicated look in them, as if he was lost in thought.

    Next to that many a blood-stained woman, resting on the ground beside his rock. Her long, lustrous ck hair had be ragged and twisted, the tight, rust-colored armor cracked and broken. She was shivering as shey there, unable to move.

    Yukeli sighed morosely as he sat on that rock. He turned down and nced at the fallen woman, gazing at her with a look full of understanding.

    "I understand your pain, Witch." Yukeli shifted slightly till he was fully facing her. His legs were crossed as he sat, with his elbow resting on his knee and propping up his chin.

    He continued to speak,

    "The agony of doing everything right and yet facing defeat, time and time again.

    "A mantra borne by losers everywhere, those that strive for victory but falter at the crux.

    "Yet, in the end, what can you do but persevere? No matter the failures, no matter the loss, the only thing you can do is not give up.

    "Victory is born from defeat. Sess is born from failure. Gain is born from loss." Yukeli paused for a moment,

    "Perfection is born from imperfection."

    As he finished this line, he nced around the grassy in, gazing upon a nearby valley.

    Gazing upon the remnants of a battle.

    The ground in this valley had been ripped apart, with huge gouges in the earth, enormous craters of scattered rock, and even several new, jagged mountains formed in the distance.

    In that damaged ruin, tens of thousands of humansy on the ground, copsed in disarray. Remnants of incredible Auras constantly shifted in the air, the nearby energy thrown into a massive flux of chaos. Warriorsy silently on the ground with broken weapons, Wizardsy with shattered staves.

    Lord ss, King ss, none of it mattered.

    The mighty, grand 2nd Main Division of the Borrel Autarchyy in this valley, defeated by a single man.

    Yukeli stood up from his rock, stretching his arms and back as he did so. Every movement he made was full of predatory grace, a being that was unrivaled in power constantly remaining on guard and staying aware of his surroundings.

    "That was a good warmup, Witch. The fact that it took me so long really shows how new this body is to me. Losing most of my soul certainly didn''t help either, but I should still be able to use around 30% of my full strength." Yukeli looked down at the fallen, Angelic ss Wizard, Cynthia Gudet, the Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Annihtion Department, with a smile.

    "It''s a bit more than the power I had before I Ascended." Yukeli walked over to the edge of his rock as he gazed at Cynthia, a hint of pity in his eyes,

    "It was a bad matchup for you. I just recently experienced quite a bit about the Law of Annihtion, though the result of this battle was never going to change either way." Yukeli shrugged.

    He jumped down off his rock and took a few steps forward until he was right in front of the woman.

    In that time, the woman had recovered enough to stop her shivering. Her eyes had opened, revealing a fierceness that refused to be tamed as she looked up at Yukeli.

    "Bear a message for me,ss. Tell Arthur that Fate cannot be stopped. I could ravage hisnds like a warmonger, throwing an army of drakes across a thousands¡­"

    "But that is not the future I see." He shook his head,

    "One month. This is my message to him. After this body and my soul have fully merged as one, I will march to his pce and take back what is mine.

    "Destiny arises, old friend. Whether you step in its path or stand to the side, it matters not.

    "The tides of change havee."

    Yukeli''s words were ominous, full of overwhelming intent as he looked down at the frail, injured woman. After seeing a gleam in her eyes, he smiled and turned away.

    A momentter, his body blurred and vanished as he left, moving so quickly he appeared to teleport.

    The moment he left¡­

    Cynthia''s body copsed into shuddering, her hands trembling as she wrapped them around herself. The woman''s chest was wracked as she took several deep breaths, forcibly gathering control of herself.

    She tapped on her Spatial Ring, withdraw several expensive Healing Pills and promptly swallowing them. A faint, red flush appeared on her face after a few seconds, making her look slightly less like she was about to keel over.

    The Head of the Borrel Autarchy''s Annihtion Department slowly dragged herself to her feet after taking the medicine. The powerful, awe-inspiring Aura of an Angelic ss Wizard was nowhere to be seen as she attempted topose herself.

    She brought out an Artifact from her Spatial Ring, a glowing tube with several strange glyphs carved into it, known as a Short Transfer Tube. It was a short-rangemunications device, used to talk to people that were, at most, a single World Bridge away.

    "Re¡­report. Almanya, report." Her voice becamemanding as she spoke into the tube, stuttering only slightly as she clutched at her waist. A deep-seated exhaustion was present in her eyes, as if she wanted nothing better than to copse.

    "Wizard Almanya, reporting." A masculine voice wavered out of the tube.

    Before the battle, Cynthia had set aside a small contingent of Fate Wizards to watch the fight and scan everything. They were to mark down every detail they could about Yukeli, tallying up his power, his potential, and everything.

    Of all the fallen, they were likely the only force from the 2nd Division that had escaped this battle unscathed.

    "How¡­ how many casualties?" Cynthia cut to the chase immediately, gathering as much information as she could as possible. The flush in her face was gradually spreading to her body as she grew stronger and stronger, now able to stand without clutching at her waist.

    The observing Fate Wizards should be able to tally up the losses in an instant. This exercise had been one to test Yukeli, as well as one in an attempt to at least slow him down.

    Cynthia braced herself to hear the results. The battle had been one of horrific proportions, the likes of which she had never experienced before.

    Arthur had said he was a monster but¡­ nothing he said could have prepared her for that.

    No matter what they threw at that man, no matter how devastating an attack, how overwhelming in might or power, nothing fazed him. Nothing at all.

    A mere wave of his hand deflected a thousand fireballs, a gentle turn of his fist blocked a hundred lightning bolts. It was as if he was a god of war, with no wasted movements and perfect responses, time and time again.

    Even with the Heads of the Diamond Department and the Gravity Department here to assist her, the famous World Wall and the Diamond Wall, she had still failed.

    It seemed impossible that any being could possess such power and skill. Yet the reality of the situationy before her.

    Remembering the destruction brought tears to her eyes as she thought of the Division she had helped raise, of all the elites that had fought for humanity for decades, or even hundreds of years.

    "Ma¡­ ma''am¡­" Almanya''s voice was haggard as he replied, filled with a hint of confusion.

    "Almanya. Casualties. Now." She cut into his wavering, demanding a response.

    "None." Almanya replied instantly, his wavering vanishing as he simply followed orders.

    "What?" Cynthia blinked.

    "The injured lie in the tens of thousands. Broken bones, split skin, bruised organs, almost everyone has been injured, from what I can see in Fate. But as for the dead¡­" Almanya took a deep breath,

    "Not a single soul has fallen."

    The Short Transfer Tube tumbled from Cynthia''s grasp, her eyes wide. She fell down to one knee as the shock hit her, destabilizing her still recovering body. A spurt of blood shot from her mouth as she grimaced, forcing down the pain.

    Still, she shook slightly as she realized the true disparity between her and that man.

    Not only did he block or deflect every attack thrown at him, he defeated the tens of thousands of members of the 2nd Division, all elite Lord or King ss experts, and did so in such a way that resulted in zero deaths, as if he didn''t truly see them as his enemies¡­

    And he did all of that in less than an hour.

    .

    .

    .

    End of Volume 8 - Return.

 Chapter 232: A Final Beginning

    <strong>Chapter 232: A Final Beginning</strong>

    Two weekster¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A powerful, raging wind spread out across a wide, empty in. Jagged rocks were smashed to the side, stiff trees forced to bend knee, powerful beasts flung off to thehers.

    This powerful wind raged without purpose, smashing through the troughs of Taprisha in a furious storm. They were the winds Taprisha was known for, and the reason all intelligent inhabitants chose to live on the various teaus, raised up high above these dangerous windstorms.

    In a certain empty region of one particr in, a man could be seen floating several hundred meters in the air.

    Rather than a man, a more appropriate description would be a¡­

    Demon. An armored, powerful-looking demon that gave off a feeling of bnce.

    A fierce, raging wind sted through the air towards this floating demon, shuddering with the mystical might of the world itself. This wind was full of energy from various fractured Laws, wrapped up in a cocoon of energy from the Law of Wind. It was simr to various Natural Phenomena in that it contained magical might and power that could not be understood using normal means.

    The wind raced forward, unobstructed in its rage. Far down below, a small storm of rocks and other random debris were whipped into the air, cascading about in a myriad of twists and turns. The fog that obscured the lower levels of Taprisha had long-since been blown away by the approaching wind, opening up the world to the warm sunlight from above.

    Just 3 secondster, the fearsome wind mmed into the floating demon¡­

    And was split in twain, unable to affect him in the slightest. The raging currents of haphazard air smashed against a type of invisible forcefield, cascading all about in a miniature cyclone, but unable to do the floating demon even the slightest bit of harm.

    A half-hour passed as the storm raged futilely before finally moving on, leaving the floating demon alone.

    Shortly after that¡­

    The floating demon opened its eyes.

    Immediately, an Aura of power burst out around it. A bright swarm of colors apanied this Aura, shing brightly in the air. Red, yellow, green, blue, purple, a vast number of colors fluctuated in a rainbow.

    As this Aura burst free, the floating demon''s body changed slightly. Its arms grew thicker, its skin tougher. Internally, its muscles grew stronger, its bones densifying. The changes were hard to notice from the outside, but to a particrly skilled eye, they were obvious. The demon had qualitatively transformed in terms of raw power.

    Dorian smiled as he felt the changes in his body, nodding his head sharply.

    "So this is why Leader is so strong. His Super State isn''t too shabby at all." He held out a hand in the air and flexed it, his grin widening slightly. He could keenly sense the subtle, and not so subtle, changes his body experienced, and found himself rather pleased as a result.

    He was currently within the full andplete, King ss Super State of the Law of Pride.

    His breakthrough had been a rather casual one. It was based on his experience and memories of the Law of Pride, with the many examples and info that had been shared with him. The fact that he had lived with an expert that used the Law of Pride extensively had proven a huge boon, helping him in his understanding.

    As he thought about Leader, he frowned. He wasn''t displeased with his loyal subordinate, but rather¡­

    He was thinking about the message he had received from Leader 4 days ago, as well as the information he had discovered a few days before that.

    Over the past few weeks, he hadn''t be aplete hermit.

    He''d made several trips between Blizzaria and Taprisha. The World Phenomena on those two worlds helped him increase the power of all of his Laws at a substantial rate. Whenever he felt like he''d run into a block in his road on one, he''d switch to the other to focus on the other Laws.

    His rate ofprehension could really only be described in a single word.

    Abnormal.

    Or, perhaps, if he took his true nature into consideration¡­

    An anomaly.

    His smiled reappeared, though this time a sardonic one.

    ''Zero¡­ Mello¡­ will they be enough to stop HIM?'' The thought was a grim one, and for good reason.

    Yukeli, himself, had returned.

    He''d first heard the full news on Taprisha. He had visited Potor City, taking a small break from studying his Laws. He could go for days on end without rest, but asionally, taking an hour to cool down and rx helped him regain his focus.

    He''d heard legends of experts that could lock themselves away in ces for hundreds of years, focusing solely on a single thing¡­

    And he would let those legendary experts keep doing that, while he did things his own way. Taking a small break every once in a while proved to suit his spirit perfectly.

    In the middle of one of those breaks, he had gone to a luxurious inn and was resting in themon room after eating a slew of delicious food. Grilled beef, roasted pork, and a number of tasty fruit dishes, his tongue had entered a paradise of its own.

    While he was in the midst of tearing apart a rather delicate melon, he had overheard a conversation off to his side.

    "-it really was the entire 2nd Division. The Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance released an entire public briefing about it."

    "Wow. An entire Division?!"

    "Yeah, and it''s even worse. The Death Wall herself was leading it! And they STILL lost!"

    His ears perked up at the time, causing him to nce at the speakers.

    A heavyset man wearing a fine silk suit and pants was talking eagerly to a muscr woman, dressed in a set of in leather clothes. Despite the obvious status gap between the two, the duo seemed to treat each other as equals. Dorian guessed the heavy man was a noble, while the muscr woman was a powerful warrior of some sort.

    He didn''t need Ausra, anymore, to tell how powerful people were. He could tell at a nce that the woman was Grandmaster ss, and the man Master ss. Powerfulpared to mortals, but mere ants before him.

    "Who in the 30,000 Worlds could do that?!" The overweight man replied, rocking back in his chair in shock.

    "Well¡­ the rumors say a number of things. But I''ve heard word from the Shades AND from a few sources in the Graal Alliance that have been saying simr stuff."

    "Yeah? All I''ve heard from the Shades is about their new treaty with the Aurelius Family. What are they saying about all this?"

    "They say¡­ they say that the Great Lord of the Absolute has returned."

    When Dorian heard that sentence, his entire body seemed to freeze. His senses had expanded to an incredible degree as his body tried to shut down, an odd, paradoxical sensation that left him feeling disoriented.

    Only one man was known as the Great Lord of the Absolute. Only one person.

    Yukeli Shorn. A man that Ascended to the Heavens and became a Godking, only to return to the 30,000 Worlds after cutting his soul into 88 pieces.

    At first, Dorian wasn''t certain it was truly Yukeli. After all, the 88 Anomalies he knew existed should all contain some of Yukeli''s memories. It was possible that one of them was just impersonating the fearsome man.

    He could vividly remember how his body had been possessed by Yukeli''s memories, but how he was also able to fight that off and take control back. Maybe it was something like that, a partial fragment gaining control, but not the man itself.

    However, the letter he received from Leader in Potor City a few dayster killed that hope.

    ording to Leader, the Council has discovered the location of the Destroyer. This was not a im the Council would make lightly, nor was it one they would make without being absolutely certain.

    The Council was preparing to strike against Yukeli when the time was ripe, biding their time in vengeful silence. They had been preparing for this moment for hundreds of years, storing up power all in the hopes of a situation like this.

    Leader imed members of the Council would be able to briefly gain the power of Angelic ss experts, turning their fighting forces into a leviathan that could not be ignored. If it was like that, Dorian felt like they could be a very real threat to anyone.

    With multiple sources confirming Yukeli''s existence, even if Dorian wasn''t 100% certain, he decided to treat things like this was 100% confirmed. No longer was he just growing strong to defend himself against Zero, he also needed to grow strong to defend himself against Yukeli.

    Zero wanted to kill Yukeli. Mello wanted to kill Yukeli. Arthur Telmon, the Wizard King, wanted to kill Yukeli. Sun Wukong, the Almighty Ruler of the Graal Alliance, wanted to kill Yukeli. The powerful Council of Demons wanted to kill Yukeli. It seemed like everyone in existence wanted to kill Yukeli.

    And yet, despite all of that¡­

    Dorian felt nervous.

    Logically, it felt ridiculous to think that a single man could face down the entire world ande out victorious. And yet¡­

    Dorian felt that if it was Yukeli, well¡­ anything was possible.

    He sighed again, rubbing his forehead slightly. He shifted his thoughts to something else, to the second letter he had received alongside Leader''s.

    Leader hadn''t found him by chance. A close friend and ally of his had pointed Leader in the right direction, recognizing the man as Dorian''s subordinate.

    The letter was from none other than Helena.

    That letter appeared in his hand right now, withdrawn from his Spatial Ring. Dorian smiled as he read over the lines, warm feelings flooding his heart.

    It was a simple letter, expressing Helena''s care for him. She wished him well, hoped he was making great progress, and talked a lot about what she had been doing back home. She was focused on her own meditation as she practiced her Law of Might, regting her newfound breakthrough.

    She also talked about Leader and why she had allowed him to know where Dorian was. All in all, Dorian approved of her actions. She truly was a smart woman, taking the initiative and helping him out.

    In particr, he zeroed in on thest line.

    ''Sincerely, with all of my love and affection,''

    ''Helena Aurelius.''

    This line was a standard line to use in the 30,000 Worlds for those that were close. It didn''t necessarily mean someone waspletely in love with someone else. But the sentence couldn''t help but warm his heart considerably, bringing arge smile to his face.

    ''Hmm¡­'' Dorian looked around the world around him, staring down at the ground below as he focused his thoughts on the present.

    No matter what happened, he still had time, it seemed. No one hade to attack him over the past 2 weeks, giving him ample time to heal and meditate on his Laws.

    With the Law of Lust already at 100%, Dorian found it extremely easy to move his other Laws through the various stages of progression. It was like the Law of Lust acted as a support, his experience in breaking through with it rapidly elerating the process for all Laws.

    In what felt like no time at all, he made breakthrough after breakthrough, his understanding of how to use his various Laws increasing at a ridiculous rate.

    After a full 2 weeks of effort, he sessfully managed to bring his other Demonic Laws to 90%prehension or higher, as well as reach Completion and 100%prehension for his Law of Pride, breaking it into King ss. He didn''t make any progress on his Virtuous Laws yet, but instead focused purely on his Demonic Laws to first raise them as high as he could.

    With 2 Demonic Laws at King ss, and 5 other Demonic Laws at above 90%prehension, his power had jumped considerably once more. The him of now was apletely different beastpared to the him that fought against Zero.

    And that wasn''t even considering his Origin Law of Original Sin. That Law rose in power alongside his other Demonic Laws, albeit rather slowly. He had reached roughly 50%prehension for this particr Law, and was still increasing it, bit by bit.

    If the two Anomalies fought again today, Dorian was confident the battle would turn out very differently. Zero achieving a victory would be in no way guaranteed.

    As a result of his progression into King ss, Dorian gained a few other unique perks.

    One of those was that he learned how to fly.

    His current floating wasn''t because he was using an Artifact to levitate, but rather because he was using the energy of his soul to interact with the environment, allowing him to manipte his Laws in a way to fly in mid-air.

    This was a power certain experienced King ss experts could use. It required a powerful strength of will and a strong soul, both things Dorian had in excess.

    Dorian had to admit, being able to float in mid-air freely, or zoom in any direction, was a pretty cool perk. It was also rather useful, increasing his mobility.

    It wasn''t a perfect power, however. When it came to his Speedy State from the Law of Lust, he moved much faster on the ground. Even when it came to normal movement, he could only fly at a rather middling speed.

    Still, the utility of this new power was situationally helpful and, in general, fun, so he wasn''tining. Just taking note of its effectiveness.

    Dorian had had ample time to heal from his injuries in these 2 weeks. The same also applied for Sun Wukong.

    The injured monkey had taken only a single day to recover consciousness after the brutal battle with Zero and the attack from Mello. After he came awake and spent a few hours in focused regeneration, Sun Wukong had promptly left.

    The monkey had been insistent on leaving after he thanked Dorian for his care. The gruesome injuries the creature had suffered didn''t seem to have dissuaded the Monkey King from his ns. If anything, Sun Wukong seemed to be in rather high spirits, as if he hadn''t expected to be alive at all.

    When Dorian asked where he was going, Sun Wukong had told him that he was headed back to the Graal Alliance, a ce that Dorian was always wee to visit.

    Specifically, Sun Wukong was returning to the world that hosted the World Tree. This was known by many names, so many that it didn''t have a singr name of its own, but rather was referred to by most people as ''the that hosts the World Tree.''

    For its own name to be superseded by what existed on it, it could be seen how grand the World Tree was.

    Dorian had briefly considered visiting Sun Wukong after he made his breakthrough into King ss for the Law of Pride. After all of his Laws achieved at least 90%prehension, Dorian had run into a few snags in his journey to power.

    While he''d managed to get 2 of his Laws to King ss, he was struggling to advance the other ones. He''d found that he couldn''t just increase their power through meditation alone anymore, not within a few weeks or months. He felt like he''d need to use them actively in a real scenario, like he had with the Law of Lust against Zero, if he wanted to advance them quickly.

    If he didn''t visit Sun Wukong, he thought about visiting Helena instead. The time they had spent together felt all too brief, and their separation painful. After spending weeks in training, and after the fierce battle with Zero, he wouldn''t at all mind seeing the woman that had captured his heart, even if just for a few days.

    However¡­ He had no time to waste. He could not afford to let himself be unprepared for anything. His near-death encounter with Zero had taught him that lesson very strongly.

    If he can''t protect himself, how can he im to protect Helena?

    With that thought in mind, he had finalized on where he was going to go.

    It wasn''t to visit Sun Wukong, nor was it to visit Helena.

    Instead, he was going to travel to the Greater World of Monta.

    And when he arrived there, he was going to visit the Main Academy of the Free School of Thunder.

 Chapter 233: Accumulation

    Chapter 233: umtion

    Dorian activated his Speedy State, causing the world around him to slow. At the same time, he continued to maintain his Pride Super State, keeping both powers simultaneously active.

    The influx of energy was very difficult to control. The two types of power were extraordinary in their own right. They naturally melded together very poorly and were constantly trying to sh and cannibalize each other.

    However, his Bnce Demon form''s unique powers made that control much easier to handle and practice. The more he worked at it, the easier it became to do both. Soon, he felt he wouldn''t need to rely upon his Bnce Demon form at all to control both States at once. The experience he gained was unique, like training a muscle that he had rarely used before.

    At the same time, hended down on the barren ground of Taprisha, turning with a small smile to face the east.

    Roughly 1,000 meters away from him was a set of jagged rock pirs. Each one was hardened and chipped, durable enough to withstand Taprisha''s brutal wind.

    He crouched down, setting his wed feet to dig into the stony earth. The muscles in his legs bulged up as he tensed, energy in his body condensing down. Around him, two perfectly bnced Auras created a visible twist of color in the air.

    An instantter¡­

    He began to run.

    A shockwave sted out as the earth was blown apart behind him. A huge, 50-meter wide crater of cracked stone spread in a millisecond, shards of rock shooting up into the air purely from the force of Dorian''s first step.

    Dorian''s body was harnessed to the extreme, pulling all the way on the full force of both States,yered on top with the activation of his Perfect Body Ability.

    In less than a second, he crossed more than 1,000 meters to reach those jagged rocks.

    He continued to run.

    Every step he took smashed down on the ground with tremendous force. Thebined strength of his Speedy State and his Super State gave him unprecedented agility, but also made his newfound power very difficult to control.

    He was barely able to keep himself running low to the ground, using his Auras to ''cling'' to the earth and prevent himself from flying off into the air.

    His movement speed had reached such an extreme level, it was approaching that of short-range teleportation. Of all the trillions of beings in the 30,000 Worlds, there were less than a dozen that could move as fast as Dorian was right now, in terms of raw, continuous speed without the use of portals or Artifacts.

    The umtion of two Demonic Laws, one focused on physical power while the other focused on perception of time, was not something that could be understood using normal terms.

    With this single gain, Dorian had fully thrust himself to the level of the supreme elites.

    After running for a dozen seconds, Dorian had covered more than 15,000 meters, or a bit less than 10 miles as he remembered from Earth. After running so much, he could feel the huge drain of energy that persisted in his soul, drawing through his Soul Spell Matrix.

    And while he felt that huge draw of energy, he noticed something.

    He didn''t feel even the slightest bit tired.

    ''Ausra, what are my energy levels looking like?'' He sent a mental inquiry to the passive Genie. This was the first time he had checked how powerful he had be after he began his meditation session.

    His focus, this time, had been so centered on increasing his understanding of the Laws, he had ignored tracking any other increases. His heart tightened with anticipation as he waited to see the increase.

    He had mastered 2 Demonic Laws to Completion, and 5 other ones to 90%+, plus the Origin Law of Original Sin to a bit more than 50%. He figured he should''ve gained quite a bit.

    -

    Dorian - Soul Status

    Soul Stage: King ss (Peak)

    Health: Perfect

    Energy: 26,768,995 / 26,822,017

    -

    The results exceeded his expectations to an absurd degree.

    "What?!" Dorian froze mid-step, his eyes opening wide in shock. As a result of this, his next step skipped off the ground and sent him smashing down into the earth.

    A rippling explosion shook the air as he decimated one of Taprisha''s rare forests, blowing apart more than 300 trees as he rocketed through the air. A cascade of stone-like leaves, broken trunks, and shattered bark flew up into the air, pelting Dorian mercilessly.

    He managed to forciblye to a halt, smashing down into the earth with a wed hand and gouging out a 30-meter long path in the stone. His body waspletely uninjured, though the same couldn''t be said for the dignity of this stalwart forest.

    It had withstood centuries of ferocious, Law-imbued wind only to be trampled on by a confused Bnce Demon.

    However, Dorian ignored all of that as he looked at the result, a huge smile covering his face.

    The current state of energy in his soul was simply too absurd.

    "This¡­ this is roughly 5 times the Energy Level that the Diamond Wall of the Borrel Autarchy had, right?" He spoke aloud to himself, remembering when he ran into the Head of the Diamond Department back on Magmor.

    The Head was famed for his power and was a Pseudo-Angelic ss expert.

    Dorian''s current power level no longer put him on the level of a powerful King ss expert.

    No, he was more like an enormous leviathan, condensed into a humanoid form. In fact, his energy level even exceeded the raw power of the first Pseudo-Angelic ss beast he had run into, the enormous me Empyrean Turtle on Magmor.

    As Dorian felt at the full scale of energy he could draw, he realized how seemingly limitless it felt.

    With an energy base like this, the number of Abilities, Laws, and raw power he could call upon had increased to a ridiculous degree.

    "Hahaha¡­ hahaha¡­ HAHAHA!" He couldn''t help butugh, a huge grin appearing on his face. His Bnce Demon form made that grin seem evil, making him into a nefarious evil-doer.

    The results of his training, of all the preparation he had done, were finally beginning to pay off.

    All the various Laws he gained ess to helped him expand the maximum limit of energy his soul could hold. His powerful forms further expanded that, granting him the ability and the endurance to handle such a fount of energy. His incredible control over his will allowed him to unconsciously control such energy with ease, to a degree that he didn''t even fully notice the increase in power till he focused on it.

    His entire existence in the 30,000 Worlds seemed to have led up to this moment, the fruit of all of his efforts revealed.

    There was probably nobody under the Angelic ss, apart from a small number of truly gargantuan beasts that were rarely seen, that had a higher Energy Level than he did.

    "I used up around 50,000 units of energy running for about a dozen seconds." He muttered out loud, looking at the results. He ounted for any previous use of energy, able to easily remember and scale back each result thanks to his perfect memory.

    "However, the more practice I get at maintaining both States, the lesser an energy drain it should be over time. At the rate that I increase, it may even be feasible for me to drop the drain to just 1,000 units of energy a second, or perhaps even less. Ability energy drain will still be hard to mitigate, though." He nodded his head slightly, feeling as if his conclusion was urate.

    If any other King ss cultivator had heard his remarks, most of them would''ve been struck dumb.

    To control even a single type of energy perfectly was extremely difficult. Even if you reached King ss and had aplete understanding of a Law, that didn''t mean your body and soul would be able to control that energy to an absolutely perfect degree.

    Controlling two types of energy, and going further, controlling two hyper-powered Energy States, was such an absurd achievement that it simply wouldn''t ever be considered as possible.

    The only being that had likely ever achieved such powers before was the previous, mystical Demon Emperor.

    Even Yukeli himself never achieved such a state, though it could be argued that that was because he never tried to.

    "This¡­ this will help me out quite a bit." Dorian smiled as he looked down at his fists. He then turned back into the direction he had been running again, tensing his body up once more.

    Another explosion rang out as he continued his journey, sprinting madly to the east.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    A short amount of timeter¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    In a quaint room within a small Inn in Potor City, a calm looking Vampire was looking down at a letter, reading over several lines that had been written into it. The letter sat on a desk, next to a quill and ink.

    Dorian looked down at the letter he was writing, thinking intently over how he should end it.

    He had returned to his graceful, Empyrean Vampire, a body he wore when he was out and about, moving in public on Taprisha. Its appearance was very simr to a regr Vampire, but was also his most physically powerful form. He would be able to react best to attacks in this form, while also staying on the down-low.

    His Vampyrean appearance wouldn''t draw too much attention if he kept his head down. His Bnce Demon form, however¡­ well, he would immediately incite a riot wherever he went if he tried that body out. He had learned that from experience.

    The letter he was writing was to none other than the woman he hade to love. Helena Aurelius.

    This was the fourth letter he had written Helena, in between some of his breaks from meditation and study. His correspondence with her was a mix of serious and silly topics. Sometimes they talked about stories or interesting things they had seen, while others they talked about the dangerous state of the world, of Yukeli, and of Anomalies.

    The talks served as something that kept Dorian motivated. Helena hid it well, but he could feel the fear she felt. Not because of him, but because of how Marcus Aurelius was acting.

    Word of the invasion of the Draconic Tribes, led by Yukeli into the territory of the Borrel Autarchy, had long since passed into the ears of the leadership of the Aurelius, the Augustus, and the Caesar Families.

    The treaty with the Shades had gone well, but the disaster striking the other sides of the 30,000 Worlds was making waves that could not be ignored.

    Helena remarked that Marcus was constantly on edge and had ordered the full military might of the Aurelius Family to operate on standby. She didn''t know exactly what the man she loved as a father nned on doing, and the worry she suffered as a result was heart-wrenching.

    Dorian felt powerless, but did everything he could tofort her. He informed her of all of his progress, building up an image of a fearless hero that had obtained absolute power.

    She didn''t sound fully convinced, but he could tell that his words had at least some positive impact.

    As he finished writing the letter, he nodded at it sharply and signed his name. In it, he''d let her know this would be hisst update for a while and shared how much stronger he had be. The letter had then gone on to be a bit sappy as he shared his feelings for her through a series of silly poems. He smiled as he looked at it, a feeling of relief washing over him.

    He didn''t n on dying anytime soon, but if the worst shoulde to pass, a letter like this wouldn''t be that bad of a final goodbye.

    After he finished writing out that letter, he slowly turned his attention to a smaller letter he had finished writing and set off to the side.

    It wasn''t another letter to Helena, but instead, a letter to Leader.

    After hearing back from Leader, he had responded with a few letters back and forth. All of the letters were possiblergely due to the well-connectedmunication system of the Aurelius Family, allowing him to purely focus on increasing his power while asionally writing short dispatches.

    After a few inquisitive questions, Leader had, eventually, admitted that he had decided to ally himself with, and join, the Demonic Council.

    Dorian''s shenanigans that saw himbeled as ''Obelisk'' the inheritor of the Demon Emperor had ingrained the Council to his will. The fact that they were now staunch supporters of him seemed enough to make Leader forgive them for any past transgressions.

    It was how Leader found out what he did about their actions and intentions.

    In fact, amusingly enough, Leader had been sent here by the Council to bring their greetings and inform him of the Council''s actions. Leader had said the Council was split between asking for his approval or inviting him to formally join them before sharing anything.

    Despite the authenticity they showed, power was something very few people were willing to give up, especially Demonic Cultivators. In the end, the Council hadpromised and simply told him everything, without asking for approval or demanding he join them.

    Their ancient ns to take revenge were already put into gear and nothing would stop them. The vengeance of a thousand years was not one that could go unrequited.

    ''Well, if I really went at it, I might be able to stop them, or at least adjust their ns.'' Dorian thought after a moment, considering. He didn''t n on doing that, not yet at least, however.

    They likely had a better grasp of their own powers and nning, far moreso than he did. It was probably wiser to let them n how to take on Yukeli on their own, while he focused on growing as powerful as possible.

    His eyes hardened after a moment.

    ''Even if they only slow Yukeli down, it might still be worth it.'' The thought was callous, but he faced it head-on. Yukeli was simply too much of a monster to look at with normal logic.

    After he finished writing both letters, he wrapped both of them up and prepared to have them delivered. All he needed to do was drop them off at a specific warehouse in the city, one where they would promptly be transported.

    After that¡­

    It would be time to leave.

    "The Aurelius Family intel better be right about this." He muttered quietly to himself as he thought about where he was going next.

    His first step to the Greater World of Monta involved returning back to Blizzaria.

    The Greater World of Monta was located on the other side of the 30,000 Worlds. If he travelled there by foot, it would take months, even if he moved in insanely quick spurts. The distance between there and here was so incrediblyrge it was difficult to fully fathom.

    However¡­ there were ways to move very quickly between different parts of the 30,000 Worlds. One of those methods involved the extremely abstruse andplex art of teleportation. Another involved the use of magical portals.

    The creation of any portal was extremely difficult, and it was even more difficult to sessfully program it to go anywhere, let alone somewhere specific.

    However, over the course of his travels and journey, Dorian just so happened to know where a certain magical portal was located.

    And, ording to the top-secret records held by the Aurelius Family, it was possible to redirect that portal to a location within the territory of the Draconic Tribes.

    Specifically, the Exotic World of Phenshrip, a only 4 World Bridges distant from the Greater World of Monta.

    A known as the ''Birthce of Giants.''

 Chapter 234: Reason

    Chapter 234: Reason

    Dorian took a deep breath, cold air cascading around him as he opened his eyes. A wave of energy shed out from his body, various Demonic Laws wavering in the air as he blinked.

    He was currently sitting next to the Traveling Ice Waterfall back on Blizzaria. Its frigid, crashing ice continued its ever-present, brutal descent, ignoring the powerful Demonic being sitting right next to it.

    After he sent off his letters, he finished all other misceneous things he needed to do and began his journey immediately. It had taken only a short period of time to cross the World Bridge to Blizzaria and reach this location. His speed had grown to such a monstrous degree, it was hard, even for Dorian, to truly appreciate.

    Before he left altogether, however, he decided to meditate onest time at Blizzaria''s World Phenomena. He had already used Taprisha''s World Phenomena as much as he could with his Demonic Laws. All he had left with those was to break through and reach Completion.

    His remaining Demonic Laws could use a little tempering, to ensure they were asplete as possible. Each one had finally reached the limit of 99%, just a step away from Completion.

    Thatst step, however, was proving extremely difficult to cross.

    Anomalies were gifted beings. Designed with the incredible knowledge of Ausra, the Wise Lady, and the boosted power and soul of Yukeli, it was not remiss to say there was no creature in all of the 30,000 Worlds better than an Anomaly when it came to Law sensing capacity orprehension speed.

    After all¡­ that was their entire, created purpose. Yukeli''s goal for them was to gather knowledge, experience, information, any and everything he might be able to use to help him achieve his ns, as quickly as possible.

    He would settle for nothing less than the best of the best, especially given his capacity as a literal Godking after he Ascended.

    However¡­ even with all of that said, stepping into Completion, the first step into King ss, was not something simple.

    Throughout all existence, the number of Lord ss experts numbered in at least the hundreds of millions. The 30,000 Worlds were huge, with countless trillions of beings dotting reality. The sheer number of Lord ss experts wasn''t huge inparison to the scale of reality, but there were still an extremely sizable number of them.

    King ss experts, however, numbered in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps a million or two at the absolute most. Dorian wasn''t certain on these numbers, but felt like they should be roughly urate.

    Just looking at the data, it could be seen how extremely difficult it was to take the final step and reach Completion for any Law, even if one was carefully guided by a powerful expert or an esoteric Inheritance.

    It wasn''t just a matter of studying and focus, but also one that required other factors. Experience, luck, or perhaps abination of both.

    Beyond Lord ss, King ss was simply a matter of umtion and the strength of one''s Soul Spell Matrix, soul, and willpower. Dorian''s soul was already extremely powerful and had little need to adapt to handling a veryrge amount of energy. His strength of will went without saying. As a result, his Soul Spell Matrix instantly shot to the Peak of King ss basically as soon as he broke through.

    And as for those that took a step further and reached Pseudo-Angelic, the total number did not exceed a few hundred. This final step, too, was absurdly difficult.

    All of this ounted for one of the main reasons why he was traveling to the Greater World of Monta, and the Main Academy of the Free School of Thunder.

    The Main Academy of the Free School of Thunder was a ce full of archaic and modern knowledge. It was considered one of the absolute best ces to train at when training in any type of Law and was renowned for its enormous knowledge stores.

    Even more than that, however, was the fact that the Free School of Thunder had recently announced that they were having a temporary open enrollment session in which anyone that passed certain requirements could make free use of their facilities.

    Hand in hand with that announcement was a second statement, dering that a huge store of knowledge had been discovered and had been added to their research facilities, open for all Students of Law, as enrollees were called, to use.

    Something like this was unprecedented, even for them. The Main Academy had a strict enrollment process and pursued background checks on anyone trying to enter it. For them to simply let anyone in, assuming they could pass a few easy requirements, at least in Dorian''s eyes, was extremely generous.

    However, he had gotten this information verified thanks to the Aurelius Family, and knew it was all true for sure. He vaguely suspected that Kdin had a hand in this, but he couldn''t know for sure. He had decided he would go look for the Thunder Saint when he visited.

    The timing of all of this practically screamed it was a response to Yukeli in Dorian''s opinion. It felt like it was too little and toote for most people, but at least he could still make use of it. It was pretty likely the information he needed on his Demonic Laws could be found here.

    He also had a second reason he wanted to visit the Free School of Thunder''s Main Academy.

    And it also had to do with his Laws.

    From history, he knew that Yukeli had already faced down a legendary warrior that used the Demonic Laws before: the Demon Emperor, a ruler of an entire race and the strongest Demon in existence. Dorian''s mastery was slowly inching its way to that same pedigree, but he held no illusions as to his battle prowess.

    He was going to need more than just the Demonic Laws, and the Origin Law of Original Sin, if he wanted to take on Yukeli.

    And that was where his Virtuous Laws came in.

    -

    Virtuous Laws

    -

    Law of Valor: 29%

    Law of Charity: 21%

    Law of Mercy: 27%

    Law of Chastity: 15%

    -

    Currently, he hadn''t mastered all of the Virtuous Laws, but instead onlyprehended part of four of them. His focus had been almost entirely on his Demonic Laws, but he had slightly managed to raise theprehension of some of his Virtuous Laws.

    He was certain there were seven Virtuous Laws, and also certain that there must be an Origin Law he couldprehend that would form from the merging of all seven Virtuous Laws.

    He had never heard of any great warrior that had mastered all seven Virtuous Laws. Thus, if he mastered all seven, that would likely ce him as the first Virtuous Master in the entire 30,000 Worlds.

    A master of the Demonic Laws and a master of the Virtuous Laws¡­ a Virtuous Master and a Demonic Master¡­

    What power would he hold if he could master both sets of Laws at the same time? If he mastered two separate Origin Laws? If he merged not only all of his Demonic Laws but also all of his Virtuous Laws together?

    Dorian had no idea. But he felt like thebination was bound to be something incredible.

    And if he wanted to take on Yukeli¡­ he would need something incredible.

    He exhaled onest time and then slowly stood up. He stretched out his arms and legs, flexing his hands as he warmed up slightly.

    He then turned his focus past the Traveling Ice Waterfall, to arge, inset stone doorway located nearby. His eyes zeroed in on it as he began to walk around the huge waterfall, making his way to it.

    It was the entrance to the Ice Keep.

    He crossed over to the doorway in a few moments, picking up the pace as he broke out into a jog. For Dorian, a jog was equivalent to an extreme sprint for most people. His perspective on speed had gradually shifted the more powerful he became.

    The doorway was as he remembered it. There was a massive,plicated-looking array of symbols on the front, a type of magical and resistant lock that warded off unwanted guests.

    Arial had gotten past this lock by using her innate Ability as a Lightsworn Fox, the Touching Light Ability, to melt through it.

    Dorian casually held out his right hand.

    A split secondter, a brilliant de made out of molten light appeared, causing a wave of steam to push out in the air as it reacted with the frozen air of Blizzaria. Dorian brought the weapon up close to the array, studying its effects.

    Just by having it near the array, he could see shes of energy reacting as some of the symbols lit up.

    After a second, he pushed the sword up against the array and ced it on top of it.

    Immediately, a burnt smell wafted out as the array reacted and began to melt, crackles of energy wracking the air.

    Dorian began to increase the pressure from the Touching Light sword, forcing it to bore into the array in a matter of seconds. The ground beneath him cracked slightly as he ced an enormous amount of strength into the simple movement.

    In just a single second more, the array trembled and then fell apart, a screeching sound splitting the air as the various symbols copsed. The entire construct was split in twain a millisecondter, the door sting apart to reveal the insides of the Ice Keep.

    Dorian snorted slightly as he saw this, deactivating his Touching Light Ability.

    It had taken Arial far more time to open this same array in what felt like so long ago. Dorian''s use of his Touching Light Ability, however, was naturally stronger, as was his physical prowess. The array had barely been able to restrain the current him, even when he was using only a fraction of his power.

    He walked past the shattered remains of the entrance without a second nce, his eyes cool as he moved into the Ice Keep.

    He found himself in a brightly lit entryway, ncing at sets of glowing white torches that were giving off a magical white me, coating a set of iced-over stone walls in a bright luster. The floor beneath him was made of fine, carved stone, and set with ornate patterns of Grakons doing various everyday actions, like walking, eating, sparring.

    Everything here was identical to his memories.

    It seemed even the self-destruction of this entire area had been nothing much to repair for Blizzaria''s odd, cursednds. He could vividly recall the concentrated power that had destroyed this area, forcing him to make a fast, dangerous escape.

    Dorian continued to walk forward, moving quickly.

    After walking past the entryway, he moved into arger, more resplendent hall. Hundreds of tables and chairs were spread out in this hall, some type of great feast room. The cold ice that covered everything gave this room an eerie appearance. All of the chairs and tables were oversized, made for creatures muchrger than them.

    As he moved through it, he paused slightly.

    Before, when he''d passed through this room with Arial, he hadn''t seen or noticed anything special.

    Now, however, his eyes narrowed as he looked at a table that was set at the very center of the room.

    This table didn''t look very different than any of the other ones. The only things that set it apart were the fact that it was situated at the exact center of the feast hall and that, unlike most of the other tables, there was only a single chair frozen next to this one.

    Dorian walked up to this table and looked down at it and its singr chair, a small smile appearing on his face.

    "Interesting."

 Chapter 235: Teleport

    Chapter 235: Teleport

    He looked up from the chair and over towards a stone doorway that led outside of the chamber. From his memory, he knew that that path led down a long, frozen corridor, and ended in arge, stone room, supported by several grand stone pirs.

    In there, he remembered seeing a long, faded and frozen red carpet lying down the middle of this room, leading to a raised stone tform where a lone, ck throne sat.

    That was the Throne Room of the Ice Keep.

    Arial had used her Touching Light Ability to stab into that throne, activating some type of magical circle to force the magical Red Portal down below to begin powering up. They had been forced to wait several hours for it to be fully charged, something that had led to Dorian having to fight a grand battle against a blind, King ss Grakon and a small army of Shades.

    At the time, he hadn''t known much about life in the 30,000 Worlds. He certainly didn''t know enough about how to activate an Artifact or portal, or anything of that type.

    Even now, Dorian still didn''t think he knew much.

    What he did know, however, was how to sense emanations of Law.

    And right now, he could see several very distinct lines of Law Energy all coagting upon this simple looking table.

    As he gazed at this and studied it, he began to gain an understanding of what this was. He could feel the energy coursing, and see it connect to the ground, the floor, the walls, and spread out to every part of the Ice Keep.

    Arial''s method of stabbing the throne to activate the Red Portal down below was, ultimately, a crude method. It involved leaving behind arge amount of damage that, while automatically repaired over time by the world of Blizzaria, was not the intended way to activate the Ice Keep.

    As Dorian studied this table, he could see that, for some odd reason, this set of furniture had been designated as the key control point for the Ice Keep.

    He had no idea why. It made perfect sense for the throne in the Throne Room to be the functional control point for the Ice Keep''s mysteries. For it to be a random table and chair seemed odd beyond belief.

    But who was he to question the design choice of the Grakons? He shrugged. He was sure they did this for some deeper reason, but he didn''t care enough to try and unfold the mysteries. As long as it worked, it worked. He''d leave the abstruse stuff to the Aurelius Family.

    His original n had been to recreate Arial''s actions and activate the Red Portal. Now, however¡­

    He walked over to the frozen chair and sat down in it, brushing aside arge amount of frigid ice. As he gotfortable, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

    Faintly, he began to spread out his senses, imbuing a small amount of energy into the table and chair.

    A warm, tingling sensation spread throughout his chest as he did so. Abruptly, he felt the chair and table he was sitting at begin to vibrate. Energy began to rush towards him, slowly picking up speed.

    Several seconds passed as the energy flooded to the table in front of him, gradually building up in size.

    Dorian watched this closely. After a few more seconds, he began to frown, however.

    ''It''s slow.'' The first thing he noticed was that it was taking a while for the energy to build up. He could sense that the table needed to gather arge amount of energy before it could activate.

    Right now, it was drawing energy from the air, concentrating power into itself.

    However, the rate it was doing this at was just too slow.

    At least, it was slow from Dorian''s perspective.

    For a regr person, an Artifact that possessed the power to condense energy from the air itself was something incredible. It was worthy of being a rare treasure, one that was almost self-sufficient in usage.

    Abilities like Dorian''s Hyperion Beam were extraordinarily rare. Artifacts with a simr function were also extraordinarily rare, mainly because creating any such Artifact was not only difficult, but also almost impossible to do if it was for an Artifact intended tost a long time.

    Condensing energy from the air wore away at an Artifact. Therefore, if one wanted to create something that wouldst a long time, it was necessary to put certain limits on such a tool to keep it from being overwhelmed after a few years.

    At its current rate of absorption, it would take at least a few hours for this table to gather enough energy to fully activate and be a control point that Dorian could manipte.

    Dorian began to understand why it had taken so long for the Red Portal to be usable, back when he and Arial had broken into the Ice Keep.

    ''Let''s see if I can speed it up a bit.'' He thought, his eyes narrowed as he reached out with his right hand. He rested the wed appendage atop the table, his ws clinking softly.

    He cast his senses into the table once more, able to feel the budding energy keenly. As he centered his mind on this energy, he began to exude energy from his soul. The power rushed through his veins and exited out of his right palm, absorbing directly into the frozen table.

    As soon as his energy began to appear, the entire feast hall was thrown into disarray.

    Steam flooded the air as the temperature around Dorian''s body jumped a solid 50 degrees. The raw heat given off by this energy transfer was enough to thaw out half the room, creating an odd, frozen fogscape.

    The heat didn''t affect the table or chair Dorian was sitting at. The energy he was outputting, however, did.

    In three seconds t, he pushed more than 100,000 units of energy into the table.

    The table ate everything he pushed into it up, its body trembling slightly, almost like a happy puppy devouring a hunk of juicy meat. The energy was smoothly absorbed into its central area, rapidly elerating its activation process.

    One more second passed as he pushed off 35,000 more units of energy.

    It was at this point, after a mere 4 seconds, that the table shifted and groaned slightly, refusing to ept any more energy. Dorian instantly stopped sending power, causing the billowing steam that had blown the feast hall into disarray to begin to cool.

    He ignored that, however, as a small smile appeared on his face.

    The instant the table became ''full,'' the control point for the Ice Keep had activated.

    A multitude of sensations flooded into Dorian''s mind as he detected, studied, and subsequently activated a line of energy that had reached out to connect with him. The line hade from the chair he was sitting at, linked with the table he had just filled with energy.

    This line pulsed several times every second, sending out hundreds of different waves of energy that spread out through the Ice Keep all around him. Dorian found that he could track each and every one of these lines, tracing them throughout the entirety of thisrge structure.

    He also found that he could spread his senses along these lines of energy, all at once simultaneously, allowing him to expand his line of sight to an immense degree, detecting everything present.

    Once he discovered he could do that, he promptly did.

    With one sweep of the entire structure, he could tell that he was the only living creature in the Ice Keep. There weren''t even any undead Grakons here, the area waspletely abandoned. The mysterious blind Grakon King that used to live here was nowhere to be seen.

    He also found out that this building was farrger than he had thought. It stretched for miles and miles underground, a huge fortress full of tens of thousands of differing rooms. It seemed to have been some type ofst-ditch defensive stronghold, designed to house an entire city if need be.

    In this search, he sensed a few small andrge treasure rooms, full of ancient, frozen-over treasure. After ncing them over with his senses, he ignored them, able to tell that their value was nothing that could interest him.

    He could see a few old libraries, granaries, bedrooms, feast halls, smitheries, and more, a veritable underground, frozen city that surpassed the city of Icicar above.

    The discovery he was most pleased with, however, was the fact that he could now teleport.

    ''Oh? I can move anywhere in the Ice Keep instantly?'' He discovered the rather useful perk almost immediately, the knowledge settling into his head automatically after he gained control.

    Anywhere there was a line of energy, he could transport himself to. If he wished, he could loot every single treasure room in just a few minutes, warping between them instantly.

    A power like this would save him from making the long trek through the maze of corridors that led to the Red Portal down below, something Dorian was more than willing to ept skipping.

    As he discovered his ability to teleport, he also understood, at least a little, why this table and chair was the control point.

    This table and chair seemed to be part of some type of ancient creation that predated this fortress. It was almost as if the entire fortress had been built around this table and chair, rather than the table and chair being built for the fortress.

    This feast hall seemed to be one of some type of historical significance. Dorian wasn''t aware of the intricacies of Grakon history, but this ce probably should''ve been some type of religious or ancestral holy site.

    This control point was also something that was moreplicated than it looked.

    From what Dorian could tell, there were hundreds of identical control points spread out around the castle in various replica feast halls. However, each of these control points had remnants of what clearly used to be some type of energy-based ''lock.'' Dorian wasn''t exactly sure how these points could''ve been ''locked'' but it was clear that they weren''t intended to be opened up and used by just anyone.

    These locks had long-since been drained and faded away. Unlike the general array on the front door of the Ice Keep, these ''locks'' used a very specific type of Law energy, one that Dorian didn''t recognize, to power themselves up. It seemed that the death-aspected energy of Blizzaria, constantly repairing and keeping everything in a state of homeostasis, had worn away the ''locking'' energy, leaving the Ice Keep open to maniption.

    It was because of this that Arial had seeded with her crude method of activating the Red Portal. And it was also because of this that Dorian could so easily gain ess to the Ice Keep''s control point.

    ''I''ll take it.'' Dorian wasn''t going toin about it, that was for sure. With a cheeky grin, his eyes began to glow with light as he activated the power of the Ice Keep.

    His body blurred, icy blue energy wrapping around it as he disappeared from the feast hall.

    An instantter, he found himself in another familiar-looking room.

    He hadnded on the ground in arge, mostly empty circr room, about 500 hundred meters across. A few grey stone pirs supported a ceiling far overhead, covered in, unsurprisingly, ice. The floor was made of some type of gold material, dotted intermittently with chunks of ice.

    At the center of this room and set into the ground was arge, 50 meter wide glowing red portal. The surface of this portal was calm and seemed to have depth, making it appear almost as if it was a still pool of water.

    From this portal, Dorian could sense strong fluctuations of energy, radiating with otherworldly power.

    Just like that, he''d arrived in the room that housed the Red Portal.

    Dorian gazed at it silently for a few seconds before sighing as he shook off the memories of the past. Instead, he focused on the present and the future.

    ording to the Aurelius Family, redirecting the Red Portal to reach the Birthce of Giants wasn''t veryplicated. The key to doing thisy in the city the Red Portal was originally designed to connect to, Dragonmount City.

    Back when Dorian first moved through the portal, it had been rather destabilized and his teleportation had been a haphazard, dangerous asion, forced by the immediate danger of the Ice Keep''s impending self-destruction. As a result, he ended up teleporting to an area outside of Dragonmount City, instead of his intended destination.

    And it was in that city''s far outskirts that he had been rescued by the B Rated Warrior Woman mercenary team. He could remember the infuriating powers the leader of that team studied, a technique that gave her a ''Lucky State'' simr to Dorian''s own maniption of Fate, allowing for odd coincidences to match up.

    This odd encounter was what eventually led to him meeting Leader, and much of what had happened to him in his journey today. Even if he could go back now, he wasn''t sure if he would. His encounters with Helena, the boosts and powers he''d gained, allies he''d made¡­ all of these things and more would likely diverge a great deal.

    However¡­

    This time around, his teleportation should take him to his intended location. The receiving portal that was located in Dragonmount City, hidden away within one of the mysterious, fog-covered mountains that dotted thends inside the city grounds.

    And it was there that he could find what he needed to redirect the portal to take him to the Phenshrip.

    Dorian walked up to the edge of the glowing pool of energy, his eyes calm. He studied the fluctuations briefly, noting how they shivered. It faintly reminded him of how he had teleported back when he was on the Blighted World of Moria, warping between Demonic Inheritances.

    It also felt slightly simr to the fluctuations his Warping Turkey form gave off when it teleported. He shuddered slightly at the vague memories he held of his time using that cursed, brain-restricted form. He made a firm mental promise to only use that form again if he absolutely had to.

    Everything seemed to be in order. His rapid activation of the Ice Keep hadn''t made any unintended changes, at least, not as far as he could tell.

    With that thought in mind, he smiled and took one final step forward, his eyes shing with eager light.

    And then, without a whit of hesitation, Dorian dived headfirst into the Red Portal.

    .

 Chapter 236: Alliance

    Chapter 236: Alliance

    "¡­why would I dive through it headfirst? Am I an idiot?" Dorian rubbed specks of ice and dirt off his face as he grumbled, his voice tinged with irritation. A feeling of whish rested in his head, the abrupt teleportation from a stable portal working far better than the unstable one he used in the past.

    He stood up from the floor, ring at the ground for a few moments before looking up. His eyes flicked to the left and right as he checked out his environment.

    Unlike the first time, where he''d dived through an unstable portal that had teleported him to a random cave, Dorian had arrived in a proper portal room, if that was what he could call it.

    It was arge, archaic stone chamber that was covered in dust. The walls were covered with strange, faded markings, while the floor was made of stained white stone. In the middle of the room, arge pool-like structure existed, filled with nothing currently.

    Dorian hadnded several meters off to the side of the empty pool, in a heap on the ground.

    Above him, a small, fading red hole floated in the air, giving off light. This hole rapidly faded away to nothing, vanishing as the portal deactivated.

    "Hmm. So it left me off in the right ce." Dorian muttered as he looked at the empty pool. This was the right spot. That was the portal he needed to redirect, to send himself over to the Phrenship.

    "So that means I''m in Dragonmount City right now." Dorian began to walk towards the one entrance he could see, arge pair of stone doors set in the farthest wall from him.

    His movements were, to him, ''casual walking,'' but he moved at such an incredibly fast speed, that any onlooker would''ve thought it was someone sprinting at their fastest. It took him only a couple of seconds to reach the doorway and push it open, revealing a long, empty hallway.

    Dorian looked around carefully as he walked, tracing down small emanations of Law that he was able to detect. He began to move down the hallway, humming quietly to himself.

    His path quickly became a meandering one, with many twists and turns as he walked through the maze of hallways. It quickly became clear that this portal, just like the Red Portal back in Icicar, was hidden underground in a secure stronghold.

    But, just like the other one, Dorian could feel simr lines of energy that ran throughout theplex. If he spread his senses out, he could easily find and follow these lines. Going by how Icicar''s castle had worked, he would probably find a control point he could use to activate the portal back near where he''d started.

    And once he got the portal turned on, he would be able to redirect it and continue his journey.

    He wouldn''t even need to leave the stronghold or look at Dragonmount City.

    He sighed slightly when he considered that.

    The undead that lived on Blizzaria lived torturous lives. Killing them all would be a blessing, for while there seemed to be seemingly limitless numbers of undead, only so many actually existed. The curse that affected everyone here was an extremely powerful one, but it wasn''t all-powerful.

    After all, despite returning to Icicar City, he''d never run into that King ss Grakon from befo-

    Just as Dorian was having this line of thought, he paused.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "No way¡­" He muttered, his face wrinkling up.

    In his mind, Dorian was constantly pouring over hundreds of faint emanations of Law, tracking and categorizing everything he sensed. And in the midst of those hundreds and hundreds of different lines of energy¡­

    Dorian found one that felt rather familiar.

    Extremely familiar, in fact.

    Dorian''s path abruptly veered upward as he moved off track, racing towards one particr energy resonance. He raced up several stairways, and eventually sted his way through multiple different floors, all till he reached the first main floor of this stronghold.

    A small shower of dust and stone coated the air as Dorian sted through one final stone floor, coughing slightly as he appeared in the middle of an archaic throne room. The design of this room matched the one he had seen on Icicar, looking regal and old.

    "Well, I''ll be. You actually were here." Dorianughed out loud as he looked at the creature that was currently sitting on the throne.

    Arge, armored Grakon that gave off a rippling, King ss Aura. This Grakon''s eyes glowed dimmer than other Grakons, and he only had one arm, but the presence he gave off was that matched his personality in life. Arrogant and mighty.

    He was Aristodemus the Coward, the ruler of Icicar City.

    The Grakon that Dorian had fought, and nearly died fighting, so long ago, ending the battle by sending the warrior through the Red Portal and severing its right arm.

    -

    Species: Grakon (Desated)

    ss - King ss (Late)

    Maximum Energy Level: 2,314,630

    -

    "So this is where you finally ended up." Dorian shook his head as he saw this. The Grakon King had probably been warped to the outskirts of Dragonmount City like Dorian, but somehow found its way to this stronghold. Maybe it had stayed here because of how simr it was to the Ice Keep, Dorian wasn''t sure.

    The Grakon King, in the meanwhile, was not just sitting still. The undead creature seemed to have been shocked by Dorian''s abrupt arrival, causing it to freeze up for a split second. After that, however, the creature jumped into motion, bellowing out loud as it rushed at Dorian.

    Its body rapidly grew as it expanded, its head almost touching the tall ceiling as it pulled out a gigantic greatsword, easily 3 times Dorian''s height. Despite only having one arm, the monster mmed the sword down at Dorian with great skill. A rush of wind sted through the throne room from the sheer force of the attack, setting the air to cascade about.

    BOOM

    An explosion of energy rocketed in the air as the huge de cut downward and smashed directly into Dorian¡­

    And then stopped as he casually caught it in his open palm.

    The floor beneath him did not shatter, nor did he move even an inch, despite his much smaller stature. The entire impact from the attack seemed to have been fully absorbed and blocked, leaving Dorianpletely unscathed.

    "I really should have died the first time we fought. Man, I got lucky." Dorian shook his head as he clenched his hand, his palm sping around the de and holding it in an iron vice. He was imbued with the power of various Laws, raising his already considerable strength to an unbelievable level.

    "That''s Fate for ya, though." With a small, sweeping motion, Dorian took the de and ripped it backwards, causing it to fly free from the King ss Grakon''s grasp. The Grakon stumbled forward, falling down to one knee at the force of Dorian''s movement.

    The moment the sword was out of the Grakon''s grasp, it rapidly began to shrink. Before it finished, however, Dorian absorbed it, stealing a small amount of Growth Energy from the Artifact as he sighed,

    "Get some rest, old foe." He attacked the Grakon back, letting go of any anger or annoyance he felt at the past enemy.

    He didn''t activate any fancy techniques or magical powers, any strong Abilities or use any powerful Artifacts. Instead, he simply jumped up to reach the Grakon''s chest and punched out with his right fist.

    His fist hit the Grakon¡­

    And then drilled an enormous, gaping hole through the undead creature''s chest, sending it flying across the room to smash into a wall. The undead being then sted through that wall, sending out shards of ice and stone as it literally fell to pieces. Crackles of energy echoed out as the leftover power of Dorian''s punch fluttered in the air, causing the entire room to tremble.

    Just like that, the King ss Grakon perished, killed in a single hit.

    "If I had the time, I would do that for all of your brethren here." Dorian muttered under his breath, turning his focus to therge throne. His eyes narrowed as he studied it. In the background, he absorbed any energy he could out of habit from the dead Grakon.

    Unlike the throne in the Icicar stronghold, this one actually appeared to be a full control point. Dorian walked up to it as he nced it over, checking to find a certain point.

    "Ah!" He smiled slightly as he reached over to the side of the throne, to an unremarkable, in spot.

    As soon as he touched it, he imbued a small amount of energy into it. He immediately began to feel a warm, tingling sensation spread through his chest, just as before. Vibrations spread out and energy rushed towards him. He then began to pour energy into the throne, causing the entire hall to be thrown into disarray.

    He had to push roughly 100,000 units of energy into the throne, just like he had with the table in Icicar. But as a result, he managed to fully activate the Artifact, and the various Arrays that were connected to it.

    He then reached out and connected to a line of energy he felt, one that drew all the way back down to the portal room he had arrived in.

    "Gotcha." He smiled as he activated it. At the same time, he swept his senses through this new stronghold, ncing around it. He found quite a number of undead Grakon, a few treasure rooms, some interesting tombs, but nothing that he cared for at the moment. It wasrge, but not asrge as Icicar''s Ice Keep.

    "Now¡­ I need to imagine that I''m trying to invade the ''Giants''¡­" Dorian muttered out loud as he concentrated, forming an image in his head. These were the instructions he''d been given if he wanted to shift the ce he would be teleported to.

    As he raised this image in his mind, the line of energy he was grasping on to trembled. Dorian abruptly felt a sizable feeling of strain settle upon his shoulders as a tremendous force tried to push him off.

    He frowned and directly pushed back, once more pouring forth energy. 100,000 units¡­ 200,000¡­ 500,000¡­ Dorian pushed a full 1.4 million points of energy along this line, simultaneouslybining it with hismand to change the portal''s final destination.

    The throne room continued to flutter with energy, but none of it touched Dorian. Instead, he was an oasis of calm in a sea of raging currents.

    Finally, as thest of the energy Dorian poured into the throne was absorbed, Dorian felt something shiver. He could keenly sense the portal that had activated down below, and knew, somehow, that something about it had changed.

    The portal''s destination was no longer the Dragonmount''s sister city of Icicar.

    ''It worked.'' Dorian smiled.

    WHOOSH

    With a simple thought, Dorian vanished from the throneroom, teleporting along the control point''s connecting line. He then reappeared in the room that housed the portal, transferring alongside it.

    Dorian blinked as he looked around the portal room, his eyes zeroing in on the new Red Portal before him.

    It glowed, just like the previous one, with rich red light, giving off faint sparks of energy and powerful emanations of Law. This particr portal seemed to flutter far fiercer than the other one, visible waves of electricity rising off it in crackling arcs.

    "Well then. Let''s step to it. This should work¡­" Dorian nodded as he walked up to the portal, ignoring the shing lights and cracking energy.

    And, without further ado, he hopped in. This time, not head first.

    A sh of light covered his eyes. The world around him distorted as he vanished, energy covering his body in waves of power.

    Teleporting from Icicar to Dragonmount City had been an almost instantaneous process. It had happened so quickly, likely due to how both cities were on the same, that Dorian hadn''t had time to truly experience Blizzaria''s type of cross portal teleportation.

    This time, however, Dorian was able to keenly feel out the process. It wasn''t the same as how he teleported back on Moria, when he was warping between Demonic Law Inheritances. The energy that covered his body was warm andfortable, not the least bit threatening.

    It almost felt like he was being covered by a warm nket, wrapped up and tucked away as his body hurtled through space.

    ''Hmm¡­ is my perception of time distorted here?'' The thought processed in Dorian''s mind as he blinked, unable to think clearly. He felt like his body was stretching and tugging forward, moving without control as he teleported. He couldn''t tell where he was, or how long he was taking, only that it was still happening.

    And then, jarringly, it was over.

    He finished teleporting, falling down to the ground out of nowhere. The warm feelings fled as gravity, space, and time all turned back to normal, realitying to exist around him.

    "Ugh¡­" Dorian blinked as hended on one knee, looking around unsteadily. He clutched at his head as a headache settled in, a small bacsh from teleporting through space and time hitting him. He let go, a moment after, as his body regenerated and cleared the headache up, leaving his mind clear.

    "Huh." Dorian looked down at his wed feet. He was standing in the middle of a pile of snow. Small, white particles of more snow rained down on him as he gathered his bearings, clumping up on his shoulders.

    "I''m on a mountain." He stated the obvious.

    His teleportation journey had ended atop the middle of arge, mountain peak. Around him, he could see severalrge clouds drifting nearby, and a few up overhead, leaking snow. Off to his left and right, this mountain range continued, dozens of towering edifices marching off to the horizon.

    "Hold on¡­" He muttered as he got a closer look at a nearby mountain. He frowned as he stared at it, feeling as if his sense of scale was skewered.

    The mountain was huge. The closer he looked at it, however, the farther away he realized it was. At first, it looked like it was just a couple thousand meters distant from him, at the most. He was atop a veryrge mountain of his own, after all.

    But the more he studied it, his precise eyesight allowing him to gather every detail, the more he realized how far it was.

    It was at least 10,000 meters distant, and probably more. The only reason it looked like it was right next to him was because of its sheer size.

    These mountains¡­ they were enormous. They were gigantic. They were at least 3 times the size of any regrrge mountains Dorian was aware of, thergest mountains he had ever seen.

    They were giant.

    "Yes." Dorian exhaled sharply, a grim smile appearing on his face.

    He had made it to the Exotic World of Phenshrip, the Birthce of Giants.

    As he studied the world around him, he realized how beautiful it was.

    Enormous mountainsrge enough to pierce past the lower ranges of clouds and up into the sky above, beautiful valleys that stretched for kilometers, vast trees that stood taller than any other tree Dorian had seen¡­

    Everything here was a sight to behold. A world destined to be inhabited by humungous beings, where creatures of Dorian''s size stood out.

    Even now, Dorian could make out several oversized goats moving down the mountain rtively near him. If he spread his senses further, he would be able to make out a litany of huge animals, each one ferocious and powerful in its own right.

    Most Giants had died out long ago, their race a fallen one. Still, the world and beasts they left behind carried on their oversized heritage, a sight truly one to behold.

    Dorian ignored all of this, his interestpletely taken up by what he saw to his left. In the faint distance, he could make out a massive World Bridge, fading into this''ste evening light.

    "They said I should arrive in the Houdoin Mountain Range and¡­" Dorian nced around,

    "They appear to be right." The Aurelius Family''s research and information had truly proven its worth to Dorian.

    ''That''s it, then. Let''s go.'' His body began to blur as he rushed towards the World Bridge, his final destination the Free School of Thunder.

    ''There isn''t a moment to waste.''

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Arthur Telmon was having a bad day.

    "What can we possibly do? How can he be that powerful? My armies, my Walls, they were wiped out like they were nothing." He spoke quietly to himself as he paced back and forth through a small clearing, his pace downtrodden. He had built up his multi-world nation over the past 400 years, creating a force that could dominate practically half of the universe.

    His legendary Magic talent and obsession with growing stronger, alongside his unique personality, had earned him the title ''Mad King.'' He was feared, known to all of reality. His enemies spoke his name in whispers, while his allies kept his words in their hearts.

    And yet¡­ for all of that, he could not figure out a way to defeat a single man.

    "Am I really the only one that would stand a chance..?"

    Off to his right, a small, grey pir rose up in the middle of the forest clearing he was pacing in. Several small trees dotted the area, partially obscuring a set of ancient stone ruins, covered in mysterious hieroglyphics. It was his favorite hideout, where he often went to think.

    Out in the distance, roughly twenty miles away, an enormous floating edifice could be seen. It was a huge, stone tform that stretched dozens of miles wide, made up of pale white stone, supported by thousands of streams of white light, floating several hundred meters high in the sky.

    Upon this stone circle were tens of thousands of buildings, pces, and all sorts of structures. A chaotic, expansive city, soaring in the sky. Tens of thousands of figures could be seen, flying in the sky to and fro near the city. His home, Heavenseeker City. The holynd of Wizards, where spellcasters went to seek the heavens, and the capital of the Borel Autarchy.

    Telmon sighed as he looked out at his city, shaking his head grimly. He moved over to the lone pir in the clearing, jumping up atop it and sitting down.

    Before he did anything else, however, his eyes narrowed. He turned his head slightly to the right, zeroing in on something.

    "Oho, you found me. The Wizard King truly lives up to his name." A slightly sarcastic voice echoed out between the shadows of a tree, several dozen meters away from Telmon.

    "Interesting. It is as if you appeared out of nowhere." Telmon responded slowly, leaning his chin on his fist.

    "Who are you? What do you want?" Arthur''s voice was cold, giving off a feeling that he would brook no argument.

    "I''m someone with the same goal as you." A in-looking man stepped out from the shadows, dressed in a set of simple grey clothes, equipped with a small dagger on his waist. He didn''t look like anything special, yet when Arthur saw him, he frowned all the more.

    "And I''m here with a simple offer." Mello''s eyes glowed, giving off a sense of depth and power that was unfathomable as he continued,

    "I''d like to propose an alliance."

 Chapter 237: Split Paths

    Chapter 237: Split Paths

    Dorian breathed in deeply and then exhaled. The rush of air fell from his lips and dissipated into the gale of wind he left behind as he moved forward, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings for any potential attack by an enemy.

    He was currently half sprinting/half flying across a forested World Bridge, using his Aura to cling down as he zed forward. He simultaneously maintained his Super State and his Speedy State, taking this opportunity to bnce practicing both of them.

    His Speedy State still attempted to make him reject all other forms of energy, but Dorian''s practice using it had begun to pay off. He was now able to partially ''speed up'' the energy he got from the Law of Pride''s Super State, letting him integrate the power.

    He had, by no means, mastered this yet. He was only able to reproduce around 10% of his Super State''s normal effects while operating in his time-elerated Speedy State. But even that was great progress considering the amount of time he''d had to practice.

    Dorian''s right foot elegantly tapped down on the top of a tall oak tree. In his Empyrean Vampire form, everything he did couldn''t really help but look elegant. He was using this form, instead of his Bnce Demon form, as a way to help him focus on bncing his Speedy State and his Super State without relying on that form as a crutch.

    He didn''t let himself use any of his other active powers, he solely drew upon these two Laws and their respective States. Right now, the one thing he needed the most practice in was using the power of various Laws.

    The moment he stepped on the tree, he immediately jumped forward, rocketing through the air as he sted off down the length of the World Bridge.

    The tree he jumped on copsed into fractured pieces of wood as it literally sted apart. However, thanks to his careful control, there was no massive shockwave destroying a hundred meters ofnd or anything like that. Merely, the tree suffered a silent, grievous end.

    It took more energy to prevent something like that, but Dorian didn''t want to identally wipe anyone out as he jogged by. Ever since he grew this powerful, this had actually cropped up as an issue he wanted to prevent. He didn''t want to have to deal with the guilt of killing someone innocent simply because he was impatient.

    The Exotic World of Phenshrip was a beautiful with a rich history, one that Dorian mostly ignored as he ran by. He didn''t let himself explore it or even take that many looks at it as he rushed through it and onto the World Bridge that connected to a neighboring, zing forward without hesitation.

    Dorian had then crossed that World Bridge, arrived on another and promptly left it as he moved onto another World Bridge, making absurdly quick progress.

    And now he could already see the end of this World Bridge, his mad rush paying off.

    In terms of time, Dorian had been running for more than 24 hours straight. He could move extremely quickly, but when it came to crossing tens of thousands of miles, even he had to take his time.

    His body and mind felt fine, theck of sleep having no effect on him; One of the perks of being an abnormally powerful Anomaly. In the time that he had been running, he was constantly bncing the Law of Pride and the Law of Lust, trying to sessfullybine the two States.

    Perhaps if he had been able to do this before, he might have fared better against Zero and stopped Mello¡­ He tossed the thought from his mind, noting that it was counterproductive. He needed to focus on what he could do right now.

    "This is¡­ the Lesser World of Kale, right?" Dorian spoke to himself as he squinted, his Demonic Eyes piercing forward through ayer of fog.

    Past the end of this World Bridge, Dorian could make out arge, sweeping ocean. A plethora of sea life dotted the insides of this ocean, nothing escaping Dorian''s gaze. Blue colored dolphins,rge, green sharks with three fins, a giant squid hiding curiously close to the World Bridge''s shoreline¡­

    He could see a veritable kingdom of life living underwater.

    "Yeah, that''s Kale." Just a few heartbeatster, Dorian finished crossing the World Bridge and arrived at its end.

    This World was a curious, ording to the intel the Aurelius had gathered. Some argued that it should be considered an Exotic World while others argued that it was merely a special Lesser World.

    It was a small that was roughly 95% covered in water. There were two small kingdoms that inhabited the, both seafaring nations that warred with one another. Because there weren''t any particrly lucrative resources on the world, it was left on its own.

    Dorian mentally adjusted as he leapt away from the World Bridge, feeling gravity shift and turn downward. He kept using solely the Law of Pride and the Law of Lust as he jumped out, falling towards the water below.

    ''Transform.'' His body abruptly shifted, ayer of light blurring around him for a split second.

    A momentter, his Empyrean Vampire form was reced with his Sun Eagle form in all its majestic glory, literal mes falling from its wings as he pped several times to regain his sense of bnce.

    ''Let''s see¡­'' He thought, looking to his left and right as he used his perfect memory to consult a map of this.

    ''If I fly in that direction for around 1700 miles, I''ll find the next World Bridge.'' He instantly began to soar forward, his Sun Eagle form sting through the sky like a jet. He winced as a shockwave expanded out behind him, forgetting that when he went this fast, he would explosively break the sound barrier if he wasn''t careful.

    He didn''t actually forget this, his perfect memory prevented that, but the thought had been stored in the back of his mind and left out of his immediate focus.

    ''After I cross this, there are only two mores left.'' He was making great time. At this rate, he would reach his final destination in less than 48 hours. He might have to slow down and take a small break while he flew to regain some energy, but at the rate he was absorbing energy and replenishing his energy supplies, he''d only need to do that once.

    "Alright, then. Full speed ahead! Our next stop, Monta!" The words came out of his Sun Eagle''s beak as an unintelligible warble, but Dorian didn''t care as he smiled (a horrifying grimace in his Sun Eagle form) and shot through the air, determination burgeoning in his heart.

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    Meanwhile¡­

    .. .. .. .. .. ..

    On the Lesser World of Twinto, a on the border between the Shade Empire and the Aurelius Family''s territory, there existed a small valley.

    This valley was wedged between a series ofrge hills, each one dotted with grass. There wasn''t a tree within a dozen miles of this valley, giving the area a rather picturesque sight.

    In this valley was an ancient stone building. It had grey, faded walls, a white tiled roof, and severalrge, open windows that let in light. No animals, not even bugs, existed within 100 meters of this ancient house, making it give off a slightly unnatural feeling.

    Within this decrepit one-floor home, an old marble table was set up, surrounded by a dozen wooden chairs. Sitting around this table were half a dozen cloaked figures arguing with each other.

    "I say weunch a frontal assault. The Destroyer is a tough foe, but if we go all out, our chances should be high as long as we work together!" The burly figure of Damal, the Demonic Master of Pride, shook slightly as he spoke aloud, his voice filled with emotion.

    "Damal, the entire 2nd Main Division of the Borrel Autarchy went for a frontal assault, aided by three of the Autarchy''s Walls, one of them an Angelic ss expert, and still failed. A frontal assault isn''t going to cut it." Hallow''s blue eyes glowed as he adjusted the gold mask he wore, ignoring the blue essence that floated off of his hands. He kept his voice cool and logical, attempting to be the voice of reason.

    "He has a point, though, Hallow. How<em>are</em>we going to kill him?" A sultry voice cut in as Prisci, the Mistress of Lust, added her own reply. She sat across the table from Damal, dressed in a shadowy robe that did nothing to hide her fantastic figure. She kept her face hidden, as did all the members of the Demonic Council, a white mask shielding her features.

    Hallow rubbed his forehead, unable toe up with a response. They had debated this topic seemingly endlessly for days on end.

    "Well, waiting for Leader to finish his scouting mission will be a good start. We can base our ns on what he manages to uncover." Hallow pivoted to the only real n they had managed to agree on.

    "We have no guarantee he''ll find anything of value, though, no? It''s like I said before, we should have spread our own teams out in a wide. At least that way we''d get something." The obese Master of Sloth, and one of the Shadow Dukes of the Shade Empire, Duke Orbit jutted in his own opinion as he held a ss of wine in his hand, taking a long draw from it.

    "I think he shows promise. Lord Obelisk would never allow an ipetent warrior to serve him." The Master of Gluttony, the elderly Baron Radishow, bit back at Duke Orbit, his tone frosty. Of all of the members of the Council, after Leader, Baron Radishow was Dorian''s most fervent supporter.

    "I still think we should ransack the Empire''s treasuries, load up on Artifacts, and set out multiple minefields of traps. We can never win in a direct fight, even if we use our final trump card." Kandor''s, the Master of Greed''s, raspy voice added on to Baron Radishow''s opinion, contrary to what Damal wanted.

    Hallow sighed as he held his head in his hands, frustration welling up.

    The Council was finally willing to work together after all of these years, and they had even gained a new member¡­

    But they simply could not decide on what to do. They had met several times to discuss this and<em>still</em>hadn''t managed to form a consensus.

    "Perhaps we should reach out to Lord Obelisk." Hallow offered up a new line of thought as he went on,

    "The true Great Lord is no doubt nning his own attack on the Destroyer."

    Baron Radishow offered his immediate approval, while the other Councilmembers began to argue. Most of them seemed to want to solve this issue on their own, despite their appreciation of Lord Obelisk. This was the sacred mission of the Demonic Council, something they had been raised to prepare for their entire lives.

    However, just as the arguing was getting intense, as Hallow was about to break in and settle things down¡­

    WHOOSH

    A sh of light caused everyone to freeze up.

    A split secondter, a glowing blue portal appeared in the air. The edges of this portal seemed to merge with reality itself, a hole ripped in space and giving off energy.

    From this portal emerged the figure of a in-looking man, dressed in a set of simple grey clothes, with a small dagger on his waist.

    For some reason, Hallow found this figure''s appearance surprisingly difficult to remember. If nothing else, he was apletely forgettable humanoid that had no features that stood out.

    None of the Councilmembers panicked. Instead, 6 overwhelmingly strong Demonic Auras st out into the air as they all stood up. The air was wracked with energy, visible distortions rippling as they all prepared to either attack to defend themselves.

    "Greetings, those of the Great Council. I havee in peace." The grey figure''s voice remained perfectly calm and assured as he spoke, as if he wasn''t in an extremely precarious position.

    Hallow stared at the figure, as did the others. He then exchanged nces with a few of them before taking a step forward.

    "Youe in peace, yet drop in without warning? You have little regard for decorum." Hallow''s heart was pounding. For a split second, he had thought it had been HIM.

    "s, in this day and age, decorum is a luxury I have no time to afford." The grey figure shook his head as he continued,

    "I havee here with an offer for you all." Mello''s stolen eyes glinted as he spoke, unfathomable power rippling within them,

    "It concerns a mutual enemy of ours¡­"

    .

 Chapter 238: Solace Hall

    Chapter 238: Sce Hall

    "Red Dangos for sale, 3 silver each! Get em fresh!"

    "Selling Preparatory Packets, 12 silver for two!"

    "Get yourself a Muric Herb, it''s 20 silver, but will boost your mind power!"

    Dorian soaked in the yells and shouts of the busy street he was walking on, taking everything in. He kept his guard up as he moved, secretly scanning his surroundings.

    A smooth, grey stone-paved road spread out around him. The stores on this street were all lively and colorful, with clear ss windows and bright signs below blue or green tiled roofs. There was a certain festive echo in the air from the live music that serenaded the street, fluttering in the background as hundreds of passersby moved along the road.

    Humans, Shades, Aethmen, a veritable plethora of humanoid species walked on by, dressed in a wide assortment of clothes.

    Dorian had joined them in a in, unassuming looking human form, blending into the wild crowd.

    And, as he moved down the street, his eyes trailed over to what sat at the end of the street.

    An enormous castle that seemed to defy gravity as half of it protruded hundreds of meters high into the sky. It was a tall tower, withrge connected chunks simply hanging in the air with seemingly almost zero support. Sparks of energy floated off of eight huge yellow stones that were imnted on each of the eight outstretched and floating arms that stood high in the sky.

    The castle was made from ck stone that had grown cracked and faded with time, but gave off a majestic appearance simply because of the shape of the odd building.

    It was thergest facility Dorian had ever seen here in the 30,000 Worlds. Alongside its enormous height, it stretched more than 500 meters long and wide, a massive edifice that could easily house tens of thousands of students.

    And it was his ultimate goal from the start of this journey.

    The Free School of Thunder.

    Three days had passed since he had crossed over the Lesser World of Kale.

    In that time, Dorian had zed a trail at a rate few, if any, creatures could match. His movement had been uninterrupted for the most part, no creature in existence daring to stop him. After crossing twos and three World Bridges, he had finally arrived on the he''d needed to.

    The Greater World of Monta.

    His first impression of the Greater World of Monta had been a simple one.

    ''It really is huge.'' It had taken him an entire day to travel from the World Bridge he''d arrived on over to Knowledge City, the home of the Free School of Thunder.

    He could cross mosts in merely a few hours, yet to cross roughly 30% of the Greater World of Monta, it had taken 20 hours.

    This was the key characteristic of any Greater World.

    They were giant, enormouss that could house countless billions of creatures. Despite the''s massive scale, gravity acted with the same force as it would on a Lesser World, one of the magical aspects that made life on a Greater World possible.

    Monta was a veritable paradise of a. It was covered in mountain ranges, rivers,kes, forests, and grassy ins. Powerful beasts roamed thend, but mostly stuck to mountains and forests, leaving the open ins to the various humanoid species.

    Within Knowledge City, Dorian could sense arge number of powerful figures. The number of King ss experts in the city was at least in the triple digits, an astonishingly high number.

    Most of them seemed to be concentrated all on the grounds of the Free School of Thunder, something that didn''t surprise Dorian.

    ''So this is the school Kdin created, huh?'' Dorian mused silently as he walked ever closer to the towering edifice at the end of the street.

    The front gates of the school were currently swarming with people. There must''ve been at least a thousand people waiting and talking, standing in several long lines out front. There was arge courtyard set just in front of the entrance, where people could stand and wait exactly as they were.

    He could see a number of tables and chairs set out, with more than 20 brown-robed monks sitting patiently. Each monk had several books and sheaths of paper with them and were talking to the people that came up in an engaging manner. From a single nce, Dorian could tell that each of these monks was a Lord ss expert, none of them weaklings.

    Dorian nodded when he saw this.

    This all matched what he knew.

    The Free School of Thunder had announced that they were essentially giving out information, training, and manuals for free, and anyone that wanted toe was free toe here and study. This elite school had typically been a secretive organization that had high recruitment standards. For them to open up so quickly out of the blue¡­

    Well, it was certainly convenient for him.

    ''Could that be Kdin''s doing?'' The fact that the Thunder Saint had returned from the seeming dead was a fact that had not yet spread to the general public, as far as he could tell.

    Dorian continued to walk towards the towering castle. The closer he got to it, the more he could sense the presences of the various King ss experts inside. Some of them seemed to be meditating, while others were practicing intently. He could even sense a few of them fighting.

    ''None of them are stronger than me, though.'' He thought after a few seconds, causing him to smile. His energy level was almost overwhelmingly strong at this point.

    He carefully scanned over each of those energy presences, trying to pick out any familiar ones. None of the ones he detected felt exactly like any of the ones he knew, leading him to conclude he didn''t actually know anyone here. It wasn''t too surprising of a realization, in the end.

    After he finished that, he studied the long line out front for a few moments in consideration before shaking his head slightly. He then turned down an alley between a bakery and a fine ss-ware shop, slipping off of the main street.

    This part of Knowledge City was well maintained, with no litter, garbage, or anything of that nature coating the floor. Dorian had been quite impressed when he first found the city, first by its scale, spanning more than two dozen miles in length, and then by its cleanliness and sheer variety.

    He''d passed by more than a dozen hospitals, where people applied Light Magic to heal the injured, multiplerge schools, free public housing, and more. From what he had been told, this city was entirely self-sufficient, a type of City-State that depended on the Free School of Thunder for funding.

    This was the closest ''ideal'' city he hade across.

    Dorian waited for a couple of moments as people walked past his alley. Finally, after a few moments, when no one was looking his way¡­

    WHOOSH

    He vanished.

    ''Man, I''ll never get used to this form.'' Dorian blinked as he closed and opened his eyes, looking around him.

    He could see nothing.

    This wasn''t unexpected, given that he had just transformed into his Grey Mantor form and simultaneously activated its Ability to step outside of both Fate and reality.

    The sensation of having everything disappear, one''s very connection with reality vanish, was incredibly unnerving. Dorian could not feel even a single thing, all of the energy presences he had so keenly detected vanishing as if they had never been. He couldn''t hear anything, see anything, smell anything, nothing.

    After a few seconds, however, a frown appeared on his face.

    It was true that he could not feel anything here¡­ but for some odd reason, something was fluttering at the edge of his senses. A vaguely familiar sensation that he couldn''t quite ce, as if it was too distant for him to fully notice.

    The feeling eventually vanished, leaving him alone once more.

    "Ah well, let''s get to it." He muttered to himself as he began to take several confident steps forward, using his force of will to move through the nothingness, only limited by his imagination.

    By using his perfect memory, he could track an exact path that would lead him directly where he wanted. His mind power was more than enough to handle plotting everything, and given that he was literally stepping through reality right now, things like walls or magical barriers couldn''t even touch him.

    Dorian hummed to himself merrily as he walked through several walls and hundreds of people undetected,pletely skipping past every single defensive barrier the Free School of Thunder held.

    In no time at all, he found himself at the limits of what he had seen. He had considered taking to the sky with one of his smaller flying forms, but ultimately decided against that in the end.

    A random human walking in the city, and a lone bird flying high in the sky, were two very different things. There might not have been much risk if he did get spotted, but Dorian had opted toy low as much as possible right now.

    After his loss to Zero, he did not want to leave himself open to anything ever again. Keeping to the shadows, or hiding in in sight, was his best bet for something like that.

    WHOOSH

    Dorian returned to reality.

    The moment he did, however, he instantly transformed into a tiny, hand-length long red lizard, with a small ring wrapped around its right w.

    ''Sess.'' Dorian smiled as he looked around, a small, split tongue flicking out from his mouth as he tasted the air.

    He was currently crawling in the middle of a stone hallway, within the Free School of Thunder. This particr hallway was one Dorian had been able to see through a window on the exterior of the tall castle, one that he hadn''t seen anyone passing through and seemed to be rtively unupied.

    And, as he''d hoped, the hallway was deserted. He quickly nced up and down it, finding several small connecting doors spaced about evenly. The hallway was rather cramped with very basic lighting and nothing else in it.

    ''Perhaps it''s a service hallway?'' After a few moments, he nodded his tiny lizard head. That was his best guess at the moment.

    With that thought in mind, he began to scamper down the hallway. Despite the minuscule size of his body, he was still a monstrously powerful being, meaning he practically flew down the hallway with a simple twitch of his leg.

    He began to rapidly maneuver through the huge castle grounds.

    The Aurelius Family had given Dorian intel on exactly where he needed to go.

    Deep within the Free School of Thunder, there was a huge library called ''Sce Hall.'' Within this grand hall were thousands of records, copied Inheritances, and books written up by experts as they exined the core concepts of the Law each one had mastered.

    This repository was famed to be the singlergest and most expansive store of mystical knowledge in the entire 30,000 Worlds. While individual ns, families, or schools might have specific knowledge about one Law or another that the Sce Hallcked, in terms of overall knowledge, the Free School of Thunder was second to none.

    Dorian made his way down this service hall, crossing into a main hall, and through several other passageways, all while maintaining his secrecy. He hid his presence as best he could, dampening his energy and isting himself. Because he was stronger than every other being present, he had an easier time covering his presence up and preventing them from finding him by dint of their strength.

    Once he left the service passageway, he passed by dozens of students moving between different rooms. A third of those he passed were dressed in brown, white, or ck monk robes, all dedicated students of the Free School. The others wore a motley collection of clothes, from clearly wealthy nobles, to down-on-their-luck students that clearly got in on raw talent alone, to those in-between, the sons of wealthy merchants or prosperous store-owners.

    There were many more students here than instructors. He would, on asion, peek into a doorway to examine what was happening in each room. Oftentimes, there would be a monk standing at the front of arge lecture hall, exining one mystical concept or another.

    Most of the instructors appeared to be Grandmaster ss at the weakest, Lord Tier at the strongest. The quality of teachers in the Free School of Thunder was certainly impable.

    After moving for about fifteen minutes, Dorian had made it deep within the bowels of the school. He had been forced to transform into a Grey Mantor 3 separate times in order to skip past guarded and magically sealed doorways.

    Finally, however, he made it past the third checkpoint, into the official ''Inner Region'' of the Free School of Thunder. This was the location where the high-level Instructors resided and taught Inner Disciples, where the Headmasters office was located, where their Treasure Storeroom could be found, andst, but certainly not least¡­

    Where the Sce Hall was situated.

    ''Huh, it''s surprisingly normal.'' Dorian''s initial impression was that the ce seemed decidedly un-special.

    The final checkpoint had been a simple doorway with an old monk meditating quietly while reading a book. Once Dorian got past it, he found himself in yet another grey stone hallway. Arge, arched doorway could be seen at the end of this hall, the symbol of arge book carved into the door itself.

    Despite the heavy guard, the only thing about this area that stood out was the deep, ancient Aura Dorian sensed,ing from the room behind that carved door.

    This Aura came from Dorian''s final destination here, the Sce Hall.

    A dozen other passageways led off from this hall, leading to various practice rooms, residential areas, and the Headmaster''s room. Dorian ignored all of them as he skittered down the hallway, his eyes shing with excitement.

    However¡­ when he was halfway down the hallway, Dorian slowly came to a halt. His beady little eyes narrowed as he flicked his tongue out, his tiny lizard face crinkling up in a frown.

    For the second time, he sensed a familiar sensation.

    None of the energy sources he could detect felt familiar. Dorian was absolutely certain that there was nobody here alive that he knew.

    No, what he detected was somethingpletely different¡­

    It was an energy signature that someone had left behind.

    ''Ah.'' The frown on his face deepened as he abruptly realized whose presence he had detected.

    It was that of a fellow Anomaly.

    ''Mello was here¡­ Yesterday? Yeah, yesterday.'' Dorian stood still for several seconds, unsure of what to do.

    He was almost 100% certain Mello was no longer in the Free School of Thunder. Unless his fellow Anomaly was hiding by using his Grey Mantor form, Dorian felt it a certainty that he would''ve been able to detect his brethren.

    In fact, even if Mello had used his Grey Mantor form, Dorian''s natural link to other Anomalies meant he still might''ve been able to get a feel for the Anomaly, as long as Mello took even a split second to enter reality.

    ''Why was he here at all? What is he doing?'' Suspicion rankled Dorian''s heart as his little baby lizard sat on the floor, torn with indecisiveness.

    Before he could let his thoughts cloud his heart, however, a loud thud startled Dorian from his reverie.

    "Yo, Micheal, down for a littlebat practice to help a fe out? Sophia''s been kicking my butttely when ites to practice." A rather oddly dressed human had just burst out of one of the many doorways, exiting a lecture hall. The human was dressed in a ck set of pants and a ck shirt, with a metal chain hanging from his right pocket. He had stark blond hair that was spiked up and gave off a Lord ss Aura of energy.

    "No, Shin, I gotta keep working on my Law of Holy Light. I keep trying to form a set of Life Orbs, but I think I''ll need to wait till I reach King ss. I''m gonna go look over Sce''s new records in a bit." A brown-haired human male followed the first one out of the hall, smiling slightly.

    "Fine, fine, but you better be ready for my onught ofints as¡­"

    The pair''s conversation exited Dorian''s attention as they left the main hall, trudging down one of the many side passageways off to a different lecture hall. A storm of other humanoids followed after the duo as one of the sses in the Inner Region finished.

    ''Right, Sce Hall.'' Dorian stole a tidbit from those two student''s conversation, regaining his focus,

    ''It doesn''t matter what Mello is doing here, I just need to stay on top of my ns.'' If he wanted to protect Helena, and the world she was part of, the reality he now lived in, he needed to get stronger.

    And the first step to doing thaty at the end of this hallway.

    Dorian''s tiny lizard body slowly turned its head to look over at therge, arching doorway.

    Its tiny feet went ''pitter-patter'' as it made a beeline for the vaunted library, fierce determination zing in his eyes.

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