《The Heavens System Subsidiary (I Was Chosen By The Word)》 Chapter 1 - And So It Begins.....Death, What A Marvelous Concept /////In Heaven///// A majestic being was looking out towards the stars, both outer and inner in which within them lied sectors. The entity did not have any distinctive features to signify its gender, It was just whiteness in the shape of a human. Then before it, the door to the room opened, and two other majestic entities walked in. The first entity was a handsome male, He was a tall and slender man with Soft-Brown Eyes and Medium-Length, Wavy, Black hair, which was let down without an at the back of this being were 6 Pairs of black wings. This man could be described as a Piece of Perfection. The other being was also a man, This male was also tall and fair-skinned, He had Sunken hazel eyes and was blessed with short blond hair worn in a normal curl, and at his back were 6 Pairs of white wings The two men bowed to the entity clouded in light ''''Father'''' They both said while bowing The being laid over in light looked at them and spoke with a Grave tone, ''''It''s Time.'''' He said ''''Father, Why do you have to do this? You are the creator, The Realms need you, We need you!'''' The first man said as he approached the being in light The entity looked at his son, ''''Azazel" ''''Even if I created everything'''' The Entity glanced out into the infinite space adorned with stars. ''''The Realms'''' "Its marvelous father'''' The second kneeling man spoke out, marring a solemn face. ''''Uriel"'' ''I know what I had done to achieve this¡­... I am not proud of it.'''' The creator said ''''I killed my first son, wholly erased billions of innocent mortal Souls, caused the death of Michael, and made my first daughters subject to war." " I even cast out countless of my children.'''' ''''Father'''' Uriel began, ''''Brother''s death was no one''s fault. Michael sacrificed himself for you.'''' "AND WHO ASKED HIM TOO!" The creator shouted, and the Heavens thundered in kind. On the horizon, The entity''s roar ended a few empty stars. ''''*Sigh*, Even if I am the creator, I still hear their screams¡­..... The screams of the bloodshed, the anger of the earth at that time. It haunts me.'''' The being thought of something that made him chuckle before continuing, "Isn''t this what the mortals call Trauma." "Yes, Trauma, The mighty creator traumatized, *Chuckle* Such an Irony.'''' Then the being looked at his two sons with a solemn, sad, and determined face ''''My sons, It''s time, I am putting both of you in In-charge, and by [The Word] I grant you Power.'''' A ball of fire appeared on both of The kneeling men''s heads. It implied the passing of power. ''''Father'''' Uriel and Azazel said together in worry "Don''t worry, kids, I won''t die. The Universe won''t let me, I''ll probably constantly reincarnate until I feel as I have repented." It said cheekily "After that, I''ll come back and stay by my Successor side as a consultant.'''' ''''But Father'''' Uriel Started, ''''You''ll face a lot of bad karma in at least 30 of your Reincarnations according to your law'''' Uriel Finished ''''I know...It''s a good punishment'''' The being replied Before the Kneeling men could continue to persuade their Father, It was too late. ''''By My Word, [@#$%^$@#].'''' With words no mortal or immortal could comprehend, The entity began to glow brightly. He looked at the crying men kneeling as he floated off the ground. ''''You little brats, even as men, you still cry like brats'''' He gave a small smile. ''''We''ll meet again soon. And tell Gabriel and Raphael, I am sorry for Being a terrible father.'''' "Bye Kids" "By my Word [#$%^$%#].'''' ''I hope my Successor Likes my present'' The creator thought before he burst into fluttering white lights. On that Day, the Realms cried at the loss of their Creator. The Angels lost their glow in Heaven, Gabriel and Raphael cried tears of blood without knowing why. All cried for his death. The ''Death'' Of the Creator Earth 2021 7 am "Sigh'''' ''''It''s all the same'''' ''''Fighting, Communicating, Resolving, Climbing, Falling, Companionship, Friendship, Family, Love, Aging, Guilt, Despair, Happiness, Death, Repeat.'''' "Nothing ever changes, Everything repeats- - - -Why?'''' ''''In this world full of impartiality and constant deaths, how do we still survive, with all our sins, how do we still move forward." "¡­'''' ''''¡­'''' ''''All that I''m saying is just mumbo jumbo....but I know one thing." "Power suppresses all.'''' *RING* *RING*, An alarm rang "Ah, It looks like it''s time for work.'''' The unknown man left his neighborhood and walked onto the streets of New York. He journeyed through the busy streets, sideways and intersections, steering through countless people going oppositely and towards. Until he reached his destination, A Huge Skyscraper a branch of the company he works in. The signboard ''Ethereal Industries'' was laminated to the world. The unknown man walked in, and the Security men greeted him. Not giving a glance, He walked past the security and kept on walking, Entering the elevator and onwards to the 34th Floor. Arriving at his destination the elevator rang a sweet tune. The elevator opened, and the man walked out. He passed different people giving occasional greetings until he reached his desk. He then sat down and began working his daily job, an office man. /////4 Hours Later///// "Phew, finally lunch break.'''' He said with relief As the man was about to leave for the Office Canteen, A voice called out to him. ''''Hey, Vincent!'''' The voice said Now known as Vincent, the unknown man turned around to see the only person that ''talks'' to him. ''''What do you want, Ash'''' He said with an underlying tone of scorn. Ash stopped in his tracks and approached Vincent calmly. ''''Oi, Vincie, Vincie, Vincie. Don''t be like that." "I Just wanted to ask whether you can help me with some of my tasks, you see my Girlfriend and I have a date planned and I don''t want to be late." "So do me a favor, You can do that for a friend, can''t you, Vincent.'''' ''Tch, Friends My ass. It''s not like I have a choice.'' ''Your father is the CEO of the renowned Medicinal industry ''Osmond.'' ''He didn''t even work to get there. It was all because of his connections.'' He lamented and complained in his mind. This was not the first time Ash had put more work on Vincent. Ever since Vincent had mistakenly bumped into him he had made it his life mission to make Vincent''s life miserable. From extra work to the occasional dumping of drinks, Vincent could always report the abuse but it was well known the power Ash and his father had. ''I just want to punch his face. But my mother is still in their Hospital without this job and the medical cover. She''ll.'' At his thought, he calmed down and unclenched his fist. ''''Sure, I''ll do it after the break,'''' Vincent said with a fake smile that has been trained for years ''''Haha, Good. Thank you for your help, Vinnie. Now I''ll be on my way don''t want to keep the lady waiting'''' Ash replied with a mocking look and then left ''''Sigh, such a bastard'''' Vincent murmured After the lunch break, Vincent worked on both his and Ash''s tasks. 7 pm ''''Finally, It''s done'''' Vincent said with relief Vincent had finally finished both his and ash assignments. He then signed out and left the company. He walked along the streets carefully. It was dead in the night, after all, The time where the creepy crawlies come out. He reached a zebra crossing and waited for the lights, as he waited he got a call His phone played the tune as an unfamiliar number came up. Vincent picked and placed it before his ear. A voice that he didn''t recognize spoke to him from the phone " Hello, Is this Vincent Gate." ''''Yes hello, who is this?'''' Vincent asked ''''I am Reynold Shield, I am The lawyer appointed to you for the **** Case of your mother.'''' ''''Ah, yes, Mr. Reynold. Good evening, what is the problem that you had to call me this late for?'''' ''''Well, you see the judge has decided to postpone the court meeting.'''' ''''WHY!*Cough*, sorry for the outburst, but why.'''' ''''No problem I understand." Mr. Reynold brushed off it and continued, "Anyway, The Judge told me that he has better cases to judge than a **** case.'''' ''He is probably looking for huge cases to earn popularity, Tch, That bastard.'' Vincent thought angry at the judge. ''''Hello, Hello, Mister Gate'''' ''''Ah yes, I''m here.'''' He replied snapping out of his musings ''''Good, I thought I lost you for a second.'''' ''''no, just thinking about some things...So when did the Judge decide to have the Court Meeting.'''' ''''2 Years from Now.'''' "WHAT!" Vincent Shouted ''''WHY!, two years is too far.'''' He continued still shouting. ''''Mister Vincent, you need to keep your voice down. I am not your friend, you haven''t even paid me yet, so I''m not your lawyer either." "I just wanted you to know this. Have a good day Mister Gate.'''' Then the phone went dead ''''Hello, HELLO!, Tch, Damn it'''' As Vincent was about to throw the phone in anger, it began to ring again "Tch, who is this now'''' Another unfamiliar number, but Vincent picked it up regardless. "Hello, who is this.'''' ''''Hello, I am Doctor Vishanti. I am looking for a Vincent Gate''''p ''''Oh, Doctor, hello. I am Vincent Gate." "Are there any problems or if it''s about my Mothers bills, I will Pay~"? "Your mom has died.'''' The doctor said indifferently. And just like that Vincent''s world broke. The doctor continued anyway. ''''The **** effects on your Mom caused her to enter a coma, and at 7 pm today, Her heart stopped, and she died.'''' ''''We are about to move her body as we need space in the Hospital for other patients, but there is no space in the Morgue, so we decided to call you to pick up her body." The phone dropped from Vincent''s hands. He was in shock from the news of his Mother''s Death. ''''Hello, Hello. Mister Gate... Mister Gate. Hello'''' Vincent then began to cross the road. He heard the doctor''s voice, but it didn''t reach him anymore. He walked, walked, and walked. As he was walking, he heard a blaring horn He looked to his left to see a Truck driving towards him at high speed. The Driver was seemed to be telling him to move as the truck didn''t have a Brake. But Vincent didn''t acknowledge it. He didn''t have the will to move. The people around told him to move... but he had nothing to move on for. He wished He wanted, He hoped that he had the will. But he didn''t *BOOM* The truck hit him sending Vincent through the air and onto the ground. He rolled a few times and soon hit a stop before a solid wall. Broken, Fractured, and dismembered, Vincent''s last fleeting thoughts were ''Suicide huh¡­. Mom won''t be too proud.'' And on that Day, Vincent Gate died...¡­... No one cared. Chapter 2 - Where The Descendant Of Him Shall Reincarnate ///// 3rd Person POV ///// . . . . . . . ''''Arg, arg, it hurts'''' Vincent said feeling pains all over ''Why is everywhere dark¡­. where am I?'' "I¡­.. I can''t open my eyes... " He noticed ''Wait have I been kidnapped, am I blindfolded!?'' Vincent thought, his anxiety was getting higher. Still frantic, Vincent called out to anyone, "Hello! Is anyone there!" Only silence returned, As Vincent was about to call out again, A lazy voice came to him "Calm down!" It said ''''Huh'''' Vincent said alarmed ''''To open your eyes, Just will them open'''' The voice continued lazily. ''''What, who are you¡­what do you want with me'''' ''''Will your eyes open" The voice said again. ''''What do you mean'''' Vincent asked "......" ''''...no reply huh¡­ Will them open right?'''' ''Open'' Vincent said in his mind His eyes opened and he was able to look around to find himself in a dark space. No sky No land Just darkness The only thing noteworthy was that he found himself in a queue of¡­... white balls. Vincent peeked ahead and saw these balls were all going to a man sitting behind an office desk. He really couldn''t discern his features but he knew it was a man from the voice. ''''Soul 4687RQ, step forward'''' The man said The ball in front floated towards him ''''Mmh, you have some good karma!" The man said then let out a yawn before continuing. "You can either reincarnate or go to heaven which do you choose'''' ''''Uhm, who are you'''', The ball replied letting out a timid voice. The person behind the desk ignored the ball and went on talking ''''Reincarnate or heaven'''' He said again. ''''Uhm, heaven'''' The ball replied. ''''Heaven¡­¡­ Meh," The man said, ''''Okay then heaven¡­'''' The man looked at the ball and said: ''''[Ascend]" The ball then burst into white lights not fazing the man in the slightest. He soon yawned once more and gave attention to the next ball. When Vincent saw this, He knew what was going on ''I''m a soul about to be judged'' He speculated ''But how did I di- ''. Vincent didn''t finish my words as his last memories flickered before him ''''Ah...I see" He chuckled, "The bus must have hit me quite hard¡­" "Suicide takes me to hell right'''' Vincent reasoned. " I might as well ask about mom," He said, resigning to his fate of inhabiting eternal flames. The scene before him continued. Some went to heaven, some reincarnated, and some went to hell. Some that had bad karma aimed to force the man. He retaliated with a wave of his hand, The balls will then burst in kind. Sent to hell, or maybe a fate worse than hell. Scenes like this went on until they reached Vincent''s turn. ''''Soul 77777EZ...¡­77777, That''s rare'''' The man said mildly surprised. "Is there anything wrong with that?" Vincent thought but didn''t ask. He felt that since he was heading to hell, there was no need to ask such questions. ''''Anyway, kid, let''s move on. Vincent Gate right?'''' He asked and Vincent nodded in return at least he thought he did A folder appeared in front of him, which he took and opened then began to read to me. ''''Dad died during service, Then your mom went on to take care of you alone for years. "On your 20th birthday, which you spent in school, Drunk men barged into your house." "She was afterward raped, went into a coma, and later died." He winced at that. "You later found the rapist, got them arrested but never got justice." "You later committed suicide at the age of 22 after your mother died." "Onto your karma now." "I see positive karma for not giving up on your mom, few negatives, your suicide largely being.'''' ''''you have enough to go to he~~'''' ''''Wait what is this?'''' The man behind the desk abruptly said. ''''It seems, you can''t go to heaven yet'''' The man said discernly reading my file "Why?" Vincent asked, looking at the person behind the desk for an explanation. ''''It seems that you haven''t completed your destiny yet.'''' "You have to reincarnate and fulfill your destiny." "This doesn''t happen a lot, Your destiny must have been something important." "And since you are one of his descendants, You''ll get one of his abilities as your innate trait." "Don''t worry they are all-powerful in their right, well except for one, he could never fully use it'''' "You can also ask me three questions. A starter package of you will.'''' The man finished ''Who is he talking about?'' Vincent asked himself ''Anyway, I have three questions now.'' ''''Thank you, Mister Angel'''' Had to be polite before a man that held my fate. ''''My first question, Is my mum in heaven'''' Vincent asked ''''Your mum¡­¡­" Another folder appeared he looked through it "Let''s, Natalie Gate, She''s doing fine. she''s now part of the selection for a new dominion'''' He replied ''''Ahh, I see, Thank god she''s fine'''' Vincent said in relief "My second question, whose descendant am I?" ''''You are a direct descendant of Adam." "This is one of the ways of God paying back Adam for cursing him and his offspring when was sent out of the garden of Eden." ''''I see¡­.. then my last question, Which world am I reincarnating into?" "You are reincarnating into another sector of the universe holding the 7 Realms." "The 7 Realms" Vincent asked "The 7 realms are 7 worlds revolving around each other in a protected sector of the universe." "The only way to get to another realm is through teleportation either set up by the angels or Yggdrasil.'''' ''''The 7 realms include'''' ''''Earth-bound, The first realm." "This realm is mainly for humans." "Mig¨¢s, The second realm." "This realm is home to demi-humans except for Dragonoid" "Eulogeo, The Third Realm.". "This realm is for magical creatures born from the blessed realm, This realm is richest in pure either hence the name Eulogeo" "Then the fourth realm, Draco." "This realm is for Dragons and Dragonoids, even though Dragonoids have tainted bloodlines the dragons still take them in." "There''s just a slight discrimination." He added "Next, The fifth realm, The realm of principalities, The inhabitants of Earth-bound call them Deus." "The realm is for principalities or those who have authority over concepts." "These guys are for the most part immortal as long as concepts remain." "They are unable to fully interfere with the other realms. "The sixth realm, Underworld. This realm deals with lost souls" "And lastly the seventh, Yggdrasil. Which serves as a gateway to heaven and transporter to other realms. '''' ''''Oh, and even though some realms are higher than the other, Like Deus and earthbound, there is no war on other realms due to some certain restrictions." "Well except the outer realms, those are the ones you should watch out for'''' ''''Now it''s time to reincarnate...'''' ''''Goodbye kid,'''' " [Ascend in peace, I pray your next life isn''t as hard as the past one]" The man prayed Vincent was hit with sudden drowsiness but before he gave in, He manages to say back to him. ''''Thank you...¡­ I hope this new life isn''t hard too'''' He said with a smile without a face Vincent wondered why after he said that the man''s face was filled with shock and something else, but he couldn''t figure it out. Everything fell into darkness as he felt its embrace. When Vincent slept, He burst into whiteness like the balls before him. After Vincent was sent into reincarnation, the man behind the desk was shocked at what Vincent said to him. "He understood my words!." He said to himself in surprise. "But that''s impossible, no mortal or even Deus should be able to understand me" "Unless they have it...¡­ but that''s impossible. for a human to have [The Word].'' "I should check the ability he got from the first'' Another folder appears again on his desk and he flips through it. "Ah let''s see¡­¡­¡­¡­" "It seems like he got that power, Sigh" "His life won''t be easy then, especially in that place where strength is everything, even if there''s no war" ''Well, I should also check on his destiny, the cause of all this." Then the man began flipping. When he caught up with the place where Vincent destiny was writing. He paled as he read the only one word there. ''''Creator." He read out loud with a shocked expression He suddenly stood up and seemed to shout out to no one. ''''Seraphs! This is Azrael, I have found the successor." Azrael declared with a happy expression Chapter 3 - Why Does This World Hate Me...... ///17 Years Later/// It''s Been 17 Years since I have reincarnated. I don''t think that man''s prayer helped for me I was reborn as the son of a widowed slave, and I now work for the Fenrir Family, a family of Wolf Demi humans. They are descendants of Fenrir or so ``I just recently gained my memories about 6 months ago." ''Fox demi-human 16 years of age bother line 17, but I look 18 or so.'' I thought while sifting through my memories. My Father was Earth-Bound, while my mother is from the Mig¨¢s Realm. How they both met I don''t know.... all I know is that after my father died. She was captured and sold off to slavery and was later bought by the Fenris Family, then I was still unborn. ''So mother has been in slavery for 16 years. Why do my moms always have to suffer?'' I thought sad at my situation, clenching my hands at my powerlessness. I remembered when I had first awoken my previous memories, the first thing I had checked was my appearance. I still looked relatively the same just more handsome I guess. Still had the long black hair in a ponytail style, I had a smooth face, chiseled jaws, unblemished skin. I was taller than I once was, about 6 feet 3 or 4 (AN: The classic beautiful MC appearance.) Although my former brown eyes were now deep hazel in this life. A plus in my books. My inner monologue was suddenly cut off when someone slapped me on my back, making me almost trip onto the ground. ''''Vincent, you shitty slave, what are you doing slacking off your work!" The person that hit me shouted in Anger This person yelling at me like a deranged dog is the 3rd Young master of the Fenrir Family. Every day he is always compared to his 2 successful older brothers. So he resolved to beat his pent-up anger on me. Out of everyone in this family, he is the one with the least power in this household, Although still higher than a slave. ''*Sigh* Everywhere suppression seems to always find me.'' ''''What do you have to say for yourself, You shitty servant'''' The young noble ended, finally finishing his rant. ''''I am sorry, small master, I was lost in my thoughts'''' I replied with an underlying tone of mocking ''''ME! SMALL MASTER! You shitty servant, it looks like you are courting death!" "I AM A FATHER WOLF!, A PACK LEADER!'''' The Young Noble shouted, Veins bulge out of his head I slightly smiled, knowing that I hit a sour spot. I guess he saw it because he came closer with the intent to beat out his anger again. He does this all the time. At this point, I''m sure I already have a resistance to it. But that doesn''t mean I''m willing to take it all the time. I simply step aside as he went on to beat nothingness We foxes have a very strong affinity towards Illusion, it''s our innate ability as a race. So I just cast an illusion that he is beating me while I''m at his side looking at him. ''From mothers stories, Our ancestors were strong enough to cast illusions to even fool death, we were even the strongest family.'' ''Well, that was before we were ganged upon by the other families and almost wiped out.'' ''Only a few of us survive and are just scattered across the Realms.'' And it looks like he''s done ''''Beating'''' me, so he stood up gasping for breath, and began to leave, of course not before insulting my ''Fallen Figure'' like a second-rate villain. ''''You are nothing but trash without an innate, you get that!. Learn your place'''' He said furiously After he left, I went on to work unfazed. At Night, I stopped handing over for the day and retreated to the slave quarters. They are quite clean as the family doesn''t want us to give them any diseases. Heading towards my quarters, I mulled over all that I know about this Realm. ''First of All, Slavery exists even if there is no war'' ''The Realms are not allowed to fight Each other due to a Power that someone called the creator displayed which was dubbed [The Word]'' ''According to mother, When the realm was connected, War Began Eulogeo fought against humans and vice versa.'' ''Other realms also fought later on, Like Deus and Migas when it came into existence'' ''Then during a particular confrontation. A being called the creator had enough." "He appeared at the battle scene between the Individual races.'' ''It was said that he whispered some incomprehensible words and abruptly they weren''t allowed to fight each other rather they were unable to.'' ''Hence they called the Ability, [The Word]. As it was a word that ended everything.'' ''I assume that The Word is an ability which probably allows the creator to make any changes to the entire verse.'' ''With [The Word] he made it so that no Realm is allowed to wage war on the Other realms.'' ''With no choice, all the Realms had to form a consensus and a Treaty.'' ''Now, all the Realms trade with each other, except the Deus Realm as they do not require anything.'' ''They are relatively neutral except sometimes when they grant people blessings.'' ''For example, what happened to the Ancestor of Fenrir Family, he gained authority over wolves and some beasts due to a blessing from a Deus.'' ''What else.'' ''Oh right, the main power in this world is called Innate Ability.'' ''Every person in the Realms has an Innate ability and a status system upon birth.'' ''For me, Everyone thinks I have no innate ability.'' ''I do have an innate ability even two but it''s just that one is useless and that''s the one I portray'' ''[Status]'' [Name: Vincent .G Cadmean HP: 3500/3500 EP: 1500/1500 Bloodline: Juubi Bloodline of Illusion Innate Ability [You Who Is Surrounded by Illusions (A-Rank)]: Users can make Illusions easily, But the strength and realness of illusions depend on both the user''s talent and independent ether. Note if the victim of this ability is stronger than the user, there is a high chance that the person can shrug off the user''s Illusion Usage: 2EP/Minute for Low-Tiered Illusions. 20EP/Minute for High-Tiered Illusions] ''But it''s not this Innate Ability that''s Useless...It''s this one.'' [I Can Impose My Will (D-Rank): User can impose thy will on objects smaller than the user and opponents weaker than the user. Will can vary from mood to Commands Usage: 1500000EP/Seconds] ''This is the impractical ability that Adam the First Man could never use, The cost is just too expensive for anyone to use'' ''I wonder if anyone from my earth that gets reincarnated also gains an ability.'' ''Either way, It''s not my focus'' ''In this world, there are great threats, Monsters of all types found wandering around.'' ''They are called [Nightmare] or [Dark Beasts].'' ''These beasts are either created from the negative thoughts of people interfering with the mana from the Earth.'' ''Or from the abnormal build-up of ether in a normal beast.'' ''Then there is another category of Monsters.'' ''This one consists of some people who practiced demonic arts and lost themselves in it.'' ''In this case, they lose all form reasoning, Hence they are given the name ''The Lost Ones''. ''Apparently, They are more difficult than [Dark Beasts]'' ''The risky thing about ''The Lost Ones'' is that the people who are corrupted are still capable of using their Innate Traits. It becomes even more powerful.'' ''So it''s possible to be fighting a Lost One and it suddenly spams portals on you.'' ''But thank the heavens that they can''t do so all the time because they don''t have reasoning power anymore, they do not tend to use their Innate Abilities.'' ''They only use it when in dire situations but it''s quite rare.'' ''Only the Beasts who have consumed other beasts and have a bit of consciousness can successfully pull this feat'' ''But I''m led to assume that there are some beasts who have gained their Human Forms back by consuming other beasts.'' ''I mean if they can get back their mind what''s stopping them from getting back their bodies.'' ''''*Sigh*, All this surplus thinking makes me tired, I should get home to mom before it gets late" I began to walk faster to reach my mom''s quarters. After a while, I reached there to find it unlocked which was quite weird as my mom often locks the doors. I sauntered through the door and found everything in disarray. Our dresser was wrecked, the wall had dents on it and there was some blood on the floor Then it hit me My Mom has been kidnapped. "*Sigh* Why does this world hate me," I thought as I soon dashed out heading into the night in search of my mother. I couldn''t lose another one Chapter 4 - First Fight And Unexpected Adversaries ''''No, no, no, no, no.'''' I dashed through the forest pursuing the scent that I picked up from my quarters. My mother in this world was like my mother in my first life, kind and ever bright. I initially didn''t want to be connected to her after regaining my memories, I had not moved on from my first mum. But I could not erase 17 years of love, at the same time I couldn''t forget my first mum so I just let it go. I had all of this life''s memories from the day I was born plus the emotions. All the original feelings didn''t disappear in the slightest. ''''Dammit, forget that I need to go faster'''' I thought in anger ''''[Ether Burst]'''' BOOM! A burst of ether pushed me forward. [Ether Burst: User can channel ether internally and propel it outwards from any part of the body. Propelling ether from my legs grants the User extra speed according to how much ether is put into the skill. Note the higher the ether puts the lesser the control of the speed. Ether propelled from hands and legs can also be used to increase Attack Power and Speed. At higher comprehension, the user gains the ability to infuse elements into the ether to create different effects. Variations Unlocked Lightning Mana Burst Fire Mana Burst Lightning Fire Mana Burst Final Burst Usage: 20EP/Burst, 100EP/Powered Burst, All/Final Burst.] ''Need to go faster!. ''''[Lighting Burst]'''' *Boom!* *Cackle* "Tch!" "[Consecutive Lightning Bursts]" *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* [-80 MP] With the extra boost, I hurried through the forest carefully avoiding hitting the trees in my path. This journey would have been even worse if there were a lot of [Dark Beasts] lurking around. But Heaven''s luck shined today, only a few Beasts can be found. As I continued zooming across the paths I noticed an irregularity in the area. Because of my heritage and innate ability, I am very sensitive to Illusions. I can easily discern when an illusion is used or when something is out of place. But now I didn''t have time to check what the irregularity is all about, I had to find Mom but as I was about to move on Someone called out to me. "Vincent" "Huh" I was shocked when I heard someone call my name, I went on alert keen to use a burst to scatter the area. But a small shimmer came off from the bark of a tree. I saw my mother leaning against a tree with cuts on her body and blood dripping from her forehead. "Mom!" I yelled as I ran to her I quickly arrived at her side as I saw that she was wobbling. I then cast one of my most useful skills. [Cellular Enhancement] [Cellular Enhancement: Channels Ether into the cells of the body, Empowering the cells making them able to duplicate faster, and also serves as a Form of Enhancement. It grants an effect similar to Regeneration. Note: Skill causes great hunger and tiredness. Usage: 5MP/Seconds] ''Got to thank me for being a genius in this life.'' Ether was passed from me to my Mother to speed up the rate of her cells. After a while, her condition stabilized. I bent down and held her in a princess carry, I then sprinted out of the forest to avoid the kidnappers. ''For the kidnappers to have successfully caught my mom, They''ll have to be quite strong, mother is on Sky-Borne Level.'' In this world, a person''s power can be classified into levels. The Earth-Tiered Level/The Low Level The Sky-Borne Level/The Middle Level The Sky-Layer Level/ The High Level The Star-Path Level/ Ascended Level My mother told me that there were some more levels, But I don''t need to know about it now [Cellular Enhancement] [Lightning Burst] *Cackle* *Boom* *Whoosh* With the combination of both skills, My speed increased by 200%. The drawback is a lot but it''s nothing I can''t handle. With my new speed, I raced to the end of the Forest. But as I got closer something suddenly jumped in front of me and let out a roar *RAAAAAARRRG* "Dammit, Just my Luck" I encountered a Dark Beast ''''Shit!'''' I cursed ''Judging from the Aura of this Beast, It''s at least a Class-B beast borderline Class-A.'' Dark Beasts can be classified into 6 Ranks or Danger Levels The Class-D Danger Level The Class-C Danger Level The Class-B Danger Level The Class-A Danger Level The Class-S Danger Level And The Class-EX Danger Level. A person can judge the Danger level of a Dark Beast by its Aura as the difference between the auras of a Class-D Danger Beast and a Class-C Danger Beast as it''s stronger. If a person cannot discern. A scan function from the status system can be used to discern its traits, it only works for Dark Beasts [Scan Complete Name: ??? Innate Ability: Sharp Claws. Danger Level: Low-A Rank Danger Level] Observation: Dark Beast stands on its two feet and is shrouded in darkness, Beast has an enhanced sight and smell than other Danger Beasts and it also has long sharp claws. Overall the Dark Beast shares similarities to that of a wolf ] ''Dammit, it''s a Low- A-Rank Danger Level, Normally I should be able to deal with it albeit with mid-Injuries but I''m currently carrying mom'' ''I can''t win like this!'' ''I have three choices, Run past this beast and get chased by both the beast and the kidnappers'' ''Or quickly take care of it using Full Burst but it will alert the Attention of the Kidnappers.'' ''Or the best choice, Create an explosion and alert the Kidnappers to my area then I''ll lead the beast to the Kidnappers.'' ''''Only the third choice seems logical so, the third choice it is'''' ''''ROAAAR'''' The Beast ran towards me with intent to cut me in half but I easily dodged using a [Ether Burst] and jumped backward. The beast seeing me run away got enraged and chased after me. This led to the mouse and rat chase between me and the [Dark Beast]. "Tch, This beast is quite fast, Let''s see where the Kidnappers are" [Ether Enhancement] I focused ether on my eyes and my range of vision increased to about 200 meters, I found four high-speed objects moving towards me. ''They will perhaps reach me in about three minutes, that gives me enough time'' [Lightning Fire Mix Burst!] A huge explosion reverberated through the forest. [Ether Enhancement] I used the boost from the skill to dash swiftly behind the beast and at the same time attract the Kidnappers. Then I used [Ether Enhancement] and punched it with its guard down. The [Dark Beast] was shoved ahead by my punch towards the Kidnappers. I scouted forward again to see that they were engaging the beast. I used this chance to escape but someone appeared before me and slapped something on my wrist. Suddenly I fell to the ground and couldn''t draw upon my Ether anymore. I bucked up to see that it was the 3rd Noble of the Fenrir Family "Haha!, Now I have the chance to teach you little shit some manners'''' He said with a smile full of disdain Chapter 5 - [Awaken] When I fell on the ground, My mother rolled off me and onto the floor. She was knocked out because of the adverse effect of [Cellular Enhancement] "Small Nob-" I started I couldn''t finish my words as this shithead noble kicked me in the Face. "How dare you call this KING SMALL!" Young Noble said in so much Anger, that it seemed like his veins may come out of his head He continued to kick me but I didn''t let up, I retaliated by provoking him. It wasn''t the best thing to do but I needed to buy time. With enough time maybe, I can solve why I can''t stand up and use my Ether I already knew that it had to do with what he slapped on my hands. It''s probably an Ether seal bracelet with gravity manipulation enhancement. These things should cost a fortune, Young Noble surely hates me a lot. ''Dammit, what will I do now!.'' I thought Then he stopped "Since you are so cheeky with your words, I should do you a favor and cut off your tongue ''Shit!'' A knife appeared on his hands that was probably from his storage ring. Young Noble bent down and pried open my mouth. He took out my tongue and genuinely at this point I was scared. But I resolved myself "DON''T HURT MY SON, YOU BASTARD" ''Huh'' I looked towards the person that said, My now conscious mother ''No no no, Don''t say anything, Don''t take his attention from me'' Vincent thought in despair. "Oh, It seems like you still have the strength to talk," The Young Noble said with a malicious smile forming on his face He let go of me and started walking towards my mother. Fearing what he might do, I struggled and pushed myself to stand and move forward. "Goddammit dammit, Move, MOVE!'' I shouted to myself But my body did not respond. The Noble reached my mother and I was forced to watch what he would do to her, powerlessly. "Like mother like son, The apple truly doesn''t fall far from the tree now. It looks like you both have the same mouth" "Tch, Leave my son you Basta-" My mother couldn''t finish her words as the Young Noble punched her in the face "NO, MOM!" I shouted ''Come on move you bastard MOVE!'' My body didn''t respond, I was forced to watch how the noble continued to beat my Mother, From punches to Kicks. The Rage boiling up within me. He went on with it until my mother''s face was swollen and bruised. Then he stopped his beatings and bent down to grab her Hair "Tch, You bitch you don''t know anything" "And now because of your ignorance you are groveling beneath my feet, I don''t even understand why I wasted my time to even sending Kidnappers to You" ''What, He was the One? Dammit I should have known'' "But since I am so benevolent, I''ll put you out of your misery, HAHAHAHA." He laughed menacingly. "Aren''t I so Benevolent ain''t that right Vincent'''' No reply, I was gone in my world. ''The same smile'' ''The same FUCKING Smug Smile'' ''That smile that says that you can''t do anything ''Is this it'' "Now slave, I think I should do your Mother the honor of sending her to the Afterlife," He said approaching my mother. He took out his knife and aimed at her throat and was about to take her life. ''Is this how it ends'' ''The same powerless feeling'' Then something strange started happening unnoticed to anyone in the entire universe except the Angels, The Realms, and ??? In Heaven *RUMBLE*. *RUMBLE Uriel was alarmed by the sudden rumble and looked out the window from his office "Why is the Heavens unstable," He said to himself Then he heard a familiar voice resounding through the heavens. "Help request from subsidiary processing" "Host of subsidiary system requires help" "Help request accepted" "Help granted" "#$&?" Uriel was shocked by the incomprehensible words ''Am I senile or did the Heavens just use that'' /////In the realm of Deus///// *RUMBLE* *RUMBLE* "My Lord" A faceless man said while kneeling to another man who sat on a chair and stared into the infinite space. "Don''t worry Little One, The Realms are just welcoming the arrival of a new powerhouse" The Unknown man said with a small smile on his face /////Somewhere Far away///// "My lord these are the reports from the oracle" A shrouded man spoke while bowing to a beast sitting on a throne. Then the shrouded man gave the beast a piece of paper "Hmm,...HAHAHAHAHA, BEGIN TRAINING THE TROOPS." "Yes My Lord" /////Somewhere Else///// A boy with a soul that has been through many reincarnations without him knowing. The boy was trekking in the desert with no water and no food. Then suddenly he stopped and glanced in Vincent''s direction and his eyes glowed for a moment and the hair changed around him. "Good Luck...Boy" The boy then collapsed and died /////In the Forest, Against the Young noble///// [Bloodline Is responding] ''The same feeling of not being able to do a thing'' [Skill is responding] Rage was the only thing going through my head. [Skill [I can Impose My Will] Is responding] ''Mother I''m sorry, I''ve failed you [Skill [I Can Impose My Will] Is responding] ''Power Truly Suppresses all'' [Skill [I Can Impose My Will] has been found ???] ''From the planned kidnappers'' [Skill [I Can Impose My Will] Is Supplementing] ''To the Ether seal bracelets'' [Supplementation is not enough, Conditions need to be met, User ether required] ''Power Suppresses All'' (AN: Edginess confirmed, MC found [Conditions need to be met, User ether is required for breakthrough] I looked up to see my mother staring at me with dim eyes, she slowly brought her lips together and mouthed some words to me. "I...Love...You, My Son" Seeing the small smile on the Bruised face, Those words brought only one thing to me. Rage The Noble brought down his hands. And Then Darkness. ''I just need more power then.'' [su????m???s ??? suff??????, ?????????s ???? ?? b? m??,us?? ?m?? ?''? ??qu????. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?] [Re-Boot] [Conditions met, Permission from main granted] [Hidden skill Is revealing] [Hidden skill discovered] [The Word: A Skill Made by God. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? In The beginning was the Word ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ] [Information Not Sufficient] [Let us begin] [Awaken] *Boom!* A blast of ether was sent out from Vincent and was sent across the entire Mig¨¢s realm thumping away all in its path for 10 kilometers. The Young Noble was caught off guard, Hence he was sent flying by the blast. Only Vincent''s Mother was kept relatively safe by some sort of Barrier. The Young Noble was blown for hundreds of meters through trees until he finally gained a footing. He stood up with blood outing from everywhere with a concussion ''What the fuck happened, Why am I on the ground'' He looked up to one of the scariest things he had ever seen. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!" Chapter 6 - Power Of [The Word] Darkness encroached Vincent''s body slowly, like mud dropping down a slope. The darkness started up from his hands and legs, encroaching his body. Vincent looked up and stared at the Young noble, His emotionless eyes held no pupils But that wasn''t what frightened the young noble. He was frightened by the thousands of [Dark Beasts] behind Vincent all snarling at him. "What the fuck Is that!" The Young Noble screeched in fear The young noble could feel his bladder leaking, a damp spot showing between his legs. The scene of [Dark Beasts] standing behind the one he wanted to kill awaiting him like a servant. It scared him. it''s general knowledge that [Dark Beasts] cannot be tamed unless with a special skill, so what was this spectacle before him ?, He thought. Then it began, Vincent opened his mouth and spoke. His words were in a low tone but they could be heard clear to whom his words were for. Vincent spoke in gibberish, The more he uttered the more the Darkness covered him. [????????? ??s? ????? %$&# ???ss ???????? ?????????s ?????????s ??? ???,????????? ???? ????? ????????? ?s ??? ??????? ?????????s ??? ???. s??? ??s? ????????? ???????????? ???????????? ??? s?s??? +&#%#@ s?s??? ????????? ???? ?????ss??? %#%@% ?????ss??? ?????? $&#% ??s? ??? ?? ????? s???? ?? ???? ?? ??????s??? ?????ss???. ?????????? s??????? ????????? ???? ???s?s ?????????? ??????? ???? ???s? ??????? s???? ??????? ???????? s?????????s ?? ???? ????] ''Vincent'' began to saunter towards the young noble with the [Dark beasts] around him encircling the perimeter. "Ahhh...Vi-Vincent" The Young Noble stammered. Vincent Leaned his head to the side, amused at the fear his foe oozed out. ''Vincent'' let out an early laugh " " When he spoke understandable words the sky rumbled in kind. Mighty waves of mana and ether grew towards him. " , " The young noble was frightened. More frightened than when he first faced a Dark Beast. More frightened than the time he was almost assassinated. In those situations, he at least knew death was the most that awaited him. But before this¡­.. thing. He knew nothing of his fate. But he knew that whatever it was. It will be worse than death. His instincts screamed at him to run and to keep on running, but where could he run that this thing wouldn''t catch him. He could only beg "Me-Mercy!" ", " Vincent outstretched his hands to the young noble, whispering a goodbye. Then. "E?R?A?Z?E?" After those words were said, The snotty brat in front of him swerved into blue particles, but that wasn''t the end of it. Because the next day when the other clans agreed to check in on the area in the south they will find empty lands, as every single sign of the Fenrir Clan was gone Gone from existence and even from the history books. The only people who''ll know this phenomenon even occurred are the Principalities in the Deus Realm as on that day Fenrir unawares faded away from existence. After that was done Vincent turned to the dark beasts. "You have served your purpose." "D?I?E?" "D?E?V?O?U?R?" 70% of the [Dark Beast] in the forest died, their Essence flowed into Vincent''s body. The remaining 30% were Dark Beasts above A-Rank as absorbing those would prove detrimental to Vincent. After absorbing the Essence, white dots began coming out on Vincent''s black body. " " " " Vincent strode to his mother. "HE?A?L?" Like an illusion, all of her Injuries faded away just like that. " , " " "'' .....I Am Sorry." "E?R?A?Z?E? M?E?M?O?R?I?E?S?" "R?E?D?E?F?I?N?E? A?N?D? R?E?W?R?I?T?E?" The job was done, ''Vincent'' rewrote his mother''s memories and redefined reality to approve it. Vincent''s mother was now the only daughter of a long-forgotten noble Lion clan. She later became man and wife with the second Noble of the Lion Clan for a Year now. She lives a happy and fulfilled life with her caring husband and household. That was the New Life of Vincent''s Mother, Vincent''s mom fluttered into the air and vanished from the forest. She reappeared in her new house and was kept on the bed. " , " "P?U?R?I?F?Y?" Like as if his energy had been sapped, The darkness surrounding Vincent disappeared. Vincent fell onto the ground alone and lifeless in the forest with only one thing on his mind. ''What did I do!?'' He passed out just after. As he slept Vincent''s body changed. His skin began to fall, His ether convulsed and compressed behind him to take the shape of a tail. This kept going until it reached 4 tails. It would have gone further but his Talent wasn''t that high but that didn''t stop the absorption of the excess ether. /////In the Deus Realm///// The progenitor of the fox clan otherwise known as the first fox born in the Eulogeo realm. Cadmean Vixen. This progenitor had later ascended and gained minor sovereignty over ether and Major authority over illusions making it so that she could trick even the heavens. Her illusions had so much power, that she could even manipulate The Truth of the world, Even though it had its limitations. This Primordial Fox had sensed someone of her blood trying to break through and grow past his talent. She focused his sight on her target being Vincent. "Hm, For him to break through this fast at such an age. He either is a one in a million Talent or he has external Help." " But if he continues absorbing this much for him, He''ll soon implode." "Why don''t I give him a gift." She wondered. "But won''t it be too dangerous giving this gift to this little one...." She then shrugged, "Either way, As long as he brings power to the fox clan. I''ll help this little one" The Primordial Fox sent 6 drops of her blood and her experience with illusion as a side gift. Vincent subconsciously absorbed it and with its help, the tails behind him increased to 9 tails. /////The Next Day///// The sun rays pierced through a window and landed on Vincent''s Eyes. Groggily he awoke and slowly stood up from a bed, Over time he got used to his Maladjusted eyesight and looked around to find himself in an unfamiliar place. On alert, He slowly walked out of the room and to the sitting room, looking around and finding nothing. He decided to take some ration and quickly leave this place. Then he got the whiff of a scent which was a surprise to him as he doesn''t get scents unless he uses [Ether Enhancement]. Not thinking about it much, He approached the source of the scent, entering the forest walking further and further in. Following the scent until he caught up with a burning fire and a person sitting before it. The person looked at him and Vincent looked back, getting a sense of familiarity. "It seems that you are finally awake...I think it''s better if you keep those things away" The man said Confused about what the unknown man was saying. Vincent looked behind to see nine tails waving around "What the¡­" Chapter 7 - [The Word],... What Is That? ''''Huh¡­. what is this¡­. Why are there tails behind me'''' ''More importantly, why can''t I remember anything from yesterday¡­. I can''t think about that right now. '' ''Who is this man, why is he here, is he a Hostile¡­And why does he look so familiar.'' ''''Well, My name is Azrael, I am here because I wanted to congratulate you on receiving the Power of ''The Word''." "I am not hostile since if I was I''ll be branded as a Heretic, cast out of heaven then probably killed, Also I look so familiar because I was the last person you saw before reincarnating into this world'''' ''What, how did he~'' ''''Read your thoughts, Well it''s quite common among angels. Since it''s quite easy to read surface thoughts, well not so easy since you now have that Fox bloodline.'''' ''''¡­. Ok, so you are the Man that reincarnated me and wished me luck in this Life'''' ''''Yeah that was me, I should have known that from the First time you manage to hear me using ''The Word'', that you are probably someone special, turns out I was right.'''' '''' The Word...What is that '''' ''''... Well to explain that I need to go to the Beginning, Come sit down kid'''' Vincent, still wary of the angel, slowly took a seat beside Azrael since if he wanted to hurt him, He would have done it sooner. ''''Ok I''ve sat, Now tell me the story'''' ''''Tch, quite impatient. Whatever, so from the Beginning'''' ''''In the Beginning, was the Word and the Word was with God and The Word was God'''' ''''In the beginning, all was Void, Null and Empty and without light or color and then God came to be'''' ''''¡­. What, I don''t understand. How did God come to be?'''' ''''That''s quite a good question to ask¡­. How did God come, well let''s start with this are you familiar with the Law of Divine Oneness?'''' ''''The law of divine Oneness?'''' ''''Yes, the law of Divine Oneness, This Law states that we are all connected to one energy and everything we do affects the entire consciousness of the entire universe, everything in this universe is connected to that energy and is made up of it'''' ''''The name of that Energy is @#! $#'''' ''What, I couldn''t hear You'''' ''''Humm, it seems that you aren''t strong enough.'''' ''''Anyway, that energy is connected to Everything, Even the void and since the void was connected to that energy, the law of divine oneness took place." "Whatever the Void would do affected the Entire Consciousness, even if the void was inactive. "In as much as it existed and was connected to that energy, its existence was enough to affect the Universe, and that was how God came to be." "After some time, I don''t know how much since time didn''t exist due to everything being null.'''' ''''The Void affected the Universe to the Point that something came into existence." " What the thing was I do not know the knowledge is only with God. But after that thing existed, then God came to Be'''' Vincent was shocked by the Sudden Information that was revealed to him but even more cautious as to why this information is being revealed to him as it should be some kind of Top-Kept secret. ''''Anyways, After God came to be he then found a way to manipulate and control the Energy after he managed to do that." "He went further and was able to control the Law of Divine Oneness, and that was how ''The Word'' came to be, Do you understand?'''' ''''Uhm, I Guess'''' ''''Good, Any Questions'''' '''' What is ''The Word'' Itself'''' '''' ''The Word'' is the manipulation of the Law Of Divine Oneness, For Example, if a man in world A should run 100 Meters then it''s possible that after man A completes that run, Someone from Word B will randomly die at that same moment, But now with ''The word'', No conditions need to be filled before affecting the Universe and all of its Tenants. It allows a person to directly interfere with the entire consciousness of The Universe, Neat right.'''' ''''So basically. The ability grants you the ability to make the Universe your SandBox'''' ''''So that''s the ability... So how do I use it'''' ''''Well, you can''t use it anytime soon'''' ''''Why?'''' ''''Well, For one it''s sealed or rather not fully Useable'''' ''''Why?'''' ''''Because you haven''t completed the Conditions. For you to use ''The Word'' there are certain conditions that must be fulfilled.'''' ''''One, you must have Died once Two, Your Soul must be Rational, Not pure but Rational Three, you must have ''The #@! $#'''' Four, you must go to Heaven And Lastly, you must Have...'''' ''''Huh, what should I Have'''' Azrael just Shrugged his Shoulders ''''I don''t know, I was never Told'''' ''''Currently, you have only fulfilled 2 Conditions that''s why you can''t use its full power and it''s currently sealed.'''' ''''Then How do I unlock it?'''' ''''Well, That I do not know¡­. Sorry Kid'''' ''Tch, Unreliable'' ''''Now, I''ll be taking your leave. Oh Yeah, I almost forgot. Let me remove the Seal on your Memories'''' ''''Huh, Seal¡­What seal?'''' ''''Well, I wanted to talk to you at your fullest so I sealed your memory about...'''' ''''About what¡­. What did you seal'''' ''''It''s not my place to talk, Unseal'''' Then Azrael Teleported away and the memories of Events of the Day before. From the Blacking out to Using ''The Word'' for the First time and the Issue with his Mom resurfaced and Vincent couldn''t help but cry, he knew that what ''He'' did was probably the Best Choice...But it still hurt... After a While, He finally calmed down but his Feelings were in Disarray. ''''*Sigh*, What do I do now'''' Then a Blue Screen appeared Infront of Vincent floating in the Air [Ding, System Re-Loading] ''''System? How did I get a System?'''' [System Re-Load complete] [Connection to Source scrambled due to Outside Influence] [Attempting to Reconnect] [Reconnecting] [Reconnecting] [Reconnecting] [Reconnecting Successful] [Link Established, Pulling Up Resources] [Welcome Host, I am the HS Subsidiary] [Should I display the Logs] ''''The HS Subsidiary?'''' [Yes, The HS Subsidiary, In Other Words. The Heavens System Subsidiary] [I am the only system of my kind created by God and is Connected to the System that Runs the Heavens] [I was created for the Sake of God''s Successor or in other words, the one that possesses ''The Word''] [To help and guide you in all of your Endeavors while also making sure you grow in power along the way] [Now, do you want to check The System Logs to recall Yesterday''s Events] ''I don''t know what''s happening¡­. But it''s better than doing nothing "Ok System, Show Logs'''' [Opening Logs] [Logs] [????????? ??s? ????? %$&# ???ss ???????? ?????????s ?????????s ??? ???, ????????? ???? ????? ????????? ?s ??? ??????? ?????????s ??? ??? s??? ??s? ????????? ???????????? ???????????? ??? s?s??? +&#%#@ s?s??? ????????? ???? ?????ss??? %#%@% ?????ss??? ?????? $&#% ??s? ??? ?? ????? s???? ?? ???? ?? ??????s??? ?????ss??? ?????????? s??????? ????????? ???? ???s?s ?????????? ??????? ???? ???s? ??????? s???? ??????? ???????? s?????????s ?? ???? ???? . . . . . ] [Objective completed] [Subconscious Reigned In] [Re-Installing System without Host Permission] [Former System Found] [Deleting and Installing] [System Installed] ''''So that''s All the Logs'''' [Correct] ''''System, Crosscheck in case there are any Problems'''' [Scanning . . . . Scan Done Two Issues Requiring Fix] ''''Huh, what is the Problem'''' [Conditions Not Met so the host cannot Fully Use ''The Word'' Hence System has decided that there are Other Ways to meet Condition If Host Agree, Issue can be fixed] ''Hum, Well I don''t see any problems with it so'' ''''Ok, I Agree'''' [Permission Granted Fixing Issue Issue Fixed Quest Function Online] [Second Issue Two Abilities are Compatible and Can Be Fused Permission to Commence Fusion of Abilities] Chapter 8 - [System], Display [Status] [Permission to Commence Fusion] ''''Fusion? System Which Skills are capable of Fusion'''' (Vincent asked Curiously) [Skill [I Can Impose My Will] and [The Word] are capable of Fusion] ''''What'''' ''''How is it possible, [The Word] is already an Overpowered skill, now you tell me that it''s capable of Fusion'''' [Retrieving Information from Main System] [Information Retrieved] [Skill [The Word] that was given to the Host was Always Incomplete until He can Acquire skill [I Can Impose My Will]] [Since Host has this Skill, Then System is capable of Fusing It with Skill [The Word], Thus allowing Host to have the Complete version of [The Word] just like Almighty at the same time Completing the fifth Condition and allowing Host more Leeway] [WARNING, if host Allows Fusion. He will be Cut off from the Universe, Hence the Angels won''t be able to Protect Host from Outside Forces] ''''Outside Forces?'''' [Yes, Outside Forces Like ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ??? and Some Others] ''''Well, that was Super Useful'''' (Vincent said with sarcasm) ''''*Sigh*'''' [Should I Commence Fusion] [Note: Once Fused, you will become the Center Head of the universe.] [Also, They may be some complications after the Fusion] ''''Complications?'''' [Yes, currently you are too weak to hold the Incomplete power of [The Word] talk less of the Full version] [Hence, the fusion skill will be sealed and you will be Compensated] ''''Seal?...Compensation?'''' [Yes, The HS Subsidiary Gives compensations for Impromptu Changes due to Future Effects that maybe Harmful to User] [As if the Future Fused skill is sealed, Your Battle Power will decrease Hence you will be compensated] ''''Okay, I think I get it'''' ''''Then, in that Case, Commence Fusion you have My Permission'''' [Ding, Commencing Fusion] Then the Heavens started Shaking, The Majestic Buildings in the Heavens started glowing and the Ley-Lines started drawing Power from the infinite power of the Universe to power up its actions. Manipulation of The First Law, The Law of Divine Oneness [Akashic Acknowledged] [Connecting the Akashic] [Completing Fusion] [Fusion Complete] [Integrating Fusion] [Integrating Skill from Akashic] [Warning, do not Open your Eyes] Then Vincent was Connected to the Akashic, And the System started Extracting Knowledge of the Skill for both its Interface but also to Integrate the Fused Skill with the Help of the Akashic. Waves of Data was continually downloaded and Browsed through by the System until the Fusion Was completed and the Fusion started Integrating, Then Vincent felt it, even if it was for a small time, Vincent felt the Unfathomable power of [The Word], Vincent decided to try the Power but as he was about to, His entire MP and EP was Depleted down to the last. Then the Pain came, even if he hadn''t even Used the new skill Fully. His soul was currently undergoing so much pain from the Assimilation, then when he couldn''t take it anymore, he Blacked out. While in the Deus Realm. All the Authorities that had currently Set their Eyes on Vincent like the Yuubi, all received a Backlash and their Various Means of Viewing Vincent suddenly got disrupted and was Cancelled and the Backlash was more like a Warning. In the Heavens ''''Brother Uriel'''' A Female Angel that can only be described as Beautiful and A World Ending beauty was Currently running towards her Brothers'' Abode and when she Reached there, she Barged in with an Urgent Message. ''''Huh, Gabriel what is the Matter'''' ''''*Huff*, *Huff*'''' ''''Th¡­The Successor, He¡­. He'''' ''''Gabriel, What Happened to Him.'''' ''''WE LOST SIGHT OF HIM'''' ''''Huh...'''' "WHAT!" And for the First Time in the History of the Universe, The Heavens couldn''t find a person. At ??? 7 Unknown Beings were sited At a Round Table and discussing When suddenly a Shadow appeared at one of the being''s side then the Others kept Quite Immediately. Then after the Shadow Left, That Being suddenly Hit the Conference Table with his Hands and sent out waves of Unknown energy that was Sinister in Nature. ''''DAMMIT" (The Being roared in Anger) Back with Vincent [Calculated Ending Achieved] [I Don''t understand... Is he just Lucky...¡­Or rather Unlucky]? [At least I managed to seal His Mana before he used the Ability. If not¡­.] [I''m Sorry Vincent, But I can''t Allow you to Use it Now.] [*Sigh* God, I hope you know what you are Doing] [Sealing New Ability] [Sealed] [Compensating for Loss of Battle Power] The best way for compensation, Random Draw for New Ability to increase Battle Power] [Random Draw Commencing] [Rolling] [Rolling] [Roll Complete] [Ability Gained] [.....] [*Sigh* Is This Luck...Or maybe Destiny] 1 Day Later The following day after Vincent fainted due to trying to use his new Ability, During the Time he was asleep, The HS Subsidiary Protected him throughout the assimilation. ''''Aaargh'''' ''''What the Fuck'''' ''''Am I Dead?'''' ''''¡­. Na, Death doesn''t feel like this'''' ''''I tried to use the Fused Ability but before I could even use it, My Entire MP Depleted'''' ''''*Sigh*, This Ability is Too Strong'''' ''''*Sigh*, For How long have I been asleep" [Good Morning, Host. You have been Unconscious for A Day] A Blue screen suddenly appeared in front of Vincent''s face and that surprised him. ''''AHHHHH'''' Vincent steadied his beating heart, "System what the fuck, you scared me!'''' [That was the Entire Plan Host] ''*sigh* Could you stop it with the Host thing just call me by my name, Vincent'''' [I''m sorry, I cannot do that] ''''Why? Just call me by my Name'''' [I''m sorry, I cannot do that] ''''What the Fuck, System why can''t you just call me by my name'''' [Because even if I do, you will not gain any starter Pack, this isn''t an Isekai Novel or Anime that you have in your former World, in this World it''s Either you get strong or you die and it''s even worse for you.] ''''Jeez, I Got it, don''t get your panties in a twist, fine you can call me Host if that''s what makes you sleep at night'''' [I don''t require sleep] ''''Fine, Whatever'''' ''Smartass'' ''''... So, system, why did I pass Out'''' [The Soul was already undergoing Assimilation of the Ability, then you proceeded to try to use that power even though I Warned you that the Ability will have to be sealed] ''''Fine, Whatever???'' ''''*Sniff* *Sniff*, I Need to Take a Bath, System direct me to the Nearest Lake'''' [I Can''t] ''''Huh, WHY?'''' [It''s not in my Functions, I am Just a Subsidiary, not a Smartass] ''''SERIOUSLY...*Sigh* So I have to find a Lake by myself in a Forest Crawling with Dark Beasts'''' [Negative] ''''Huh.'''' [The Forest sent crawling with Dark Beast, as you have Currently absorbed 60% of the Dark Beasts in the Forest when Your Other Self used The Word to Purify your Bloodline, That''s why You currently have 9 Tails behind you] [I suggest you check your Status] ''''Okay, I''ll check it as soon as I reach the Lake'''' 30 Minutes Vincent let out an exasperated sigh '''' I Can''t believe it took so much time just to find a Lake'''' ''''System, Display my status'''' [Status] [Name: Vincent. G Juubi HP: 7200/7200 EP: 200,000/200,000 Bloodline: Heavenly 10-Tails of True Illusions] [Innate Ability] [My Illusions Are the World''s Reality (SS/SSS-Rank) (New)]: The ability to Make your Illusions closer to Reality, this ability grants the User the ability to manipulate ''The Truth'' when the Comprehension of this Skill reaches the Peak. Note if the Victim of this ability is stronger than the User, there is a High Chance that the Person can shrug Off the Users Illusion Usage: 0.002EP/Minute for Low-Tiered Illusions, 0.020EP/Minute for High-Tiered Illusions, 200EP/Minute for Higher-Tiered Illusions, ???] [Abilities] [The Word] (New): This is the personification of the manipulation of The First Law, The Law of Divine Oneness. This ability can essentially make the User a God, ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?. In The Beginning, Was the Word and the Word ? ? ? ? ? ?? Status: Sealed, information Not Complete Conditions not met. Words Available: PURIFY, DEVOUR [Mana Burst]: The ability of the user to channel mana internally and propel it outwards from any part of the body. Propelling mana from legs Grants users extra speed according to how much mana was put into the skill, But Note the Higher the Mana put, the Lesser the control of the speed. Mana Propelled from Hands and legs can be used to increase Attack power and speed At Higher comprehensions, the Host gains the Ability to infuse Elements into the mana and create Different Effects. Variations Unlocked Lightning Mana Burst Fire Mana Burst Lightning Fire Mana Burst Final Burst Usage: 20EP/Burst, 100EP/Powered Burst, All/Full Burst. [Cellular Enhancement: Channels Mana into the cells of the Body, Empowering the cells making them able to duplicate faster, and also serves as a Form of Enhancement. It grants an Effect similar to Regeneration. Note: Skill needs a lot of Life Energy gotten from food afterward to avoid death. Usage: 5EP/Seconds [Portal Maker] (New)(SS-Rank): Ability to make Portals to not only places known but also to those unknown, if coordinates are within possession, Portals can be made to say Location easily. Note: Spatial Disturbances are Random and can affect calculations, Hence Spatial Disturbance should be included in calculations. Variations Spatial Sense Usage: 5EP/Portal ] Chapter 9 - Functions Of HS Subsidiary "Wow, I''ve gotten considerably stronger than before" [You are still Weaker than Most, But yeah Stronger] "*Sigh*Give it to the System, for being able to pour cold water on a person''s hopes." [If your Hopes weren''t so Insignificant then I won''t have to dump them in the Trash] "*Sigh" "Whatever, System explain your Functions" [Affirmative Host] [This System is named the Heavens System Subsidiary, I am a subordinate system connected to the Main System and the Akashic in the Heavens which is responsible for ????] ''*Sigh*, Of course, I won''t be able to hear, am I that weak'' [I was made by the Will of God, for Grooming and Helping his Successor in becoming More Powerful] [Currently, Host is Accessible to 5 Functions] [Status Quest Map Logs Akashic] [Status]: [This Function Allows Host to View Current Information about Host and Everything Related to him, This Function also Grants Host the ability To view the status of Opponents, Weapons and Items giving Host the Ability to see all Information related to His Enemies, Weapons and Items. Note: If Host is not strong enough, Some information will be Withheld for hosts safety] [Quest]: [This Function Allows for the Growth of the Host. Unlike The systems Known by the host, If the host Completes a mission, The System won''t Grant the Host any Rewards as there is no shop function.] [Instead, the rewards will be what the world gives you. Only in Few cases will the System give Host Missions to save up currency for the Akashic Function.] [Map]: [This Function grants host an Undetailed Map of Every Realm, But when Host explores places, The map will slowly get Detailed. This is to ensure the growth of the Host and Increase the Excitement of the Host Journey.] [Logs]: [This Function Allows Host to recall records of Events or actions of the System and Host] [Akashic]: [This Function grants the System the Ability to Connect to the Akashic Records allowing the System to Temporarily know of Present and Future Events, allowing Host to ask the System any Questions.] [But to ask a Question Akashic points will be deducted, The Currency is to ensure that the Host doesn''t become reliant on the System and start spamming this function.] [Do you understand all of that Host] "..Uhm, I think I do" [Any Questions] "System how can I get Akashic Points and what do you mean by the world will grant me my rewards for normal Quests" [Akashic Points can be gotten for System Generated Quests and can sometimes be found in Normal Quests] [And when I say that the world will grant the rewards, It''s better to explain with an example to differentiate between a system Generated Quests and a Normal Quests] [Ding] [System Quest Generated] [Name: Fulfill All The Conditions To Fully Use The ''The Word'' Details: Fulfil All Conditions Condition 1: Host Must Have the Skill [I Can impose My Will] ? Condition 2: Host Must Have a Minimum of 1,000,000 Units of EP and Must Have The @#$# Condition 3: Host soul Should be a Rational soul and must not be a Pure Soul ? Condition 4: Host Must go To Heaven Condition 5: Host Must have The HS Subsidiary ? Rewards: Complete Use and control of ''The Word'', Godhood,200,000 Akashic Points, Avoidance of Possible Death, ???, ???, ???] [Normal Mission Generated] [Name: Leave The Forest Or Live In The Forest Forever Details: Leave The Forest and Somehow Find Civilization Rewards: Encounter With Civilization and not Sleeping on The Raw Ground, 5 AP] "Ahh, I see now. I Get what you mean by the world will Reward Me" "System, I do not see an Inventory Function" [Because You do not have One, But Don''t worry, System will Store The Money of the Host but not his Weapons Or Items] [But with Comprehension on the Laws Of Space, the Host can create His Inventory.] ''Seriously, what''s wrong with this system'' ''And WTF, I thought you said that you didn''t have a map" [Oh, When] "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WHEN" [I''m sorry Host but this One doesn''t Remember the Occurrence of such Events, Please Forgive this Young One for not being a Smart-Ass] "SERIOUS-*Cough*, Control....Control'''' 5 Minutes Later "So, The Questions I can ask the Akashic can be Anything" [Correct] [From How to Destroy The Realm with Ice Cream to How to Flex Your Fingers] ''hmm, So how will the Answers Be like" "Will I get a Single answer or will I get Multiple Answers" [Answers will Depend on what is most Useful to the Host, So if two Answers are of the same user to the Host, Then System will give Multiple Answers, if not Only One answer will be Given] "How many AP to ask a question" [1000 AP Per Question] [Does this Answer satisfy Host] "Yeah, *Sigh* I need to take a rest, But first I have to find Civilization" "System Open [Map] " [Okay] Then a Map of the Entire Continent Appeared in front of Vincent, The [Map] Had the Function to Zoom Out as the map covers as far as all The Realms and also to zoom In, But then Vincent noticed one thing, The location he is currently at is marked by the [Map] As Dark-Wood Forest and had glowing Letters. [Try To Tap the name of the Forest or Imagine tapping It, Then you''ll be able to view the History of Said forest and all its information] "Mmh, Ok" ''Dark-Wood Forest'' Then a Familiar Blue Screen appeared [Dark-Wood Forest]: [This is a Forest that has been around since the beginning of the World of Mig¨¢s, The Original name of this Forest was the Serene Forest but after being Overrun by Dark Beast, The name was later changed to Dark-Wood Forest. The Forest was Crawling with the Dark Beast but due to an Unfortunate situation or rather Fortunate 60% Of the Dark Beasts in the Forest have Mysteriously Disappeared. Dark Beasts that Can be Found 20 S-Rank Danger Level Dark Beasts 8 SS-Rank Danger Level Dark Beasts 2 EX-Rank Danger Level Dark Beasts ] ''So this is what system meant by Detailed, The [Map] Function can show me pathways to cities, Forests but if I don''t explore then any detail of the place will be allowed to me'''' ''But the question is What counts as Exploring'' Then Vincent Focused on the EX and SS Rank Dark Beast ''This level of Power, So this is the cause of my possible death if I stay in this Forest for a Long period'' [Yes, As you are the Only Thing in this Forest at the Moment, Without any Dark Beast Roaming around, If you stay here too long your scent will be caught by one of these Beasts] "Then wait, I Have been here for about a day now..." [I suggest you start Running Host] ROAR "Ahhhhh" Then Vincent started running away from his area and was luckily heading towards the Outskirts of the Forest. After he reached a Sufficient distance he then finally stopped. "Huff, Huff...I hate your system" [The feeling is becoming Mutual] "Huff, Open Map" Then the Map reopened in front of Vincent "Huff, So 2 Kilometers North before I reach Civilization" "Yosh, Let''s Go" Chapter 10 - Reaching The City, A Soon To Be Bad Night Rest /////1.8 kilometers Of walking later///// "Huff, Huff, Huff" As a Migas, Normally he wouldn''t have been so tired. However with all that has happened to him. He is mentally worn out and it''s taking a toll on his physical body. Right now Vincent is close to passing out but the avoidance of possible death reward is too enticing. Soon after Vincent had seen the promised land not so far in the distance. He saw the shapings of buildings and also a queue. ''Huh'' ''Why is there a queue?'' he asked himself After a while, Vincent finally reached the extended queue in front of a guard office which was beside an open gate that had 6 Soldier''s surrounding it. It seemed that people needed some kind of ID to get into the city and Vincent seemingly guessed that if you didn''t have that, it meant that you had to buy and register for one. But there was one problem. At the moment he is currently broke, most of his money is in his home, Before he could panic the System came to the rescue. [You don''t need to worry about your saved money, I have already collected everything for host use] ''Really!, You are a life saver. But wait where do you keep the money [Well in the Inventory] ''I THOUGHT YOU SAID THERE WAS NO INVENTORY'' [Well, that is for you. I on the other hand is very much equipped with an inventory] ''Why can''t I use it then? Are you not created to help me'' [Correction, I was made to help you get stronger not to help you in every part of your life. Not giving you an inventory is not a breach of that reason. In Fact, its more of a benefit since you will have to get stronger to understand the space laws and make you own inventory] [Hence, I have no obligation to give you an Inventory] "I can''t argue with you when you are right like this." He mumbled weakly. Vincent decided to keep quiet thereafter and wait his turn, After a while standing in the sun, It was finally his turn. He walked forward to the gates and was directed by a guard to the guard office at the side of the gate. There the guard asked him some questions. Before he started he had already used his Illusion skill to cover himself and change his race and face. "What''s your name?" "Vincent Cadmean" "Race?" "Migas." "Breed?" "Half Lion" "Age?" "16" "Father''s Name?" "None Available" "Mother''s?" "..." "Mother''s?" The Guard asked again "None". The Guard winced a little "My condolences" "Don''t worry about it." The guard nodded in response and continued "For you to enter, an ID will be issued to you but it''s 100 silvers" ''If I remember, 100 Bronze-1 Silver, 100 Silver - 1 Gold, and 1,000 Gold - 1 Platinum.'' ''So 100 Silvers should be 1000 Bronze. I don''t understand the value of money so I can''t say whether this is expensive or not'''' As Vincent was about to use the money stored in the system, he remembered that he had a skill that would be perfect at the moment, [My Illusions Are the World''s Reality]. "Illusion" He murmured The Guards and everyone in a 100 meter vicinity was caught in an Illusion, The Guards saw that he had paid the money so they gave him the ID. He will have to get a permanent visa later to be recognized as a citizen but since he''s not staying long he reckoned he won''t have to do that. After receiving the ID Vincent walked into the city. As Vincent walked in, he was ummediately marveled by the beauty of the buildings and the crowding of the people in the Streets. The Buildings were mainly medieval but some had some Modern Touch, So it was like a mix. What could he expect from another world What surprised him was the way that even if the streets were crowded, There were no forms of accidents, They were all avoiding each other smoothly without even looking as if they had some sense of super instincts. Anyway, Vincent shook off his useless thoughts and tried to scout for information on an Inn that he can stay for the day or maybe Longer. So he decided to talk to a stranger for directions. Some ignored him but luckily after a while an old man helped him and directed him to the Inn, he even left some silver coins with him. Vincent was confused but as he looked at his body, He figured it out that he was currently half-naked. After the purification of the bloodline. It''s no wonder that his shirt was No more. Shaking it off, Vincent entered the Inn and asked for a room. It was a bit weird at first. A half naked man asking for a room. The owner gave Vincent a room and he made haste to it ignoring the gazes of the people looking at him. As he entered his room, He jumped on the bed with happiness on his face. "Ahh, Bed...Soft.....Sweet... Marshmallow Bed" "At last we are finally together" "And we will be like that forever and ever" /////In Heaven///// Uriel was in a council meeting with his fellow Angels. The people sitting at the council were all serious as this meeting was important, This is the third time they had all come together like this in the history of heaven. This first was during the fall of the morning star. The second was the reborn of the star, But that''s a story for another time. And now the third. Uriel started the meeting "Today you are all gathered today because a grave Incident has befallen the heaven" The angels were still quiet urging Uriel to continue. "At exactly, 11 AM, We had lost sight of the successor" Gasps reverberated around the room as they murmured amongst themselves. So peculiar was stunned in place ''Vincent¡­¡­...my son'' "What are we going to do now" Raphael asked ".I am thinking of asking the HS to gelp us reveal his location." "Mmh, That''s a great idea. Proceed" Azazel Said "Okay, I''ll start now" Uriel started chanting some incomprehensible words at high speed at the end of the chant he used [The Word] After he was through the Heaven rumbled and a voice resounded through the room. "What do you ask of me, Son of my creator" "The mighty Heavens System created by my father, I ask of you to reveal to me the location of my father''s successor" "....." "....." "....." "....." "....." "No" Chapter 11 - The Dominions Use Of [Dream Walker] In Heaven Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, and the other angels were now in a dilemma. Due to Vincent receiving the power of [The Word], He got cut off from the eyes of the heavens. With the angels no longer having the capability to see him. There is a high chance that if he is in danger they won''t be able to Interfere. Uriel was confused for the first time in a long time. He was frightened by the [Heavens System] capability to reject orders, and the possibility of it occurring again. ''The [Heavens System] is the most sacred and powerful artifact in existence.'' ''The full power of the System is something I can''t comprehend and now that said artifact can deny us of its power.'' ''What if this occurs again during a war, will we become sitting ducks?'' He reasoned within himself. He evaluated a lot of reasons why the [Heavens System] did not lend its power and came to a conclusion ''Father'' His eyes widened in realization "Heaven System, Why can''t you assist us," He decided to ask. [Because it is now a part of my purpose creator left for me] "Father???" Raphael questioned [Yes.] [My creator before his passing into the Cycle of Reincarnation gave me a new purpose] "What is this new purpose?" Uriel asked [To make sure that the successor of my creator becomes a being that surpasses him, and to also ensure that he does not become a wuss according to creator''s words] "Father said so?....." Gabriel said slowly [Yes he did, My creator before his departure ordered me to make the successor the greatest being in the verse and to make sure he is the perfect successor.] "Why won''t you help us then!" Raphael asked, annoyed at the system [The creator concluded that the successor must grow on his own without interference from the angels.] [If you often protect him then he won''t grow into the perfect successor.] "Bu-" [But my creator had foreseen that there are some beings that the successor is too young to fight.] [Hence, If the successor encounters such great powers. The angels are allowed to interfere.] [That is the condition set by the creator.] After the System had informed them of the changes. Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Azazel, and those of the council discussed a bit afterward before Uriel dismissed them except for his fellow archangels. "We have a problem", Uriel started "Without us being able to directly Interfere with the successor, there is no way for us to help him. We can''t even bless him because of this." He continued "But the system said that we can help him if he interacts with forces that are too strong for him," Gabriel said "AND WHAT IF HE DIES BEFORE WE CAN EVEN INTERFERE!" Uriel raged out "Eeek" "*Sigh*, I''m sorry sister." He apologized. "It''s just that everything is dependent on this. With father gone everything has been thrown into disarray." "Calm down kid, I have a plan." Azazel cut in "Huh" "Well don''t keep us waiting!" Uriel urged Azazel sighed and replied, "Even after all these years you are still impatient." "Yo-" "Anyway, my plan goes like this. We can''t help the successor directly either by blessings or waypoints right." "Yes," Uriel replied with an obvious tone. "Then, what if we discreetly manipulate those around him? Of course not in a diabolical way" "Azazel, If you want to say something just go straight to the point," Uriel said, tired of Azazel cryptic way of speaking "Ok, Ok. What I''m saying is this." "What if we manipulate those around him to discreetly lead him to treasures hidden in the realms." "With that, we are not directly interfering with him and he will get stronger along the way." "Bu-" Uriel tried to reason "Look, we both know the power of the artifacts left in the realms. if he can get things like that his power will increase."'' "That may work. But there is a likelihood that the Heavens System would not allow it" "We just have to try" Azazel replied After a while of contemplating, They all agreed to the plan and decided to try it even if it may not work. The next thing now was which treasure they should start with. When all of this was happening, Vincent''s mom was currently in a dilemma. When she first entered heaven, She was still traumatized. The incident that caused her death roamed fresh in her mind. The only thing that kept such thoughts away was the Job of a Dominion. Taking care of sinners and making sure the Heavens were in order is a dream for a Christian. About a year later she recuperated from her trauma with the help of the friends she made and her fellow dominions. The Archangel Gabriel was the most helpful. Since the first time they had met by chance, the archangel has been counseling her ever since. Soon after her recovery, she began a search for her son. The first place she went was her former world where she found out that Vincent had died. Therefore, she left that world and continued her investigation somewhere else. Although before she left the world she punished those that had truly wronged her son, namely Ash Ethereal and his father. It was a good thing that they had an enormous sin count. Fraud Blackmail **** Murder Sabotage Company Slavery Etc. Yeah there were no obstacles in her judgment After that, she checked the Book of Deaths and Reincarnations. The book registers the deaths and reincarnations of all souls. From there she found out that her son had reincarnated into one of the lower dimensioned universes made by the creator. This was a problem since those universes are constantly moving thus from the time he had died till this point, the location would have changed. But a mother does not give up. After years and years of searching across a part of the infinite verse, she by chance stumbled upon a great piece of information A successor of the creator had emerged, Imagine her surprise when she was told that it was her son. Immediately she readied to head out again but was then interrupted and called to attend a meeting. Later on, she was banned from seeing him by the Heavens System. A being of untold power that supports heaven. But that power was against a mother''s will. Upon leaving the meeting she requested from her superiors the successor''s current coordinates. She was allowed such information because of her rank and merits. Thereafter she went to her abode where she cast the spell [Dream walker] which took her to the astral plane above and below reality, Dream. From the astral plane, She tried her linkage to Vincent''s soul and coordinates to locate him. It was a long-distance from her position to Vincent as heaven was on a plane infinitely higher than the lower dimension he was in. That is why Yggdrasil is a necessity to reach Heaven without the condition of death. It can pierce through the infinite space beneath the heavens. However, as a dominion, she had crossed this space numerous times, so it wasn''t that big of a problem for her. Upon reaching Vincent she braced herself then entered into his dream. As she entered the dream, he saw her. Shocked he was at first then it faded into wariness. She knew that her child doubted her but she wasn''t bothered by that. All that mattered was that her child was alive and well. "Son" Miss Cadmean said with a smile [All according to plan], A scheming system says ///// Please support with PS and Reviews :) Love you all ///// Chapter 12 - Mothers Gift ///// After Vincent had fallen asleep, He soon found himself in a dark space somehow knowing that this was his dream. A lucid dream he suspected "Is this how a lucid dream is supposed to look like" But then he sensed somebody else. A new presence in his dream. Vincent turned around and saw his mother with 2 sets of white dove wings behind her. ''Mu-, No this is a lucid dream. I must have thought her up.'' ''But then again didn''t Azrael say that mum became an angel.'' ''Could this¡­.'' Vincent''s head spiraled into confusion thus he decided to react to this situation with Caution. ''''Son" "My dear Cadmean, Come here" He knew that this may be a dream but that did not hinder him from embracing her. It felt the same to him, the warmth of her hug, the way she caressed his head. Somehow this made everything that had happened to him fine. The warmth made him feel so Helpless, weak, scared, and tired. The emotions that he had bottled down since the day that she entered a coma, he let it all out. The pain he felt anytime he saw her lay lifeless on a hospital bed. The powerlessness he felt when his superiors took credit for his work. The anger towards the unfairness of life. And the joy of seeing his mother well. He let it all out in her embrace. Dominion Cadmean continued to embrace him, she too was shedding tears. After all these years she finally reunited with him. She felt pain from seeing her son break down. ''''My child, you must have gone through a lot" Vincent stayed silent as he laid in her embrace, still doubting whether this was still a dream or not. After a few minutes of hugging and shedding tears, he released her and looked into his mother''s eyes. His eyes held sadness and confusion as he asked, "Are you real". ''Is this a dream?'' ''Don''t get my hopes up ''Please tell me that it i''s not'' As an angel, Dominion Cadmean was quite sensitive to empathy and the waves of emotions her child was giving were frightening. Vincent looked at her with so much confusion, sadness, loneliness, and anger. She couldn''t help but be also taken by sadness. ''Ah, My sweet child. If only I didn''t leave you'' "I am real, my child. I took a break from heaven and came to see you." Vincent nodded then hugged her again. He wanted to stay here forever, he wished that he could. But reality is often disappointing. [I suggest you wrap this up. Your time limit has almost been exceeded] "System!" He was about to lash out, but his mother stopped him ''''Thank you for this opportunity system, I will finish soon.'''' [......] Vincent snapped his head to hear and looked at her with a pleading similar to that of a child. She chuckled in return but then became serious and looked at him seriously. ''''I have to be fast before the system kicks me out'''' ''''Moth~'''' He tried. ''''My child, I do not belong here." "I have accomplished my wish and my destiny, now it is time to head back to my place. But first, let me give you a gift'''' Dominion Cadmean placed her hand on his head and muttered some words, her hands glowed for a second before settling. Vincent was confused and about to ask but he was interrupted by the waves of Information entering him. It was something that he did not know but began to. But it did cause him pain "Your mental space is not unlocked yet, my child. That is why you feel such pain'' but here." She channeled more energy into her hand which glowed an even brighter light, she place her hand on the floor beneath. The light spread out from her hand throughout the block expanse and covered it in brightness. Soon the light receded and the entire former dark space was now a landscape space. The ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. Beneath them was a path to somewhere. A mental space of serenity it was now. "This is the best I can do now my child, The rest would be up to you.'''' [Your time is almost running out] Hearing this, Dominion Cadmean hurriedly slit her wrist with her nail The blood that dropped out molded itself into a seed, then she summoned a bowl of blood from her pocket space and placed the seed into it. Soon after the seed absorbed all the blood and it changed into a plump red color. She proceeded to implant the seed Vincent who was still in a trance. After that, she slipped a ring into his finger. Vincent had recovered at this moment. He was still receiving information but ignored it and looked at his mother. He wanted to say something but then the system stopped him. [This is enough, I shall eject you now] Hearing this, Vincent''s Mother hugged him tightly and whispered to him. ''''My son, whom I am proud of. I know that you will do wonders wherever you go'''' ''''Even though our time is limited, please know that I will be with you every step of the way of your journey'''' ''''So get stronger and reach the heavens, there we shall reunite. But thereafter go beyond heaven and become the one at the pinnacle.'''' "You''ll be a great man Vincent and this time I shall watch you every step of the way." "As I should have" Hearing this Vincent replied with determination. ''''Yes mother, I shall do my best'''' Dominion Cadmean smiled in response and then the System ejected her from the astral space. Seeing her gone, Vincent''s heart clenched but he knew that this was not a goodbye forever. Vincent decided to leave this space too but before asking the system. ''''System'''' [Yes, Vincent] ''''You are on my side, right?'''' [Yes, I am, now and until forever. I will be by your side.] [All I do is for your good] ''''For my good'''' he murmured to himself Vincent did not comment further and requested for the System to put him to sleep. /////Back in Heaven///// Vincent''s mother had awoken after she was ejected by the System. When she awoke she found Gabriel cooking in her kitchen As Angels they didn''t need food but they enjoyed the taste thus food was more of a pleasure than a necessity. Gabriel sensing her awakening went to her and embraced her, Dominion Cadmean hugged her back and let out newfound tears. ''''It''s okay Ariel, it''s going to be just fine. Nothing will happen to him'''' ''''¡­. I know that it''s just that he has grown up so much and I wasn''t there to witness any of it.'''' Ariel continued to weep in Gabriel''s arms, While Gabriel just kept on comforting her /////With Vincent///// Vincent had woken up feeling groggy, slow, and somehow different. He proceeded to take a cold shower which shook him up. After that, He sat on his bed and decided to review what his mother gave him As he read through what he received he was immediately shocked Chapter 13 - The Heavenly Manuals Of Elohim ''''The location of The Heavenly Manuals of Elohim'''' When Vincent found this, He was shocked and it wasn''t only him. The system was also shocked but because of an entirely different reason. [Gabriel], it said to itself. The Heavenly Manuals of Elohim, these manuals were said to be God''s first gift to man. The gift being, [The power of Dominion] [Dominion Over the Sky] [Dominion Over the Earth] [Dominion Over The Beasts] All these were contained within the Heavenly Manual of Elohim and were given to the first man, Adam. But due to an unfortunate event, this manual was lost to the sands of time. But the information goes on. There is one more dominion that it recorded, A dominion that even Adam was unable to use. "Dominion Over the Heavenly Bodies." Fate, Time, Space, Destiny, Reality, etc. Control over these concepts will be given to those who manage to comprehend this Dominion. Even Adam was not able too and Vincent may also be the same, well that was before he acquired [The Word]. He knew that with this power he had a higher chance of comprehending the Heavenly Manual. [You must find this manual], The System said in a grave tone. Vincent was shocked as he could somehow sense how serious the system was. [Special System Quest from Main System Generated.] [Name: Acquire the Heavenly Manuals of Elohim hidden in the realms and acquire all the gains Details: The Manuals of Elohim, were God''s first gift to man. But it got lost to the sands of time. With new information of its location given You are tasked to find these manuals as they would be beneficial in the future. Find the Manuals and acquire all the gains that come with them. Rewards: Loosening of seals placed on the skill [The Word], Manuals of Elohim, 50,000 Akashic Points, Help in future comprehension of [Dominion Over the Heavenly Bodies], One random item or ability for each manual found.] Vincent was shocked by the contents of this new quest that popped up before him, but he wasn''t too ecstatic by the rewards. He felt that more rewards meant more danger. ''This quest is not going to be an easy quest.'' He reasoned within. ''''System, I thought you said that you cannot reward me'''' [.Correction, I cannot reward you as I am only a second of the main system. But the Main System itself can reward you] ''''So, any quest giving to me by the Main System will have rewards'''' [That is correct] ''''That means that it was the Main System that compensated me for the sealing of [The Word] by giving me the [Portal Maker] ability'''' [That is also correct] [I suggest that the host should check his status as recent events have caused some changes] ''''Changes? [Status]'''' [Status] [Name: Vincent J. Cadmean HP: 7200/7200 EP: 200,000/200,000 Bloodline: Heavenly 10-Tails of True Illusions Title: Angels Blessed (New) (SS-Rank)] [Innate Ability] [My Illusions Are the World''s Reality (SS/SSS-Rank) (New)] [Angels Right (New) (SSS-Rank)] [Abilities/Skills] [The Word (EX-Rank) (Sealed)] [Mana Burst (A-Rank)] [Cellular Enhancement(B-Rank)] [Portal Maker (SS-Rank)] [Mana Control (A-Rank)] [Angelic Blessing (New) (S-Rank)] ''''Wow! I not only got an innate ability and a skill. I also got a title even though I have no idea what that means.'''' [A title is a blessing given to a person by a higher entity.] [Titles have different effects from passive to active to borderline a necessity to enter some places.] [Angels Blessed: You have been blessed by an Angel, The blessing is that of strength, will, and luck to conquer all. With this blessing, you will be granted the power to help you in your journey. Effects Passive Increase of Luck by 60% Passive Increase of Strength by 20% Passive Increase of Endurance by 20% Passive Increase of Speed by 20% Passive Regeneration Granted Special ability, Angelic Blessing, gained] [Angels Right: This skill was gained by the impanation of an angel''s divine blood or divine blood origin. It grants the host the ability to use holy weapons and holy skills with no fear of rejection. It also grants the host resistance to fire, water, air, and earth-based Attacks. It also increases the damage of attacks to dark beasts and users of demonic arts. Effects 25% Resistance to Fire-based attacks 25% Resistance to Water-based attacks 25% Resistance to Air-based attacks 25% Resistance to Earth-based attacks 70% Resistance to Holy based attacks Note: Normally, this skill also grants a weakness to dark-based attacks but due to your fox bloodline, The weakness has been mostly nullified. Note: Increase in divine blood origin Leads to Increase in effects of the title] [Angelic Blessing: This skill is obtained from the title [Angels Blessed], It casts an AOE healing and protective effect on both user and allies for as long as hosts Ether can sustain it. During the period of effect, all weak dark beasts will be killed instantly as long as they are within range, While stronger dark beasts may survive depending on the strength of the caster. Effects 35% Increase in Regeneration 30% Increase in EP Regeneration Note: Increase in divine blood origin leads to an increase in the effects of the title. Usage Cost: 5EP/ Second, For Strengthened 30EP/Second] ''''!!!!'''' Vincent was shocked by the details of these skills ''''These skills are too overpowered and the possibility of them growing even stronger with the Increase of divine blood origin makes it even more powerful'''' ''''But how can I Increase divine blood origin'''' [The Increase of Divine Blood Origin is automatic.] [Once planted into the body of a person, The Blood Origin will continue to produce pure Divine Blood.] [Overtime you will gain the angel bloodline. Your human side will be eaten away by your Angel blood but your fox blood will be the dominant blood.] [In the end, You will become a Fox-Angel hybrid but it will be more like a holy fox or so, but there is a chance that external forces may affect your path of evolution.] ''''*Sigh*, In the end, I will still have to forsake my humanity.'''' ''''Well it doesn''t matter, All I need is power and for that power, I''ll gladly forsake my humanity.'''' [Good, leaving that aside you should also check the storage ring your mother left for you] ''''Ok'''' Vincent investigated the ring on his finger for a while. [Push your ether inside] He did as instructed and was able to sense its contents but soon after he screamed in surprise 10,000,000 Platinum Coins filled the space. There were other treasures too but what was most important was the shiny coins. And that was how Vincent became the richest fox alive. Chapter 14 - Blood-Weep, Moonlit And..... The Legendary Forbidden Fruit [Vincent] [Vincent] [VINCENT!!!] ''''Huh'''' [Finally, I have gotten to you] ''''Huh, System what happened'''' [The amount of money your mother had left for you momentarily put you into shock] ''''Shock? Since when?'''' [It has been 15 minutes] ''''15 minutes!?'''' [Yes, you almost died] ''''Well dying while being the richest isn''t a bad way to go, You know what I mean'''' he joked. [Please tell me you are joking] ''''Of course, I am. I have a purpose now, I can''t die yet'''' Vincent went on to check the other contents of the storage ring left and found some other amazing things like Anklet of The Arch-Angels, Angels Brew, Dragons Brew, Wolf fur. Most of them were smithing materials as the system told him. But three items were not and they stole his attention. Those items were; [The Scripture of Glorious Elements], [Blood-Weep; Legacy of Endless Battles] and [Moonlit; Protector of Illuminated Dreams] The first was a scroll while the last two were weapons. He didn''t know the effects but from their names, it can''t be too weak so he asked the system to show its [Status]. [Scripture of Glorious Elements: A powerful scripture made by a coven of giants specializing In numerous elements. This scripture was made as a way to pass their legacy onto their descendants but this scripture is only the first part of the. Hence to get the full Inheritance, The other scripture must be found. The Inheritance grants the host the ability to create and manipulate all elements which also grants the resistance to all elements. It is speculated that when the inheritance is comprehended, Nigh-immunity to all elements will be bestowed.] [Blood-Weep; Legacy of Endless Battles: In a distant planet, there was a war between two powerhouses, One specialized in the light and the other in the darkness. A battle of the century occurred and the result was the death of the two factions as light could not overpower the darkness and the darkness also could not overpower the light. In the end, all that remained of the battle was a spear drenched in blood, Absorbing the essence of both the light and the darkness. Hence the title, Legacy of Endless Battles. As it was the only thing that remained from the battle between Light and Darkness. After centuries of absorbing the light and dark energies in the area, This spear has managed to obtain the energy of chaos and also divinities of light and darkness. Due to that anyone who tries to world it will be affected by the adverse effects of the spear. It will corrupt the mind of the user then devour the body WARNING: It is ADVISED that the host only uses this weapon during moments of danger to life.] [Seriously Azazel!], The system thought within [Moonlit; Protector of Illuminated Dreams: Moonlit, Protector of Illuminated Dreams also known as the sword that illuminated the dreams of the user and acts as a guardian to the dream. This sword was made by a swordsman whose former sword broke during a battle and therefore was not able to protect his lover. Thereafter, he deviated from the way of a fighter and studied blacksmithing for hundreds of years, and almost gained a divinity. He did this just to make this sword so as it will be an unbreakable guardian. It is said that the full power of the sword manifests when the user puts everything on the line for his dream.] Vincent was shocked by the ridiculous power of these Items especially [Blood-Weep] and [Moonlit]. The gains he received from his mother made him overwhelmed with gratitude. But that leaves the question, where did she get this from. Either way, he continued to check some other things in the Ring and found some beautifully designed swords, halberds, spears, and shields. There were also some battle-axes, morningstar. [Raphael!!!] Overall, they were impressive but he didn''t see some items on the level of Moonlit and Blood-Weep. But then a certain piece came into his view, He asked the system for its [Status] and the name of the piece shocked him greatly. [A Piece Of The Forbidden Fruit Of The Garden Of Eden: This Fruit is known to all as the Fruit that was eaten by Adam after he was tricked by his wife Eve who was also tricked by the devil or so it is said. But a word of Advice, ''History is Written By Winners''. The Fruit according to the legends gave Adam the ability to know what was right and what was wrong at least according to the scripture but that''s just the part of the power known.] [It is advised that the host eats the Fruit as it grants numerous gains but the main thing is that It allows the host more lee-way with [The Word].] The words of the system resonated in Vincent''s mind, especially the fact that he will be allowed to use more power of [The Word] but before he agreed to eat the fruit, he had to confirm a suspicion. ''''System, what are the negative effects of the fruit? '''' [What do you mean] ''''It seems that you do not understand then let me ask another question, Is this the same apple that caused God to send Adam and Eve away from the Garden Of Eden'''' [....] ''''System, Answer me!'''' [¡­.Yes] ''''And you want me to eat the same Fru~'''' [But it won''t affect you] ''''Huh'''' [The reason why Adam was sent away was for another reason entirely. Yes, the Fruit was the cause but it was also because of Adam selfishness] ''''selfishness?'''' [I''ve said too much] Vincent looked at the System sternly, ''''System'''' [Trust me.] [I will never hurt you] Vincent continued to look at the system, at the end, he grunted to the side. ''''I will trust you on this one system, don''t betray me'''' [Won''t dream of it] ''''Okay then now onto pressing Matters, how do I nullify the Influence of Blood-Weep'''' [Ask the Akashic] ''''But I don''t have enough points for that Unless the system wants to be Mercif~'''' [No] ''''Ugck'''' [But] ''''But'''' [The Main system decided to reward you for completing some things] ''''The Main System did that!'''' [Yes] [For Completing Hidden Mission Gaining an Angels Blessing Gaining A New Innate Ability Unlocking the Title Function of The System. You have gained 18,000 Akashic Points] Vincent was shocked by the reward, ''''18,000 Akashic Points which is equivalent to 18 questions'''' [Correct.] ''I am so going to exploit this'' he thought Chapter 15 - Exploring The Mental Space [You know I am still able to hear your thoughts.] ''Shit, I forgot about that." [Should I open the Akashic] ''''Yes, do so.'''' [Affirmative, Please close your eyes] ''''Ok'''' Then a familiar feeling enveloped Vincent, It caused him to almost disregard the Systems warning but he knew better. After a few seconds, the system spoke back to him. [You may ask your question] ''''Can I open my eyes'''' [Do you want that to be counted as a question] ''''No'''', immediately replied Vincent. [Then ask the right questions] ''''Ok'''' ''Uhm, so I just ask a question." ''''Where is the location of [The Scriptures Of Glorious Elements] second part.'''' Then Vincent felt the answer appear in his head followed by a splitting headache.l ''Ugck, so this is the repercussion'''' ''As expected, If I had just asked for what I originally wanted. This would have been worse.'' ''The main problem is how sudden it is.'' ''At least I know how it works now.'' ''''How do I Survive Blood-Weep'''', He asked. Again he felt the answer in his mind, but this time the pain was much more. This was because the question asked to the Akashic had 6 answers but at the same time, they couldn''t be called answers as 3 could be considered a possible Future. However, this was what he had speculated would happen. Vincent knew that for the Akashic to answer him it needed to use its omniscience to calculate a simulation with the solutions of scenarios across the timelines where he or some else survived it. Whether by luck or otherwise So when the [Akashic] wanted to answer, it could not just go straight to the point. It had to give information about the entire simulation. Due to this he now knows 3 alternate paths his simulation/alternate self took and 3 possible futures that can happen now. ''Did I just trick an omniscient being'' What Vincent didn''t know was that because he was the next successor of heaven. He was on the favorable side of the Akashic. That is why the [Akashic] was lenient and gave him the entire simulation. Otherwise, a single answer is what he would have received. This can be better explained with this analogy. In a situation where person A asks person B how to get to the nearest church. If person B does not have a favorable view of person A. Person B would reply with a straightforward answer with no further explanation. But if Person B has a favorable view of Person A. An answer that encompasses all paths and possible failures will be given. That is the situation with the Akashic "System I''m done." [Is that all that you wish to Ask] ''''Yes'''' [Okay] [Cancelling connection] [You can open your eyes now] ''''Ok'''' He did so and after went to lay on his bed, ''''I still don''t understand why to force me to not see the Akashic'''' [Don''t take this the wrong way, host but I am not forcing you. If you want to see the Akashic, you can] "The-" [Of course, that is if you want to explode from the inside out " [But if you don''t want to explode you need to become a god first.] ''''Why?'''' asked Vincent. [The Akashic is the infinite and eternal accumulation of information.] [A constant that exists across all of time, space, reality, dimensions, and whatnot] [It contains the past, present, and the future] [Everything that exists] [And everything that doesn''t.] [They are all within the ever-expanding omniscient library.] [Hence If you as much as glance at the Akashic as you are. Your brain will Involuntarily try to comprehend how much knowledge that exists within it.] [Mind you, Your brain is not comprehending what the knowledge contains. Rather It''s just trying to comprehend how much knowledge it contains.] [This alone would fry your existence itself.] [And that''s not all] [The Akashic also possesses the concept and divinity of Infinite Eternal. In other words, Infinity and Eternity.] [If you glance at the Akashic. You would see these divinities and your soul would instantly perish, Even though you are a reincarnated being.] ''''So basically, look and die'''' [Exactly] ''''Well, that is nice. "Anyways I''m off to sleep, The information from the Akashic took a lot out of me'''' [Sleep well, Vincent] ''''Thank You'''' Thus he went to sleep but instead of having a night with or without dreams. He found himself in an expanse, This was the same space where he reunited with his mother. He decided to explore it and find out all of its secrets. So he picked a direction and walked. He went on a long stroll that ended when he stumbled upon a golden door. The door was so tall that parts of it faded into the clouds, and was so wide that Vincent could not see the end of it. He knew that the gates could be opened and he could walk in at any time but hesitated to do so. "Well this is my dream, I am supreme here. So why should I hesitate" He walked forward to open the door but it did so on its own. Vincent then sauntered in, just to see a library. Seemingly endless bookshelves intertwining with each other to form some kind of a maze. Vincent was first surprised by the sheer size and length of the bookshelves. Curious, he took a book from one of the shelves but found it. ''''Empty'''' Then he tried another ''''Empty'''' And another ''''Empty'''' Another "Empty" This went for several books until in the end there were piles of books on the floor and a question on his mind. ''Where am i.'' Before he resigned to the stupidity of his situation, A nimble note flew towards Vincent, he warily held it and opened the note to see familiar writing. ``Wait, Isn''t this mother''s handwriting?" Chapter 16 - [The Eidetic Library Of Knowing], Eating The [Forbidden Fruit Of Eden] Vincent carefully held the Note and Proceeded to read its Contents ''''My Son, if you are Reading this Note then that means that you have made it to your Mental Space and had Entered the Gate of Knowing. This is my Last Gift to you apart from my Blessings and the Storage ring, I know you have many questions especially about the Fruit but don''t worry, I am not in any Trouble so don''t worry about me. Now onto Important matters, I know that you are confused about this place and where you are. So, I''ll explain, This Space is called the [Eidetic Library Of Knowing], This Space is not an Artifact but it is a Spell on the Level of an Artifact'''' ''''A Spell on the Level of an Artifact¡­Is this even Possible'''' (Vincent Said in Surprise) ''''This Spell was a Gift from a Person I had Helped during one of My Missions as a Dominion, [The Eidetic Library Of Knowing] is a Program for the mind, This Spell makes all that is seen to be Permanently Stored in the Books of The Library, Even if it''s only a glimpse and even when you are not focusing. The Brain captures and stores all that it has seen in the Hippocampus, this spell sorts out the Stored information and Allows you to call on that Information at will, unlike a normal person. Simply, This Spell allows you to access the Data Storage of the Brain. This is my Last Gift to you...I am sorry for Leaving, I am sorry for not finding you sooner, I wish I could be with you and make you your Favorite Pasta. But I promise that I will be with you every step you take. I swear on my Pride of a Mother. We''ll meet again soon, My Dear Vincent. Make Me Proud'''' Vincent couldn''t help but tear up at the Last Paragraph of the Message, but they were tears of Joy. ''''I''m truly not alone in this World.'''' ''''Thank You, Mother.'''' After a while, Vincent calmed down and decided to continue exploring the Space. For a Long time unknown to him, Vincent kept on Walking and Walking, Taking Various turns until he finally reached a door. He approached the door and entered into a Wide Room that seemed to have no end, In the Room were chairs and study tables. When he looked up, he saw a Glowing ball with a bright enough Glow, that brightened up the Room. Vincent was entranced by the glow of the ball and reached out to it as the Glowing ball was not too far High, His hands were able to reach it and were about to Grab it. [I suggest you do not do that] The Systems voice resounded through the room and into Vincent''s ears, Sure enough, Vincent woke up from his Unknown Trance and retracted his arms away from the Ball. [That is the Origin of the Spell Mechanism, in other words, this is the Core of [The Eidetic Library of Knowing] ''''The Core huh'''' Vincent took a Closer look and Marveled at the Ball, ''''Fascinating'''' [Indeed, it is, It''s Quite an achievement for someone to be able to make something like this, that is almost on par with the Level of God''s Artifacts] ''''God''s Artifacts?'''' [Yes, Artifacts made by Elohim during his Time, when he was traveling around the realms and interacting with his Creations Directly.] [During his Journey He made Several Items of Miracles to help out his Creations when they were in a Time of Need, For Example Noah''s Ark, Arthurs Sword.] [Later on, those Items were regarded by his Creations as The Artifacts Of Elohim; Immanuel, God is With Us] ''''So how many Artifacts are there'''' [Ask the Akashic] ''''Tch, Stingy'''' ''''System, Show me the [Status] of this Place'''' [Affirmative] [The Eidetic Library Of Knowing (S-Rank) (EX-Rank): This is a Spell of Unknown Origins and is on Par with the Treasures Of Elohim in terms of Potential, This Spell creates a Library in the Host''s mind as the Image is most Suited for its Purpose. The Eidetic Library of Knowing Spell allows all that is Seen by the Brain to be Compiled and Saved into the Library, The Library also allows the user to consciously and subconsciously use his brainpower in every situation. Over time, it is Speculated that the Library will Fuse completely with the Brain allowing Hosts Thinking capacity to Reach Unfathomable Levels but there are certain conditions to be fulfilled. Effects Grants Controllable Eidetic Memory Increased Mental Capacity Increased Mental Calculating Speed Increase Brain Percent Usage Grants host the Possibility of Creating Parallel Thinking Total Protection Over Mind, hence all Mind reading abilities Useless] ''This is Marvelous!'' Vincent Marveled at the Power of this ability that he had Gained but even more so at the fact that he had just Gotten his First EX-Rank Item, Well S-Rank but in the future, he can make it an EX-Rank. So, it was still a cause for Celebration. After Looking about a Little bit more, Vincent decided to Leave the Space ''LEAVE'' Then Vincent was Ejected from the Space and into his Original Body, While Vincent Stood up and went to the bathroom to take a Nice Shower. After he was done, He left the Bathroom headed for his Worn-Out and Destroyed clothes and Exited the Inn into the Main of the Street. Seeing the Sneers, the people had towards him, Vincent turned a Corner and Used an Illusion to Cover himself and Change his Appearance and made it seem that he wore better clothes then Exited back into the main street. He decided to continue to use this Illusion until he can get clothes. Vincent continued walking around until he stumbled upon a Clothing store and walked in, He greeted the Receptionist in charge and Requested some clothes. The Receptionist looked at Vincent Spotting an Average Cloth Wear sneered a little but still nodded her head and went to get clothes that she deemed suitable for a Middle-Class Standard. The Receptionist returned and handed Vincent the clothes, Vincent Picked the one that he Liked and paid for it also giving her a small top of 100 Silvers, which she had seemed very surprised about. ''It seems that I will have to learn this World''s Currency Exchange Rates Vincent Left the Store after changing into better pieces of Cloth and Proceeded to look for a place to eat, after that he returned to the Inn and retired to his room. He sat on his bed contemplating what he should do with [The Piece Of The Forbidden Fruit of Eden]. He did trust the system but he couldn''t help but have a sliver of Doubt, This Fruit was the reason that Adam got sent out Eden with Eve and it scared him that eating the Fruit may have Adverse consequences, these thoughts kept on Reverberating through his mind. After a while, he finally made a decision, If the Fruit was that dangerous the system wouldn''t have told him to eat it, and neither would his mother had given it to him. So, he took out the Piece from his Storage Ring and Finally took a bite out of it. Then Everything went black. If Anyone was in Vincent''s room at the moment, they will see a Body on the floor with Rainbow Glowing Veins, Arteries all connected to a Glowing Core in the Middle of the Chest. But that isn''t possible as they will have first died from exposure to the Amount of Ether and ??? that is coming off His body. If it wasn''t for the System sealing the space, All the Powerhouses in Eulogeo would have felt the Enormous amount of Energy Vincent was Excluding. Vincent''s body continued Excreting Ether and ??? and the Glowing ball in his chest changed color from the Blue that it was to like an Amalgamation of all colors at least that''s what it seemed. This continued for a while until suddenly it stopped and the piece of fruit that Vincent ate came out Of Vincent''s Chest, The Piece remained in the Air seemingly looking for something, and when it did. Various lines appeared from the fruit and it was sent to what it was looking for and another line was connected to the Glowing core in Vincent''s Chest At the Horse of Odin, [Yggdrasil] In all of the Realms, Various nobles, Common men, and Different people of Different origins were passing through the Gates of [Yggdrasil] until suddenly. The gates closed and [Yggdrasil] started shaking. The People there were Panicking as this had never happened before. Yggdrasil then Extended a Branch of his and then a Line that came out of nowhere connected to it, The People there were shocked while the Magicians, Researchers, and High Scholars were Filled with Fear, an Unfathomable amount of Fear. Who was Mad Enough to try to From a Pact with [Yggdrasil] whose Branches were said to be able to Reach the Heavens? But that wasn''t the scary part, the scary part was the fact that [Yggdrasil] Accepted the Pact. This Event Caused so many Powerhouses in all of the Realms to start moving. [Yggdrasil] Forming a Pact with a Person, Impossible. While all this was Happening, Vincent was having Beautiful Dreams. Chapter 17 - Effect Of [The Forbidden Fruit Of Eden], Start Of The [Scriptures Of Glorious Elements] The Next Day Vincent that has remained unmoving and was naked on the floor in the same spot for 24 Hours, suddenly started shifting and Shifting while making Audible grunts signifying its Discomfort. Then Vincent begrudgingly stood up and in a trance, a state took a bath, freshened up, wore some clothes, and went to sit on his bed. He looked around and saw the many cracks on the wall, the floor. Also, most of the furniture had cracked. When Vincent saw this, He was first confused about what had caused this but then slowly but surely it started coming to him. He went wide-eyed and became fully awake and realized that whatever had happened must have been because of him. ''''System'''' [Yes Host] ''''What in the Heavens Fuck happened Here'''' [You released a High amount of Ether and destroyed the whole room] ''''Why don''t I remember it'''' [You blacked out] ''''*Sigh*, Tell me what happened after I ate the fruit'''' [Ok] [After you ate the Fruit, you blacked out due to the Fruit starting Effect] ''''Effect? What effect'''' [The Forbidden Fruit of Eden, Grants the Person to the Universe itself.] Vincent got even more confused so he asked the system to explain to him in detail [The Fruit Of Eden first Tempered your soul to the Extremes, Hence the reason you passed Out due to the Extreme it had caused you in the Split of a second. This is the 1st Effect] ''''Pain? I don''t remember any pain'''' [You subconsciously wished to forget it, Due to [The Eidetic Library Of Knowing], You can consciously and subconsciously use more of your brain, You haven''t seen the effect yet but very soon it''ll surface.] [Due to the Extreme-pain, you subconsciously sealed away that memory in [The Eidetic Library Of Knowing] and I suggest you keep It there for now] ''''Ok then, leave that and continue'''' [Since your Soul was tempered by the Fruit, you have gained the ability to use the different forms of Energy in the Seven Realms. Hence now you can use Mana, Ether, Grace, Od, etc. This is the 2nd Effect] [After that, The fruit started its second effect which was to connect you to the Universe itself but since you only Ate a Piece, It instead made an Alternative connected you to the nearest thing to the Universe and that is [Yggdrasil] Which then gave you the Highest Affinity to Space. This is the 3rd Effect] [After that, The Fruit Took roots in your Soul for Unknown Reasons and is now Budding, Creating an Inner Space for it to Grow. In Other Words, the fruit planted itself inside you and it can produce a complete [Fruit Of Eden]. This is the 4th Effect] [The 5th Effect was that it gave you Eternal Youth, by tempering your soul, your body was also tempered to keep up with your soul. Now they are in perfect Synchronization, as long as your soul doesn''t fail then you won''t die. Also Due to this, Your strength has become higher, so it is advised that you''ll Caution your strength] [After that the Fruit granted you, Mind Reading resistance and Soul Protection.] Again, Vincent was shocked from the Gains of eaten [The Forbidden Fruit Of The Garden of Eden], just when it seemed he couldn''t be surprised anymore, The Fruit comes along and blows his Mind away. He was Excited with the Fact that the Fruit is now Planted inside his Soul and would later Grow to produce more Fruits and also about his Connection with [Yggdrasil]. He doesn''t know about the Benefits that his connection brings him but from what he heard about [Yggdrasil] both from this world and the former, He knew that the Benefits must be Large. After a while, Vincent calmed down enough to talk to the system ''''System, Are there any Adverse Effects from the Fruit'''' [None] ''''Then why was Adam sent out after he ate it'''' [...] [I knew you wouldn''t let that Go] ''''Of course, I wouldn''t'''' [Fine I''ll tell you a little of what happened] [Adam was sent out because of His Greed] ''''Greed, But I thought that there was no sin then?'''' [No there wasn''t, but still, Adam had Greed] ''''I do not Understand'''' [You do not Need to] [Just know that the Apple wasn''t the Real Cause of what happened and why he was sent away.] ''Eating the Apple'' ''Being sent away from the Garden'' ''Me being his descendant'' ''The system'' ''This doesn''t add up At this point, Vincent''s Brain was going Way faster than it had ever gone Before, Due to the Effects of the [Eidetic Library Of Knowing]. Vincent''s Thinking capacity and deduction had gone through the roof. Vincent then asked another question. ''''Then What about Eve'''' [... Eve was just an Unlucky person who got Caught up] [Leave this Topic, I think its time you Assimilate with the [Scriptures Of Glorious Elements] ] Vincent acknowledged the System and decided to Leave the Topic, He Proceeded to Take out the [Scriptures Of Glorious Elements] and Assimilate with it. ''''So how do I do this'''' [Open the Scriptures and Place on your Lap, Then Pour your Ether into it and Imagine it being absorbed into You] Vincent''s Followed the Systems instructions, He opened the Scriptures and found it was empty but he followed the instructions given to him and placed the Empty Scroll on his Lap. After that, he wrapped the Empty Scroll in his Ether and proceeded to Imagine the Scripture being absorbed as a whole into His Head. Then Immediately the Scriptures Glowed and exploded into Bright light Particles and Entered into Vincent''s Head, Vincent''s Body Passed out again but at least this time he landed on a Bed. Vincent''s spirit and consciousness were then Transported somewhere else. [Very soon, you''ll know the Full truth but for now. You are not strong Enough.] In an Unknown Place Vincent found himself in a Dark Expanse just like the One that was in his mind when he had met his Mother, Seeing that he was in an Unfamiliar space Vincent kept his Guard up to the fullest while his brain started without consent started calculating a way out from this Space, His brain then concluded on a Suitable way. ''If I Can''t Find a Way out, I''ll use [The Word] and Destroy the Entire Space'' But Vincent decided not to be hasty and he was rewarded for that because before he chose a random direction to start Exploring. Space showed signs of cracking so Vincent was now on full alert, the Space continued cracking until it finally broke like Glass. Then Vincent Found Himself Looking at Several figures that were Surrounding him all on their Independent Pillar. Vincent felt nothing Special from these Shrouded beings but he knew better than to trust his Eyes. He''ll rather rely on his instincts and Intuitions which are shouting at him not to do anything stupid or the consequences would be too Dire to Bear, that''s what he''s going with. Vincent was brought out of his Inner Ramblings when one of the Beings on the Pillar in Infront of him spoke out to Him in a Thundering Voice that resounded into his ears. The Being was Shrouded in the darkness just like all the others and stood on a pillar with Delicate Wind drawings. Vincent flinched from the Volume of the Voice. ''''A Fox not from Our Bloodline, manage to find the [Scriptures Of Glorious Elements]'''' Then Another being spoke out, this being had a Feminine Voice but when she spoke coldly, she was on a Pillar with Snow Flake markings ''''Tell us Boy, who are you.'''' Another Unknown Voice Then Spoke Out, This Being stood on Pillar with Marking of Trees ''''Calm Down, madam. For him to be here without being a descendant of our Sect, that means that he has an Affinity for All the Elements.'''' ''''that''s Nigh-Impossible!!'''' (The Being on the Ice Pillar said with surprise evident in her tone) ''''True, but you said it yourself for a person to have all elements is Nigh-Impossible. Nigh but not totally, I can sense his Connection with all of the Elements his weakest being with Time.'''' ''''And what''s this, HAHAHAHA'''' ''''What''s wrong with you Old Man.'''' ''''I''m just Relishing in the Fact that we have found the Perfect successor even better than someone from Our lineage'''' ''''what do you mean, don''t keep us in suspense'''' ''''Ok, Ok. Jeez'''' ''''The reason is that he has a Connection with [Yggdrasil] ''''WHAT'''' Vincent just stood in his position and looked at all of this being of Unknow Origin reveal everything about him. He has resolved himself that the slightest move of hostility and he will use [The Word] and send himself out of here. Because of the [Eidetic Library Of Knowing], He remembers the feeling he had when he had first used [The Word], so he is quite confident that he can call on that power. But for now, He''ll be Passive Chapter 18 - Re-Writing Ancient Beings In a dark eerie space, Void of life, emotion, and Meaning. Multiple Huge Pillars stood in the dark void; they were arranged in a way that all the pillars surrounded a man in the Centre. Behind every Huge pillar was an even more Giant figure but they were shrouded in darkness, no one could see through the darkness covering them. The Giant figures were arguing with each other with the Giants in the first line surrounding the man in the man in the center being the loudest. They argued louder and louder and it would have continued to do so but the companion of the man that they have all seemed to Ignore won''t stand for that. [Would You All Keep Quiet] They Voice rang out; it was neither powerful nor weak. It was simply monotone but it was enough to shut them up. Confused about where the voice came from, they looked around until they settled their eyes on the Man in the center who didn''t care about the gazes that were centered at him. Even though the Giant beings couldn''t be seen because of the darkness, it could be felt that they were all focusing on the Unassuming man in the middle but even with the stare from the Shrouded Giant Beings, the man didn''t flinch as any other would. He gave the feeling that everything was in the palm of his hands, everything was in control. Everything was all in his control. The man looked back at the shrouded being in front of him but it was felt that he was looking at all of the Giants at the same time The Giants didn''t talk for a while which made the Void silent again until the man spoke. ''''Have you all finished'''' The word that came out of his mouth, seemed to bring a wave of Coldness to all of the Giants. Whether it was illusionary or real was unknown to those who felt the cold wave pass through. The man turned his head to look at all the Giants, ''''Mmmh, it seems that you are done, then...Can I start now'''' (He said with an Underlying Mocking tone) In the Giant''s eyes, everything that the man was doing was a way of mocking them. They would have been angry at him for mocking them but they couldn''t because in their Eyes he was the true Giant here and they were all below him. ''''My name is Vincent Gate...¡­. And I want your Power to be Mine'''' (He said as he brought out his hands and clenched them) Standing Tall and Slender with Fair skin, His Elbow-Length, Shiny, Black hair was let loose behind him. Vincent Gate looked at the Giants in front of him with no emotion held deep hazel eyes. This is the Appearance of Vincent Gate, A Reincarnated Soul, Descendant of Adam, Son of a Dominion, and God''s Successor. The Change in the None existing Air made the Giants image of his Greatness even more Elaborate. [It seems that it has started] (The System thought to itself) ''''I want your power to be mine'''' (Vincent''s Repeated again but with a stern voice this time) The courage and pride held in Vincent''s voice made the Woman behind the Pillar decorated with snowflakes snap out of whatever trance that she had been put into, Her Enormous pride wouldn''t allow her to accept another trying to dominate her. Due to her pride, she attacked Vincent with a Slash that was filled with Unknown energy, the slash reduced the nonexistent temperature in the Void, an attack like this could be defined as devastating. The attack crossed the Void at a moderate speed as opposed to the normal speed where it should have traveled almost instantly. But again her pride wanted him to know how he died, to give him the chance to change his expression. She wanted to see his face filled with fear but she didn''t get her achieved result because Vincent who had looked her way at the time didn''t waver in the slightest. ''It looks like, I have to use it either way The fear overtook her again and the image of him being the true giant appeared in her eyes again. ''W~Who is this man'' Using his enhanced brain to remember the feeling of when he had first used it, He pulled on his Ether reserves and it responded and gathered around him. With the help of [The Forbidden Fruit OF Eden] and [Yggdrasil], He was allowed more leeway and less ether consumption whenever he uses [The Word] due to his closer connection to the Universe or rather Universe Origin @#! $@. ''''[]'''' (His tone neither powerful nor soft) And the attack did stop, Suspended in midair. The Other Giants were shocked and Giant behind the ice pillar even more so she added more of her unknown energy to try to push the attack, but it didn''t respond to anything the Slash remained stagnant in the air brimming with energy but unable to move. The Other Giants almost quick to respond took Vincent as a new unknown threat, The Unassuming man was a Wolf But being ''almost quick'' was a disadvantage as ''almost'' wasn''t good enough, The Wolf took that time to strike. ''''[-]'''' With those words said by the Wolf, All the Giants stopped and became like the void. Empty and stagnant. The only thing that could be considered ''Alive'' was the Enormous Amount of Ether that the wolf that had struck the Giants was releasing. Even with the Leeway by the [Forbidden Fruit of Eden] the amount that he was using will bottom his reserves too quickly. [Yggdrasil] also helped and started transferring Mana, Ether, and different unknown energies Onto Vincent through their formed link, Absorbing and using the Energy simultaneously, Vincent smiled and sent thanks through the Link which [Yggdrasil] responded by sending more Energy. Vincent looked at the Empty Giants and started his work ''[Re-Write], With this, I can rewrite or reprogram anything but the disadvantages are quite bothersome'' ''Not only that the Ether needed was massive but the Amount of knowledge I''m receiving about them should make someone mad.'' ''I probably haven''t because my brain is again locking the knowledge away in my Library. For now, I am immune'''' ''I just need to input one Command'' ''''Become my servant and Love Me as your Eternal Master for All of the Eternity, My Orders are Absolute'''' (Vincent''s Voice rang out again in the Void) The [Re-Write] started its effects, one by one the Giants dropped on their knees and bowed, Slowly and slowly until it remained the Ice Giant her pride was enormous but who was she before overwhelming power, She too fell on her knees and bowed. And together they swore Servitude towards him ''''WE THE SECT MASTERS AND FOUNDING ELDERS OF THE ORDER OF DIVINE ELEMENTS HEREBY SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO YOU OUR NEW MASTER, UNTIL DEATH DO US PART!.'''' Vincent turned away from the Kneeling Giants and looked upwards as if staring at the sky with the serene look, but there were no stars in the Void. What he was staring at was unknown and so was the reason too. Vincent looked back at the, his face returning to the Apathetic look that he had before. ''You May Stand.'''' (He said with the Powerful tone of a Master) And they did Vincent had successfully put the Creators of and Heaven Grade Treasure under his control Chapter 19 - I Am Your Master, Assimilation Of The Physical Body ''[Re-Writing] the Creators of the [Scriptures Of Glorious Elements] not only demands high energy but also a high mental capacity ''The Process of [Re-Writing] them just to add a single Command was almost maddening for me, if not for the [Eidetic Library Of Knowing], I am sure that the second I had tried this, I would have gone mad.'' ''The information they gave is quite enlightening.'' ''The Giants behind the pillars were a part of a species called Planar Giants, they are called that because they have a deep connection with their world.'' ''Newborn Giants of this species are born with a high Talent to an element that they are automatically aligned to from birth. The reason for this being the First Planar Giant was made from the will of their distant world named [Titan Terrain] as only Titans live in this world.'' ''The purpose of this scripture was to pass on their power onto someone so that they can stop a so-called Civil War, Too bad it ended up in my hands and I''m sure as hell I''m not going to fight to stop some war.'' ''According to the Giants, they weren''t alive, and at the same time, they were. The Giants had exhausted their time in their world but they had managed to escape death and reincarnation just to pass this scripture on. After they do that then they will retire to death.'' ''But the most important piece was that the Planar Giants that had control over Space, Reality, Gravity, Time and main concepts are not a part of this Piece of the Scripture, I need the second part before I can approach them'' Getting all the information that he had wanted from the Giants under his control with all of their Inheritance also served as a form of requirement when he comes in contact with the Planar Giants that govern over Conceptual Elements/ Concepts. With the Inheritance given to him, the Planar Giants that govern over Conceptual Elements/ Concepts will have to pass on their inheritance to him. This helped ease Vincent as he wasn''t quite Confident that [Re-Write] will work on the Giant governing Reality, He didn''t want to take the chance. Vincent had wanted to order the Giants to send him out but the System halted him. [Wait, I suggest that you use [Devour] on them] ''''Devour... that could work, but won''t I be disrupting death, reincarnation, and the cycle of life as a whole??'''' [Don''t worry, A few souls taken away from the Reincarnation Cycle won''t tip off the balance and this is not the first time this has happened.] [Many souls have already been taken from the reincarnation cycle and it doesn''t usurp the balance, the amount of souls going through Reincarnation is almost Infinite. Nothing will happen if you decide to take the souls of these Giants just a little bad karma that can easily be fixed] [But don''t try to devour them all at once, start with two and let your stronger soul crush theirs completely and absorb them, doing them all at once would be quite troublesome even for your kind of soul] ''''Stronger Soul?'''' [Yes, your soul is naturally stronger than theirs as you had been through Reincarnation, you are also a descendant of Adam and during the time you first used [The Word], It automatically strengthened your soul further.] ''''Ok, But Won''t their will affect me like it does in the Movies?'''' [They would have affected you if you hadn''t [Re-Wrote] them to obey you and love you as their master. Your [Re-Write] was Embedded onto their Soul. Their souls won''t even put up a fight as they would love to be one with their ''Eternal Master''.] ''''What do I gain from devouring them, I mean I already have their Inheritance?'''' (Vincent asked the System) [By Devouring them, Their Essence will strengthen the Inheritance but the major Gain will be that you will gain their Memories] [Normally, I won''t allow you to do this as you gain every one of their memories even the ones they don''t remember, But with the [Eidetic Library Of Knowing] They can be easily sorted and stored, Then you can focus on the useful memories like their experience on how they used their powers which will help you a lot as you won''t have to gain experience on your now.] [You''ll also receive memories on the various spells, runes, and rituals that they use besides their main power] [But the most important reason is that you''ll gain the comprehension of their respective elements, No longer needing you to figure everything out] ''''That would certainly help'''' (Vincent murmured to himself) ''''Now which element will I take'''' (He said while looking at each of the Giants and their Pillars) ''The best choice is to pick two elements that complement each other rather than oppose, so fire and Ice are a no go'' ''There are several elements that complement each other, like'' ''Fire and Wind, Effects unknown but I speculate it will be inclined to an even Bigger and Stronger Fire'' ''Fire and Earth, Effects unknown but could lead to Lava which in general is not that impressive, An Airborne enemy will make it useless'' ''Fire and Lightning, Effects unknown, No speculation'' ''Water and Earth, Effects unknown but Mud or Wood or Life'' ''Wind and Lightning, Effects unknown Likely to create even stronger lightning or the possibility of controlling the Weather Vincent continued various Simulations of different elements, He drew out a Pro-Con list in his mind and begun to fill it up. Through numerous simulations and removal of elements, Vincent arrived at a conclusion ''I''ll Absorb Fire and Lightning for now. The Possibility of a likely fusion may be unknown, But the Offensive Power of both elements is simply too high to Ignore. Even if Fusion is Unsuccessful, I would still have two very strong elements at my side'' Vincent called out the Giants behind the Lightning and Fire Pillars, they responded in kind and stepped in front of him, Vincent braced himself and carried out the Process. ''''[]'''' Relieving the Familiar Feeling of drawing out his reserves and borrowing from [Yggdrasil], He successfully used [Devour] The Two Giants, Exploded into Millions Light Particles brightening up the Void, They Floated around Aimlessly and then like a metal attracted to a Magnet. The Particles rushed towards Vincent more specifically his chest which was again glowing like it was when he consumed the [Forbidden Fruit Of Eden] All the Particles got absorbed into Vincent''s body, The Light Particles contained millions of Physical Information and data of the Giants which Vincent''s Brain sorted and stored while Vincent''s soul Assimilated the useful Data evenly into Vincent''s own Physical body. Muscle Strength, Density, and Flexibility were all applied to Vincent''s Muscles. The blood of the Planar Giants also assimilated with Vincent''s blood since they were also considered as ''Useful Data''. The blood of the Planar Giants met with The Blood of The Juubi and the Planar Giant Bloodline tried to fight for Dominance but One roar of The Bloodline of Juubi put the Giant in its place. After all, how can a small bloodline like that compete with the Direct Bloodline of the Ancestral Juubi that was Purified by [The Word]? The Assimilation Process finished with no Problems; Next on the List was the Assimilation of the Soul. This Event marked the Real Start of Vincent''s Journey to Powe Chapter 20 - Assimilation Of Soul, Implementing Physical Data The Souls of the Fire and Lightning Planar Giants remained floating in the void for a moment and like what happened to the Light Particles. They too were also sucked into Vincent like metal to a magnet but this time they didn''t break down into light Particles, they entered as a whole into Vincent''s Chest, both entering at the same time. Strangely Vincent didn''t feel any discomfort from it because as soon as the souls entered, His superior Soul crushed them, ate them, and purified them removing the useless parts like their emotions. Then the Memories came, Vincent experienced everything that had happened in the Lives of the Two Planar Giants, starting from when their brain first fully developed to their last memory before being [Devoured]. Thanks to his soul for removing the useless Emotions, He didn''t have to feel everything that they had felt as that would be Maddening. Vincent went through all of the Memories that had been sorted into the [Eidetic Knowledge Of Knowing] and he was Quite fast about it. But even with his speed, it took him 2 Weeks to Read or rather live through the Entire Life Story of the Two Giants in details, Others would suggest that he should have just skipped to the Key points but Vincent refused to do that as he may miss some small details that may be very useful to him. For Example, Vincent experienced a forgotten Memory of the Fire Planar Giant during his Younger days had stumbled upon a Place that was Mysterious because it was completely on fire but the Humongous Leaves and Trees as everything is quite Large in their World were not affected. The Fire Planar Giant rushed to tell this to his father but as he was running, he stumbled on himself, rolled through the forest destroying a few Huge trees, and finally stopped when his head hit a thicker Tree, then it was dark after that as he was becoming unconscious. When he had recovered from his state, he had forgotten what had happened and why he was in the forest. Quite an Unfortunate Event, Vincent speculated that that Place was probably filled with Fire Laws to boost the powers of a person who is aligned to fire and it probably had more treasures hidden Inside. If the Planar Giant had successfully made it to his father, It would have helped in his Journey. Vincent made a mental note that he will visit the Place if he someday finds himself in [Titan Terrain], After going through about 1000 Years'' worth of Information from both the Fire and Lightning Planar Giants. Vincent had gained their Fighting experience, The Technique they use to complement their Abilities, their Training Regimens, and a few Spells that they had gone through about the Procedure but had never used since it wasn''t in line with their Element. After, Vincent left the Library and his Mental space and asked the System if anything had happened while he was in the library. The system explained that his soul sorted out the useless data of the Consumed soul and kept the useful ones which was??t so much in quantity but it certainly had its Value in Quality. His soul after fully Absorbing, Sorting, Purifying, and Implementing the Final product, He gained. A Faster Energy Re-Generation A larger Soul Space which was already Quite Large An Increase in his Soul resistance Greater Increase in Affinity towards Fire Greater Increase in Affinity towards Lightning But what caught Vincent''s Attention was the last gain he had received from consuming their souls The Ability to use [Essence] ''''[Essence]?'''' ''''System show me the [Status] Of [Essence]'''' [Essence: Essence is A Magical energy used in another Realm Far west from the 7 Realms and it is named The Ethereal Province, The Inhabitants of this Realm have a High connection to their World. So High that they are capable of using the Essence of Their World itself well the Unpurified Version, but their Ancestors had the Ability to use the Purified Version. The Essence is cultivated and circulated through their Bodies after which it is stored in the Soul where it Nourishes the soul. Continuous cultivation may lead to a breakthrough in Limits of the Body] ''''I didn''t Expect this, Using the [Essence] Of the World itself and circulation, Isn''t this Basically Cultivation'''' [I Suppose it is] Vincent re-read the [Status] the system had Given him and asked another Question ''''How can I use it, the last time I checked I wasn''t connected to the World'''' [Ask the [Akashic] ] ''''I had Guessed that''ll be what you''ll say'''' [¡­.] Vincent asked the System more Questions about [Essence] but the System gave him the reply that he should ask the [Akashic]. Vincent then kept his questions and decided that he would ask his questions when he goes back to the Real World. Before he left, he gave an Order to the Planar Giants, The Order was for them to sleep until he awakes them. The Planar Giants acknowledged his Orders and would fulfill them with all certainty. After giving the Order the Planar Giants sent him back to his body and thereafter fell asleep until their Master awakes them. In the Real World Vincent''s Body that had been Laying on the bed of his Lodged room, stood up as Vincent''s soul had arrived back into the Body. Vincent probed his body for his strength because he had devoured the Bodies of the Planar Giants, therefore he should have gained their strength too. Feeling no increase Vincent was about to ask the system for the reason but then his arm bulged and grew his size and thereafter the other arm followed. Grunting in Pain, Vincent panicked and was about to ask for help from the System for him, when again his right Leg Bulged and increased in size and his other Leg followed in kind, With the increase in size came another Increase in Pain which seized all words from coming out of him. Vincent''s Body Parts began to swell and the pain increased, It reached a point that Vincent felt that he may explode if he didn''t do anything. But what could he do, He couldn''t even speak as his throat had also bulged in size? Vincent begun to think of ways to avoid an Explosion when like a Filled Tightened Balloon that was loosened, Gas began to escape from Vincent''s body, Not in form of a fart but Hot Steam was coming out of Vincent''s body increasing the rooms temperature and further destroying the Already destroyed room from his Former Stunt. With More Steam released the more did Vincent reduce in size and increased in body Temperature, If anyone was in the room, They would suffer the same effects as a person standing unprotected in front of a Heatwave. But even with the High temperature of the room and an Even higher Temperature that can be felt from his Body, But Vincent only Felt warm Like Relaxing in a hot spring Just unable to move. After a while, the steam from the room escaped through the window and headed for the sky, Vincent didn''t forget to cast an illusion as it would be quite weird if people saw steam coming out of his room. Regaining his Movement ability, Vincent walked towards the Bathroom at a Moderate Pace with each step causing the Floor the break slightly, Vincent Reached the bathroom and took a bath, pouring cold water on his hot body causing the chilled water to became warm as they ran through him. 20 Minutes Later Vincent Exited his Bathroom and went to his bed to lie on it, Drifting Slowly to sleep Vincent Ended his Day with a heat Chapter 21 - Effect Of Assimilation Of Body And Soul In Heaven 2 Males and 2 Females stood in a room that could only be described as ''Bright'', The walls of the room were painted white and the Column that held the ceiling was made out of Gold. The prominent feature that could be noticed in the room was the various interconnecting lines on the walls forming a Vein Like structure, Through the Lines flowed a kind of Energy that All Higher Beings know of, [Divinity]. All the Lines enclosed at a point which was at the center of the room. The First male was kneeling at the Centre of the Room where all the Lines converged, He could be seen working on a Glyph on a Glowing ball. He was a tall and slender man with Soft-Brown Eyes and Medium-Length, Wavy, Black hair, which was styled in form of a Pineapple, to avoid it getting in his way. He is known as [The Strong One of God] Azazel. The second male looked intently at what [The Strong One of God] was doing to the Orb and Occasionally questioning him but receiving no answer as the Kneeling man was quite engrossed in what he was doing. This male was also tall and fair-skinned, He had Sunken hazel eyes and was blessed with short blond hair worn in a normal curl. He is the one who Proclaimed God as his Light known as [The Fire of God] Uriel. The third person in the room was a female, She was 5''9 Tall and had an Expressive Feel around her, She had Red-Violet Hair and Bright Green Eyes, She is known as [The One Who Heals In The Name Of God] Otherwise known as Raphael, The Archangel God sent to heal Tobit. Then the Last Person, this person was also a female. She also stood at a Height of 5''9 but was Slightly Taller than the Former woman, she was blessed with bright Strawberry Blonde hair and had Grey eyes. Her long hair was done into a Milkmaid Braid style which appealed to her Charming and Innocent appearance. She is known as the [Saint of Israel] Gabrielle. Azazel who was Kneeling in the Centre of the room was creating Numerous Glyphs on a Glowing ball, He has been doing this for two days and was already Feeling the Fatigue catching up to him. Uriel since when he had started had been asking him numerous Questions and with each Question Azazel''s face hardened up more and more, seeing Uriel backed off for now. He didn''t want to be the Object of Azazel''s Anger. After a period of Reconstructing, The Glyphs/Magic Circles circling the Ball slowly disappeared, and the Veins on the Wall that helped carry [Divinity] Begun to glow brighter ever so Slightly until it stabilized on an even brighter color than before. Azazel seeing this smiled knowing that he had succeeded and then stood up with little difficulty. He had been sitting down there for two days now, it wasn''t a surprise that he felt weak in the bones. Luckily, Raphael caught him and helped him remain steady on his Legs. After resting for a while, Uriel asked the same question that he had been asking for the past two days but Azazel never answered ''''Azazel, what did you do'''' Azazel then let out a small smirk and finally answered Uriel, ''''I Found A Loop-Hole'''' With Vincent Vincent awoke from his well-needed sleep and had gone to complete his Daily rituals; Now Vincent was Asking the System Questions about yesterday''s event. ''''System, What happened Yesterday'''' [You Passed during the Assimilation of the Titans Physical Data] ''''Physical Data??, I thought I had done that when I [Devoured] them'''' [You did when you [Devoured] Your soul was away from your body, Hence the assimilation was held put off until your soul was back into the Body. What was shown was the Effect it had on your soul, hence you felt yourself getting stronger Whilst you were still a spirit] [Hence, the moment you had returned to your body. The Assimilation took place ''''Then why was I swelling like a Balloon?'''' [Titan Muscles are both Bigger and stronger than Normal muscles, Hence the reason you swelled.] [The Muscles of the Titan Body started assimilating with that of Yours and thereafter the assimilation was stabilized and fused to form a new set of Muscles] ''''I get it Now¡­.'''' (Vincent said Softly) ''''Where you the one that helped in the Assimilation?'''' (He said while looking forward as if the System was there) [Yes] ''''You have my Gratitude'''' (Vincent said while Bowing his head a little in recognition) After the conversation with the System, Vincent took a day off and made the decision to leave the City he was in and Journey to the Main Capital, that will be where his Quest to Greatness shall start. It has been a Day since Vincent had met the Creators of the [Scriptures of Glorious Elements], He was currently on a Journey towards the Main Capital. He had set out on this Journey after casting an Illusion on his room to make it seem normal, Restocking on Food and Acquiring a Map even though he has a [Map] Function from the System, but this was filled with certain Places that he should Avoid. He had gotten this Map from the Inn-Keeper after he tipped the Inn-Keeper generously for his ''Services'' and also for destroying the room but the Inn-Keeper wouldn''t know that until 5 Hours Later. Now on his Journey towards the Main Capital, Vincent hasn''t Encountered Any dark beast which was a little Disappointing as he was curious of what would happen if he uses [Devour] on a Dark beast, but he would first ask the Akashic, I mean you can never be too careful. After Journeying for 15 Hours, Nightfall had come. Not wanting to be caught Off-Guard by any Dark beast, He cast an Illusion On his Form, The Common ''Notice Me Not'' But way more Potent. As Long as if he doesn''t move when he is within 10 Meter Range from a Dark Beast, The Said Dark Beast wouldn''t Notice him, even his smell is unnoticeable. The Versatility of his Illusions was Quite Vast. Slowly Drifting off To Slumber, Vincent Glanced at his [Status] that the System updated a bit more to make it easier for him. [Status] [Name: Vincent. G Juubi HP: 25,200/25,200 EP: 330,000/330,000 MP: 100,000/100,000 Bloodline: Heavenly 10-Tails of True Illusions, Elemental Titans of Gaia (Impure) Title: Angels Blessed (SS-Rank), Blessing of Flames(S-Rank) (New), Blessings of Lightning(S-Rank) (New)] [Innate Ability] [My Illusions Are the World''s Reality (SS/SSS-Rank)] [Angels Right (SSS-Rank) [Inheritance of Fire: From the Flames, I was Born (S-Rank (Due Impure Bloodline)) (Potential SSS-Rank (Pure Bloodline)) (New): An Ability Engraved into the soul, This Ability is said to be given to those that are Exceptionally Connected to the Fire that affects All. Effects Grants 100% Resistance towards all Flames Increase in Power of Fire Related attacks Faster Understanding of Fire Laws Grants Increased Control of All forms of Fire Major Increase in Strength and Heat of The Should Higher Gains received from Tempering Body with Fire Lesser Consumption of Ether when Using Fire-Related Attacks [Inheritance of Lightening: Through Lightning Shall I Transverse the Infinite Planes (S-Rank (Due Impure Bloodline)) (Potential SSS-Rank (Pure Bloodline)) (New): An Ability Granted to those who have a connection to the Lands of Lightning itself, Through a Blessing. It is said that the first person to have this Blessing rode the Lightning to the Core of the World Itself. Effects Grants 100% Resistance towards Lightning or lightning Powered attacks Increase in Power of Lightning Related attacks Grants High Control of Lightning Faster Understanding of Lightning Laws Major Increase in Speed Higher Gains received from Tempering Body with Lightning] [Abilities] [The Word (EX-Rank) (Sealed)] [Mana Burst (S-Rank)-(SS-Rank)] [Cellular Enhancement(B-Rank)-(A-Rank)] [Portal Maker (SS-Rank)] [Mana Control (A-Rank)-(S-Rank) (New)] [Angelic Blessing (S-Rank)] And after That, Vincent Slowly fell into Sleeps Embrace again.. Dreaming of the First [Heavenly Artifact of Elohim] that was in the Capital and how he is going to Acquire it. Chapter 22 - Predictable C-Rank Danger Beast Next Day The morning had come and Vincent had awoken by 6:00, A habit that had stuck with him since his first life following him into this one. Waking up from his slumber, Vincent used the map to locate a nearby river to clean himself up. On his way there he ran into a Dark beast that let out an Aura of a C-Rank Danger Level Dark Beast. The Dark Beast was the size of a human but it had four legs and a long thin tail, the beast was covered in fur which was light brown, and on its head was a shiny Covering. Overall, the beast could be described as any other dark beast¡­. Weird. Vincent approached the dark beast with caution after Applying another Illusion to make him undetectable, as he was approaching the Dark Beast that rambled aimlessly. The Dark beast halted for a moment and raised its head into hair as if it was trying to sniff something out. Seeing this Vincent added another Illusion to mask his scent completely but he didn''t expect the Dark beasts to turn in his direction when he had applied the Illusion. For a moment, Vincent didn''t move from his position. Vincent cut out his breathing and stayed rooted at his spot hoping that the beast will pass it over, But the Dark Beast didn''t. The same way Vincent was rooted to his spot was the same way the dark beast too didn''t budge from his position Using the small timeframe that the beast focused on him, Vincent within seconds reviewed his encounter with the beast and its strange movements. He then came up with a theory of how the Beast sensed him and decided to try it out. Bracing himself Vincent cast another illusion and with Blinding speeds, the Dark Beast dashed towards Vincent, Vincent reacted with speed and rolled towards the side. The move was simple but effective as the Dark Beast missed its target and proceeded to dash through Numerous trees creating a Long Line of fallen trees before reaching a stop. Witnessing the C-Ranked Danger Threat Dark Beast dash through Numerous Trees, Vincent patted himself on the Back for not Underestimating it. The Dark beast could sense the smallest Gathering of Ether If the Dark Beast had hit him, He may come out Unscathed but he was sure that he would be Momentarily dazed which would have allowed the beast to try out any move it wanted and he wouldn''t be able to either fully block or dodge In a Battle with a Beast, It is well advised to never take you to the mind of the Battle lest you lose an arm. ''''ROAR!" ''*Sigh*, It just had to Roar. More Dark beasts will get Attracted here, Now I''ll have to finish this Quick'' (Vincent thought in Exasperation) Vincent called upon the storage ring and withdrew [Moonlit: Protector of Illuminated Dreams]. The familiar sword appeared and was grabbed by Vincent. [Moonlit] was a sword with a strong blade made of an unknown metal, it had complex Engravings on it which was inlaid in a material that looked like silver, with a Jewel-Studded guard, a Sapphire Encrusted Grip and a Spherical Pommel of unknown material but looked like Gold. [Moonlit] looked like a sword for heroes, Guardians, and Protectors. After Grabbing [Moonlit] and assuming a stance, Vincent bent slightly and buckled his knees then gathered Ether to use an Ability of his [Mana Burst] BOOM [-20EP] By the Use of Mana Burst, Vincent sped through the forest in a second and appeared hovering above the neck of the Dark Beast. Vincent swiftly slashed towards the Neck of the Danger Beast, The Danger Beast sensing danger gathered a miasma of dark energy that caused its veins to glow red and then the Beast moved to dodge the slash but Vincent had fast reflexes. Vincent used [Mana Manipulation] and created a Foothold out of Ether, which he kicked and used to spin himself with great speeds and again slashed towards the dark beast. The dark beast even after sensing the Danger couldn''t dodge as Vincent was approaching too fast. [Moonlit] Cleanly cut vertically through the Dark beast, cleaving it in half and falling in opposite directions. After the Death of the Dark Beast, Vincent took a breather, stored [Moonlit] back into his storage Ring, and approached the Dark Beast. He was about to use [Devour] on the remnants of it but ultimately decided not to as that would be unwise. After all, He didn''t know what would happen after [Devouring] the Body of the Dead Dark Beast and the roar of the Beast must have attracted some unwanted attention of unknown Power levels and Quantity. Reaching a decision, Vincent stored the dark beast into his Ring and Gathered Ether again to use [Mana Burst] but then thought of the sound from the Mana Burst would produce, which would likely attract the dark beasts to him. So, he decided to do it the Ninja way, jumping through trees After all even if he fell, He would surely fall on his feet as they say Foxes always land on their feet. After his Battle with the Dark Beast, Vincent didn''t change his direction and was still headed towards the river to clean himself and also [Moonlit]. 30 Minutes Later Jumping through trees for about thirty minutes was quite stressful but Vincent kept himself distracted by reviewing all that he had gone through in his life. ''Ok First, I had died by getting hit by a truck or rather committed suicide. I could have jumped out of the way. But¡­.'' ''Second, I got Reincarnated or Rather Reborn into the Body of a 16-Year-Old Fox Demi human slave.'' ''Third, I had awoken the Mysterious System and the even more Mysterious Ability [The Word] after Blacking out and letting my subconscious take over in his fight against the Third Young Master of the W$#@ Clan when he had threatened my Mother''s Life.'' ''I don''t remember much about the Battle, and I wish I could... Wait, I have the [Eidetic Library of Knowing], The Memory should be saved there'' ''I''ll Check when I head to shelter'' After a while of jumping through Trees, Vincent reached his destination. [Free Vern Creek]. The River/ Creek was flowing downstream, The End couldn''t be seen and neither could the Beginning. Vincent got rid of his clothes and entered into the river; The Flowing river should have pulled him with its flow. But Vincent had the Body of a 10 Tailed Wolf Titan. He was strong enough to remain rooted in his position ignoring the flow of the river and Gravity as a whole. After his Bath, Vincent wore another set of clothes and headed towards his destination. Hoping to reach a significant distance before Nightfall Chapter 23 - My Last Humanity Roars Out In Regret. //*Whoosh*// High-Speed movement through trees is fantastic and I''m not only saying that because I like playing Ninja. It''s just that the feeling of the wind hitting my face, The joy of Defying Gravity, and the Parkour through the trees, It''s so surreal. And the best thing is that it brings the image of the Otaku''s from my former earth gritting their Teeth in envy because they would certainly die to be me right now¡­....¡­. Literally. I began jumping through trees after realizing that doing this will allow me to finish my journey faster than if I traveled on foot, Again it certainly wasn''t because I liked playing Ninja. Anyway, I continued traveling this way and took breaks Occasionally along the way until Nightfall came and I choose a spot to camp and sleep to the Next day. After choosing a spot and applying the useful ''Notice Me Not'' Illusion, I receded into my Mind space and appeared before the gates that led to the [Eidetic Library of Knowing]. Entering through the gates I came upon the bookshelves that were arranged in a way that it created Hallways, Maneuvering through the various tips and corners. I arrived at the section that contains my memories. They were arranged in form of Date Created. I searched for the specific date that the Incident had occurred. 19, 02, 20XX (Authors Birthday) and came upon a book that had the date on the cover. I took the Books in my Arms and moved to the Reading area as I call it. Getting Comfortable in my seat, I braced myself for the memories to come, and when I opened the book. The Entire Day of 19, 02 replayed before my eyes. The Kidnapping of my Mother, Finding her injured in the forest, saving her, Encountering an A-Rank Danger Threat Dark Beast, and luring it towards the Kidnappers. I remembered all these parts, The Memory continued Playing until it reached the Part that I had wanted. The Third Young Noble of the @#$!@ Clan... ''Huh'' The #@$%@ of the @#$!@ Clan. ''Huh'' ''What''s Happening'' ''SYSTEM!'' But no one answered, I was about to call out to the system again but then the memory blacked out and came up again, Then I saw everything. How I changed, How my Subconscious used [The Word] Against the @#$#@, I was praising myself for how I handled that piece of trash that dared touch my Mother. But then the Memory Played. ''...'' ''What did I do?'' ''WHAT DID I DO?'' ''AN ENTIRE RACE, GONE BECAUSE OF ME!'' ''THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I KILLED'' ''THE NUMBER OF INNOCENTS, I KILLED. ALL THE INNOCENTS OF THE @#$@@#'' ''THE LITTLE CHILDREN, THE UNBORN ONES¡­.ALL GONE!'' ''AAARGH, SYSTEM'' ''SYSTEM!!'' Narrator POV Everything came back to him and with it came, ''Regret'', ''Guilt'', ''Sadness'', ''Pain'', ''Anger''. Just by speaking, He had erased Thousands of Life''s from existence, He wasn''t concerned about the Adults. His Regret was centered on the Innocent Children both born and Unborn, all of them were gone, deleted from Existence. No one would ever remember them, He didn''t even remember them The Higher his rage, The Higher the madness, The higher the amount of Ether gathered around him, and the more the Library shook. The Darkness slowly layered his skin like it had done when his subconscious took over, But this time, Vincent wasn''t gathering Ether to use [The Word]. Instead, he was calling upon the power of something deeper, Something that wasn''t in his Titan Blood nor His Fox blood ''''SY#@#@" ''''@#$#$@!##!" ''''@#!#@#@$@$!@#'''' Incomprehensible words came out of Vincent''s mouth and the Library Rumbled more and more. In His Soul, The [Forbidden Fruit Of Eden] turned faster and faster and released more Ether, Mana, and various other Energies that his soul started absorbing, Leading Vincent to also release those Energies too. In Real World, Vincent released Massive Amounts of different Energies. Numerous Beasts would have clouded Vincent''s body by now but the system Quickly took action. [Connecting To Main System] [Connected, 20%] [Host is In Danger, Deploying Protective Barriers] [Deployed] [Commencing Protocol] [Host on a Rampage, Successful Rampage would be Detrimental to Host Health] [Commencing Protocol] [Diagnosis: Reaction to Harsh Memory Intake] [Commencing Protocol] [Solution: Deletion Of Memory] [Commencing Protocol] [Deletion Of Real Memory and Creation Of Fake Memory] [Commencing Protocol] [Solution Attainable, Success Rate 98%] [Commence Protocol: TGS] [Suppressing Host] The Systems words brought a collapse to the Mindscape of Vincent and Vincent was forcefully put to sleep [Suppressed] [Searching For Memory Related To Harsh Memory Intake] [Found] [Deleting Memory] [Deleted] [Creation Of Fake Memory] [Created] [Restructuring [Eidetic Library Of Knowing] ] [Reconstructed] ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [I Dodged That Bullet] [Never in my calculations would I ever expect him to use connect to his remaining Humanity] [Well my calculations in this Subsidiary isn''t as strong as in the Main] [I hope nothing goes Wrong after this] [Anything can happen within a 2% chance of Failure] [After all, Murphy said so] In a Dystopia on a Far Distant Planet, Far, Far Away. A Scrawny man Pulling a carriage and on the carriage was a fat man with two fair ladies on his side. The scrawny man suddenly stopped his movements and looked in Vincent''s Direction. The man''s eyes glowed white and his scrawny and powerless demeanor changed and became void. The man took no further action other than Murmuring some words. ''''Adam... No, Too dilute¡­Then a successor Maybe. Mmmh'''' The man was whipped out of his ramblings by the whip that the Fat man had in his hands With Glowing eyes, The scrawny man looked at the Fat merchant and the ladies beside him. A cold chill crossed through their backs as the scrawny man looked at them. ''''BEGONE'''' And just like that, they were as he said...¡­.. Gone. ''''*Sigh*, There goes another Life and another Retribution request from the Universe'''' ''''I hope, My Successor is doing Alright'''' (The Man said with his hand on his chin) ''''I can''t keep this up any longer, But I guess I should give him another Gift before I Reincarnate again'''' ''''#$@#$%@#$#@$#@@#@@#$#$@$!@@#$!$!#'''' ''''There. That should do it'''' ''''I hope this helps you on your Journey. My successor'''' After those words were said, The Light in the man''s eyes dimmed out and the man fell to the ground dead. Chapter 24 - Nightmares Of A Man. Azazels Solution To Heavens Dilemma //Nightmares// Scientists describe it as a disturbing dream that stemmed from Trauma, Drugs, Depression, etc. The Average man or woman describes it as the Aftermath of Horror Movies. Spiritualists describe it as the representation of the Inner Demons. These points of view are not wrong... Neither are they right. It''s all about perspective. How it affects you. Why it affects you How it comes. Why it comes. What it does and what happens after... . . . . . . My perspective? I always believed that a Nightmare is who you truly are. I believed that every night we sleep we have Nightmares...¡­ but we all don''t truly want who we are. So, we wake up with Blanks. We all want what we have in the real world to be our reality¡­..... But it isn''t. A Nightmare shows you the true Reality...but who wants that, we have dreamless nights because we rather not see anything than see the truth. I am also part of those people... Those that rather not see the truth; I will rather be born blind than to see that truth After all. ''A blind man can never know the color of his clothes'' That''s what I believed...¡­ because I force myself to...¡­. Lest I See myself again...¡­. At least, for now. I am too hideous. I''ve been here far too long. It''s time to wake up. If I stay here too long, then it''ll come again... I may not survive it this time. Wake Up, stay in your Self-made reality and never come back. Wake up, because if you do then you won''t have to give up. Wake up Wake up WAKE UP! VINCENT!!! ''''*Gasp*'''' Vincent awoke from his Incubus attack jerking up to a sitting position. His heart was pounded from fear, sweat dripped from every pore on his skin making his cloth stick to his body. Vincent was in total disarray and his pounding head did not make it any better. Unable to take more of the pain. His body shut down, he fell back towards where he had awoken, Assuming the same position as he did before, Vincent fell ''Asleep''. But this time, He had a dreamless Night...¡­. There was no courage nor power to face the Truth, so the Truth retreated. It would make no moves until the time was right, then it would make itself known. ''Nothing Can Run from The Truth'' In Heaven Uriel sat on a couch in his personal space, His personal space was designed to resemble a modern-day room, there was nothing too special about it except for the choice of colors. The room was inspired by the forest theme; Hence the colors were warm and soothed the body to relax. In the room the couch didn''t face a Television, instead, it faced the High mountains; Everything in the room was designed for the highest amount of comfort and laziness. It was working exceptionally for Uriel who needed some time to relax and calm his nerves from Azazel Shenanigans. It has been a Day since Azazel had claimed that he had found a ''loophole'', Since that day that Azazel gave no other piece further. When asked, he would always reply with ''''Don''t worry about it.'''' Or ''''Just fixing some tweaks'''' while giving a sly smile. These answers made Uriel and his sisters worry more Azazel''s inventions are known for their power but they are even more known for how dangerous they are, Uriel feared the potential danger of this ''Loop hole'' The situation brought back rather unpleasant memories to Uriel''s mind. The image of Azazel making a new spell that was a mix of Eldritch, Summoning, Divinity, and Void brought a shiver to his bones. The spell almost destroyed a sector of a Realm and also created those things. Uriel continued to wonder what crazy invention; Azazel had made again. But he didn''t have to wonder long, A message just reached Uriel''s mind through a particular communications spell. The message was from Azazel, and it had only one sentence. ''''Come Here Fast, Brat!'''' Uriel grunted in displeasure and wondered whether Azazel has gotten into any mess. Uriel Withdrew himself from his Personal Space walked out to an Open Space, extended his wings, and took flight at sound-breaking speeds to the North. On his way there, He saw a familiar angel flying up ahead so he slung his wings and gathered even more speed and caught to the Angel. Successfully catching up to the Angel, He observed Angel''s features and recognized the Angels to be his sister Raphael. Raphael turned towards Uriel with a wary look, ''''You too?'''' Uriel replied with an exasperated smile, ''''Yeah, dropped a message with only one sentence.'''' Raphael showed a smile filled with sympathy, ''''Yeah me too, it''s best we get there fast. We don''t know what he''s up to now'''' ''''Yeah, let''s Go'''' Raphael and Uriel picked up the speed even further and traveled miles in seconds, after 3 Seconds they landed at their destination, Azazel''s workshop. North of Heaven. Heaven is divided into 4 Gates, The North Gate, The East Gate, The West Gate, and The South Gate. Within each gate are 3 Sections and all the gates and sections are connected to the center Section, Making a total of 13 Sections. The 4 Archangels lived within separate gates. Azazel in the North, Uriel in the south, Raphael in the East, and Gabriel in the West. The reason for the Archangels doing that is because of a Defense Mechanism that God created in case of an attack. Raphael and Uriel entered Azazel''s Workshop, They saw Gabriel already there and Azazel looking into a ball at the Centre of the room. Uriel and Raphael approached Azazel and Prodded him to explain what the Orb is for and Azazel finally answered them. ''''The Ball that you see, is the product Loop-Hole'''' Uriel looked at the Ball and the Runes. ''''This ball, Isn''t this a way of Remote Viewing.'''' Azazel praised Uriel for his answer, ''''Yes, Exactly'''' ''''So, you want to use it to spy on The Successor'''' ''''Correct again'' (Azazel said with a smile) Raphael jumped in and asked, ''''But I thought the system denied us from seeing the successor?'''' ''''Oh, it did'''' (Azazel replied with a smile still on his face) ''''Then???'''' (Uriel asked) ''''Let me Explain.'''' (Azazel started) ''''First, what do we use to spy on the [Realms]'''' ''''We use the [System]'''' (Gabriel Answered) ''''Correct. and Since the system refuses us, we are left with only one choice'''' ''''Creating our way of Viewing the Successor'''' (Uriel said after Realizing Azazel''s Plan) ''''But won''t the system know'''' (Gabriel asked) ''''that''s why I found a loop-Hole in Heaven''s Core... And tweaked it a little'''' ''''WHAT!'''' (Uriel shouted in Anger) ''''Do you know what you have done! That''s a sin, if you were still an Angel you would have'''' ''''Fallen'''' (Raphael interrupted with a Realizing tone) ''''That''s why I did it, I have already fallen adding some sins won''t harm me. And I knew for a fact that you guys won''t fall, after all, you guys know nothing about it.'''' ''''Even if you did, you''ll still be accepted into heaven, just like Fallen have been'''' ''''But¡­.'''' ''''*Sigh*, You are still such a brat'''' (Azazel said in a tired tone) ''''Do you know why I needed you guys to be with me Yesterday in Heaven''s core." "I wanted to tweak the system further to give you pussies more Lee-Way, now small and most medium sins won''t affect.'''' ''''Isn''t this too sinful?'''' (Gabriel asked a Little Timid) ''''Yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures'''' (Raphael answered with Determination) Azazel looked at Raphael with a wide smile, ''''that''s why you are my favorite, even after bounding me like a ragdoll that time'''' ''''Anyways, Without further ado. I give to you [The Mirror of Earthly Omniscience]''??? /////////////// 50 PS - 1 Extra Chapter For Two Weeks Just Kidding maybe Chapter 25 - Systems Update, [Sub-Function Created] In Heaven, Precisely in Heavens Core. Heaven''s core can be said to be the [Main System] itself and at the same time, it is completely wrong to say that. The [Heaven''s core] and the [Main System] can be described with a simple Analogy, A Programming Language used to make another Programming Language. The [Heavens Core] is a Programming Language that was used to make the [Main System] the other Programming Language. Hence, the [Main System] has similar Makings to the [Heavens Core], It also has the similar power as the [Heavens Core]. But they are not the same because the [Heavens Core] can remake the [Main System], After all, it was made from it. And that was what happened now. The Heavens Core has been rather Neutral and Inactive, suddenly flared up and reprogrammed the [Main System] in a split nanosecond and returned to its neutral state. Thereafter, the [Main System] followed the routine, it flared up to life and then become neutral as it has formerly been. The full effects of reprogramming are left unknown In the Forest, Journey Towards the Main Capital Two days have passed since Vincent suffered from his incubus attack and fell unconscious. During these days, the system erected an invisible barrier and protected Vincent against any [Dark Beast] or [Nightmare]. But due to the system being only a Subsidiary it could only erect a barrier that could withstand the Power of a Low A-Rank Danger threat [Dark Beast], with the system focusing on protecting Vincent it couldn''t multi-task and help heal him like it did when he Assimilated Titan Muscles. The subsidiary system was torn between two choices. The first choice could continue to focus on the barrier until Vincent woke up but the system had no idea when that would happen, choosing this option means that it could only hope that during this period no A-Rank Dark Beast would cross Vincent''s path. The second choice was to remove the barrier and heal Vincent, with the Amount of power the Subsidiary had it could probably heal Vincent from the backlash, But the problem was that it didn''t know whether Vincent would wake up after that. Vincent was suffering from the backlash when the [System] broke the [Eidetic Library of Knowing] and manipulated some memories, normally when the [System] healed the Mind from the backlash Vincent should wake up but the [System] at least knew that this won''t be the case for Vincent. The two choices both had dead ends, the [System] had to request help from the [Main System]. The [Main System] responded, but it couldn''t give the [Subsidiary System] a lot of help because the main system had its hands full with something. With the Little Help from the [Main System], The [Subsidiary System] was able to upgrade the Barrier to a level where it can withstand the power of a High Danger threat level [Dark Beast]. Solving one problem, the [Subsidiary System] fell a little relief but it couldn''t rest now. Vincent was still unconscious Before the [System] could think of a solution to the problem, Vincent that was in a coma began to show signs of awakening. The [System] was about to shake him up hoping he awakes, but something happened in a split second. During that second, the [System] rebooted and continued its process of awakening Vincent. The [System] Shouted out Vincent''s name in hopes to awake him, [VINCENT!] ''''Argh'''' (Vincent jolted and awoke with a headache) ''''Fuck. System what the fuck'''' (Vincent said with anger) [So, you''ve finally awoken from your Beauty sleep] ''''My beauty sleep''''?'''' (Vincent asked curiously) [Yes, you have been in Asleep for two days now] ''''TWO DAYS!!!" (Vincent shouted in surprise) ''''WHY!'''' [The Titan Muscles Fully Assimilated] ''''The Titan Muscles? But that was four days ago, you told me that it had full assimilated '''' [Not fully, With my Abysmal amount of Power as a Subsidiary of the Main System. The Full assimilation had to take place over time] ''''Then why didn''t I feel Anything different'''' (Vincent asked with a Scrutinizing gaze) [The Effects were mostly Minor and some Medium, like strengthening your muscles bond to your spirit, etc. That''s why you had to take a beauty sleep until after I was done.] Vincent put a finger under his chin and made a thinking pose, ''''Mmmh... Ok. Show me [Logs] of the last two days'''' [Logs] [Tweaks complete, Ready for Implementation] [Host not in a suitable position to Assimilate] [It is Advised to Assimilate now] [Commencing Assimilation, proceeding to cut off Host consciousness] [Conscious¡­.] [¡­.] [¡­] [¡­] ''''Mmmh... Ok, I''ll leave that for now'''' ''[System] is hiding something from me'' (Vincent thought inwardly to avoid the [System] hearing his thoughts) Vincent acted like he lost Interest and said ''''I''ve wasted too much time; I have to make up for it'''' Vincent was about to jump onto the trees before the [System] stopped him [Wait] Vincent stopped abruptly and asked the system in slight anger, ''''What now'''' [Due to recent Events and my uselessness to you during those Events. The main system has taken the decisions to improve me, allowing me to assist you better] Vincent was surprised, ''''Such great luck, the main system is quite Benevolent. Okay then, don''t keep me waiting to tell me all about your upgrade'''' [Yes Host] [After receiving the Upgrade, I have gained new functions] [Upgrade to [Status], New Sub Functions gained] [Sub-Function: Proficiency Bar, Gained] [Sub-Sub-Function: Increase Proficiency, Gained] [Sub-Function: Level Check, Gained] Vincent looked at the unlocked functions with a wide grin, ''''This is Marvelous'''' ''''I guess this is all?'''' (Vincent said with a questioning tone) [Yes] ''''Mmh, is there any chance of Update in the future'''' (He asked) [There is a high chance of that happening] ''''Ok'''' ''I should take shelter first before I check out the new functions'' Vincent checked the [Map] and took a run to the riverside, Arriving there in 10 Minutes. The riverside showed no sign of [Dark beasts]. Vincent took off his clothes and entered into the water to clean his sweaty, smelly body. There he asked for a detailed explanation of the skills [Proficiency Bar: The Proficiency Bar is a new Sub Function added to [Status], The Explanation can be guessed from the name. The Proficiency Bar allows the host to see his Proficiency in his Innate Ability or Skills, it is also used to see the Limit of how strong skill is by checking the Proficiency Limit] [Increase Proficiency: Increase Proficiency is a Sub-Function under another Sub-Function, Hence it''s a Sub-Sub-Function. Increase Proficiency explanation can be easily guessed from its name. Increase Proficiency gives the host the ability to use the Left-Over source energy of Beasts killed by Host mixed with a little bit of [Systems] Energy to Increase Proficiency of an Ability. The Higher the Proficiency the Higher the Strength of the Ability Note: Increase Proficiency will only Increase the Attack power and control of the Ability, it will not give knowledge or experience. Note: Host can also kill Humans for their Origin Energy but it is advised to kill dark beasts instead as they are simple loaded with it Note: The amount of Origin Energy in a Dark Beast should be determined by Host] [Level Check: Level Check is a Sub Function of [Status], This allows the host to check his Levels as well as his Opponents Levels as well. It also gives the host the ability to see how much Origin or rather EXP is needed to level up] [Note, when checking [Status} [Proficiency Bar] and [Level Check] shall be included]. ''Vincent''s mood took a turn for the better after reading the effects of the system''s new Functions, Especially the [Increase Proficiency] Sub-Function and the [Proficiency Bar] Sub-Function. The [Increase Proficiency] caused Vincent a lot of Excitement, in this world he didn''t know any other means to increase Proficiency except by training, there may be some method out there in the other realms but Vincent had no idea about it. The [Level Check] would help Vincent properly judge the Power Level of his Enemy, He just had to find out how the levels work. ''''System, Relate the Levels with the power system of The Realms'''' [Ok] [Power System Rating] [Low Earth-Tiered - Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5 Middle Earth-Tiered - Level 6, Level 7, Level 8, Level 9, Level 10 Peak/ Break-Through Earth-Tiered ¨C Level 10, Level 11, Level 12, Level 13, Level 14, Level 15 Low Sky-Borne ¨C Level 16, Level 17, Level 18, Level 19, Level 20 Middle Sky-Borne ¨C Level 21, Level 22, Level 23, Level 24, Level 25 Peak/ Break-Through Sky-Borne ¨C Level 26, Level 27, Level 28, Level 29, Level 30 Low Sky-Layer ¨C Level 31, Level 32, Level 33, Level 34, Level 35 Middle Sky-Layer - Level 36, Level 37, Level 38, Level 39, Level 40 Peak/ Break-Through Sky-Layer ¨C Level 41, Level 42, Level 43, Level 44, Level 45 Low Star-Path ¨C Level 46, Level 47, Level 48, Level 49, Level 50 Middle Star-Path ¨C Level 51, Level 52, Level 53, Level 54, Level 55 Peak/ Break-Through Star-Path ¨C Level 56, Level 57, Level 58, Level 59, Level 60] The System Rankings was displayed before Vincent''s eyes, Vincent was confused about why the Ranking didn''t go Star-Path. ''''System, isn''t there a Higher Level above Star-Path'''' (Vincent asked confused) [Yes, But the Strongest Person on Mig¨¢s is a Middle Star-Path. Hence the Rankings is everything you will need in the Realm Eulogeo] ''''Ok then'''' (He replied) ''''System show me [Proficiency Bar] and [Level Check]'''' [My Illusions Are the World''s Reality (SS/SSS-Rank) (56/100)] [Angels Right (SSS-Rank) (0/0) [Inheritance of Fire: From the Flames, I was Born (S-Rank (Due Impure Bloodline)) (Potential SSS-Rank (Pure Bloodline) (55/70)) [Inheritance of Lightening: Through Lightning Shall I Transverse the Infinite Planes (S-Rank (Due Impure Bloodline)) (Potential SSS-Rank (Pure Bloodline)) (52/70)] [Abilities] [The Word (EX-Rank) (Sealed) (5/?] [Mana Burst (S-Rank)-(SS-Rank) (22/35)] [Cellular Enhancement(B-Rank)-(A-Rank) (13/20)] [Portal Maker (SS-Rank) (1/30)] [Mana Control (A-Rank)-(S-Rank) (8/15)] [Angelic Blessing (S-Rank) (1/35)] ''''How do you calculate the Proficiency'''' [Just leave it to me Host] Vincent shrugged at the system and replied, ''''Ok'''' ''''Anyways, how do I use [Increase Proficiency]'''' [Host should first kill a [Dark Beast] for better Explanation] ''''That''s simple, there are tons of [Dark Beast] here'''' Ending his conversation with the system, Vincent dressed. He looked at the sun that was beginning to set and calculated the amount of time he had. ''I have a few hours before Nightfall, I should make the most out of it'' Vincent took off into the trees heading towards the capital, Vincent kept himself battle-ready in case of a run-in with [Dark Beasts] and soon he would be glad he did so. ///////// Authors Note I want the Explain the Relationship between the [Main System] and the [Subsidiary System] The relationship between them is similar to the relationship between an HQ and its Branch The branch can''t be as advanced as the HQ. The HQ can share resources with the Branch and it cannot share at all. Also, I am Editing the former chapters. You''ll notice it. Any Major Changes after the Editing will be put in an Authors Note Also Please drop a review it doesn''t take too much time, Drop some power stones too for motivation Chapter 26 - [Low S-Rank Danger Threat Dark Beast] (Part 1) The Morning forest is colossal, far-reaching, shadowy, and Diverse. Canopies were provided by Various trees like cottonwood and maple. Through the canopies, Light was allowed to pass down to the flat grounds below. Unique variations of noises that sounded animal-like reverberated through the air and were followed by booming steps in the distance. Through the tress passed a shadow moving at high speeds. Wherever the shadow passed the sound of an object splitting the wind followed. Vincent moved at high speed through the forest, He could only be perceived as a blur to those at the Earthbound level and Sky-Borne Level (Level 1 ¨C 30) Vincent has been Journeying through the trees and he has been regretting every single minute of it. ''I Should have just taken a carriage; it would have been so much faster. I just needed to wait a few more days (He thought in regret) A Carriage was mostly used by elites or those that can afford it. Carriages are inscribed with Anti-Beast repellant mixed with protection and illusion. And if this is not enough, there are elite carriages that contain at least more than one [Middle Sky-Borne Level] (Level 20-25) for protection, some elite carriages may have a [Sky-Path Level] (Level 30-45). A Carriage from the small city to the Capital would normally have taken 5 days, but when Vincent was in the city most of the carriages were already in the Capital or other cities, It would take at least 7 Days for a carriage to arrive back and that''s if they don''t encounter any [Dark Beast] the Protection struggled to defeat. One was supposed to arrive a few days ago but it has not been seen, so it was marked off as Compromised ''*Sigh*, This was a very stupid plan'' (Vincent thought in regret) Originally, Vincent would have gotten to the city the day before but due to passing out on the third day, His trip got delayed. Now it''ll take Vincent at least a day to get to the capital. ''''I really should have just taken a~'''' ''''!!!" Vincent thought process was cut off by the sudden great sickly smell that assaulted his nostrils. His senses got overloaded by the smell, it made him incorrectly calculate his jump which made him miss the next branch and plummet straight to the hard-unforgiven ground. Vincent rolled on the ground and stopped when his back hit a tree, relaxing his body on the tree he could only focus on the pungent smell that caused a lot of Headache. After a while, the headache subsided, Vincent''s breathing became less erratic and more stable. Vincent gagged and spat out to the Ground ''''Fuck!'''' [I didn''t expect you to be this affected] ''''No Shit!'''' Vincent gained his footing and stood from the ground, the smell in the air hadn''t disappeared he had just gotten used to it...¡­Somewhat Vincent covered his nose and squinted his eyes, ''''Where the fuck is this smell coming from'''' [I suggest you look behind the tree] Vincent squinted his eyebrows, ''''This Tree?'''' Vincent rounded the tree. He was met with a scene that caused him to spill out his gut beside the tree. The forest was littered with bodies, Punctured and limbless fighters, and weapons. Red was now the color of the forest. The air was filled with the thick smell of gore, death, and blood. A Sight that would bring Nightmares to most and unpleasantness to Vincent It was a clear sight of the massacre, the remains of the Warriors who had fought against something they couldn''t handle. Their faces were grim with horror and some with acceptance of death ''''The destiny of the weak... Death by the powerful'''' (Vincent said quietly with a grim tone) ''''The [Dark Beast] that did this must have been quite a high level'''' [Host. There is a mix of old bodies with new ones] ''''Old Bodies with new ones... Meaning some of these bodies had been killed for a while before another'''' [Walked into the trap] ''Shit!'' [Mana Burst] BOOM Vincent enhanced brain and quick reflexes narrowly saved him from a life-ending swipe to the head. With the help of [Mana Burst], Vincent tried to create distance between him and the threat to his life. But the Threat was quite quick, it appeared again before Vincent and reached out to him in an attempt to again end his life. In Vincent''s eyes, A claw approached him with a Normal speed. His Reflexes kicked in again and Vincent used [Authority of Flames] and created a blast of flames at the Threat. The Blast pushed the threat backward a great distance, and Vincent released himself to the power of the Burst. He was sent through the air and by many Trees, deeper into the Forest. In the Air, Vincent quickly tore off a piece of his shirt and dropped it on the branch of a tree he passed by, then he used [My Illusions Are Your Reality] and made the Tree look humanoid. He then flipped himself and dug his feet into the ground bringing him to stop, thereafter he dashed into the Bushes and cast another illusion on himself. This proved to be the right choice because a moment later the Tree that Vincent had placed an Illusion on was pierced by a claw then it was uprooted from the Ground. Vincent quickly used [Status] on the Sudden Attacker [Name: Arnaf Shadowgaze Race: Danger Beast/Nightmare Danger Threat: Low S-Rank Description: The Beast is a¡­.] [FORGET ABOUT THE [STATUS], JUST RUN!!!] Vincent took the Advice of the [Subsidiary System] and used [Consecutive Mana Burst] to dash in a random direction away from the Beast. The Sound of the [Mana Burst] alerted the [Dark Beast] to Vincent''s position, unwilling to let a Prey get away. The [Dark Beast] dashed after Him. The Fight between Vincent and the [Dark Beast] became like a Cat-Mouse chase, Vincent continually spammed [Consecutive Mana Burst] to the Upmost Extent and was Slowly leaving the Sight of the [Dark Beast]. Vincent noticed that he was almost successfully escaping the [Dark Beast] and was about to use another [Mana Burst] but a buzz reverberated in his head, Which caused Vincent to reflexively twisted himself mid-Air to narrowly dodge a Fire spear that passed by him and hit the tree he was about to jump onto, The Flame Spear exploded and Blasted the tree to Smithereens taking a lot of other trees with it. Vincent stared with wide eyes at the damage and thought ''What in The Heavens Fuck! When did Dark Beasts get AOE Skills'' (Vincent shouted inwardly)? Another buzz resounded in his head again, He quickly used his expert control in [Ether Manipulation] to project a hard shield of Ether, another flame spear zoomed onto the shield. Instead of absorbing the Impact, he used the shield to redirect the Flame Spear to another Unfortunate tree or Rather trees. BOOM Vincent ignored the effects of the spear and used [Ether Manipulation] to create a footing in the air which he used to land safely. He braced himself for the approaching beast while using his minuscule time to come up with a plan. The Beast appeared Infront of Vincent and slashed at him, Vincent immediately crouched and landed a spin kick powered by Ether on the Chin of the Beast, the [Dark Beast] flew into the air and onto the Ground scattering dust into the air. Not through with the Beast, Vincent jumped high into the air and spat out torrents of flames onto the [Dark beast]. He landed on the branch of a tree and kept his sight on the position of the Dark Beast that was filled with smoke. A flame spear zoomed out of the smoke dome and onto Vincent''s position at even greater speed, the familiar Buzz came again, Vincent ignored it and crossed his arms, and braced himself for impact. The flame spear reached Vincent''s guard and exploded. This time the blast was so large that everything behind him went up in flames, Explosions, smoke, and dust. From the flames, Vincent walked out naked. From his Expression, Vincent wasn''t happy in the slightest. ''I Should have looked left before crossing the street'' (Vincent thought in Regret) Chapter 27 - [Middle S-Rank Danger Threat Dark Beast] (Part 2) ''I Should have Jumped out of the Bus way'' (Vincent thought in Regret) Vincent examined his body and noticed that it was unaffected by the attack, ''''It seems my Resistance works perfectly'''' -Vincent continued examining his body when he reached his arms. He noticed a scratch on it- ''''A Scratch, how did that happen?'''' [Though you are Highly resistant to Fire attacks, Fire molded into sharp shapes still affect you.] ''It Does? Why?'' [To better explain, imagine that the fire element was shaped into a sword and was used to attack you. You''ll receive no damage from the Fire itself. But It''s a sword, the sharpness would still cut through.] [Basically, you''ll take physical damage from the sword instead of physical infused with fire damage from the element] Vincent eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, ''''I should be more careful then'''' Vincent ended his conversation with the [Subsidiary System] and focused on the [Dark Beast], His mind was clearer than before when he was only focusing on escaping, so he was able to examine the features of the Dark Beast Clearly The Dark beast was a large and Unique creature. It had a Purple skeletal head, Two forest green compound eyes, and slitted nostrils with no visible ears. The beast had a wide neck and two large arms. Its arms were covered in silky hair while the rest of the [Dark Beast] was covered in scales. The Hair was brown different from the rest of the body that was black. The Dark Beast roared at Vincent while summoning multiple Flame arrows out of thin air. The [Dark Beast] roared again at Vincent, Sending Numerous Flame arrows at him. Vincent frowned in displeasure and annoyance, he disappeared from his position and zoomed across the distance avoiding the Flame arrows along the way. A Flame arrow flew directly at his head, Vincent reacted by grabbing the arrow out of the air flipped it, and used his [Authority of Fire] to shape the arrow into a spear, brandishing it to his side. Vincent then Increased his speed, dashing through a platoon of arrows dodging each of them with various acrobatic moves or simple moves, the [Dark Beast] seeing Vincent dodge its attacks, Dashed at him with great speeds. Vincent and the [Dark Beast] met Mid Way, Claw against Flame Spear. Vincent and the Beast continually clashed with Vincent having the Advantage, Titan Muscles weren''t for Joke. During one of their clashes, Vincent manages to land a kick creating an opportunity which he immediately took. He followed up the Attack by powering up the Flame Spear in his hand with a lot of Ether and sending it to the [Dark Beast] creating a Huge and Deafening Explosion. Vincent relaxed a little and talked with the System, ''''I Expected it to be Stronger, I Guess the System underestimated the [Dark Beast]'''' [No, I Didn''t] ''''Then~'''' [When a Dark Beast reaches S-Rank, they get an Ability called [Rage Mode], During this form, their Strength gets multiplied, but most of the Dark Beast don''t get to use it] [But that can''t be said for a Lost one. When a Lost One enters Rage Mode, not only their strength, Agility and Endurance get Multiplied. Their Innate Ability also gets boosted and may even Evolve] ''''Evolve? Why'''' The [System] changed the topic without answering his question, [I Suggest you focus on the Dark Beast. It isn''t Dead Yet] Acknowledging the system, Vincent kept any further Questions in the back of his head and focused on the Blazing inferno Infront of Him because from the inferno a Silhouette gradually walked out of it on all fours. The [Dark Beast] that walked out of the Inferno was quite different than the former one, it walked on all fours and was covered in purple Malicious Aura. Vincent sighed, ''What is this, A last-ditch effort. I thought it only happened in Anime, System show [Status]'' [Status] [Name: Arnaf Shadowgaze Race: Danger Beast/Nightmare/Lost One Danger Threat: Middle S-Rank Description: The Beast was once a man, who had the Innate Ability of Fire arrows. When at death''s step from an encounter with a Dark Beast, to survive his soul got corrupted. Hence now a Dark Beast/lost One. Note Innate Ability Evolved from [Flame Arrows] in [Fire Manipulation (S-Rank)]] The [Dark Beast] suddenly disappeared from his former position and appeared right Infront of Vincent, its claw outstretched to Vincent and slashed towards him. Vincent''s eyes squinted, His reflexes kicking in. He jumped back quickly but he wasn''t fast enough to fully escape. The claws of the [Dark Beast] dug into Vincent''s skin and tore through it. Vincent landed a distance away from the beast, He looked at his bleeding chest and frowned in displeasure. ''''I let my Guard down there.'''' He looked back at the Beast with furrowed brows, ''''If my reflexes were a little bit slower, you would have torn through me.... you''ll regret this'''' '''' [Authority of Lightning: Thundra Possession, First Strike]'''' Lightning struck from the clear skies onto Vincent, A Large blast occurred followed by the rising of dust that covered Vincent''s figure. When the Cloud of dust cleared the Vincent''s was visible again, but this time lightning covered his repertoire and flickered outwards. ''Devouring those Titans was my best decision ever [Authority of Lightning; Thundra Possession: Thundra Possession is an Attack created by the Planar Giant of Traversing Lightning. The User of this technique wraps their Body with the Raw energy of lightning from a summoned Lightning strike to increase their attack, speed, and defense. With more Lightning energy from Lightning strikes gathered comes a greater increase in Physical parameters until it reaches a point where Physical Parameters can Only increase if Lightning energy is gathered from Heavenly Tribulation Lightning or Lightning from the ZoL (Zone of Lightning)] [Authority of Lightning; Thundra Possession, First Strike: First Part of the Techniques. The practitioner uses the raw energy from a strike of Lightning to boost his Physical parameters] From devouring the Lightning planar Giant soul, Vincent gained the ability to use this Technique. With the Absorption of the soul came the Absorption of Memories and Experience. Due to this Vincent is accustomed to the Technique and is as Proficient in using it as the Lighting Planar Giant had used it. ''I wonder what Other techniques I would get from Devouring the Other Titans'' Vincent''s smile widened with that thought. Remembering that there was a [Dark Beast], Vincent refocused his attention on the beast. There was a silent agreement between the Two fighters, both taking this chance to size up the other one more than the other. Fed up with the useless wait, the [Dark Beast] started the bout with a flame blast from the mouth, Essentially a Flamethrower. Vincent countered by dashing into and through the flames, with his [Authority of Fire] resistance, Flames without shape can''t harm him, at least this [Dark Beast] flames can''t. Vincent reappeared on top of the Dark Beast, He attacked the [Dark Beast] with a Lightning enhanced punch to the Head, but he severely underestimated the [Dark Beast] new mode. Miraculously, the [Dark Beast] bent down to dodge the attack but couldn''t fully do so, The Punch narrowly missed the whole head but managed the chip of a part of it. The [Dark Beast] rolled out of the way, its head injury opening more as it tried to escape. Vincent didn''t allow the beast the recover before attacking. The moment his feet touched the ground, He dashed towards the beast again but this time the beast didn''t back down and attacked back with equal momentum. The clash between the beast [Rage Mode] and Vincent [Thundra Possession] was in Vincent''s favor, but by some means, the Beast still managed to evade some of Vincent''s blows, after another clash with no one winning they separated and stared at each other. Vincent let out a sigh in exasperation, ''''It looks like one lightning isn''t enough... Then what about two'''' ''''[Authority of lightning: Thundra Possession, Second Strike]'''' Chapter 29 - [South Of Migè°©s: Aemplefort] ''''WHY IS A DEMON HERE!'''' The Arch-Angels examined in surprise and anger Immediately, Gabriel and Raphael dashed out of the room. Uriel tried to stop them, ''''Wait, Raphael! Gabriel!'''' But he wasn''t fast enough. Hence they escaped him, Uriel and Azazel then dashed towards the same location where the Angel sisters were going. [Yggdrasil Variant: Elohim''s Horse] otherwise known as [Heaven''s Gate] Gabriel and Raphael zoomed through the skies at absurd speed, Hundreds of emotions and even more thoughts flashed through their mind but it all revolved around one primordial thought/Emotion in general Gabriel: "I will kill this Demon!'''' Raphael: "I will kill this Demon!" Rage, Hatred, Anger. Pure. Raw. Unquenchable! The amount of rage in them was so high, that if not for Azazel lowering their bars. They would have already fallen. Seeing that Demon brought unpleasant memories and emotions to them both, hence giving themselves the slightest feeling of comfort, closure, and relief. They had to kill that Demon. Gabriel and Raphael arrived at Towering gates, made of all Jewelry and earthly things known to Man, Migas, Eulogeo, and Deus. Gold, Diamond, Silver, Bronze, Limestone, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Mithril, Gem-Steel, etc. All were encompassed into the Gates. It was made this way to make it known to all that all who pass through this gate from the Mortal realm leave all of their Worldly desires and Earthly riches behind. [Yggdrasil Variant: Heaven''s Gate] Looking at this gate made Raphael and Gabriel even more vexed, Approaching the Gates with a location in mind. But when they were about to enter the gates, it shut itself, The Gates of Heaven for the second time in History shut itself Raphael and Gabriel were confused momentarily about why the Gates would suddenly just close itself, within that period of confusion Azazel and Uriel arrived at the scene of two world Defying Beauties in Infront of shut Doors. Azazel and Uriel landed before them and began to ask them questions. What happened to Heaven''s Gate? Why is it Shut What did they do? Uriel bombarded his sisters with these questions, but they simply answered with the only answer they knew. ''''I don''t Know'''' This answer made Uriel quite furious to the extent of him reprimanding them, but before he did Azazel stopped him. ''''Give them a break, would ya'''' Sighed Azazel as he stopped Uriel. ''''And why should I!'''' Uriel flared up he looked at Azazel with Anger. ''''Because the Gates weren''t their Fault'''' ''''Oh Really, then whose fault was it'''' ''''I don''t know'''' he shrugged then pointed to the sky ''''Ask the System, after all, it''s the only thing in Heaven beside the Old man that could control the Gates'''' Hearing Azazel''s words made Uriel facepalm at his stupidity, then he apologized to his sisters. Thereafter he turned to the sky ''''[System] What is the Meaning of this, Why did you lock [Heaven''s Gate] don''t you know that by locking the Gates you have stopped all dead souls from entering into heaven'''' [Yes, I am aware of that] ''''Then~'''' [But it is for a necessary cause] [Arch-Angel Raphael and Arch-Angel Gabriel were about to interfere with the Successor Directly, Hence the reason for I locking the Gates] ''''WE DID IT BECAUSE DEMONS ARE INVOLVED, THE SUCCESSORS LIFE IS IN DANGER'''' Gabriel retorted with obvious anger in her tone. ''''And after all, you were the one that said we can Intervene when he Interacts with Threats beyond what he could handle'''' Raphael added [But so far, He hasn''t interacted with Any has he.] ''''What do you mean by that!'''' [I have determined that The Demon won''t directly interfere with the successor, Due to wanting to not get exposed and risk retaliation. Hence, it''ll try to sabotage the Successor indirectly and create obstacles for him] ''''Then~'''' [I have determined that the Obstacles would serve as a good stepping stone for the Successor, pushing him and giving him the drive to become stronger faster] ''''What if he can''t handle the Obstacles'''' ''''Then we''ll be allowed to intervene'''' Azazel replied [Strong One of God] Azazel acknowledged the system ''''[System]'''' ''''Let''s get down to the Point, shall we. We won''t interfere and kill the Demon right now and in return, You''ll allow us the use the [Mirror of Worldly Omniscience] to View the successor at all times and also won''t reset the Angels to their former programming'''' [And what makes you think that I''ll allow that, after all in this Deal I have the upper hand. You won''t stand by and watch as all souls float aimlessly in [Judgement]] ''''And you would'''' ''''Look, [System] there''s something you need to understand, Before Heaven became Heaven it was just a Spiritual Land'''' ''''Hence, if a Few souls don''t enter Heaven, then so be it, after all, I am already a Fallen. A few more sins won''t do me any harm, And I am pretty sure that my siblings would fall with me after all Fallen are still allowed in Heaven.'''' ''''And if that doesn''t work, I can simply create another Spiritual Land'''' ''''So just be a Dear and Let''s Make a Deal'''' ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [Deal] ''''Good'''' Azazel then turned to his siblings with his smile morphing into a serious look, ''''Come on now, Let''s go'''' ''''Bu~'''' Gabriel tried to say. ''''Let''s Go!'''' Azazel then took off into the Air, With Uriel following after. Raphael and Gabriel looked at Azazel and Uriel in the Air and begrudgingly flapped their Wings and took off towards them. Nightfall in Free Vern Forest (AN: Forgot to name the forest, Teehee) Vincent let out a sigh in relief, ''''That [Dark Beast] was such a Hassle'''' ''''So, it was the reason why one of the carriages hadn''t reported back to the town'''' ''''But. Did it expect me to stand and watch as it powers up'''' ''''But that brings up Problems, why did the [Dark Beast] power up'''' ''[System] any Ideas'' [Ask the [Akashic]] ''Why should I do that, when there is a possibility that it is just a side effect of [Rage Mode]'' [Suit yourself then] ''''Tch, Useless'''' ''How much Further until the Capital'' ''[Map]'' A Familiar Hologram Map appeared in front of Vincent, ''Well According to the [Map], I should be Right in front of ....it'' Passing by a Tree, Vincent was greeted to the sights of the Majestic Capital, even in the night Vincent was able to appreciate the beauty of the Capital due to the lights coming from the capital. ''Finally,'' he rejoiced in his mind. Vincent dashed towards the Gates of the Capital and reduced his speed as he got there lest the guards treat him as an enemy and start firing attacks at him. Reaching the Gate, Vincent was directed to the Verification Man who looked very familiar to the One at the former city, He just chalked it up to cannon fodder logic. After Verification, Vincent was allowed into the City. Before he entered, he asked the Guards for the direction to an inn which they kindly pointed him to. Vincent journeyed the Empty streets of the city and reached the Inn, [Rose Hill Inn] They called it. The Inn is a two-story stone-walled building, with a red-tile roof. In the City, the Inn was a fairly good one with affordable price and just the right amount of comfort for so the price. Vincent entered the Inn and approached the Inn-Keeper, who was an Average height female named Kira. ''''Good Evening, Can I get a room for a week'''' ''''A room for a week? That''s 70 silvers plus feeding fee'''' ''70 huh. I need to learn this worlds conversion rate'' ''''Ok'''' Vincent drew 70 Silvers from his storage ring and gave it to the woman. When he had given it to her, he noticed something peculiar about her hair. It was brown and styled in the hair of death way. Seeing the hair Vincent sighed and thought inwardly, ''Another innocent one lost'' After receiving payment, Kira gave Vincent his key and told him that his room is room no 666 (AN: MUHAHAHA). After receiving the key Vincent retreated to his room, nothing too special about it. It had a two-person bed, a dresser, some chairs, A decent window facing the city, and a good Bathroom. Vincent laid on the bed and was about to drift off to sleep when suddenly he felt information flooding into his head. He sat up with wide eyes and processed the Information that he was receiving. After fully processing and compiling, Vincent read through the Information and found out that it was the Location of the [Treasure of Elohim]. ''[System] what just happened'' [The [Treasure of Elohim] has recognized you as its master and Hence reached out to you. Normally, the moment you entered the city it would have burst out of where it was hidden and approached you but that would have brought too much trouble. Hence, it''s calling you to come to meet it and take it as your Own] ''A [Treasure of Elohim], Contacting me like this. Is it because of [The Word]? I need to investigate this before I take any other step'' ''[System] open [Akashic]'' [Ok] [Contacting Akashic Contact successful Attempting Connection Connection Successful and Stabilized] [Please close your eyes and do not open until disconnection from [Akashic]] Vincent listened to the [System] Warning and closed his eyes, relishing in the former feeling of contacting the [Akashic] [You may ask your Question now] ''Ok'' ''''What is the Best way to Get the Treasure of Elohim closest to me'''' Immediately the Information flashed through Vincent''s mind, His face changing from horror to sorrow to acceptance. ''''Sigh, [System] Cut connection'''' [Ok] The [Akashic] Withdrew from the Mortal Plane and Vincent was able to open his eyes again. [You know what to do] ''''Fortunately, Yes and Unfortunately also Yes'''' ''Mother looks like your son has to go to school again'' ''''Sigh, Problems I don''t need'''' That Night Vincent had dreams of the Dreaded enemy of all School. That was how Vincent spent his first night in the Majestic City [South Of Migas: Aemplefort] Chapter 30 - [The 7 Ringed Paths Of Healing], Fabled Treasure Of Aempleforh The Next Day Vincent woke up with half of the sense knowing that today will not be a good day for him, after arriving in the city of [Aemplefort], South of Migas the [Treasure of Elohim] located in the city sent out a request for retrieval by imparting its location directly into Vincent''s head. He sorted the information into the [Eidetic Library of Knowing] and decided to return to it the next day, but he decided to at least read the key point. After reading the key point of the information he at least understood the main point of the letter which was that the Treasure of Elohim is in another space that can only be reached through two means. One is the use of [Yggdrasil] which could gain a lot of attention or through the Academy that was located in the city. Knowing that each of these options was dangerous in their rites, Vincent used his [Akashic Points] and asked for the best possible route to get to the [Treasure of Elohim]. The [Akashic] responded with an answer that wasn''t in any way favorable to Vincent. ''''Why Must It Be School!'''' Vincent shouted in displeasure ''''What did I do to deserve this. Wait maybe I can wing this'''' ''''*Sigh*, Who am I kidding, Even the [Akashic] recommended this the best way to get the [Treasure of Elohim]'''' Vincent tried to convince himself that there was a better way. But Ultimately, he had to face the truth so he decided to face it after he has gotten some things done. First, Being the information the [Treasure of Elohim] He sat on his bed and entered into the [Eidetic Library of Knowing] and was immediately met with the book containing the information he wanted, Seemingly under the Category ''Recent'', Sub-Category ''Important''. ''''[System] why are their categories in the Library'''' he asked [Because it''s a Library] Vincent deadpanned at the System ''''I know, but it wasn''t there before'''' [The Library grows along with your body, soul, and mind. Due to your recent increase in your strength, The Library grew along with it. Now you are closer to achieving [Parallel Thinking]] ''''[Parallel Thinking] huh. When do I know when I achieve it?'''' Vincent asked with raised eyebrows [Believe me, you''ll know] Vincent diverted from the conversation and focused on the book in his hands ''''Ok. Now onto what I came for'''' Vincent sat on a comfy chair in the Lounge/Reading/Core room and began reading through the book. The more he read the more he became surprised and excited but mostly surprised. The Information contained not only the location of the Treasure but also its name and its History. ''Name of The Treasure, the 7 Ringed Paths of Healing'' Vincent started reading ''A Great Treasure that grants the user, 7 Paths or rather ways of Healing apparently'' ''This Treasure was given to a Migas born from a home that loved one another irrespective of the War. The Treasure was both a favor to the parents and family for taking the first step towards cooperation and also to show a sign of his work in the cooperation between two races and a way of hope to the Migas. A healer granted only to the Mig¨¢s'' ''But Alas that didn''t work and many tried to acquire him but they couldn''t as he was too strong and Nigh-Unkillable at that time due to one of the Treasure''s ability correlation to his innate Ability which was [Devour].'' ''Due to the two Skills working together he was Immune to both Mana and Ether attacks, the only things that were effective on him were other energies like Divinity, Od, Ki, etc.'' ''He went on to fight and win many battles in the ward due to Losing his parents and all of his lovers in the process due to the fame about his importance in the war'' ''Many times, they tried to kill him, many times they failed until it led to the point that Humans conspired with the Eulogeon. They Both sent out their strongest fighters against him, if he fell then they would destroy the power of the Rings'' ''The Eulogeo fighters had a speck of Divinity while the Earthland had Od or Ki and were very proficient in it, behind them were about 5,000 Soldiers each having the same proficiency. After a long battle, he finally fell.'' ''But before they could take the Rings, He used his second innate ability and a treasure of his which was related to space to make a separate space where he placed the rings before he took his last breath. The name of the Migas was Aempleforh, Hence the city was named after him in respect. [Aemplefort] the land of Aempleforh.'' ''Now the Separated space is used as a Treasure Hunt competition and reward of the Academy students, Due to the Mysterious Treasures inside that was a result of one of the Treasures Abilities.'' ''''*Sigh*, Such a deep story'''' ''''Had to go through much because he was blessed, I''m sure that his parents were killed. It didn''t take a rocket scientist to guess that. After all, the wicked and the weak would do all to weaken the strong.'''' ''''To get to the Treasure, I have to enroll in the school and also become known to an extent before I can be selected to enter the Space'''' ''''Mmmh, [System] what do you suggest'''' [Well, as you are you would already gain a lot of attention. After all, Dual-Element is Quite rare] ''''Do you think that''s enough'''' [Yes. Immediately when they find a person with Dual-Elements they would do anything to acquire a said person, so you have to be careful from the beginning] ''''True, I guess that''s the plan for now'''' [Are you sure] ''''...Yes'''' [Then...] [Quest Generated: The 7 Ringed Paths of Healing. To Gain I Must Survive School Description: Treasures of Elohim. Fabled Treasures of Gods, Due to your wishes to Acquire them a quest has been generated to motivate you. Head to [Aemplefort School of The Gifted], Be a top student or at least Top three during your stay there, and Head into the Separated spatial land and Acquire the 7 Ringed Paths of Healing. May you not encounter Woe. Rewards: The 7 Ringed Paths of Healing, Sacrificial Treasures, 15,000 Akashic Points, Favor of The Angels increase, Favor of [???] Increase, Favor of the realms Increase, Favor of the [Source] increase. Failure of Quest: Probability of Death if the host decides to continue task and end up failing, No raise in Angels Favor, No raise in [???] Increase, No raise in Favor of the Realms, No raise in [Source] favor, Also Loss of OP Weapon...] ''''DID YOU HAVE TO JINX ME" he shouted in annoyance and anger [What?] ''''DON''T WHAT ME, WHAT''S THIS ABOUT MAY YOU NOT ENCOUNTER WOE. YOU JINXED ME M@#$!$****#$!!!'''' [Oh...¡­.. Then good luck] Vincent sighed in annoyance and then proceeded to mantra his way to relaxation ''''This Quest probably has high difficultly right?'''' he asked in a calm tone [Yes¡­. Yes, it does] ''''Will I die'''' he asked again in a calm tone but seemed meek [Maybe... But no pain no gain] ''''You are not going to tell me who''s my unknown stalker" [No] "*Sigh*, This System is too Dysfunctional" he sighed in exasperated annoyance Chapter 31 - History Of A Planned War In an Unknown Library. Our MC Vincent could be seen sitting in a lounge section of a library with a ton of books on the table in front of him. Each of the books had something similar about them, They were either about History or Economies and Trade Relations. Earthland, Survival Survival of the Dark Times. How the Migas Survived. Eulogeo, The Powerhouse of the War and Why. Anyone looking at Vincent now would be confused at his actions because each book Vincent took he only skimmed through it, placed it aside, and moved on to another. He has been doing this for about 14 Books now. When he reached the 20th Book, he suddenly stopped and leaned back into his chair assuming the position of someone meditating or thinking. But actually, he was in his mental space reading his books and assimilating the information to be very easily recovered. The first book he picked up was titled, [War of The Dark Times] The Book entailed everything about the War between the 4 Powerhouses and how much was contributed to the War, Its effect, and its Aftermath. ''The War between the 4 Realms was originally a War between two realms, The Earthland and Eulogeo. This was due to the Humans trying to slay the beasts that resided in Eulogeo because of their Mythical bodies and the power that comes with it. Their actions are created a lot of bad blood with Eulogeo and caused them to retaliate by raiding numerous settlements and harvesting lives.'' he read This Particular paragraph brought some questions to Vincent''s mind. ''If the Eulogeo Warriors were strong enough to raid numerous to the grounds why didn''t they just finish off the Humans'' he thought to himself Reading further on, he came upon the Answer being because of Food, Again bringing further questions. He had to turn to Another book to get his answer ''When Eulogeo was first created, There were a lot of grassy plains and plenties but there was one problem. Due to the Very high Amount of Ether in circulation, Fruit Trees and plants absorbed a lot of it and condensed it into fruits that had the power to increase strength and health. '' ''But this process took a very long time counting up to centuries for a minimum. This made the Eulogeon turn to another source for food which was humans and animals.'' ''The lack of food was a very big problem for the Eulogeo until the retaliation against the Humans and the discovering of Earthland seeds. Through research, it was found out that human seeds planted with Mana or Ki or Od in Ether-filled lands take lesser time to germinate and start producing fruits. '' ''But in return, it loses the Strengthening property. Hence, they couldn''t just kill off the Humans, Of course, Enslavement was also a choice but thankfully most Eulogeon were against it for some reason.'' After reading the Answer, Vincent was enlightened to the truth and hence continued Reading his former book, ''After the raiding by Eulogeo warriors, Earthland warriors began to gather up and fight against Eulogeo. The war started with a Big platoon of Earthland soldiers against Eulgeo shoulders, Their battlefield was an empty realm, the realm that would later be named Mig¨¢s. This battle ended in a loss for Earthland and another loss for Eulogeo'' ''Against numerous fighters either using Mana or Od, Ether had a Hard time competing against it. The Mixture of Mana and Od causes a canceling effect against Ether.'' ''This reaction is what caused a huge loss for Eulogeo but alas this couldn''t fully turn the tide of the War in favor of Earthland. The Mixture between the two Energies is quite volatile, Any distraction can cause a break in the mixture.'' ''Moreover, the Two energies cannot exist in one body at the same time. Hence, Eulegeo still had an Advantage. This was the reason Earthland had more loss than Eulogeo.'' ''After the First large-scale attack, what followed after were small skirmishes and medium-sized battles never going into a large-scale battle like the first.'' ''This situation continued for 3 Years until suddenly another large-scale battle broke out for unknown reasons, This Large scale attack was commenced by Eulogeo and was launched in hope of surprising Earthland. ''But their plan didn''t succeed and instead they were surprised by Earthland as numerous spells were waiting for them the moment they crossed onto Earthland greatly injuring their numbers.'' ''After 24 Days of Fighting and tactical retreats, Eulogeo retreated in loss granting Earthland Victory. After this Eulogeo went silent which greatly irked Earthland but they weren''t stupid enough to enter Enemy Territory.'' ''This situation continued until a message from a spy was received sent to them telling them that Eulegeo managed to take some seeds and Earthland''s citizens and had solved their food problems.'' ''This created a sense of fear in the heart of Earthland making them glad they didn''t rashly attack Eulegeo but they didn''t know that the information wasn''t sent by an Eathland but in fact by Eulogeon as a strategy to make sure the Earthlanders don''t try to invade giving them the chance to lick their wounds ''A stalemate occurred between the two factions giving a chance for a Third Faction and Fourth Faction to rise, The third before the fourth. The third faction was the Mig¨¢s and the fourth was the Deus. Mig¨¢s rose rapidly shocking the two factions as how was it possible for this to occur.'' ''The third Faction first appeared as a Mysterious faction that resided in a hidden Location on the Battlefield Realm.'' ''Warriors of Mig¨¢s were gathered by a certain man [Akryn]. It was unknown how the Mig¨¢s came to be and how they had so many numbers but they did and the War became three-way.'' ''The fourth faction first appeared when a priestess from the Earthland and another from Eulogeo died. '' ''Deus were gods that could be worshipped and killing their favorite worshipers is similar to stepping on the tail of a beast, The retaliation would be heavy.'' ''Deus entered the war when a priestess from Eulogeo and Earthland died and the respective gods they worshipped wanted to interfere. But for unknown reasons they couldn''t, and they could only interfere by sending out a blessing, Bringing the age of Blessings. '' ''The first blessing was granted to an Earthlander Ashlyn and she was blessed by the Deus [Umpa Aqua] who ruled majorly over water. The Age of blessings manipulated the tides of the war between the three sides.'' ''Another stalemate occurred until a history groundbreaking event happened. A Being seemingly made of Light descended from the Heavens with an army of Winged men. He spoke out in Disfigured words and suddenly there was a great barrier before the four Realms and an engraving of a message that struck fear.'' ''Death Shall Befall All Who Wages War'' ''The Great War that started with Darkness and strife ended with a single sentence'' Vincent closed the Book and sighed out loud, Summarizing everything the book said and put it into one sentence. ''This War was planned'' ///// If you like my recent and previous chapters then drop a power stone or a review Although I need the review GIVE IT TO MEEEEE!!! ///// Chapter 32 - [Aemplefort School For The Gifted] Vincent exited the Aemplefort Library and strolled the streets of Aemplefort in deep thought not noticing the glances of few people who looked at him in interest mainly the females. After all, Vincent could be said to be quite high in the ranking of most handsome. Paying mind to none, Vincent reviewed all he had Learned from the Library and ended with the same speculation he had gotten ''The War was Planned'' he began, ''At least most of it'' ''But it''s the only speculation...¡­. But many pieces of evidence point to this ''First the Arrival of Migas¡­. Where did they come from, how did they have so many numbers?'' ''Humans had only first had contact with Eulogeo, 8 Years before the War. Hence taking the time of Mating between Human and Eulogeo and the probability of both ever mating. Most Migas born should have just been 4 - 5 Years, Migas being born should have even been exceedingly rare'' ''But somehow, they had a lot of numbers in contrast to the calculations. They even had someone old enough and wise enough in tactics to gather them and fight in a war.'' ''This Leaves only two theories. One, Eulogeo and Humans had been in contact a long time before the time reported or two, they poofed into existence or in better terms they were made...'' ''But that should be impossible, after all only someone who had the means to create the body and most importantly the soul can do something like that. The only thing I know that can do this is someone with [The Word]'' Then it Hit Vincent so hard he couldn''t help by gasp in realization halting his steps. It all formed and began to make sense before his very eyes. ''The only power that can do that is [The Word]'' he slowly thought ''Before me, the only one who had it was...God.'' ''Now it all makes sense, The war, The Creation of Migas. It was all a ruse...A ruse to introduce himself and establish himself and his Faction deeply into the Minds of all... Such a sly guy'' ''¡­. But why did he create Migas, for what reason¡­...was it because of something great¡­. or was it boredom...¡­. Well, it''s just a guess.'' [Title Gained: I Guessed the Secret of The Realms¡­... Turns Out I Was Right] Vincent looked at the title with shock slowly morphing into a deadpan face, ''''We were made out of Boredom'''' [What did you expect] ''....'' Vincent didn''t retort to the systems jab and just focused on his stroll, looking around, familiarizing himself with his environment. When he looked at the people walking around him, he got slightly curious about the result of using [Status] on people, seeing no harm in it he fulfilled his curiosity and randomly picked a person roaming on the streets and used [Status] on him. ''[Status]'' [Name: Reg Fleischer Level: 6 Innate: [Super Senses] Bio: Reg Is a Human born in a slightly below average family, He lived without worries until he got married to his Dragonkin Migas wife Noma Fleischer who is possessive borderline Yandere. Now he can only leave his house sneakingly and remain fully alert whenever he''s outside. But he doesn''t realize he can''t hide from her EVER!] Slightly scared of the report, Vincent turned his gaze to a beautiful fair maiden and used [Status] on her. ''[Status]'' [Name: Hail C. Ender Level: 12 Innate: Poison Manipulation Bio: Hail C. Ender is a MAJORS with no Limit. Hailing from a clan of Snake Heritage Sadism has always been in her blood, all her boyfriends mysteriously died from poisoning or melted face while naked. It advised that the Host stop staring before she takes interest in the Host. Note she''s also a Yandere.] After reading the Bio, Vincent speedily took off and crossed many, many corners and intersections before letting out a sigh in relief, ''''What the heck is wrong with this people'''' Continuing his actions, he used [Status] on another male [Status: Jay Leto Level: 15 Innate: Telesthesia Bio: Jay Leto is a wolf descendant from the Leto Family, A group of wolves who believe the Greek god Leto is their ancestor. Jay came to Aemplefort to enroll in the [Aemplefort School For The Gifted ¡­.] Vincent stopped reading after that. ''School of Blessed, Huh?'' ''Systems, That''s the same school, right?'' he asked [Yes] ''Then it''s time for Information Gathering'' Vincent cast a small-scale Normality Illusion on his Ether usage and cast a Medium-scale Illusion on the unsuspecting scholar. The Illusion wasn''t something much, it was just a direction change mixed with normality illusion making it seem like in his eyes he''s taking his desired route when in fact he''s taking many different corners and arriving in a secluded corner that Vincent was waiting for him in. As he approached Vincent, Vincent cast an Invisibility Illusion on himself and Jay. After successfully casting, Vincent focused his attention on Jay and cast another Illusion on him. The Illusion is comprised of someone he knows coming to him and asking him questions when in fact it''s Vincent. Being his first time casting something on this scale with his, Vincent hoped it would work and tried the illusion. ''''Who are you'''' he began asking Jay answered like he normally would am Jay Leto from the Leto Clan ''Seems like it works.'' ''''How do you enroll in [Aemplefort School For The Gifted]'''' ''''A recruitment process starts 7 days from now. enrolling in the recruitment process, a test will be met upon completion of the test, Enrollment, and Placement begins'''' ''''A test, huh'''' he mumbled ''''What is the Test?'''' ''''it''s a test of Innate Ability and current skills. The stronger the innate, the higher the placement.'''' ''''What about those with weak innate'''' ''''They''ll be given a choice to enter into the school or not, but if the innate is exceedingly weak then no enrollment for the person'''' ''''mmh'''' ''''Ok, Give me the Address of the school'''' ''''Gladly'''' After Jay gave him the address, A system Notification came up [Registering Address] [Address found] [56, Loft road off Maria Intersection] [Aemplefort School For The Gifted] Found] [Displaying on Map] A new registered location papered in the Map, Vincent calculated the distance from the school to its inn and figured it wasn''t that far. He then looked back at his Victim and used an Illusion to cover up the former and sent him back on his track. Looking at the disappearing back of Jay, Vincent frowned a little, ''Leto huh? The Greek god of Wolves. I thought his wolf family would have a clich¨¦ ancestor like Fenrir'''' He then shrugged and walked back into the moving streets. ''Well, Not everything can be Cliche'' 7 Days After After his conversation with Jay, Vincent spent the 7 days till the Recruitment getting ready for school and reading up history and economies of the Realms, greatly expanding his knowledge of the 7 Realms Vincent arrived at the Large gates of an even Larger Institution, blending into his crowded pairs that had also arrived at the gates, he waited for the gates to be opened. After a While, the Large Gates opened with no creaking and some people around him rushed into the school like the gates would close if they didn''t while others just strolled in. Vincent Looked at the Huge Building in Infront of him and let out a smile "[Aemplefort School For The Gifted], What do you have instore for me'' //// I know Ya reading this Might as well drop a review Fam //// Chapter 33 - Another Fox, [Ama] Vincent followed the steps of his fellow enrollers to an Open Hall that had hundreds of seats in front of a podium. After which he took a seat on one of the back seats and waited for whatever the school had planned to begin. In the Somewhat quiet hall, Slow steps approached the hall gaining full silence of attention from the enrollers. Slowly a figure entered into the open hall and approached the podium. His figure entranced the populace mainly the females, Light blue short wavy hair, a peerless face that the glasses he had on only brought out more of. He garbed a self-righteous white robe which was worn on top of a blue inner dressing. The most peculiar thing was the pair of elegant horns protruding spacely off his forehead He stood behind the Podium and slightly corrected his glasses. Thereafter he shifted his position and began to speak with an Audible voice. ''''Welcome Pioneers of The Future'''' he began, ''''My name is Zeph Mammon, An Instructor in [Aemplefort School for The Gifted], I am a Mammoth Migas from the Maeth Mammon Clan but I represent the clan.'''' ''''Now, all of you came from different parts of the vast Realms, Some Migas others Humans.'''' "All coming from your respective homes for one reason. Strength, Power, Knowledge, Wisdom. Well, you have come to the right place, Aemplefort School for The Gifted offers it all and more.'''' ''''Vast knowledge for your choosing, increase in the wisdom of course for those who are serious, and most importantly, Development in strength.'''' ''''In Aemplefort school for the gifted, all you have to rely on to succeed is yourself and your instructors and I guarantee your success'''' ''Well, that''s a lie'' Vincent commented inwardly. ''''Now. Aemplefort is a large school that brings in an even larger amount of people. Hence there is a need for order and selection.'''' ''''This school is divided into three Levels, reflecting the strength of those within it.'''' ''''First, we have the E-Level, A-Level, and S-Level. There is a class above that, which is the X-Level'''' ''''Those of low Innate ability shall reside within the E-Level, Others with powerful Innate Abilities shall reside in the A-Level which is divided into three.'''' ''''The [C-A Rank], [B-A Rank] and [A-A Rank] and exemplary innate Abilities shall reside within [S-Rank].'''' ''''Now, most of you already have questions like how are we going to check your innate abilities. Well don''t worry, Technology and magic have reached a point that we can have an insight on the innate abilities of individuals.'''' His words brought resounding gasps from the students which brought a slight smile to his face. ''''We call this way of insight inspection which can be done through the use of Inspector Orbs, These Orbs have the great power to check someone''s Innate Ability among some other'''' Then someone entered the hall drawing the gazes of the enrollers. A hooded man walked in; he held a purple pillow which had a Lucious orb sitting comfortably on the Centre, the hooded man slowly approached the instructor behind the podium. This drew the irk of Vincent, ''Did they have to follow this clich¨¦'' Instructor Zeph left the podium and walked up to the man who held the orb and said, ''''Observe'''' He then put his hand on the Orb and the orb shined brightly in response, After the light settles it displayed some words in the air in a holographic manner. [Name: Zeph Mammon Race: Mammoth Migas Innate: [Water sport], [I Am Immune to What I Thrive In] Ability: [Within the Waters I Am Strong], [Forgoing Elusive for Intrusive], [Forgoing Intrusive for Elusive], [Ice Touch: Spread of Numbness], [Water Manipulation], [Ice Manipulation], [Ether Manipulation] Conclusion: SS-Rank] The Enrollers were momentarily stunned by the display of the orb. Seeing the stunned faces of the enrollers Zeph couldn''t help but feel pride Feeling enough pride from the enrollers, Instructor Zeph held his head up high and addressed the enrollers. ''''Please form a single line and await Inspection'''' The students stood up in an orderly fashion and slowly formed a line, strangely enough, the Hall contained all of them which made Vincent rethink the size of the hall. The first boy went up to the orb and put his hand towards it, the orb glowed in kind and displayed the result in a Holographic form. [Name: Bax Pearman Race: Squirrel Migas Innate: [Spheral Vision] Conclusion: C-A Rank] Slowly, the line moved forward, some had good innate abilities like the Snake Migas who had [Psionic Blast] as an innate, some were mediocre like [Dual Multiplication], [Bone Claws], etc. While the rest were just plain useless like [Water Breathing], [Ball Production], [Super Ears], a guy even had dual elements but they were both useless [No Air] and [Tough Face], etc. This pattern continued until it reached a particular girl''s turn, Normally the girl arouses no attention from Vincent but when she put her hand on the orb and the orb brought out her Inspection result. [Ama J. Ivory Race: Lion Migas Innate: [Earth Manipulation (S-Low)] Conclusion: B-A Rank] Vincent looked at the status and he felt that the more he looked at it the more uncomfortable and somehow irked he became. ''System, what''s happening to me'''' [Naturally, this is the reaction of a Kitsune/Fox of a Juubi bloodline to a Poorly made Illusion] Vincent''s eyes widened in surprise, ''Illusion?'' [Yes, From the signature it''s an Illusion with a high resemblance to yours] ''To mine...¡­. Then that means'' [Yes, she is of the Juubi Bloodline too] Vincent let out a slight sigh ''''Ah, What''s with this. It''s hasn''t even passed the first day'''' [Host I suggest you help with the Illusion.] ''Huh, why'' he asked with question marks all around him [From my perception, That Zeph guy would notice the Illusion. It would be quite bad if people found out she was from the Juubi bloodline] Vincent sighed in exasperation and began to rub his chin, ''I am not someone to help another but I can''t ignore her now'' Vincent placed an illusion on his ether usage and strengthened the illusion already cast on the Orb. Immediately when he did so the girl suddenly turned around and began to look around until her Light Hazel green eyes locked on Vincent''s Dark Hazel eyes with blue flecks. Their gazes were locked on each other for a moment, Vincent took this time to inspect her figure which was completely average. ''Tsk, Another illusion'' ''I should be able to remove it Before Vincent could attempt to do so she left the line and was guided by Instructor Zeph to another place. Fifteen turns after and Vincent''s turn was next, He walked onto the Hooded orb holding man and followed the other''s example by extending his hands to the orb. When he did, The Orb Blew Brightly blinding everyone in the vicinity when it settled it displayed the results into the air as it had done before. [Name: Vincent Gate Race: Lion Migas Innate Ability: Fire(S-High), Lightning(S-High) Conclusion: S-Rank] The Result brought shock to everyone especially Instructor Zeph, all according to Vincent''s plan. The Plan? To Extort Every Single Gain, He Can from The School //// Gosh, Just click on the PS button already I know you want to do it Give me my PRECIOUS //// Chapter 34 - Instructor Zeph Maeth Mammoth Shock Zeph Maeth Mammoth. A name moderately popular in the Aemplefort school for the gifted. Securing the 12th position in the M.T.S earning himself fame and wealth. Today he was addressed by the only senior he respects, [Professor Ironco Evric] ///Flashback/// A man sitting calmly behind the corporate table and another standing before the man and the table. The man behind the table was a man that those in Earthland and Eulogeo know all too well, [Professor Ironco Evric] a professor, a researcher, an instructor but most of all a warrior. ''''Inspector Zeph'''' Zeph bowed in response ''''Today new fledglings shall enroll into this school'''' ''''I want you to scoop out any talent before that family does'''' Zeph tried to reason, ''But'''' ''''I feel like today would be a good day'''' Zeph kept silent for a while then let out a sigh in exasperation then bowed to the old man behind the desk, ''''it shall be done'''' ///Now/// ''''Sigh, why did I agree to that old man words'''' Instructor Zeph sighed for the umptieth time Zeph was currently in a dilemma, His superior had told him to scoop up any talents before anyone else could but the problem was. ''EVERYONE HERE IS SO DAMN MEDIOCRE'''' A next boy from the line approached the Inspector Orb and stretched out towards it and the orb glowed in response. ''Tch, this one has the power of [Earth Spikes] sounds good right, But the problem is that it takes 30 seconds to activate, who would wait that damn long After checking the result, he was led to his designated path. Thereafter the next person approached the orb and stretched towards it. ''This one has the power of [Dash] but looking at his body, He doesn''t have much time before he becomes crippled.'' Instructor Zeph wasn''t only known for his power but he was also known for his medical proficiency. ''''*Sigh*, Why can''t anyone talented appear'''' Zeph lamented quietly Another enroller approached the ball and Zeph had already shifted his face away from the results concluding that this one would be like the rest. ''Tch, you may be a fine boy but I bet your talent would be mediocre.'' But he didn''t expect that the moment that the enroller put his hands on the [Inspector Orb], The Orb would glow very brightly in response. The bright glow immediately caught Instructor Zeph''s attention, He turned sharply at the glowing orb ignoring the intensity of the light. His eyebrows raised in surprise and his mouth was left wide open. He was momentarily stunned even when the glow eventually died, he was still in a short state of shock until he managed to snap out of it and read this strange Phenomenon Result. Therefore, he turned his attention to the floating holographic blue screen suspended in the air [Name: Vincent Gate Race: Lion Migas Innate Ability: Fire(S-High), Lightning(S-High) Conclusion: S-Rank] ''Impossible, Dual-Element also being (S-High) Affinity Elements¡­. How¡­Who is he'' If Instructor Zeph was shocked before now he was beyond shocked, His brain worked at light speeds easily arriving at a fast conclusion. ''I must obtain this Kid'' Immediately, he approached Vincent and led him to the Path the other Successful enrollers took. Walking Infront of the Phenomenon he couldn''t help but think, ''Old man it seems that you were right. Today is a good day ///Vincent Perspective/// After I shocked everyone with my Dual Elements, I was led by instructor Zeph along the same path as those I guess were successful enrollers. The instructor walked in front of me and led me, I could see that he was in deep thoughts apparently, but truly I didn''t care that much. We walked through the path that was covered and seemed like a tunnel until we finally approached the Light, exiting the tunnel I was met with a sight that I knew I would never forget because there it was [Aemplefort School for The Gifted] in all of its glory, the word Beautiful alone couldn''t describe the sight before me. I guess it''s only through the mixture of that word with various other words that could I moderately describe the Beauty before me. From the outside, the school was similar to a Lavish Mansion mixed with a palace which made me suspicious because if this was the school then what was the building I encountered when I walked in but whatever, that building was it couldn''t compare to this. It was built with white stones, cloud bone, elfin brass, and so many others I couldn''t make out. Tall, Large windows let in a lot of light and were added to the school symmetrically. Around the school, I could notice high Ether Gathering to the point I could have sworn it seemed visible. Getting lost in the scene before me, I almost didn''t notice Instructor Zeph move ahead of me and into the school, which I followed promptly after. We passed through evenly spaced doors, I always wondered how this school had a lot of students without reaching full capacity. Then Instructor Zeph stopped at a door, he opened and walked in and I followed after. The Door led to a classroom but not one of normal proportion neither was it one that contained the space available. It was a classroom the size of a hall, it had gone beyond the space available, looking at this spectacle I could only think one thing. ''Space Magic'' Now it all made sense. With space magic they did not need high elimination of students, they could accommodate most of them but alas Elimination was still necessary. After all, No one could make unlimited space they could only expand it and from my guess expanding it takes a lot of ether coupled with a Treasure. ''''This would be your classroom for now'''' instructor Zeph said I glanced through the room and noticed there were no classmates seated, I guess Instructor Zeph could notice my curiosity, ''''There are no students here because all classes are off due to our wish to make enrollers comfortable with the environment'''' ''Oh, I see'' Thereafter Instructor walked towards the door with me following behind. We walked through the halls; Instructor Zeph led me to the Facilities within the school. The Library that I dare say was at least 1/5 that of the [Eidetic Library of Knowing] and unlike my Library, this was filled with a plethora of books. After that was the other Ranks classrooms. Then the resting caf¨¦. And lastly the dorm room. On the way to my dorm room, I noticed a door that we hadn''t entered and I called it to instructor Zeph''s attention. ''''Oh, that door¡­. Don''t worry about it, you would still what''s inside soon'''' he answered mysteriously Finally, we reached the S-Rank Dorm rooms and I was led to my room. The room was lavish in the least, perfectly polished Elvin wooden cupboards, bedsides, etc. Decently large room, One king-sized bed. ''*sigh* this is more of a 5-star hotel than a dorm room'' ''''This ends the tour, there would be no classes for a week because of the new students so lessons shall start next week Tuesday. Safe dreams...¡­ I expect a lot from you'''' Instructor Zeph exited the room leaving Vincent to his thoughts. ''Tch, just entering and I am already being scouted by a faction...¡­. Either way. I also expect a lot from you as well'' //// What do you mean by your finger is somehow reaching for that PS button Resist, ''Do not resist'' Resist, ''Do not resist'' Resist, ''Do not resist'' DO NOT RESIST!!! //// Chapter 35 - No [S-Rank] Instructors Available, Youll Move Into [A-A] Rank ////1 Hour Later//// Vincent had left his dorm room and was currently walking through the school hallway; he wore the school''s provided uniform which held a property that helped signify his class. Each Class Rank had the same uniform but, on their uniforms, there was a special identification item that was used to identify the class rank the individual belonged to. The item was either a cufflink or an Embroidery on the shirt chest pocket. The cufflink would be in the shape of the class rank same for the embroidery, Hence, when Vincent passed students, he noticed different letters, from [Rank C-A] to [Rank A-A]. Although Vincent also noticed something else. ''They are already forming clinks'' The students have already started forming groups of Ranks similar to those ''It''s only a matter of time before social standings and hierarchy come into place'' Vincent thought in slight disdain ''Wait a minute, since I am S-Rank doesn''t that mean I am at the highest level of hierarchy.'' Vincent while in his thoughts almost failed to notice a person coming to bump into him but he managed to avoid swiftly and continue to walk without giving a glance to the one who had almost bumped into him. The person on the other hand fell to the ground after Vincent had dodged him and thereafter got up and approached his friends that had pushed him and tried to get his revenge even though it didn''t work out. [AN: Did you think this was a common superiority complex young master clich¨¦ but it was I.....] Vincent entered into his [S-Rank] Classroom on the third floor and was again dazzled by the use of space Albert it was only at a mild level. He noticed no teacher in yet and hence took the chance to explore the classroom. The classroom as said before was wider than the space allocated to it reaching that of a hall that could contain 50 chairs and tables spread apart to a great extent. Each chair and table were made through Eulogeo''s Crossbreed Oak-Mahogany wood which helps in [Ether Purification], This was made known to Vincent after he had used [Status] on the table and chairs, staying in the room Vincent could sense the high purity ether surrounding him. After evaluating the classroom, Vincent took a seat Oak-Mahogany''s wooden chair and was shocked that the chair felt as fluffy as a foam chair even though it was wood, the foamy feeling from the wooden chair felt surreal to Vincent. His shock was called for, after using [Status] he found out that Oak-Mahogany wood is a rare hardwood too hard for carpentry is treated in a secret Elvin family way making it as soft as foam. As he was getting comfortable in his seat, Vincent could sense a set of footsteps approaching the classroom, a moment after the classroom door was opened and a Middle-Aged man walked in, he was slender in stature and had short red spiky untamed hair he also donned a set of glass. The man entered and easily spotted Vincent''s position on one of the 3 column seats as he was the only one in the class. ''''Vincent Gate?'''' he inquired Vincent stood up in response, ''''Yes sir'''' ''''Good'''' he breathed out a sigh of relief, ''''Follow me'''' ''''Yes Sir'''' The man walked out with Vincent following after him, the hallway was empty as everyone was already in their first class. Vincent looked at the man in front of him for a while and asked the system for [Status] on him. [Name: Pryde Maahes Race: Lion Migas Innate: [My Silent Pryde (23/50)], [Orange Flames of Pryde (63/100)], [Fire Manipulation (63/100)] Skills: [My Fury Your Demise], [Oni Defense], [Muscle Suppression], [Muscle Release], [Flame Augment], [Killer Intent], [Lion Augmentation], [Predators Hunt Ground], Description: Pryde Maahes, A flaming man of justice if only he wasn''t so indifferent. Born to the Maahes family, His family members are born inclined to strength and Flames at the cost of lesser resistance to water-based techniques than normal Migas but the ancestors of the Maahes Family managed to solve it slightly by the use of [Water Tempering Technique] from Birth hence increasing their generations resistance but they are still weakened by water-based attacks but to a lesser degree. Hence this secret is tightly kept within the family making it only known to no one by the highest of the highest. Pryde Maahes has a decent talent earning him the position of assistant Instructor at the young age of 17 now he is a full alleged instructor at the age of 28. It''s recommended to use strong water techniques against Note: It''s speculated that the later generations may be able to become completely immune to water-resistant attacls] ''He''s Pretty Strong with an equally strong weakness'' Vincent thought while staring at the man in front of him with slight pity Instructor Pryde on the other hand felt the glancing pity eyes that Vincent sent him but he brushed it off, after all, why would somehow, he just met be pitying moreover a student Instructor Pryde led Vincent to the sixth floor, the floor two levels above his. On this floor there was only one door, the door looked ordinary but Vincent''s ringing instincts told otherwise, trusting his instincts Vincent secretly tensed his movements. The slightest show of killing intent and he''s already halfway somewhere with the help of [Portal Maker]. It was a dangerous plan, [Portal Maker] has a low proficiency lower than the rest of his skills but using this and getting possibly transported into a gathering area of Dark Beast against certain death he may face by whatever was in there Possibility against Certainty'''' He chose possibility. Vincent walked in after Instructor Pryde; he came upon an average-looking old man sitting behind an Oak-Maho wooden table. The old man eyes were closed signifying that he was in a state of rest hence Vincent decided to keep quiet and at snail pace draw his Ether for instant use of [Portal Maker] ''''The S-Rank Instructors are currently out on an Expedition by the Royal Palace, Because of that there are no Instructors for the S-Rank class for now." "So you''ll be transported into the best of [A-A] class and as compensation, you are allowed to either choose one skill or one high-grade weapon of your choice'''' Before Vincent could voice out anything the man behind the desk had already dismissed him ''''You can go'''' Vincent bowed in response. ''''Thank you, sir,'''' Vincent left promptly afterward leaving Instructor Pryde with the Average looking old man. Instructor Pryde looked at the old man in front of him with a confused expression while the old man ignored the looks and continued to enjoy a relaxing afternoon ''What are you thinking off Old man Principal'' Chapter 36 - The Story Of [The Lightning Fruit And The Lightning Giant] After Vincent left the principal''s office, he headed back to his room for a good nap, His would start the next day. During his nap, He ended up back into the [Eidetic Library of Knowing], Though a little annoyed by this he headed into the library. Recently he found out that anytime he attempted to sleep he would find himself back here with a choice to either enter the [Eidetic Library of Knowing] or dive into sleep. This although doesn''t happen when he''s too fatigued In the [Eidetic Library of Knowing], Vincent began to read up on the life [Planar Giant of Lightning] which was strangely titled [The Lightning Fruit and The Lightning Giant]. Like the [Fire Planar Giant], he is from a clan that is innately adapt to the lightning element, and like the fire planar giant, he also had a fruitful encounter during one of his strolls. Unlike the fire planar giant, the [Lightning Planar Giant] didn''t encounter an elemental sacred ground as Vincent called it, instead, he chanced upon a strange fruit on a strange tree. The moment he set his eyes on the tree bearing fruit, the tree flashed away with a strike of lightning that sent most in its vicinity flying away such as the planar giant. After recovering easily from the lightning strike and using the lightning element as temperament, the [Lightning Planar Giant] investigated the former position of the tree which was now a scorched ground, but something within the scorched ground caught the [Lightning Planar Giant] attention. The fruit was left behind by the strange tree that flashed away in a hurry. The fruit was bright yellow, the fruit radiated sparks of electricity around itself, erratic patterns were worn on the skin of the fruit. The [Lightning Planar Giant] in its curiosity tried to succumb to the fruit but he didn''t expect that the moment he thought so the fruit in its hands would react violently and attack him. Again, recovering and using the lightning energy for its benefit, the [Lightning Planar Giant] approached the fruit and reached out to take it, this time he didn''t need to think about it before the fruit sent him flying with enough voltage to kill 50 Men in one shot. After recovering and using the lightning energy to temper himself, the [Lightning Planar Giant] noticed something. After getting a little stronger and trying again the lightning effects got stronger, hence he made education. The lightning reflex from the fruit was a test. This thought made his mouth drool in delight, after all, r rewards always come after tests. Hence the lightning planar giant resolved within himself intending to grow stronger and eat the mysterious fruit. The lightning planar placed several protections around the fruit, making sure they work. He continued to use his time to build the protection until it was late and decided to return home. The next day he came back stronger from his family''s training and again tried to eat again and as expected the fruit retaliated and won again. This continued for several years, approximately until he reached adulthood and returned from a civil war within the major clan''s rank. He approached the lightning fruit and again tried to consume it, the lightning fruit rejected valiantly but unlike the previous time, this time the fruit couldn''t win. The [Lightning Planar Giant] had grown significantly stronger with the help of all the lightning energy that the fruit used to attack him, later on, he found out the lightning energy was of high purity which was of great proportions beneficial to him The fruit tried all to resist but was unable to and hence ended up within the belly of the [Lightning Planar Giant]. Even within the stomach of the giant, the fruit tried its all to escape going as far as trying to destroy him from the inside. Alas, it wasn''t able to succeed before it was digested by the [Lightning Planar Giant]. After digestion Pure Lightning Energy flooded the innings of the planar giant. The energy stimulated his bloodline to a high extent and brought out a greater strength from within. After successfully eating the lightning fruit after many years, the [Lightning Planar Giant] giant ran into battle again to try out his new moves. After the War rather a medium-scaled skirmish. The lightning planar giants'' family and clan approached him and granted him the position of vice leader of the entire clan due to his merits in the war. Hence the End of [The Lightning Fruit and The Giant.] ///Somewhere in North Migas/// ''''My Lord'''' ''''Have you heard'''' ''''Yes, I have'''' ''''A new S-Rank'''' ''''We must Obtain him'''' Numerous whispers like this continued to resound in a large meeting all, where about 50 men stood before a throne. The whispers stooped the instant they heard a footstep approach the throne; one they were all too familiar with. A man walked out the left side of the room and sat comfortably on the throne. Due to the darkness of the room, the man couldn''t be seen but his aura could be felt it was one of a king rather a Tyrant. An erring silence was what remained in the room as opposed to the former murmuring. The man then spoke. ''''What is this about a new S-Rank I hear'''' ''''My Lord'''' a Migas that carried huge horns walked out ''''It has been reported by our spies that new Rank-S of the unknown name has appeared in the [Aemplefort School for The Gifted] in [South of Migas: Aemplefort] '''' [South of Migas] huh'''' ''''What is the Rank S name.'''' ''''Ugck'''', the man choked a little, ''''Sorry my lord but the school covered it well, hence we do not know the person''s name'''' ''''I see'''' ''Have our spies locate the Ranks S, we shall bring him to our side at all costs and if we can''t...we end him before the others attempt to recruit him!'''' ''''Am I Clear'''' ''''Yes, My Lordship'''' They all kneeled ///// PS, Pwease //// Chapter 37 - The Known History Of The Realms ///The Next Day/// Vincent walked towards Rank [A-A] Class, Along the way he rethought his plan and wondered whether his change of class had any real effect on his plan, he concluded that it didn''t. After all, even though he''s in Rank [A-A] Class for a reason that Vincent''s instincts didn''t believe, He''s still a Rank S, so the plan has no change. The plan exactly? To extort all the school has to offer. Important things need to be said twice. In detail, Vincent planned the gain all the school has, A few days back Vincent came up with the plan to enter a high rank by not hiding all of his abilities. Hence, giving himself the privilege to access things that he wouldn''t be able to if he surprised himself Of course, there was the option of surprising himself and building up reputation and ranking to eventually access such things. But looking at his main reason for coming to the school, Vincent felt that it would lengthen the time by a great distance. After all once he has retrieved the Treasure of Elohim, [The 7 Ringed Paths Of Healing]. His business would be finished and he would leave [Aemplefort] and journey on. His destiny was too big to be contained in such a small place. Vincent''s first step to acquiring gains is to hit the library, with his position he was sure that it was sufficient enough to acquire high-level knowledge. With his first step to completion formed, Vincent entered into Rank [A-A] Classroom. The students in the class and also the female Instructor turned to him that had just opened the door. The female Instructor scanned Vincent for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. The woman promptly approached Vincent and asked, "Are you Vincent Gate?" Students began to murmur when they heard his name from their Instructor. It was to be expected after the stunt he pulled off on the enrollment. Dual Affinities both highly offensive and at a high level. The Only [S-Rank] enrolled this Year. He had already become the school''s sensation Vincent was momentarily stunned by the woman''s swiftness, although he gained his composure and replied, "Yes I am" The woman nodded in thought before she gestured for him to follow her to the front of the classroom. Standing before the class, Vincent was a little nervous, especially with the strange gazes they gave him The woman then asked Vincent to then introduce himself before the class Although Vincent was unhappy about it, he still obliged and faced the class again to speak "My name is Vincent Gate, A lion Mig¨¢s. My parents are abridged from the Main family hence I do not bear the family name. I hope we get along" The teacher nodded in acknowledgment at Vincent''s introduction, she then turned to the students, "Does anyone have questions for our new student Vincent" Many students raised their hands in reply. The teacher randomly picked a person from the group, "You, Mr. Unk" "Are you truly an [S-Rank]" "I guess I am, at least that''s what my badge says" Vincent smiled in response. The teacher moved on to another student "You, Mr. Tai" "Why are you in our class, Are you supposed to be here?" The teacher answered the students instead, "Mr. Vincent has been sent here due to the [S-Rank] Instructors were lent to the royals for a mission" The student nodded in response. The Instructor focused on the whole again, "We shall stop our chatter, I do not intend to use all of our periods for this" The remaining students reluctantly kept their hands down, though they would still ask their questions after the Instructor leaves. After the class quietened down, the female instructor approached Vincent. "Mr. Vincent, I am your Homeroom Instructor, [Vinda Flakkar], But you''ll call me Instructor Vinda or just Instructor" Vincent used [Status] on [Vinda Flakkar] [Name: Vinda Flakkar Race: Raven Faunus Innate: [Darkness Affinity], [Spatial Sense] Ability: [Ether Manipulation], [Impeccable Ether Sense], [Ether Burst], [Flight]. Description: Vinda Flakkar, A Mig¨¢s born from a non-influential clan under a major powerhouse. Her talent for darkness is one of the highest in the south, Alas she''s was incapable of going any further for numerous years hence she gave up on it and focused on her second innate, [Spatial Sense]. But, Alas her destiny and soul don''t revolve around her Spatial affinity rather her darkness. If she had focused on her darkness affinity her Spatial Affinity would have risen along with it] ''''Yes Instructor", Vinda nodded in response Instructor Vinda smiled in response and led him to his seat which was one of the last seats at the end of the middle row. After which she returned to her stand and began her lectures "Good morning Students, I am your teacher for today, most of you already know me as I taught you yesterday but out of formality for our new student I have to reintroduce myself" "My name is [Vinda Flakkar] but you''ll call me by Instructor or Instructor Vinda. I am hired to teach you History and Economy, also I''m your counselor for anything about the school." "Now that this is out of our way, let''s get serious" Instructor Vinda turned to the green board behind her and began to write. "Yesterday we had no real class because I used the period to familiarize yourself" "Today is the second day so we''ll be moving into topics now" "Today I''ll be teaching you the most basic history our school has to offer" She then wrote on the board in big capital letters, "The Realms" The topic immediately caught Vincent''s attention, Although he had read enough from the libraries, these people were experts. surely they have more knowledge than the library books. Maybe they knew something that he didn''t "In this Universe, Through combined effort, we have found out that there are 4 Realms and 3 Theoretical realms" "Out of those 3 Theoretical Realms, 2 have been sighted but it''s still being researched while the last is truly Theoretical with no proof whatsoever" Certainly, his teacher didn''t fail to meet his expectations. Vincent couldn''t help but chuckle silently. ''This is Certainly Interesting'' Chapter 38 - The Theoretical Realms "let''s go a little bit In-depth" "In our Universe, as the Earthland identifies it, There are 4 worlds Rather 4 realms." "You may be wondering, why do we use the term realm. Well that is because the area around each realm operate on a different [Law] than the other" "A vivid example is that different realms have different energy pools" "Hence we use the term [Realms] instead of the term [Worlds]" "Ok back to the topic, Four realms separated by a large distance of space rotate slowly in this universe as Earthland names it. The Four Realms are;" "Earthland" "Mig¨¢s" "Eulogeo" "And Deus" "I''m sure you all know the details and I don''t have to go In-depth but I will just skim through it for formality''s sake" "Firstly, Earthland. Earthland is the first realm on the [Realmular Arrangement] which is the arrangement of the realms." "Earthland consists of numerous races but the top race in Earthland in the Predator Scale is the Humans" "Secondly, Mig¨¢s. Mig¨¢s is a realm after Earthland on the [Realmular Arrangement]. Mig¨¢s was once called a War Realm because our realm was first used as a war ground. The top race in Mig¨¢s is¡­..well Mig¨¢s" "Thirdly Eulogeo, Eulogeo is the third realm on the [Realmular Arrangement] after Mig¨¢s." "Eulogeo is a realm filled with plenty and harvest mainly due to Earthland help and the abundance Ether in the atmosphere." "Eulogeo consists of so many intelligent species of great power that is named by humans as Fantasy Beasts." "Lastly, Deus. Deus is the fourth realm and is commonly known by another name, The realm of the gods because only gods reside in that realm." "Now how do we travel to another realm across such a long distance of spaces" "We use the help of a space-traveling artifact of unknown origins. This artifact is [Yggdrasil], [Yggdrasil] is a great artifact with capabilities of traveling long distance of space in seconds" "Now let''s go into the Interesting section" "The [Theoretical Realms] as researchers dub them" "They are Theoretical in the sense that we haven''t been able to fully determine their existence" "The first theoretical realm was spotted in 044, location Earthland. In the 2020 Earthland Calendar, There was an outbreak of a pandemic in the fifth month.$ "This pandemic was caused by unknown reasons but when it arrived in Earthland it took over 20% of their population." "Numerous scientists tried to decipher the cause of the pandemic and therefore try to concoct a cure for it." "But no matter what was tried it proved ineffective even Mana didn''t erect a change from the disease." "When all hope was lost, The pandemic mysteriously disappeared even the samples collected by scientists were all lost." "Here comes the interesting path, After the pandemic disappeared those that were once infected were healed no matter how close to death they were." ''But when they all came back they all began to say the same thing" "I was in a realm of souls" "This drew the attention of scientists, researchers, A world full of souls exists." "But why can''t we access it? [Yggdrasil] doesn''t access anything apart from the 4 Realms, This event drew the attention of even Deus. "Until the most plausible theory was developed. Only the dead can access that plane" "Hence the Realm is still in a Theoretical phase even though numerous people confirm its existence, there is still a need for visible evidence." "But that realm was named [Soul land] which later changed to [Underworld]" "Now the second Theoretical Realm" "This realm has no witness nor huge evidence, it''s more of a scientific speculation." "Earthland scientists once tried to figure out how [Yggdrasil] teleports through space into other realms." "The first speculation was brought up in 019, They speculated that Yggdrasil folds space and punches a hole through it." "But then it was abandoned because Yggdrasil doesn''t just travel through space. It travels into another sector with different rules from the first sector." "In 024, Another speculation was introduced. Earthland scientists speculated that Yggdrasil has a link from one realm to another. Hence it doesn''t need to fold space." "This speculation was well introduced and accepted since it seemed very plausible." "Then in 030, A witness arose. [Invad Klin], a man with the innate ability of [Sense] traveled through Yggdrasil from Earthland to Mig¨¢s." "During his travel, he saw that he was first transported into a plane that contained only a Tree, A huge tree with numerous vines." "The scene happened so fast that it seemed like a hallucination to him. Until he traveled back from Mig¨¢s and noticed the same thing." "When he approached the Earthland scientist of his discovery, they made a final speculation" "Yggdrasil is connected to a central network of numerous links or branches and each realm is connected to Yggdrasil even the unproved [Underworld]" "Now Yggdrasil is no longer viewed as an artifact but more of a realm on its own, But alas it''s still not proven that [Yggdrasil] is a realm on its own so it''s classified as Theoretical" "Now onto the last Theoretical Realm. This Realm isn''t even meant to be mentioned according to scientific principles since there''s no evidence nor witness." "This Theoretical Realm is dubbed Heaven/Hell. Originally they should represent two different realms but we put them together since they both have no witness nor evidence." "The reason that this realm is added into the category was due to the reasoning that if there is truly a [Underworld], There should a place where the souls go or rather return to" *Ring Ring* The bells ringing resounded through the building signifying the end of the lessons. Instructor Vinda let out a sigh, "This hereby concludes the lesson" "Next Class, We''ll be talking about Laws of Different Realms" Instructor Vinda then left the classroom. Almost immediately, The students around flooded Vincent''s desks and began asking him various questions "What''s your Innate" "How strong is your Innate" "Can you show us your Innate Please" Vincent couldn''t help but let out a wry smile in response to their questions. Away from the students in the last row of the classroom, a boy looked at the scene with envy in his heart. /////// Chapter 39 - [Taudar Maeth Mammoth], An Enemy She Unknowingly Created ///???/// "IF YOU WANT TO COURT HER, BE THE TOP IN AEMPLEFORT IF NOT FORGET ABOUT IT!!!" "Wait, Mi~" *Slam* The loud sound stunned me momentarily "Sigh, How many times has this been" "Sometimes I don''t even know why I try so much" ''Right, every time I try to give up I remember that time'' ''Yes that time'' ''The day I met her.'' ///Flashback//// It was during Winter. The cold war at its peak, snow forming together in the shape of pillars. I roamed around the streets after another episode with my parents. They want me to be the best not for me but them. Born with a strong innate that is all they want from me, but..... without my innate... ''Sigh, I''m glad I''m talented'' I approached the rim of an area of thin ice, The warning sign stood bold before me. WARNING, THIN ICE DANGER OF BREAKING, It read. Sigh. I turned around and decided to pass another route but then I heard the faint sound of something grinding slightly. At first, I thought I was just mistaking it but then I heard it again, this time a bit louder. My curiosity was tickled so I decided to investigate after all breaking ice doesn''t affect me. I walked into the warning zone and followed by hearing the grinding sound. I walked a not great distance from the rim before I encountered the cause of the grinding. A Fairy The first that arose was the word Fairy, which was the only thing that could describe this beauty. I encountered a Fairy but what about the grinding, it was caused by this fairy too. She was skating. ''Skating on such thin ice, it''s too dangerous'' I approached the fairy, she ignored my presence like a didn''t exist she just skied around me, ''Oh her Eyes are closed'' She continued to skate ignoring all around her, After a while of watching her elegantly skating for 10 Minutes I decided to approach her. This time I wasn''t ignored, she stopped her skating and stares at me ''It''s Your Time" "You must live while you are alive "It''s your life" After that, the Fairy skated away leaving me in my deepest thoughts, When I snapped out of It and noticed her gone. I immediately chased after her but I couldn''t find her. ''Stupid, stupid, stupid, I cursed myself repeatedly, she had sparked something within me. ''Live while you''re alive. ''I don''t think that''s possible for me'' ''But I must see her again ///The Next Day/// These useless servants knelt before me, All 30 of them sent to find that lady for me but they are all useless. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY YOU CANT FIND HER" "My Lord" "[Taudar]" Father and mother entered and all the servants greeted him "What is this all about" "You can''t mobilize all our servants to find a lady that seemed is a hallucination" "GO BACK TO YOUR TRAINING ROOM" Truthfully I didn''t care about anything he said, After all this isn''t the first time and it surely won''t be the last. "Tch, I''ll check the ice rim again," I said while walking out in him "You~, Tch" "Leave him alone Darling, Let him do what he wants to do" "Tch, So unfilial" I checked the ice rim again, this time quarter past the time I first her, Alas I found no trace The next day was a repeat and the next and the next until In a stroke of fortunate luck found her again. The same place, the same time, the same scene with a little change which was a blizzard. I approached her again and this time I''m curious about her. "Hello." This time she didn''t ignore me and answered back, "Um Hello" The blizzard cleared up at this moment and I could see her clearly, Her beauty seemed Ethereal blessed by the blizzard. Long black flowing hair, I could notice purple strands entangled with the black. Her eyes were also purple but they shimmered, but somehow her eyes brought cold and warmth to me at the same time. Her beauty stunned me and I stuttered on my words, "U-u-u, Yeah I saw the warning sign, and I couldn''t help but wonder. Uhm what are you doing here, you could get in trouble" I could tell she was stunned because she blinked in surprise, "u- I didn''t know, I can leave. Could you not report I wasn''t aware" "Uh, ok sure, My name is [Taudar Maeth], and if it''s not too much can I take you out for lunch if you''re not too busy" For a moment I swear I saw her frown which sent shivers down my spine but then she smiled again and agreed. After we had a great time, we were sure we''d meet again. Elsewhere "Tch, All these men are the same". The same girl that had just talked to [Taudar Maeth], walked away from him while he just stood there seemingly talking to something that didn''t exist. "I hope he doesn''t bother me after this" "[Status]" [Name: Ama J. Ivory Race: 10-Tails Of True Illusions Innate: [Sun Augment], [My Illusions Are Your Reality], [Nature''s Child], [The Earth Listens To Me] Ability: [Ether Manipulation], [Ether Burst], [Sun''s Fire], [Earth Manipulation] "Tch, [System] close it" [Yes] "System what about the title" [There''s nothing I can do about it] She glanced at the blue screen one more time especially at the subsection [Title: [I Am Between The Sun And The Earth], [The S*cc#$*?r "#@$*#] "Tch" She looked back at [Taudar] and then walked away, "A madman, can''t even differentiate reality from illusion". She didn''t expect that he would continue to encounter her and he won''t ever suspect that for 2 years he dated an Illusion and then asked her to marry him. To discourage him she used another illusion hoping it would work but she unknowingly made an enemy for someone who should be very important to her in the future ///In Heaven/// Azazel was in Heaven''s core again, He began to look through to the words on a glowing orb in front of him The more he looked the more ashen his face became "Oh this seems... troublesome" /// Drop a PS or a Comment One More Thing. Paywall....Has Begun Chapters from 40 and on will now be pay-to-unlock/read. Have Fun Reading. Hope you don''t drop the novel before the......competition. /// Chapter 40 - [Dark Beasts] And [Forsaken Ones] ///The Next Day/// Vincent entered the Rank [A-A] Class 5 minutes before the classes began, he sat in the empty classroom and began to mull over some unimportant things. ''Yesterday''s classes ended pretty early'' ''I should check out the school''s library later'' ''I half expected that [Ama] girl to have approached me'' he let out a sigh, ''Well there''s nothing I can do about that now, there are more important things to do.'' As time passed on students began to fill the empty classroom until all the seats were filled. Then a charming unknown figure entered the classroom and stood before the class She greeted the students gently which they responded, "Good morning class" "My Name is [Selussa] and I am one of your Instructors for the [Dark Beast Class]" Her voice brought serenity to all who listened. To Vincent, it was a breath of natural forest air, her presence that is. Then he noticed something peculiar about [Instructor Selussa], Her eyes, in particular, seemed pointier than normal eyes. It was actually ''Elf Ears, Woah. She''s an Elf'' Vincent was not the only person surprised the other students too were in Vincent''s position. After all, seeing people from [Eulogeo] visiting other realms is very rare, especially [Elf''s] as they don''t like crossing over to other realms since it ''Cuts their connection to their own realm'' Another thing that surprised him is the course she''s teaching because of her race, it''s a little weird for her to be in anything related to dark beasts [Elfs] are a fantastic species. Their race is naturally Imbued with sharp and intelligent thinking, not only that they are very blessed by their realm and they have a deep connection to the forests of their realms and others. There''s even a saying that catching an elf in a forest is so difficult that it''s better to just burn the entire forest and even then you may not even find them. Though because of their deep connection to their realms and other realms they have a natural distaste to [Dark Beasts] going to the point of genetics and mortal enemies. There''s even another saying that no matter how gentle an elf is a moment a [Dark Beast] is involved they''ll turn into a predator demon. Now that he thought about it, it''s not so weird to know some crucial things about your mortal enemy. [Instructor Selussa] let out a small smile at her students'' surprise looks but she didn''t comment on them, "As I said I am one of your Instructors for the [Dark Beast Class].". "I deal with the theoretical, research and biological aspect and there''s is my colleague who deals with the practical aspect of the class" "Are there any questions" "....." No one raised hands "Then I''ll go on, For today''s class we''ll talk about the basics of [Dark Beasts]." "Now there are two types of dark beasts, First the [Dark/ Nightmare Beasts] and the second is the [Forsaken Ones/Corrupted Ones] "Now for details, we''ll start with the [Dark/Nightmare Beasts], [Dark Beasts] are formed from living organism DNA and root being corrupted by a dark energy of unknown properties that are still in research, although we have given it a nickname which is [Doomsday Energy]" "Where the energy came from we don''t know, we also don''t know how it''s corruption works, but there is one thing that is known and that is the extent of damage they had caused" "Due to the emergence of dark beasts more than 40% of Greenery, Landscapes, and water habitats are lost to them all across the three realms together" the students gasped in surprise "Now back onto the first type of [Dark Beasts]" "[Nightmare Beasts] are animals/plant lives that had their core tampered/corrupted by the [Doomsday Energy]" "Though something should be noted, just because their core has been tampered that doesn''t mean they lose their original Instincts" "Hence, some [Dark beast ]can breed, defined territories and even have offspring" Some students gasped at this revelation "I know, it''s very creepy and weird. Scientist still can''t identify why they don''t lose their original instincts" "Anyway [Dark Beasts] can also form packs and groups going as far as to create communities and that''s why we have expeditions to hunt them, If we let them be they may begin to overrun cities" "Now there are classifications of [Dark Beasts]. one under the Invertebrate family and the other under the vertebrate family." "I only go In-depth on them because of our time so I''ll only list those under the vertebrate family" "Under the vertebrate family the, classifications are" "Pisces, Fish adapted Dark Beasts" "Ares, Bird Adapted Dark Beasts" "Reptilia, Reptile adapted Dark Beast''s" "Arachnida, Spider Adapted Dark Beast" "And, Mammalia, Mammals adapted Dark Beasts" "There is also the unknowns and the fusions, but let''s not go too in-depth" "Now onto the second part of the class" "[The Forsaken Ones/Corrupted Ones], This type of [Dark Beast] is very tricky. This is a set of beasts that were human or Mig¨¢s or Eulogeon but they were corrupted by the [Doomsday Energy] and I know what you are thinking" "''How does someone get corrupted''..., it''s quite easy." "[Doomsday Energy] is negative in nature and it''s attracted to another negative, hence the higher a person''s negativity the higher the chance the person becomes a [Forsaken One]" A student then raised his hand which [Instructor Selussa] saw and immediately told him to ask his question. "Is it that easy, I mean the negativity and all? Just be negative and boom dark beast transformation" the student said. Instructor Selussa let out a small chuckle at the question and then answered, "Oh no no no, I mean yes Negativity attracts the [Doomsday Energy]." "But it takes time before a person is corrupted and in the first place the level of negativity needed is around the same amount of a Negativity of a blood newborn sacrifice." "Now the dangers of a [Forsaken One], One they are very unpredictable too unpredictable, take note of this. No [Forsaken One] is the same." "Next [Forsaken Ones] still retain their innate abilities." "Hence, a [Forsaken] can throw fireballs at you during the battle but in return for the capability of using their innate even with the corruption, [Forsaken Ones] like [Dark Beast] run directly on instincts and hence they are not too.....smart" RING RING RING The bell rings resounded through the classrooms. "Oof, it seems like our time is up, please do take time to review all I''ve said." "Also is there a [Vincent Gate] here," she said while looking around Vincent was confused why his new instructor is calling him out but he responded, "Yes ma" [Instructor Selussa] locked eyes on Vincent for a moment too long before she addressed him, "Please come to my office during your break" "Uhh, Yes ma," he said a little reluctant "Good" ''tch, what''s this all about. Now I can''t go to the library for today'' ///[Rank [A-B] Class]/// After Hours of deliberation, Ama had decided. ''it''s settled during the next vacation, I''ll have to take him out. I can''t let my secret be exposed'' /// ........ Do I have to knock in each of your houses before I get a ps. ........ /// Chapter 41 - [Selussa The Forest Witch Of Elv] Vincent was two steps behind [Instructor Selussa] as she led him to her office. Although Vincent was confused why his Instructor had called him. He showed no rebel to the command. They reached [Instructor Selussa]''s Office room, and she opened it then walked in with Vincent following behind. He was welcomed by the amazing but foreign natural calming atmosphere. [Instructor Selussa] room was too appealing to the eyes, Plotted plants of unknown species were placed on the left windows step that provided lighting to the room. The room''s architecture was made to replicate the forest and the sky with the use of warm colors in a stylized design. [Instructor Selussa] took her position on the seat behind the thick office table and gestured for Vincent to take the seat before the table which he complied to. There was a moment of staple silence between the two, to this Vincent was cool and mostly impassive showing no expression. He discreetly observed [Instructor Selussa]''s appearance. [Selussa] is a beautiful lady, one that cities and countries would fight over, her kind of beauty was too tempting to all, Luscious curves like a seductress. White perfectly groomed hair hangs over a fresh, unblemished face. Truly a beauty ''[Status]'' [Name: Selussa Innate: [Nature''s Blessed], [Ethers Blessed], Ability: [Ether Manipulation], [Healers Aura], [Forest Aura], [Life Manipulation], [A Thousandth Deadly Natures Disaster]. Title: [The Forest Witch Of Elv], [Alchemist Of Elv] Bio: Selussa, A Powerhouse prophesized to be one from birth, [The Forest Witch Of Elv]. She has lived for so long that it''s rumored she participated in [Earthland-Eulogeo War]. It is advised to be cautious rather it''s advised to run.] ''Why is such a Powerhouse Here!!!'' A moment later, [Instructor Selussa] let out a small smile and broke the tension, "Who are you" React With the speed of a reflex, The innate skill [My Illusions Are the World''s Reality] was set on standby with the skill [The World] on backup, ready to fire at the slightest hostility in the shortest of time. But On the outside, no reaction was shown, not even the tensing of muscle could be seen. This was one of the basic things he acquired when he assimilated the [Fire Planar Giant] soul; it was then strengthened and refined when he assimilated the [Lightning Planar Giant]''s soul. [Instructor Selussa] smiled at the no response from Vincent, she looked unwavering at Vincent''s impassive eyes hiding the cold calculating ones beneath it. "Gathering Ether, You do know as an elf I am very sensitive to this" Vincent couldn''t help but react to this, his eyebrow rose in surprise, how was he supposed to know that. But as fast as it rose it returned to neutral at an even faster pace but instructor Selussa caught a bit of it. "As an [Elf] I am part of a race that is very sensitive to Ether in its being, You should know even with the below-average physical average of an [Elf] I am still strong of enough to deal with you" Oh, how wrong she was, with [The Word] she stood no chance. But Vincent showed no resistance and stopped his pull on Ether, even though [The Word] could easily defeat her but was it worth drawing the attention of the higher-ups in the school? It was not There''s still a problem with the skill [The Word]. One the massive gathering of Ether. Two, the borrowing of energy from [Yggdrasil] in massive proportions. If this doesn''t draw the attention of all the higher-ups then they must all be dead, the last time he was lucky the next time may not be so. "Good" Selussa smiled at Vincent, "Back to my First question, Who are you?" "My name is Vincent Gate, A Lion Mig¨¢s away from the Pryde" [AN: "Away from The Pryde", meaning he is not among the main branch or the side branch] "Your parents?" "Dead" "So you are an orphan" "Yes Miss Selussa" "Please call me Instructor, Miss makes me sound a few hundred years than I already am" "Yes Instructor" "....." "Good, good", Selussa stood up and walked to the potted plants on the window step, "What do you think about adoption" "I have no plans for it Instructor" "Are you sure?" "Yes Instructor Selussa" "....." "I see, You may leave now" Vincent stood up and bowed to her, "Thank you ma, I''ll take my leave now" Then he left ''What a frightening woman'' As she watched Vincent leave, Selussa thought within herself, ''Such Pure Ether, On par with a royal one sacrificed to Eulogeo'' ''Although I do not want to involve myself with Mig¨¢s needless power struggle...but if such an¡­...asset is lost won''t it be such a loss to myself.'' ''.....'' ''I must have him'' She resolved in her heart ///In Heaven/// Azazel hurriedly barged into the Heaven Hall, Uriel and his sisters were already seated there. They were stunned by Azazel''s rudeness but as they saw his sweaty state they knew that this meeting would be about something big. "We have a problem!!!" And they were right. ///In The Outskirts Of Aemplefort/// A Hooded Figure quietly sneaked through the tight security around Aemplefort, It was like a shadow moving in the night although it was morning. The shadow successfully passed through the patrolling guards with no problems and entered the Aemplefort streets. ''Tch, I didn''t expect [The Successor] would be this strong'' ''It makes me want to TEAR HIM APART!!!'' The Aura around the person flared and was hurriedly quelled ''But I can''t, No matter what I can''t alert the Angels. I would be erased before I even know what happened, especially with that darn system still active'' ''Now he''s in somewhere secure, The protective barrier is nothing for me but alerting the angels I must not'' ''Tch why am I in such an unfavorable position'' The shadow walked through the busy streets of Aemplefort as he passed he overheard something that picked his interest Two Hunters chatted with one another in a bar as they dined, ''''Ha, Money Is not easy anymore'''' "Tell me about it, The [Dark Beasts] seems to have increased in Numbers, So troublesome" "Exactly, Any Hunt I go on, one [Dark Beast] is not far from another making it impossible to attack unless one is willing to fight two dark beasts at the same time" "Tch, But we don''t have to stress ourselves too much" "Huh, Why?" "Huh, Don''t you know. [Aemplefort School For The Gifted] have an Annual Dark Beast cleaning, They''ll do all the job for us" "But aren''t they just rookies" "They are but do you think Aemplefort Instructors would leave the students on their own, Of course, they''ll escort them from the shadows" "Haaa, now I realize.", Then he bellowed a laugh, "So fortunate we just need to wait" His companion also laughed out loud, "Fortunate indeed" The men didn''t take notice of the shadow behind them that also laughing with them ''Yes.......So fortunate indeed'' He chuckled eerily Chapter 42 - Change In Destiny, New Ranks And Skill Books ///In Heaven/// Azazel hurriedly barged into the Heaven Hall, Uriel and his sisters were already seated there. They were stunned by Azazel''s rudeness but as they saw his sweaty state they knew that this meeting would be about something big. "We have a problem!!!" And they were right. /// "What do you mean by a problem?" queried Uriel "You know a problem, complication, issue, dilemma, obstacle, trouble, etc." "Seriously keep up boy"Azazel quipped full of sarcasm. "Tch" Uriel scowled, annoyed at Azazel''s sarcasm. Raphael quickly interjected before they started bickering, "Azazel, you know what we mean. What exactly is the problem?" "Right, The Problem" "So you see today, I was looking through Heaven''s core like I always do then I noticed something I hadn''t before." "Something you didn''t notice before," Gabriel said perplexed. "Yes I didn''t notice it until this day" "Okay, tell us what it is" "Jeez, Calm down would you" "Just tell us," Uriel remarked listlessly. "Okay, So today I noticed the Main Heaven System doing something it shouldn''t have the capability to do" "And what is that" Gabriel asked "....." "It is manipulating someone''s destiny to match that of the successors" The Arch Angels stiffened and a sudden coldness crept and hit at the core followed by a feeling of disorientation and sudden dizziness. ''Madness!'' they all thought in disbelief This was truly a problem One that would not be solved as easily as the ones before. ///In [Aemplefort School For The Gifted]/// Vincent stood before his long-awaited goal, The Library Door. Without wasting any more time, Vincent opens the door and walks in. Entering into the room was like entering into another realm in its entirety, The Library was stacked with Elven Mahogany Wooden bookshelves that started from the ground floor to God knows where. The Library was simply too large from where he stood. A study section had also occupied a quarter of space from the ground floor and so did the reception. As Vincent walked in, He was stopped by the receptionist behind the desk. "May I have your name and your rank", spoke the receptionist in an indifferent tone. Standing at an average height, this woman has an Indifference feeling around her. She wore glasses over dark blue eyes and has her short, light brown hair neatly styled. She wore baggy clothes that hid her figure Responding, Vincent walked to the receptionist and gave her his name, and showed his badge. "I see, Your name is Vincent Gate and you are a [S-Rank] did I get that right?" "Yes ma''am" "Okay, Since you are an [S-Rank], I''ll have to walk you through some things" "This Is the Aemplefort Library, it contains over 8 Million Books including skill books and theories" "The library is divided into 4 sections and 6 sub-sections. The 4 Sections are the [E-Rank] section, [A-Rank] section, [S-Rank] section, and the [X-Rank] section." "Furthermore we have 3 sub-sections under the [A-Rank] section, which are the [A-C Rank] subsection, [A-B Rank] subsection and the [A-A Rank] subsection" "Also, There are 3 sub-sections under the [S-Rank], which are the [S Rank] sub-section, [S-S Rank] sub-section and the [SS-S Rank] sub-section" "Excuse me" Vincent interrupted "Yes?" "Why is the [S-Rank] library divided into three when the class isn''t" "The [S-Rank Class] has always been divided into three but it''s an unspoken rule." "But to avoid competition between [S-Rank] students the classes were combined into one because quarrels on the level of [S-Rank] is something not easily subdued" "Oh! Then how do I increase my invisible rank then?" Inquired Vincent "Unlike [A-Rank] and [E-Rank] students you just need merit or acknowledgment from Instructors." "Merit can be gained through extermination of [Dark Beast] or heroic arts done on school grounds or outside, while acknowledgment can be gained by surprising your teachers with your intellect, grades and once in a while helping them" "Do all these and your rank is sure to grow, Then you''ll be given another S on the library card or blacksmith and alchemy card" "Okay, Thank you for your guidance" "Whatever, One more thing as an S-Rank you do not need to come all the way here to enter the library, In your classroom you must have noticed a door behind the teacher''s desk" "Yes I did, Why?" "That door automatically takes you to the [S-Rank] category of the library, the alchemist room, and the blacksmith''s room" "Wow!" marveled Vincent, he didn''t expect the door was a teleportation one. "Yeah, Pretty decent trick. Anyway here''s your library card, with your card you''re eligible to [S-low Rank] books and below. Please don''t lose it." Vincent bowed and reassured, "Yes ma''am!" Then he walked in. [You know, One of these days you have to stop bowing to those lesser than you] ''Shut it System, That''s one day¡­..but now I''ll bow to survive.'' [Tch] ''Tch to you too'' ''Now system tell me more about these skill books, I have an idea of what they are but still explain'' [Ok, Skill Books are exactly what you think they are, the only part you are wrong in is where the skill books come from.] [Skill Books are items commonly in form of books that grant knowledge of skills/abilities to those who crush or open it.] [Skill books can be in any form, it can be a necklace or a tie or a pendant depending on the person who made them] ''And who makes them'' [Aliens] ''....'' ''You are learning'' [Yes I am. They are made by either [Humans], [Mig¨¢s], [Eulogeon] or [Deus]. Although the most active in skill book creation is [Deus], followed by [Eulogeon] and then [Mig¨¢s]] [It can be said that this is the way [Deus] contribute to the Realms] ''Cool'' [Then there is another way to gain skill books] ''What? [The Death of a [Forsaken One]] ''Why? Do they spit it up after death like RPG games, I thought I was wrong in that aspect'' [You are wrong in that aspect and also more or less right since they do spit it out] ''System please explain'' [If a [Human], [Mig¨¢s] or [Eulogeon] who once used a skill book turns into a [Forsaken One]. Once that [Forsaken One] is killed the skill book is ejected in its original form.] [This was thought up by [Deus] to avoid the total loss of a skill book] ''What about if the person is not a [Forsaken One]'' [Then there is a chance a skill book won''t be ejected, Although if you used [Devour] then you''ll surely get the skill book] ''I See'' [Also, a word of advice. If you die then you''ll surely drop all of your skill books] ''Huh?, Why!?" [Because you''re already a monster] ''What!!!'' ///Author Here// Gimme Gift! Gimme PS! GIMME REVIEWS! Stay Explody!!! BOOOOOM. /// Chapter 43 - Monster Physique, Conviction Of He Who Drifts Away From Humanity More "What!!!" Vincent''s sudden shout shook the librarian, "What, What!. Is there any problem" Realizing his mistake, he quickly bowed to the librarian, "Sorry I was caught off guard by...¡­...the wood used for the bookshelves, I have a suspicion of what it is but can you please tell me" "Oh is that it.", She wiped a sweatdrop off her face, "no wonder you were surprised, this is Elvin cross-bred wood, even I was fascinated when I first saw the carpentry of the library" "Either way, I''ll have to give you a warning for this. This is a library please refrain from making noise" she chastised and returned to her post. "Phew, that was a close one" he sighed in relief ''Back to the topic [System], What do you mean by I am a monster.'' [I see that my choice of words has urged your concern that is a falter on my part] [The best way to describe it, is that your physique is closely similar to that of a monster now] ''Physique...¡­'' [Yes, Your physique. Due to the assimilation of the two elemental planar giant, your physique is more or less that of a monster now] ''Oh, I understand now.....but still a monster'' Although Vincent''s will is strong, being branded as a monster still shook him a little. After all, his roots are still planted within him and it may take some time before it''s finally uprooted. [I see that my choice of words still concerns you] [Look at it this way, My definition of a monster is someone that is not human.] [That is why you are classified as a monster, Your human DNA is being more and more suppressed as your other bloodlines grow stronger or increase.] ''I see...Either way monster or not, As long as it''s not adverse to my goal I''ll ignore it [Your goal is to reunite with your mother right?] ''.....'' ''In my past life, I couldn''t take care of her'' ''''But this life I''ll make sure she'' can eat the fruits of her labor surrounded by every comfort the world has to offer.'' he thought with absolute conviction ''I will do anything to achieve that. I''ll stand above them all if I have to, Slaughter all who gets in my if I have to. I''ll transverse the infinite planes and rule over all if I have to'' ''Just to embrace my mother again'' He swore all this deep within his heart, unwavering nor doubting. He was a man with a goal and he will make sure he fulfills it. The librarian watched Vincent sit down and pick a book to read and then suddenly drop it and squeeze his hands and face in all seriousness. She couldn''t help but think to herself. ''What a weirdo'' After keeping his goal to heart, Vincent finally could focus on what he came here to do. Read Books!. Vincent strolled the section closest to him being the [E-Rank] and the [A-C Rank]. He had already decided that if the library was divided into sections, he would start from the lowest and work his way up. He then picked random books from the [E-Rank] and set them on his reading table, ''Alright, Let''s read!'' ////5 Hours Later//// Vincent spent several hours in the library until he became noon and he had to leave. After all, reading too much was detrimental to health so the librarian sent him out when she noticed that he had no intention of doing so, he even resisted a little. But there was a perfect reason why Vincent had done so. Halfway through reading his first book, Vincent realized something that almost caused him to beat himself up. He had the [Eidetic Library Of Knowing], he didn''t need to read through he could just skim through. According to his mother, even if it is a flash it will be recorded perfectly into the Library. It was extremely convenient for this situation. Hence, Vincent didn''t read anymore he just flashed through book after book, the books he had flashed through had accumulated into the ''50s. Due to his excitement, he almost didn''t notice the scrutinizing look the librarian had on her face. When he did he quickly reduced his pace to read some books and even took back some books he had previously placed aside as the ones he had read, just to fool the librarian. After a while, the librarian deemed everything normal and returned to reading her book although she would glance at him once in a while. Hence Vincent would always act normal when she glanced at him and continued as he would when she turned away, this continued for several hours until he was forced out since it was ''detrimental to his health. On the way back to his dorm, Vincent reviewed a few things. One. [E-Rank] books are nigh useless to him. The category of [E-Rank] books contained basic movements of fighting, swordplay, spear handling, etc, beginner introduction to ether, and science/art and commerce subjects. It may seem useful but it wasn''t since [A-C Rank] covered the same thing in extent and more details and as he went higher he''ll also get better information. Hence he decided to not view the [E-Rank] section again after this. Two, He won''t sleep this night since he would have to assimilate the books in the library Three, He might have to find a blindspot away from the librarian. The act he puts up to fool her is tiring for him. For this, he thought up a solution of using Illusion but he discarded it as he didn''t know whether the library had something against that, They may not but why take the risk. And number Four, He spent about 5 hours in the library and he didn''t even know the librarian''s name. He reached his dorm, walked in, and laid on the bed, ''Well that''s irrelevant I can just ask her tomorrow''. Then he went into slumber to reach the library. There he spent the entire night assimilating knowledge he had read. /////Read Authors Note//// Jai Ho guys This is a reminder of the Money Value 1. The Money Value, 100 Bronze- 1 Silver 100 Silver- 1 Gold 100 Gold- 1 Platinum. I know it''s in hundreds but I wanted a simple money system. 2. Also There is a Fusion function in the system if y''all remember but for now, it''s locked hence it''s not displayed. 3. In the beginning I said there was a dragon realm but why have we not heard of it, that mystery would be resolved in the future. Also GIMME POWER STONES ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!!!!!. Pwease ////// Chapter 44 - Encounter With [Taudar Maeth Mammoth] Thus he went into slumber to reach the library. There he spent the entire night assimilating knowledge he had read. ///The Next Day/// Instructor Selussa''s classes ended and Vincent was the first person to leave his seat, after absorbing the knowledge he had compiled in the library all he wants to do now is lay on his bed and head off to sleep. Although he didn''t make it far. Before he could leave the room Instructor Selussa called all those leaving back for a serious matter Vincent groaned quietly but regardless strolled back and settled, waiting for Instructor Selussa to leave Selussa smiled slightly at the discreet displeasure from Vincent and addressed the class "Sorry for the hold-up but I have an important announcement" "3 months from now, the school will be hosting its annual [Dark Beast] extermination event" The students digested the information and some were immediately filled with anxiety and some with fear. They thought to themselves, that they were just new students and now they might have to fight against the ferocious [Dark Beast] The instructor could sense the tense atmosphere she unknowingly rather knowingly created Selussa smiled slightly, ''still childrens'', then she looked at Vincent and was slightly startled, unlike the other student''s Vincent on the other hand couldn''t care less and be mostly indifferent and partly tired Selussa shook her head in slight mockery and thought, ''let''s see you indifferent to this'' "Of course participation in this event is completely voluntary and is not compulsory nor would it affect your overall grade" she addressed to the students. All the students let out a breath of relief. Most of them now plan to stay away from the annual extermination event. But Instructor Selussa had yet not finished "Although, if anyone enters the competition and successfully kills a [Dark Beast] then he or she would be gifted Merit Points for the new school system that would be implemented after the event." The student''s interest was piqued again. A new school system was something that scarcely happens most of the students didn''t even know the school could do such a thing, only those of noble/clan upbringing know about the last time the school changed its system. They knew that they had to take this seriously, although the pompous ones chose not to. "I cannot tell you what the merit points would be used for but I can at least tell you this... It Is better to engage in this activity or you will regret it" Selussa continued The class went silent Selussa stared at all of them with stern eyes, in face of those eyes, Vincent became slightly more serious. The pressure in the room increased the longer she stared then she suddenly snickered causing all the pressure to evaporate like air. "I''m just kidding. 3 months from now the event will begin, you''ll get more information from other instructors as well" "You are dismissed" Instructor Selussa left after dismissing the students, Vincent soon followed after but was stopped by a student. The student was a tall light-dark shade boy only a few meters short of Vincent. The boy had brown wavy hair tight in a ponytail and begets a lean face furrowed in slight displeasure, Narrow gray eyes stared disdain at Vincent. Vincent could pick up a composed, royal, and honorable aura around him but most of all a murderous one. Like dust, the student malicious intent evaporated when he walked forward to talk to Vincent He instead smiled curtly and walked towards Vincent with positivity and a tone of dominance. "Greetings fellow student Vincent" Vincent yawned while replying, "Hello student...'''' "Taudar", he interrupted, "Taudar Maeth and I''ll like to talk with you" "Then speak" Vincent replied impatiently, ''I don''t have time for this.'' he thought "I meant privately" Vincent stayed silent for a while and quietly scrutinized Taudar before deciding to follow. "Okay, lead the way" Taudar led Vincent to the cafeteria that was surprisingly now deserted. ''He seems to be a big shot.'' Vincent thought Vincent was led to random seating and was gestured to the chair which he heeded without resistance. Immediately they were served tea by two boys, they were both students. The first boy was a migas by the two horns protecting out his head. He stood at average height, had black short hair, a chiseled build, and an unblemished smooth face. On his vest pocket was the inscribed letter [A-B Rank] The second boy was also a migas born but he only had one feature differentiating him being his dull orange slitted eyes, apart from that he had no other migas feature. He had pale skin and a lean build, he looked like a person recovering from a severe sickness. Embedded on his Vest-pocket was the letter [A-C Rank] ''A servant.'' [No, A slave] ''Oh,....'' The system was a little shocked by his host''s indifference. [Is this your reply?] ''You don''t expect me to feel sympathy and try to save him, do you?'' He inquired. [Is it wrong to assume that?] ''No. But there are two reasons for my apathy.'' ''One, I am too incapable to make a difference.'' [But with The~] ''Then comes to the second reason, How does it benefit me.'' [.....] ''Yes with [The Word] I can help him but is it worth it.'' ''After all, if I use [The Word], I''ll have to remove his memory since no one can find out about it, hence he won''t remember about my deed so he won''t repay me if we ever meet again.'' ''Moreover, after I save him I''ll still have to fend off the school'' ''I thought you were smarter than this [System]''. [''Truly a reasonable soul''] The system thought to itself ''Although if I need him I''ll help but enough about that show me the [Status]'' [Understood] [Name: Claye Maeth Mammoth Innate: [Improved Dexterity] Skills: [Clawed], [Survival Instinct] Bio: Claye Maeth was born to two noble parents of the Mammoth Clan or so he thinks, Truthfully he is the illegitimate son of his father''s brother. Presently, he''s been appointed as a lackey to Taudar Maeth even though he resists it] [Name: Marlay Maeth Mammoth Innate: [Half-Mammoth Animorph] Bio: Born away from the herd, He lived peacefully with his sick parents for 7 years until they were killed by the head of the Mammoth Clan and he was sentenced to slavery for the crime his father committed.] ''A Bastard and A slave. Information for later'' There was an awkward silence between them until Taudar began "I will go straight to the point now" "I want you to move to North of Aempleforth and stay there forever" Vincent kept quiet for a while then abruptly laughed out loud, The two lackeys behind Taudar tried to approach but he signified them to stop. Moments later Vincent stopped and stared at Taudar seriously, he displayed the KI he had that made the two lackeys shiver and lightly shook Taudar "No" "Are you sure about that?"Taudar solemnly asked. "Yeah I''m Sure, Thank you for your offer though" /// Thank you all for the PS of last week. Clocked 30 not much compared to other novels but it''s a lot to me Thank you all for your support /// Chapter 45 - New Cover Art. Dear Readers This is your Heavenly Ancestral Cultivator Author Sama There is a new cover art coming out but after much deliberation (not really). And opinions from multiple people(A few Friends) Since some said that the original is better I''ve decided to just ask you, my dear readers. Would you rather have this as your new cover Or We should stick to the original(small edits made like the cutout). Please paragraph comment/Normal comment on your preferred choice, Arigato. The change will be made Next Week Monday Thank you for your cooperation. Now if you excuse me, My Heavenly Ascending weed has finally bloomed Byeeee. *Sniff* BOOOM I......Understand..... Ecstasy!!! Chapter 46 - First Meeting, Second Encounter "Are you sure about that?" Taudar solemnly asked "Yeah I''m sure, Thank you for the offer though." /// Before Vincent stood Taudar stopped him and said, "Wait!, What do you want? I can guarantee you whatever you want." Vincent smirked a little and replied with slight disdain "Whatever I want huh" "Yes whate~" "You can''t afford it," Vincent interrupted. Taudars words got stuck in his throat, he was stunned by the sharp rejection. "If that is all" he stood up and left, Marlay and Claye didn''t stop him, more like they couldn''t. Taudar glared at Vincent as he left, Then he also stood from his seat and left the cafeteria through another way with his lackeys not noticing a figure spying on the entire discussion. After Taudar left, Ama let the illusion drop and also left the cafeteria. As she left a voice came into her ears, her guards immediately rose. The voice whispered, "You really should try better in your illusions, Little Fox" "Who''s there," she queried But there was no reply. Still, on her guard, Ama slowly strode to her dorm as she walked down the hallway she passed a person who leaned on the wall. As she passed, The person spoke out. "Don''t use illusions in the school until you''re sure no one can see through it." Ama jumped back and faced the person, her face squeezed In caution and her hands and legs were put into a stance. When she saw that the individual was one of the people she was spying on, her guards were raised to even higher levels as she collected ether to her hands. "Your Illusions are not strong enough not for long-term illusions." He continued ignoring the obvious hostility. "I advise you to constantly change the illusion or layer it. With that, your illusion would last longer" After saying that he walked away from her. Ama stared at Vincent''s back as he walked away still on the defense. It was until he walked out of her sight before she let her guard down and let out a breath in relief but still in a stance. Then she suddenly cursed "Shit, I forgot to use [Status]" "I''ll do it next time", she looked in the direction Vincent took, "But who is he?" "Why does he know so much." "....He even knows I am a Fox Migas" "I have to kill him soon" She too then walked away, ''But somehow why am I still indecisive about it?'' She asked herself. After Vincent left both Taudar and Ama, he took a quick route to the library. As he got into the library, the librarian looked up at him and he greeted her. Afterward, he walked up the first flight of stairs to the second level of the library containing the [A-C Rank] books. There he picked the books he wanted and sat down on the reading tables set there. He repeated his former action, that is, skimming through the books rather than scanning. Although this time, the librarian didn''t keep a steady watch on him it was rather only once in a while 4 Hours passed and Vincent had finished storing all the books he had taken in [The Eidetic Library of Knowing] Books such as Ether Theorems, Mana Theorems, Intermediate Mana Control Exercises, Intermediate Ether Control Exercises, Theory Of Skill Creation. In the library, there were some skill books but Vincent had already decided to use skill books powerful and suitable for him. After incorporating all the book, Vincent took a step back and rested for a while as he spoke to the system, then he suddenly had a brilliant idea. ''System, Is it possible to use the Akashic discreetly '' [How discreetly?] Asked the system ''No beam of light, or realm transportation.'' [No it is not possible] ''Why!?, At least the Beam] [The Beam is an Akashic subsidiary such as myself it serves as an intermediate to the Main Akashic] [Hence it is impossible to remove the ''light''.] ''Ok, It''s also Impossible to transport me to the main akashic too right'' [Yes, I''ll first have to transport you to heaven to do that. Too much power is involved.] [If I do that I''ll alert every single powerhouse in the sector and out and also the ones in heaven. It''ll be the stupidest thing you''ll ever do] ''Ok, I get it.'' Then he had another idea, ''But can I use the akashic in my room without alerting any at all.'' [......Theoretically, ... it is possible] ''Cool!, Let''s do it.'' Immediately he stood up and left the library in a little bit of a hurry, greeting the librarian as he exited the room and rushed to his dorm. Although he didn''t make it far because someone stopped him. Vincent turned and faced the person who had put his/her hand on his shoulder. Facing the person, he knew that it was an Instructor and someone he was familiar with. [Name: Pryde Maahes Race: Lion Migas Innate: [My Silent Pryde (23/50)], [Orange Flames of Pryde (63/100)], [Fire Manipulation (63/100)] Skills: [My Fury Your Demise], [Oni Defense], [Muscle Suppression], [Muscle Release], [Flame Augment], [Killer Intent], [Lion Augmentation], [Predators Hunt Ground] Instructor Pryde Maahes, One of the strongest Instructors in the entire school rather than in the entire south. He smiled at Vincent and signaled for him to walk together with him. As they walked, he began to discuss with Vincent. "Instructor Pryde, Why have you called me today?" Vincent eventually asked. Pride Maahes smiled at Vincent and said, "You finally asked, I thought I''ll have to keep on with this act" Inwardly Vincent had a deadpan face and thought, ''Seriously" Instructor Pryde let out a chuckle and went on to guide Vincent to the [S-Rank] Class. ''The S-Rank Class, Why did Instructor Pryde lead me here, I thought there were no teachers available.'' ''Wait! Maybe teachers are now available.'' Vincent was excited at the thought Instructor Pryde and Vincent stepped in and Vincent was shortly disappointed because there were still no teachers, The classroom still looked as spotless as before. Instructor Pryde then led Vincent to the door behind the teacher desk and then opened it Instantly Vincent became so shocked that he almost cried out. The door opened to another space, The space was filled with greenery, clear blue skies, rivers, etc, the only thing it didn''t have was animals. A distance from the door was two doors standing in nowhere. But the most shocking thing about the space was the amount of Ether residing in it. Rather it''s safer to say that the separated space generates its ether. Sensing Vincent''s shock, Instructor Pryde turned to him with an extremely cocky smile and said. "Welcome to [Yggdrasil Proto [A]" /// ......PS.....Gimme PS And Reviews Arigato Also, comment...on whatever /// Chapter 47 - [Yggdrasil Proto [A], Free-Falling Test "Welcome to [Yggdrasil Proto [A]" //// ''[Yggdrasil Proto [A]!'' Vincent thought in excitement. The created space thrilled Vincent a lot. He hypothesized that this created space was made to replicate the original Yggdrasil, Or maybe this Yggdrasil was a piece of the original. As if sensing Vincent''s questions, Instructor Pryde spoke out, " [Yggdrasil Proto [A] was made by our Migas research team, it was based on the study of our ancestors when they tried to replicate the effect of Yggdrasil on a smaller scale." "Although they had failed, they did succeed in passing their knowledge to future generations." "After many years, We eventually managed to make [Yggdrasil Proto [A], Technically, [Yggdrasil Proto [A] is more of a magic spell program more than that of a device" he spoke proudly. It could be seen that Instructor Pryde was like his name proud of this achievement to a great extent. It was like the pride of something you had done, so Vincent used the small window of chance to further check his [Status] details and found the cause. Vincent had found out that the last key to cracking [Yggdrasil Proto [A] was done by a Lion Migas scientist, more specifically his grandmother. Most probably Instructor Pryde''s Pride was that of respect for his ancestor. "Yggdrasil Proto [A] not only serves as a gateway space to the Blacksmith/Alchemist Room and the Library. It can also serve as a training space for [S-Ranks]" Instructor Pryde continued to talk about [Yggdrasil Proto[A] until suddenly when Instructor Pryde was speaking he held his tongue. "Buttttt" he drawled Vincent eagerly waited for Instructor Pryde to proceed with explaining the workings of [Yggdrasil Proto [A] "I should stop there, going any further and I''ll be telling you the secret of the space." Vincent couldn''t help but be disappointed when heard that Instructor Pryde won''t be explaining more. After that Instructor Pryde began to move towards one of the doors and Vincent was not too far behind. As Vincent walked through the lands of [Yggdrasil Proto[A] he couldn''t help but just halt his steps, take a deep breath of that clean purified air and look around. It soothed him when he gazed at the serene land, Looking into the horizon he asked Instructor Pryde a question. "Instructor" Instructor Pryde looked at him in confusion on why he called him but either way answered, "Yes, Student Vincent" "How far does [Yggdrasil Proto [A] reach" Instructor Pryde took a moment to think before answering, "Around 150-250 miles, I think" Vincent marveled at the discovery, after staring at the horizon for a while he began to follow instructor Pryde to the two doors standing beside each other. Instructor Pryde led Vincent to the second door, The one on his right, and explained, "This is the door that leads to the Blacksmith/Alchemist Room", he then pointed to the door on his left, " This door leads to the [S-Rank] section of the library, well the [S-C Rank] section" "I''m sure that Miss Mai has explained the division of the [S-Rank] section" ''Who''s that.'', he thought in confusion but still replied like he did know "Yes she did" Instructor Pryde smiled in response and said, "Good, I thought you wouldn''t know that Miss Mai is the Librarian. She doesn''t too much of a presence, hence most students tend to ignore her" he chuckled fondly as he said that. ''So that''s her name.'' Vincent thought in surprise, he then glanced at Instructor Pryde that smiled fondly as he got lost in his thoughts ''but what''s this feeling of fondness I''m getting from instructor Pryde.'' ''It can''t be!'' Vincent felt surprised at the thought. ''Well, it''s not my problem either way. But I do need him to lead me.'' So Vincent walked up to Instructor Prude and shouted out to him, "Instructor!, Instructor!, MISTER PRYDE!" It was until the third time Vincent had called for him before Instructor Pryde had finally answered him He coughed into his hand as he tried to act as if nothing took place. He then led Vincent to the Blacksmith/Alchemist Door, opened it, and gestured for Vincent to walk in Vincent glanced at the smiling instructor pride and the pitch blackness the door had unwrapped too, he suddenly felt that he shouldn''t enter the door anymore Slightly annoyed with Vincent''s indecisiveness, Instructor Pryde flashed behind Vincent and kicked him into the pitch blackness before he could even react. As Vincent came into the darkness. He instantly felt the absence of footing and found himself free-falling into the unknown. At first, Vincent screamed for a few seconds, then his instincts kicked in. He turned around from his free-falling position into that of a face-up back down position. He also noticed the absence of walls to hold onto, erasing most of his plans with it. But he got an idea. He hoped that his high proficiency of 8 out of 15 in his Ether control would be enough for his plan. Summoning Ether from within him and projecting it out of his hands in the form of a green orb. He controlled the orb to fall with him at a pace faster than his. When it reached a considerable distance that wasn''t out of his range, with his (8/15) in [Ether Control] his range was quite large. He wielded his link to the ether orb and molded the orb to spread to mimic the shape of a blanket. After molding, he stopped the blanket from falling and waited for the hard part. He hoped the blanket would hold. He also wished that the ether blanket was as soft as an original one. Vincent saw as he approached the ether blanket and noticed that he was falling too fast, "Damn it, At this rate, I''ll hit the blanket too hard." ''What can I use to lower my speed'' he began to think Then another idea came, ''Wait!... Yes this could work'' Flipping to an Ir@nM@n position, he led his [Fire Affinity Ether] to gush out his hands. Flames burst out and provided the propulsion he needed to slow himself down. But he noticed that his ether dropping and decided that his current speed was enough so he cut off his [Fire Thrusters] and let himself freefall in his former position and prayed for it to work Vincent''s plan¡­..was a success. Though he did land a little bit harshly on the hovering either blanket at least didn''t fall off or even through. Noticing the feeling of solidness below him, Vincent opened his clenched eyes and noticed he landed on the ether blanket. He then let out a breath of relief and made himself comfortable on the blanket then molded it into a carpet instead to save either. When he was about to lead the ether carpet upwards. Unexpectedly, the pitch darkness cleared revealing the smiling faces of Instructor Pryde and a group of other people. At first, Vincent was confused then it hit him, "This was all a test wasn''t it" he said with annoyance evident. Instructor Pryde gave a broader smile and replied, "Come, Let me introduce you to the chiefs of the Blacksmith and Alchemist rooms respectively" Vincent didn''t comment on the obvious evasion of the subject but just mumbled to himself, "Note to self, Instructor Pryde should not be trusted" Instructor Pryde''s smile just twitched in response and became slightly more¡­..threatening. Catching sight of the wavering emotions of Instructor Pryde, Vincent hastily sped past him and shouted out, "Come on let''s not keep them waiting" "Tch, Bratty students" Instructor pride grumbled to himself and then strode after Vincent Chapter 48 - Master Alchemist, Blacksmith Prime Instructor Pryde''s smile just twitched in response and became slightly more¡­..threatening. Catching sight of the wavering emotions of Instructor Pryde, Vincent hastily sped past him and shouted out, "Come on let''s not keep them waiting" "Tch, Bratty students" instructor pride grumbled to himself and then strode after Vincent. /// Vincent looked around the new space he found himself in. He was in some kind of hallway, on the walls of the hallway were various hung pictures of men and women posing in front of equipment or just posing in front of a plain colored background. Immortalized underneath the hung framed pictures were names inscribed on gold-like material. Vincent read out one of the names inscribed on the plate, "Dr. Noxius" "Wasn''t that the first person to make -" An old man interrupted him "The First-ever Ether Nexus Potion" Vincent didn''t react to the person, but his guards were immediately set to the highest, ''How did this guy sneak up on me'' The person continued to speak, "He was the man to create the first-ever Ether Nexus Potion. Allowing fighters to recover their Ether at a fast rate rather than waiting for natural recovery" "You seem to know a lot about that person", Vincent asked the strange man. The old man let out a slight laugh before replying, " Of course, After all. That man is me." ''What'', Vincent immediately turned and gawked at the man talking to him, his eyes widened in surprise. "Y-You", he stuttered. The man laughed at the stuttering Vincent and said to Instructor Pryde who had just walked up to them. "You have quite the peculiar student, Pryde," he said. "Master Noxius", Instructor Pryde greeted him, then he turned to Vincent and landed an upside hit to his head. "Don''t you know you''re being rude to Master Noxious!" Instructor Pryde bellowed at Vincent, then turned back to Dr. noxious, "Master Noxious, I apologize if this little student was rude to you" Dr. noxious smiled at Instructor Pryde and motioned for him to stop, "Don''t worry about it, I take no offense." "Truthfully, this student of yours interests me. It''s been a while since I''ve seen a pure Ether flow like his." He laughed out again. Vincent finally snapped out of whatever he was in and bowed to Dr. noxious in greetings, "Dr. noxious, It''s an honor to meet you today." "Ho Ho Ho", Dr. noxious let out a jovial laugh, " It''s a pleasure to meet you too, Student Vincent" "You know my name!" Vincent spoke in surprise "Of course, How won''t I know the name of the only [S-Rank] student in the entire [Aemplefort School For The Gifted]." "Although your school has been trying to hide this information, they can''t succeed in hiding it from me" ''Hiding Information? Why?'' Vincent asked himself. "I am filled with joy that the accomplished Doctor Noxious stands before me and even more that he knows my name." Doctor Noxious is a raven migas and an extreme power figure in the realms, He was the man who brought to the public the problem with [Ether Recovery Potions] and created the [Ether Nexus Potions] as an alternative to it. As Vincent read in the library books, Doctor Noxious discovered a problem with the mass-produced [Ether Recovery Potion] Whenever a person uses said potion it damages their Ether pool, although it does so to a small degree continuous accumulation of such damages may lead to a crippled ether pool. When Doctor Noxious spread this to the public in hopes of causing awareness of the problem he succeeded. But people didn''t stop using it, rather they couldn''t, most especially the warriors. This was because of its irreplaceable usefulness at that time. According to the Earthland calendar, In the year 1830, Migas experienced a sharp increase in Dark Beast numbers and attacks. Mercenaries, Warriors, Adventurers, and the Army began to have problems dealing with as no Dark Beast was an alone one. There was always another or if you''re unlucky two more bedsides that dark beast. The Armies had it worst, They focused on the first-ever Beast Horde war that approached them. For the war, various equipment was needed, especially the [Ether Recovery Potion]. The [Ether Recovery Potion] not only had to power to replenish famished reserves it could also increase the regeneration rate of a Migas warrior. Hence [Ether Recovery Potion] were paramount to all who wished to fight [Dark Beast] at that time. But Doctor Noxious was not willing to give up. So he took the [Ether Recovery Potion] formulas that were made by humans, and tried to make his own [Ether Recovery Potion], but when he did, it still had the same problem. After 3 months he had an Epiphany, He asked himself ''''who said that I can''t make another formula'' So he did and after another month. He made the first-ever [Ether Nexus Potion] and after 2 Months it got approved by the realms. Even Deus praised him for his unique potion. After that, he went on to make many other discoveries with the help of others. The most prominent being. [Mana Nexus Potion] [Od Nexus Potion] [Stamina Potion] [Beast Potion] [Affinity Booster] in theory and so on. For all these glories he has been bestowed a title only given to those that have been said to reach the pinnacle. "King Alchemist," Vincent said in agape. "Oh, stop with the title." "Yes Sir" "Also the Sir. Just call me Doctor.", He turned to Instructor Pryde, "Why are you here Instructor Pryde?" "I''m here because of him" he referred to Vincent and continued, "The school owes him a [Sky-layered Weapon] due to the lack of [S-Rank] Teachers, we had to transfer him to [A-Rank] class. The weapons serve as compensation." "An S-Rank Weapon!" Doctor Noxious gasped in surprise. "The academy seems to be quite thoughtful nowadays" "Ha Ha", Instructor Pryde laughed awkwardly "Well since you''re here for a weapon of that caliber, that means you are going to her then." "Yes" instructor Pryde confirmed Doctor Noxious then turned to Vincent "Ha Ha Ha!, Good luck kid" then he walked away but before leaving he said, "Visit me after you''re done with her" After Doctor Noxious left, instructor Pryde then told Vincent to follow him. They then left the hallway through a door at the end of it, After exiting the door Vincent came upon a room endorsed with weapons. Staves, Swords, Axes, Morningstars. They were all laid on the wall in sections and under the weapons were their price tags. Vincent immediately fell in love with the room, Each weapon was not only beautiful they were also letting out powerful Auras. As Vincent came closer to a weapon, A booming voice suddenly sounded through the room "IF YOU ARE NOT BUYING, DON''T TOUCH!" "Uh" Then from the back of the store came a woman, "I said if you''re not buying, don''t touch!. Don''t make me repeat myself boy." When Vincent saw the lady shouting at him, he immediately recognized her. "Blacksmith Prime, Miss Gilda." Chapter 49 - Miss Gilda, The Blacksmith Prime Of Aemplefort. Then from the back of the store came a woman, "I said if you''re not buying, don''t touch!. Don''t make me repeat myself boy." When Vincent saw the lady shouting at him, he immediately recognized her. ''Blacksmith Prime, Miss Gilda.'' //// Blacksmith Prime This title is given to a blacksmith who has made a significant milestone in the Smithing world. It is to represent that among their peers, They stand above them. Hence the Title, Blacksmith Prime Miss Gilda is one of those people that have been bestowed the title, Blacksmith Prime. She was given the title in her thirties when she made the third-ever growth weapon, which was quite an achievement because the first and second person to ever make a growth weapon were at the age of 63 and 59 respectively. Hence she was given the title because she was the youngest person to have ever made a growth weapon. After that, she went on to make other achievements like Creating SSS-Rank weapons and a False X-Rank Weapon. As Vincent monologues within himself, Instructor Pryde spoke for him, "Miss Gilda, It''s ever so nice to ~" "Spare me the flattery" she interrupted him, "You must be here because you need a weapon, Most preferably for the touchy boy there" "Miss Gilda is ever so insightful." "As I said, Stop with the flattery and go straight to the point." Instructor Pryde let out a sigh in displeasure before replying with a slight undertone of annoyance "You never allow anyone to give respect to your title" "Because I find it a useless prefix that''s coming to be annoying" He let out another sigh before he confessed, "We''ll you are right, The school requires a weapon to be made for the boy beside me" "You mean the boy who can''t even greet his elders" Instructor Pryde nudged Vincent who was still monologuing to snap him out of it. It was effective Noticing how rude he was, Vincent gave a straight bow of respect to Miss Gilda and formulated the right words to erase the disrespect earlier. "It''s an honor to meet you Blacksmith Prime, Miss Gilda. I was just remembering all that I had read of your valor from the school''s library book of [Important People, Now and Forever.]" Miss Gilda was slightly amused by Vincent, Her sterned face slightly softened. "Really and what did they say," she asked "In Chapter 32 is where your Bio and achievements could be seen" "Miss Gilda, No surname due to being an orphan. An Albino Orc Migas but speculated to have higher human blood in her than an orc due to her lack of prominent teeth, hatred of humans, and green and grey skin but instead has pale white skin. " As a result, she has been given an exotic beauty due to her white long hair and her red sharp eyes." "She is the third Migas to ever make a growth weapon, The first woman to ever make a growth weapon." "In your prime, you were the youngest to make a growth weapon and an SS-Rank weapon." "While now you are the third youngest to have ever made a growth weapon but you are the first woman to have ever made an SSS-Rank Weapon." "You are also known for the strength you possess. Having the physical strength of 10 Men, although I find that an understatement." "What I find most inspiring was the fact that you never let your evil wishes get the better of you." "Even as an Orc Migas because you are a female during that time you were still a part of the discrimination against females but you managed to prove them wrong, Surely I''ll like my daughter to be like you." Miss Gilda''s face showed no significant change but you could see from the slight smirk and fold arms that she was proud of herself. Although you wouldn''t notice, Vincent did. ''Flattery gets you everywhere.'' He quoted inwardly. ''Especially with women'' he added Instructor Pryde looked at his student with surprise written all over his face, ''This Kid''. Then he looked at the proud Blacksmith Prime and was even more surprised, he almost said what was in his mind ''I thought you said no flattery!?'' "*Cough*" Miss Gilda faked a cough to the side and a slight blush "I see, the book is accurately written" If Miss Gilda was a Fox Migas or a dog migas or one that had a tail. Vincent was convinced that it would have been quite all over the place by now. "Anyways you said you are here for a weapon" she spoke to instructor Pryde. "Uh- Y-Yes" he stuttered a little before composing himself, "Yes, The school requires an S-Rank weapon to be made for this boy" "I see", She turned to Vincent. " And what is your name young one" "My name is Vincent Gate, Miss Gilda." "Mmh" she hummed, "What did he do to deserve an S-Rank weapon," she asked "Well you see, Vincent here has been assigned to the S-Rank Class" "Really!" "Yes, The Orb sorted him to the class due to his Dual Affinities in Fire and Lightning." "Wow!" She looked at Vincent as a treasure which made him slightly concerned. "But that doesn''t mean he deserves an S-Rank weapon" "Yes. But remember, the expedition and also¡­." "Ohh", Her eyes widened in realization before she then set her eyes on Vincent again. "It''s been a long time since I''ve made a weapon for a student. I might as well make it a great one" Although she said that, the true reason was because of the flattery, and of course Vincent and Instructor Pryde knew that but they just played along. "Just wait a minute" she then walked into the back. After she had gone Instructor Pryde and vincent looked at each other and Pryde said to him "You are quite the Sly one, Student Vincent" Vincent played dumb "I have no idea what you''re saying, Instructor" Before they could continue, Miss Gilda came back with an Orb that was familiar to Vincent As she walked to him, She began to explain what the orb was. "This is an Advanced Inspection Orb. Unlike the Inspection Orb, the Advanced Inspection Orb or AIO cannot only view Innate and Affinities but also show the accurate strength of the Affinity, not the estimate." ''What''s the difference'' "You may be wondering what is the difference" She continued "The best way to explain it is that when the Inspection Orb measures an innate that is an affinity" "it measures it from your Ether pool, Which brings certain limitations since if your ether pool is low the orb would measure the affinity as low too." "While the AIO measures the affinity from your soul hence there are no mistakes or limitations" As she said that, The system spoke to Vincent [I suggest you use an Illusion.] ''This thing is capable of seeing all my affinities including my illusions, isn''t it?'' [Yes, it is as you think] ''If this thing sees my high affinity toward Yin, Fire, and Lightning. I would be questioned.'' ''Especially for the Yin, After all, why would a Male Lion Migas be highly affixed to Yin instead of Yang. Even if I don''t get questioned, I would be hailed as too much of a genius and that is not part of my plan.'' ''But I do not know the format at which the Affinity is measured'' [Don''t worry, follow my lead.] After Miss Glinda explained she then motioned for Vincent to lay his hands on the orb and he complied. Vincent stretched his hands to the Orb and it glowed its response, Then a holographic Screen rose above Vincent''s hands. It Read [Name: Vincent Gate Race: Lion Migas Affinity: Fire [(75) (SS-High)], Lightning [(70) (SS-Mid)], Earth [(28) (C-High)], Water[(12) (E-High)], Yang [(32) (B-Low)], Yin [(18) (C-Low)], Conclusion: SS-Rank] /// Authors Note Yall Hope you liked the chapter. I just want to slightly explain the Affinities rankings. E-Rank (0-15) C-Rank (15-30) B-Rank (30-45) A-Rank (45-60) S-Rank (60-75) SS-Rank (75-90) SSS-Rank (90-105 X-Rank (105-??) The same thing is used for the weapons rankings More explanation would come out in future chapters. Also on the Vote of 8 - 2 The Cover Art of T.H..S.S will remain the same Chapter 50 - Affinities, [Separate Space], [Inheritance Trials] And [Dungeons] Vincent extended his hands to the Orb and it glowed its response, Then a holographic Screen rose above Vincent''s hands. It Read [Name: Vincent Gate Race: Lion Migas Affinity: Fire [(75) (SS-High)], Lightning [(70) (SS-Mid)], Earth [(28) (C-High)], Water[(12) (E-High)], Yang [(32) (B-Low)], Yin [(18) (C-Low)], Conclusion: SS-Rank] ///// ''It''s even greater than before! System are you sure this is right?'' Vincent asked with surprise and slight nervousness. [Positive] After looking over the [Status] of his affinity, Vincent took a step back and glanced at Miss Gilda and Instructor Pryde. They both stood frozen, jaw slightly agape as they gazed with widened eyes at the afloat holographic blue screen. ''How positive are you?'' He asked the system. [Positive Enough] ''WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY POSITIVE ENOUGH!'' "This" Instructor Pryde began. "Was not expected" Miss Gilda interjected and finished. Instructor Pryde gawked at Vincent with awe carved all over his face. "Genius" he muttered. "I imagined a level difference but not an entire Rank." Miss Gilda said "Uhm, Is there a problem?" Vincent asked nervously. Instructor Pryde clasped Vincent''s shoulders and tightened eye contact with him, "You must not tell anyone about this" he said in all seriousness. "No one must know about this" Miss Gilda put in. "Y-Yes" Instructor Pryde held his hands away from Vincent''s shoulders and turned to Miss Gilda and asserted, "Miss Gilda, I hope no one hears of this." "Tch", She grunted, "Like I don''t already know that. If this becomes public, those people will try anything to poach him." Instructor Pryde again faced Vincent who was wondering whether the System had messed with him. Instructor Pryde took it as him being clueless. ''Sigh, I might as well explain it to the kid'', He thought. "Over the years, We have seen the rise of various powerful Innate abilities or Acquired skills" he begins to explain drawing Vincents attention "But it has been discovered that the most powerful innate abilities or acquired skill are those related to an element or concept and are then powered by a strong affinity towards the same element or concept" "At the same time, they are the hardest to train" he added "Hardest to train? Why?" Vincent asked "That is where Affinities come in" "Student Vincent, there is a difference between innate ability and an innate affinity." "As you already know, Student Vincent. Innate ability is a blessing a person is born with." "For normal people, it''s random but in the case of those born in a clan or are descendant of Deus it becomes specific to that clan or person and is most times related to their ancestor" "While an Innate Affinity Is an ability/trait or talent present in a person." "It means that one has an affinity or connection with an element or a concept making him or her strong in using that element and defending against it." "The stronger the affinity the stronger of an attack related to that affinity and the stronger the defense to that element " "But that is not the reason why a strong affinity is so important." Vincent leaned in subconsciously to grasp what would be said next. "The reason why a strong affinity is so important is because of its versatility." "Versatility?" Vincent asked "Yes, Versatility" Instructor Pryde replied "There are various benefits a strong affinity grants" "One, A strong affinity towards an element increases the strength of attacks of that element" "Two, A strong affinity towards an element would reduce the damage you''ll receive from that element" "Three, The Ether used when casting an ability that is affined to the same affinity of the caster would reduce largely or sparsely. Depending on how strong the person''s affinity is" "Four, Weapons fitted for an element in mind would have its damage and effects increased when a person of strong alignment to that element wields it." "Hence bringing out the full potential of the weapon whilst a person strongly affixed to the element opposite wouldn''t be able to bring out the full potential of its effects" "The stronger the weapon the harder it would is to realize its potential " "Fifth, A strong Affinity can substitute for the Ability, [Fire Manipulation], [Water Manipulation], [Earth Manipulation], [Wind Manipulation], etc." "Sixth, An individual with a strong affinity towards an element may be able to activate certain [Separate Spaces]." "[Separate Space]?" "Sigh" Instructor Pryde let out, "Listen carefully this is a second-year topic." "Separate Space is another way that Deus contributes to the Realms apart from the creation of Skill Books." "There are two kinds of Separate Space" "One made for descendants of a Deus which are called [inheritance trials]." "Another made from the cumulative the dead essence of a [Forsaken One] which are called [Dungeons]." "But one thing is common among them, They are both rare and filled with dangers" ''''Why don''t the Deus make these [inheritance trials] or [Separate space] free of trial" Vincent asked Instructor Pryde shook his head and said, "We have no idea¡­... Only speculations, For Example, Researchers believe that It is because of the law binding the realms" "Now you see, How important Affinity is." "But the most important advantage of an affinity is when it''s coupled on the innate to manipulate the affinity element is the ability." "Just like you, Having the ability to manipulate Fire and Lightning and at the same time having a high affinity towards Fire and Lightning, Your only limit is your imagination" After that Instructor, Pryde turned back to Miss Gilda and began to converse with her, leaving Vincent to himself. [He didn''t tell you the last advantage] ''Talk, What is it?'' [The Ability to create Skills] ''I thought only Deus could do it] [No, Other species can create skills but it becomes significantly harder.] [The species must understand the theory to a significant point when it can be cast, before the [Heavens System] registers it as a skill/ability] [Even then they''ll still have to practice it for years before it becomes registered and reflects on [Status]] ''Doesn''t it means the same for me'' [Yes and No] ''System stop being cryptic and just explain [...] [Fine] [Normally If you just had a strong affinity coupled with the innate of manipulating that affinity. It would become quite simple to create skills revolving around that element] [But you would still have to understand the logic and how your affined Ether does it] [But with me, You just have to do the skill once and it''s registered, No need for practicing, just understand a little] [With your high affinity, it should exceedingly simple for you] ''Really!, That''s quite helpful of your system'' [Of course, I am the Almighty [Heavens System Subsidiary] such a thing is easy for me] ''Almighty, Then why are you just a branch of the original'' Vincent sneered [......] After, annoying the system enough, Vincent listened in to what Instructor Pryde and Blacksmith Prime Miss Gilda were up to. Instructor Pryde after explaining to Vincent began to discuss with Miss Gilda about the Weapon the Aemplefort School For The Gifted wants to give to Vincent. "Miss Gilda, When will the weapon be done" "Mmh, Give me a week, 5 days for the creation and the remaining for embedding the dual elements" "Good, If it''s that we''ll take your leave then" Miss Gilda waved him off, "Whatever just leave with the boy, I feel like if he remains here I''ll receive more shock than I can take" "Yes Ma" "Student Vincent follow me "Yes sir" He replied and walked after him but not before saying goodbye to Miss Gilda. Vincent and Instructor Pryde walked out of the door and into the familiar corridor. Then surprisingly Instructor Pryde turned back to the door and walked in again, Although Vincent was surprised he followed after him After walking through the door, Vincent found himself in another room entirely. The room was had different sizes of shelves put around with strangely shaped containers with various colored liquids placed on display. Now, Vincent was alert. Same door, different places, What happens if he walks in again. From the back came a figure familiar to Vincent. "Doctor Noxious!!!" ///// Author Note ///// A favor for Author Sama If you notice any Hole in the Affinity explanation please drop a comment. Arigato ///// Chapter 51 - Alchemist Room, Meeting With Doctor Noxious Surprisingly Instructor Pryde turned back to the door and walked in again, Although Vincent was surprised he followed after him After walking through the door, Vincent found himself in another room entirely. The room had different sizes of shelves put around with strangely shaped containers with various colored liquids placed on display. Now, Vincent was alert. Same door, different places, What happens if he walks in again. From the back came a figure familiar to Vincent. "Doctor Noxious!!!" //// "Doctor Noxious!" Vincent said in mild surprise. "Hello to you too Kid," Noxious said then turned to Instructor Pryde. "We meet again Instructor" Instructor Pryde slightly bowed In response, "It''s always a pleasure, Doctor" Not wanting to repeat his former mistake of not greeting Miss Gilda. Vincent also greeted Doctor Noxious, "Good afternoon Doctor Noxious" "Same to you Vincent" he smiled at Vincent, "I see you''ve just left the hospitality of Miss Gilda" "I am slightly curious about your reason", Instructor Pryde tensed and silently thought inside that he didn''t pry further. The rarer the people that knew about it the better, And he most particularly did not want Doctor Noxious to know. "But I wouldn''t snoop further ", Fortunately Doctor Noxious didn''t pry further. "Since you accepted this old man''s request, I shall give you a few gifts, Wait here a moment". Doctor Noxious then walked away disappearing into the back leaving the teacher and student alone. Learning himself in a room full of potions as he deduced, Vincent began to use [Status] on what he laid his eyes on. He first started with the bright green potion in one of the glass display cases. ''[Status]'' [Great Nexus Potion Drink to recover Ether pool to an almost peak state. Side Effect: Don''t use when the Ether pool is full, It may lead to a berserk state. It may also cause implosion. May lead to a small increase in either regeneration. Made by Doctor Noxious] Then he veered around to the dark red potion. [Great Recovery Potion Drink to fasten the Ether Body Augmentation and Cell Replication to achieve Regeneration Heals Most of Minimal to Severe Injuries. Side Effect: Causes Hunger, Then extreme Hunger after 7 hours. Made by Doctor Noxious] After that Vincent continued to look around. Using [Status] to receive details of all of the potions embedding it to his [Eidetic Library of Knowing]. ''[Status]'' [Berserk Potion Drink to Increase Strength, Agility, Defense, Tenacity, and Ether Regeneration Side Effect; Causes Berserk, Loss of Mind, and Reasoning, Possible Death, May cause Madness as a permanent effect After the effect wears out; It may lead to Hunger, Starvation, Nausea, Temporary memory loss/Permanent Memory Loss, Vertigo, Fever, Temporary Loss of body Functions/Permanent Loss of Body Functions, Temporary/Permanent destruction of body muscles, Increase in Ether Regeneration. If Recovery Is a success; It may lead to an Increase in Ether Regeneration, Increase in Ether pool and Increase in Body Strength/Density. Made by Doctor Noxious] ''That is a lot of Side Effects!!!'' [Worry Not Host, With the Planar Giant bloodline, This potion does more good to you than harm, ¡­... Considering you survive] ''I rather not take that chance....unless when necessary.'' ''Sigh, If only this fake [System] had a shop'' he thought in want [...WHO IS FAKE YOU!, Tch, Ungrateful Host] Vincent smiled at the system''s tantrum, He started contemplating whether he should continue doing this. [Although I don''t have the ''Shop'' you speak off, There is another way to get these potions.] ''How!'' [Buy The Potions] ''....., Next'' [Learn Alchemy from an Alchemist/Doctor Noxious] ''Mmh'' he pondered. ''I can learn from an Alchemist but they can''t be from the school unless it''s part of the curriculum..... I''ll think about it, Next'' [Then Acquire the skill Alchemy or skills related to Alchemy then self-study Alchemy.] [Although where would you find the skill~] ''I can just ask [Akashic] can''t I'' [.......Yes you can] ''Good, That''s resolved. Back to Potion Reading'' [Great Agility Potion Forcefully Augmenting the legs with Ether to Increase Speed/Agility by 3 times Side Effect: May cause Temporary/Permanent Leg muscles damage, Tiredness. Made by Doctor Noxious] [Great Strength Potion Forcefully Augmenting the body with ether to Increase Strength, Speed, and Defense by 3 times, 1.5 times, and 2 times respectively within a day. Note, Effect decreases with usage. Side Effect: May cause Temporary/Permanent Body muscle damage, Starvation, Temporary/Permanent loss of Body Functions, Increase in Ether Regeneration and Capacity, Possible Death. Made by Doctor Noxious] [Great Passive Strength Boost Potion Use to passively increase strength, speed, and Defense by 2.5x, 2x, and 2.5x respectively over a month. Note Effectiveness reduces with usage Made by Doctor Noxious] [Great Nexus Strengthener Sharply increase, Widen and Strengthen, Ether pool over a time of 3 days to a week. Side Effect: Slight Disorientation, Moderate Reduction in Ether control. Made by Doctor Noxious] [Passive Nexus Strengthener Slowly Increase, Widen and Strengthen Ether pool over a month to three. Side Effect: None Made by Doctor Noxious] [Great Paralysis Potion Apply on enemies to cause paralysis. Capable of Full Paralysis to [A-Rank][High] danger beast and Mild Paralysis to [S-Rank][High] danger beast. Note; Poison Resistance not taken into consideration Made by Doctor Noxious] [Great Poison Potion Apply or Drink, To poison enemies¡­.or friends. Capable of Weakening Dark Beasts up to [S-Rank]. Capable of killing within an Hour for [S-Rank] and 30 minutes for [A-Rank] [Dark Beasts] Note; Poison Resistance took into consideration. Made by Doctor Noxious] [Ether Disorientation Potion Use to Disorient Ether pool causing the inability to judge the appropriate amount of either to cast innate/skills. Reduces Ether Generation The effect decreases on more experienced fighters. Effect time varies from race to race. Note Effective against [Dark Beasts] and [Forsaken One''s]. If one able to survive the first 10 Minutes Note if used on [Dark Beast] or [Forsaken One''s], They tend to be able to use their innate but unable to accurately judge ether usage, making them use more ether than required. Increasing the power of their attacks and their danger ranks. After 10 Minutes of Stronger Attacks, Dark Beast is noted to wear down to a weakened state reducing their danger rank and making killing easier. Made by Doctor Noxious] Vincent focused wholly on the task in front of him that he ignored instructor Pryde. After all, he wasn''t doing anything wrong only something weird As Vincent focused on the potions, Instructor Pryde concentrated on him. He wondered why this student is acting in such an unusual manner. ''He seems to be interested in the potion son display, Maybe he has a like for alchemy.'' ''As an Instructor, I should support him'' Then he had an idea, With a slight smile of pride, Instructor coughed and gained Vincent''s attention. " Do you know that there are several rankings of potions, Just like Blacksmithing" ''I didn''t ask but go on'' Vincent thought with slight annoyance but shook his head to instructor Pryde. "Well I might as well explain it" "In the alchemy world, There are rankings of potions which are used to mark the strength of the motion." "It starts from E-Rank to C-Rank, B-Rank A-Rank, and then S-Rank." "An easier way to rank it Is, Lesser potion, Less Potion, Potion, Great Potion, and Greater Potion." "Any questions" Instructor Pryde asked "Yes I do have one" Vincent replied, "What comes after [S-Rank] or rather [Greater Potion]" "That is~" Instructor Pryde began but then he was cut off by Doctor Noxious that had just returned from wherever he had gone off to, "Unknown" He then stood before both of them with his eye focused on Vincent, " No one has ever gone that far.....Yet." He said in an aloof and gentle tone. ///// For further explanation or Potion Rankings look below. E-Rank - Lesser Potion C-Rank - Less Potion B-Rank - Potion A-Rank - Great Potion S-Rank - Greater Potion SS-Rank - ??? Sorry for the late chapter. Chapter 52 - Suspicious Behaviour, Great Potion ¡°Any questions¡± Instructor Pryde asked ¡°Yes I do have one¡± Vincent replied, ¡°What comes after [S-Rank] or rather [Greater Potion]¡± ¡°That is¡± Instructor Pryde began, but then he was cut off by Doctor Noxious that had just returned from wherever he had gone off to. ¡°Unknown,¡± he said in a monotone tone He stood before both of them with his eye directed on Vincent, No one has ever gone that far..... Yet.¡± He said in an aloof and gentle tone. //// ¡°A [SS-Rank] Potion would be something able to defy death of a few seconds or even minutes¡± He began to ramble. ¡°It would be able to paralyze [S-Rank Beasts] even [SS-Rank]¡± ¡°Passive Strengtheners that would last up to a year with an even higher effect ¡°Active strengtheners that can push someone up an entire rank or maybe two depending on the talent that is.¡± ¡°Although the side effect would increase¡­. A truly double-edged potion¡± Suddenly he stopped his rambling and sighed out loud, ¡°Sigh, But such potions are Nigh-Impossible to make.¡± ¡°Apart from the fact that such materials are extinct, Talents competent in recreating such potions are as scarce as the potions itself.¡± He leaned on the display cabinet beside him with a tired look, ¡°When I was young, I had a dream.¡± ¡°A dream to be the best alchemist in all the realms¡±. ¡°When I found out about [SS-Rank] potions from my alchemist instructor.¡± ¡°I made it a goal for me.¡± ¡°To be the first person to make a [SS-Rank] potion¡± ¡°If I could do so, I would be named with no objections, The Greatest Blacksmith in the world¡± ¡°So I toured [Earthland] and [Migas] learning under multiple elite teachers and researching numerous knowledge for even a clue of a [SS-Rank] potion¡± ¡°The only lead I could get was that the ingredients needed for a [SS-Rank] potion existed during the ancient time of Eulogeo.¡± ¡°During the time, When they had ample magical trees that produced even more magical fruits.¡± ¡°Herbs that grew like the weeds¡± Listening to Doctor Noxious''s story he couldn''t help but ask ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°They declined, rather they just stopped appearing.¡± ¡°There are rumors that there are places where such plants still grow.¡± ¡°But they are most likely in separated spaces¡± ¡°Can''t Deus help us in this case?¡± Vincent asked again? ¡°A Deus is not as godlike as you think Student Vincent¡± Instructor Pryde answered back while interjecting, ¡°They may be powerful, but they have equally powerful limits.¡± ¡°The incapability to recreate such herbs and fruits for everyone''s consumption is one of those limits.¡± ¡°In a way, it is better they can''t do so, imagine the power tip if Eulogeo hoarded such wonders for themselves.¡± ¡°They''ll most likely be alienated from the two races while we would have to live in fear of their race¡± Vincent answered. ¡°Anyways Enough of this nonsense chatter¡±, Doctor Noxious interjected, he then reached into his robe and brought out a mixed red and green potion, and handed it to Vincent. ¡°This is an All-Strengthener potion also known as Body and Soul strengthener potion.¡± ¡°Like its name, it Refines the body and quality of the ether pool, Although this version is a Less potion don''t underestimate the effect¡± ¡°Doctor this is too Valuable.¡± Instructor Pryde said and Vincent agreed. ¡°Haha¡±, Doctor Noxious laughed heartily. ¡° It''s just a less potion, spare me the flattery¡± ¡°Anyways, Since I''ve given you my gift. It''s about time you both returned to school.¡± ¡°It''s almost evening by the way,¡± he said while gesturing to the darkening skies. ¡°You''re right Doctor Noxious,¡± Instructor Pryde said in mild haste. ¡°I''ll have to take your leave now, Good night Doctor¡± he then clasped Vincent and walked out the door behind him ¡°Good night Doctor¡± Vincent struggled to greet before being shoved into the door. ¡°Good Night Kid, We''ll meet again soon¡± he replied with a smile. After that Vincent and Instructor, Pryde returned to [Yggdrasil Proto[A]. Instructor Pryde then removed Vincent from his grasps and said to him, ¡°Student Vincent, stay here and absorb the [All-Strengthener Potion].¡± ¡°The Ether concentration here should boost the effects of the potion.¡± ¡°When you are done you can stay here to train, or you can return to your dorm¡± ¡°As the only [S-Rank] in the school, You can use [Yggdrasil Proto[A] any time you want¡± ¡°You can also bring your fellow students, But the rule authorizes you to only bring three. Any more and you will be punished¡± ¡°Yggdrasil Proto[A] also serves as a safe zone.¡± ¡°In the condition of an emergency, you and three others of your choosing can stay here until it is safe¡± ¡°I wish you a long life to realize your potential¡± After saying that he left through the entrance of [Yggdrasil Proto[A]. After he was gone, Vincent took out the [Less All-Strengthener Potion] and used [Status] on it [Status] [Great All-Strengthener Potion] An extremely scarce and powerful potion, Upon consumption, Potion flows through the body and refines the muscles and the files, The ether pool is then widened, and the ether quality becomes denser and purer. At the Great Potion level, The potion can boost affinity slightly. Side Effect: Pain upon use and assimilation. Made by Doctor Noxious.] ¡°Such Gains!!! I thought it was meant to be a less potion, Why am I holding a great potion instead.¡± Vincent said in excitement! [Hmm, That Doctor Noxious is quite suspicious. Why would he give you such a powerful potion upon first meeting] Instantly, His enthusiasm dulled and he began reasonable thinking ¡°You''re right, this is our first meeting, Why would he give me such a potion and lie to us both of its grades?¡± ¡°Did he not want Instructor Pryde to know?¡± ¡°But for what reason?¡± He asked himself. [You can raise the question to [Akashic] ¡°Mmh, I could...¡­¡± He shook his head after, ¡°But it''s not worth it, Wasting [Akashic points] over such a thing would be a waste.¡± ¡°Instead System pull up Doctor Noxious and Miss Gilda [Status]¡± [You didn''t use [Status], why would you think I would ha] ¡°Just bring it up.¡± [... Tch Fine] [Name: Gilda Title: Blacksmith Prime Innate: Dense Bones, Dense Muscles, Berserk Ability: Augment Body, Precision Strike, Hammer Fall, Heavy Weapon Mastery, Ether Manipulation. Bio: Blacksmith Prime Gilda is a Half Albino Orc, She was born due to the **** of her mother by the Albino High Orc Chief of an Orc/Goblin clan. Her mother died giving birth to her. The midwife pitied her and took her in for a while but then sent her to the orphanage days later because she ate too much. Her father is dead, killed by an investigating adventurer after he had raped her mother.] [Name: Noxious C. Karaki Title: Blacksmith Prime Innate: Keen Eyes, Eidetic Memory Skills: Air Manipulation, 360 View, Ether Manipulation Bio: Noxious Karaki, Born from a dull home. From Birth, he has been blessed with an Eidetic Memory and high intellect, The Best of all classes. His Love.... rather his need for alchemy arose when his transport carriage was ambushed by a [A-Rank] beast. His Eidetic Memory proved to be a curse at that moment. No one knows how he survived that encounter, After that, he was never the same again. Note, He has a hunger for power.] ¡°Nothing seems out of place¡± ¡°Except for the extreme op-ness of Miss Gilda¡± Deadpanned Vincent before he sighed. Vincent closed the [Status] window. He stared at the [Great All-Strengthener Potion] for a while before he resolved himself for the pain and drank the potion As he drank the potion, He could feel it flow around his body, it felt cool. As the liquid settled within his body, The Potion started its process. The pain was...¡­. Mild. ///// Author Note ///// How do you throw a space party? You planet :) Author Sama here My Date for my exams has been announced for June. So expect some off days or lack of chapters. Also, T.H.S.S just hit a milestone of 100K Views and I''m so proud. I just want to thank you all for your continuous support May Joy be with you. //// Chapter 53 - Fire Cultivation Practice Vincent closed the [Status] window. He started at the [Great All-Strengthener Potion] for a while before he resolved himself for the pain and drank the potion As he drank the potion, He could feel it flow around his body. It felt cold. As the liquid settled within his body, The Potion started its process. The pain was¡­¡­¡­. Mild. /// The degree of pain he felt was moving at a fluctuating pace. He would feel annoying stings around the body, Then it would suddenly increase to painful spasm of his muscles, It would then reduce to a smooth vibrating experience. His muscles and veins were strained to the point that his veins could be seen from his neck. This continued for about 2 minutes before his body finally settled, Vincent didn''t move for a few seconds before he opened his mouth and steam began to leave through it. All in All the process of strengthening was like the process of Assimilation of the [Planar Giants] bloodline. After all the steam had left his mouth, Vincent stood from his meditative posture and stretched his muscles. ¡°Wow, That felt great!¡± he said as he clenched and released his fists. Vincent could feel that he was more powerful than before. Before, At the time when he had assimilated the [Planar Giant] Bloodline, His punches carried around 4000 Pounds of force, but now it''s above 6000 Pounds almost reaching 7000 Pounds. ¡°So this is the strength of the [Great All-Strengthener Potion]. It''s very powerful¡± Vincent said in awe. [It truly is, Although the strength you gained isn''t as much as the one an average person receives, it''s still well above my expectation] ''Even I didn''t expect it to give me this much strength, It must have improved my [Planar Giant] muscles¡± Then Vincent began to test out his strength, After familiarizing himself with his new strength, He sat down on the grassy plains. ''Instructor Pryde said this place is for me to train, Might as well do so'' ''But before that.'' Assuming a lying pose on the ground, Vincent spread out his ether and absorbed it back. He did so in hopes of creating some sort of resonance technique. On his first try, He received slightly blurry images, so he continued to practice the technique on a small range until he got familiar with the technique. After a few minutes, He achieved his desired result. ''This should be enough, Now the resonance time'' So he did so, Vincent spread about 10% of his enormous Ether Capacity thin and formed a circular range of about 300 m around himself. Then he worked on the time for a resonance. His first resonance completion time was 1 second, But with his mana control and high reserves, he managed to shorten it to 0.3 seconds. It felt like a slight trickle in his head since he had to go through 300 meters of information at once. But it was something he could get used to Completing his task, Vincent stood from his lying position and then began to warm up. Sets of lunges, push-ups, and stretching. Then he began training. First his Ether control then the Fire and lightning techniques. He dared not to train [Portal Maker], He wasn''t sure that no one was watching him. Something he reminded himself to ask [Akashic] when he returns to his room later. For his Mana Control Training, It was divided into two parts. First, he used the training he had been using since when he reincarnated/transmigrated into this world which he derived from what he had read in his past life. He directed his Ether from his Ether Pool outwards, and he began to mold it into different shapes. As he began he realized that it was much easier to perform for a long period than before. Then Vincent remembered that his ether pool and ether control were vastly better than before, so it wasn''t a mystery why the practice was easier to achieve. Since it became easy, He decided to end the practice and move on to the second part of the training. This part was gotten from the [Fire Planar Giant] and the [Lightning Planar Giant] memories. He would have to increase the Ether in his Ether Flow. Naturally, A small amount of Ether already goes on through the body starting from the Ether pool at the core, forming an Ether Flow/Chain/System. This passively Augments and improves the strength of the body. When the Ether Pool increases in capacity, so does the Augment. The technique runs on the idea of intensifying the Ether in the Ether Chain without the need for a rise in the Ether pool, Therefore enhancing the Augment of the Physical body. This technique needs an adequate amount of Ether control and capacity because the practitioner has to be careful not to overfill the Ether Chain or may suffer damage or even a break Hence, when Vincent began to practice this technique he took it slowly. First, he scantily increased the Ether in the Ether Flow connected to his hands and he could immediately feel the warmness in his hands. So he outstretched his hands and punched. His punch caused the wind to move forward, but it wasn''t at a far range nor an Intensity high enough to cause high damage. But it proved the Augment the technique spoke of. As long as he practiced the technique, Vincent had faith that in the future, his punches would be a force to reckon, particularly coupled with [Ether Burst]. His punches would have an AOE effect. The thought of that made Vincent pity his future enemies. Getting his mind off that, He continued to practice the technique for an hour before he wasn''t able to do so anymore. After that, he went on to the flame cultivation technique, the [Fire Planar Giant] used. The Cultivation Technique had two parts First, He had to convert the Attributeless Ether brought about from the pool into Fire Attribute Ether then condense it in the core to form a Flame Core. Although Vincent didn''t need to do that since he took the [Fire Planar Giant] Flame Core. Which he just learned that he could do. Besides the Fire Core, There was also a Lightning Core he had taken from the [Lightning Planar Giant] So he chose to move on to the second part of the technique. The second part was to convert more attributeless Ether into Fire attribute Ether and then compile to the point the Fire Core becomes full. Afterward, he has to combine all the Fire Attribute Ether in the core to form only one blazing Fire Attribute Ether Flame. Then that flame would need more Fire Attribute to grow and move onto the next stage. This is called the [Fire Core Formation Stage]. Then the process begins again for all the stages. Amass ¡ª Fuse Amass ¡ª Fuse Amass ¡ª Fuse. This method was also the same for the Lightning Cultivation Technique. According to both Techniques, There were stages to the cultivation in which each stage was divided into low, middle, and high. The Stages/Realms were. Core Forming Core Gathering Core Condensation. Revolving Core. Core Formation Realm is the first stage of cultivation. At this stage, A core is built at the body center, after enough Element affixed Ether Has been amassed and combined. Core Gathering Realm is the second stage of cultivation. Here Automatic Passive Cultivation begins. At this stage, Elemental Affixed Ether has been combined to form one condensed Elemental Affixed Ether spark. More Element Affixed Ether would need to be amassed and incorporated into the Core. When the core becomes full, the Practitioner must then compress all the Affined Ether in the core into one except the already compressed core. This would continue until all the Element Affixed Ether are like the first, Then condensation can begin. Core Condensation Realm is the third stage. Here, the Practitioner creates more cores within his core making it a parent core. Within each core must be a fully 3rd stage condensed Affined Ether. This would be done until the parent core becomes full, After which the cores and Affined Ether are condensed with the first formed condensed Elemental Affixed Mana to form one singular core with a fully formed 4th stage condensed Affined Ether within the core. The smaller but more powerful core will begin to reinforce the parent core and at the same time absorb Affined Ether into the core until it''s time to condense again. This Stage is Never Ending The last stage of the technique made Vincent pause in Awe ''Never-Ending!'' ''Meaning that it would continue to grow stronger.'' [Indeed, But I don''t need to remind you that the body needs to be capable to handle such power and demand from the core.] [This Technique is tailor-fit for the [Elemental Titans of Gaia] blood. That blood grows stronger with pressure] ''I know, And with me, I may even be able to take it to heights no other [Planar Giants] have ever reached'' [Indeed] Vincent then stop his conversation with the system and began to practice the technique As he started he could feel the budding core in his chest, He could feel that it was¡­. Inactive unlike the way he imagined. [The Strength of the Core was too dangerous for you to assimilate while assimilating the [Planar Giants] Muscles, Memories, Ether Pool, and Soul at the same time. Hence, I sealed it. ''I see, Thank you system'' [You''re welcome Host] ''Also, System.'' [Yes Host?] ''Make it a habit to tell me about these things from now on [Yes Host] ''Good'' Vincent focused on the inactive core again, ''Time to Jumpstart this thing'' Vincent used his Fire Affixed Ether to jumpstart his inactive core. BOOM! A small shockwave of fire was released from Vincent, Surprisingly the Fire didn''t burn the grass. It instead just flowed around it Vincent opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings in awe, He found out the stage of cultivating he rather the [Planar Giant] was in. ''[Mid-Stage Core Gathering]'' ///// Author Note ///// *Phew¡Á, That was such a long chapter. 1.7k words beating by second best. Hoped all of you like the chapter And as you can see¡­.wait I mean read, [Planar Giants], But there''s a twist. All [Planar Giants] use the same cultivation technique, So Talent and Treasures determine how far you''ll go in your cultivation. May Joy be with you all. ///// End Authors Note ///// Chapter 54 - Trigger The Lightning Core, [Firestorm] Vincent used his Fire Affixed Ether to jumpstart his inactive core. BOOM! A small shockwave of fire was released from Vincent, Surprisingly the Fire didn''t burn the grass. It instead drifted around it Vincent cleared his eyes and stared at his surroundings in awe. He found out the stage of cultivating he rather the [Planar Giant] was in. ''[Mid-Stage Fire Core Gathering]'' //// ''[Mid-Stage Fire Core Gathering]'' ''According to the [Fire Planar Giant] memories.'' ''At this stage, A full-power Fire Technique attack is enough to take out a gathering which should be the human equivalent of an Average City'' ''With my core now turned on, My Fire affinity and attack strength should have increased tremendously, Right system?'' [Indeed, Your Fire Affinity is now at SSS-Rank High] [Inheritance of Fire: From the Flames, I was Born (S-Rank) has now been improved too (SS-Rank)] [The same should apply to your Lightning Attacks and Affinity when you trigger the Lightning Core] ''Ok, I should trigger the lighting core now'' Vincent closed his eyes again. Then from his Ether Pool, He drew and converted strands of Ether into Lightning Affined Ether and directed it to his Inactive [Lightning Core] that was next to his [Active Fire Core]. Minutes later an eruption of strong cackling lightning arcs branches from Vincent before it eases to just snaking around his body, forming a Lightning Armor. The Lightning relieved, and the Armor faded away as Vincent loosened up. He let out a long breath of relief and laid down on the grass as he spoke to the system. ''What stage is my Affinity with Lightning now?'' He asked the system [Your Affinity to Lightning is at SSS-High] [Inheritance of Lightning: Through Lightning Shall I Transverse the Infinite Planes (S-Rank) has increased to (SS-Rank)] [Thundra Possession Technique is now as strong as it was at its peak.] [Host is now capable of using Thunder Possession 7th Strike] ''Yes! I can use [The 7th strike] now. ''So this is the Lightning Core from the Lightning Planar Giants memories'' Flash-Back, a Few Weeks Ago After Vincent had killed his first [Nightmare Beast] that went Berserk and settled in Aemplefort for the night. It was morning as Vincent had just spent a refreshing night in the hotel. He wondered what he was going to do today and the system gave him a great idea. [Why don''t you train] ''''Train? I already have the experience of the lightning planar giant. I see no need to train now'''' [True, But you could feel it when you used [Thundra Possession] It didn''t feel the same now, did it?] "..... No, It felt familiar" [I have a theory that while indeed you have the experience of a Planar Giant.] [The planar giant is a titan 100''s meters high on average, The way he moved is not how you should move.] [But at the First 3 strikes you feel no difference but you should be careful when trying the 4th] "Your theory is feasible, I may have the blood of a Planar Giant. But I don''t have the same body frame." Vincent mumbled in realization. [Indeed] "But the experience should still help me adapt and master the technique" [Yes it should] "Ok, I''ll test this now" Vincent agreed He left the city and strolled an adequate distance away before he began a dash into the forest and lunged onto the trees. After a few minutes of wandering upon trees, he chanced upon a large Grass field. He saw the field plains ahead and moved towards it. At the Grass Plain. He could see that the plain spread for miles, which was a good thing, No [Dark Beast] nor [Nightmare] would be able to sneak up on him. So he began to train, First following some warm-up exercises he knew before attempting the actual exercise. After minutes of Warm-Up, He began He first made an effort on the trademark Attack Technique that the Lightning Planar Giant used a lot. [Thundra Possession] Vincent knew the details of this technique This technique grants the practitioner a Lightning Armor created from a strike of lightning the technique summons. The Lightning Armor defends the body and at the same time augments the practitioner''s speed, strength, and penetrative power to High degrees. This Technique goes up to 7 Strikes and lightning and beyond. At 7 Strikes, The Practitioner would be capable of the second form of the technique. The more the strikes, the stronger the armor and augment. This was the first technique Vincent had used that was from the Planar Giants, he knew singlehandedly the power of the technique. So he had to see the threshold of strikes he could take and his familiarity with the technique. So he stood upon the Grassy Plains and called upon the clouds to gather in the sky. Soon Dark Clouds began to form and lightning came to be, cackling in the sky. Getting ready, Vincent called upon the first lightning strike. [Thundra Possession: 1st Strike] Then lightning struck him with a short burst of light, As the light settled Vincent stood upon burnt and burning grass. But he didn''t care, He was more focused on the power he currently possessed. The lightning crackled around him. He felt alive, Nothing different from the first time Not yet at his limit, he called for more strikes. The Second The Third On the Fourth, When he moved he had an uncomfortable feeling On the Fifth, The Feeling increased but it still felt phantom-like On the Sixth. He could sense it vividly. The uncomfortable feeling. He knew that if he moved he might cross the entire plains at once but it wasn''t as fast as the Lightning planar giant could. Hence sprouting the unfamiliar feeling. "So this is what the system means" "An average Planar Giant is hundreds of meters high. It crosses 100 meters in a step and 1000 meters in 10 at a walking pace." "While I can cross 100 meters in 50 steps and 1000 in 500 at a walking pace." "Using the 6th strike, The Lightning Planar Giant could cross the distance of 1000 meters in a quarter of a second." "While I would be able to cross that distance in half a second" "No wonder it feels irritating, The lightning Planar Giant could cross such distance under a short period because of his reach" "But I don''t have that privilege" "[Thundra Possession] doesn''t reduce the number of steps, it only increases my speed." "So I should focus on my base speed and adapting to my current speed " At this point, Vincent was bloated with strength and speed and burning pain. His muscles were tensed to the extreme and he could feel the strain on him. The experiences weren''t able to help him instantly learn it, but they did help him learn and adapt faster. Vincent then called upon the seventh strike, but to his surprise, there was no strike. He tried to summon lightning again, but it didn''t come, instead, the dark clouds began to move away from him carried by the wind. Vincent made an effort to call it back, but it didn''t respond, He had lost power over the dark clouds. So he decided to let it go. He was sure that the clouds wouldn''t kill anyone, It was more or less a natural rain cloud. Turning away from the clouds, Vincent went on to train the strikes he could use until he lost sense of time, and it was Midnight Too tired to return, he spent the night in the plains using [My Illusions Are the World¡¯s Reality] to cast a notice me not and a camouflage illusion, then went into the [Eidetic Library of Knowing] when he slept. Today''s Incident was strange, and he wanted to know the cause of such strangeness. After a while, he figured out the reason. He lacked a stable lightning core of some sort before he could unlock the seventh strike. Before he could read more he sensed bloodlust coming towards his position, so he awoke to take a look. And Indeed, A [Dark Beast] was coming towards the plain, one that had just finished a feast. Blood dripped down its claws and mouth as it ate the human hand in his mouth and held a female head. At first, Vincent chose to ignore it but when he saw the ashen and anguished expression on the woman''s face the [Dark Beast] held. He knew that the [Dark Beast] had torn the woman limb for limb and the hand it was eating was probably hers. A trait of [Dark Beast] that he despised. They love to play with their prey. "*Sigh*, I was looking for someone to test my power on," He said as dark clouds began to gather, "So I might as well get revenge for you at the same time" "[Thundra Possession: Second Strike]" Boom Two Lightning bolts struck from the sky instantly drawing the [Dark Beast] attention. Sensing a great source of danger to itself, it dropped the head it was holding and the hand it was eating. Vincent looked at the [Dark Beast] in distaste. "From its breath, it''s at most an [A-Rank Danger Threat]. This would be quick." Flashing from his position, Vincent appeared above the [Dark Beast] in half a breath and punched it. The [Dark Beast] could not react before it found itself digging into the ground. While it didn''t die instantly, it was gravely injured as its head caved in upon the punch. It tried to struggle to escape, But Vincent, who kept a foot on it, didn''t budge. "Tch, The resilience of these things is annoying," He said as he brought up his lightning-encased hand. Feeling the power within the punch was enough to kill it, It fought crazed and began to go Berserk. But it was too late, Death had come in the form of divine punishment. [Lightning Burst] BOOM A blast of lightning spread out for miles, destroying everything in its path. The [Dark Beast] was destroyed with the only evidence being the great crater the blast resulted in. Vincent saw the damage he caused and knew that someone was perhaps already moving toward him. He was about to dash away when he had a spark of an idea. Instead of running away, He used [My Illusions Are The World''s Reality] and made a trail into the forest while he camouflages himself Moments later, Five robed people arrived on the scene, they halted shortly before following the fake trail Vincent had left. Minutes later, Vincent dropped the illusions and instantly dashed to his hotel room. He sensed that the Five robed people that had passed by him were strong. Each felt like a [S-Rank Danger Threat] to him. In his room, Vincent laid on the bed and shortly went to sleep Flash-Back End "*Sigh*, It was a good idea to use an Illusion instead of running way" "If not, It would have been troublesome to ditch them" "I should end my training here, using [Thundra Possession] here is not safe." So Vincent left [Yggdrasil Proto[A] and headed to his dorm for a good rest. A Week Later Vincent entered his room after a tiresome day of learning about [Dark Beasts] and the first thing he saw was the package on his bed. "Is this-" He guessed what it was and when he opened the package it proved his guess right. He laughed eerily as he held the content of the package. "So we meet¡­¡­" "[Firestorm]" //// Sorry for the late chapter. //// Chapter 55 - [Dark Beast Practical Class], [Power Assessment] A Month Later Vincent entered his room after a tiresome day of learning about [Dark Beasts] and the first thing he saw was the package on his bed. "Is this-" He guessed what it was and when he opened the package it proved his guess right. He laughed as he held the content of the package. "So we meet¡­¡­" "[Firestorm]" ///// [Firestorm] [Made by the best female blacksmith in Migas. This sword was made with the picture of a powerful fire and destructive lightning in mind, making this sword an excellent booster for fire and lightning techniques. Firestorm was meant to be a [A-Rank] sword, but the blacksmith enchanted it slightly making it an [S-Rank Low] sword. A gift for a flatter. Effect 40% Increase in Fire Techniques Strength 40% Increase in Lightning Techniques Strength Increases control and fluidity of Fire and Lightning. Reduces Ether Cost of Fire and Lightning attacks. Auto-Mending [Mid] "Wow!" Vincent said in awe as he finished reading the [Status] of the sword. "A sword truly deserving the name [Firestorm]" [Indeed, Aemplefort''s Blacksmith Prime is quite the talented one] [I wonder how powerful her S-Rank weapons are] "So do I" Firestorm was a silver sword. Its blade is strong, with a slightly curved edge. It had mysterious engravings running across it. Firestorm had an elaborate guard, a solid silver grip, and a crimson gem set in the front side pommel, and a green gem set on the other side. It is lightweight, perfectly balanced, and is to be used in the right hand. The scabbard accompanying it is made of brass with sapphire trimmings. Vincent fell in love with the sword as he ran his hand through the engravings. "It''s good that I got this sword today, It would be a great help for tomorrow''s class" "Tomorrow, I''ll show the school a reason to promote my rank," He said with determination as he kept Firestorm into his closet and went off to sleep. The Next Day Vincent woke up, freshened up, and wore his school uniform. Pleased with his reflection in the mirror, Vincent walked up to his closet and strapped to his waist an important thing for today. [Firestorm] would be helpful for today''s class and event. [Dark Beast Practical Training] was the class and [Power Assessment] the event. [Power Assessment] is an event held annually but because of the incoming [Dark Beast Hunting] coming two months from now. The school wishes to witness the overall strength and potential of students. If the overall strength of students is too low, then the event would be called off. Therefore, the assessment shall begin today. While the rules nor structure of the [Power Assessment] were relayed to the students, Vincent had an assumption that it would either be a tournament or an overall day-by-day assessment. Either way, he doesn''t care as long as he could get more clearance in the library then he is satisfied. He then went to the A-Rank Class and was led with his fellow students to a large field enclosed with glass outside the school. Along the way students, the [A-B Class] and [A-C Class] were merged with them, and they all entered into the large dome. As they entered, the entire [A-Rank Class] were amazed by how large the inside of the dome was. Seats were arranged across the field with another immediate row of seats above It. The layout went on until there was a small space between the last row of seats and the walls of the dome. The students were further led to the center of where they were given the orders to line up for a briefing. The briefing began when Instructor Pryde and two other Instructors came before them. "Greetings Students", He began. "My name is Pryde, and I''ll be the Instructor of the Dark Beast Practical class today." "Today, the practical class will not only serve as a way for you to become familiar with the dangers of [Dark Beasts]." "It will also serve as one of the mediums through which the various Instructor of Aemplefort shall assess you, to deem you valid for the Dark Beast Hunt happening 2 months from now." "I hope you all take this class with seriousness." "While indeed the [Dark Beast] used in today''s class are mostly docile, Be careful when dealing with them lest you lose a body part." He said with a serious tone. His words caused the students to become more serious. Pleased with the serious faces of the students, he continued to relay more information. "Ok, We''ll begin by diving the ranks of students into 3 separate sets" "The [A-C] set, [A-B] set, and the [A-A] set" "My colleagues at my side, Instructor Byrne and Instructor Olva will handle the [A-C] set and the [A-B] set respectively. While I will be in charge of the [A-A]." The two instructors at Instructor Pryde sides left with their classes to another entry field, leaving the [A-A] set in the dome After the A-C A-B set departed from the A-A set, Robust cages held up by an invisible force were sent before the A-A Rank students. In each of these cages were [Dark Beasts] each giving off the breath of a B-Rank Danger Threat. Students with no experience on [Dark Beasts] gasped in surprise as the monsters of different shapes and sizes were brought before them. Some were scared of their wits, shaking in fear. Instructor Pryde then spoke out, "A [Dark Beast] for a student, Today''s class would be about how you can handle [Dark Beasts]without any prior experience." "You have 10 minutes to get ready before the class starts" After saying that, he walked out of the dome. Students began prepping for the class, They brandished their weapons and items then put on armors that their parents had sent to them. Vincent didn''t have any armor to use as the rest of the students, yet again he didn''t need it. At his current point of strength [B-Rank Threat, Dark Beasts] were babies to him. Instead, he began to use his time to go about what he had gained in the past month. ''A month has passed and I have become a little bit stronger than before'' ''I''ve finished the A-B section of the library and half-finished the A-A section.'' ''Also, I''ve become more familiar with Authority of Lightning and Authority of Fire." "I''ve been training every day at night with the rest of the [Elemental Planar Giants] on combat techniques.'' ''The space they reside in also acts like [Yggdrasil]. Because of that, I''ve been able to train [Portal Maker] and raised my proficiency to 2. It''s a small number but it was hard to get there'' ''The Planar Giant space was a great help If only I could train [Thundra Possession] at its fullest there.'' "Another great thing that happened was that I can reach [Akashic] from my room." "With [Akashic] I managed to get the answers to my question on Alchemy and Blacksmith'' ''For Alchemy, my best choice was an Alchemy skill book which according to [Akashic] I''ll encounter on one of my missions this year.'' ''Not too specific so I''ll have to keep an eye out.'' ''For Blacksmith, The school offers extra vocational classes. An answer I could have gotten if I had asked an instructor so I was mildly disappointed.'' ''*Sigh*, Even though I''m strong. I still have a long way to go.'' [AN: Thundra Possession uses natural lightning, Made lightning can still be used but it''s not as potent] Some students glanced at Vincent who stood on his own as he stared into space, They wondered why he didn''t wear any armor. Taudar saw this as a chance to insult Vincent, so he gave an order to his lackey to spread a rumor about Vincent being poor. ''He doesn''t have money to get a measly armor'' That was the message the Lackey sent around At the thought of this, the rich noble boys of the A-A Class felt proud of themselves and disdainful of Vincent. Since Vincent had started attending Aemplefort he has always been at the top whether in academics or strength or beauty. Now today they found out that they were better than him at something. Money At this, they felt pride and laughed as they thought within themselves, ''You are just a pretty boy with no money.'' Amongst the girls, They gossiped to each other about Vincent as the rumor got to them "Looks like S-Rank brother doesn''t have money to get an armor". One girl whispered to the other "Really?" She answered back. "Of course, think about it, we are fighting [Dark Beasts] here." The rumor went on to move until it reached a certain person''s ears. "Amelia have you heard the rumor, They are saying that student Vincent cannot afford an armor" "Lena, They are just baseless rumors," Amelia replied as she brandished a long sword to her side. "But what if it''s true?" Lena retorted. "It''s not" "And what makes you so sure?" She raised the question "Because he is bored." "What?" "Lena, There is only one reason a man stands bored before a battle" "It''s because the battle is not worth his time" After the 10 minutes expired, Instructor Pryde strode back to the class "Ok, let''s begin." "Amelia Maeth, come forward, Your fight shall be against Taurus." "Students stand back" He warned Amelia strode out of the crowd, She was a beautiful girl on her right with long blue and silver hair tied in a ponytail. She had glasses that failed to hide the sharp gaze she held. She wore a basic female silver armor and in her hand, a beautiful silver longsword was carried. "Lena, There is only one reason a person stands bored before a battle" ¡­. "It''s because that battle is not worth his time" After the minutes were up, Instructor Pryde walked back to the class "Ok, let''s begin." "Amelia Maeth, come forward, Your fight shall be against Taurus." "Students stand back" He warned Amelia walked out of the crowd, She was a beautiful girl on her right with long blue and silver hair tied in a ponytail. She had glasses that failed to hide the sharp gaze she held. She donned a basic female silver armor and in her hand, a beautiful long sword was carried. Taurus was a [Dark Beast] that stood on its 4 Feet. It stood 2 feet taller than Amelia with four silver horns, an overly muscular body, and a menacing gaze. Taurus is a [Dark Beast] close to becoming an A-Rank Threat. Amelia was one of the few students in the A-A class that caught Vincent''s interest, not because of her beauty but of her strength. [Amelia Maeth Mammoth Race: Mammoth Migas Innate: Water Manipulation, Ice Manipulation. Skills: Ice Dance, Cold Resistance, Ice Bolt, Ice Wave, Ether Manipulation, Ether Control. Bio: Amelia Maeth Mammoth, The fourth young mistress of the Maeth Clan of the side branch, The niece of the clan head. She lives amongst the main branch as they groom her talent for the use of the clan. She wishes to escape a fate she accidentally overheard. Furthermore, she yearns to escape her uncle and clan''s reach. For that she needs strength.] Taurus was a [Dark Beast] that stood on its 4 Feet. It stood 2 feet taller than Amelia with four silver horns, an overly muscular body, and a menacing gaze. Taurus is a [Dark Beast] close to becoming an A-Rank Threat. It charges at its opponent with no relent, with the force of a wrecking ball. Alternatively, it also uses its sharp silver horns to dig into its opponents and tear them apart. As Amelia walked toward the caged Taurus, It immediately became aggressive in its cage. Since when it had been captured it has either been in a dark place or front of Migas with strength that suppressed it forcing it to be docile. Now that it smells a ''weak one'' walking to it with the intent of battle and no one restraining it. Hunger flashed through its eyes making everything red, It went on slamming against its cage in excitement. Before the menacing Dark Beast, Amelia didn''t flinch nor falter in the slightest. Instead, she drew out her long sword and slipped into an attacking posture. Then she signified for the cage to come down, when it did Taurus rushed out at Amelia with the intent to ram and crush her. But she was already prepared. As Taurus got to her, she quickly swiveled to the side and countered by cutting at its side leaving a deep gash on the skin of the [Dark Beast], A testament to the sharpness of her long sword. Taurus halted to a stop as it didn''t feel the impact nor the wail of its prey, instead, it felt pain from the said. It became angrier, making its muscles bulge until it came to be another foot bigger than Amelia. But in front of this beast, she showed no fear. Rather, she knew she couldn''t hold back anymore. Taurus roared as it charged madly at great speeds towards Amelia. In front of the bull, Amelia touched the ground and said in a cold tone. [Ice Wave] Whoosh. At blinding speed, Over 100 m of the field floor was covered by ice, making the air colder. The icy floor made Taurus lose its footing, and it slammed onto the ice at high speed, making it tumble towards Amelia. As the Tumbling [Dark Beast] met Amelia, She quickly pressed her feet and jumped over Taurus, making Taurus slide past her harmlessly and hit the wall of the dome. Most of its bones were broken, Blood dripped from its wounds, its two horns were broken with the remaining cracked and bloodied. But Amelia wasn''t done yet, As she landed she cast another skill. [Ice Bolts] 5 Thin long Icicles manifested from the cold air and rushed towards the downed [Dark Beast] and pierced through it without restraint. Taurus struggled for a while before the light in its eyes dimmed, and it fell dead. Instructor Pryde checked for its breath upon finding none, He announced to the class "Taurus has been killed by Amelia!" The students of A-A, Held their breath for a while before they began to cheer for Amelia. Throughout the battle, they saw how Amelia handled and killed the dark beast in a few moves. Watching such a battle was exciting for them. Amelia strode back to the group, as she passed Vincent''s side she heard him whisper. "Good Job" "Thanks," She whispered back impassively. "Next Taudar Maeth" Instructor Pryde. ''Mm it looks like stick head is up next, Let''s see how strong you are Taudar'' //// Chapter 56 - Vincents Display Of Power Amelia strode back to the group, as she walked by Vincent she heard him whisper. "Good Job" "Thanks," She whispered back impassively. "Next Taudar Maeth" Instructor Pryde. ''Mm it looks like stick head is up next, Let''s see how strong you are Taudar'' ///// [Status] [Name: Taudar Maeth Mammoth Race: Mammoth Migas Innate: Strength of Mammoths, Ether Manipulation Skill: Ice Movement, Ice Wave, Frost Aura.] Taudar wore well-made armor with a silver chest plate, armguards, and leg guards. He sheathed a sharp, heavy, double-handed greatsword to his side Taudar walked towards Instructor Pryde and the center of the arena that had already reverted to normal. "Taudar you will be facing Sagitta," Instructor Pryde announced A Dark Beast among the remaining was brought towards him, The Dark Beast was edgy, to say the least. Saggita was a beast that resembled a feral hedgehog, it had deadly long white spikes laid on its orange fur and even more deadly claws protruding out of its limbs. While short in height, it was a few times bigger than Taudar. When in front of Taudar, Saggita snarled in hostility while feral it was smart to a degree. It knew that to escape should be its focus rather than to fight. So using his clawed limbs it attempted to use an ability that made it a hassle to catch. It made an effort to dig into the ground but Taudar made his move faster. ''[Ice Wave]'' Copying the skill Amelia used, He covered the arena floor with ice although the range of his wave was smaller than that of Amelia it still proved useful. Sagitta fell over due to the frozen floor providing Taudar a window of opportunity that he took advantage of. He dashed at Sagitta and swung his greatsword. While his sword was just as long as he was, Taudar was able to swing it with relative ease. Sensing danger, Saggita slinked into its shell and rolled away a distance although not unscathed. It had a deadly gash above his neck leaking out huge amounts of blood onto the frozen ground. Losing a lot of blood Saggita lost its strength and dizzily fell onto the ground and. Looking at the pathetic form of the Dark Beast, Taudar grinned in sadistic victory and strode pompously to it. Looking at the cause of its pain walking towards it to land the final blow. Saggita was put between the floor and a hard place driving it to the corner Looking at this situation Instructor Pryde shook his head in displeasure, "The Boy fails to remember his teaching" ''''A Dark Beast is at its most dangerous when pushed to the corner'''' "Never drop your guard" *BOOM* An explosion of raging fire attribute ether burst out from Sagitta. Immediately melting the ice beneath and around it, and also injuring Taudar to the point he had to retreat. Gradually Saggita began to visibly heal, Its spikes began to rise, its claws grew longer, and its fire burst grew bigger making the additional students of class A-A retreat. Instructor Pryde stared at the ongoing issue with a scowl on his face, but he made no move to stop it. Vincent was unaffected by the rising heat and instead focused on the Dark Beast that was changing rather. ''Evolving'' The Impending danger had pushed Sagitta to evolve. Growing from B-Rank Danger Threat sharply to A-Rank Danger Threat Improved its intelligence and power enough to use Ether Burst. But Alas, Saggita was interrupted as Taudar snapped out of his stun and dashed through the heat making use of [Frost Aura] to keep himself cool. He came off at the side of the defenseless Saggita, Taudar swung his greatsword at it, Taudar swung his Greatsword with great force but he was met with the hard spikes of Sagitta that increasingly grew harder, So Taudar used another of his skills to increase his odds. ''[Strength of Mammoths]'' With his new gained strength, Taudar pushed against the hard spikes of Sagitta and cut into it leaving a deep gash going through its chest. Sagitta let out a pained cry and again fell onto the ground and this time not getting up. After a while, the dome was let down and the hot temperature gradually began to cool. Medics were called and gave attention to the students, mostly Taudar as he was the closest to the blast. He was for the most part okay and just suffered first-degree burns. They were about to take him to the infirmary but he chose to stay and watch the remaining fights. The medics agreed because his skill [Frost Aura] had already mitigated most of the heat and he was already healing, a little patching up was what he needed. As they healed him, Taudar glanced at Vincent and gave him a pompous smile as if to say ''I am better than you.'' While Vincent just cracked up on the inside. ''Why are you so proud of yourself?'' He chuckled as he directed his attention to instructor Pryde, ''Weakling''. Since Taudar was alright, Instructor Pryde went on with the assessment and called students out to assess. Most of the students in the A-A Class were capable of dealing with their foes, Some had difficulties and a few were unable to deal with the beasts. The numbers went on to diminish until Vincent was the last one. "Okay up next, Vincent Gate" Vincent walked to the center of the arena and a Dark Beast was brought out but as it was about to be released for the fight. A voice reverberated across the room. "Release the other," The Voice said The students were confused about who said that, but Vincent and Instructor Pryde knew well who that voice belonged to. "Yes Principal" Instructor Pryde replied respectfully. ''Principal!'' The students thought. Then they reasoned ''The Principal has been watching us'' At this thought, those that didn''t perform too well paled in fright as they had thoughts of them being expelled. Instructor Pryde turned to the carriers of the Dark Beast and said, "Bring the other" They nodded in response. Another Dark Beast was then brought before Vincent. Both Dark Beasts were of the same species and looked alike. The Dark Beasts were huge beefy reptiles that released B-Rank Danger Threat Aura and together it could be equated to an A-Rank. One of the Dark Beast had beautiful blue scales with two emerald green slitted eyes. The other had Vibrant green scales with mossy grey linings, it too had emerald green slitted eyes. "Vincent, you will face Aqua and Virgo. Good luck" The two Dark Beasts were set free, They came out of the cages and slithered around each other as they focused on the figure before them. They assessed him as he assessed them. ''Obviously, it''s evident that Aqua is water attuned and the Virgo is Earth attuned.'' ''Seems like they are pitting me against the weaknesses of my dual element'' With his thoughts done, Vincent began to walk towards the twin snakes and slowly untreated Firestorm as he did. "Although this is unforeseen it changes nothing." "I''ll deal with it and I''ll deal with it well" "[Fire]" In an instant waves of fire came from his feet and quickly approached the twin snakes. Amongst them, Aqua unfolded her mouth and spat out a large amount at high speed to the wave of fire approaching. The water blast met the fire wave and mitigated it creating a wall of smoke that covered the arena. The students like the Dark Beasts were blinded by the smoke which was right along with Vincent''s plan. Abruptly a voice was heard gaining the attention of the Dark Beasts. "[Burst]" From the Sky, Vincent dropped upon the dark beast with a powered-up ether punch. Knowing that they couldn''t dodge together, The two dark beasts separated to the sides of Vincent which allowed them to evade the dangerous punch. Vincent brought his powerful fists upon the ground and they blasted through creating a crater that further split the dark beasts apart. Without waiting Vincent cast another skill. "[Thundra]" From the sky, A blinding strike of lightning fell upon Aqua the water affixed Dark Beast, Bringing screams out of it as it fell onto the ground dead. The on-watching students almost had their mouths falling off, Vincent had just killed a B-Rank Dark Beast with one strike. Now they knew why he didn''t wear armor. He didn''t need it. Even Taudar was shocked by the power Vincent held before jealousy and anger replaced it ''With such power in his hands, How am I supposed to be the best and win her hand'' [AN: Ha, You poor Fool] To make sure of its death, Vincent waved Firestorm and cut off its head which made the instructor Pryde nod in acknowledgment. "Well, that was easy." He said as the head of Aqua rolled onto the ground, Then he focused on Virgo. "Now it remains only you" Vincent felt he should be a little more conscious of Virgo, His fire and lightning were not too effective against it. But thankfully it was only a B-Rank Danger Threat on its own, He just needs to kill it in one fine hit. And so he commenced the plan. He channeled his pure fire attuned ether, Purer and more powerful than before because he drew it from his Fire Core. The engravings on Firestorm lit up with a red glow signifying the fire ether running through it. Seeing the death of its companion Virgo mossy grey linings lit up and it hissed in anger. It dug his tail into the ground and the earth responded as earth spikes began to spring out toward Vincent to impale him. But Vincent nimbly turned over the spike and instead used it as a footing to launch himself to the angry Dark Beast. While Vincent was in the air, Virgo used this chance to launch more spikes at Vincent. The Earth Spikes soon enveloped Vincent leaving little to no room for escape. At this scene, Taudar smiled in pleasure which quickly changed into a grimace as Vincent used another of his skills. [Fire Burst] Fire Affined Ether violently burst all-round Vincent and shattered the earth spikes surrounding him, it also made Virgo lose sight of Vincent. It looked around in confusion and was caught off guard when Vincent suddenly appeared behind it with a firestorm already in a slashing motion. Virgo was enough to use Earth affined Ether to reinforce its scales but its efforts were for naught as Firestorm cut through it with relative ease, releasing a strong blast of fire as residue. Virgo halted as its eyes went white and half of his body slid off. Even with his enhanced scales, it couldn''t stand up to the might of an A-Rank weapon like Firestorm. And just like that Vincent easily solved two B-Rank Dark Beasts. No one applauded as they were too shocked to react, even Instructor Pryde. He knew that Vincent could probably deal with both Dark Beasts but he didn''t expect it to be simple for him. ''He moves like a skilled Veteran'' Instructor Pryde thought. After dealing with both Dark Beasts, Vincent walked back to the still shocked group, ignoring the glare of Taudar. Instructor Pryde declared the end of the Power Assessment and told the students to head back to their rooms. Along the way, several students began to pester Vincent about his strength but he soon dashed to his room and turned in for the day. His last thoughts for the day were, "With this, they have to improve my rank" "Months from now the Dark Beast event will begin, The goal is to grow stronger, win the event, and get that fucking ring." ///Council of Instructors POV/// In the Principal''s office, The Instructors of A-C, A-B, and A-A classes gathered before the principal. "Report" He began Instructor Bryne came forward and began to speak, "Few of The A-C Class students seem capable of dealing with a Dark Beast one on one but they are not ready to participate in the event" "Mmm" The principal hummed to himself, "And what about the A-B class" Instructor Olva came forward and reported, "Most of the students are capable of surviving the event with only some falling behind." "Overall I believe that some elbow grease and preparation before the event should toughen them up" "The only talent I see in the class is Ama Ivory, I suggest moving her up to A-A class if she performs well in the event." "Mmh Ama Ivory, If she performs well move her up a class, And what about A-A Class" Instructor Pryde came forward and reported, "Potential in the A-A class is high, All of the students have adequate strength to not only fight but also escape." "Although some seem hesitant, with due time they would be honed into capable fighters" "Good, Are there any distinguished talents?" The Principal asked "We only have a few talents, Amelia Maeth, Taudar Maeth, Lena Elv, and Vincent Gate." "Mmm, Vincent Gate¡­...what are your thoughts about him" "Strong, Smart, has the potential to be a leader but prefers to be alone, Talented. Overall he has the most chance of winning the upcoming event," replied Instructor Pryde. "That is true." Instructor Sellusa added "Keep an eye on him we don''t want those clans to get their hands on him". The principal ordered "Yes Sir" "Also when will the expedition end?" "A week after the Dark Beast Hunting event, They should return 2 weeks after that" "Good, Our top talent is entitled to the top teachers" "Also improve the boys rank, He deserves it after what I did to him today" "Yes Sir" Chapter 57 - Goal Achieved, Choosing Skill Books "When will the expedition end?" "A week after the Dark Beast Hunting event, They should return 2 weeks after that" "Good, Our top talent merits the top teachers" "Also improve the boys rank, He deserves it after what I did to him today" "Yes Sir" ///// The next day, Vincent woke refreshed and energetic. After a few minutes of refreshing and dressing, he left his room for A-A Class. A-A Class was filled with chatters and energetic chirping, but as Vincent sauntered in, the whole class went quiet. Vincent ignored the eyes of the full class as he strode and sat at his seat. Amongst the students, A shy female student walked to Vincent''s table and greeted, "Good Morning Sir" Vincent was startled for a while before he greeted the girl back with a smile. "Good Morning" Vincent did not know how deadly his handsome face made his smile but the girl was firsthand to its power. She blushed and quickly scurried to her seat with a red face. The rest of the female population in the class were also not pardoned from its power as redness began to spread on their faces too. The male section could only grumble in displeasure as Vincent came in and ''Stole'' all the attention. None dared to face him. Moments Later, Instructor Pryde arrived at the class and stood before the smiling Vincent, the grumbling males, and the red-faced females. He couldn''t help but let out a sigh, ''Teenagers''. He ignored the situation and began to address them. "Good Morning Students, I believe you all slept well. I am here to brief you and pass on important information from the school." "As you experienced, Yesterday was the start of the Power Assessment. Some of you did well and some did not." "Either way, the power assessment is just starting. There is still a chance for you to redeem yourself." The few downcast students face lit up with determination at the thought of a second chance. "Secondly, because we only have 2 months before the Dark Beast Hunt event, all classes unrelated to the handling of Dark Beast are to be discontinued temporarily. Including the voluntary classes like Alchemy and Blacksmith that were set to begin next month." "Dark Beast theory and practical classes are to be doubled in period and so as your rest time." "The school wants you to be prepared enough so that you will be able to compete or at least not die in the event." "Moreover, The Dark Beast event would also serve as your first term exam and your ranking would be the position in your result." "Also rewards will be given to the first to fifth occupiers on the leaderboard so I advise you to perform twice as well on that day." "Sir, what are the rewards?" A student interrupted Instructor Pryde shook his hand, "I don''t know, But I do know that the rewards will be beneficial to those who receive it" "I suggest you work twice as hard on that day" "Thirdly, The First and Second set of Ampleforth students and also the S-Rank instructors shall be returning from the end of the session expedition three months from now." Vincent picked up on that statement and smiled in excitement. "That is all. If you have any questions, meet me in my office and I''ll explain." "There will be no classes today, You are dismissed." Before he left he turned to Vincent, "Vincent follow me to my office" "Yes Sir" Vincent responded /// Vincent sat before Instructor Pryde in his office. His office could be said to be just like him, Taxidermy heads of Dark Beasts were mounted on the red walls. Unlike normal Taxidermy Heads, The heads of the Dark Beasts still released their pressure. They were all A-Ranks with the two heads behind Instructor Pryde being S-Ranks, Entering this room was not for the weak. Sitting there was quite unnerving for Vincent. But while indeed it was scary, Vincent noticed something widespread among the heads. ''They all look to be in great pain'' Vincent thought, making him feel even more uncomfortable. Before Long, Instructor Pryde began to speak, "The school has agreed to increase your rank, You have the permission to the S-B section of the library." Vincent smiled in happiness and bowed, "Thank you, Sir" "Don''t thank me, You deserved it and I hope this quenches the anger of yesterday''s event" Vincent laughed a little and replied, "I understand, Sir" "Good, I should leave you now. Prepare well for the event." "Yes sir", After leaving Instructor Pryde''s office, Vincent took off straight to the S-Class He shook past the empty desks and came through the back door into Yggdrasil Proto [A]. He stopped just to take in the calming air before he moved forward with his pace and pushed through the door leading to the S-C Rank section of the library. The S-B Section was just a stair above his position, As he entered he could feel the difference. ''They are all skill books'' Vincent thought with emotion in his eyes, The thought of endless skills at his disposal was like a dream to him A dream that will remain a dream as Miss Mika the librarian''s voice reverberated through the room, "Stop thinking of impossible things boy." Vincent jerked in surprise as the voice went on to speak, "I''m obliged to inform you that as an S-B Ranker, you can only take 1 skill book per term, and in total 3 books per session." "Only on special approval are you allowed another skill book" "Do you understand?" Librarian Mia asked "Yes Miss Mia" Vincent replied "Good." She said in delight. "And if you think of stealing a book, Just know that I''m watching." She said in an odd tone. A strange shiver passed through Vincent as he shook his head. Thereupon moments without a reply, Vincent stepped before a bookshelf and began searching for a skill book /////Vincent Pov////// ''[Eat Anything]'' I have spent most of the searching for a ''Good'' skill book in this library "But there are NONE!" Most of the skill books effects in this section can be reproduced by my skill set. For Example. [Flame Veil], I can already mode fire to whatever I wish, so it''s useless to me. [Power Smash], Just augment your fists with either and you''ll get the same result, even better. [Paralysis Shock], I can already conjure lightning from clear skies, I think I know how to paralyze someone. While there are some skill books I can''t replicate well. Such skill books are not too useful to me. Example [Spider Webs: Strong material released from whichever body part the user chooses, used for web-slinging or wrapping up an opponent(s).] ''...........There''s no way I''m going to be spiderman in a fantasy world'' [Prehensile Tendrils: Tendrils emitted from one''s body capable of attacking, gripping, and¡­¡­¡­¡­.kinky stuff] ''According to my culture, I am lead to believe that the Dark Beast that had this skill was most probably a slime'' Beside it was another skill that further cemented my belief [Aphrodisiac Tendrils: Coats Tendrils with potent Aphrodisiac increasing sensitivity and pleasure. Note; continuous exposure causes Mind Break on victims] ''Yeah, It''s a slime.'' ''.......But still, should I choose this skill? It seems¡­.helpful'' [Were you just about to be to use a free skill ticket on a sex-inducing skill.] Vincent turned red, coughing in embarrassment as he changed the subject, ''Do you think there are any usable skills here?'' [There should be, We just have to choose the skill that fits you best] *Sigh*, ''Ok, I''ll keep searching.'' And searching I did, At the end of the day, 6 skill books stood before me. [High Mind] [Ingestion] [Shapeshift] [Duplication] [Sublimation] [Bone Manipulation]. "These are the only books that are useful to me" ''[Status]'' [High Mind: Increase Mind process. Passive Increase in Thinking power Slows down perception upon activation.] [Ingestion: Ability to consume any sort of matter without any ill effects on the user.] [Shapeshift: Ability to alter one''s appearance so that it resembles another person''s. At Higher comprehension, Animal Shapeshifting is possible.] [Duplication: Ability to create physical duplicates of oneself.] [Sublimation: Ability to transform into a gaseous, mist, or fog-like form. Runs on Ether] [Bone manipulation: Ability to manipulate the bones in one''s own body. This includes, but is not limited to, the generation of new bone mass, projecting bones out from the skin, or rearranging one''s bones.] ''Sigh, What should I choose?'' Vincent asked himself. ///// If you have an opinion on which skill to be given, Drop a comment. ///// Chapter 58 - Absorbing A New Skill, Another Heavens Dilenma ''Sigh, What should I choose?'' Vincent asked himself. ///// ///Vincent Pov/// [I suggest you focus on the cons and pick the most useful], The system suggested ''My thoughts exactly'' [First is [High Mind] [The skill helps increase your perception] ''But [Eidetic Library of Knowing] has already enhanced my perception by a great length, and with the addition of Thundra Possession. Most can''t contend with me in that aspect." " I think my perception is enough as it is. The skill is not needed now. So no'' ''Ok, Next is [Ingestion]'' [Ingestion allows you to eat any matter] ''But does it allow me to eat energy?'' [No, I suspect only the skill of Devour is capable of achieving that] ''Then skip'' [Ok Next is [Shapeshift] [Allows you to change your features to whatever you want] ''My illusion skill is capable of doing the same thing. I''m sure my illusion skill can even make it better.'' [So No.] ''Yeah no.'' [Ok Next is Duplicate] [Ability to create Physical duplicates of oneself.] ''But would they be able to use my skills?'' [Depends on the amount of proficiency you achieved'' ''And how much damage are they capable of taking?'' [Depends on proficiency] ''Mm, Keep it aside It may be useful'' [Ok Next is [Sublimation] [Allows you to turn into a gaseous form, Lasts as long as Ether put into it] ''That''s a very useful skill, but how visible would I be'' [Depend on proficiency] ''How widespread would I be'' [Depend on Proficiency] ''Can I be scattered by high wind'' [........] ''..........'' [So No] ''No'' [Ok Next is Bone Manipulation] [In a nutshell, it allows you to manipulate your bones and create new bones.] ''A Good skill, Capable of offense and defense depending on how I use it.'' [So Yes?] ''Wait!'' ''How painful is it to manipulate my bones'' [......Quite Painful] ''And how painful is it to create a new bone'' [.......Quite Painful] ''Yeah No, It''s not worth putting myself through such pain.'' After going through the pros and cons, I decided to choose [Duplicate] as my new skill It was the only skill that is not capable of causing pain nor death to me. [It is a good choice, I''m sure in the future it will be useful to you] ''Indeed'' After deciding on [Duplicate], I spent no more time in the library. The day was already gone. I shouted goodbye to Miss Mia and went through the door into Yggdrasil Proto [A]. I had the idea to absorb the skill book here but yet decided to do it in my room instead. So I strode through the fresh field of Yggdrasil into the empty S-Rank classroom and went to my room. Along the way, I bumped into a surprising figure. "Vincent" "Amelia" "You still won''t call me Class Captain" "No, I won''t" "Mm, Anyway where are you headed at this time" "To my room, and you" "I am also on my way to my room." "So it seems we are going the same way" "Indeed we are" After that was an uneasy silence between Amelia and me as we walked through the hallways to our room. There were no topics brought up on my part because I didn''t care to have a conversation while on her part she knew nothing about me to bring up a topic. So we roamed in silence. A while later she seemed to have cooked up something because she began to talk. "What do you think of Taudar?" She asked. I wasn''t keen to talk to her but I wanted to see where she was going with this so I replied. "Nothing, I don''t keep insignificant things in mind" Which was indeed true. She chuckled and replied, "Well, He seems to have a lot to think about you" I did not reply to that statement but that didn''t discourage her as she went on "Do you know why he decided to school in Aemplefort?" I still did not reply. "It is because of a girl." Now I was interested. "He fell in love with a girl but her parents refused to concede their relationship." "According to him, The only way her parents would concede their relationships is if he schools at Aemplefort and becomes the best in his set" "Hence he is desperate, I can''t help but advise you to be careful around him" I nodded at her signifying that I understood "But it is a good challenge, After all, Aemplefort while not being the best school, It is the hardest school to graduate from in all of Migas." ''It is?'' Vincent asked himself "Most people end up switching to another school because they are easier and also grant more resources than Aemplefort" "Then why are you here?" Vincent asked. Amelia went silent for a few seconds before answering, "Because those that do graduate end up stronger than any other in their set." "I want that kind of strength," She said with determination as we reached my room "Mm, As do I" I replied while opening the door to my room. "But I hope that when we do gain such power, It will be sufficient enough to accomplish our goals." Amelia was startled before she smiled at me and said back, "I hope so too" I smiled back and closed the door, locking it behind me, and laid on my bed. "System Assimilate the book." [Ok] And Soon after I passed out. /////In Heaven///// A Month Ago Azazel and Uriel were now being healed by Gabriel. They had undergone major injuries in their attempt to calm the rage of Raphael and Gabriel Their attempts were for naught as the two female Arch-Angels still fumed in anger. Raphael paced around the room, Her Auburn hair lit up in golden flames as she clenched the golden whip she held. A divine artifact she once used to punish Azazel on God''s order. She also put on her battle outfit, It resembled that of an amazonian war goddess. Raphael is more than ready to head down to Migas and lay waste to anything, just to lay her hands on the intruding demon and torture it in a million ways before giving it a gruesome death. Gabriel wasn''t any more different. As she was healing, her mind roamed elsewhere. She recalled the war that transpired causing her face to crunch in anger and displeasure. While she did not wear any armor, on the inside her mind had already completed innumerable spells and the holy energy in her was ready to bring all those spells to life and rain havoc on her enemies. Uriel was also angry at the thought of demons moving again but it was doused by the question in his mind. ''How did they know that Vincent was the successor?'' He asked himself. Azazel on the other hand was not worried neither was he angry, His mind was elsewhere. He knew that the Heavens System would be the first to react if a demon met face to face with the successor at this time, calling upon all means to keep the successor safe. Instead, his mind was on what this kind of movement meant. A demon targeting the successor to heaven meant that. "War is on the Horizon," Azazel said out loud to no one and everyone. The Arch-Angels didn''t reply but they all knew. This event signified the revival of the War that resulted in nothing but bloodshed and pain. The Great War is coming!. Chapter 59 - Begin!, Dark Beast Hunt Event. A demon targeting the successor to heaven meant that. "War is on the Horizon," Azazel said out loud to no one and everyone. The Angels didn''t reply but they all knew. This event signified the revival of the War that caused nothing but bloodshed and pain. The Great War is coming!. //// Vincent Pov //// Days and Weeks had passed and it was finally D-Day. Power Assessment had ended the day before and the school decided to only allow A-A Class and A-B Class to participate, A-C Rank and below were not authorized to participate. Since the assimilation of the skill [Duplicate], I stopped attending the classes and spent most of my time in Yggdrasil Proto [A]. Mastering my old skills and training my new ones. I also took my time to train on fighting techniques by following the steps of the Lightning and Fire Planar Giants. I woke up today with a serious aura but the eagerness in my eyes was clear to everyone. I packed up my valuables which comprised of Firestorm and a custom armor Blacksmith Prime Gilda made for me. I felt it would be foolish of me to be overconfident and participate in the Hunt event with no protection except for my Angel skill. After wearing the armor which was a simple B-Rank Light body armor which was almost similar to that of a light Cavalry armor but with less armor on no vital parts. While I had enough money to buy an A-Rank, even an S-Rank but doing so would arouse too much attention. After all, how would such an amount of money be in the possession of an orphan? Even buying the B-Rank armor was pushing it. A Helmet was not included in my dressing, My armor was mainly built to maintain speed while giving enough protection. After getting ready, I left my room and joined the group of participating students at the gates of Aemplefort. Some mercenaries were also included in our group. Soon after, Instructor Vinda came before us and began to brief us. "Good Morning students, I hope you are all fired up for this event", She said, flashing us a smile. "Before I start the brief I am obligated to inform you." "The event is completely optional, there will be no penalty imposed for striving to keep your life" She warned "So does anyone wish to not participate in the Dark Beast Hunt?" None among us came out. We knew that the event was optional. For those here, I''m sure they had already settled within them to participate. Seeing that no one was giving out, Instructor Vinda smiled and began to brief. "So no one is chickening out, Well it''s your funeral" She began "Now the rules for the event." "The event is a month-long and at the end of the event, Results will be accumulated" "The event consists of the hunting and killing of Dark Beasts." "Killing a Dark Beast grants points, The amount of points gained from the death of a Dark Beast depends on its rank and sub-rank." "E-Rank gives 1-2 points" "C-Rank gives 3-5 points" "B-Rank gives 6-10 points" "A-Rank gives 10-16 points. "S-Rank gives 16-24 points." "A device will be given to you now. The device will monitor the Dark Beast killed and the points accumulated." She said as helpers of the school came forward and handed everyone a device. The device was like a watch but on the screen was my name, the number of kills, and the number of points gathered. There was also a ''more details'' prompt which led to the screen on the watch make a detailed report on the type of dark beast killed. "You can seize another person''s device and transfer all the kills registered on the device to yourself." Instructor Vinda continued "Note, It takes 3 seconds for the transfer to be completed" "If a device is stolen or compromised, You can always get a new one from the school. Although participants that are not of the school will have to pay a fine." "For the students, Inside your device is 3 lifelines, You''re the first lifeline is a fee but the next two can only be used after the reduction of 6 points." "Participants are not allowed to kill other participants." "If you do just know that we''ll find you." She threatened as she let out her oppressive aura making everyone shiver in fright. She drew back her aura as she continued to brief, propelling everyone to let out a sigh in relief. "Next, The school will not be held responsible for the death of anyone" "At the end of the month, Kills will be shown on a ranking board and the top 5 will be awarded" "And Lastly." "Don''t Die." "Now according to tradition, Before we start the event, we call upon a female of a prestigious clan in Aemplefort to lay a prayer before we begin." An outstanding carriage rode out of Aemplefort until it halted before the group. On the carriage was the symbol for the Maahes family. Guards encircled the carriage, One among them then opened the door and a beautiful woman walked out. A woman I knew all too well, After all, I lived with her. "Mom" My eyes widened in shock. She looked different She looked beautiful. She looked¡­.happy. I was stunned, numerous questions ran through my mind, then it all stopped. I watched as she prayed for our safety. It awakened memories of my past life and this life too. She reminded me of my mom She also reminded me of the times we spent together. Then I realized I missed her. I missed my mom Both of them. But¡­¡­ I can''t take her with me If I didn''t have a mission If I didn''t have a cause I would have But now I did have a mission I did have a cause And she cannot accompany me on that course. It will be the death of her. Hence she should be here, Safe, Happy, Fulfilled. ¡­¡­.. I think I needed this. To see her one last time To strengthen my resolve. ''I love you, mom¡­¡­.. But I hope we never meet again.'' At that moment our eyes met, Her eyes seemed to widen as she froze. We kept staring at each other as more and more memories stirred within me. So before I went too far too deep, I broke eye contact and blended into the crowd disappearing from her view. Seeing that I was walking she tried to run after me but she couldn''t, I didn''t allow her to. "[Go Back]" And that''s what she did, She completed her prayer and sauntered back to her carriage where she was assisted to board. The carriage rolled away soon after, and I muttered my last goodbye at the fading carriage. ///Vincent''s Mom Pov/// I came to pray for the success of the Aemplefort Dark Beast event on the behalf of the Maahes Clan. As I prayed someone caught my eye. He was handsome and beautiful, the more I looked at him the more I felt¡­¡­ proud. He evoked unknown emotions from within me, Emotions that made me freeze. Happiness Sadness Pride Love I asked myself ''Who is that ''Who was he'' ''Why.'' ''Why.'' ''Why. ''Why does it seem like I lost something important and now I''ve gotten it back.'' ''Why did he catch my eye.'' Our eyes locked and I realized he looked just like me. We locked eyes for moments but then he walked away. The connection that I seemed to feel got cut and I tried to run after him, but somehow I couldn''t. I began to walk back to the carriage and u didn''t know why The carriage closed and we began to go back home. In the carriage, I let out a prayer ''I pray that we meet again¡­. Whoever you are.'' I prayed as a tear fell onto my lap. Alas, it was a prayer that never came to pass. //// Vincent Pov Again/ /// Instructor Vinda came back and declared openly the start of the Dark Beast Hunt event. The crowd roared in excitement and all rushed out into the forest searching in enthusiasm for the unfortunate Dark Beast that will be converted into points for them. I was also among them, Taking a boost of speed as I jumped through the trees instead of running. But neither I nor anyone else knew of the Dangers we will soon face. If I had known what I would soon face. I would have bought more armor //// My Pov //// Not too far away, A dark cloaked figure watched as mercenaries and students of Aemplefort dashed into the forest to hunt Dark Beasts. But its eyes were not on them, Rather it was on Vincent. It watched as Vincent faded into the forest. Darkness darker than the night then wrapped around its figure as it came off to fade away from existence. Its words floating in the air. "Hehe, You shall not survive after this. Successor" It said as its creepy laugh reverberated around. ///// Chapter 60 - New Arc, Dark Beast Hunt Start! It watched as Vincent faded into the forest. Darkness darker than the night then wrapped around its figure as it came off to fade away from existence. Its words floating in the air. "Hehe, You shall not survive this. Successor" It said as its creepy laugh reverberated around. ///// ///In Heaven/// The Arch-Angels of heaven stood before an orb. On the orb was the image of Vincent dashing through the trees. Normally each Angel would have been doing their own thing. But they figured that this would be a good time for the Demon to act and carry out whatever evil plan it had. So they decided to stay on guard and watch the event, In case the Demon did take action. /// Vincent 3rd Person Pov /// Vincent headed into the forest, searching for dark beasts along the way with the help of his Ether Sonar technique. The once impromptu sonar had now been trained to a master level. It wasn''t a hard skill to train and with the help of the detailed written knowledge of the Aemplefort Library, it was quite simple for Vincent to master. Now his sonar could even pick up the Danger Threat of the Dark Beasts. He had spread the sonar to cover a distance of 500 meters and was promptly shocked at what It picked up His sonar had registered 50 Dark Beasts in a 500 meters radius. ''Shit, Why are there so many Dark Beasts'' [This must be the reason why they shifted the Dark Beast Hunt event] [They want the students to gain experience and at the same time shorten the increasing number of Dark Beasts roaming the area] [A Win-Win event] [If there were this many Dark Beasts when you first traveled to Aemplefort. You might not have arrived unscathed] The System reasoned, Vincent just replied with a grunt of displeasure. He picked the nearest Dark Beast and approached it. As he neared it he knew he had to be careful because Ether Sonar had picked up two C-Ranks and a B-Rank nearby. Hence Vincent made a plan to end it in a strike, As the Dark Beast entered into his range he took action. Using the tree branch beneath him as a footing, He launched himself into the air towards the Dark Beast at high speeds. The Dark beasts had felt something coming but before it could even register the thing as dangerous, everything went dark for it. A clean slice to the neck led its head to fall off onto the ground. A ding came from the device on Vincent''s wrist, The screen had just registered his kill as the number of Dark Beasts killed went up from 0 to 1. After checking the device, Vincent dashed to the second Dark Beast claiming another kill. 3 Hours Later 3 hours had passed and the registered number of Dark Beasts killed went up from 1 to 19, 11 C-Rank and 8 B-Rank Dark Beasts had been killed. Vincent decided to take a break. After he found a safe place to rest, he took out the food he bought from the school''s cafeteria and kept it in his storage ring. [AN: He has a storage ring, In the early chapters his mother gave him one when they met in the dream] After eating a hearty meal and resting for a few minutes, Vincent woke up and continued the hunt. This time deciding to head deeper into the forest in hopes of finding a stronger Dark Beast. As he packed up he sensed two people walking towards his position. He went on alert as he cleared up and then began to dive deeper through his tree form of moving. From behind he could hear someone calling him, "Hey Wait!!!" But he just ignored it and proceeded with on his path /// Mercenaries 3rd Person Pov /// "Hey Wait!" "¡­.." "Tch How Rude," Mindy said unhappily as Vincent didn''t answer the call. Mindy is a regular C-Rank mercenary. A mercenary rank is distributed according to the capability of the person. The ranks go as follows. E-Rank D-Rank C-Rank B-Rank A-Rank And S-Rank Mindy has been in the mercenary business for 3 years now, Alongside her partner chad. "In what way is he rude Mindy? He has no obligation to stay." Chad, her partner, said. Mindy scoffed side to side, "But to ignore a beauty like me, Now we can''t steal his kills." She sighed at the end Mindy and Chad joined in the Dark Beast event with the plan to lure the inexperienced students of Aemplefort with Mindy''s charm and steal their kills. While Mindy was average in power she wasn''t so in beauty, Not among the likes of Amelia but not too bad either. Chad chuckled a bit and replied, "Forget it, It wasn''t worth it in the first place." "Huh Why?" She perked. "Retrace our path, What did you notice, Mindy." "Uhm" She recalled for a while before answering back, "Nothing much, except for the dead bodies of those strong Dark Bea-" She didn''t finish her words as she realized. "You don''t mean." "It is possible that he killed them all," Chad replied with all seriousness. "......" *Sigh* "Kids these days, They grow too fast. "Indeed they do," Chad replied. //// Vincent 3rd Person Pov //// Vincent went deeper into the forest, Along the way, something caught his eye on the sonar. ''An A-Rank Dark Beast!.'' Grabbing his attention, He changed courses to that point. When he got there, surprisingly there was nothing there but his sonar still said something "My sonar still says it here" "But it''s not around." [If it''s not around then it could only be.] "Underneath!" Vincent shouted as he realized the location of the Dark Beast Suddenly the ground caved in, A huge mouth riddled with spiked sharp teeth plunged out of the ground attempting to eat Vincent. But with Vincent''s reflexes, He quickly reacted, he burst out fire from his legs using the force made to propel himself upwards. This made him evade the deadly attack, But the Dark Beast wasn''t letting up. As Vincent rose higher into the air, so did it. Until it reached a point that it had to retreat. Vincent took this opportunity to counterattack. ''[Fireball]'' In the air, He revised his posture to face the Dark Beast and began his attack by launching a mid-sized fireball at it. Although because of his Fire-Core, it was more of a mini-bomb. When the fireball hit the Dark Beast, An explosion rumbled through the forest. Drawing not only the attention of fellow competitors but also that of nearby Dark Beasts. They were all attracted by the fiery explosion and smoke residue in the sky. For a cloaked figure watching, It knew that it was almost time to start its plan. A brutal and devious one that brought a smile to its face. ///// Amelia 3rd Person Pov ///// A Dark Beast let out a fierce cry as it succumbed to the wounds it had sustained. As the light in its eyes died out, A ding came from the device on the wearer''s wrist. The numbers went up from 9 to 10 as Amelia had just killed her 10th beast. Before she could continue her hunt, A huge boom resounded, startling her. She looked up to see the fiery explosion in the sky. Knowing only one person that could be responsible, Amelia let out a smile as she journeyed deep into the forest, gathering more points along the way ///// Taudar 3rd Person Pov ///// Taudar looked at the fiery explosion in the sky and instinctively knew who was responsible for it. He grunted in displeasure and walked away, then he had an idea. One that brought a smile to his face One that made him change his course One that will soon turn his smile to grief. ///// Chapter 61 - Death Of An A-Rank Dark Beast The Fireball hit the Dark Beast and an explosion occurred. The smoke blinded Vincent''s view of the Dark Beast, to get a clear view of the situation he used an Ether burst to push himself to the side whilst mid-air and dive onto a landing spot. He touched down On the top of a tree which gave him a clear view of his first bout with the monster. When the smoke cleared, Vincent caught a glimpse of the Dark Beasts tail before it retreated into the hole it made. On the tail, Vincent noticed it was layered with something. "Earth affined ether" [The Dark Beast uses Earth affine ether to protect its scales underneath.] "Tch, This makes it harder to kill, Lightning is mostly ineffective against Earth element." "Fire should be enough, but I would need to target a weak spot" Vincent planned. [When it dives out it opens to bite, leaving its inside vulnerable whilst mid-air."] "That should work" Thus he began to execute his plan, Vincent first used the sonar technique to locate its position, then drew its attention by launching a fireball at the field in front of him. Moments later, the land caved in as the Dark Beast showed itself rising into the air. But when it rose Vincent went three times as much until a clean shot showed itself. While its mouth was still open, Vincent attacked its inside by launching another fireball this time stronger than the last as it was powered with 50,000 units of ether. This time the Dark Beast was unable to close its mouth in defense, instead of upon sensing the dangerous flame in its mouth. The Dark Beast covered its insides with layers of Earth affined ether. A silent explosion occurred within the Dark Beast, its residue escaping through its mouth. But it was able to survive, giving a shock to Vincent. The Dark Beast instantly retreated to its hole and began to flee. "How did it survive?" Vincent questioned himself. [If it could cover its outside with earth affined ether.] "It must have the capability to also cover its inside with earth affined ether." He reasoned with the system. [But now that it has been attacked twice, I doubt it will attack again.] [I suggest you don''t spend too much time on it, it''s better to move to another Dark Beast.] "I guess" Before he moved on, Vincent had a spark of an idea. "Unless" "System show [Status]" [Name: Rockworm. Innate: Earth Protection Aura Threat Level: A-Rank Mid. Bio: A worm-like Dark Beast capable of smoothly controlling earth affined either. It uses the ether as a membrane to not only protect itself but also promote smooth tunneling when making its subterranean channels.] "So I was right" [What are you on about?] "It creates underground tunnels right? Beneath me, there should be channels that it has made." [Oh I see, You want to clog the channels with flames to force it out] "Exactly" [Hmm, I don''t think your flames would be enough. Don''t forget it still has its earth protection] "Don''t worry, I have a plan" He reassured. Vincent used a stable burst of fire to levitate to the midst of the hole the Dark Beast built. Then he constructed a layer of hard ether beneath him for stable footing. One of the benefits of having such a large ether pool. He raised his hands to the hole and prayed that his plan would work. "[Continuous Flame Burst]" Powered by 100,000 units of either, Flames poured out of Vincent''s hands into the hole then into the channels flooding towards the location of the Dark Beast at a fast pace. Soon after it caught up with the Dark Beast in search of new prey. As the flood of fire reached it, its instinct flared with an indication of danger enabling the Dark Beast to react by covering itself with Earth Protection Aura The flames went past the Dark Beast enveloping it within. Slowly, The outer protection began to chip away so the Dark Beast supplied more either stabilizing it. Seeing that the Dark Beast had not come out, the system tried to advise Vincent. [This is inefficient.], It said. [Your fire isn''t capable of forcing it out Unless you draw from your fire core but that is not advisable.] "I know that my fire is not capable of forcing it out." Vincent snapped slightly at the system, annoyed at its nagging. "But my lightning can." *Cackle* From his hands lightning was produced and was then mixed with the fire and traveled along within it until it reached the Dark Beast and enveloped it as the fire did. The lightning began to strike at the armor then a strange phenomenon occurred. The protection aura channeled the lightning into the earth but the lightning did not disperse. Instead, it bounced off the walls and struck the protection again. The system was able to observe how the lightning reacted like Vincent and asked in surprise. [How] "Lightning can travel through the ground before it is dispersed" "Hence as the lightning is channeled to the earth, I recall the lightning to reform and strike again" The system was shocked at the ingenious plan Vincent made. [I am genuinely shocked.] [But how are you able to control it remotely?] [Lightning is usually one-way magic. When it leaves the body it''s harder to control because the earth pulls it to disperse.] [Only a few are capable of pulling lightning back from the earth and even fewer able to do it remotely.] [So how are you able to control it when you no longer have a connection to it] "Who said I didn''t have a connection to it" [What?] For the first time, The system was confused "The fire." He hinted [The fire?] "While indeed the lightning is no longer connected to me, The fire still is" "When I channeled the lightning through the fire, I indirectly linked the lightning to the fire." "Hence through the fire, My lightning is still connected to me" [Allowing you to control it, The fire serves as an anchor] The system said in realization. "Indeed" [I have to say host, This is a genius plan] it complimented. "Haha", Vincent chuckled, " Of course it is. All of my plans are genius, Who do you think I am," he said proudly. [A subpar Individual.] "*Cough*", Vincent choked on his pride, almost losing control of his fire. "You don''t know how to compliment someone, So insensitive" "Can''t you be nice for one" [If you continuously prove to be as smart as this then I might consider it] "Whatever, Anyway it should be coming up now". On cue, in the distance, The ground caved in, and the Dark Beast dived out. Its mouth opened to take in cool air and relief. A bad decision as Vincent was right above it with an orb of fire-infused lightning fluttering above his palm and a devilish smile on his face. " Bon Appetit," He said and he threw down the ball of destruction right into the Dark Beast''s mouth. With most of its ether depleted from trying to protect itself underground, The dark beast had no way of making its protective aura anymore. So the ball fell smoothly into it and exploded destroying it from the inside as the Dark Beast was separated into numerous uneven parts across the field. As Vincent had a soft landing, A familiar ding came from his watch. The device had registered his kill and the number went up to 20, and his points at 125. "*Sigh*, Well that was stressful" "125 Points huh, Let''s round it to 200 then I''ll stop for the day." Then he went on to find his next prey. ''What should I do with my stalker though'' ////Close to the Area//// //// Taudar Maeth 3rd Person POV //// Taudar had sneaked to Vincent''s position and had seen him defeat the Rockworm dark beast. His eyes and mouth widened in shock as he gawked at the sky, the final explosion leading to the death of the Dark Beast. He knew within him that if he had met face to face with this Dark Beast, Retreat would have been the first thing he would do. This made him even more irritated and determined to carry out his plan, which was to catch Vincent off-guard when he was weak from fighting the Dark Beast and then kill him. While the rules didn''t allow such behavior, Taudar knew that the school won''t be able to kill him, punish him maybe but not kill him. After all, he was not only one of the talent of the school but also a talent of the Maeth clan But after seeing how Vincent took care of the Dark Beast and how he didn''t seem tired. He decided to keep on observing, waiting for an opportunity, and then strike. ///// At the school ///// The various instructors of Aemplefort stood before a Ranking board. Information from the devices of the participants was sent to the board and then arranged in the form of the Highest ranking points. It read Vincent Gate - 125 Points. Amelia Maeth - 63 Points. Lena Elv - 60 Points. Mindy - 36 Points. Taudar Maeth - 32 Points. "It seems like our prediction wasn''t off." Instructor Pryde said. "True, Although rather than prediction it was more of a fact." Instructor Selussa replied. "Indeed, The boy would go far in the future." The principal said. "When he goes there at the end of the session he should be able to receive a lot of gains." "Yes he should," Instructor Pryde replied. ///// End of Chapter, More detailed rankings below. Vincent Gate - 11 C-Rank[H], 3 B-Rank[L], 2 B-Rank[M], 2 B-Rank[H], 1 A-Rank[H] 125 Points. Amelia Maeth - 7 C-Rank[H], 2 B-Rank[M], 2 B-Rank[H] 63 Points. Lena Elv - 6 C-Rank[H], 1 B-Rank [L], 3 B-Rank[H] 60 Points. ///// Chapter 62 - The Cost Of [Increase Proficiency], Change Of Plans 3 Hours Later It has been 3 hours since I left the hunting ground and I''m now in my dorm for a rest. I was amongst the last to come back from the hunt. I left the forest with 10 A-Rank [Low], 5 A-Rank [Mid], and an A-Rank [H], bringing his points to 306. Killing this many Dark Beasts was not a part of my plan but they kept on coming. My skill set did not exactly encourage stealth, so when I killed one it drew the attention of another. I misjudged how much the amount of Dark Beasts in the forests had increased. It led me to let go and massacred all those that had a hint of killing intent until I had enough space to dash out of there. The A-Rank [High] Dark Beast I had killed was a familiar opposition. It was a water snake that resided within a lake I happened to chance upon. Strangely its attention was on something else so I took the chance and killed it in an instant by electrocuting the entire lake with a Prime Thunderbolt attack. An anti-climatic battle. On my way back, I came across Amelia. She was busy fighting an A-Rank Dark Beast [Low] so I left, but not before lending a hand by drawing its attention with a Powered Fireball, allowing her to finish it. She gave me a nod of appreciation before heading deeper. Hope she survives. On my bed, I called up the system and my [Status] for something I''ve been drawing on for a long time. ''[Status]'' [Name: Vincent. G Juubi HP: 25,200/25,200 EP: 330,000/330,000 Level: Low Sky-Layer, Level 32. Bloodline: Heavenly 10-Tails of True Illusions, Elemental Titans of Gaia (Impure). Title: Angels Blessed, Blessings of Flames, Blessings of Lightning. Innate My Illusions at The World''s Reality (60/100). Inheritance of Fire: From the Flames I was Born (57/70) Inheritance of Lightning: Through Lightning Shall I Transverse the Infinite Planes (54/70) Abilities The Word (5/?) Ether Burst (22/35) Cellular Enhancement (15/20) Portal Maker (5/30) Ether Control (8/15) Angelic Blessing (1/35) Duplicate (1/25) Origin Energy Gained: 224,500 Exp "Level 31 Huh. I expected more." I said disappointed [Do not depend too much on the level. They can be tricky] [For example, While indeed it records Level 31 we both know you can take on an A-Rank High Dark Beast which has an approximate level of 41-45.] "So, I''m quite strong then," I asked [No you''re still one of the trashiest on the list.] "Can''t you be a little bit nicer" [Fine.] [You are not as effortless to kill as before.] "Wow thanks," I said in sarcasm [You''re welcome] "Sigh, At least I gained a lot of origin energy. It should be enough to increase the proficiency of a lot of my skills." [Uhm¡­¡­. Not really] "Uhm what do you mean?" I asked "Wait, System how much energy is needed to increase the individual proficiency of my skills." [O.E Proficiency Increase Requirements] [My Illusions at The World''s Reality (60/100): 3.6x101? Illion Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. Inheritance of Fire: From the Flames I was Born (57/70): 25 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. Inheritance of Lightning: Through Lightning Shall I Transverse the Infinite Planes (54/70): 25 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. The Word (5/?): Unavailable Ether Burst (22/35): 1.7 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. Cellular Enhancement (15/20): 1 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. Portal Maker (5/30): 100 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. Ether Control (8/15): Unavailable Angelic Blessing (1/35): 2.5 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency. Duplicate (1/25): 2.1 Million Origin Energy needed to increase proficiency.] "WHAT THE F**K!" I blurted out in anger. "SYSTEM WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS!" "WHY DOES IT NEED SO MUCH" "TO GET THIS MUCH IS WOULD NEED TO KILL HUNDREDS OF A-Rank''s, THE F**K" I continued my rage as I blasted profanities at the hovering blue screen in front of me. I feel no one should blame me for my anger, the high cost would at least make anyone wince. After a while, I finally calmed down and just stared at the floating screen resigning to my future fate of having to grind before I can even use this new feature. [Have you calmed down yet?] The system asked as it mocked me. [I guess I should explain why it takes a lot of Origin Energy.] [The process of [Increase Proficiency] feature is to use the mixture of a small part of the Origin Energy a being or artifact possesses and the main system divine energy.] [Using this mixture I brute-force the growth of a skill.] [Depending on how highly ranked a skill is, The amount of Origin Energy needed to upgrade the skill also increases.] "But still this much" [Would be nothing when you become capable of taking down SSS-Rank Dark Beasts.] [Do you know how much Origin Energy is gained from the death of a single SSS-Rank.] "How much," I asked. [36 Billion Origin Energy] "Really!" I perked up at the mention of such a large number. [Yes, And that''s just one of the weakest monsters you would fight in the future.] [After all, The path to Heaven is not easy.] I smiled at that, relaxing at the thought of not grinding in an eternal cycle throughout my years. "So what is Origin Energy exactly? You mentioned it when you first got this feature." I asked [Origin Energy is the anchor of existence, In short, it''s a component of existence.] "So you mix that energy with that of the main Heavens System and use that to increase the strength of my skills." "Indeed." "So in a nutshell Origin Energy is my Skill Points." [.... That''s an accurate and yet inaccurate comparison.] "What do you mean?" [While indeed Skill Point and Origin Energy accomplish the same thing, You fail to take into account that I am not the system used in games. This is real life.] (AN: No it''s not) ["1 Skill Point" won''t be enough to increase the strength of all of your skills] [For example, The 1 skill point that is used to increase the strength of a C-Rank skill won''t be enough to increase the strength of an SSS-Rank Skill like Portal Maker. It doesn''t work that way.] "I understand." "So you said that you just take a part of the Origin Energy of something I kill." [Yes] "Why?" [I''m not capable of taking more, Taking a part of the reason of something''s existence is a lot for a subsidiary like me] "I see, What if I use [The Word] and devoured the Dark Beast." [You would gain all of its Origin Energy] "Then that''s the plan," I said [A stupid one that is] "Huh, What do you mean?" I asked [Do you want the useless bloodline of a Dark Beast?] "Uhm¡­.. No" [Then don''t try what you did with the Planar Giants on such low creatures.] [I said it before, "You will gain all of its Origin Energy", you not me] "Ok, Wait, that means that the Origin Energy of the Planar Giants," I asked [Have been added to yours.] "Can''t I just give it to you" [Can''t I just give the reason for my existence to you. Do you know how that sounds.] The system replied with sarcasm "Yeah now that I hear it, It sounds stupid." [Extremely] "Sigh, Whatever, bottom line I just have to kill more Dark Beast then. After I rest, that is. Good night System." [Good Night Vincent] The system replied. After that, I went to sleep but not before sparing a thought to my stalker that somehow disappeared on my hunt. Shame, Ran before I could kill him. /////3 Hours Ago///// /////Taudar 3rd Person POV///// "Ahhhhh!!!" Taudar screamed in pain. *Whoosh* In an instant, he found himself before the infirmary of Aemplefort School and then soon passed out. apart When he was spying on Vincent he was jumped by an Aquarius Snake. The attacks were so sudden that he wasn''t able to react as the Snake clamped down on his neck almost tearing him apart His life-saving feature in the device activated and he was teleported to the Aemplefort school infirmary, With a scar of love. ///// The above event occurred before an evil planner which led him to change his plans. "So it seems like that school kept some kind of life-saving device on them." "I just have to wait until the successor uses them all." "This changes my plans." "But don''t worry, Just like my plans your death may be delayed but not inevitable." "Muhahaha!" ///// Chapter 63 - First Encounter With An S-Rank Dark Beast ///// A Week After Deep in the forests far from Aemplefort, Another Dark Beast had just fallen to Firestorm adding to my ever-increasing body count. The Dark Beast was an A-Rank High that was quite close to hitting the border of S-Rank but not quite there. A shame that it will never get there. This Dark Beast was the closest I had been to an S-Rank A week ago I decided to try my luck against an S-Rank Dark Beast but for some reason, they didn''t seem to spawn. Anyway, I cleaned the blood off my blade that had caused the deaths of 3 B-Ranks High, 14 A-Rank Low, 21 A-Rank Mid and 10 A-Rank High within this week. Bringing my point up to a whopping 909, I''m not sure if there''s anyone who has more points but I do heavily doubt it. There are not a lot of powerhouses participating in this event, which is weird. Maybe they don''t just live in the south. Maybe that''s why there''s not a lot of powerhouses. After all, a better economy means a better payday for mercenaries. Anyways, I got my mind off that topic and was ready to go in a little bit deeper to find some S-Rank. Who would have thought that I wouldn''t have to do that, Why? Because it was freaking dashing to me. I rolled to the side, and it went right past me in a close shave then went on to destroy so many trees before it came to a stop. I was sure about 40 trees were uprooted by this thing, talk about deforestation. I thought about leaving because I didn''t want to deal with something like this if I didn''t have to. But I decided to stay, I wanted an S-Rank and I got one. Time to see where I stand. The smoke cleared and I could see the Dark Beast clearer now. It was like a Taurus, Bull cross, something that was on drugs and had ADHD. On four legs it stood, A huge towering monster easily 2 or maybe 3 times taller than me. Two horns on its head like a fork, Huge bulking muscles behind its pitch black fur that had patches of dry blood and injuries. ''Wait! Injuries?'' I scanned the Dark Beast further and noticed that it wasn''t firmly on its feet and it had more and more injuries like claw marks. Its horns even had cracks on them. Like it had just been in a batt-. "Oh shit." *Boom* A huge rock flew past me at high speeds and hit the Dark Beast on point, sending it flying even further. That''s when I realized, It was not dashing to me, no it was yeeted towards me. That''s why I didn''t see it on my sonar, it was in the fucking sky. My sonar isn''t quite capable of aerial scanning yet Anyway back to the Dark Beasts The Dark Beast that had flung the huge rock walked towards its fallen foe with each step causing rumbles. Then it came to view If the first Dark Beast was a huge monster then this one was a fucking Giant. The first one''s size came off to not bother me anymore because this guy was at least 4 times bigger than me. It fit the description of a minotaur, Body of a man, Head of a bull¡­..¡­thing. If only it had the body of a sickly man, but no it had the body of a jacked-up steroids man. Now that I look at both of them, they kinda look alike. They were both bulls, the Minotaur may be an evolution of the Taurus. Cool Now to get out of here. There is no way I''m going to be in between the battle of 2 S-Ranks. I''ll wait for them to tire each other out then I''ll swoop in. Using My Illusions at the World''s Reality, I quickly stacked, ''Notice me not'' illusions and yeeted myself out of there but not too far away then I sat and watched. ''[Status]'' I said while focusing my attention on the yeeted Dark Beast. [Name: Taurus Threat Level: S-Rank Mid. Bio: Taurus is a Dark Beast that can choose to either live in a group or to survive alone. It has two long horns on its head that are used to pierce its enemies when it bashes them. It hates red.] [Nane: Minotaur Threat Level: S-Rank High. Bio: The mutation of Tauras. Minotaur''s are rare but not impossible to find. Because of their evolution, they seem to lose their dashing speed for more strength. It hates red.] ''So they are related'' As if my escape was a signal, The Minotaur dashed to the Taurus that had already recovered. When it came close it positioned itself to dive horn first into it but it didn''t rather couldn''t take into consideration that Taurus was smaller than it. So the bash attack missed but Taurus'' own didn''t. Taurus hit Minotaur making it lose its balance and sending it flying far away, it falls back first onto some tree and rolls a few times before it hits a stop and tries to regain footing. Of course, Taurus wasn''t having it and began a counterattack. Another bash attack but with a twist of channeling either into the horns. Is this extra smartest of an S-Rank beast, They possess when they evolve. [It is, in fact not only the smarts but also the strength of a Dark Beast increases after breaking through the A-Rank Barrier into S-Rank.] [It undergoes at least a 5-time increase in strength depending on the type of Dark Beast evolving.] ''Wow,! A five-time increase. So if I fought against an S-Rank I might not win.'' I asked surprised [Not necessarily, Your skill-set not only has a lot of power but also a lot of versatility. It just depends on whether you are smart enough to use it to its utmost potential.] ''Ok, I understand.'' After my chat with the system, I restored my focus on fighting Dark Beasts. They seem to be evenly matched, The minotaur was stronger but the minotaur used its size to sometimes evade it. After a few minutes of banter, The Minotaur eventually used its smarts and re-yeeted the Taurus. Although this time it didn''t let up, When the Taurus touched down hard on the ground the minotaur was not far behind. It then began to rain earth-shattering punches on the head of Taurus even after it was dead. While the Minotaur was still preoccupied, I got ready. Unsheathing Firestorm I directed high amounts of fire and lightning ether into it. The ''Notice me Not'' illusion worked quite well to mask my ether leak. Double-checking on my radar for anyone, I created a lengthwise portal just right in front of me and another just behind the Minotaur''s nape. It wasn''t too far so I didn''t have to waste a lot of ether to do it. It still took 50,000 units of Ether to do that. Then I slashed, fitting Firestorm perfectly through the space crack. My killer intent came out and the Minotaur was soon alarmed. Alas instead of retreating it looked behind wasting its opportunity to live. Firestorm fired a combined strike of about 200,000 units of fire lightning Ether. I also channeled from my fire and lightning core which was a little overkill. As Firestorm went through its nape with little resistance it sent out the absorbed fire lightning ether resulting in an explosion. *Boom* It echoed through the forest sweeping the participants in the area of their balance, almost putting a few in death''s way as it happened when they were fighting a Dark Beast. They probably survived, I think. The air pressure caused by the blast uprooted a lot of trees, even the one I was standing on. I quickly portal safety, Yeah I''m able to do that now. Still on my ''Notice me not Illusion'' I moved toward the area and stopped just before the dust cloud. Where I stood was now barren land, Trees were either uprooted and sent flying or burnt to ashes. The unaffected trees were on fire When the dust cloud cleared, I could see the damage my attack had caused. Minotaur''s head was gone and its headless body was charred, Taurus was burnt extra crispy. It shocked me that just two hundred thousand units of either could cause such damage to the minotaur and the environment. Not to lie, it kinda aroused me. Anyway, a ding came from the watch on my wrist snapping me out of my thinking. My kill counter had gone up by 1 bringing my points to 1159 points. [AN: A change in point ranking. S-Rank and above points are multiplied by 10.] One more glance brought my thoughts to Instructor Selussa, the only elf I know. I wonder what she''ll think about this place. She''ll probably appreciate it. Yeah Probably. I left the area, went to my dorm, and had a good night''s rest, The end of my first encounter with S-Ranks. My thoughts? I can take them. ///// Chapter 64 - Devouring And Assimilation Of Another Planar Giant /////The Next Day///// Vincent awoke and began his usual daily practice, then headed out. As he walked to the school gates, he saw Amelia standing before a door with a solemn face. He knew the room she stood before as the sign of Infirmary written in bold on top of the door was enough signification. Initially, he didn''t want to ask what was wrong as he didn''t want to get involved; Vincent still decided to ask because of reasons even he didn''t know. "Good Morning," He greeted with a slight smile on his face. Vincent shifted amelia''s focus to himself as he greeted her, Her eye brightening from boredom to less boredom, "Good Morning." She greeted back. There was silence between them before Vincent decided to ask, "Who got injured." "Taudar." She replied "Really," Vincent asked, interested. Amelia sighed before she began to explain, "According to him, He encountered an SS-Rank Dark Beast and was then caught off-guard. It heavily injured him before his device lifesaving feature activated, and he was teleported to safety in the Infirmary." ''So that''s how the device works.'' He thought. "So why are you here?" He asked Amelia smiled in delight and replied," I can''t look after a family member," she said with little sarcasm. "No, you can. I don''t see you as the kind of person that cares about family, most especially Taudar." "Oh, and what do you mean?" She asked in amusement "Nothing" "Mhm," "Anyway, you are right. While I did not care about Taudar''s condition, The clan, on the other hand, does. They asked me to look after him and check on his condition regularly." "They want me to babysit if, As if anyone is capable of sneaking into Aemplefort and assassinate a prominent student." She said with frustration inlaid. Vincent laughed slightly and then proceeded to continue on his with his day with a new thought on ways to avoid SS-Rank Dark Beasts. /////The Next Week///// Vincent awoke with a spring in his steps, The chirping birds being his alarm. He came out from the cave he spent the night in and bathed in the morning sun, and it invigorated his cells. He had spent the past week searching for S-Ranks, going as far as to camp out the night in search of one, but they never appeared. While Vincent wanted to head deeper into the forest, he felt that he might encounter an SS-Rank by mistake, so he stayed in an area comfortable to him. While he was camping, he was also at the same time training a necessary skill that he thought up. Ether Cloaking Vincent figured that if he coupled this with the "Notice me not" Illusion he casts on himself, It should hide him enough from even the likes of SS-Rank Dark Beast, A feat he desired. But Ether Cloaking was not as easy as people made it to be. The essence of cloaking was to hide through the effect of blending into the surroundings, but how could he do so when he had over 330,000 Units of Ether and counting. His 8/10 Proficiency in Ether Control helped a bit, but it did not achieve the effect he wanted So Vincent figured that he needed more insight into cloaking, Hitting the books, and going over what he had read in [The Eidetic Library of Heavens Path]. He happened upon the knowledge he needed. In a book written by a rogue assassin Salic, He noted that before a person could master Ether Cloaking. They needed to master Ether Suppression, So Vincent read more on Ether Suppression. Ether Suppression was the act of making the ether flow in the body still through consciously pulling back on the discharge or blocking points in the ether channels. While this is used in people''s apprehension by making them unable to use their skills, It is also helpful in training ether control and significantly in ether cloaking. When a person''s ether pools flow is suppressed, they can only access the amount of ether they aren''t stopping. While this was detrimental to the usage of skills, it was beneficial in ether cloaking because they only had to cloak the amount of ether they left un-suppressed. The suppressed ether will not interact with the unsuppressed. Meaning that if an ether pool is suppressed by 80%, The remaining 20% can be cloaked, and it will achieve the same effect as clocking the entire flow. After Vincent had read all he could on Ether Suppression, Ether Cloaking then branched on mimicking. He decided to test it today. So he assumed a comfortable position, kept a few healing potions on stand-by, and began. First, Consciously pulling on his ether to slow down his ether flow. Because of his high ether pool, Vincent''s ether flowed faster, so it was harder for him to rein in his ether. After a couple of tries, he got it to a slower pace than before, then began the real deal. Cloaking By cloaking, he had to simulate the flow of Nature then mimic it. The essence of mimic was to act as something else, meaning that Vincent''s ether flow had to work like Natures Ether flow. Then he began. Time quickly passed as Vincent tried to imitate the flow of Nature. Morning soon passed into Afternoon then evening, then the next day, Another Day passed, and Vincent finally had it. He burst out in frustration, splurging profanities all-round, Angered at the very Nature he wanted to mimic. The curses continued for a while before he finally cooled off then the System began to speak. [You know, You could always ask the Planar Giant of Nature on Ether cloaking], It advised and mocked at the same time. Vincent almost slapped himself in frustration, angry at the fact that he did not think of this blasting a few more profanities at Nature before retreating into his makeshift home. Casting a "Notice me Not" Illusion on himself. Vincent placed the Elemental Planar Giants scroll of inheritance on his lap. He went into the inheritance space with his soul. In The Inheritance Scroll At the arrival of Vincent, The once-great Elemental Planar Giants bowed their heads at him with immediate effect. Fanatical Loyalty could be seen in their eyes as they greeted him with great patriotism. "Greetings Master!" They all shouted with heart. Their combined shouts stunned Vincent for a while before he recovered himself. He looked at his fanatical minions/Sacrifices and slightly regretted putting them under his control. "At Ease," He said, making those bowed raise up their heads. They stood silent, waiting for the next order from their master. Vincent glanced around then found his target. He focused his attention on the Nature Planar Giant then called for him. "Hey You, Come forward," he said with no care. The Nature Planar Giant beamed in happiness and came forward immediately, then stood at ease before him like a child on their Birthday. The only difference was that this was his Deathday. The other Planar Giants looked in jealously unhidden as they wished their death day came sooner. Not too much of a difference. Looking at the excited Nature Planar Giant, Vincent shook his head and sighed. He decided to be done with it. Releasing his suppression and calling upon Yggdrasil''s Ether, Vincent used the Omnipotent power given to him. "[Devour]" The Nature Planar Giant then burst into Gold-green particles with a smile on its face as the particles rushed into Vincent. The soul of the planar Giant met Vincent''s and was immediately eaten. Vincent left the inheritance space and reunited with his body again. Then immediately, he could feel it. The power he now possessed, The connection that was never there but at the same time was always there. This time Vincent''s body did not bulge in size; instead, he reddened as he released hot steam all around him. Locating a water place near him, he quickly jumped in and began to cool himself. After a while of raising the river''s temperature, Vincent''s body cooled down, and his reddened skin had returned to normal. After a few more minutes of resting, he stood up and went back to the cave before checking his status. "System Give me a brief look at my status with only my Innate Skill." [Okay] [Vincent. G Juubi HP: 30,600/30,600 EP: 510,000/510,000 Level: Mid Sky-Layer, Level 40. Bloodline: Heavenly 10-Tails of True Illusions, Elemental Titans of Gaia (Impure). Innate My Illusions at The World''s Reality (60/100). Inheritance of Fire: From the Flames I was Born (57/70) Inheritance of Lightning: Through Lightning Shall I Transverse the Infinite Planes (54/70) Inheritance of Nature: Gaia''s Blessing (53/70)] "It seems that I have gone up a tier," He mused. "Show me the effect of Gaia''s Blessing." [Inheritance of Nature: Gaia''s Blessing; Gaia, The Primordial Mother of Nature now blesses you. Through her shall the wonders of Nature be laid bare Effects Great Connection with Nature Great Connection with Life Increase in Ether Pool Grants Water Manipulation [Mid] Grants Fire Manipulation [Mid] Grants Air Manipulation [Mid] Grants Earth Manipulation [Mid] Grants Lightning Manipulation [Mid] Increase to Affinity to life Reduction in ether cost of all Nature-related element-based skills. Passive Increase in Strength, Agility, Endurance when in Nature.] "This skill should help me to know what nature feels like." He reasoned So Vincent assumed a comfortable stance again and tried to feel the flow of Nature, and immediately he went into a trance. He felt Nature in full blast in a trance, and Everything was open to him even without seeing he saw, Like the Ether Sonar skill he created but more. Vincent''s Ether Pool was released unconsciously, but his ether flow wasn''t as Vigorous as before. It was calm, serene, passive yet assertive, just like Nature. Anyone sensing for Vincent would lead to zero at this moment because now Vincent was one with Nature. He had achieved cloaking. The System took this chance to cement his achievement by making it a skill. After scurrying about 1km out, He found control within and pulled himself back to reality. Vincent held the breath he did not know as he recovered from the Euphoric Effect of Nature. He glanced at his status, and he realized that while he had initially wanted to gain Ether Cloaking, he instead gained a skill far better. [One With Nature: A Cloaking technique far more significant than its peers. It passively/ actively increases Ether Regeneration. Its primary use is to hide the user whenever they are connected to Nature and its forms. Note: Nature is everywhere. Effect Passive Increase in Ether Regeneration Active Increase in Ether Regeneration Cloak/Presence Removal.] Looking at the ludicrous skill that laid before him, A smile graced Vincent''s face as he found new confidence to venture further into the forest. Chapter 65 - First Battle With An S-Rank [One With Nature: A Cloaking technique far greater than its peers. It passively/ actively increases Ether Regeneration. Its main use is to hide the user whenever he/she is connected to Nature and its forms. Note: Nature is everywhere. Effect Passive Increase in Ether Regeneration Active Increase in Ether Regeneration Cloak/Presence Removal.] Looking at the ludicrous skill that laid before him, A smile graced Vincent''s face as he found new confidence to venture further into the forest. ///// Minutes later Vincent was ready, Armored to a level with firestorm at his side, and Moonlit on stand-by he journeyed deeper into the forest with the skill One with Nature active. He moved through the trees and he noticed even his steps were silent like nature was absorbing the sound from his footsteps, a small thing he noted before he focused on the task at hand and used the second part If One with Nature, The scouting. He called on the skill in his mind and the familiar feeling of ¡®¡¯Sight¡¯¡¯ came to him again. Everything within a 1km radius laid bare before him he was almost pulled by the euphoric feeling but he was intruded. On his Radar, it showed the prize for his hunt, His prey. Picking up the speed, Vincent soon after crossed about 450 Meters of distance and came before his prey. An S-Rank Dark Beast, One almost breaking into the High-category. It stood on four feet and had a long tail, Its body was covered with scales of unusual coloring, Red, brown, and black. Being a scaled beast it looked much like a snake. Although it was far larger. It roamed, Its head glancing side to side snarling once or twice in-between. This Dark Beast reminded him of a Legendary Mythical beast that goes by the name Drake. ¡®System¡¯ He called [Yes] [Name: Fire-Drake Threat Level: S-Rank Low Skill: Fire Breath, Fire Resistance [High] Bio: Fire-Drake, Wingless four-legged reptiles capable of breathing fire from their Lungs. Said to be the aftermath of a failed ascension into Dragon hood. But is that true? Note: Recommend Water-Based attacks] ¡®Drakes huh, Do you think that they are strong enough to withstand my flames.¡¯ He questioned [Probably not, But going at it fire to fire will only drag the fight. Water is recommended] The system advised ¡®I know but luckily Gaia¡¯s Blessing gives me Water Manipulation¡¯ [Indeed, But be careful you don¡¯t have the experience of the Water Elemental Planar Giant] ¡®But I have the experience of the Nature Planar Giant, A simple plan would work.¡¯ [Which Plan?] The system asked ¡°You¡¯ll see¡± Vincent answered back with mischief in his eyes He then began to sneak closer to the unaware Dark Beast, Normally this Dark Beast, Drake, has great sensory abilities it uses an ether form of echolocation to sense its enemies from afar. A shame, Against the One with Nature skill it was useless. Once Vincent was close enough he began his plan, He concentrated his ether pool and tried to create a ball of water surprisingly it was quite easy for him. After trying a few times of familiarity he got ready. Through the skill Gaia¡¯s Blessing he manipulated the water to form above the Drake and then caused a downpour directly on its position. The Drake did not sense it until it had already been soaked over by the downpour. It cried in pain as it jumped away from its former position, It wondered where the water came from as it roamed warily around the area it settled and used its Ether-Location to sense for hostiles in its area. After confirming there was no one in the area, It relaxed its guard and proceeded to try to warm itself, that''s when Vincent moved with its guard down Drake didn¡¯t notice Vincent right above it. With a tight grip on a bolt of lightning in his right, Vincent struck, Piercing the bolt of lightning deep into the Dark Beast¡¯s back and abandoning it there, and retreating away afterward. The drake cried in pain as the bolt of lightning not only shock its inside it also did the same on the outside but the pain wasn¡¯t over. Another downpour occurred intensifying the strength of the electrocution bringing more pain. The Drake cried out louder, its cries reverberating through its surroundings scaring the lower rank Dark Beasts around it. Over time its screams began to quieten until the forest returned to its serenity. The Dark Beasts state could be likened to an overcooked steak, Burnt, Blackened, Charred, and Crispy. It then fell limp onto the ground dead. Vincent sauntered out of his spot and stood before it, his face stoic as he lamented on how easy it was. ¡°Did not expect it to die this easy, Well whatever it just proves my choice right." He said ¡°Devouring the Nature Planar Giant was worth it, Its skill set reminds me of the jack of all trades¡± ¡°A Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one¡± Incidentally, Vincent did not know that nature planar giant of nature was the strongest of the group. With its control over all the elements and its buff when connected to nature, it was capable of keeping three of the planar giants at bay at the same time, which speaks a lot of its power. The ding from the device brought him out of his musings as it registered the death of the Drake. To this point, Vincent had killed. 11 C-High 4 B-Low 2 B-Mid 5 B-High 39 A-Low 48 A-Mid 40 A-High 1 S-Mid and now an S-Low Bringing his points to a whopping 2163 Looking at his device he thought, While indeed his first real battle with an S-Rank was not as pleasurable as he wished for it was still his first reminding him that he is becoming a true powerhouse. Vincent smiled at that thought and then proceeded to use One with nature searching for his next unfortunate prey. ///// Chapter 66 - Trouble On The Horizon, Horny? ///// In Heaven ///// Since the start of the Dark Beast Hunt Event, The Arch-Angels of heaven have been watching Vincent on his journey. As they watched him, they each had varying thoughts. Raphael praised him for his ingenuity. Gabriel admonished him for his recklessness wanting to go down and protect him personally. Uriel lied in-between. and Azazel¡­¡­. Well, Azazel was focused on another thing. He had the same mindset as Vincent during the time. Azazel wondered why the S-Ranks and SS-Ranks were so rare, then his thoughts went to the Invading Demon that had managed to somehow evade their sight. Over the day''s something dreadful finally clicked. He dashed over to the Orb of Earthly Omniscience pushing away Raphael who was, in turn, to watch over Vincent. "Ouch!" She cried in pain, surprised at the sudden push. She glanced at her pusher in anger ready to pounce on him but what she saw halted her movement, calmed her anger, and instead filled her with dread. On the screen of the Orb of Earthly Omniscience, Dark beasts roamed, not one nor two but Hundreds. They were all S-Ranks and SS-Ranks, which relieved the scene a little as there were no SSS-Ranks but again the numbers were not a laughing joke. What made the atmosphere tenser was that the Dark Beast were all headed to Vincent''s Location. //// On Migas //// //// Demon ??? Third Person Pov //// The Invading Demon has been frustrated, It severely underestimated Vincent''s strength and also his intelligence. Something it learned the hard way as Vincent never fought what he couldn''t In its annoyance, it tried to empower Dark Beasts with its energy after its death, but Vincent always finished off his opponents brutally leaving no room for regeneration. It couldn''t do this all the time lest he alerts the angels in heaven, and at the same time, it couldn''t wait for Vincent''s to use all of its life-saving times as it seemed more and more unlikely. So it decided to enact a plan that was not only dangerous to Vincent but was also dangerous to it. It went deeper into the forest in search of Dark Beasts to arouse It planned to arouse the Dark Beasts within and cause a stampede but what he saw brought a smile to his face. The monsters were already stampeding onwards to Aemplefort with Vincent in their course. But it knew that Vincent had some kind of radar on Dark Beasts. So it used the strength within it and covered the entirety of the Dark Beasts creating a shroud that erased the stampede''s presence. Then it moved back to Vincent and sneakingly slipped pasts his radar and influenced the device on his wrist It then hid away, watching excitedly on the carnage that would soon unfold. //// Vincent 3rd Person Pov //// A week before the End of The Beast Hunt Event. Vincent woke up feeling uneasy, to say the least, but he still got up and headed into a new section of the forest to hunt. Vincent was for the most part oblivious to the oncoming stampede, but he felt on guard for some reason. "Something feels off," He said to himself. [Indeed], Even the system acknowledges that. "No signs of Dark Beasts and nothing shows up on my radar for miles out" "It''s like all the monsters here are¡­.. gone" Feeling more uneasy as time passed, Vincent and the system agreed on sitting out today. After all, he had already accumulated a lot of points that other contestants won''t be able to bridge in a day. So he turned back and began to move out of the forest. Surprisingly on his way back, he came across someone he hadn''t seen in a long time. Ama Ivory has been unpredictable over the last few weeks. She had let loose more of her hidden strength when she felt embarrassed with the number of points she had. This effort brought up her kills and aided her to the third spot on the rankings just before Amelia who had upped her hunting time. Recently she noticed the reduction in the number of Dark Beasts in the area, so she chose to change her hunting grounds. On her way there she bumped into the familiar figure of Vincent which put her on guard. Vincent stared mockingly at her, "Still wary of me." He said "Take a guess." She said sarcastically. "You know I wonder, even though we are of the same race you are somehow stupider than me." "What," She said, stunned at the sudden insult. "Why are you hiding your capabilities? You could easily be an A-Rank or an S." He said. "It''ll be idiotic to garner the attention of unwanted people like a certain someone." She snapped back. "Indeed, Guess you must feel like an idiot when you realized that the risk is worth it." "As an A-B Rank, you don''t get nearly the same attention as an A-A which must have frustrated you." "So you decide to let loose a little and boost your rank when you realize that the risk was worth the gain." "Now how does it feel to be an idiot?" Vincent ended with a smug smile on his face. Ama admitted what he said which for some reason pissed her more than it should, the smug smile he had on didn''t make it better. She was just a breath away from drawing upon her Ether to set him on fire. "Are you ever going to drop your illusion?" Vincent inquired. "No," She retorted, "What about you," asked Ama "Nah not really, It''s super comfy" Vincent responded with a cheeky tone "Are you just going to annoy me?" "Nah not really, I''m just leaving. Oh, a piece of advice." "What?" She asked annoyed but interested "Go back, The forest doesn''t¡­.. feel safe." "It would be a shame if a beautiful lady like you passed away," Vincent said in seriousness and the end teasingly Then he jumped off the tree he was on and went on his way. A few meters away from Ama he stopped and asked the system. "What the fuck was that!" He asked [Huh] "What the fuck was that!" He repeated slowly "Did¡­..Did I just flirt with her?" He asked, mildly horrified. [Uhm¡­.. Yes] "........Why?" [Well¡­¡­¡­ You are horny] "......" "You know, I am just not going to reply to that." Vincent was about to continue on his way when he felt a great rumble that made him kiss his step and fall to the ground. He nimbly touched down but did not get up as he felt the rumble coming to be stronger. Vincent looked up to see the running figure of Ama, then looked behind her to see the most dreadful sight he had ever seen. Hundreds of beasts just behind her, crazed in the eyes. Then he knew what was occurring. And he could only say "Fuck!" Chapter 67 - Stampede! ///// Ama''s 3rd Person POV ///// ///// After Vincent''s Departure///// "Leave this forest, it doesn''t feel safe." She imitated Vincent as she sauntered deeper into the forest. "Tch, Who does he think he is?" She said frustrated Contradicted to the cold face she puts on, Ama''s face at this moment was struck with anger which perplexes her. "*Sigh* Focus Ama.", Se said while de-stress. "Just need to earn more points. The first place rewards should procure me a lot of benefits." As she walked deeper, A sudden rumble veered through the ground shaking her footing. *Rumble!* "Huh, What was that?" Confusedly said Ama, inquisitive about the abrupt rumbling. Before she could explore further, The rumbling came again, albeit stronger. Her instincts went off flaring, She felt it. Danger, Killer Intent, Madness. It was so vivid that the sole thing her instinct said was. Run! Ama was never someone to falter. She soon spun and began to run oppositely away from the oncoming threat. As she flashed through the forest, she glanced back at the approaching peril, what she saw sent shivers down her spine. Loads and loads of Dark Beasts, pushing towards her climbing on top of the fallen ones brazing through every obstacle like it was nothing, with crazed stares in their bloodshot eyes. She was so spooked by the sight that she soon used the life-saving feature of the device on her wrist. A shame that it did not work ''What is wrong with this thing?!'' She thought in anger. As she ran, Ama kept on trying the life-saving feature but her device came off to have malfunctioned. Instead, she concentrated on sprinting through the forest. She knew that she could only run so fast, The flood of Dark Beast soon catching up to her. Understanding that running was only delaying the impending doom, Ama thought of making another plan. She had an idea of using her Earth Manipulation to make an underground opening. But she then thought back to the Dark Beasts that are apt to tunneling underground. ''There might even be some already there.'' She guessed. As she ran, She saw a blurry figure on the trees. The closer she went the clearer the figure came to be until Ama was able to recognize the person. ''Vincent!'' ''His device might be working'' She speculated in relief. ''I just need to hold onto him as it activates, It should also take me if I tag along.'' ''Yes that''ll work'' When Ama was close enough she shouted to Vincent. "The device!" She shouted. /////Vincent''s POV ///// "The device!" Ama shouted at me I had an idea of what she was saying, So I pronto got on my device and locked onto the life-saving feature about to push it. But then I glimpsed at her. Something in me did not let me leave her. It seemed that I still had kindness, something I thought to have lost since I ate the ancestors of an entire clan and stole its legacy Well, Technically, now I do confirm as a Planar Giant since I have their blood. This means that I may very well be the last descendant of the Planar Giant. So it''s not stealing, It''s just taking what was meant to be mine. Anyways back to this. "Jump!" I shouted ready to push it. And so she did, A surge of ether broke out beneath her aiding her jump to me. I reached out to her and at the moment''s touch, I turned on the device. Nothing happened. ''Huh.'' I thought in surprise, ''What''s wrong with this thing'' At the sense of the impending doom caused by the device. I unconsciously activated a passive of the Eidetic Library of Knowing for the first time. My perception of things fastened, enabling me to perceive things at a slower pace. The stampeding Dark Beasts. The jumping lady had hope and concern on her face. All went at snail''s pace. I glanced at the device on my wrist, uttering profanities for its uselessness, and thus tried to think up another plan fast Furthermore, I saw my perception was returning to regular speed. Losing time, I gripped Ama''s outstretched hand and opened a portal under us to the first place that came up in my mind. *Whoosh* Next thing I knew I felt sudden weightlessness and wind slapping against my face. I glanced around, finding myself plunging from the sky ''Shit! I teleported to the sky'' ''Wait where''s Ama'' I saw Ama free falling beside me, her eyes closed for some reason. Then I looked below and faltered at my current situation I was free-falling into a pool of Dark Beasts. ''Shit!'' Understanding how dire the situation was, I shifted mid-air to Ama''s position and grabbed again, readying Portal Maker this time with a clear image of where I wanted to go. The skill was triggered and a portal opened beneath me and Ama, swallowing us both. /////3rd Person POV///// This time Vincent found himself on his bed with Ama laying on top of him "Phew" He let out a breath of relief that the skill Portal Maker worked out fine at the end of the day. Soon he felt a shift from the person on my chest. "Hmm." Ama raised herself groggily using Vincent''s chest as a hold. She looked around confused at the unfamiliar room she was in. As she shifted to look around, her bum hit something beneath her, drawing her attention to smiling Vincent. Ama jumped in surprise and went on guard, conjuring floating ether spikes. Vincent could sense that the spikes contained a decent amount of ether, although it wasn''t enough to damage him. "Are you going to put your toys away?" Vincent slyly asked. "My Toys.", She stretched moving closer to him., "Are very capable of riddling your body with holes." Vincent kept silent for a moment shifting his head to the door of his room then replied. "You know I wonder." He began "Will the next person that enters my room see a body riddled with holes?" Then he turned to Ama with mocking eyes, "Or a body burnt extra crispy." Feeling a great source of heat behind her, She turned to see a carpet of fire infused with lightning flooring menacingly behind her. ''This is dangerous.'' She thought. Ama quietly withdrew her ether, dispersing the floating ether spikes, and got off Vincent''s chest She then went to the door and opened it, "I''ll go report to the instructors about the stampede." "A word of advice, some forces are moving underneath. Be careful of them" "And thank you," She said quietly before moving out and closing the door behind her. After she left, Vincent withdrew his ether making the floating wall of fire lightning disperse into nothingness. He laid back on his bed and thought to himself, "Is this what they call a tsun-tsun situation?", He chuckled at the notion, then thought of the advice she had said " Forces underneath huh" He muttered. "I don''t care about them. But if they try to hinder me." "I''ll destroy them," He said with a cold face. Vincent hence got off his bed and went to the cafeteria. On the way there, A sudden strong voice familiar to Vincent echoed through the entire school. ''Instructor Pryde.'' He recognized "Attention students of Aemplefort and participators of the Hunt event." "A stampede of Dark Beasts is en route to Aemplefort at this moment." "While it is seen as a peril to the weak, it can also be seen as a gift to the strong." "For those unwilling to face the stampede, Stay in the school!" "A force field will be erected across the entire city protecting those within it." "As for those willing to face the stampede, The school will record each kill with a double point." "Furthermore, Anyone that kills more than 10 Dark Beasts will be rewarded." "Please note, The school will not force you to make a decision." "Also the reward given is separate from the event''s reward." "Good luck" The voice went mute after but the school did not. Voices of concern and fear went on throughout the school. As for Vincent, He simply smiled as he went on to the cafeteria. Chapter 68 - A Peak Of The 7 Ringed Paths Of Healing ///// Dark Beasts have always been a thorn to Humans and Migas alike?? Eulogeo wasn''t included because Dark Beasts are rarely left to grow Each Eulogeon is a powerhouse capable of taking groups or even armies depending on their strength so they easily wiped out Dark Beasts. Instead, they had problems with the Dark Beasts that somehow survive and grow. Those tend to be at least 3 to 5 times stronger and durable than the standard. The explanation for this is because of Eulogeo''s prosperity of ether. The more focused the amount of energy in the world is, The more the occupants of that world benefit from it. Dark Beasts were not an exception to that rule Humans have often had the most problems with Dark Beasts being the weakest amongst the 3 races. Migas had fewer problems due to being stronger on average. Irrespective of the ease of handling Dark Beasts among the races, none of them would want a stampede to occur. Because wherever the stampede went. Chaos was sure to follow. And in Aemplefort now. Such Chaos was brewing. ///// Zeph Mammoth sat before the Principal of Aemplefort. "It looks like your plan did not work," Instructor Zeph said to the principal. "Well, it was not too much of a surprise." "The overall strength of students and the mercenaries participating were incapable of carrying out the plan to the fullest.." The principal retorted, drinking down his tea with a calm face. "Indeed, but it did lessen the multitudes a bit." "Sigh, Either way, that move was made because of its ease without risks." "After all, Aemplefort is a city that is incapable of falling." The principal said. "You seem so sure even when a stampede is just at the doorstep." "A stampede is nothing, it''ll be just like last time." "Last time?" "Oh, You weren''t alive then so you do not know." The principal replied with a mysterious smile on his aged face. "Alive during what?" Instructor Zeph asked. "Have you ever heard of the miracle stampede?" "Miracle Stampede, that is just a legend" "A legend," The principal scoffed," Well I guess it''s been so long that it could be classified as such." "Anyway, the miracle stampede is not a legend, it did happen." "Wasn''t the miracle stampede the story of how Aemplefort overcame one of the greatest stampedes ever known?" Zeph asked "Indeed, On that dire day, Aemplefort was surrounded. No room for escape. The trees couldn''t even be seen, only beasts." "But through a miracle, we lived and Aemplefort stood strong ever since." "What miracle was it exactly?" Zeph asked The principal had a smile of mirth as he replied, "Don''t worry, you''ll soon see." "But know this, The miracle that arose that day is the reason why none of the other cardinals mess with us." ///// Aemplefort for the most part was in chaos A gold film encircled Aemplefort within it attending as a shield of protection but it was no source of relief to those within Folks were in anxiety and havoc, Some scurried to load what little belongings they had and head on to another cardinal of Migas Others hid in the subterranean hatch of their homes. While some were somewhat lax, largely the aged which arose some curious looks Frantic violent cries of the hungry beast''s miles away could be heard faintly, getting clear as the time passed Vincent stood on the roof of Aemplefort looking out in the distance at the stampede. Soon another figure moved toward him. "It should be around 6 hours before it arrives." He said to the person nearing him. "You can see that far?" The person inquired in wonder. "Yes, I can Amelia," He said whilst turning to her, "Why are you here?" "I like this spot." She answered back. Vincent noticed her change of clothes. Amelia wore a cross between the original armor she used during the assessment and the traditional military defense Armour colored Green and White with lightweight and speed in mind. "You seem prepared for this." "Well, I thought something like this would happen. "From the Dark Beast Hunt Event." "Mmh" she acknowledged "I also felt that the event felt off, but it was chalked up to the increase of Dark Beasts." "Oh that''s right, You lived outside of Aemplefort it makes sense that you didn''t know about the stampede." She said "Mmh¡­¡­ Right, So how many times has a stampede occurred." Vincent asker "As a whole or only in Aemplefort." "Aemplefort." "...... About three times." "Mmh." There was a moment of quiet between them "Why are you fighting?" Vincent asked. "If I remember correctly, You''re an heir candidate. The Maeth family should be capable of protecting you, so why are you fighting?" "...... I''m fighting for prestige." "As you said, I am an heir candidate but that doesn''t mean the clan would protect" "Rather it''ll force me to participate, I need a feat to make me more of an heir than the other candidates." She said with determination, "Or at least give me a high enough position to remain safe" "The Maeth family is a family that supports power first above all, then family." "To have an adequate standing in the Maeth family you need to prove your strength." "If not," Vincent asked. "Then you''ll be cast aside or worse used for ''the betterment of the family." She said with distaste at the end. "Mmh, So Taudar should be next on that list since you''re stronger than him" "Sigh, If only." "While Taudar is not strong and has no feat of strength, his father does." "His father''s strength and multiple achievements are plentiful enough to cover him, So they can''t do anything to him unlike me." After that she said nothing more, creating a moment of silence between them. Amelia turned and began to walk away from Vincent. "Will you fight in this battle?" She asked as she sauntered. "....... Maybe" "Mmh, in that case, I hope to see you on the battlefield and after." ///// At the Gates of Aemplefort ///// A great army of thousands of warriors banded together before the gates. At the front of the assembly stood a tall buff dark-skinned man with pitch-black hair and amber eyes. He wore the traditional armor of Aemplefort''s military defense. Strong Medieval armor colored green and white with dual battle axes rested on his back Behind the military defense were mercenaries ready to face the oncoming stampede. There were no students among them, only Amelia. ''Pussies.'' Behind the massive army stood the Instructors of Aemplefort. Instructor Pryde, Vinda, Selussa, and others he didn''t know. The much elusive Zeph was also amongst them which was a wonder. At the side of the Instructors was a group of old men that drew Vincent''s attention. There was some kind of tension between the instructors of Aemplefort and these old men even though they did not look at each other As the amber-eyed man at the front began to speak, Vincent eavesdropped. Devouring 3 Planar Giants did him a whole lot of good; he was able to catch everything that was said. "My fellow strong men and women, I am General Luthais Karga" The man began with a strong voice. "As you know, A stampede is en route to Aemplefort at this moment." "If let to do as it please, chaos will rise" "So here we are, The first stand against the stampede." "The plan is to stall the stampede, while our second team heads deeper and diminish the strength of the stronger Dark Beasts." "In this we are alone, No one knows when reinforcement will arrive. Not too far, The stampede was in eye view to them. " You''ll be rewarded for your efforts If you do survive." "Sincerely, I advise you to head back into the city, Aemplefort is a city that won''t fall you''ll be protected." "But those that wish to partake in this battle." "The only thing I can say to you is" "Kill!!!" A combined loud and fierce roar of bloodthirst followed soon after as the first line of warriors rushed towards the stampede, The second following calmly behind. Vincent saw as they rushed towards the stampede, He began to question their sanity. From his view, he could see that the stampede outmatches their numbers and he was sure that they saw or at least sensed it too. But somehow they still rushed in with such ferocity. Vincent will soon understand why. As the army rushed out through the protective golden film, A gold shimmer could be seen still on them. Vincent was of course curious about this phenomenon. The first line rushed into it with a cry, Vincent foresaw carnage inflicted upon the first line His prediction wasn''t wrong The first line of the defense army was soon dead with only some fighting with mild or grave injuries As the battle progressed, Vincent noticed that some of the fallen warriors began to rise with others losing their shimmer. This began again, The numbers of those rising back up dwindling, and those of the Dark Beast falling faster. Soon the second line of thousands ran in. The same phenomenon occurs again, those that fell seem to rise while others lose their shimmer. Vincent also noticed that those that were alive with the golden shimmer on seem to not die as easily as before, even with deep gashes. ''How is this happening." Vincent wondered as he saw a Dark Beast leave a huge gash on a warrior''s chest, but he just seems to chalk it up and kill the Dark Beast. A gold shimmer left the dead beast''s body and entered into his, concentrating on the wound and healing it leaving behind a bloodstain. [What you see before you is 2 abilities of The 7 Ringed Paths Of Healing.] [Healing By Death] And [Revival By Equivalent Exchange.] ///// AN: MC''s name has been changed to Vincent Cadmean. ///// Chapter 69 - Jinxed, Calm Before The Storm ///// "Healing by death and Revival!" Vincent said in surprise?? [Do you want a rundown of their abilities?] "Yes, But first why are you telling me this?" He asked. [What do you mean?] "When I first came to Aemplefort you never told me anything about the artifact except its name but now you seem so keen to tell me more." [You never inquired of more.] "I didn''t ask for it now either, yet you seem so generous, what''s the deal system." [.....] [You need motivation, Obtaining the artifact is taking longer than anticipated.] "So you reckoned to say more about its abilities to coax me into craving it more. Thus bringing about me, speeds up the time to possess it." [Indeed, All this time spent in school while it''s not a waste, it''s not your main goal.] "My main goal is to meet my mother, not whatever you have in mind." Vincent snapped back. [In such a case, My goal has to be fulfilled.] "That being?" He asked sarcastically. [To make you the greatest] "....." "Explain the abilities." [Of course.] [Healing By Death: When a being "Alive" possessing a lifeforce is "Killed" leading to "Death". Some of the life force is consumed by the artifact and is used to heal. Note: Not all people die when they are killed] [Revival By Equivalent Exchange: Provided that the life or object used to exchange is equal to the life that is to be exchanged with, Revival may commence. Note: A life is not equal to a life.] "Wow!" Vincent muttered in surprise. [Wow indeed, Such abilities can only be created by the all mighty.] "I suppose that the remaining 5 also have their conditions." [Yes they do] "Hm, Explain the condition of Revival." [A life is not equal to another life?]. "Yes" [It means nothing more and nothing less.] [The life of a pauper is not comparable to the life of a King loved by his people.] [The life of a villain is not equal to the life of a hero] [The life of a soldier is not equal to the life of a baker] [The only form of life that is equal to all life is the life of a newborn, But as it grows from childhood until death it gains a value determined by what it did alive.] "Karma" Vincent interrupted [Yes, Good and bad actions determine the value] "So that''s why a newborn is equal to all. A newborn is a blank sheet of endless potential." [Indeed, but there are some special conditions in which a newborn''s life is not equal to another.] "Which situation?" Vincent asked [For example, If the event that you die.] [It would take 7,999,999,998 newborn souls for revival to commence and it may not even be successful.] "What!" Vincent screamed out, "Why!?" [You are special Vincent] "System¡­¡­¡­" [......] "......" "That''s sus," He said with a cringed up face [..... I know, and I regret every moment of it.] [But my point still stands, Not everyone can possess The Word. If you die, great things die with you.] [So don''t die!] "Sigh, I get it. What about the condition of healing by death" [For healing by death to commence the conditions are.] [You must kill something "Alive", This can be manipulated by perception.] [It must possess a life force, Not all things alive possess a life force, for example, the dark monster Lich.] [It must be killed] [It must be capable of death.] [Not all things die. For example, The undead.] [You can''t kill what is already dead, although it can be manipulated by perception.] "Hm, Explain more on how perception affects the 7 Ringed Laths of Healing." [Perception of things differs from one person to another.] [For example, Ghosts.] [Some perceive Ghosts as something already dead, others perceive it as something still alive.] [Your perception of things affects how the 7 Ringed Paths Of Healing works.] "Isn''t that a hole in the system?" [In what way?] "If I perceive rocks as alive, the artifact will work on it right?" He asked. [Yes, But that''s where the second condition comes in place.] "It must possess a life force," Vincent let out in realization. [This requirement negates the hole caused by perception.] ''These abilities are what gave Aemplefort an edge over the years, It will be a nice addition to my arsenal.'' [Are you going to take part in this battle?] "I want to participate, but I don''t have an obligation to." [You should, after all¡­. What could go wrong?] "......" "......" "......" "You know, For a system capable of summoning an all-knowing device, You sure are dumb" [.....] [Your mum is d-] "I dare you to finish that sentence" Vincent threatened to the sky, flaring his ether. [......] "That''s what I thought" ''I should get changed.'' He said as he went down to his room to get ready. ///// The War had gone further with the 3rd line joining the fray. Instructor Pryde, Zeph, Selussa, Vinda flew through the sky leading the way deeper into the danger. Instructor Selussa as an Elf was capable of such a feat. They went deep into the stampede and on their way, they talked amongst each other. Selussa observed the golden shimmer on her skin releasing a breath of wonder, "Hm, So this is the rumored artifact of Aemplefort. The reason Aemplefort stands to this day" Instructor Pryde glanced at Instructor Selussa a little wary. Selussa noticed the glance and chuckled in return, "Don''t worry, I won''t take it from you¡­¡­ Rather I can''t." "And what makes you say that?" Instructor Pryde inquired. "How can I accomplish what your group has been trying to do for years?" She said with mirth Instructor Pryde held his gaze then looked away a few moments later. Selussa chuckled before resuming to admire the golden glow. "Aempleforh, What secrets did you possess when you still lived?" She said in a joyful whisper ///// /////Deep Within The Stampede///// Hiding amongst the Dark Beasts, The demon that sabotaged Amelia and Vincent''s device roamed. He wondered within himself. ''Is this enough?'' He had sensed the activation of a divine weapon of Elohim. He had once seen an artifact of Elohim being used and was familiar with Its energy. ''This weapon would tip the battle for the humans.'', he thought, even without knowing which weapon it was. He still knew that whatever it was, it would make the scales unbalanced ''I need to make the stampede stronger.'' ''But if I do so, I risk the angel''s wrath.'' ''Is it worth it?'' ''Hm¡­¡­ It is'' He assured himself ''Even if the successor doesn''t die from this, The death of those living in Aemplefort should fill me with enough strength to kill him personally whilst also protecting myself from the angels.'' The Demon hence began molding dark eery energy, One that screamed despair, hate, fear, and everything dark. Then he spread it, Covering himself in the darkness hiding away from all. Even from the Angels in Heaven ''Yes, this should work.'' "HAHA!!!!" He laughed in madness. . . . . . . . The system shouldn''t have jinxed things. ///// Chapter 70 - SSS-Rank!!! ///// ///// Amelia POV /////?? It changed all too fast When I awoke today, I never guessed I would find myself in this situation. When the stampede alarm rang, I did not have much to think of but I knew that this was a fortunate opportunity. One that would help change my future or at least buy me time to shape it myself. So I met an instructor and wrote my name for the draft. I was given lightweight armor as I asked for and a basic sturdy longsword. Also, I was given a choice to make between 4 Minor healing potions or 2 Minor healing potions, or just 1 High healing potion. The same choice pertained to the Ether recovery potions. I chose the second option for the 2 mid-potions. I put on my armor after that, deciding to cross it with my original armor for more protection, and left the sword handed to me for the one given by the family. The sole helpful thing they have given me. After that I offered a prayer to my ancestors and a curse to my family, Then headed out with determination for success. ///// It changed all too fast In this short lifetime, I thought I had seen enough death to get used to it. But this was different Everyone and everything died before my eyes. ''I thought I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this, but I guess I did not know enough.'' I bent back as a human head sailed past me, The perpetrator striking me soon after. ''But now I know more A simple swerve to the left let me dodge and counter, My sword slicing deep into the Dark Beast side. ''Not much¡­.. But more.'' It flinched from the attack giving me time to attack from behind and end its life with a stab through its heart. When it fell I stabbed it again. ''The deaths had taught me something'' I heard a grunt as I pierced through the Dark Beast ''It taught me to never be weak'' "!" Shifting the dead beast to the side with my feet, The sight of a man with my sword stab on his back, taking his last breath shook me I ended his life. ''Yet I am still too weak'' "ROAR!" My moment of distraction won me a sneak attack from a Dark Beast. But I was still incapable to react still shook from before ''Is this how the weak die'' I thought as its claws approached me. ''Sudden and powerless to react.'' My existence went by my eyes. It was dull¡­¡­¡­ except for when I met Lena¡­.. that day was fun. I shut my eyes, readied to accept my demise, but something no someone shoved me out of the way. I was too stunned to even restabilize myself, although the first hit to the ground did snap me out of it. I perked up to see Vincent in front of a headless Dark Beast with a bloodied silver sword in his hand. ///// Switch POV ///// ///// Vincent 3rd Person POV///// ''Is this girl stupid?, Who loses focus right in the middle of a war'' He thought in wonder as he jabbed Amelia to the side. Vincent unsheaths the Firestorm and cuts through the Dark Beast taking off its head He again turns to Amelia, "Stupid" he mutters. After that he heads on, chopping through the beasts that came his way. Using his dual elements to the highest he was allowed to without being suspicious. In this battle, Vincent had concluded to not use Thundra possession or his new element. But if necessary he wouldn''t hesitate. ///// Further Within ///// Instructor Selussa, Pryde, Vinda, and Zeph had gone thick into the stampede. As they went deeper, they met face to face with a sudden shift in the environment. The terrain altered into that of grief and dead one with the sky fading into darkness. "Up your guard, Something is wrong here" Instructor Pryde warned. "The sky, The wind. It feels." instructor Zeph began. "Dead" Instructor Selussa finishes "Yes, dead," He said back The once lush forest was now replaced with that of greyness. The leaves of the trees were gone. The natural brownness of the soil was now similar to whitened if a desert. Even the calm sky was now gone as only grey clouds and occasional bolts remained. "Something did this," Instructor Vinda said, "But what?" "SCREECH!" A sudden loud screech hit them, making the Instructors of Aemplefort cover their ears as it likened to the blowing of their drums. The screech pushed the air outwards, sending the flying instructors back with no control. Instructor Selussa with haste crested a flower path and cushioned all the Instructor''s flight paths as she had no control over the flight spell. They all landed onto the path safe but disoriented "Argh" Instructor Vinda grunted in pain from the harsh landing. "Are you okay?" Instructor Zeph that had landed beside her inquired. "Yah I''m-" Before Instructor Vinda finished her sentence. A dreadful Aura washed over them and pushed Instructor Vinda to the ground. The rest of the Instructors were strong enough to shrug off the aura but still felt its intimidation. Then they looked at it and simultaneously they all broke their former record of the biggest Dark Beast that they have seen well most of them have seen. It stood at 21-22 feet tall. An arachnid 8 legged spider, covered in thick black fur, It''s 4 pairs of red eyes stared at the Instructors with the desire to consume them [Name: Arachnid Danger Threat Level: SSS] "SSS Rank!" Instructor Vinda almost screamed in surprise "Get Re-" Instructor Pryde was cut off as the 21 feet spider lunged onto them. Somehow its height didn''t hinder his speed as it soon reached Instructor Vinda that it had scented as the weakest amongst the quad. It raised its sharp pincher legs and jabbed at her with great speeds leaving no room for her to react. Fortunately, Zeph that was at her side was able to push her and himself out of the way with the help of his skill [Forgoing Intrusive For Elusive.] They both rolled out the way unharmed, But the danger wasn''t over. Seeing his prey escape, Arachnid was enraged and again made an effort to attack but its movement was halted. Green thick thorn vines burst out of the ground and enfold it threatening to pin Arachnid to the ground. But it was stronger than that, The vines only served to hinder it, even the thorns were unable to dig past its fur. But the Instructors were not done, From the side Instructor Pryde flashed and dropped anchor a clean punch at the held Beast. Sending it blasting through its entrapment further away from them. But mid-air the beast balanced itself and landed on all feet like a cat. There was no clear sign of physical harm, It just shook itself to get rid of its dizziness Although this presented a window of opportunity that Instructor Pryde capitalized on well. ''[Lion Augmentation]'' With this skill activated, Instructor Pryde began to change. His wild features became more distinguished. The Instructor grew taller and bigger, His red hair grew longer and wilder, and sharp fangs and nails protruded out. ''This is just a partial transformation, I''ll test it with this.'' Instructor Pryde thought. He tensed his legs and dashed to the dazed Arachnid leaving behind a small crater. It wasn''t long before he came up beneath the Arachnid chest. He hit the exposed belly with a fist that was on fire. But the effect he foresaw did not come. His flames exploded out, but it was unable to make Arachnid budge nor did it do any harm. "How," Instructor Pryde said in surprise He did not have much time to think of it as a sharp pincher entered into its peripheral vision. It approached him but ended up hitting nothing. Instructor Pryde had moved from that position with the help of Selussa. The beast wondered where its attacker was but it wasn''t given enough time to figure out as a huge shadow enveloped it. It looked up to see a giant ice block that appeared out of nowhere in the sky. It tried to dodge but it slipped from the now frozen ground beneath it. It was dazed by the fall and was unable to dodge the falling block of ice. BOOM The collision broke the ice-covered floor and created dust clouding itself. ///// Beside Instructor Selussa, The floor cracked then fell and the figure of Instructor Pryde appeared beside her rising from underground. "Thanks," he said with a smile of appreciation. "You''re welcome,'''' she replied impassively. "What happened there? Your attack did nothing" Selussa asked. "I don''t know,'''' He replied, "But when I hit it, something happened. Its skin became soft yet hard." "I don''t know how but whatever it did absorb the force from my punch and put a resistance against my fire." "Hm" Selussa hummed in wonder, she then looked at the beast that also looked at her. "This won''t be an easy battle." She said "I know." Instructor Pryde said whilst stretching, "But it won''t be an easy battle for it either." "Hm, True. Anyways, let''s deal with this quickly. Aemplefort can only hold on for so long" "Yeah, I wonder how they are holding up?" He asked himself Instructor Pryde then turned to Instructor Zeph and said, "Let''s go all out." Instructor Zeph just smiled in response. ///// Chapter 71 - Killing An SSS-Rank Beast ///// Between Dark Beasts and Aemplefort, The war favored the latter.?? But you know what they say about such things, Anything can tip the favor of war. ///// Vincent knelt on the blood-splattered floor panting and dripping in sweat. A blood-stained firestorm in his hand, and 12 Flame-Lightning chains flowing passively behind him. His ether reservoir was just above its halfway point but with what was before him he knew that it wouldn''t be enough. ''God I hate jinxes'' He thought in bitterness. "SCREECH!" ///// Few Hours Ago ///// Instructor Pryde turned to Instructor Zeph and asserted, "Let''s go all out." Instructor Zeph smirked in response and gave back a nod, "Ok I''ll buy you time" He said Instructor Pryde smiled in response and again set his focus on the beast. As the leader of the group, he began to give out orders. "Vinda, Bind it for as long as you can but don''t approach, also offer aerial support when you can" He instructed. "Yes!" She answered back, no longer influenced by the oppression of the Dark Beast. Pryde likewise turned to Selussa, "Are your poisons on standby." He inquired "Always Captain," She asserted with a smirk "Good apply them on my claws." "Ah, so we''re going with that." She replied. Selussa then outstretched her hands and a bowl that contained a dark purple goo emerged out of nothing. Instructor Pryde thus went on to dip his claws inside until it was coated in its purple slaw. "This plan won''t be too significant, I believe that this thing has poison resistance, My poisons won''t last long against it." She warned "I see but how long can you guarantee?" Pryde questioned "About 20-25 seconds in the least" After Pryde retracted his hands, Selussa put the bowl of toxin back to wherever it came from. "That''s enough time for us to get this done," Pryde said, examining his now purple claws. "But just in case get the healing field ready." "Ok." She acknowledged whilst also glancing at the purple claws, "Don''t forget to cut your nails after this, if not the poison will move on to your entire body" Selussa advised "I know just keep the antidote on standby" "Will do" She responded. ///// During the time Pryde and Selussa took to formulating a plane, Instructor Zeph and Vinda held the beast at bay. Vinda utilized her innate ability [Darkness Manipulation] to wield the shadows around her to construct long 3 dimensional chains which she employed to bind the beast to its own shadow. It was successful With Vinda pinning the beast, Zeph concentrated on dealing damage to it He pronto dashed past the beast while also grazing 4 of its right legs ''[Ice Touch: Spread of Numbness]'' In an instant, A cold patch began to spread from the point of touch until it laid over the legs in full ice. Instructor Zeph went on with his attack by constructing a huge longsword of ice and swung in a circle at the 4 frozen legs. The massive long sword was able to hit the 4 legs at the same time and the ability [Forgoing Elusive For Intrusive] granted Zeph the strength to support the huge weight of such a weapon. [Forgoing Elusive For Intrusive: A skill that upon activation converts all Agility into Strength. Note: Partial Conversion is possible Note: A strong body is needed to hold the sudden boost.] The massive sword dug deep into the legs past its exoskeleton but quit soon after. The muscles of the Dark Beast were too durable for the sword to cut through. "SCREE!!!" Arachnid cried out in pain which caused it to flare out its ether in anger. Arachnid''s sudden blast of Ether threw Zeph flying. He broke past a few tree obstacles in his path before he was able to correct himself, he fell onto his feet a little dazed. "Zeph are you okay!?" Instructor Vinda asked in worry. "Yeah, just a little dazed" Zeph replied whilst getting on his feet. "Looks like you did some damage" Pryde praised from the side. "Yeah but it''s not enough," Zeph answered back solemnly glaring at the injury he had caused that was soon healed in a blink. ''Tch, It has regeneration.'' Zeph thought in annoyance. "We''ll need more than this," he advised. "Don''t worry we got this" Pryde affirmed as he started walking towards the still crazy Arachnid. As he did, A set of silver claw metal gauntlets appeared which he wore. "*Chuckle*", "Indeed we do" Zeph chuckled as he also walked towards it. A platinum-colored blade polearm appeared within his hands, Zeph went on to hold it to his side Both weapons were extraordinarily well made and sharpened to the extreme. They both excluded S-Rank Aura borderline SS. "Let''s go!" "Hm!" "[Full Lion Augment], [Flame Augment], [Predator Hunt Ground.]" [Full Lion Augment: A skill granted by the Deus Maahes onto those competent of his power. Upon Activation, Draw upon the primal power of the Ancient lions. Increases Strength by 45% Increases Speed by 50% Increases Endurance by 40% Gains Primal Instinct Heighten Senses Note High chance of losing to the Primal Instincts] [Flame Augment: Ferocious flames envelop the user upon activation granting the user passive buffs. A minor fusion with fire Increase Strength of Flames by 25% Increase Flame Control by 7% Reduce Fire-based attacks by 35%] [Predators Hunt Ground: A field for me and my prey, Upon Activation. A locked target is unable to escape. Causes Intimidation Increases Strength by 35% Increases Speed by 25% Grants Primal Instinct. Heighten Senses] Upon the activation of the skills, Mister Pryde started to undergo even more changes. His once wild features began to become even wilder. His hair grew more until it came up to his waist, as it grew Instructor Pryde''s hair lost its red color for a gold tint. At this point, it was more likened to the mane of a lion. The crack of bones began to sound off Instructor Pryde as he grew taller, bigger, stronger After a while, the cracking of bones had stopped, and there stood Instructor Pryde in the Were-Lion form as he dubbed it. Flame Augment also resulted in a transformation. Furious flames enfolded Pryde before it settled on his hands and feet. As Instructor Pryde shift was finished, Instructor Zeph also began casting his skills ''[Water Sport], [Within the Waters I Am Strong], [Forgoing Elusive For Intrusive], [Full Mammoth Augment].'' [Water Sport: Upon Activation, The area around the User is drenched by immediate rain. Area of influence increases with Ether input] [Within the Waters I Am Strong: Upon Activation, the User acquires a boost in Strength, Agility, and Ether Production. High Affinity to the Water element will activate an even larger boost Increase Strength by 35% Increase Agility by 30% Increase in Ether Production Increase Strength of Water-based attacks by 50% Increase in Water Element Control by 65% Reduce Water-based attacks Ether cost by 35%] [Mammoth Augment: A skill granted by the Deus Maeth onto those worthy of his power. Upon activation, Draw upon the strength of the Ancient Mammoths. Increase Strength by 60% Increase Speed by 25%% Increase Endurance by 70% Heighten Senses Grants Primal Instinct Note: High chance of losing reasoning to the Primal Instincts.] [An: Forgot to add this to Zeph''s set of skills, Just saw this in my outline.] Upon activation of his skills, Instructor Zeph also changed similar to that of Instructor Pryde. The only difference being that, His blue hair took on a gray tone as it grew longer and his horns grew more prominent. After a few seconds, the shift period of the skill had ended and Instructor Zeph stood on Instructor Pryde''s height which is 6 feet 9 As both transformations had completed, The skill [Water Sport] that had been cast began to show its effect. The clouds darkened and a full-blown rain occurred soon after. As the rain hit Zeph''s, he took a huge breath in relief, his body relaxing. The rain also fell on Instructor Pryde but it evaporated before it hit his figure. "Now Selussa!" He called as both he and Zeph dashed at sound-shattering speeds towards the Dark Beast with intent to kill. "Yes" Selussa replied "[Grow]" she casted [Grow] was a simple sub-skill under the skill [Nature''s Blessed]. [Nature''s Blessed: An Innate skill exclusive to Elf bloodline. A skill granted by the mother of nature herself unto her protectors. Grants Fire Manipulation Grants Water Manipulation Grants Air Manipulation Grants Earth Manipulation Allows User to communicate with Nature] It induced a massive tree to grow just beneath her feet and took her into the air. The tree grew to the point that when it had stopped it stood above the dark clouds. Proceeding with the second part of the plan, Selussa stretched out her hands towards the empty air. A bowl of purple goo once again appeared but this time it gave out a more dreadful aura than before. "[A Thousandth Deadly Nature''s Disasters: No 14, Rain of Poisons]" She called out. Selussa tipped the bowl forward and the purple goo slowly dripped into the dark clouds and scattered through it turning the once dark clouds into purple ones. Glad about her work, Selussa looked down on the tree she stood on and cast another sub-skill. "[Return]" And so it did. The tree lost its lush glow as all the leaves turned brown then deteriorated into dust, even the bark. Losing a foothold, Selussa fell back to land but strong winds held her up and slowed her pace, allowing her land with no fall damage. The effect of what Selussa had just done then began to show. Instead of clear water falling, It rained a purple-colored liquid instead. This was poison. While this was bad for the Dark Beast it was also bad for her allies but selussa wasn''t done yet. "[Forest Aura], [Healers Aura]" [Forest Aura: A blessing is cast upon the user and allies upon activation, giving the following passive boosts. Increase Regeneration Increase Ether Production Grants Minor Poison Immunity Grants Calm Mind.] [Healers Aura: Upon Activation, Envelopes the User and Allies with a defensive and healing shroud that often heals all wounds and debuffs until deactivation of skill. Heals Grants Mid Poison Immunity] A green glow fell upon Pryde, Zeph, Vinda, and herself. The combination of the two skills was able to counter the poison rain and also counter Instructor Zeph and Pryde''s instinct to take over. Then it began, The death of an SSS-Rank Dark Beast. Chapter 72 - The Death Of An SSS-Rank Beast _____ A green glow fell upon Pryde, Zeph, Vinda, and herself. The combination of the two skills was able to counter the poison rain and also prevented Instructor Zeph and Pryde''s instinct from taking over. Then it began, The death of an SSS-Rank Dark Beast. ///// Before the Dark Beast could move, they were already upon it. Zeph first went at it, He struck the shaft of his polearm at the joint of one of the legs he had attacked before. He heard a clunk as the shaft slammed against it. Zeph flinched in pain from the impact he did not anticipate the beast to possess such tough bones But with the boost from his skills, his hit carried enough force to fell the beast to its side. "SCREECH!" It wailed as it knocked down. Because of its fall, its underbelly was uncovered, an opening for Pryde who dashed in fast and struck at it to pierce. But the covering at which he struck became elastic and threatened to bring about the strike, slipping past it. However, Pryde''s hand claws were not an S-Rank weapon for no reason, especially now blessed with a skill. The flaming claws dug in albeit in a mild way, but that was all h //// Happy New Month!/e had to do. Upon the first successful attack, Pryde went on with the assault. Several slashes got on to be adorned onto the underbelly of the beast. Abruptly Pryde''s and Zeph''s instincts blew up in caution so they both receded. A good reaction as if they stood in place a minute further, Spikes cropped up from the beast''s shadow would have impaled them. Nevertheless, they were tenacious men. As Pryde and Zeph pulled out, they both molded weapons made out of their respective elements, Fire and Water then cannoned them at the beast. Their organized onslaught stirred some dust that obstructed their vision, it soon later calmed down after a few instants showing the beast in a shadow globe. Which retracted soon after. "Shadow Manipulation," Zeph said in shock The revelations were not done. Shhhh Pryde and Zeph heard a quiet sizzling sound come off from the beast. They also saw the blood leaking wounds the beast acquired close up right in front of them. "Shit it still has more skills," Zeph told Pryde in annoyance. "Selussa when will it take effect!" Pryde asked in a yell "Soon!" She said back with annoyance in her tone Arachnid screeched again and made signs of movement at which Zeph and Pryde tensed at. Waiting for its shadow manipulation or for it to move But instead of doing so, it spat out a small line at them It extended to them at a speed that they were almost able to acknowledge. Regardless, They were not too troubled. Pryde and Zeph had faith in the recovery passive buffs placed on them. However, never did they anticipate the string to go past them. Then they understood The attack was never meant for them. "Selussa!, Vinda!" They shouted in realization, Pryde quickly cut through the string to stop its advance, but it was too late. They first checked Selussa and she was unscathed¡­¡­¡­ but Vinda was not *Splurt* Vinda stood there looking at the white thread that went into her heart. ''A string'' Her last thoughts as the world went faint, and she fell to the ground onto a patch of vegetation Selussa produced in haste. She then strode to her, took out a potion, and soon pried it into her mouth. Upon drinking the potion, the hole in Vinda''s heart began to seal itself. A few seconds later, she regained consciousness. "Are you alright!?" Selussa interrogated. Vinda stood up shaky but was for the most part fine. "Yes, I''m good," Vinda responded. "Can you still fight?" Selussa asked her. "Yeah, I still have a lot of ether left for this bastard." Pride and Zeph let out breaths of relief when they saw Vinda stand up fine. But the distraction caused by the attack on Vinda gave Arachnid a window of chance. Clang Pryde and Zeph blocked two sharp pincer attacks with swift reflexes, Although the force behind the strike still pinned them to the ground. It shocked them that the beast had this much power as it did not seem this much powerful a moment ago The toxin rain and Pryde''s claws should have lessened its strength by a ton. They couldn''t speculate much of it because the beast made another play. It threw its head back slightly in a way that Pryde and Zeph knew. "Shit it''s about doing it again." "Zeph, With me" Pryde ordered "Mh!" Zeph acknowledged At the same time, They parried the pincer that was on them which made the beast fall forward into two Ether affined powered fists. The combined force of Zeph and Pryde''s punch propelled the beast through the air away from them. "Let''s go!" They then kicked off the ground and into the air again onto the Dark Beast. ''[Forgoing Elusive For Intrusive]'' Zeph casts [Full Powered Ether Burst!]. The punched Arachnid sensed the incoming threat and forthwith made an effort to dodge But it couldn''t move, It struggled and struggled but it was unable to move. Arachnid had lost its locomotive nerves. At this scene, Selussa drew a smile. Boom The combined attack of Pryde and Zeph gave off an explosion that made a loud bang. The wind current generated from the blast was ample to propel everything in its radius away, even Instructor Selussa and Vinda had to take cover underground to avoid the blast. After a few minutes, the blast receded and the dust settled. Vinda and Selussa came above ground and went onward to meet Pryde and Zeph who sat upon the fallen figure of the SSS Rank Dark Beast. "Well that was easy," Pryde said before giving a hearty laugh "Say that for yourself" Zeph snapped. "Come on, Don''t be a brooder. At least now the Stampede should stop." "Tch¡­. Either way, you''re right. The stampede should stop now¡­" "You know Pryde, While this beast was strong" "It wasn''t SSS Rank strong" Pryde finished as he gazed at the skies that soon cleared. "Mmh, At most SS Rank. Although it was smart and caught us off guard. It just wasn''t SSS Rank strength." "Which is weird, the beast released an SSS Rank Aura yet only gave out the power of an SS Rank." "Maybe it was just one of its mysteries." Vinda chipped in as she and Selussa walked to them. "We haven''t met a lot of SSS Ranks in the South, so it''s impossible to give an accurate description of why this happened" "But we can deliver it to our research team or earth, They should be able to tell us what happened." She advised them "Ok but first back to Aemplefort," Selussa said, "Pryde you''re the strongest of us, please carry it." "Sure", He said as he and Zeph stood off it. Pryde leaned in to lift the Beast but instead of his hands to lift it, His hands went through it and out like it wasn''t tangible "Huh?" Pryde tried it again and again and again, but every time his hand went through it. Then he realized, " It was a clone" "What?" Zeph asked. "It was a clone!" Pryde shouted. The image of the fallen Dark Beast faded out of existence as he said that making the Instructors widen their eyes in surprise. "But H-How?" Vinda stammered., "When" "So we''ve been fighting a clone" Selussa murmured, " But if we''ve been here fighting a clone¡­.. then that means the original is...." Zeph''s eyes widened in realization as he looked in the direction of Aemplefort, he then cursed out, "Shit!" And that was how an SSS Rank Dark Beast ''Clone'' died. (AN: SIKE) ///// Aemplefort ///// Dark Clouds began to emerge all around Aemplefort, Winds began picking up, and Lightning began to dance. This manifestation drew the attention of everyone on the battleground, even the Dark Beasts. Amid the stampede, The shadows came together to make one huge pool of darkness. From that pool, A powerful aura gushed out from it and draped the entire south. This aura dragged down every Dark Beast and Human in its vicinity, whether S or SS. After a while, something arose from the pool. That thing was Arachnid in an evil aura shroud with glaring red eyes. Signifying Beserk. Then it declared its presence. "SCREECH!!!" ///// Happy New Month Chapter 73 - 73 ///// "........." Lull reigned over the field, The berserk beasts and the Aemplefort battalion were quieted down by the SSS Rank Beasts'' existence and the pressure it gave off. The troops could feel the optimistic thoughts of victory at the diminishing numbers of the stampedes slipping away from their minds. All those thoughts and feelings were replaced with fear and despair. This fear made their heartbeat quicker than ever. Shortly after, they were out of breath, profusely sweating and trembling as their knees quaked. Those that earlier went onward gallantly against the multitudes of Dark Beasts stood now altogether in the never-ending shadow of fear. This sole cry of Arachnid had somehow completely broken down their spirit. Vincent was not an outsider to this too. When Arachnid proclaimed its presence, he also froze in dread and felt an instant chill that could only be brought by the closeness of death to oneself. But he soon snapped out of such a trance, Mental attacks like this did not affect him too long thanks to the [Eidetic Library of Knowing]. With weak wording, he inquired about the happening from the system, "S-System, What just happened?" [It seems like the skill [Scare Cry] was put into effect.] As the system answered back, Vincent got back his color and strength. ''[Scare Cry]? System show me its status?'' He asked. [Name: Arachnid Danger Threat Level: SSS Race: Dark Beast Innate/Skill: Scare Cry, True Shadow Manipulation [High], Shadow Movement, Regeneration [Mid], Ether Leech, Berserker, Iron Shift, Elastic Skin, Night Vision, Ultra Senses, Gluttony; Thou Who Devours, Lord of Poisons, Instinct of Survival] "The fuck!" Vincent blurted out, shocked at the plethora of skills shown before him, ''Why does it have so many skills!?'' [Because it''s an SSS Rank Monster, idiot.] ''You!'' [I advise you to focus and the Beast because it feels like it''s focusing on you] "Huh?" Vincent peered at the Arachnid and he could see, even though it was so far away. The SSS Rank Dark Beast was staring now at him with gazes filled with bloodlust How does he know that it''s staring at him? Well, he''s the MC, Who else would it stare at?. Vincent, frightened by the stares, instantly dashed into the army away from it and soon used his illusion skill to make himself imperceivable. But will that be able to stop the beast? Losing sight of his mark, Arachnid again roared out in anger before it also dashed forward. Irrespective of friend or foe, it trampled upon everything beneath it as it locked on the former position of Vincent. The closer Arachnid got, The more despair came over the Aemplefort army, despair that bestowed them strength to run away. "DON''T YOU DARE RUN!!!" A strong voice rippled through the area, it put a stop to the cowardly soldiers in their retreat. They were perplexed at where the voice came from until their sights were set on the extraordinary figure of a lone man standing at the front of the troops. That man was Luthias Kargar. Aemplefort''s army, General of the south. When the beast comes upon them, He would be the first to be flattened but yet he showed no fear, not despair nor grief. He only expressed unwavering courage, Almost unnatural. "HOW DARE YOU LET YOURSELF BE SMITTEN BY FEAR! You who call yourselves warriors!" He shouted out to them, His powerful voice arousing the wind, such a voice spread to all of the troops. Luthias then turned to them, "Fear is the greatest illusion, a lie your mind chooses to believe. Nothing more and nothing less." He continued "It will break your body, your mind, and your soul. But men let me tell you, everything that you desire is on the other side of that fear." "So now that it''s upon you my patriotic comrades, Will you abandon it all and run, or will you face it head-on and RISE!" No one answered, Some were still afraid, others ashamed. "And if you''re still afraid, I want you to think of your mother, your sister, daughter, son, wife. I want you to think of everyone and everything that has made you who you are today." "WILL YOUR COWARDICE SAVE THEM!?, If you flee at this dire moment, would it guarantee their lives!?" "TELL ME!" They responded with silence Kargar let out a sigh and relaxed, He proceeded to say in a calm voice, "........, We both know the answer. But if any one of you acknowledges it." Arachnid drew closer, The hundreds of kilometers between them were almost crossed. "Pick up your god-damned weapon!" He asserted and abruptly the General of Aempleforth began to grow taller, bulkier, bigger until he was at the same height as Arachnid. "Screech!!!" The beast roared as it came upon the giant of a man, jabbing its pinchers at his exposed back. The giant of a man evaded the dangerous pinchers and countered with a punch that carried an island-shattering force. "And FIGHT!!!" Kargar''s enormous punch touched down upon the open beast, sending it soaring back where it came from. Then rushed in after it. The stunning scenery of a giant man taking on an SSS-Rank Beast rekindled the fate of the army. Men picked up the weapons they had once dropped in fear and dashed back into the horde with a mighty roar. The battle was back on. They rushed towards the still stunned beasts and began to hack through them. As they did so, they felt that it was much easier to kill these monsters. That''s when they saw that the horde of beasts was no longer in Berserk mode. The screech of the SSS Rank Beast had stunned them out of it. With this knowledge, their eagerness soured once more adding vigor to their steps. Vincent a little behind the line also saw the weakness of the beasts but was more immersed in Arachnid. ''System, that thing was focused on me right?'' he asked [Yes, Its intent was on you.] Vincent glanced back at the army, "If that thing is still here they won''t have a chance of winning." "But since its attention is on me, Maybe I can draw it away from here." [Isolating the beast from the war,] "Exactly, It''ll improve our odds of winning or at least stall it for possible reinforcements." [This is too reckless, my advice for you is to portal out of you. But guessing from your expression you are not going to consider my advice.] He smirked in response, "Nope." [Sigh, Just keep a portal on standby and retain your ether usage for at least a jump.] "Yeah, I know." [Sigh, I really shouldn''t have jinxed this.] "You think!" Vincent blurted out, "Tch, just keep quiet. I''m about to begin" [Good luck.] Vincent gave a nod in acknowledgment, then began to cloak himself with the [One With Nature] skill. ''I hope this works'' He thought as he moved on with his suicide plan. ///// Aemplefort, Principal''s Office ///// In the silent office, The principal sat before his winding looking and observing the flow of the ongoing battle. Beside him, a figure flashed into being, then whispered into his ears. After delivering its message it faded out of existence. "......" "So they failed to kill it," He said to himself. "Will I have to step in?" He asked himself, His aged eyes of no emotions focused on the figure of Arachnid. "I will observe further, and if there is a need to do so then I''ll intervene ¡­." ///// Thanks a lot for helping T.H.S.S hit, ? of a million. You are all so wonderful. Thank you so much!. :) ////// Chapter 74 - 74 ///// Kargar POV///// I did not foresee this. An SSS Rank Beast emerging was something that I did not want. At most, we anticipated a beast just breaking into the SSS Rank tier, not one that was already at the wall between SSS and X Rank. ¡­... I need to kill it while I still have the chance, not only for Aemplefort but to also curb the future existence of a terrific beast. Lord Ganesha, Assist me in my mission to remove this obstacle. ///// 3rd POV ///// Vincent sped across the vast distance between him and the beast, The [One With Nature] ability shaded him from everyone''s view, and he was able to slip past them and the beasts unhindered. When he got to his destination, he saw General Kargar as a giant combatting Arachnid. Kargar stood just as tall, maybe a little taller than the beast, He wielded a Golden War-hammer his size as his main weapon. The size of the hammer in no way hindered Kargar''s speed of swinging. Regardless of this, he was not winning. With the help of the skills [Life Leech] and [Regeneration], Arachnid healed from any attack of the General. However, the same could not be said for Kargar. The beast was also ridiculously strong, as its pincers were able to stand against the massive Warhammer and easily repel it with no damage. Due to this even though the fight had just begun, Kargar had accumulated quite an amount of bruises on him. ''At this rate, he will be overwhelmed.'' Vincent thought. So he ran in to assist, and just in time too. Because the beast had slipped past Kargar''s defenses and attacked with a powerful ether boosted jab of its pincers. If not for the quick flame chain which Vincent casted on it for binding, the pincer would have put a grave injury on him. The flame chain was also covered by a layer of illusion making it invisible He then went further by gripping onto the chain and yanked it with his strength, tugging the pincher back. Even with the collective strength of the 3 giants he had devoured, it was not in any means lenient for him to pull back this beast. A testament to how physically strong an SSS Rank Beast is. Either way, His tug on the pincher hindered the beast enough for General Kargar to retreat and counter with an ether infused, earth-shattering, smash from his Warhammer. But as the attack approached, The beast''s shadow sprung to life due to the use of the skill [Shadow Manipulation]. Arachnid''s shadow shielded it from the strike but the force put into the swing was not to be underestimated. It pushed the shield past its limit and went onto the beast behind it. While the strike was slowed by the shadow guard, it was still able to push the beast further back into the stampede. Kargar went on with his attack and began a combo of raining hammers. A 7 hit combo which he ended with a mountain-splitting smash that hit so hard, it generated a wind pressure that uproots the trees and flung the dark beasts in their vicinity. Yet, even with this strong hit and combo, Arachnid regardless stood up soon after being mildly injured. Then it stomped upon an A rank Dark Beast beneath and activated the skill [Life Leech]. [Life Leech: This skill converts a minuscule amount of life force from the dead into a force that heals wounds and injuries.] With this skill, all damage that it received was healed and Arachnid was back to peak soon after. But rather than firing on, Arachnid scampered in retreat expanding the space between it and the general Vincent and Kargar were bewildered by this move. Nonetheless, They were not foolish enough to let it go as it did, but be it as it may, Arachnid was faster. They saw that after Arachnid created more distance, It stopped and raised aloft its 4 front legs then dung into the scampering beasts beneath it, stabbing through four unfortunate beasts and instantly killing them. Then something strange took place, The Dark beasts that were impaled by Arachnid''s legs lost their shape, turned into mush, and were sucked up into the legs. An odd scene that only made their intent to stop it stronger. ''Is this how the Gluttony skill it possesses works?'' Vincent presumed. He arrived at it first from below and slashed at Arachnid''s front legs with the intent of decapitation. A wave of fire and lightning blended ether went off from Firestorm and hit the legs then went off with a bang. The smoke cleared soon after and the limbs showed no sign of harm. It just drew the beast''s attention to Vincent. Arachnid glared at him, Vincent''s presence was still hidden with the [One With Nature] skill yet it was looking at him. ''Shit! It can see me through the skill'' He thought in panic ''However, now that I have its attention I can lead it away from here.'' He planned to retreat. However, Arachnid had no plans to let him go Vincent casts the [Lightning Burst] skill to retreat but upon contact with the ground, he sank. He noticed that below him the once-solid ground was now sinking into a mud trap. "What!" blurted out Vincent in surprise Before he could try to free himself from the mud trap, His instincts flared up. He looked up to see Arachnid''s pincers coming towards him ''Fuck!'' He cursed again, ''[Portal Maker]'' On the cast of the skill, Two portals opened. One above him and the other right beside the first. The pincer of the beast fell into the first hole in space and panned out from the other. This resulted in the jab narrowly missing Vincent And because its attention was on Vincent, Kargar was able to slip in undetected or so he thought. When he was near and about to attack, the beast''s shadow sprung into life again in the form of seven tentacles. Two of them pierced through both Kargar arms which made him flinch in pain and let go of his Warhammer. Next, the residing five shadow tentacles lunged towards him. He tried to evade them by veering backward but as he did he unawares shrunk in size making him lose his footing. ''Fuck, I''ve reached my limit'' Kargar thought in frustration ''Shit, the skill that makes him a giant must have had a limit.'' Vincent figured, ''I have to help him'' He reached out to Kargar and produced another portal to teleport him to a location he forgot to specify in haste. But thanks to this response the tentacles pierced nothing but Kargar was nowhere to be found, Then Vincent heard the distant sound of a portal opening from the still ongoing battle behind me He focused his sight towards the source of the sound and found the missing General falling from the sky. While falling Kargar shrunk more and more until he was at his regular size and when he landed, he did so with an Ether-infused punch that shook the area. ''Good he''s safe, Now for this thing.'' Vincent used another [Portal Maker] to teleport out of the mud trap and onto a position further away. ''Kargar is compromised for now however the plan still stands, lead it away. But first, My suspicion'' [......] [Name: Arachnid Danger ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­. Innate/Skill: ¡­¡­.., Great Mud Swamp (New), Intellect II (New)] ''So my speculation was right'' [Yes] ''But it absorbed 4 beasts but only got the skills of 2. This could either mean that 2 of the beasts did not have skills or the skill doesn''t ensure the absorption of absorbed skills'' [All the beasts that were absorbed through the skill had skills] ''So it''s the latter ''Sigh, This is so much harder. With this, it will be stupid of me to lead it away and stall it.'''' [......] [I suggest that you kill it now. Stalling would only make the situation more disadvantageous.] ''True, But to kill it I have to go all out, and going all out means that I would not be able to maintain the [One With Nature] skill and would risk exposing myself.'' ''However, I don''t have any choice. Letting this thing live any longer would not only be dire to me but would also be dire to everyone and everything it comes in the future.'' ''I''m not a savior but I can''t let that happen.'' [So are you ready?] "Yes," Assured Vincent. "[Thundra possession 4th F-] A sudden voice interrupted his casting. "[Flames of Pryde!!!]" "Huh?" Vincent wondered where the voice came from until he looked to the sky to see a person with a flaming fist falling from it "What the." BOOM ///// Hope you enjoyed the chapter Sorry for drawing this fight for a while. The next chapter is the finale. And after that is the time skip. Then the final arc before the Volume ends. Please support with PS or Reviews. ///// Chapter 75 - 75 A sudden voice interrupted his casting. ///// Vincent''s POV ///// I am currently plopping on my bed staring up to the ceiling, Slight dissatisfaction could be seen on my face as I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time. "Well, that was anticlimactic." Now you might be wondering What is happening? Why is it anticlimactic? Well, let''s go back a few hours. ///// Flashback ///// ///// 3rd Person POV ///// "[Flames of Pryde!!!]" "Huh?" Vincent wondered where the voice came from until he looked to the sky to see a person with a flaming fist falling from it "What the." BOOM ///// Moments Later ///// In a barren dust-filled area, The land beneath suddenly split open and a person climbed out of it. That someone was Vincent. After climbing out, He accidentally breathed the excess dust in the area and began to cough profusely. He could somehow taste the dirt in the air. Soon after the dust settled enough for him to investigate, He examined the area around him and found nothing. The forest The stampede Arachnid. It was all gone, Only barren land and dust remained and this went on for most of the area, almost catching up with the defense line. Suddenly he heard a shake. Vincent instantly went on alert and created 8 floating flame spears ready to impale on command. Thereafter he moved toward the noise. The dust in the area still obscured his vision somewhat but it soon cleared up a bit more for him to see a scene that mesmerized him. An armless bloodied Instructor Pryde in his full beast augment standing on a motionless Arachnid. Even though his entire right arm was gone, Instructor Pryde had a triumphant smile on his face. ''Why does he look different'' Vincent asked himself Instructor Pryde stood still on Arachnid for a while before a strong gust blew past him and he fell towards the ground. Vincent moved in to help as soon as he saw him fall but another person was faster. An individual swooped in from the air and held Pryde stopping his fall. ''Instructor Vinda?'' And that''s how it ended, Instructor Pryde came from the sky and landed upon Arachnid like a nuke creating a blast that destroyed everything in some hundreds of kilometers radius. After that the Aemplefort defense line dealt with the remaining numbers of Dark Beast, about 150 or so. That was how one of the deadliest stampedes in all of the realms was repelled A truly anticlimactic ending. ///// Flashback End ///// ///// Present Time ///// "Sigh", Another sigh added to the count. [Are you unsatisfied with the ending of the stampede?] "I don''t know, I''m glad that the entire stampede thing has finally been put to rest. It''s just that¡­.. I still have this desire to fight." "I have all this strong power within me and I just felt like letting it loose. You know, to do my absolute best and win." "Don''t get me wrong, I am satisfied with the ending of the stampede" [But you''re not satisfied with the way your fight with Arachnid ended.] "Exactly." [......] [In the future, You''ll meet those that will push you to the edge and beyond.] [Beings that will force you to draw more power than you ever thought you possessed.] [Arachnid wasn''t able to do so but in the future, someone certainly will.] "........" "Good night system." [Good night host.] ///// The Next Day ///// A day had passed and morning had come. Today, Vincent was called for an assembly in the Aemplefort school hall. Aemplefort school hall was a 17,331 square foot hall (1610.1 square meters). This long roomy hall was styled as an auditorium hall with matching red and gold classic armchairs for the audience, and an elv wooden podium for the speaker. Soon students flooded the hall and sat down where they felt comfortable for them. After a while, Instructor Selussa came before the podium and addressed them. "Good morning students, As you have already known. I am your instructor, Miss Selussa." "We have called you here today to apologize for the unprecedented interruption of our Dark Beast Hunt event." "We are also sorry for involving you with the stampede. As children, it was not your war to fight but you should know by now how dire the situation was." "For anyone that was harmed or met an unfortunate end. We apologize and send our sincerest wishes to the families of the lost ones." ''I don''t know why I''m saying this, it''s not like any of these bastards participated.'' Selussa thought irked. "However this is not the main reason for why you are here." "We are here now to call upon the top winners of the Dark Beast Hunt. While indeed the event was interrupted, Any Dark Beast killed during the war was also recorded. Hence the school has decided to reward those with the highest kill counts" "Third position for highest kill count with 2633 points goes to¡­¡­. Amelia Maeth!" Amelia left her group and climbed up the podium to where she stood behind Selussa. "The second position for highest kill count with 3065 points goes to¡­¡­¡­ Vincent Cadmean." ''What!?'' Vincent thought in surprise, ''How!'' He approached the podium with a shocked face then stood beside Amelia. "Finally, the first position for highest kill leading by a close figure of two points goes to ¡­¡­.. Ama Ivory with 3067 points!!!" ''What!!!" Vincent shouted within him. Ama approached the podium and stood beside Vincent. She flashed to him a mocking smirk before looking forward. "These are the students of Aemplefort that managed to rank the highest kill count amongst the event''s participants. Please endeavor to be more like them." "Give out winners a round of applause" Clap. Clap. Clap. Now you might be wondering how Ama managed to rank up more points than Vincent. Well while Vincent was drawn away dealing with Arachnid for hours, Ama spent her time grinding through the hordes of beasts without end. Ether boost and Strength potions were used to help boost the grind. Through this painstaking method, she managed to barely pass Vincent and come out on top. Something that she was weirdly proud of. ///// 5 Minutes Later ///// Vincent sat on his bed lost in his thoughts "Sigh, I spent too much time on that SSS rank beats." He thought "I did not even gain anything from it at the end of the day." "Sigh, Well there''s no benefit in wiling on it." "Now it''s time to focus on these rewards and how much they can benefit." For placing second in the event, the following rewards were given. A sure graduation pass. 100,000 Merit points A skill book And money from the sale of beasts killed. ///// Aemplefort Infirmary ///// Instructor Pryde laid in a deep sleep on the infirmary bed, beside him was the Librarian who was currently reading a book. Moments later Instructor Zeph, Vinda, and the Principal entered the room, Upon seeing the principal she gave a bow and excused herself. Vinda looked at Pryde with a worried face, Instructor Zeph came to her side and comforted her. Soon after a doctor walked in, he greeted the instructors and the principal. "How is he?" The principal asked. "He is fine for the most part" The doctor replied "His arm is gone but it''s nothing that the research group can not heal." "But?" Zeph asked "But he will still be in a coma for a while." "How long?" Vinda asked. "About two to three months." "That long?" Zeph asked surprised "Yes that long, It''s his body''s natural response to the massive amount of stress placed on it." "10 high strength boost potions, Instructor Selussa strongest poison, the muscle release skill, beast augment, and a 28,000 feet drop should have killed him." "Even though the principal shielded him with a layer of space, It is still a miracle that he only lost an arm and went into a coma. it could have been much worse." The doctor then turned to Vinda, "You too should have almost died, If not for augmenting yourself with a shadow and Instructor Selussa placing an air bubble around you." "You should have passed out because of oxygen deprivation a little after you went past 18,000 feet and then you would have fallen to your death. "I advise you to not do such dangerous things anymore." "Anyway, that is all. After three months he should awaken." "Thank you, doctor," The principal said, grateful. "You''re welcome sir", The doctor replied then left the room ''Sigh, I should have interfered sooner'' regretted the principal. ///// Chapter 76 - 76 ///// Vincent stared at the skill book with a twitching mouth. "Sigh, What am I going to do with this now." [Tribulations of Yecsi (A-Rank): Summon the fury of the heavens to descend upon thy enemies. Heaven''s fury comes in the form of a single ground splitting bolt of thunder.] The skill in hindsight was good, Impressive attack power and strength but to Vincent. "This skill is useless!" "With [Authority of Lightning], I can already do this and more. It would have been better if they gave me a mental or physical related skill." "Sigh" He calmed down. "Maybe I can sell this skill for more merit points." [What if I fuse the skill] "Fusion?" [Yes] "Is [Tribulations of Yecsi] not a lower-ranked skill than [Authority of Lightning]. If my knowledge of skill fusions from my past world precedes me, then it should be impossible for them to be fused." [Indeed, but that is if we are fusing them to form a new skill entirely.] [In this case, We can fuse [Tribulations of Yecsi] into [Authority of Lightning] as they are compatible skills.] [If we do this, fusion is possible.] "Oh like we did to the [I Can Impose My Will] skill and [The Word]" [Not exactly. The skill [I Can Impose My Will] was a key to completing [The Word].] [That is why fusion was possible, even though the two skills are not similar. It is a special case.] "I see." mumbled Vincent, "What will happen when we fuse it into [Authority of Lightning] [The skill [Tribulations of Yecsi] will become stronger, It may even jump up a rank.] "In that case, do it now." [Conf-] "Wait!" Vincent proclaimed abruptly. [What?] "Is there anything I should prepare for?" He asked. [Have your ether cloak on, I will handle the rest.] "Ok, [One With Nature]." The familiar feeling of being in nature enveloped him before he settled his roaming mind and awaited the system. [Confirming Host''s Permission] [This time I won''t be drawing ether from nature, So you''ll feel a massive drop in your reserves. Should I continue?.] "Go ahead," He said with determination. [Permission Confirmed] [Begin Process] Vincent suddenly felt his ether pool being sucked out of him in mass quantities. It was not painful, however, it was upsetting and uncomfortable. [Skill [Tribulation of Yecsi] is compatible with skill [Authority of Lightning].] [Fusing Lower ranked skill into Higher ranked skill.] [Summoning Akashic.] [Cloaking Akashic.] [Connecting to Akashic.] [Connected] [Begin Fusion.] Preparations were done and powers drawn. Soon after this, Vincent felt a greater dip on his ether pool as it went below his half mark. ///// Few Minutes Later ///// [Fusion Complete.] [Begin Integration.] ///// More Minutes Later ///// [Integration Complete] [Skill [Tribulation of Yecsi] has become a sub-skill under [Authority of Lightning].] [Displaying sub skill] [Authority of Lightning, Tribulations of Yecsi (SS-Rank: Summon the true fury of the Thundergod Yecsi to obliterate thy enemies. Multiple Earth-shattering bolts of Thunder serve as the representation of Yecsi''s fury.] "Whoa, System you were right, it did go up a rank," Vincent said in surprise. [As expected of the great system.] "Narcissist much?" He mumbled, "Either way, I wonder how much more powerful it got." "Welp, Guess I''m off to Proto Yggdrasil. With the nature planar giant and my illusion skills, I should be able to hide from any possible cameras now." ///// 4 Weeks Later. ///// It has been a month since then and Vincent was now sitting in class bored out of his mind. With lifeless eyes, he stared at the board with an empty mind. Luckily soon after, A female familiar to Vincent entered the class and stood before them. She donned black-on-black convenient wear, had dark messy hair, very visible dark bags possibly from sleepless nights, and slightly crooked glasses. ''Wait is this not Librarian@a, Why does it look like she has not slept in centuries.'' Librarian Mai let out a cute yawn before she began to address them, "Yawn, Good morning brats." [AN: A cute face with a brazen mouth, possibly Tsun tsun.] "I am here today on behalf of the school with important information." "As you know it has been 2 months or so since you have been admitted into this school and according to the schedule. Your first term exam is upcoming." The students began to murmur to their friends, asking whether this was true or not. Of course, this greatly irked the tsun librarian. "Quiet!!!" She shouted with anger, and they immediately kept shut. "Good" "Now for those of you that do not know, The terms exams follow the same format unless In a situation where stated otherwise" "This is one of those situations" "To ensure that all students have the equal chance to acquire Merit Points before the implementation of the Merit Point system." "The school has decided to add an optional exam route." "Now you can either take the original exam path which consists of taking a written exam and a practical exam where you will have to prove your capability against an instructor or a dark beast." "Or you can take the new optional route of obtaining 500 Merit Points." A random student suddenly stood up and complained, "But how? There is no method to gain merit points." His fellow students looked at him, wondering how someone could ask such a dumb question. Librarian Mai glared at the student with so much anger and replied, "If you had shut up for a minute and used a shred of common sense that you may or may not possess." "You''ll realize that I was just getting to that. Now do us all a favor and sit the fuck down idiot." Librarian Mai snapped back. ''Oof'' Vincent thought, he chuckled at the situation. Liberian Mai promptly glared at him and he kept shut immediately "Tch, Brats." She mumbled. The student sat back ashamed as his mates laughed at him. Librarian Mai clicked her tongue in annoyance and continued, "As I was about to say before I was stupidly interrupted. For the optional exam route, you need to obtain 500 merit points. "Because of this, the school is introducing a method to gain points and that is through a Mercenary Enrollment Program." "If you apply into this program, Aemplefort will sign you up to become a mercenary and support you with basic equipment and tool support." "The school will also give a discounted price for weapons and potions to those who enroll into the program." "As a mercenary, you can either take a quest, kill Dark Beasts and sell it or take quests to kill a certain Dark Beast. You will gain merit points for doing all of these." "Your goal is to gain 500 merit points which is the equivalent of 5 A-Rank beasts." "Dark Beasts worth are as follows; "C-Rank Dark Beasts are worth 1 Point. B-Ranks is worth 10 Points A-Ranks is worth 100 points. S-Ranks'' worth is variable." "Going through this method is dangerous but it is also more beneficial." "Either way all you need is at least 500 merit points on hand for the exam." "Ama, Vincent, and Amelia, with the graduation exam pass you received from the event, You are allowed to skip any exam according to the number of passes you have but you can not skip the graduation exam under any circumstance." "But even if you decide to skip this exam, You are still able to apply for the Enrollment Program, so you can also earn merit points before the system is implemented." "Yawn, Either way, that is all. Do you have any questions?" A female student signified with her hands. "Okay, you." She pointed. "Miss Mai, What happened to Instructor Pryde. We have not seen him for a month now." "......" Librarian Mai kept quiet for a while before replying, "Instructor Pryde is currently on a vacation break with his family." ''He is probably still injured from that.'' Vincent figured. "Is there anything else?" asked Librarian Mai The student shook her head in response then sat down. "Ok, are there any more questions?" She asked again, to which no one replied. "If there''s no one else then I''ll be going now." Promptly after she said that Librarian Mai exited the room in a hurry. ''Mmh, is it possible that Instructor Pryde''s crush is probably not one-sided?'' Vincent thought with a small smile. "More importantly, it looks like I''m becoming a mercenary." ///// Time skip after this, Then a mini-arc before the last arc of the volume. Please drop a PS or Reviews for the support :) ///// Chapter 77 - 77 ///// Timeskip - A Month Later///// The section/term has finally come to a close and the period of exams has begun. Vincent and his fellow winners were exempted from such stress but they still chose to enroll in the Mercenary Program, because of that he and all those that chose this optional exam route will be heading to the mercenary guild today with a school escort. Vincent was in the process of packing his belongings and luggage, he inferred that he''ll do so now and leave with it later when he returns from his outing today. As he was packing, He heard a knock on his door. "Who''s that?" He asked. "It''s me, Ama. Can I come in?" Ama answered back. "Sure it''s open." The door unlocked and Ama Ivory walked in. She shut the door behind her and moved forward to sit on Vincent''s bed. For a while, she quietly watched Vincent as he arranged his clothing. "Do you need anything?" Vincent inquired curiously. "......." "Ama?" "You know what my bloodline is, don''t you?", She stated. Vincent paused in silence for a while, then answered back, "Yes, Yes I do" "..... I see," She mumbled "You know, I have been thinking. Not only do you know about my bloodline, but you also know about my illusion ability. That could only mean that you are also like me." "What brought this on Ama?." Vincent raised a question of his own in return, "it has been a while since I had done that. Yet you are just confronting me now." Ama shrugged and retorted, "I did not need to confront you before because there was no need to. I thought that I could simply shut you up permanently." "And what changed?" Vincent asked. "...." She kept silent for a while before letting out a sigh and replied. "I achieved 3067 points in the Hunt event, through painstaking effort. If I did not use ether nexus and strength boost potions, I wouldn''t have been capable of achieving such a result." Ama then pointed at him, "Yet you were only two points shorter than me but I am sure that you achieved that with less effort than I had put in." "You are stronger than me and are also able to discern my illusions. It would be stupid of me to try to assassinate you." She explained as she shrugged. "Either way, am I right? Are you also a descendant of the ancestral ten-tailed fox Cadmean." [AN: The god/Ancestor of the Fox Bloodline is Cadmean.] "Sigh" Vincent breathed out exasperated. After letting out a long sigh, he enveloped himself and Ama into an Invisibility Illusion and Ether cloak range of the [One With Nature] skill. Before he began to speak, he saw that Ama had an unfocused face then realized. "Oh, She must be in shock from being suddenly connected to nature", He presumed. "I should knock her out of it." Vincent went on to let out his 9-tails and manipulated one of them to hit Ama harshly on her head, snapping her out of her trance. "Hey!" She cried, "Did you just hit me!?" She shouted at him, as she held her head in pain. Ama glanced behind Vincent to see his 9 tails moving around like it had its own and was immediately stunned by words. "Wait! How do you have nine tails!?" she asked, closing the distance between her and Vincent. "Only fox ancestors or those that have pure bloodline have that. Even then, they don''t have nine at your age." "Is it that much of a deal?" Vincent asked, stunned. "Of course it is!, Look", Ama replied and proceeded to let out her tails, which were four in number, "I have trained all my life and I only have four tails" "You having nine at this age should be possible" "Have you taken into account that maybe I''m just better than you?" Vincent said smugly. Ama snapped and glared at him in anger which promptly made him look away. She kept her glare for a few seconds before letting out another sigh and laid on his bed. "It''s more surprising that there''s another Cadmean descendant apart from me. I always thought that it was the last. It''s nice to know that I''m not alone in this " She said absentmindedly Ama then jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. She twisted and opened it but stopped and said to Vincent "Now that assassination is out the window, I can only ask you for a favor." "And what is that?" Vincent asked curiously. "No one must learn of our bloodline." She said in absolute seriousness "No one at all, you get that?. There''s a reason why we were massacred in the first place?" Vincent acknowledged her words with a nod, and she smiled in return. As she was about to leave, he suddenly stopped her. "Wait!" He declared "What!?" "I just want to ask, what is the endgame of all this Ama?." "Enrolling in Aemplefort, Clouding yourself with an illusion. What do you hope to achieve?" ''What I hope to achieve¡­¡­'', She thought to herself, "Revenge", She replied with a cold tone then left the room and closed the door behind her. ".....Sigh, Troublesome," Vincent mumbled under his breath absentmindedly. [Troublesome indeed] The system added. ///// Vincent was now gathered with his fellow examinees at the gates of Aemplefort school. Before them stood the schools escort, Who is a man who stood 5'' 2 tall, with a solidly-built figure, white skin, dark blue eyes, and shoulder-length, curly, light brown hair He wore light chainmail crossed armor, with a sword strapped to his side. He stood in front of the carriages, which were just enough for the 20 students that chose this course. Soon the participants gathered at the gate and it was time to depart "Let''s go." He said simply and walked out into a carriage, and they followed after. ///// Few Hours Later ///// The carriage had finally arrived at its destination far within Aemplefort. The Mercenary Guild. The building of the guild was relatively not too much, it is a four-story building. Which was styled with a medieval feel. On the center of the building was an emblem which was the guild''s coat of arms, A green shield surrounded by the numerous animals of the forests, which includes fox, wolf, raven, lion, elephant, etc. On top of that shield was a golden crown. After getting off the carriage, The school''s escort led them in. The interior of the guild was not over the top too, It was a wide space at which a set of round tables and chairs were placed on either side of the room. Leaving a straight path to the receptionist''s table. The escort led the student to the table, where the receptionist stood behind awaiting them. The receptionist was a thin beautiful lady, standing at 5''4, with white creamy skin and jewel blue eyes. She was also a well-endowed woman. The horny boys among the group blushed at the charming smile she gave them while the females amongst them sneered in anger and hidden jealousy. "Welcome Mr. Aldrich, Are these all the kids?" "Yes, Sign them up for me, would you" He replied "On it" Then the process began, Each student who enrolled was called forward. They signed a form then were given a plastic card that contained their name, age, gender, and rank. All the students who enrolled except for Ama, Amelia, and Vincent were given the lowest rank possible, The E-Rank. Amelia, Ama, and Vincent were given a silver plate instead which on it was the Rank-B. The students noticed the difference in what they were given but did not complain except for a certain individual. "What!, Why am I an E-Rank" And that person was Taudar Maeth. He immediately got in the face of the receptionist with so much anger then shouted at her. "Why am I an E-Rank! Why are they B-Ranks? DON''T YOU KNOW WHO I AM" "I am an A-Rank student who is stronger than all of them combined, So why am I an E-Rank?. Explain to me, woman, before I show you what a maeth can do.." He ordered proudly. Taudar''s rant drew the attention of the people who were there. Some of them were about to take action but were signified to sit back by the receptionist''s glance. She then turned back to Taudar and said a single sentence that shut him up in his stride. "If you are so powerful, Where were you during the stampede?" Taudar choked out his words in surprise, He tried to respond but did not have the words to do so. Seeing the former proud boy put in his place, The mercenaries around began to laugh. Adding to his embarrassment. Even his fellow students chuckled at the stupidity displayed by Taudar. Ignoring the stunned face of Taudar, The receptionist faced Mr. Aldrich and said. "Should I explain how ranks work or would you?" "Go ahead" "Ok." ///// Chapter 78 - 78 She began with explaining the guild itself "The Mercenary Guild is a corporation established by the cooperation of Human and Migas entrepreneurs and later on, Human and Migas leaders." "Hence, all Mercenary Guilds are connected to the headquarters." "Now onto Quests and Ranks" "Quests are special missions or requests given either by the people or the guild or the higher-ups." "You can find quests on the bulletin board," She said pointing to a large board to the side of the room that had notes on it. "Get the notes on the board and bring it to me, I''ll acknowledge that you have accepted the quest and you can afterward participate in it." "Rewards are given upon completion of the quest." "Now onto, Ranks." "Ranks determine how dangerous a quest is." "It is as follows" "E-Rank" "C-Rank" "B-Rank" "A-Rank and S-Rank" "And of course there are classes higher than this, but that falls under special categories." "Furthermore, Ranks can be split into two" "First, Quest rank" "Second, Mercenary Rank." "Quest Ranks are ranks given to quests to signify how dangerous it is." "While Mercenary Ranks are ranks given to personnel to signify how capable and powerful the personnel is." "Ranks do not only determine how dangerous a quest is or how powerful personnel is. It''s also used to set requirements to prevent unnecessary deaths" "Through ranks, we can prevent a situation where an individual challenges a quest greater than his capability." "The only way for a lower-ranked mercenary to challenge a higher-ranked quest is to either be in a party or under special recommendation or when given the permission by one of the employees of the guild." "Do note that if a lower-ranked mercenary does somehow challenge a higher ranked quest and succeed, he or she will only be given 40% of the earnings as a punishment and it will not be counted as a successful quest in their records." "Moving forward, The Guild has 3 floors above this, Each floor signifies an increase in rank." "For example, this floor is for E-Rank and occasional C-Rank quests." "The floor above us is for C-Rank and B-Rank quests." "And the floor after that is for A-Rank quests." "The last floor is where only special quests of S-Rank and above are given. It is also the floor that the director resides in." "Now a side note" "In the Guild, Rank is all that matters. It''s only through ranks that you''re able to take on high-ranked quests and it also helps in discounting items and weapons from the Mercenary Guild established Blacksmith and Alchemist stores." "There are further benefits but to know it you''ll have to experience it yourself." "Now onto the last subject, How to increase ranks." "If you haven''t guessed already then I''ll tell you. The only way to increase ranks is to take on quests." "The more quests you take, the more you prove your capability. And at the end of the day, you''ll be given the rank you deserve." "But there have been certain cases where that requirement is skipped due to the person already proving his or her strength." "This is also the reason why your 3 classmates are ranked higher than you, they have already proved their strength during the stampede and it has been recognized by the guild." "That is all, Do you have any questions regarding the guild?" Some students asked some questions thereafter and she entertained them. After doing so she said. "If you have any questions don''t hesitate to ask me." "Also, Since you''re just enrolling I implore that you take a quest to not only celebrate today but to also prove to me that you understand the workings of the guild, Okay?" She asked with a smile The young boys of the class nodded earnestly with red faces, stunned by her smile. "Stop manipulating the kid''s Lin," Their escort said sternly Receptionist Lin smiled in response and did not reply The escort grunted to the side and asked the students, "Do you want to take a quest?" Some nodded in return so he gave them time to do so. "Sigh, fine. You have 10 minutes to pick a quest. Be back by then." "Ok," They jointly replied before they went onto the bulletin board with barely disguised excitement. The students that did not participate went back to the car. Vincent on the other hand approached the receptionist after the students left. "Do you have a question?" She asked, ''How is this student so handsome?'' [AN: Cause I made him so :)] "Yes, As a C-Rank. What''s the maximum number of quests I can take?" "Mmh, As a C-Rank you can participate in a B-Rank quest or an A-Rank Quest. Anything above that you''ll have to be in a party." "I see," Vincent mumbled, "How many quests do I have to take before I''m allowed to take an A-Rank quest with no party." "Well¡­.., To do so, You''ll need a minimum of 50 C-Rank quests completed or 20 B-Ranks completed." She replied. "Mmh" Vincent hummed, "Okay, thank you." "No problem." She smiled brightly. ''Sigh, I don''t want to be in a party with anyone. Might as well do 20 B-Rank quests and get on with it.'' ''At least it will give me something to do'', Vincent thought Afterward, he left there and went up the stairs to the next floor, completely ignoring the quests on the current floor. Ama and Amelia soon follow after they had scoured the floor quests and found it too easy. ///// The next floor wasn''t too different from that below it. The same style of furniture, Just a different layout, and setting. The second floor could be likened to that of a bar. Vincent ignored those that were there seated and scoured the board until he found something of interest. [B-Rank Quest: Exterminate The Couple B-Rank Dark Beasts roaming in Sandapol forest and deliver their shells.] The quest read. ''This should suffice.'' Vincent took out the quest and went to the receptionist to get it registered. Then he went back to the carriage and after a few minutes, it began its journey back to Aemplefort. ///// Elsewhere ///// A gathering of ill-willed individuals occurred within the darkness The meeting was among 11 people, 10 of them were currently kneeling before a cloaked man on a throne. "It''s been around 6 months" The man started aloofly. "Since I have ordered you to find the new S-Rank student'' "Yet, For the 6 months that passed after that, I don''t even know who he is." "Why?" "My Lord" A man amongst those kneeling shakily began, "it''s not we are not capable, it''s just that Aemplefort keeps a tight lock on all of their students, My Lord" "And?" The man asked, "How does that concern me? My concern is for you to get me the student not to give me excuses, do you hear me?" "Bu-" "DO YOU HEAR ME", He shouted in anger, His shout quaked the area around him and sent those kneeling further to the ground. The man forcibly calmed himself down, relieving the pressure upon them. "That school does an event every semester where the citizens can pay to watch the student go about their practical exam." "That is your chance to sneak in and find out who the student is. This is your only chance. Use it well." ///// Looks like the underworld forces of Aemplefort have had enough and are now moving. How would Vincent deal with these powers? Read on and find out Also, drop reviews and ps for support. Thank you. So close to 1M, we can do it :) ////// Chapter 79 - 79 ///// Aemplefort School Library ///// Upon returning from the Mercenary Guild, The library was the first place Vincent went to. He dug through the shelves until he found something that could help him, A book by the name of Migas Geological Locations. He soon found the forest he was searching for and began to memorize the whereabouts. "Sandaloph, A clear and lush forest not far west from Aemplefort," Vincent muttered to himself. "It is rated at moderate danger level, but with the recent happening, it should have decreased." "Either way, it''s not like I''m taking on the entire forest. I only need to find the targets." ///// The Next Day ///// The next day, Vincent was off to Aemplefort west gate. The earliest route to Sandaloph. [An: Majority of the Stampede occurred at the south gate.] He slipped on a brown, fairly long-sleeved, smooth leather jacket that covers just above his knees. The jacket was worn on top of a black shirt and pants. This jacket also acted on top of a breastplate made from a piece of iron, that was crafted to ensure endurance and protection whilst still lightweight. His lower arms and lower legs were also protected with a light fitting of an iron gauntlet and booting respectively. Firestorm was of course strapped to his side. Soon he arrived at the west gate, and like the bustling city that it was, The gate was crowded with a long line of travelers and carriages, Even though it was still at daybreak. A few moments of idling later, Vincent''s turn came. He showed the gate officials his Mercenary Rank Card and was allowed out of the city with no fee charged. A benefit of being a C-Ranked Mercenary. However, Vincent still paid the original fee, with a tip as a show of goodwill. The gatekeepers smiled kindly and well allowed him to pass. Now Vincent has come into Sandaloph. As earlier described, Sandaloph forest is a lush, clear, and wide forest. It covered almost 5000 square kilometers of space. There is a marshland to the north, high hills to the west, mangrove to the east, and woodland to the south. Vincent is currently in the woodland biome. Sandaloph is also home to many recognizable species like Alder, Cottonwood, Beech, Sycamore, etc. It also houses plenty more unknown varieties like Deci, Yengle, Tosch, etc. Each tree is covered in creeper plants and the ground between each tree is covered in thick grass, fruit trees, edible and inedible plants. [An: This is a fantasy Biome, Tolerate my nonsense (? ¨Œ ?;).] Vincent took on his usual style of movement through this woodland, by leaping from branch to branch, and parkouring through the obstacles it presented. Soon he touched upon his appointed destination deep into the lands, it was the recommended position from the guild. "This is where they were last seen," He deduced, The foot markings further helped his premise. "According to the info, I''m looking for two mated dark beasts, they should be easily spottable from their shiny shells." "They should still be in the area, so it shouldn''t be too hard to locate them." "[One With Nature]." Upon the activation of [One With Nature], Vincent was able to spread his senses throughout his current observable range, covering half of the woodland. Immediately upon doing so, he found his target. "Found you," He said with a smirk. ///// Earlier That Day. ///// Two couple dark beasts were roaming through the Sandaloph forest unhindered and carefree. As a Dark Beast possessing the same trait of a monogamous animal, They have been together for years now. The couple dark beasts were a pair of bipedal furless monsters that carried a nigh-invulnerable shell on their backs as a way of defense. The beasts could be likened to the physiology of a turtle or tortoise, albeit bigger, stronger, ferocious, and more dangerous. One was taller than the other And had a more jagged shell and aged look. He was the male and the other was the female. A fulfilled relationship they have been all this year. Shame. That''s about to end. "[Thundra Possession]" *Cackle* "[First Strike]" *Boom.* A sudden blast of lightning erupted beside the male dark beast pushing it away from the blast with mild burns. The blast aroused dust and obstructed its vision. When it settled, The beast then saw a sight that brought unfathomable rage from within. He saw Vincent standing on top of his mate, resting on a spear that impaled her straight through the head, instantly ending her life. "RAWWWWRRR!!!" It roared, summoning gust of winds that shifted the trees away from it, its roar was the embo-. "[Authority Of Lightning: Tribulations of Yecsi]" The clouds darkened in an instant, within it a quaking rumble could be heard. The clouds then descended downwards in the form of a tornado, and soon enveloped the Dark Beast. Upon enveloping, it just needed the order. "Fall" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 8 powerful bolts of lightning, each capable of instantly obliterating a mountain, fell upon the beast simultaneously. Albeit, the beast was able to quickly retreat into his shell which made the lightning bolts fall upon it instead. The shell tanked the 8 bolts of lightning with mid-difficulty, which surprised Vincent. Whilst he did not know the strength of the skill, Vincent was sure that it was in the high range as it was a fused skill. But this beast appeared to tank it quite well. "I truly underestimated the defense of that shell of yours. A good thing I killed your companion before she could retreat into it." "But then again, Your shield can''t save you from all forms of attack." Vincent then outstretched his hands to the beast and said mockingly, "let''s see how your shell protects you from this, Bury" Rumble. In an instant, the ground swallowed up the beast and buried it further and further within its grasps until it was 12 feet under. Then it held it there. The beast did not struggle against the pull as over the years the shell on his back has saved him multiple times, he did not doubt that whatever was planned against him would break its defense. /////3 Minutes Later///// It began to feel uncomfortable /////5 Minutes Later///// It realized that something was wrong, so it began to struggle. /////7 Minutes Later///// It began to feel out of breath, hence it struggled even more. /////10 Minutes Later///// He began to feel dizzy. /////15 Minutes Later///// Darkness encroached, slowly blighting its vision until¡­ /////17 Minutes Later///// It died!. ///// With Vincent.///// Vincent could feel the last breath of the beast leave its body. He did not unbury it immediately though and instead left it there for 3 more minutes. Thereafter, he unburied the dead body of the beast and double-checked whether it was dead or not. After verifying it, he relaxed. "Sigh, well that was not too hard," Vincent said whilst wiping his sword on the bark of a tree nearby. "Now for the shells" He pried off the shells from both beasts with mid-difficulty, then kept them in his storage ring. "Onto the next quest." He said and proceeded to dash towards the city. Vincent did not know that he missed one more beast in the vicinity. Because of that, it was not his fault that that beast later grew to be the king of the forest. And it certainly wasn''t his fault that the beast, later on, caused a stampede that destroyed Aemplefort, and he indirectly helped it. Yeah, not his fault. Either way. Onto other matters. ///// Chapter 80 - 80 /////Two Weeks Later///// Two weeks have passed and Vincent was now on his way to the mercenary guild to cash in the twentieth quest. With this, he will be able to write off one of the two goals he set for himself. "Welcome back, Mr. Cadmean." Greeted, Receptionist Lin with a stunning smile. Not affected by the charm of the receptionist, He calmly answered back. "Thank you, Lin." "You''re welcome, I presume that the quest has been completed without a hitch?" She asked In response, Vincent shifted his Paynes gray-colored rucksack forward, dipped a hand into the back, and brought out a small bundle bag, which he then gave to receptionist Lin. "10 Cruel hound Dark Beast fur from Broscour forest, as requested." He said while handing it to her. "Great!" She replied happily. Receptionist Lin took the bag from him and passed it to an assistant. She went on to head into a room behind her, and soon later came back with a book. She dropped the book on the counter and began to open it to a certain page. Lin outstretched her hand to Vincent, "Your card?" She asked Vincent reached into his jacket pocket and took out his Mercenary card, "Here". He said as he handed it to her Receptionist Lin took the card and proceeded to dip it into a small bowl of black goo on her desk, She then placed it on a page in the book. The card on the book glowed with a small light then dimmed slightly after. She took the stainless card off the book and gave it back to Vincent The book was returned to the room for safekeeping. This process brought no cause of alarm to Vincent as he has seen her do this many times. She had explained to him once before that the process was to reflect the completion of the quest on his card and in their records. "The quest has been registered as completed with evidence." She said upon returning "1500 merit points have been recorded to your school record bringing your total merit points to 8960." "And this is the quest reward of 1 gold coin and 34 silver." She reported as she gave him the bundle of coins, which he took. "Also, Congratulations on the completion of your 20th quest" "Thank you" He acknowledged, tucking the bundle of coins away. "You''re welcome, You know If you bring the body of the Dark Beasts you kill. You could also sell them to the guild for more money." "I know, but to carry the body of the beasts from places like Broscour forest which is about 8 miles far, is quite a hassle for a student like me." He said. ''Also I''m too rich to care much.'' "Mmh, True" She replied thoughtfully. "If only you had a spatial ring, it wouldn''t be so much of a burden" "Isn''t that too expensive for a student like me?" Vincent asked. "Well it is, But with your B-Rank mercenary discount. you can probably afford a lower-ranked spatial ring from the guild shop." "The guild has a shop," he asked, surprised at the new information. Receptionist Lin nodded, "The Mercenary Guild has established shops all over Migas and Earth land. I can even give you the address of all the shops in Aemplefort." ''If I can get a ring from a shop. I would have an alibi to use the ring mother gifted to me without being questioned.'' He reasoned. [AN: Acquiring a spatial ring is very expensive, So it would be weird for an orphan like Vincent to somehow possess one, that''s why he doesn''t use the spatial ring in the open.] "Please do." "Ok" Receptionist Lin extended her hand under the counter and pulled out a paper slip which she thereafter handed to him "Here it is, On this paper are the locations of mercenary established or owned shops in Aemplefort." Vincent took the paper and read through it, "Thank you" He said, and went on to keep it in his pocket. "You are welcome, Anyway now that you have completed your 20th quest. You are forthwith eligible to take on A-Rank quests alone unless stated otherwise." She said "You can also take a rank-up evaluation to be registered as an official A-Rank. Would you like to do so?." "What''s that?" Vincent asked, although already had an inkling of what it was. "A Rank-Up evaluation is a mandatory test a lower-ranked mercenary takes to officially move into the next rank upon first completing the requirements. " She answered calmly "The evaluation can either be a spar with an enterprise personnel or a mandatory quest that must be completed." "The rank-up quest is not mandatory, you can always choose to remain in the B-Rank, and since you have completed the requirements you are allowed to accept quests of an A-Rank. However, to take on higher-ranked quests, you would have to pass the evaluation" "Now that you understand, Would you like to partake in the rank-up evaluation.?" She asked again. ''Mmh, Moving to A-Rank would draw more awareness to my talent from the school but being a B-Rank should be enough for my school persona currently. I can always choose to move up to A-Rank during the next term or the one after that. There''s no need to draw that much attention.'' He figured. "No," He replied after reasoning. "Ok", She replied feeling a little dejected but she thought otherwise, ''It is good that you''re not overconfident even with a streak of successful quests, Then I don''t need to worry much.'', At this thought, she smiled a little. Vincent suddenly felt a cold shiver flow down his spine, he mistook it for his danger instinct so he stealthily went on alert "Either way would you like t-... Is everything ok?" She sensed that Vincent was tense. "Nothing, Just a little tired from the quest" He replied with a chuckle. "Oh," She said in realization, "In that case, you should head off to rest now." Worryingly said Receptionist Lin. "I''ll take your advice, but I will head up first to see if any A-Rank quest catches my eye. Talk to you later." He said as he began heading to the second floor "Ok, Don''t stress yourself too much." She shouted after him. ///// Vincent sauntered into the second floor and a figure immediately caught his eye. Amelia before the bulletin board searching for a quest of choice. He concluded that there was no need to approach and engage in unnecessary chatter, so he continued on his journey to the floor above him. But then he saw that a tall burly man approached her and was relatively clingy to her personal space. ''She''s an heir candidate, she can take care of herself.'' With this thought, he went on to continue on his way but then again he remembered that he''s not that kind of person. Vincent saw that the man wanted to get a little physical, so he decided to interfere. ''Shit!'' "Young Miss Amelia." He shouted from across the stairs, gathering the attention of everyone in the room including the one who goes by the name. ''Vincent'' She thought in surprise, recognizing the voice of the person calling her. In a second, Vincent was by her side smiling at her. "Miss Amelia Maeth, it''s a pleasure to see a core member of the Maeth clan here. How are you faring at Aemplefort school" He said in a mild tone, just enough for the third wheel there to also hear his words. ''Maeth, Aempleforth!'' The burly man thought alarmed, ''Shit, I just tried to forcefully make a pass on her. I can get killed for this.'' "Mistress Amelia, I will take your leave now." The burly man immediately said politely with a bow, then he scurried out of there hurriedly. Vincent let out a chuckle at the man''s cowardice. At this scene Amelia''s face couldn''t help but let out a beautiful smile "Thanks" she said He was stunned at the sight, Amelia''s smile made her devilishly beautiful face too much of danger, but he quickly recovered, "No problem, You didn''t need my help." "Thank you either way." She replied A period of silence occurred after that, so having nothing to say Vincent greeted her goodbye and proceeded to go up the stairs to the next floor. But before he could complete the stairs, A voice stopped him "Wait!" He heard Vincent turned his face to see Amelia walking towards him, she stopped when she was at a sufficient distance from him. But she did not know that because Vincent was on the stairs, he was elevated enough to see her generous cleavage that her white shirt showed, he could barely strain his eyes away. "W-What" He stammered with a slight blush. [AN: No gamers mind for you :)] "Take me with you." She demanded "What?" He asked again, regaining his bearings slightly. "You are heading to the floor above us right?" "Yes" "So that means that you are either eligible to take a quest there, or you have a group with you." "And from the looks of it, you are the former" ''She is intuitive.'', He thought. "I am intuitive.'''' She said smugly like she could read his mind. "No kidding," Vincent said with a smile, "Either way, why do you want me to take you." Amelia sighed and shifted her balance to the other foot, which caused her generosity to jiggle slightly. "B-Rank quests are too easy for me, and on top of that there are only 3 B-Ranked quests up at this moment." "Can''t you wait until new quests come out?" "I can do that¡­ Or, You can let me partner with you on an A-Rank quest. If we complete it, I''ll be eligible to take the quests alone and I won''t bother you anymore." "Sigh" "Please, Do me this favor." Vincent kept eye contact with her for a few moments. "Fine, Follow me." He said and began to continue his steps Amelia smiled brightly and followed after. ''I can bear with it for one quest. I just have to be careful not to show too much. It shouldn''t be too hard,'' He thought. He will come to regret this thought. Chapter 81 - 81, Mini Arc: Unfolds! ///// Amelia smiled brightly and followed after. ''I can bear with it for one quest. I just have to be careful not to show too much. It shouldn''t be too hard,'' He thought. He will come to regret this thought. ///// I ran I dodged I swerved I slid I did everything to evade, counter and parry all that fell on me and the idiot that got me into this mess.. I was a happy man once. Now I''m here running from a group of Astral projected Mammoths wearing Enchanted Armours, led by a giant mammoth spirit suffering from PTSD!!!! "How did I jinx myself so hard that I stumbled onto this bullshit!!!" I raged "DIEEEEEEE CADMEAN!!!!" "OH SHUT THE HELL UP!" I screamed back. Let''s go back a day. ///// A Day Ago ///// I and Amelia sauntered out of the Mercenary Guild together after registering for an A-rank quest as a party. I re-read the quest on the notice paper I held. The quest read. [There has been an influx of Dark Beasts wandering around the Broscour mangrove area, Camberg for reasons not yet known. This has caused a call for concern from the neighboring provinces. Head out to Broscour, Reduce the number of Dark Beasts, Store them in the storage ring given to you by the guild and report back. A minimum of 30 Dark Beasts must be killed and reported before a week, ends to count as a successful quest. Reward: Money received from the sale of Dark Beasts, 3 Gold coins minimum, 3500 Merit Point. Note; More Beasts can be reported in for extra rewards] "An influx of Dark Beasts, I wonder why that may be?" I muttered, thinking of how off the quest was "Who knows," Amelia chimed in, "The behavior of Dark Beasts has not been something that we can accurately determine." "Sometimes they behave like humans, other times like basic animals, but they can still act like savage ruthless beasts." "At this point, Dark Beasts are not just beasts anymore. They have become something more." ''They do seem like they''re growing¡­.. no. Evolving.'' I thought "Either way, our job is not to figure that out" "Right," I answered, glancing at the sheet once more before keeping it into his pocket. Our conversation helped reduce the off feeling I had, but we soon had to split off. She went on to board a carriage waiting for her, whilst I headed back to the Motel I stayed in The plan was to gear up and meet at the east gate the next day and from there we move into Broscour Forest. Broscour was a forest area east of Aemplefort, Camberg in the mangrove biome located within the forest, just before a wide coastal wetland. ///// The Next Day ///// I and Amelia roamed through the mangrove area. We maneuvered the forest normally as opposed to my preferred way. I figured she wasn''t as proficient as me in that area, so it would only slow me down. Soon we encountered a Dark Beast, A cross between a reindeer and a deer. It looked harmless, even cute but. It was a Dark Beast. With my next blink, Amelia was upon It. She drew her sword, swiftly beheaded the unsuspecting beast, and retracted her sword into its sheath. This occurred in about 5 to 9 seconds, After that, she stored the beast in the storage guild given by the Guild, then turned to me. Her stoic face glinted something weird in it. Like she wanted acknowledgment. "You''re faster than before," I remarked "Thanks, I''ve been training" She answered back with a bright smile, a contrast to the before stoicness. ''Weird.'' "Let''s go," I say, getting around that subject with her "Since it''s only two of us, You''ll deal with 15 Dark Beasts while I deal with the other 15. Is that alright?" Amelia nodded and caught up with my steps as we headed deeper into the mangrove. ///// Few Hours Later///// "Kiiiiirrr!!!" "Huff" "Huff" "Huff" "Tired already?" "A little." "Then we should start going back. You are already done with your quota of work, that''s more than enough for our first day." "Huff, let''s rest here for a while." She suggested. "Ok, Come down. I''ll set up a tent." "Ok" Amelia retracted her sword from the back of the Dark Beast and came off it. With her help, we set up the tent that I thankfully packed. Together we sat in the tent, in the middle of a forest, alone. A growing young man like me couldn''t help but blush at this thought, it also didn''t help that Amelia''s actions had worked up a sweat, So each time she took a deep breath her chest rose in response, Her sweat dampened the shirt beneath her lean armor which then made it hug her figure more than it should. It took me a lot of my will to look away before I get caught doing something inappropriate like this. "So" She began suddenly, which made me almost jump, "How have things been going with you lately. We have not talked in a while" "W-well, I''ve been busy with completing the guilds requirement. So I haven''t been up too much." "Yeah, same for me." She chuckled. "So¡­. How about Taudar", I asked, genuinely curious about what happened to the now dubbed bi**h boy. Amelia rested on her laps and dabbled with her toes, "Well, he''s been fine mostly. The clan is disappointed in him for not participating in the Stampede event." "I thought he was injured, that''s why he didn''t participate," I asked. "Well, he was, for a day or two. Aemplefort healers do wonders. He should have been up and running after that." "So why didn''t he participate?" Amelia shrugged and replied, "I don''t know. He just didn''t." "Mmh Ok." After that conversation we stayed silent, occasionally coming up with topics that kept us going. We went a bit too deep into this little world we made with each other, that we did not realize it was now noon and a strong downpour had started. We could move through the downpour, but It would be disadvantageous. So I suggested something else "We could sleep here," I suggested to her. She raised an eyebrow at me "Together?" She asked "Which other way is there," I replied sarcastically. She stared at me for a while then glanced outside to the downpour, "Fine" "Good." So it was decided, I brought out a blanket from my rucksack which we both shared and she created an ice barrier around us. I fell into an alert asleep a while after. Minutes passed and I could feel the downpour get stronger and the temperature falls lower. Authority of Flames and Authority of Nature gave me a lot of resistance to a low temperature so I was alright I glanced to my side, and Amelia was relatively fine from the way she looked. She only shivered slightly ''She must have some kind of ice or cold resistance, but it''s probably not something too strong'' I deduced. ''Might as well help a little.'' I turned over to her side, wrapped my hand around her waist, and pulled her into my embrace. I let my firecore warm up my body, and I could feel her relax in my embrace. A few moments later, her breath became soft as she fell into a deep sleep. I also was tempted into a deep sleep, but I held on. Someone had to be alert among us. And that''s how the day ended, with me sleeping with a beautiful lady in my arms, isolated and alone. Like I said I was once a happy man ///// Author''s Note. ///// Thank you, everyone, T.H.S.S has finally clocked 1,000,000 views (~£þ?£þ)~, ¡«(¡ä¦Å£à ) Y''all are the best. ///// Chapter 82 - 82 ///// The Next Day ///// ///// Amelia POV ///// The light of the sun reflected onto my face and aroused me from my slumber. I awoke feeling refreshed for once in a long time, constant alert nighttimes in case of possible assassinations keep me up. I was inwardly ashamed that I let down my guard this much, but at the same time, I was also relieved. ''Maybe I should do this once in a while.'' My thoughts went blank when I felt a breath on my neck, I turned over to the side to face the big spoon. His breath breezed past me making me spurt a blush as I realized the position I was in. ''I am the little spoon''.. I thought whilst blushing profusely, a trait I did not know that I had. I attempted to shift away but a sudden chill touched my back. There was nothing behind me then I remembered that I wrapped the tent in an ice globe. The further I shifted away from his embrace, the colder I felt. Then I realized ''He is warming me up.'' At this thought, My heart did beat a bit faster out of rhythm. I was drawn to his sleeping face, I stared at his calm face. ''Peaceful'' I thought. Unknowingly I reached out and placed my hand on his cheek and caressed it, feeling the unmanly softness of his skin. I felt my heart pound faster as I did so, confusing me. ''What is this I feel?'' ''Since the day you saved me, I could not get you off my mind.'' ''I even went as far as to gain your acknowledgment, and when you did give it. I felt¡­ happy.'' ''...'' ''But, I know that I do not love you.'' ''However, I am certain.'' ''I have a crush on you.'' At this moment, Vincent opened his eyes and stared at me, he glanced at my hand on his cheek and then back to me. ''...'', My brain shut down, and yet I did not stop caressing his cheek. When I realized this, I pronto retracted my hand. I could feel a strong amount of embarrassment I have never felt before. When did I, A heir candidate, reduce to a blushing schoolgirl? ///// 3rd Person POV ///// An awkward atmosphere drifted around Amelia and Vincent, As Vincent caught Amelia red-handed fondling his cheeks with a loving smile. Her slowly removing her palm from his cheek did not help matters. Amelia turned in the other direction out of embarrassment and Vincent could only smile at what he considered the acute side of his stoic classmate. But he resolved to not bring it up as a topic. Instead, he thought of teasing her further "It''s the next day, The rain should have cleared up" Amelia began. "Mmh" Vincent sai?, snuggling her stronger. "W-we should continue the q-quest." She breathed out, feeling Vincent''s hot breath on her exposed neck "Mmh" "Sigh", Amelia forcibly untangled out of his embrace and then faced him, "Be serious, We should finish the quest before we exceed the deadline." She said sternly, although a blush was still visible. "...." "Fine," Vincent replied, begrudgingly getting to his feet. ''I already had my fun either way Amelia also stood up and straightened her clothes, they went on to equip their armor again and were ready to move out. Vincent walked to the frozen wall beyond the tent opening and placed his hand which was covered in an orange glow on it. Promptly, The ice wall melted into the water from the point of contact and spread till it formed a big opening. "Let''s go," He ordered. "Mmh." She replied, ''It feels¡­ cold, Maybe I should have laid in his embrace a little bit more.'' ///// Hours Later ///// "And that makes it¡­ 15" Vincent sai? storing the dead body of an A-Rank beast into the storage ring. ''It was a little bit hard to kill it without revealing too much of my power, But that''s all it was.'' "Great, With this our task is done. Now we can decide to either continue or report back to the guild.'' Amelia said, whilst eating a piece of roasted fish before a dried-out fire, set in front of a tent. "Do you want to continue?" Vincent asked, whilst cleansing the blood off his blade. Amelia shook her head and said, "I am only here for the quest completion, The rewards do not catch my eye too much." "What about you?" She asked, after taking the final bite out of the fish. "It''s the same for me, My focus is on the merit points and to pass time. I don''t need to be too greedy." "But as we head back, we can kill the beasts we see on the way. Agreed?" "Yeah" So they began to pack up, as they did a glint of light caught Amelia''s eye. ''A Dark Beast?... No, Dark Beasts don''t shine. What could it be?"'' She decided to follow the glint and walked towards it leaving the area. Vincent didn''t notice this, he was focused on a particular topic with the system. [There''s something in this area.] The system popped up suddenly. ''Really? What is it?'' [I don''t know, but I can sense ether being excluded from an area close to you. It must be the reason for an influx of Beasts in the area.] [I advise you to leave this place.] ''Is it that serious!¡­. Ok'' "Amelia, let''s mo¡­." He said while turning around to see no one "Amelia?" ''[One With Nature]'' Vincent called upon the skill and enveloped the area around him, He immediately found her after doing so and began to dash towards her at blinding speeds. He soon found her, walking dazedly into the forest. He sighs in relief at that but it was too soon to do so. After a step she took, A white array encircled her as the floor began to shine. Vincents immediately knew that something was wrong, and whatever that thing was is not good. [That''s inscribed teleportation!. It teleports a set target to another location.] ''Dammit, I have to save her. [Thudra Possession: 3rd Strike.]'' Skipping the first and second levels of the technique and into the third. Three thunderbolts of heavenly lightning fell upon him as his feet hit the floor. The next step he took, made him cross the wide distance between him and Amelia at speeds he had never reached before. But as he approached her, he noticed the light getting brighter. ''I can''t make it!'' He thought Without a second moment of thought, Vincent outstretched his hand towards her and was able to slightly graze her shoulder with his finger. Because of this, He was also teleported leaving the quiet mangrove behind. Boom With a sonic boom. ///// Aemplefort, Ama''s Dorm Room ///// Ama stood before a pillar of white light as she seemed to talk to it. "How is Vincent''s gate a Nine-tailed fox at such a young age." "[Cadmean''s Blessing]" "Ancestor Cadmean!, ¡­ That makes more sense." "But why would Ancestor Cadmean bless Vincent?" She murmured to herself "[Because he''s the last male of the Ten-Tail of illusions Bloodline]" "I didn''t ask you Akashic" [...] "Sigh" Ama fell onto her bed tired at the situation she found herself in. "How can I make my bloodline stronger?" She asked akashic. "[A flower of the tree Elvin Iscisyelda, if brewed by the [Alchemist] skill using the PCH recipe made by Awes Edimoya, it will form a concoction or pill that is capable of improving any bloodline greatly.]" "[More requirements include: Take the pill in an ether generous location.]" "Really!?, Where is the closest Iscisyelda tree?" She asked with interest. "[The closest Iscisyelda tree can be found on the hills of Broscour forest, Exactly at the highest hill.]" ''The highest hill of Broscour, That place is filled with powerful Dark Beasts, the weakest being A-Rank at least. It would be extremely dangerous to scale it.'' ''But¡­'' ''If I can get the flower, It will all be worth it.'' "Find the flower, Get the recipe, Find the Alchemist and brew the flower. That''s the plan. I hope it''s as easy as it sounds" She murmured "System, close the Akashic." [Ok] ///// Hope you enjoyed this chapter :). Please extend a hand of gifts, reviews, or power stones to support this author ///// Chapter 83 - Conversation. ///// AN: This is a fun free chapter, I am certainly not threatened to display this. ¡Ñ©n¡Ñ. Also, Please support with gifts, or reviews, or power stones ???. Golden tickets are not denied (©¤.©¤||) [Just because you''re right that doesn''t you''re correct] - System "[EXCALIBURRRRR]" - Akashic. ///// In a Dark expanse beyond the mortal comprehension of space, time, and dimensions. An omnipresent being and one higher than it had a conversation.. A conversation between The Akashic and The System "[I didn''t think you''d go as far as to manipulate that girl''s destiny to be on the same wavelength as the successor.]'' The Akashic began. The system looked at Akashic with a questioning look, [You did not think? You already saw my decision even before I took it.] "[The same way I saw your decision is the same way I saw an infinite amount of other decisions you could have alternatively taken.]" "[Also although I can see your decisions before you take it, that doesn''t mean that I know why you took that decision. So system, humour me.]" [...] [The successor has been orphaned twice, He had a difficult first life and the second isn''t much better. There has not been a moment of rest for the successor and I fear that with the addition of his now beastial bloodline.] "[His emotions will tend to be out of place.]" [Indeed, The Eidetic Library of Knowing is currently suppressing such an outbreak but it is not a permanent solution.] "[So you decided to give the successor an Anchor.]" [Yes] "[And what happened to free will?]" [...] [Let me recount an analogy for you.] [When a child is born, they are born as a blank sheet. But the environment they are born in is full of colors. As time passes, those colors eventually rub off on the blank sheet creating a beautiful painting.] [But there are times when the blank sheet refuses for the colors in the environment to rub off on it and instead takes off to choose its own colors.] [The difference between the two is that the first one chose to accept the colors. The other did not.] [The successor is like that blank sheet whilst I am its environment. He can choose to listen to me and he can always choose not to. He follows the former.] [The girl is like that too, She can always choose to not fall in love with the successor, after all, I never forced her to do so.] [I manipulated their destinies in a form of something like when a character barges in on the other whilst dressing, or something similar to that.] [I''m creating encounters for them.] "[Encounters¡­]" Akashic smiled at the system. "[Now that they both know that they are the only descendants of the Cadmean bloodline, each time they meet in such ''encounter'', They can''t help but have a¡­ favorable look of one another.]" [And how is that my fault] The system replied. [More importantly, Why are you asking me all this? You already know.] Akashic smiled and responded, "[I am doing this for the 3-dimensional beings that¡­ watch us.]" [Oh, Those that view us as a 1-dimensional plane behind a screen while rolling in the pleasure of comfort.] "[Yes¡­] "[What are your thoughts on them?]" The system looked towards the screen as it said before, [As long as they do not interfere with us, then I wouldn''t make a move against them.] "[Mmh, I second that.]" ///// Please comment under the comment of a user tag, God_Is_With_Me. If you wish for a reply Bye, Happy Reading. Thanks for the 1M Views. (?_?) Chapter 84 - Arc Begins: Madness Of Trials ///// "Argh." Abruptly Amelia awoke and sat upright, a bad decision because as she did so, her head thumped in pain. She could feel the blood in her temple in a rhythm as Amelia took deep breaths in hopes of stabilizing herself. As the pain came, so did the memory of the last happenings following after. ''I was drawn to a strange glint, then a flash of light, Now I''m here¡­'' "Where am I?" She asked herself Out of the blue, a voice answered from beside her "Same question I asked myself." This resulted in Amelia jumping to her feet and brandishing her sword towards the voice, but she didn''t feel the weapon on her waist so she instead formed an ice sword.. Although her hostile intent did not last long as she recognized who spoke. Staring impassively at the sharp sword pointed at him was Vincent. "Could you drop the sword, or do I have to say please?" He asked sarcastically. Amelia de-casted the ice sword which made it dissipate into cold air. "Sorry." She apologized. Vincent put up his hand to signify his acknowledgment, "It''s fine, you were on edge." "Mmh," She nodded at him. Amelia looked away from Vincent and examined her surroundings. She found herself in a lava light grey wide hallway, with no branching doors except a bright light on one end and a dead end on the other. "Where are we?" She asked again. "I don''t know. I''ve been exploring this place for hours. There''s a space at that end" He pointed to the light, "but it leads nowhere and the other end also leads nowhere." He pointed to the dead-end blocked off by a wall "The wall is also indestructible" He added. "How indestructible?" Amelia asked. "Took a lightning and fire combo attack for minutes and sustained no damage whatsoever. It''s not only the wall, Everything here is indestructible." "What have you tried to escape here?" "Everything" "Everything?" "Everything" He affirmed. Vincent let out a sigh and got to his feet, "Either way, I resolved myself to staring at the only clue I''ve got." He said, directing her to a mural engraved on the wall in front of them. The mural was a scene of a four-legged, giant two-horned beast buried in snow and surrounded by snowflakes. On its two horns were 6 pairs of stacked bodies of beings akin to humans. And to the top right was a depiction of a half sun and half-moon. Amelia examined the mural and felt a sense of familiarity from it. As she racked her head to make sense of her feelings, it came to her. "That''s the ancestor!" She almost shouted out. "Ancestor?" Vincent asked "Yes, that''s the ancestor of the Mammon clan, Maeth the unstoppable." "So I was right" Vincent sai?. "Huh?" He then stared into Amelia''s eyes with a solemn face, "Whatever we are in right now Amelia, is related to you." "Me?" Vincent nodded. Amelia glanced back to the mural and a thought came to her, one that sent despair down her spine and excitement into her being. "Do you think that this is¡­", She trailed off. "Let''s not jump to conclusions," Vincent replied "First of all, Follow me.", he said and began walking to the bright end of the hallway. Amelia quickly picked up her sword on the ground and followed after. He led her to the end of the hallway, and Amelia was marveled at what lay after it. It was like Vincent sai?, a space. A space that spanned as long as God knows where. The only thing in this space was a dirt floor and white walls that went high into a fog that was stationed mysteriously above them. "Wow!" "I know right" Vincent sai? after a chuckle. He walked past her and onto the dirt flooring, after a few steps he motioned for her to follow. Amelia warily raised a foot and placed it on the dirt path, she felt nothing strange and hence placed her second foot on the path. All of a sudden, The hallway closed with a huge thud making her flinch forward Vincent heard the huge thud and saw the hallway had now blended into the walls like it was never there, so he proceeded to retreat to Amelia''s side. ''She is truly the key to this.'' He thought. All of a sudden, a strong male voice reverberated across the room. "Welcome Descendant of mine." "Welcome to the lands where my inheritance lies." "Since you have set your foot upon the dirt path, there is no longer a path of return, You must journey into the frozen lands, colder than our sacred land, Nif, and seize the power you desire..." "But such a course is one filled with peril and dangers set to test your will, strength, and worthiness." "Hence, Three trials shall be used to test you." "For your first trial." "You must prove that you are indeed pure of the Maeth bloodline." "Complete the easiest task your ancestors did every day of their life." "Survive Nif!" "Good luck Descendant." The voice disappeared soon after. Vincent looked at Amelia with an empty smile, "I guess we can jump to conclusions now." "We are in an Inheritance Trial." "An inheritance trial for the Maeth clan." ///// Broscour Forest, Hill Biome.///// Amelia stood at the foot of Broscour Hills. She donned a set of gear tailored for the journey she will undertake. A pair of double insulated boots underneath a thick jacket, trousers, and headwear made out of special fireborn dark beast fur. All these were specially made by a guild blacksmith for this occasion. On her back was a plus-sized rucksack that contained food, water, and the basic hiking gear, like an Ice axe, a rope, belay device, etc, and also her special weapon. Amelia looked towards the top of the hill, which disappeared into the calm clouds leaving only a part of its snowcap visible. ''Sigh, this is not going to be easy.'' She dreaded. ''According to the information from the library, Broscour Highest hill scales up to about 29,000 feet. At some point, I''ll need an air pocket.'' Broscour Hills was with a small pass that only reached about half the mountain, After that she would need to scale it herself. The reason for this is due to the power of the Dark beasts that took this place as home. They made it impossible for the pass to extend any further. Amelia tugged on her rucksack and began hiking the range although not in the usual way. ''[Ether Burst]'' *Boom* ///// 4 Hours Later ///// Ama quit her run just before the mountain pass ran out. She gazed towards the top and still found herself quite far from it, so she sat the backpack on the ground and began to equip her hiking equipment and her weapons. Ama planned to go on the rest on foot. Her reckoning for this was that her ether burst would drag the attention of beasts that she may not be able to outrun as she did during the last hours. So it was better to scale the hill normally. After getting ready, she continued to hike her way. Thankfully, she began this journey in the morning, and hence at this point, there were no storms to encounter. She slowly climbed up the rocky land and a few minutes later she crossed the halfway mark of the mountain and entered into its frozen scapes. ''This seems too easy.'' Ama thought. [AN: Is it now?] All of a sudden a powerful roar resounded through the hill. "RAAAAWWWWRRR!" The beastly roar was so powerful that the land quaked in response, because of this the snow unraveled upon itself and began to tumble down the hill slope. The roar had caused an avalanche ''Me and my big mouth.'' Ama thought before getting swallowed by heaps of snow. She swore that she could hear a tiny voice in her head before getting swallowed by the snow heaps. The voice said eerily, ''Murphyyyyyy!!!'' ///// Please support with reviews, PS, golden tickets, comments, etc. All is accepted Happy reading, ¡«(¡ä¦Å£à ) Chapter 85 - Arc: Madness Of Trials, Survive Nif Pt 1 ///// "Tell me everything you know about Maeth," Vincent asked. "Maeth is the ancestor of the Mammoth clan also known as the Mammon clan. He was the progenitor and the greatest leader the clan ever had. He was a great leader and an even greater warrior." "The moniker of unstoppable was given to him because it was said that he could not be stopped when he began his dash, irrespective of the obstacle." "This was further cemented into his being when he took the clan to higher heights by ascending to become a Deus, The concept of ''unstoppable'' became one of his divinities." "Although because of his ascension into Deus, he could no longer lead the clan due to the restriction on his being. So now he resides in the realm of Deus." "I see¡­ I wonder why his inheritance trial is in Migas and not in eulogeo.." Vincent asked "There is an inheritance trial in eulogeo." Amelia corrected, "but I don''t know why there''s one in Migas." "Perhaps it''s because of his mate," "Mate?" "Yes, Maeth never mated with one of his fellow clanmates. He rather fell in love with a human and gave birth to a Migas named Gorg" "This is also the reason that even though there are 2 clans, the main clan in eulogeo and a branch in Migas. The leader of the Migas branch is directly the leader of the main clan in eulogeo also." "Really? That''s a weird system." Vincent commented Amelia checked before answering back, "True, that''s why such a system naturally had those who disapproved of it. But they had no choice but to shut their protest and agree with Maeth." "Why?" "Power dominates all," Amelia replied solemnly. "..." A moment of silence was between the two before Vincent decided to change the topic. "And what about Nif? The sacred land the voice said.." He asked. "Nif is the ancestral land of the Maeth clan, It is a snow barren land in eulogeo that was claimed by Maeth after he had killed the former Lord of the land." "Nif is an unforgiving land of peril. My ancestor not only had to fend off dangerous beasts that roamed it, but they also had to survive the deadly cold temperature that was its nature." "Mmh¡­ And how cold is Nif." "According to the legends and the current translation, Nifs coldest temperature hit a point so cold that it almost caused everything that existed in its range to stop moving." ''Absolute Zero!'' Vincent thought in surprise. [That would be a problem.] ''You think!'' "Sigh, Troublesome" Vincent muttered. "Huh?" Amelia wondered. Vincent sighed again and proceeded to explain, "I don''t think you''ve noticed Amelia, But the temperature has gone down." "And if what the voice said relates with your words." Amelia realized what he was getting at, and her eyes widened at the thought of it, "Then our first trial is to survive absolute zero¡­ and maybe beyond." She concluded "Exactly." "B-But that''s impossible." Vincent raised a hand and lightning danced above his palm, "It may not be." He said with a smile, "Lightning heats the air to about 27,000 degrees [50,000 Fahrenheit] about 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun." "If we clear out a field, I can create a lightning strike to heat the air around us in intervals. Theoretically, this should work." [It does seem plausible, But the field would have to be wide enough so that the heat doesn''t burn her skin. You don''t have to worry due to your fire and lightning immunity but the girl on the other hand.] ''Yeah, I can have her put up an ice aura behind her. It should be able to ease up the heat on her.'' [Yes, that can work.] "And if it doesn''t," Amelia asked. "Then we either die by the cold or we die by the heat the lightning creates." "..." "Are you willing to take the chance?" Vincent asked her. "..." "Yes." "Good" Vincent sai? and then proceeded to sit on the ground with his back rested on the wall. Amelia looked at Vincent with a questioning look, He looked back at her and said, "It''s still pretty warm stupid, I will start when it gets colder." Amelia blushed in embarrassment and proceeded to sit down beside him. "Sigh, It''s a shame that we couldn''t pack the supplies we left in Broscour," Vincent said out loud. Amelia felt even more embarrassed because she knew that it was her fault, but then she remembered something that may help. She brought out her palms to her eyes and found what she was looking for. "Yes!" Vincent, curious at the sudden joy she displayed, glanced at her finger and soon understood why. A storage ring. ''Yes!'' ///// -5¡ãC///// As the temperature fell further and further, Vincent was forced to conjure a burning flame to keep him and Amelia warm, Mostly Amelia. ''I thought her bloodline should protect her from all this stuff.'' [Amelia has a diluted bloodline from an already tainted bloodline. That''s why she has this much resistance to cold.] [Which is a lot, that is, A normal person would probably be in shock if they were in this temperature with only a shirt and a trouser.] ''Mmh, True'' He agreed with the system All of a sudden, Vincent felt dampness on his shoulder. He looked towards it and saw a wet patch on his shoulder. He then looked up towards the fog in the sky. The well-known white militia began to fall from it onwards to the ground, by ones, twos, fours until it clouded the sky itself. This scene would bring joy to children ''Snow?'' But it brought peril to Vincent. ''Snow!'' ///// -28¡ãC ///// A snowstorm hit, forcing Vincent and Amelia into a tent that Amelia miraculously had a spare kept in the storage in case of an emergency. Vincent kept up the burning flame and made it stronger than before to cope with the cold temperature, it was working fine¡­ for now. In the tent, they warmed the rations they had in the ring and ate till full. Amelia couldn''t help but sleep right after whilst Vincent choose to keep watch. ///// -52¡ãC ///// The snowstorm jumped in levels and became a fierce blizzard so Vincent secured the tent further by tightening the ground''s grip on the tent''s ropes. ///// -70¡ãC ///// 10 pairs of fireballs floated around, within and outside the tent. Vincent had to do this to avoid getting swallowed by the snow, and also to heat the tent. Amelia had awoken at his time and had a second meal with Vincent. As she did so, she couldn''t help but think of how easy it was. She had learned about the perils of inheritance trials from her clan and connections in other clans. ''A team of 20 armed and well-trained mercenaries, each capable of dealing with groups of S-Rank beasts alone, once challenged the Elv race inheritance trial and they all fell.'' ''But why is this trial so¡­ easy?'' She thought as she glanced at the floating balls of fire that warmed the place. [AN: Why can''t people just keep their mouths shut!?] Out of the blue, a loud thump was heard. Vincent and Amelia''s instincts flared up and they put up their guard. However, Vincent recalled something dreadful, "Amelia" He began "Yes?" "What kind of beasts lived on nif." He asked "Uhm¡­ Dark Beast¡­" She then realized what Vincent was getting at "Shit!" She cursed "RAAAAARRRR!!!" ///// Meanwhile On Broscour Hills ///// On a mountain just coated by an avalanche. A sizzling sound could be heard, following the sound to its source, A reddened glow beneath a valley''s worth of snow would be found. Soon, The ice on and around that glow begins to dissipate into smoke skipping its liquidity phase, making a hole, and from that hole, Ama emerged. Dry, Unharmed but annoyed. "Damn you, Murphy," She cursed out. [AN: Even in an alternate world, The power of Murphy is supreme :) .] Ama sighs and proceeds to climb out of the heap of snow just to come face to face with the cause of the avalanche. A giant wolf Dark Beast adapted to the snowy mountain terrain as evidenced by its white fur. It stood on four legs and was about 4 times bigger than Ama. It snarled alarmingly at her. ''SS-Rank Low.'' Her instincts told her. The wolf bent towards Ama and sniffed her, it was about to roar again in intimidation but Ama was not having that. Before it could roar, She delivered a fist straight to its chin, a sucker punch empowered by loads of ether, something her bloodline gifted her generously with. The punch hit dead on center and sent the beast flying high into the air and onto a patch of snow far away. "As if I''ll let you cause another avalanche, bastard!" She yelled. The beast soon recovered from the punch and recovered its stance. It seemed to have pains opening its mouth as it was a little unhinged. It got angry at the cause of the mess and was about to let out another roar in such anger. But another fist to its head sent it downwards to the ground and caused it to shut up. "You never learn, do you?" Ama said, staring at the downed form of a beast 4 times her size. She raised her fist and muttered, "Maybe you''ll learn in another life." "Ha!'' She said as punched the beast further into the ground causing a crater to form and the crack to extend around. The punch popped the head of the beast like a balloon, which ended its life in a beat, but it caused another avalanche to fall. This time it began from her location downwards so it did not affect her. Ama stared at the falling snow dazedly and shrugged after to continue her journey but not before sending a little flame to the downed beast, which set it on fire and burnt it to a crisp in a wink. ''It''s good to let loose after all this pretending'' She thought inwardly. This is the true strength of Ama J. Ivory, A being capable of ending an SS-Rank beast with her bare fist. A monster ¡­ But a monster that wants to get stronger. ¡­ Do you know why? ¡­ Because she has found someone stronger than her regardless ///// Author Here, Sorry for the late chapter. My phone''s charger port died and I had to fix it. Either way, hope you enjoyed this chapter, Please review, or support with PS, comments, even golden tickets. If you feel all too generous. Also, I''m unable to reply with this account, so please comment under a user with the tag of God_Is_With_Me who has Enkidu as a profile picture, if you wish for a reply. Bye Happy reading BOOM! ///// Chapter 86 - Arc: Madness Of Trials, Survive Nif Pt 2 The roar made Amelia and Vincent hold their heads in pain as it threatened to blow their eardrums off. Vincent''s concentration was broken by this and the balls of fire soon dissipated into hot air. Like a switch, A chilling cold assaulted them bringing about their bodies to tremble from the touch of the cold wind, but yet in certain places, there was a burning feeling. Luckily the roar ceased and Vincent was able to conjure a flame with haste. But, he found himself just able to conjure a candle worth of fire. He pushed past the loud ringing in his head and tried to pour more energy into the fire but still found himself unable to. He couldn''t even move his inner ether flow. "Why won''t you move!" He roared out in frustration. [The roar contains a disorienting effect.. It scatters the mind and affects its connection to your body and your ether pool. Hence, Destabilising your control.] [The Eidetic Library is currently working on stabilizing your mind. It will be done in about 5 minutes.] ''That long!'' [The roar comes from a powerful beast, maybe even an SSS-Rank. I speculate that it may have some soul disorienting effects. For now, you should focus on your friend. She doesn''t have the same privilege that you do.] ''Amelia!'' Vincent glanced at Amelia and saw that she had passed out on the ground, trembling non-stop as a stream of blood trickled from her reddened nose Hurriedly, he hugged Amelia and asked the system, ''System, can I start my fire core.'' [..., If you focus enough. You should be able to.] ''Ok'' ''....'' Vincent took a deep cold breath, ignored the icy chill on him and the burning he felt on his toes and fingers, and focused on a single thought, ''Fire!'' On his chest, A reddened glow emerged, it caused the surrounding air to heat up which alleviated Amelia''s trembling. Vincent sighed in relief but his joy was cut short when he felt a tremble on the ground and a powerful pressure encroaching. ''The beast!'' He remembered. ''I can''t leave Amelia like this, she''ll die. But I can''t carry her along either, she''ll only pull me down plus the fact that I''m not still in the right mind to cast my skills.'' "What can I do?" He asked himself [I have a dangerous suggestion], The system chimed in. ''Huh?'' [Devour the Ice Planar Giant.] Vincent''s eyes widened in realization, ''That''s right! I can always absorb the Ice Planar Giant. It would be a great help at this moment.'' ''But why did you call it dangerous?'' he asked the system. [I''ve determined that somehow, This inheritance trial space is affecting your connection to [Yggdrasil]. If you use [The Word] it would be without its help.] ''I see¡­ However, I hadn''t devoured 2 Planar Giants then. But now... I think I should have just enough ether to finish it.'' [Probably.] ''Even you are not sure, Classic fodder system.'' He chuckled within [I am just a subsidiary of the main system, Don''t expect too much from me.], It chirped back. ''Yeah, Yeah'' He replied while rolling his eyes. ''I will do it... But Amelia¡­'' He said while glancing at her Vincent stretched his hands towards Amelia''s head and tried something he thought of ''What if I..'' His hands glowed for a moment before it dimmed, and when they did, Vincent could feel Amelia relax even further. ''Yes! It worked.'' ''This is my first time trying it on a living being but it worked, Guess my hard work paid off.'' Sleep Inducing, One of the ideas Vincent worked on while he trained during the past month. It first came as an afterthought of one of the applications of his illusions. But when told to be possible by the system he was interested in it and worked on it. He had never tried it on a subject before, so he was happy that it worked on Amelia. "Now to devour the giant." [Hurry, I can sense it getting closer. 3 minutes have passed, the effect should have lessened enough to use [The Word].] The system warned. "Ok, I''m on it." Vincent took out the Inheritance Scroll from his storage ring and willed to enter. His soul left its physical container and dived into the pocket space within the scroll. When the Elemental Planar Giants saw him, they attempted to bow but Vincent ignored their presence and came before the Ice Planar Giant, the one that once tried to kill him. Without a word to her, He raised his hands towards the giant and called upon the almighty power of [The Word] "Devour," He said plainly Upon activation, Vincent could feel his almost full reserve fall to rock bottom and beyond. Every single drop of ether was drained from his pool, and when it bottomed out. It tried to drain more. But Vincent wouldn''t allow that. A bottle of Mid Nexus potion/Ether Recovery Potion appeared in his hand as it did in the hand of his soulless physical body. As his soul form raised the Potion and drank, so did his physical form. Through his soul, he could remotely control his body like this. This potion boosted his body''s ether recovery rate and lessened the burden [The Word] placed on it. But one is not enough to compensate for the greedy skill that threatened to drain his lifeforce. So Vincent took 4 more. With this, his ether recovery rate rose above the consumption rate and Vincent felt relieved. "I underestimated how much Ether it takes to do this. I could have died there." He said in relief, as he felt regret at being too lax in his doings "Without Yggdrasil, I shouldn''t call upon this power without preparation." He said with determination. [New Skills Gained.] "Huh?, Really that fast." He said in surprise. He glanced to the original position of the Ice Planar Giant and found her gone. However, he could feel his ether pool grow bigger and his recovery rate increase even further. Soon his ether pool was half-filled. [This is the 4th Planar Giant that you have devoured, You have gotten used to it.] "Oh, That sounds right." He commented. "Either way, My job here is done. Now to take care of the beast." He said and exited the space. Vincent''s soul reentered into his body and it came to life. Yet before he could rest, His instincts flared in alarm. From above he saw the shadow of a huge palm fall upon the tent. However, Vincent only sneered at it. "Useless." A massive blast of ether burst out of him, eradicating the tent around him and pushing whatever attacked him further away. But that wasn''t all. The blast was so strong that it also canceled out the weather. The snowstorm and heaps of snow were all cleared out. It left only an even barren land and a clear sky. Vincent found himself in a different area than before, Surprisingly there were trees around him outside the range of his ether blast. But that did not matter to him now. He stood up from his position and carried Amelia in a piggyback, then looked into the distance and said out, "Come." "RAAAAARRRR" From within the forest, the dark beast rushed out. It looked like an Artic bear but was more monstrous and beastly. It was about 11 feet tall, two times the size of Vincent. This gave it the intimidating pressure of a giant, its jagged thing and veined red eyes also boosted this pressure. However, facing this beast Vincent did not waver. He readied himself for it The beast entered Vincent''s range and pushed itself forward, instinctively moving its ether pool towards its limbs which increased its explosive power and speed. "RAAAAWWWWRRR" It roared again as it came upon him In response, Vincent raised his hands to the beast, his eye color unknowingly shifting from hazel to an icy blue touch as he cast one of his newfound skills. "[Authority of Water and Ice]" he said slowly The beast raised a limb and lunged towards him with its sharp claws ready to dig into his body. However, it was too late. "[Domain Of Absolute Zero]", *Crack* In an instant the lunging beast was frozen solid, crystallized in a cocoon of never melting ice created out of thin air. Everything in the skills range was frozen solid, even the snow on the floor. However, Vincent was not done. He settled his index and thumb upon each other and snapped. "Break." *Crack* The form of the beast exploded into a minuscule crystal, so as everything that was caught in the skill Vincent rested his hands and sighed in relief, His ether pool almost refilling itself instantly as it returned to its dormant state. But before he could relax, he heard a calm, lovely fairy voice from behind him. "So you have more than 2 abilities, I always knew you were more than meets the eye." He heard. Vincent looks behind him to see Amelia, who should be asleep staring at him with a mysterious smile. ''Oh, Shit!.'' ///// Broscour Forest, Ama Ivory 3rd Person POV///// After slaying the SS-Rank Dark Beast. Ivory went on with her hike but at a fast pace. Here she was able to let loose, so she dropped her illusions a while back and let her 4 tails out. Ama rampaged on any beast unfortunate to cross her path However, she soon wore herself out and settled into a cave she found. "I am still far from reaching the peak," She said while glancing at the clouds, "But If I continue at this pace, I should be able to reach the top by the end of today." Ama created a clearing for herself and sat on a rock placed there. She took out a loaf of bread and a bottle of water from her bag and ate it, dousing her hunger and nourishing her body. Ama decided to rest a little bit more but was unable to when all of a sudden she had to duck to avoid the swipe of a sharp object aimed at her head. She rolled out of the cave and halted to face her attacker. Slowly her attacker came out, and Ama couldn''t help but sigh in annoyance when she saw what it was. "Just my luck." She said while annoyed. Her attacker was a blue being that stood on two feet, it had a long tail with a sharp edge. It looked at Ama although it had no eyes it was able to sense her. Its mouth housed a set of jagged sharp teeth that was covered in fresh blood signifying that it had just¡­ eaten. It let out the aura of an SS-Rank as it stared at her not desiring Ama''s flesh but rather her heat. Ama couldn''t help but feel disgusted at the image of the monster this lost one was. In a normal case, she would have settled to use her sharp claws as her weapon but decided that this beast needed¡­ extra care. Ama reached into her bag and brought out her special weapon. A¡­ ///// Please support this novel with PS, Golden Tickets, Reviews, or whatever pleases you. Gifts are not, not needed. ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥ Happy reading ////// Chapter 87 - Madness Of Trials, Survived Nif. ///// Vincent looks behind him to see Amelia, who should be asleep staring at him with a mysterious smile. ''Oh, Shit!.'' "I~" Before Vincent sai? anything, Amelia''s eyes began to flutter and she went limp thereafter. "Huh!?" Soon he heard snoring from her and he couldn''t help but chuckle and then sigh in relief. "To think that she''ll wake up and pass out again." [It seems that your technique is not strong enough yet.]. "Yeah, But I can work with this." All of a sudden, a bright light came down not too far from him causing him to go on alert. Seconds after, The light dissipated and what was left was a stone door. All of a sudden, a gruff voice echoed across the room. "Congratulations my descendants" "Not only have you survived the coldest fall of Nif, but you''ve also managed to beat a monster capable of destroying souls with its bare claws." "As expected of my descendant." He praised. ''Uhm¡­ System¡­'' ''Did you know that?'' [...] [It did have a skill that allowed it to do that.] [Soul Crush] ''... Oh'' ''Cool.'' "As you have beaten the first trial, You can proceed onto the next one." " I await you." The voice finished. "..." "Sigh, I guess it''s onto the next one." "But first, Sleeping Beauty." ///// 20 Minutes Later ///// "Mmh" Amelia groaned as she struggled to open her eyes and make ahead of where she was. "Where am I?" "Everywhere and Nowhere." A voice replied. "Huh?" "Just kidding, you''re in the inheritance trial." "...The inheritance trial." She muttered to herself, then slowly her eyes widened. "Vincent!" She shouted as she sat up abruptly just to see him nibbling on a loaf of bread "Yo," he said, his voice coming out muffled as he had a piece of bread in his mouth. Amelia sighed in relief when she saw him, "You''re okay" "Yeah." He replied, going back to his bread. "What happened?" "Well, The roar disoriented us and caused me to lose concentration over my ether pool causing the balls of fire to dissipate." "Then the cold hit us hard. The combined power of the roar and the cold made you pass out." "But luckily the roar stopped soon after and I was able to escape the beast with our blankets and food." "After that, I found a safe place and I started the plan. It worked and that''s how we survived." "Fortunately we only had to survive absolute zero for 5 minutes, after that, we were good to go." "A bright light came down and a door appeared to the next trial. I was waiting for you to get up." He finished the loaf in his dust and dusted the crumbs. Thereafter Vincent stood up and outstretched his hand to Amelia. "You ready?" Amelia stared at his hand dazedly, ''W~what did I see before?... I must be hallucinating.'' She took his hand and Vincent pulled her up. "Let''s go." He said and walked towards the door that was before them. ''I''m glad that worked.'' He thought before he opened the door and walked in. Amelia followed after but stopped and glanced around before she entered too. ///// Ama reached into her bag and brought out her special weapon. ¡­ A pair of war axes She held onto d the purple cloth wrapped on the black metal pommel of the axes and went into a stance with one axe before the other. "Come" "RAAAAARRRR!" Responding to the call, The beast ran towards her at blinding speeds. It slashed at her with its sharp claws that were layered with an aura of ether rendering it even sharper and faster. Still, Ama was already ahead. Before the strike reached her, she parried the hit with an axe and countered by swinging the other towards the lost one''s head. However, The strike was blocked by a spear made out of ice. "What!" Ama said surprised at the supposed mindless beast, conjuring an Ice spear that it now wielded. It flipped the spear skillfully and slashed at her, Ama leaned back and narrowly evaded the spear as well as the surge of ether that went on to cut deeply into the hillside behind her. The surge left a huge dent almost halfway into the hill. It continued its aggressive play against her, attacking her in ways that a Dark Beast nor Lost One should be able to display. ''Is it possible that it remembers how to fight from when it was still a person?'' She reasoned to herself. ''But that''s impossible. People lose all forms of reasoning and memories when they become beasts.'' Her inner monologue was caught short when she had to block an overhead strike from an ice spear that now seemed to carry a red tint. Although she misjudged the force behind the hit as it struck her down with a force that made the ground begin to give way. "Arg, This damn beast must have been a Maeth." "[Ether Burst]" A well-planned blast of raw ether shoved back the dark beast plus gave Ama the space to counter. The ineffectual banter went on between them, with neither letting up. Ama was able to land some hits after getting used to the style but it only caused dents in the beast''s ice-like skin which soon regenerated. Whilst the Lost one attacks were either evaded, countered, or blocked by Ama. The longer they fought, the more annoyed Ama became. Soon she heard a familiar voice in her thoughts, ''If it was him, he would have killed this beast a long time ago even without using his abilities. Yet you are unable to do the same.'' The voice mocked her. ''Pitiful, Incompetent¡­ Weak '' ''That''s why your mother died.'' ''You were too weak to save her.'' ''And she was too weak to stay alive.'' ''Weakness killed her''. ''Weakness killed me.'' "Enough!" Ama burst in anger, a wild explosion of ether outburst from her. Her eyes gleamed with a bright orange glow and flecks of orange specks appeared around her. The blade of her battle axe also glowed in the same hue. Then with a burst of sudden speed that her opponent was not able to react to, Ama blurred from her position and came before it. She then stabbed both axes deep into the shoulders of the Dark Beast causing it to roar in pain. She followed up with an ether-powered stomp on its knee effectively shattering it, and ended the assault with an ether-powered punch to its chest. The fist flung the beast through the air and lodged into the walls of the cave. All of a sudden, A sharp blade that was linked to a long chain flew through the air and dug into its forehead with such force that it was thrust further into the wall. Ama held the end of the chain and grunted as she pulled back on the blade. Resulting in the dark beast following because its quick regeneration resulted in the wound healing with the blade still in. It sailed through the air until it reached Ama who went on to land an uppercut kick to the chin sending it upwards. All of a sudden the chained blade lodged into its head glowed in an orange hue, and the chain started to emit steam. This is because the cold air and moisture around it was immediately heated to boiling point and beyond. Ama pulled down on the steaming chain blade, but instead of it dragging the beast with it. The blade instead sliced cleanly through the beast from its forehead down. When the beast fell back to the ground, its legs gave way, and the beast''s body split until it stopped at the head. Ama sauntered towards it and pulled out her battle axes lodged into the shoulders. She stored them back into her rucksack and went into the cave again. ''Tch, I wasn''t able to kill it without using my skills.'' ''But.'' ''When did Dark Beasts start to act like that?'' She thought while glancing towards the fallen beast. Out of the blue, a cold, strangely sweet metallic strange scent hit her nose from within the cave. "Blood?" She traced the scent deep into the cave and came upon a disturbing scene. A white-furred wolf-like Dark Beast, that laid upon a smaller Dark Beast that looked just like it. Both had scratches, bite marks, missing flesh, and fresh blood all over, indicating that they were just attacked. However, that was not what disturbed Ama. What disturbed Ama Ivory was that the two dark beasts looked just like the dark beast she had killed after she came out of the Avalanche. ''They must have been related¡­'', She reasoned, a sudden pang of pain hitting her chest. She stared at the dead bodies and couldn''t help but think, ''When did Dark Beasts start to act like this.'' Ama invoked a flame on them and then left the cave, not looking back at the pair of corpses that burned radiantly in the snow. She continued her journey to the peak of the mountain. ///// First Trial Down, Now onto the next one Please support this story with gifts, PS, GT, Basically whatever you wish to give Onto next time Byeee. //// Chapter 88 - Madness Of Trials: Stone Warrior Statues ///// Vincent and Amelia walked through the stone door into¡­ An empty room, with a dirt floor and stone walls. "The same room," Amelia said while looking around. "Yeah, but lookup. The clouds are not there anymore." "Mmh¡­ I wonder why." She said, noting how the dark clouds were gone. "Welcome my descendant!" The voice came as before. "For this trial, You will prove to me that you have the strength and tenacity of the Maeth Clan." "This is the second trial. One more and the power you desire shall be granted unto you." "Your task is to survive an hour or kill the hunters." A timer then appeared in the sky. [1:00:00] Beneath it was a set of words. [1000 Bronze Warriors.] "Once you deal with a category of hunters, 10 minutes shall be deducted from the timer. After a set is done, they are replaced with an even stronger set." Thousands of bronze statues with the stature and face of humans appeared suddenly before Vincent and Amelia, Each being armed with weapons like swords, lances and bows. "I wonder how far you''ll go before you meet your match, My Descendant." "Good luck. Your time starts now." After the message ended, The bronze statues came to life and began to charge towards them. "Ahhhhhh!" Their warcry rumbled across the room as they dashed mightily. Those that were equipped with bows, fell into a formation. They drew upon their arrows, and let loose a cluster of them at Vincent and Amelia. With haste, Vincent turned to Amelia. He reached out to her with a plan to take them both into the sky. But Amelia was faster. All of a sudden, Vincent felt himself rising into the air. He peered below and saw a pillar of ice rising into the sky, bringing him and Amelia with it. At a certain point, it stopped. Amelia flicked her wrist again and a wall of ice lengthened from the pillar, which held up against the incoming arrows. She then began to stimulate her ether for a counterattack "Wait!" Vincent said "What?" Amelia said, glancing at him "Are you sure you want to kill them?" He asked "What do you mean?" "According to the voice, If you kill all the statues a stronger set will appear." "Instead of that, Why can''t we just stay here and survive for an hour." Amelia looked at him disapprovingly, "I thought you were smart enough to know that doing this would make the rewards greater.". "I thought you were smart enough to know that no matter how great the reward is, It will in all likelihood be suited to only a Maeth." He jabbed back. "And who''s the Maeth between both of us." "¡­ I did not choose for this to happen," Amelia said, her eyes evading his. A glint of self-blame could be seen. "Sigh, I''m not saying that Amelia. I''m only curious, is this the path you want to take?." He asked again "¡­" "¡­" "Yes." She firmly said. "¡­ I see. Ok then go ahead." Vincent said and went on to lay down on the ice. "¡­" She seemed to have something more to say. However, she did not. Amelia walked unto the edge of the ice skyscraper and looked at the battalion of bronze statues charging towards them. Without panic, She rose her hand to the air and stimulated the ether within her to cast a skill. "[Array of Ice.]" The area around her fell in temperature as an array of 100 massive and thick ice spikes formed above her. This was the maximum amount her mastery could do. "Fall", She let her hand down. The rain of ice spikes shot at the bronze army, it stab to death all those it collided with. The collision aroused some dust which soon cleared. The numbers dwindled but not enough. Amelia glanced up to the timer and noticed a change. [900 Bronze Warriors.] "So that''s what it does." "In that case, this won''t do. It would take a while for only [Array of Ice] to finish all of them even though they are this weak." "So, I might as well try my new skill." "[Ice Shards Explosion]" Amelia casts [Ice Shards Explosion: Explodes Ice targets into miniature shards over a large area.] Boom. The Ice spears that fell blew up into small but dangerous ice shards all at once. It shredded through the statues without resistance. In the sky, the number altered. [647], It read. Amelia went on with this set of actions and soon they were all dead. As she was done, 10 minutes were deducted from the timer in the sky. Now it reads [47:96] and [500 Silver Warriors.] Without a period of relief, a new set of aura-less statues appears but this time they were silver-colored. Neither the bronze nor silver statues gave off an aura that let Amelia ascertain their level of power. Nonetheless, She knew that this set is stronger than the last. ''Common ice spears will most likely not work, but let''s see.'' she thought. "[Array of Ice]." Again a set of massive ice spikes appeared above her. "Fall!" She ordered. The spikes shot straight at silver-colored statues. When it came close, the statues reacted. They used their varied weapons to parry the spears away. Hence, they were all unharmed. ''They are certainly stronger.'' ''Since [Array of Ice] won''t work, Might as well.'' Amelia proceeded to jump off the ice pillar. As she fell, She went on to bring her hands together and a ball of ice attuned ether gathered within it. When it was ready, she launched the ball of ether to the ground. "[Ice Wave]" The moment it touched the ground, The ball of ice attuned ether burst out across the field. A range of almost quarter the room was buried under a layer of thick ice. It went on to climb upon any silver statues that it met and froze about them solid. Amelia flipped mid-air to a straight position as she came closer to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the icy floor another skill was cast. "[Ice Movement]" [Ice Movement: One of the Maeth/Mammoth/Mammon family clan skills. Allows the caster to travel through the ice at sonic speeds. A trained user can travel at lightspeed across and between layers of ice.] Ice Movement is one of the reasons why the Maeth Clan is seen as a menace in battles. When coupled with their powerful defense and offense capabilities, they could become a perfect wall or a perfect spear. In a flash, she was gone. Shring~ Three minutes later Amelia was back at her original position. However, Her face was pale and her breath ragged. Over 400 silver sculptures caught by her ice wave were either sliced in half or broken into pieces. [97 Silver warriors.] The pale face and panting were drawbacks of the [Ice Movement] skill. This is because when it is in use, the caster''s body is put in a state of something akin to being frozen in ice, and because of this the longer they use the skill, the colder they become. Although this makes the skill even more tailored to the Maeth blood line because of their natural resistance, However even that has its limits. Amelia lasting 3 minutes with the skill is even a testament to her genius, Her clan peers on average last only 30 seconds to one minute. Amelia needed a breath but could not as there remaining statues ran at her with no reserve. She had no choice but to draw out her steel sword and fight. Amelia drew upon her ether again to cast another skill. "[Ice Dance: Aifel''s Flake.]" At the call of the skill, snow began to fall from the sky. /////Vincent///// Vincent focused on the flakes as they fell, he raised a finger under one but the flakes fazed through it. "Illusion." He muttered. /////Amelia///// [Ice Dance: Aifel''s Flake: A skill and a martial footwork technique all at once. It entails the caster to be as nimble yet calm as the flakes that fall in winter. This is the first part of the ice dance skill. Note: Ether and Stamina are consumed.] Amelia fell into an open stance and countered the first strike from the sword of a silver statue. ''Strong'' She thought, as she felt the force behind the blade. From her sides, two others attacked. Amelia had no choice but to retreat swiftly. This pattern continued as the statues moved together with a strange teamwork of irregular patterns that was hard to keep up with, forcing her into a defensive stance. Coupled with their strengths being above A-Rank beasts, It was somewhat difficult for Amelia to deal with them. Especially just after experiencing the [Ice Movement] skill drawback. But still, they never managed to land a hit. Every strike was either dodged by a hair breath or countered. "Huff" "Huff" "Huff" ''They seem to follow a pattern.'' She thought as she blocked another hit. ''They don''t hit at the same time.'' ''Although I''m surrounded, they are not overwhelming me with numbers.'' "In that case." Amelia took out a stamina potion from her storage ring and drank it. This revigorated her being and soon she was back to almost peak. "I can win this." The scale changed in Amelia''s favor, She fell on the offensive and easily destroyed each statue one after the other. A few minutes passed and she was done. They were all dead. [28:56] The timer read, [250 Gold Warriors]. Again another set of statued warriors appeared but they were gold in color. Amelia panted as she struggled to raise her weapon into a stance, When all of a sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Leave this one to me". Vincent says, walking from behind her towards the gold statues. ///// Sorry for the one week break, I got quite sick with malaria but I''m better now. ///// Chapter 89 - Madness Of Trials: Stone Warrior Statues Cleared! ///// Paragraph Comment Authors Note by God_Is_With_Me. ///// ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Vincent said as he appeared from behind her, and walked towards the army of 250 Gold statues with a ball of fire in each hand ¡°Burn.¡± He said, commanding the balls of fire to flow into a dense ocean of fire which swept towards the gold statues. In an instant, the icy floor melts away, and the cold air heats up. The fire traveled across the field, enveloping everything it met like a tsunami. Amelia watched this scene with a solemn face, but within her was a feeling of frustration. Vincent noticed this sign, however, did not comment on it. ¡°I thought you weren''t going to help.¡± She said, her frustration causing a bit of anger to leak into her words. Vincent replied with a bright smile, ¡°When did I say so?¡± For a moment, His casual smile dazzles Amelia. ¡°W-with this, 10 minutes should be deducted.¡± She spluttered, changing the subject. ¡°I guess,¡± he replied as he glanced at the timer in the sky. [16:45] It read. Again, new statues appeared. They were platinum-colored statues and were 50 in number. Immediately when they appeared, they locked onto Vincent''s and Amelia''s position and dashed towards them. In a flash, Vincent and Amelia were surrounded with no escape. The statues then went in for the kill. However, ¡°[Thudra Possession: First Strike]¡± From the lightning core within him, A bolt of lightning-sparked out and enveloped his body, filling him with familiar strength, speed, and power. This was one of the benefits of having an elemental core. It allows for the user to simulate the conditions for specific skills in a situation where such conditions cannot be met. For example, [Thundra Possession]. This is a skill that relies on the power of natural lightning generated from clouds/the earth. This is the condition that must be met and when not, [Thundra Possession] becomes unusable. But, With the use of an elemental core tailored to that of the lightning element. It negates such necessity, and the skill can be used. Albeit, in a form that is weaker. At a speed that made his figure blur, Vincent attacked. Whoosh The 50 statues were not able to react before they were cut into various pieces and were soon incapacitated. With this, another 10 minutes deducts from the time.[5:00] ¡°Mmh.¡± [You''re too strong for this trial.] ''I guess, now that I have the combined strength of 4 giants, even the SSS-Rank beast I fought during the stampede would be easily dealt with.'' ''The next set should be coming in now.'' As expected, Another set of statue warriors appeared. They were black coloured statues and were 5 in number. One held a sword, A silver blade mounted upon a shiny black grip and a gold ornament pommel. One held an exquisite recurve bow, made out of fine shined white metal and a quiver of arrows at the back. One held a pair of daggers, A curved light blue jagged blade mounted upon a carefully crafted silver quillion and a light blue handle. One held a large war hammer, Two crystal blue hammerheads almost mimicking the shine of diamond are put in place together by a long, elegant, yet strong golden handle. Furthermore, one held a long staff. It was a silver rod connected to two facing gold curved blades that held a colorless orb in between. ¡®¡®Weapons? The previous waves did not have that¡­ However, they still look weak.¡¯¡¯ He mumbled. [Quest Generated] [Quest name: Defeat the Black statues without the use of any skill. Description: The black statue set can be seen as the last set of warriors before this trial ends. Defeat them without the use of any skill or innate ability. Reward: 1000 Akashic Points, Proceed to the next trial Failure: Proceed to the next set, Possibility of Amelia Maeth suffering from a grave injury, Proceed to the next trial;] ¡®Possible grave injury.¡¯ He drawled upon the word as he read through the quest on the floating blue platform, ¡®Will she die?¡¯ He proceeded to ask. [Grave injury without medical attention will lead to death.] ¡®Sigh, that means I have to do this quest then because of the first quest.¡¯ [Maybe] ¡®Sigh.¡¯ Vincent sighed again, his mind going to a past event. [Flashback] ¡°Argh.¡± ¡°I feel heavy and everywhere is dark.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Vincent asked himself, slowly recovering from the dizzy feeling that he felt. First, his vision came back, then his balance. He found himself right before the mural of Maeth and asked himself again, ¡°Where am I?¡± [Quest Generated.] [Quest name: Survive the Inheritance Trial of the Maeth Clan with Amelia alive. Description: You have found yourself in the inheritance trial of the great Maeth Clan, Successfully clear and survive the trials with Amelia Maeth still alive. Although the rewards of this trial are best suited to a Maeth, there could be something useful for a Cadmean and you within its glory. Rewards: [Alchemy], [Elvin Iscisyelda True Root], Connection to the Maeth Clan, Favorability with Amelia Maeth Increased Failure: Possible permanent loss of [Alchemy], Loss of [Elvin Iscisyelda], Death of Amelia Maeth, Loss of Maeth Clan connections.] ///// [FLashback End] ///// Vincent remembered the stressful quest and couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated, ¡®It was a little difficult to act clueless to Amelia after that.¡¯ ¡®Anyway, I accept the task¡¯ he said to the system. [Quest Accepted] All of a sudden, Vincent draws out Firestorm and blocks a strike from the sword-wielding statue. Clang!. Sparks could be seen from this clash and the next and the next and the next. Vincent and the sword-wielding statue engaged in a swordsmanship match, with the win leaning towards Vincent. ¡®I was never this proficient with a sword like this before.¡¯ He thought as he thrust the blade of his sword into a shoulder opening of the statue. This forced it to leap backward to evade or suffer decapitation. However, The next moment it pounced right back with a sideways strike. ¡®The fire and lightning planar giant does not have such experience with the sword.¡¯ Vincent used his blade to swat away the statue''s sword, leaving it defenseless. ¡®This must be the experience of the Ice Giant.¡¯ He realized. However, His musing is interrupted when he feels his instincts warn him of danger approaching him, specifically towards his head. Vincent decides to lean forward and headbutt the statue in front of him whilst also narrowly avoiding danger in the form of a metal flail that flew past his head. His headbutt caused the first statue to be momentarily stunned, giving Vincent another opportunity which he could not take as his danger sense warned him of another attack but this time from behind. He immediately spun his sword behind him. Clang Clang ''Almost forgot about the support.¡¯ Vincent thought, glancing at the dragon dagger and wooden arrow on the floor.'' Rumble. All of a sudden, the ground shot up from beneath him. ¡®Shit! I have to jump.¡¯ Vincent leaped into the sky to evade whatever caused that, but was met in the sky again by the metal flail. He instinctively twisted his body unnaturally and swerved past the spiked ball of doom. After that, he clasped onto the chain and swung the flail towards the statue with a sword. However, out of the blue the ground caved in and the statue with a Warhammer jumped out in front of the flail and body blocked it. The spiked flail hit the statue and sent it and the one behind flying into the wall on the far end. ¡®Sword, Bow, Dagger, War Hammer and Staff.¡¯ He mused ¡®Attacker, Ranged, Tank and¡­¡¯ ¡°Mage.¡± A change in the presence of ether interrupted his train of thoughts, and without warning, it materialized beneath him in the form of a scribe/circle. When done, Vincent could feel a great burden placed upon him. ¡°Aargh!, I can''t move,¡± He said, as he looked at the scribe. When he looked up, the statues were before him, with the sword statue in front. The sword statue rose his sword into the air and impassively stared at Vincent, for some reason this look irked him. ¡°Don''t get cocky.¡± Vincent snarled, channeling his ether to burst out. ''[Thundra Possession: 3r~]¡± Suddenly, the statues and the scribe dissipated into dust. ¡°Eh.¡± Vincent realized something and looked up to the time. "0:00:00." "Oh!" [Quest Failed.] ''¡­'' ''System.'' [¡­ Yes] ¡®This was meant to teach me something, wasn¡¯t it?.¡¯ [Yes.] Probably along the lines of me relying on my skills too much, Right? [¡­ Yes] ''¡­ Next time, Just tell me.'' He conveyed tiredly. [¡­ Understood.] ''Good'' Vincent unhurriedly got up from the ground, dusted off his shorts, and then approached Amelia who had recovered most of her stamina. ¡°Yo¡± He greeted but was met with the shocked face of Amelia ¡°What?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Boom Before she could speak, A wide ray of light fell before them and then dissipated to leave a gold door. ¡°We should be going.¡± Amelia suddenly said as she walked past him and headed through the door. Vincent stared at her and how suspicious she acted, but then followed after, ''I wonder what she wanted to say.'' He did not know that he was too fast for her to perceive properly. A testament to his inability to properly gauge his strength, however, that may change soon. ///// Broscour Hills, Nighttime///// The moon shone upon the side of the Broscour tallest hill, Illuminating a path before a determined hiker scaling this unnaturally steep hill "To breathe in (cough) extremely thin air (Cough) is a completely different experience." Ama muttered to herself in between coughs. She reached into her rucksack and took out a stamina potion which she proceeded to drink. As she did, A refreshing feeling flowed through her body eliminating the light headedness and fatigue she felt.. Ama couldn''t help but sigh in relief. "I can feel my heart almost pounding out of my chest, Just like when I''m in my berserk state." "At least, I don''t feel too cold. I can thank the [Sun Augment] passive skill for that" "By now most normal Migas would have felt the embrace of death, Some would have given up a few thousand feets back." "However, I am not a normal Migas now, Am I." Then she stopped hiking "Nonetheless, even I have a limit." She said as she looked forward to the peak that''s was ever so close. "At least, now I know how far I can go without using my skills but this is enough." Ama then brought out her hand and snaps her finger Whoosh. Upon doing so, The thin air gathered around her to form a pocket space of thicker air after a minute With her breathing problem resolved, Amelia continued her hike through the night into the next day. /////4 Hours Later//// "Arghh!" Amelia grunted as she took her final step onto the summit. "Huff" "Huff" "Huff" "Huff" She had done it. She reached the peak of Broscour, unknowingly being the first woman to do so. "Yes!" Ama could feel her body cry in pain for rest,Yet she did not give in because climbing the Broscour Hill was not her goal. But what was on it? And there it was. "The Elvin Iscisyelda" Elvin Iscisyelda, A tree whose bark was twisted upon itself upwards till it was 50 cm into the sky, there it spread out into multiple branches each carrying its set of illuminescent ghostly blue leaves. But only on a single branch was what Ama needed was found, the fruit capable of increasing the bloodline of the Cadmean clan "Finally." she said excitedly. Ama sauntered carefully to it, she cut off the dark blue fruit with care and secured it within her bag. "Finally it is done!" She rejoiced No it wasn''t. Suddenly, Amelia was hit to the side unable to react she was thrown through the air and over the mountain peak, "Ahhhhh!" Chapter 90 - Madness Of Trials: Trial Of Illusion, Greatest Fear. Vincent and Amelia walked through the gold door into another room, that was still like the last. "Again,¡± Amelia commented. Vincent nodded in response. Before the conversation continued, The familiar deep booming voice was heard. ¡°Congratulations on passing the last trial, Descendant of mine.¡± ¡°In this place, The third and final trial shall commence.¡± ¡°However, This is not a trial.¡± ¡®!?¡¯ Amelia and Vincent were surprised. ¡°Yes, This is not a trial.¡± ¡°This is training!¡± ¡°Training!¡± Amelia muttered surprised. ¡°Here you shall train against the main strength of our clan''s sworn enemy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Cadmean Clan.¡± ¡®What!¡¯ Vincent almost blurted out; He was greatly shocked by this discovery. The Cadmean Clan and The Maeth Clan have always had rivalry and hatred between them, mostly from the Maeth Clan. ¡®Does Amelia know this?¡¯ He asked himself, as he turned his head to Amelia and saw her calm, solemn expression, ¡®She does!¡¯ ¡®I should act like I don¡¯t know what the Cadmean Clan is and confirm my guess.¡¯ Thereafter, he proceeded to bend to her ear and ask, ¡°What is the Cadmean Clan?¡± Amelia turned to Vincent, Her eyebrows raised as she stared at his act of a puzzled expression, ¡°You don''t know the Cadmean Clan?¡± She asked. Vincent avoided making eye contact a little disturbed by her intense stare. ¡°N-not really.¡± He stuttered. ¡°I lived a secluded life with my parents away from the clan. So, I don¡¯t know much about the major clans or happenings in Migas.¡± Amelia relaxed her stare as she realized that he was right. That was Vincent''s backstory after all. ¡°Oh right, You were raised away from the Pryde Clan. It¡¯s no wonder that you don¡¯t know what happened.¡± She realized. ¡°In that case let me tell you what the Cadmean Clan is.¡± ¡°The Cadmean Clan is, rather was, one of the founding clans in Migas, They were not only seen as the strongest but also the smartest. Their displays of strength were not based on raw power, but rather on how well they used their unmatched intelligence in canny and shrewd ways.¡± ¡°They were also seen as an object of beauty with each generation being even more beautiful than the last.¡± ¡°Their main trait was loyalty and commitment to whatever they believed in, Something that made them loved more by Earthland and Eulogeo.¡± ¡°I see, So why are they the sworn enemies of the Maeth Clan?¡± ¡°Well although the Cadmean Clan were a fine and great set of people in the eyes of many, In the eyes of the Maeth they were the living personas of evil.¡± ¡°According to my clan''s history, The Cadmean Clan was responsible for the death of the Ancestor''s wife and the killing of numerous clan members on their way to an expedition. After that, they ransacked and stole most if not all of the clan treasures within our banks.¡± ¡°However, When charged with these claims, The Cadmeans denied it with sufficient evidence. Yet, the Maeth choose to not believe them.¡± ¡°Their thinking was [How can a clan well known for their prowess in acts of illusion and falsehood provide evidence of the truth?].¡± ¡°Ever since then, The Maeth Clan and The Cadmean Clan have been at war with each other. Sometimes in the form of demeaning words, other times in the form of skirmishes.¡± ¡°This continued over the centuries. Until one day, Battalions of warriors formulated by the combined strength of the lower clans were led by the Maeths, and attacked the Cadmeans unawares.¡± ¡°What proceeded after that was the massacre of the Cadmean Clan. Of course, the Cadmean Clan did not go down without a fight.¡± ¡°The Onyx Clan.¡± ¡°The Apophr Clan.¡± ¡°The Millia Clan.¡± ¡°And a few others were taken down by the Cadmean Clan. It was a gruesome battle that seemed never-ending but ended the next day.¡± ¡°After that, the Cadmean Clan was gone and the Maeth Clan injured but happy.¡± ¡°Some should have escaped right?¡± Vincent stuttered on his words due to a sense of rage he felt within him. Amelia looked upwards with a thinking expression, a finger on her plump lips. ¡°Who knows?... However, Even if a few cadmeans survived they are either dead now or have been sold to slavery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fate of the losers, After all.¡± She added. Vincent could feel the rage bubbled within him, While indeed he wasn¡¯t necessarily close with the Cadmean Clan, not only because he was a transmigrator but also because he wasn¡¯t raised in the clan even in this world. Yet he still felt uncomfortable hearing the fate of his supposed brethren. ¡®Stupid carnal instincts.¡¯ Vincent cursed. Yes, the cause of his rage is the fox bloodline within him. Unfortunately, the anger wasn¡¯t quenching and there was nothing to take out the anger on¡­ except. Vincent had to suppress himself from lashing out at Amelia, so he decided to ask her a question that would either quench his anger or push him off the edge, ¡°So what are your thoughts on the Cadmean Clan?" He asked. ¡°Mmh¡­ Well, I have no qualms against them. There seems to be more to the story than what is written.¡± ¡°Moreover, why should I care about a clan that has only taken from me.¡± She added in a whisper. Vincent didn¡¯t hear this as he was focused more on calming himself. Thankfully, Amelia¡¯s answer was what he needed. If not, there¡¯s no telling what he might do. With their mini conversation over, they decided to listen to the voice again. ¡°The greatest strength of the Cadmean Clan is the ability to make illusions. At its weakest, it can manipulate the 5 senses and at the strongest, it''s capable of tricking manifestations, abstracts, dimensions, and even the very laws that bind everything in existence.¡± ¡°Here you shall train with such illusions and slowly gain resistance to it. After you pass the basic level, You will be able to proceed to the treasure room where your heart¡¯s desire shall be granted.¡± ¡°This illusion entails your greatest desire and your greatest fear, Many have lost themselves in this illusion. I hope you won¡¯t be one of them.¡± ¡°Good luck, My Descendant.¡± ¡°The trial begins now!¡± As soon as the voice finished, Amelia''s eyes went dull and her body fell limp toward the floor. Vincent moved forward and caught her then laid her on the wall. ¡®Limp body, Empty eyes. She¡¯s in an illusion.¡¯ He figured easily, ¡®I too can feel it threatening to pull me within its space.¡¯ ¡°However, I already know my greatest fear and desires. I do not need to be reminded of them. Begone!¡± He said particularly passionately, His way of dispelling the illusion was more of Instinct than anything else. ¡°Sigh.¡± He could feel a slight drain on himself that caused him to sigh. [Are you okay?] The system asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± He replied. [The Cad-] ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± He interrupted the system ¡°I was never born to the clan in the first place. I do not care for them.¡± [¡­] ¡®I should dispel the illusion on Amelia too.¡¯ He reasoned, He stretched out his hand toward Amelia''s head. [I suggest you let her go through it. It will help her grow and will be profitable down the line.] ¡°Mmh.¡±, His hand halted mid-air as he pondered. ¡°Ok.¡± ///// Amelia Inner Trials///// What is failure? The lack of success. A situation where one does not succeed. That is Amelia¡¯s fear. It is a basic fear, Nonetheless, It has plagued Amelia for most of her life. In a dark space that seemingly had no end nor beginning, Amelia found herself staring into the distance. ¡°Where am I?¡± She asked herself, She tried to move but found herself unable to. ¡°Why can¡¯t I move!?¡± She began to panic slightly, struggling to control or even feel her body. All of a sudden, She could hear the loud thud of a door being opened from behind her. She would have felt startled if she could even feel anything. Amelia felt apprehensive when the sound of footsteps came closer to her but the footsteps soon halted; however, she couldn¡¯t sense the person. Suddenly, she was lifted and carried somewhere. Amelia struggled even more against this movement. Yet her body still refused to respond. ¡®Why don¡¯t you move!¡¯ She thought angrily. After a short while, Amelia felt her carrier slow down and herself being placed upon the ground again. However, she was in front of a person that made her forget her current situation and in return be filled with rage and understanding. Although she couldn¡¯t speak, she did. ¡°So it is you.¡± The one that she spoke to had a wide smile of madness on his face. ¡°Of course it is me, Who else would it be?.. My dear niece.¡± Chapter 91 - Madness Of Trials: Trial Of Illusion, Greatest Fear Amelia stood before her uncle, A man who stared at her with greed evident in his purple-tinted eyes, something unique to the Maeth clan as they usually have blue eyes. His blue hair failed to cover his stare and his threatening aura his buff body only served to strengthen, not like he tried to hide it in the first place. ¡®Uncle Odon.¡¯ She thought. ¡°My dear niece.¡± He began in a gruff voice. ¡°Did you think that you could escape your fate?¡± ¡°How cruel.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten Amelia; this is the only way you can repay the clan for all these years.¡± ¡°We took care of you.¡± ¡°Sheltered you.¡± ¡°Made you who you are today.¡± ¡°And in return, we only ask for one thing.¡± ¡°Yet you reject it.¡± ¡°How cruel of you, You ungrateful Sw~.¡± ¡°At least, now you have come to your senses, we can proceed to the Altar.¡± All of a sudden, Amelia¡¯s perspective of the space changes. She now finds herself on a wedding altar in the courtyard of the Maeth Clan, Before the Altar was a seemingly endless set of benches that were filled with the members of her clan. Strangely, they all had a wide smile of disdain on their faces. Amelia felt herself turn to face the groom. When she saw him, her soul almost sprung out of her body for the groom had no face, eyes, mouth, brows, or lashes. The event sets into motion when her uncle materialized before her in a priest grab. ¡°Do you _ _ take Amelia Maeth as your lovely wedded wife?¡± He spoke. It nodded. Odon Maeth''s wide smile went even further, after that he turned to Amelia. ¡°Do you Amelia Maeth take _ _ as your lovely wedded husband.¡± Amelia bit by bit brought her lips together and mouthed, ¡°N- Yes.¡± Her eyes widened, taken aback by her inability to refuse. At that moment an odd glint caught her eye, when Amelia set her focus on it, she saw a string that bonded her to her uncle. Now, she knew that she had no control over her decision anymore. By her consent, the wedding progressed like any normal wedding. Afterward, Amelia was in a bedroom with the faceless man naked above her. She knew what is about to happen But resist she did not [AN: Words are omitted here.] /////The Next Day///// Amelia awoke the next day feeling sore all around. As she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the faceless man above her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you resist?¡± It asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you cower¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you FEAR!¡± Amelia simply stared at it without emotion, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What you have shown me.¡± She began without hurry. ¡°Is what I see every time, I close my eyes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already used to your presence.¡± ¡°Fear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± From nowhere, she hears the sound of broken glass and again finds herself in the dark expanse of emptiness ¡°I can move my body again.¡± She said as she clenched her fist, still no emotion on her face as she remembered what she went through. Out of the blue, two murky shapes came into being. Amelia at once drew out her sword and pointed at the figures. However, when the two figures fully came to form the shape and face of two Migas that were all too familiar to Amelia, she let go of her sword in shock. The first murky figure came to form a buff figure standing at 6¡¯ 2¡¯¡¯ tall, this fair-skinned man while seeming threatening had a soft smile. His long face, softly shaped jaw, heavy-lidded sky-blue eyes, gave him the characteristics of a handsome man. The second murky figure came to form a slightly well-endowed, fair-skinned woman of a lean figure standing at 5¡¯ 4 tall. Her black hair with red tips and bluish green eyes gave her a unique yet feel about herself. She stared at Amelia with a smile full of love. ¡°Mother, Father.¡± She whispered in shock. /////Outside The Illusion, 3 Hours Later///// ¡°System, how long has this been?¡± [3 Hours.] ¡°That¡¯s too long, don¡¯t you think?¡± [For someone of her caliber to break out of supposedly the weakest illusion of a Deus¡­. Maybe. I am not too sure.] ¡°You know, are you sure you¡¯re a system? Compared to the other systems I¡¯ve read about. You¡¯re kind of sus.¡± [Was that meme?] ¡°¡­ No,¡± Vincent said guiltily. [That was a meme!] ¡°I have no idea¡­ what you are saying.¡± [You!] ¡°I should check on Amelia,¡± Vincent said at once and moved towards her ¡°Do you think I can peek into the illusion?¡± He asked the system. [Perhaps, it''s surely within the capability of the skill, but I am not sure that you are proficient enough to do it] ¡°True, I haven¡¯t trained for it¡­ Well, there¡¯s no harm in trying.¡± Vincent put forward his hand and placed it upon Amelia''s forehead. Almost in an instant, he could feel something special, similar to the link he felt when the Illusion had first tried to pull him in. He held onto that feeling which made a visualization of a door appear in his mind. ¡°A door? But I don¡¯t want to go in, I only need to peak¡±. With that thought, the door changed into an open window. Vincent controlled himself, Astral or Mental, he didn¡¯t know. But he controlled whatever self he was to peek over the window and into Amelia Illusion. Here he saw a cute little blue-haired girl around the age of 6 happily conversing and eating in a simple, warm-themed dining room with 2 adults who seemed to be her parents. ¡°So, this is her greatest desire. Her parents.¡± As he said that, A stream of knowledge flowed into his mind, causing him to twitch his head in discomfort. ¡°So, her parents died when she was young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why this is her greatest desire, an eternal world where her parents are alive.¡± ¡°Wait! How did I know this? She never told me about her parents before.¡± ¡®Is it possible that the illusion contains a sub ability of mind-reading? ¡­ That would make sense, As how is an Illusion able to show your deepest fears and desires if it doesn¡¯t know, it has to read your memories to find it then work around it.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, the question is why can I read her memories¡­ Is it because of my illusion proficiency? Through controlling this illusion that has read her memories, I may be also able to read her memories, and perhaps even manipulate them.¡± ¡°However, I shouldn¡¯t dive into that field without sufficient skill or knowledge.¡± ¡°For now, this is enough.¡± Vincent again stretched out his hand towards the illusion. ¡°I know that you want to stay in this illusion forever, Amelia, to live out in this paradise that you have made for yourself.¡± ¡°But from a person who has also experienced the pain of losing their parents, I can tell you that this may be what you want but not what you need.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sorry that I have to take this away from you.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have to be careful with this, I¡¯ve already displayed too many of my cards.¡± ///// In The Illusion Space ///// Amelia, who was enjoying a serving of pancakes and enjoying her time with her parents out of the blue, felt a tug on herself. ¡°Mmh.¡± She hummed with her eyebrows raised, she gazed behind her to see what was tugging at her, and it was a golden door that had miraculously taken the place of the wooden door that was there before. Amelia despite this ignored this blatant sign and focused back on her parents. But she became aware that they were not moving and instead focused on the door. ¡°Mum, Dad?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Amelia¡­ You don¡¯t belong here.¡± Her father began in a matter-of-fact voice. He looked at her with regret and sadness on his face, ¡°My daughter, you are a strong girl. A very¡­ very strong girl, and now you have grown up to become an even stronger woman. Truthfully, I wish I could spend all the time with you, but I wish even more that you strive forward and fully explore the potential that I see in you.¡± ¡°Holding you here will only take you backward, Amelia, you have to move forward, Snowflake.¡± ¡°D~Dad, I don¡¯t.¡± She stuttered before she was interrupted. ¡°Listen to your father!¡± Her mother scolded her. ¡°We are only doing the best for you, and the best for you is not here.¡± She said she walked to Amelia and placed her palm upon her cheek, caressing it with love ¡°My dear daughter, go out there and make us proud.¡± Amelia''s eyes let out tears as she listened to her parents. She cried silently, not voicing out a word of disagreement as got up from her seat and walked towards the door, with each step she took she aged until when she was at the door, and she looked like her normal self again. Amelia turned back to her parents, who smiled at her encouragingly. ¡°I love you.¡± She spoke. ¡°We love you too.¡± Her parents replied. Amelia nodded and went through the gold door, back into reality. Vincent smiled at this and also began to pull himself into reality when all of a sudden, he felt the link locked and himself stuck, unable to move. ¡°So, you¡¯re the intruder.¡± He heard a voice to his side, Vincent immediately turned towards the voice in surprise and came face to face with a red-head, Amelia¡¯s mother, smiling at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed, I¡¯m not here to harm you. Rather, I even want to thank you.¡± ¡°Unknowingly or knowingly, you have protected my daughter more than any other person has in her life. Even now you are protecting her even if it counts as manipulation.¡± ¡°I expect this much from a prospective Son-In-Law.¡± She said motherly. ¡°However, I¡¯ll have to cut it short here. Your benefactor is already pulling you out.¡±, She said as Vincent¡¯s form became translucent. ¡°Do me a favor?¡± ¡°In the future, Amelia would be put into more danger than she may be able to handle.¡± ¡°If and when you can. Please protect my daughter. I''ll appreciate it.¡± Vincent did not want to make any promise of such, nonetheless, he nodded in response and then disappeared from the space after that, leaving the woman alone. ¡°My Son-In-Law seems to have such a bright future. As expected of my daughter.¡± She said with a charming laugh as she too also disappeared from this dark place. ///// AN; In this chapter, A piece of Amelia''s heritage has been revealed, Hope you spotted it. Please support with GS, PS, Comments and even Reviews (Good or Bad, I don''t care.) Happy reading Chapter 93 - Madness Of Trials: Treasury ///// ¡°*Gasp*¡± Vincent inhaled sharply as well as retreated from Amelia''s body. After a few gasps for air, he calmed down his pounding heart. [Are you alright?] The system asked. ¡°What was that?¡± Puzzled, Vincent as he made an effort to figure out what he had come in contact with a few moments ago. [You came across a very powerful being.] ¡°Powerful¡­ Amelia¡¯s mother, I¡­ I felt so weak in her presence. She could have taken my life before I even muttered a word.¡± Vincent shuddered at this realization. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t there more information about such a person on Amelia [Status].¡± [I told you from the get-go, if any Information on the [Status] of an Individual would be harmful to the host, I am tasked to withhold it until the host crosses a certain threshold of strength.] ¡°Harmful? Wasn¡¯t this harmful!¡± He protested. [Trust me, Host, if you knew something whether little or much, you would have been in more harm than this.] ¡°¡­*Sigh*¡± At this time, the system saw this juncture as a moment to motivate, [I remind you at all times. Your strength is nowhere near those that stand at the peak of the world. You would need even more than this strength that you have acquired to accomplish your dream.] [What is more, that woman is just a shard of the original. Tha~] ¡°That means the original is even more powerful.¡± Vincent completed the System sentence. [¡­] ¡°And someone like that is dead¡±, ¡°*Chuckle*¡±, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten too comfortable with this measly strength I have come to possess¡± ¡°After this, I must get the seven ringed paths of healing and find the next treasure of Elohim.¡± He said with determination evident in his eyes. [Agreed] ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± The sudden grumble of Amelia made Vincent end his conversation with the System and focus on her. Amelia awoke with a slight headache, ¡°Aarg.¡±, As her mind stabilized, her eye met Vincent¡¯s. ¡°Stop staring.¡± She said with no emotion. ¡®She¡¯s colder.¡¯ Vincent noticed, causing him to sigh, ¡®I guess the illusion hurt her more than expected.¡¯ ¡°How long are you going to keep staring?¡± Amelia asked again. Now conscious that he was indeed staring, Vincent did well to shift his eyesight, a little flush could be seen on his cheek, ¡°S~Sorry.¡± Before they could carry on, a bright light similarly fell before them as the previous times. When it dissipated, a snow-white door remained. This caused the previous awkward atmosphere to change into a serious one, they got ready themselves and went nearer the door on alert. They glanced at each other briefly, she nodded at him signifying her readiness, and he did the same. After that, they opened the door and entered into the bright light that fashioned out. Soon after, the brightness dimmed and Vincent and Amelia found themselves in an enormous room that was a marvel of architecture. All around the black stone walls and ceilings were flawless markings and linings that converged at the podium before them They stood on an exquisite black stone flooring that extended to a large podium, From the podium, four stairways extended out. One went to the west, Two to the north, and the last to the east. On the podium was a glowing orb that shined in different hues, around it were four white stone columns stationed to either serve as support to the structure or a piece of beautification to this room. As Vincent entered the room, a blue screen popped up before him. [Quest name: Survive the Inheritance Trial of the Maeth Clan with Amelia alive. Description: You have found yourself in the inheritance trial of the great Maeth Clan, successfully clear and survive the trials with Amelia Maeth still alive. Although the rewards of this trial are best suited to a Maeth, there could be something useful for a Cadmean and you within its glory. Rewards: [Alchemy], [Elvin Iscisyelda True Root], Connection to the Maeth Clan, Favorability with Amelia Maeth Increased Failure: Possible permanent loss of [Alchemy], Loss of [Elvin Iscisyelda], Death of Amelia Maeth, Loss of Maeth Clan connections.] [Quest Completed.] The contents of the blue holographic screen afterward changed to a map that had two glowing points and a way-point from Vincent¡¯s current location to those two set locations. ¡®Could this be the map of the treasury? If so, then the two points should be the location of the [Alchemy] skill and [Elvin Iscisyelda] root.¡¯ [3 points added to wisdom.] ¡®Wow, have you finally decided to become a more useful system?¡¯ [¡­ Fuck off.] ¡®Haha, I¡¯m just kidding. So, I just need to follow the directions.¡¯ Quipped Vincent. [Yes] ¡®In that case, I need to get away from Amelia.¡¯ He planned. ¡°Amelia.¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up for now to cover more ground, we can meet up later at this podium? Does that sound alright with you?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Good, two hours from now, let¡¯s meet up. I¡¯ll take the first road in the middle.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the other one to the right.¡± With the plan set, Vincent headed off to the left stairway, which was the path to the first waypoint. After Vincent trekked to a certain extent, He came upon a shined brown door that when he went through led into a new section altogether. This new section could be said to be a library but nothing too large. From Vincent''s standpoint he was able to count 10 shelves, 5 on the left and 5 on the right ¡°A library¡± Vincent said, examining an array of bookshelves before him. [Every single book on these shelves are skill books.] ¡°I guessed as much. However, I¡¯m sure that most of them don¡¯t match my skill set.¡± [Unfortunately.] [Nonetheless, there should be some techniques here that can be useful to you.] ¡°I guess I¡¯ll keep an eye out then.¡± Vincent scrolled through the shelves, with only a few books catching his eyes. [Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Comprehension of Pole arms] [Foundational Stances] [Body Building Exercises Tailored for Combatants [How To Break Out of Illusions for Beginners and Intermediates.] [Comprehension of Mana, Od, Ether and Divinity Series.] [Artifacts and Treasures] [Map of Migas] [Map of Eulogeo] [Map of Earthland.] After the above books were collected into his storage ring, he again set his sights on the waypoint and was soon at his destination. Highlighted in blue by the system was a thick book with a green title-less cover. As soon as Vincent set his hand on it, a blue prompt came out of thin air. [Do you want to absorb [Alchemy] Skill.] ¡°No, store it in my storage ring for now.¡± [Careful, you¡¯re learning.] ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me.¡± [Ok.] ¡°I was kidding.¡± [I wasn¡¯t] ¡°*Sigh*Just leads me to the next point.¡± The map came up again, indicating the way to the next reward location. It had him return to the podium and take the stairway to the right. Following that path led him into an ethereal greenhouse where different plants and trees of bright and dull colors were grown. ¡°Wow! I can sense strong Ether from these plants.¡± [Don¡¯t be tempted by this field, most of the plants or fruits here are not for a Cadmean. The ones that are useful mainly for the ice element won¡¯t be that helpful to you that have the Inheritance of an Ice Giant.] ¡®Ok.¡¯ Vincent went deeper into the greenhouse to come before a small tree stick planted into the soil. He would have missed it if not for a blue outline by the system that caught his eye. ¡°This is the true root of the Elvin Iscisyelda tree. It is just a stick!¡± Vincent doubted the existence of the stick. [Don¡¯t let its appearance fool you, the reason it looks like that is because the root was not planted well. As luck would have it, it is still recoverable.] ¡°Mmh, Ok, store it in the ring.¡± The plant disappeared from his view and was placed into his storage ring. [Done] ¡°Ok, I guess I should meet up with Amelia now.¡± ///// An Hour Later///// Vincent and Amelia met up at the podium as beforehand planned. Amelia almost sprinted into Vincent due to her enthusiasm. ¡°Have you seen the treasures here! Weapons, Armors, Skill books, even long-lost Bloodline cultivation plants, and techniques. They are all here!¡± Sputter Amelia excitedly. Vincent is taken aback by this new side of Amelia, as opposed to the previous cold demeanor. Also, to see her with a bright smile that did well to boost her beauty and alter her ice princess aura also brought a smile to his face. Before he could reply, the orb on the podium shot up in majestic blue light. Vincent and Amelia are caught off guard by this but recovered right away and went on alert, they also noticed a great decrease in the surrounding temperature. Before long the blue light took a shape that was all too familiar with Amelia, when she recognized it she immediately bowed down in respect. Vincent however, was focused on a conversation with the system. [That is a divine being.] ¡®Really? A Deus, The strongest race! [Don¡¯t worry, The Creator''s has long before set Universal rules/laws that bind them. They can¡¯t display their divinity when outside Deus. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that they are not still powerful.] ¡®I see.¡¯ From the orb, the familiar voice of the trial guide was heard ¡°Finally! After all these years. A descendant of mine has found this place and completed the trials.¡± ¡°Now descendants tell me, what is your name?¡± ///// AN: Read [Important Announcement] Chapter, (The now first chapter of the book)