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Ryoko AI 18

  Natalie finished drawing the strange runes around the circle of chalk, her long, dark hair cascading down her shoulders. She smirked admiring her handywork, she dimmed the lights in her little, remote cabin, slowly moving around the room, lighting the many candles she had put in place earlier that evening.  The last breathe of the sun finally withdrew, illuminating her pale skin in the dim light of the moon and candles.  She took a deep breath, sitting down criss-cross in the middle of the chalk circle, snapping her fingers, sticks of incense ignighted all around the room, surrounding the cabin In a heavy, pleasant aroma of pine and lavender.  Sighing with satisfaction, she began to chant, her dark eyes rolling back, the room grew cold, the shadows transformed into dancing little Devils around the room.  She continued the chant before finally a tall figure draped in black flowing robes appeared before her. Natalie’s  eyes returned back to normal, the shadows stopped dancing and a thick silence settled In.  "Why do you bother me mortal, I hope you have a very good reason for summoning me." the tall figures voice came in an eerie feminine whisper all around the room.   Natalie smirked, standing up in the circle and stretching her thin arms upwards. She yawned before speaking to the ominous figure in the room. "Demon Queen Lilith, ruler of the 7th kingdom of hell, I command you to show me your true form and do my bidding for the rest of eternity " Natalie said coldly, her smile flickered as the demon gave a booming laugh lasting several seconds.  "Foolish mortal, you really think you have the power to command me?" Lilith withdrew her cloak showing Natalie what was underneath, her skin was as pale as the moon, her eyes full of hate and malice, glowing red in the dim light, her hair the palest blonde and falling far past her shoulders.  Natalie looked on in awe before finally smiling and snapping her fingers, a slinking chain flew out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the mighty demon Queens throat, a sickly green glow surrounded the chain. Natalie  flicked her hand and the candles extinguished, yet the demon stayed standing frozen from shock.  "W..what" Lilith stammered confused. The shadows around the room returned to normal, as Natalie walked slowly towards Lilith, the towering goddess stood frozen, the look of fear in her eyes for the first time in a Millennium.   Natalie reached up and hugged the demon, basking in the scent of fear irradiating off her. "Oh you're so perfect!" She whispered excitedly, clearly proud her ritual was a success.  Natalie walked behind the demon, sizing her up, Lilith's breathing was heavy, surprised that a mortal had chained her so easily.  "Now that I've closed the portal to your world.. You can't access your powers, completely at my mercy." Natalie said a crazy smile on her face, her eyes full of lust. "You.. You can't do this!" Lilith summoned her voice finally, breaking free from her shock. "Release me now mortal and your punishment will be less severe!" Lilith screamed.   Natalie wrapped her arms around the tall goddesses waist, slipping her slim fingers into the demons moist pussy, Lilith gasped "W..what the fuck.. S-stop!" Natalie ignored the squirming demon and continued to pleasure her dripping womanhood.  "Tsk Tsk" Natalie clicked her tongue as she wove her slim fingers in and out of her preys orifice. "S-stop.. You're going to make me.." Lilith whimpered, her face burning with embarrassment and lust.  "Cum? Good I want you to cum, cum for your new master" Natalie smiled as she felt the demon clench around her fingers, she let out a soft moan, her juices dripping down her thighs and onto the floor. "Good girl" She smirked pulling out of the demon and giving her ass a small slap.  Liliths face and pale body burned red, she clenched her teeth trying to stiffle her fear and embarrassment.  "Please.. You've had your fun, let me go" Lilith whimpered fully aware of being at her summoners mercy. "Hmm no I don't think so" Natalie smirked "I need to make some changes first"  she waved her hand and the chain around the demons neck glowed that sickly green color again, Lilith felt a warm sensation all around her body and suddenly the world began to grow around her, Natalie snapped her fingers and a large mirror appeared from thin air in front of them.  The demon closed her eyes, not wanting to see herself in this humiliating situation.. Daring herself to look she slowly opened her eyes, ready to cringe at the sight but instead she yelped as she realized she was now a foot shorter than her captor, shaking her blonde hair out of her eyes she looked up at Natalie. The witch smiled mischievously looking into the little succubus's now blue prey animal eyes, her heart melted as she realized the demon was finally all hers, helpless to whatever the witch Natalie had in store for little Lilith.  She waved her hand making her vile magic spring to life, Lilith whimpered as she watched her already modest breasts grow several cup sizes, she looked in the mirror as her tormentor rested her head on her little shoulders, her lithe arms snaked around Lilith’s waist, one hand reaching up to cup her large breast and the other moving down to her dripping pussy. "Please.." Lilith whimpered looking up into Natalie’s dark, cold eyes.  She smiled sending shivers down Lilith’s spine "now my pretty little pet, what should I do with you?" Lilith gulped knowing full well this witch was far too powerful for her, she could only hope her new master wouldn't push her too hard on their first night.

LapisLioness CONTENT WARNINGS: Kidnapping, needles, criminally nonconsensual situations mentioned, dubious consent*, dysphoria, internalized transphobic rhetoric, mention of Blanchard’s “theories”, self-hatred, shame, pressures of ‘gifted child’ expectations, brainwashing, bimbofication, masturbation using a transforming body from masculine to feminine, 2nd hand conveyance of transphobic remarks in the epilogue. *specifically situations the main character would consent to in a more equal power dynamic, but they are technically in a situation that anything can be done to them without consent... Have you ever woken up in a place you've never seen in your life? It's a terrifying experience… Especially if you didn't fall asleep naturally…  I had just finished one of my professors' lectures when I needed to use the restroom. I tend to do that all the time… I sat down and simply started looking at memes on my phone when I felt a sharp pain in my ankle, looking down I saw what looked like one of those mechanical syringes being pulled out of the gap between my pants and shoe by a hand one stall over but before I could scream or panic I just… Passed out…  As feeling came back to my body, I felt I was on something soft… Silky… But more importantly, I could feel it directly on my skin, meaning whatever happened has left me nude. My weary eyes opened to the sight of the underside of... A pink bed canopy? I lifted my head up warily looking at my surroundings and found that wasn't the only thing of that hue, from the walls to the blankets, to the frame of the bed itself… everything in this simple featureless room with no discernible exit was SOME shade of pink…  Now I wasn’t lying when I said I’d never seen this place in my life but I knew immediately what sort of place I was in thanks to secondhand accounts… A Pink Room… My heart raced at the thought… I knew what happened in these things… People would kidnap guys seemingly at random and dump them in the room like they did me… Where they’d be streamed live by hidden cameras to a site on the Deep Web and then… People would bid on changes to be made to them…  Transformations… They varied based on audience taste and wallet size for the evening, and weren’t always coherent unless some benefactor had commissioned the stream with a specific plan in mind but they always watched as the poor guy was changed and molded to suit the tastes of another person… A lot of different rooms did specifics differently but one fact of the end result was always the same… Every time a man entered, no matter how he looked, a sexy young girl of some kind would leave. “No no no…” I whispered looking down at my nude, disgusting form as fear overtook me… “This isn’t actually happening, right? This is just a prank… Yeah… Someone I don’t even know decided to drug me and put me into a fake Pink Room as a-” I gulped… I wasn’t that stupid… I was a nobody at this college… I barely had acquaintances, much less friends… And I wasn’t important enough for anyone to think I’d be terribly interesting to prank… “No… I know… This is real… Isn’t it?” My voice had taken on a tone of resignation…  So far nothing had happened… My heart raced as I thought of the situation I was in… Last night had been my last day as a man for sure, and possibly my last day free as well… Some Pink Room victims vanished, never to be seen again… Likely to live out the rest of their days as a sex toy to someone richer than they are moral...  Others were luckier I suppose…  In cases where the survivors don’t disappear, they’d be somehow covertly dropped back into their old life, somewhere familiar to them that should have been safe, always with some Pink accessory on and some form of USB device with a recording of their transformation and old documentation to prove who they were… The authorities at least in the past few years since the trend became widespread had created a framework to quickly verify your identity and let you get as back to normal as you could… Whatever methodology Pink Rooms used was complex, confusing, and so far notoriously difficult to reverse… And considering how inhumanly changed the newly minted girls could wind up being, that made normal next to impossible…  My mind lept to thoughts of the Pink Haired catgirl in one of my classes, Ferris I think her name was? Apart from the minor animal features had actually gotten off pretty easy, only having gained some minor habits and to be honest I didn’t really know her well enough to know if those were a part of her conditioning... That was the terrifying thing about pink rooms… If they only could change your body that’d be bad enough but no, they also had the power to change your mind… The effects ranged from mild things, like being unable to ever use a masculine name or pronouns to refer to yourself through a form of forced censorship, to the extreme, such as being mentally compelled to have sex with someone every few days or risk winding up in a sort of sex frenzy where you can’t do anything but strip down and masturbate until SOMEONE uses you… One of the girls in the tabletop club I was in, Lilly, actually suffered from the latter, she’d been turned into a purple-skinned succubus, fortunately, she’d adjusted and found more than a few guys and gals willing to hook up often enough for her and she was able to avoid any accidents… When she found out I was a virgin she actually offered me a hookup but I just… Kinda felt awkward about it? Like I hadn’t done enough to earn anyone’s interest in me and she was only doing it out of pity even if she described it as “Doing a favor for a friend”... Though I told her I wasn’t really interested in a sort of one and done situation at the time. She was cool about it, and did say the offer was still on the table… Though pretty soon I guess that’d cease to be true… Taking pity on a sad boy is different than taking pity on a girl… Plus I supposed if I wanted to start having sex it’d be easier this way... My heart continued to race faster though as my mind wandered to the worst part of this, not that I was in here and my life as I knew it was over, not the humiliation of being made a sex object against my will, not even the very real danger of being so fundamentally changed that I didn’t even count as myself anymore… No, the worst part of all this was, I had spent so many hours of far too many days wishing this exact situation would happen…  I knew it was wrong… Shameful even, Pink Rooms were a harrowing experience, and even though more than a few people adjusted just well enough, seeing that and WANTING it was the worst thing in the world… It dismissed the pain and struggle of even those for whom it was like a twisted dream come true… And yet I still wanted it on some level even sitting here KNOWING the present danger…  Because I wished I was a girl badly enough that I was desperate enough to think that anything they did to me was worth it…  I know what you’re thinking and NO. I’m not trans, believe me, I’d looked into that… I used to believe some super transphobic things thanks to my religious upbringing, but even after growing out of them to the point I’d been willing to consider the possibility, that didn’t change the fact I wasn’t… Sure I’d always had a fascination with the concept ever since I found out it was possible, but that didn’t matter, I wasn’t feeling a kinship… I had a fetish, pure and simple…  Real trans women felt this thing called dysphoria all their lives and tended to know from a young age who they were. It was obvious to everyone around them growing up they were girls, they’d never play with their boy stuff and be upset over being treated like a boy… I on the other hand was none of those things… I didn’t have that dysphoria stuff, whatever it was as I’d never actually figured out what the word meant, I just hated my body and the fact I was a man and wished I could be a girl… There were no signs as a kid, I mean I wasn’t the manliest and there WAS that time I cried because my mom never let me wear her makeup and hated the stuff ever since and the times tha- Well, the point is there were no signs and I didn’t KNOW as a kid so I couldn’t be… Plus I wasn’t attracted to men… At least I was pretty sure I wasn’t, and I was just as sure that was also a requirement to be trans... It wasn’t as if by wanting to be a girl I could just BE a girl, it didn’t work like that… That’d be too easy... No, my research led me to another conclusion… One that made FAR more sense… I’d discovered a term that perfectly described me, ‘Autogynephilia’, a fetish for the idea of being a woman… It all made sense, I was obsessed with trans people because I was a piece of trash that saw them as objects of sexual desire cause I thought the idea of changing gender was hot… I was turned on by gender-bending porn because I wished it would happen to me even though I didn’t actually deserve it… I couldn’t get off when masturbating unless I imagined I was a woman because I was such a gross piece of shit that objectified women so much I wanted private access to a female body who would always consent to whatever fucked up fantasies I had… Don’t even get me started on how many crushes I got on various girls so easily that it made me feel guilty about trying to make friends with them cause it felt like I was just trying to get into their panties... And even if I was trans, it wasn’t like it’d matter… I was reliant on my parents, Dad was convinced being trans was a sin and Mom just plain thought being a trans woman was a “disgusting mockery of womanhood”... If I wanted to transition I’d probably have to lose them and my extended family as well…  That’s where my dirtier, darker secret came in… Pink Rooms, by principle, changed you by force. You couldn’t be held accountable for what happened to you, you couldn’t do anything to stop it no matter how hard you tried, and nothing could UNDO it… It was entirely forced, it was out of my hands… It was the perfect solution, I didn’t need to appropriate trans feelings, I didn’t need to come out to my family and lose them through the fault of my own actions, I could just get lost in the comfort of being entirely helpless and just accept it… How fucked up did I have to be? To take something that was so horrible it could drive you to suicide for experiencing it and… Romanticize it? To take an utter violation of your free will and autonomy as a human being and REVEL in it? It was the pinnacle of my messed up vices and yet I couldn’t help but wish I could experience it almost every day…  And now it seemed I should have been more careful, because I was getting exactly what I’d wished for…  The tears of the conflicting feelings welled up inside of me… I looked around the room wondering when things would get started so I could get over this and take my lumps as I should, ‘Like a man’ not that I’d be one for much longer I supposed but nothing seemed to happen. I felt nothing. “Well? I know what’s going on here… Get on with it.” My only reply was silence, pink rooms tended to be silent sure all except for the victim… Victim. Ha! As if I could call myself that. Victims were people who weren’t messed up enough to fantasize about horrible things happening to them… Victims were those hurt by places like this, Survivors were people who made it out of her stronger than ever… Me? I was a disgusting freak.  Nothing happened still… I ran my hands over my unimpressive chest, touching my nipples to test if they’d gotten my sensitivity. Nothing. I still had a bit of pudge that I couldn’t stand sticking out of my belly, stretch marks staining the surface of my skin thanks to my overindulgence in snack foods since beginning college… My disgusting, lanky legs were still covered in body hair and between these two was an even bigger source of shame. My dick. Too small to ever like it as most men felt for theirs, and too big for me to pretend it didn’t exist.  It’s no wonder I’d never found anyone with a body like this… People tried to tell me I wasn’t a bad-looking guy but I knew the truth… The only things worth staring at were my head… My face wasn’t handsome, but I supposed it had a certain “Pretty boy appeal” the kind that if you squinted just right you’d almost think you were looking at a girl, now if only the same androgyny had applied to the rest of me, I might have been able to cope with the unfortunate fact I was a man if it did, but nope… The only other thing I was proud of was my red hair, a vibrant enough shade that I tended to stand out in a crowd… Not that I’d probably retain it… I’d noticed over the past few years it had been losing its color slowly… Soon it’d be just another shade of brown and then I’d have nothing to look at in the mirror that didn’t make me cringe… I supposed I could dye it but the shade I had was hard to replicate, and the only other color I could think of that seemed fun was a bright blonde… Not that it’d match the rest of me so what even was the point? I was stuck like this forever…  Except I wasn’t, I was being given an out… A way to pretend I wasn’t getting exactly what I wanted… I just needed to wait for it to begin… And so I did... Time passed as I was alone with my thoughts. Why hadn’t it started yet? I was clearly awake? What more could they possibly want of me? And then a thought occurred. “I’m not going to beg to be let go you know.” I spat out defiantly. “I know no matter what I say you won’t let me go so let’s just get on with it.” As I spoke a panel of walling slid away to reveal a slick black panel, with a series of what seemed to be a grid of dot lights, with a Pink Filter of course. The grid lit up in response to my statement. “WE’LL GET TO THAT SOON ENOUGH PET. BUT YOU HAVE OUR AUDIENCE CURIOUS. WHY WON’T YOU?” I scoffed. “Look, I might not have watched anything like this before but I’ve seen news articles. The men you take never leave as men. I’m not stupid or desperate… I know how this works.” “NEVER IS NOT EXACTLY ACCURATE PET. IN SHOWS LIKE THIS, THE CROWD RULES. NOT EVERY SITE DOES THIS, BUT SOME DO VOTE TO LET PETS GO UNTOUCHED IF THEY DECIDE TO.” My heart skipped a beat at the words on the screen as my eyes widened. “B-but it’s still statistically unlikely… It isn’t worth the effort of trying if they won’t.” “MY WHAT A SAD, DEFEATED WAY TO LOOK AT THE WORLD. A PITTY… PEOPLE WHO LACK PASSION TEND TO NOT MAKE GOOD ENTERTAINMENT...” The Lights blinked out before a new message formed. “A SHAME, YOU WERE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A COMMISSION. AND WE THOUGHT YOU WERE THE RIGHT FIT FOR WHAT THEY WANTED. WE SUPPOSE WE SHALL HAVE TO RESCHEDULE...” My heart dropped at the words but I was frozen. I wasn’t interesting enough? I was going to be let go because I didn’t feel like fighting… Here I was, so close to the thing I wanted more than anything else I couldn’t admit it...To prove my identity I’d have to show the video of my change... If I asked them to go through with this it’d be obvious… That I was messed up to want this… I- A buzzing noise from behind the screen caught my attention as I looked up to it. Another message in view. “CRYING OVER YOUR FREEDOM? COME NOW YOU SHOULD BE OVERJOYED!” I hadn't noticed, but they were right… I had started crying. I tried my best to regain my composure. “No, I’m just… Feeling Guilty that… That someone else will have to… Suffer in my place… That’s all...” “GUILTY REALLY? IS THAT THE CASE? BECAUSE FROM HERE IT LOOKS LESS LIKE GUILT AND MORE LIKE JEALOUSY PET. OR SHOULD WE SAY ‘FEMMANIN125’?” My eyes shot open in fear. No, they knew… The account I’d made to be able to access stories of men turning into women, including ones centering around pink rooms… They knew… How did they know? I’d had a rule for so long, never comment, never interact… “DID WE FORGET TO MENTION? WE’VE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR A WHILE… IT’S WHY WE THOUGHT YOU HAD THE PASSION TO MEET OUR COMMISSION.” “W-… I… Why me?” I finally managed to utter. “ISN’T IT OBVIOUS? WE THOUGHT YOU WANTED THIS. THAT WAS SOMETHING THE COMMISSIONER WAS INTERESTED IN. THEY ONLY WANTED TO SEE A FUN TRANSFORMATION, THEY DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE A LIFE WORSE FOR WEAR.” It switched to another message. “BUT THE LACK OF PASSION YOU SHOW DOES NOT GIVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW IF YOU MEET THEIR CRITERIA. YOU ARE NOT PROTESTING IN A WAY WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THROUGH, NOR ARE YOU FILLED WITH JOY AT THE PROSPECT.” A third swap occurred. “IT IS FINE. WE SHALL FIND A MORE SUITABLE TARGET. THE ROOM WILL FILL WITH KNOCKOUT GAS SOON. PLEASE REMAIN ON THE BED.”  “WAIT!” I cried in panic before freezing… It was clear enough now beyond that fact that I wanted this… I Could give up and I wouldn’t need the recording but there was already a chance this story would make the news anyway if the video was shared around enough… Chances were my secret could be out either way... “What if I… Wanted to know what the commission was… What would I become if I fit the criteria?” It was lunacy… I may as well have asked them to do this to me willingly… But I knew… If I let this chance pass me by I’d regret it for the rest of my life. “SIMPLE. THE COMMISSIONER REQUESTED A BIMBOFICATION. BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER SINCE WE CAN’T TELL IF THAT WOULD INDEED BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD ENJOY. ” My heart raced… Becoming a Bimbo? No… Even though I’d get to be a girl that’d be too much… What little intelligence I had to keep getting good grades… It was all I had… I was in computer science for fucks sake and I felt like it was rapidly getting to be too much as I was… I had to stay smart, it was all I had…  Except… I hated being considered a ‘Smart Guy’ my mom had always talked about me like I was some kind of perfect genius… Like I was only worth my abilities in the sciences when they were mediocre at best… I never wanted to work on programming shit for banks like they were teaching me to… I wanted to make things… I only got into this cause I thought it was the only way I’d be allowed to take classes that could get me into game design but that wasn’t the case...  Not only that but I overthought everything, I worried about every little thing I did and said, it killed me in social situations… Unless someone was around to force me past those anxieties, I could never bring myself to introduce myself to people, and all the time I worried about what they thought of me… Would being just a little dumb for the rest of my life REALLY be that bad? “I-” The words caught on my throat. It was hard… Harder to admit than anything I’d ever admit I wanted ever before… It’d be the most stupid, selfish words I’d ever say but I said them anyway.   “I’d be okay with that...” “NOT GOOD ENOUGH.” The words stung like a slap to the face. I turned red with fury as I stood up. “What do you mean not good enough?! I just told you I want it, so let me have it! Your commissioner said they wanted someone who’d be willing right? Well here I am! Let’s do this!” “YOU COULD ONLY BE ASKING THIS BECAUSE YOU ARE SUICIDAL AND EXPECT THE CHANGE TO INVOLVE IDENTITY DEATH. WHEN IN REALITY IT WILL ONLY REPRESS CERTAIN MENTAL PATHWAYS AND AMPLIFY YOUR SEXUAL DESIRE.” The message switched again. “YOU WILL STILL BE THE SAME PERSON, AND IF YOU ARE A CIS MAN THEN THIS WOULD MAKE YOUR LIFE HELL. NOT WHAT WE WERE PAID TO DO.” “And how do you know I’m cis? HUH?! I’ve never even heard what the hell that word means before so how am I supposed to know I am? Heck! I bet chances are I’m probably not and you’re just pulling some fancy word out of nowhere to try and keep me from this.”  The screen went blank for a moment before turning back on with a message. “ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME?” I rolled my eyes. “Hey, you’re the one trying to turn me into a bimbo! How the hell am I supposed to know what some of these fancy sciencey shit you’re pulling out means?”“CIS IS SIMPLY A TERM THAT MEANS NOT TRANSGENDER YOU DUMBASS.” “Oh.” I squeaked out sheepishly. “Then nevermind… I guess you are right I would hate it… I guess maybe you should let me go… I’m not trans, I just wish I was…” The screen remained blank for another long silence before another pop-up. “YOU’RE SERIOUS AREN’T YOU… JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ON A BICYCLE.” Another swap occurred “I THOUGHT YOU WERE CLOSETED AND JUST PRETENDING YOU WERE AN EGG BUT YOU’RE ACTUALLY THIS DENSE...” I blinked at that… “What do eggs have to do with me being… Uhhh… I guess extrapolating the full term would be cisgendered?” I said uncertainly.  The screen responded quickly. “FIRST FORGET IT. IT’S A METAPHOR THAT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN. SECOND DROP THE ‘ED’ FROM LONG-FORM OF CIS AND TRANS, ALSO THEY’RE ADJECTIVES NOT NOUNS. FUCK THIS STREAM IS BLEEDING VIEWERS.” “Sorry.” I squeaked out.  “YOU ARE LITERALLY KIDNAPPED AND YOU’RE APOLOGIZING? FUCKING BOTTOMS” I wasn’t sure what my pants had to do with me apologizing but the message changed before I could ask. “GETTING OFF TRACK, I WAS GONNA TEASE YOU INTO BEGGING FOR IT AND LET THE AUDIENCE GET DESPERATE BUT FUCK IT. I GUESS I’M A THERAPIST NOW...” The message swapped again. “YOU DO WANT THIS YES?” My heart raced at that… So many confusing feelings I wanted to scream that I did, more than anything… But I was so afraid to say it but… I only had one shot… One opportunity… And so I did my best to be honest… “I mean… Right now I do but… I mean… Yeah… You already can tell I’m into this sort of stuff… And the idea of being a bimbo sounds really good on top of that. So… I guess yeah but like you said… I’m cisgender right? So then that means I would actually hate it even more than I hater being a guy even if that’s hard to think of...” “BUT YOU DO ADMIT YOU DON’T LIKE BEING A MAN AND WANT TO BE A WOMAN SO MUCH YOU’D FANTASISE ABOUT BEING IN THIS EXACT SITUATION BUT WITHOUT THE AGENCY TO CHOOSE?” I paused for a moment… “I mean… Yeah… I know it’s messed up of me to wanna be shaped by someone else’s choices and forced to be the woman I can’t admit I wish I was… Like I said, I wish I was transgender because then I’d be allowed to be one, but unfortunately, I’m a man...” The screen remained blank for a while after that then a message popped up. “CONGRATULATIONS! YOU LITERALLY JUST ADMITTED TO BEING TRANS YOU DUMB BITCH!” The words shocked me as I whispered… “No that can’t be true I- I would have known by now there weren’t any signs when I was a kid… An-and I don't deal with any of that dysphoria stuff.” “FIRST OFF THAT SHIT VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON. YOU DON’T NEED SIGNS AS A KID OR TO HAVE DYSPHORIA TO BE TRANS.”  My heart raced at that… Then, everything I’d read on the subject… The person behind the sign was saying it was wrong? I suddenly heard a buzz to once again indicate I was missing a message. “SECOND, WHAT YOU DESCRIBED YOU ALREADY FEEL IS LITERALLY DYSPHORIA, AND IF YOU HAVE THAT I GUARANTEE THERE WERE SIGNS.” A strange mix of joy and fear welled up inside me and a question hit my trembling lips… “S-so I’m NOT one of those Autogynephilia Chasers I’ve read about then? I’m not just gross and… Hurting real trans people by wishing I was and also being attracted to them... ” The sign remained blank another moment. “HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MANAGE TO GET THE IDEA OF CHASERS AND BLANCHARD'S FUCKING BULLSHIT MIXED UP IN YOUR HEAD AS ONE THING?” Before I could say anything another message. “DON’T ANSWER I DON’T FUCKING WANT TO KNOW.” Another one. “FIRST AUTOGYNEPHILIA IS TRANSPHOBIC UNSCIENTIFIC BULLSHIT FORGET IT, IT JUST EXISTS TO DELEGITIMIZE TRANS WOMEN WHO AREN’T INTO MEN.”  “Oh... ” I said softly. I guess that made sense...  “SECOND, YOU’RE NOT A CHASER IF YOU FIND TRANS PEOPLE ATTRACTIVE. YOU’RE A CHASER IF YOU SEE THEM AS FUCKING SEX OBJECTS AND DON’T RESPECT THEIR BOUNDARIES AND SEE THEM AS EXOTIC WHATEVER.” I raised an eyebrow and smirked playfully welcoming the potential distraction from all the complicated emotions swirling around inside of me... “Huh… A talk about respecting people’s boundaries from a kidnapper wasn’t one I ever expected to have.” “BITCH DON’T PISS ME OFF OR I WON’T TURN YOU INTO A BIMBO SLUT.” My heart raced but at the same time I couldn’t help but laugh- No, I giggled at it, and I OWN that fact. Because I WAS a girl  “You know that threat wouldn’t work on many people… You’re lucky to have a cute girl like me who’s desperate...” The words left butterflies in my stomach… Admitting I was a girl… It felt good… Just right… Even if I didn’t feel cute… But that was bound to change soon enough…  “JUST… GET ON THE DAMN BED. I’M STARTING THE TF. TRY TO MAKE IT SEXY AND DISTRACT ALL THE DENSE MOTHERFUCKERS ARGUING THEY AREN’T TRANS IN CHAT...” I giggled again, my thoughts wondering how much better that’d sound once I was done… I climbed onto the bed as the wall closed back up hiding the screen. “Make it sexy huh?” I said a smile forming… “I can do that...” I smiled as I gently ran my hand over my thigh… Teasingly encircling my slowly enlarging pecker.  “I suppose the only regret I might have about this is not getting the chance to share this thing with someone else… So I may as well get one more test run out of it.” I slowly began to stroke, teasing it gently to full mast… I could already tell me the changes had begun as an electric feeling coursed through my body, sending chills across it… I gave a light moan as the sensation enveloped me like a warm fuzzy blanket… With the free hand I explored down from my chest to my thighs, I could tell as my hand danced down my body, my skin was getting softer, and could feel the thankfully little amount of body hair shed itself. “Mhmmmm… Fuck I’m so smooth… I hope that this las-thhhhkk!” I choked on the words losing my voice for but a moment before a breathy, much more feminine and, dare I say it, slutty moan escaped my lips…  “H-Hello?” I said apprehensively, almost shocking myself… I almost wanted to cry… “That… That’s me? I-I sound so beautiful…” I didn’t have time to linger on it though as a sure of warmth hit my cock, it felt super sensitive for a moment and I suddenly slowed my stroking. “Mhmmm! Oh… My cock… It’s feeling weird...” It was a super good kind of weird but it was still different, the tip especially was feeling more sensitive in a way that I’d never imagined could feel so good… It felt like it was… YES…  “Ohhhh!~ It’s starting to shrink!” It was slow, slower than it took to get fully erect but it was nice to know it was happening… It filled my head with this tingly, bubbly feeling… I wasn’t sure if it was just me being happy with my body for once, or the bimbo feelings sinking in, maybe it was like, both? I could tell I wasn’t thinking in as many big words anymore at this point where I didn’t need to… It’s not that I felt dumber in terms of like, how good I could think? Just like, that I wasn’t caring as much about thinking when I didn’t need to? Either way, I felt the tingles flow out into my hair, it wasn’t like, super long at all but I could feel it growing out, and like then some of it fell in my face and I couldn’t help but squeal! “Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! I’m turning into a strawberry blonde! Like, it’s still blonde but also still me it’s PERFECT!” I knew it was like, silly to make having red hair a big part of how I see myself but like, it was the one thing I liked about how I looked before so keeping it felt right!  And then my nipples started to ache… I gently touched one and this cold excitement rushed through me! "Ohhh… Yeah, that's so much better… Fuck being able to actually have fun playing with this is nice…" I giggled thinking about how much more fun it was gonna be in just a moment…  I continued to stroke with the one hand as the other played with my micro titties… The more I changed, the more turned on I got, and the better I felt…  And the better I felt the more I changed… My body was felt like it was moaning as loud as my sexy voice was… Fat from my tummy was being decided between my thighs, hips, ass, and most importantly my titties! MY boobies… Not anyone else's, mine. They were a part of me and they were like soo big! I didn't understand cup sizes at the time but I had a rough idea they were at least Double D's which like on my old shape wouldn't have been impressive but by this point, I was looking much thinner. I totally had that hourglass shape going on. I'm pretty sure some of my bones were like different at this point and I was shorter but I didn't have a mirror to compare to. "Fuuuuyyyyyccccck!" I moaned with a voice that was super stretched out, like an extra-small condom across a 12-inch cock… "I'm- mhmmmmm!~ So… Close…" it was true. My head was full of these tingly fuzzy bubbles and my body was tingling all over with anticipation… My dick had gotten so small It was just the tip and I was more rubbing it than stroking… Not that I cared this was already WAY better than any time I'd jacked off before, or I guess was that now JILLING off! Teehee! Still, it felt soooo good even if that tip and my nasty little balls were all that was left… I kept rubbing and playing with my titties as I got closer… And closer… Inching towards what felt like fumbling with a lock looking for the key that fit…  And then I felt it…  Click "aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!~~" My moans echoed as all the tuning washed over me like a wave as a stream of cum pushed out of my dicklet with so much intensity! It just felt so good down there I was totally numb! My back arched as my eyes like, literally rolled back and my tongue stuck out like one of those hentai thingies! Guess that was part of my like, programming or something cause even if I didn't know it at the time I'd always make that face when I came and I couldn't help but scream. I got turned into SUCH a drama queen with cumming but I totally didn't care!  Pretty soon the high of the intensity came down and I lifted up the hand I was using… The fingers were covered in a TON of yummy-looking fluids, both thick and white but also clear and sparkling… I decided to lick my hand clean like a good little slut before looking down past my tits... And there between my legs was my vagina… My box… Mu cunt… My pussy… Fuck I think I actually cried a bit looking at it, it just felt so fucking right… I ran my hand over it and got more of those fun tingles from it but to be honest I was like, less focused on the sexy feelings and more the happy ones! It was real. I could feel it. I pushed in a couple of fingers to test and it was just like I'd imagined! This… Was fucking perfect for me… No shame to any girls who feel complete with their cocks but I could tell I was NOT one of those girls… Not to say I wouldn't be acquainted with any…  "Fuck…" It was the only thing I could say in the moment… It was magical… It's like I was Cinderella and I really hoped midnight wasn't gonna happen… I think I just sat there in silence for a bit admiring myself for the first time in my life before I finally spoke up… "Well…" I said as what I had to guess was a sexy temptress look on my newly minted hot face. "You got to see Guy Me's last time cumming… So why don't I share my first time for realizes with you all… As a thank you…" Epilogue 6 months later... As I hopped off the train I was super excited! I looked around for any signs of my ride but so far nothing. That was totally okay by me though! I was more than happy to wait. Of course next thing I knew I was being tackled out of nowhere as a familiar voice squealed my name. “STEEEEPH!!!” As I flopped to the ground looking up at that totes adorbs face and a pretty head of pink hair with two of the cutest ears you’d ever see on top. “Hey Ferris!” I brightened up as a little smirk crossed my face. “I know you’re like, soooooo disappointed to see me! I mean, you didn’t even make me summersault this time, like nobody died did they? Like, I hope not… Unless they were, like, super mean.” She knew I was kidding but I couldn’t resist. Turns out when I’m happy I’m like, totally a little shit.  Ferris rolled her eyes and put on her best annoyed face, not that it helped cause her tail was totally giving away how much fun she was having. “Well if you’re gonna be a bitch about it then I guess I’ll have to just show you how happy I am...” And then she moved in to make out with me! It just felt so nice even if it had become old over the past few months it like, also didn’t?  After our impromptu kissing sesh, we got up and got my luggage together before I felt a hand grab my cute ass and wrap her arm around my titties… A sexy voice behind me whispered in my ear… “And just who exactly gave you permission to have a sloppy makeout session with my pet little girl? I’ll have to punish you later...” I squealed in fake surprise and shock. “Ferris, help me! An evil, sexy demon is trying to corrupt me!” Ferris giggled at this. “A shame… She’s already captured my soul, I couldn’t help you if I wanted.” I let out a giggle of my own looking up at the horned face of my captor. “Oh noooooooo! I guess you’ve captured me! I’m like, totally at your mercy Mistress Lillith…” “Damn right you are…” Lily chuckled as she leaned down and kissed my forehead. Gawd I loved being short enough for this!  “Now come on you two, let’s get back home… I can’t wait to hear how the trip went… Did you get to talk to your guy friend?” We began walking towards the car. “Ugh… Gawd I wish I hadn't...” While I was visiting back home for the break I met up with my childhood best friend to reconnect and talk about my change, and it went over like absolute shit.  “That bad huh?” Ferris said, rolling her eyes. “Let me guess, the whole ‘Pink Rooms can affect minds so if you’re okay with what happened then you’re brainwashed’ shtick?”   I nodded. “Yuuuuuuup!-” I said, popping my p…. Gawd, that was so fun to do! “Even played a SFW version of me literally consenting to it and begging but he said I was just mind controlled sooner… Even though it makes no sense...” I sighed… This was something I’d heard over and over in our support group of people with Pink Room encounters…That even if you had perfect proof you were trans before and got off lucky with changes you can handle, people still didn’t believe you! Like I’m just super lucky I was able to pass those bullshit tests to prove my Bimbo programming hadn't left me “Mentally unfit for daily life.” “I’m guessing that was a no on the whole ‘telling him all this led to you figuring out you had a crush on him when you were teens and you were open to exploring that as adults’ thing?”  I giggled. “No to the telling him I was open to exploring things, he killed whatever was left of that when he went all ‘I can see that the devil has poisoned your mind as well as your body but I’ll pray for you Deadname! You’re my bestest friend and you’ll always be the same guy who was like a brother to me no matter how you look!’ spiel… Buuuuut I did totally tell him I used to have one just to freak him out. The poor little thing! He was like, making incomprehensible transphobe noises! It would have been so cute if he wasn’t a bigot! After that, I put my food in a box, and left the cafe so he’d, like have to pay for it all!”  I couldn’t help but giggle thinking about it… Losing Jacob as a friend still felt hard cause he meant a lot to me when I was a lonely confused kid with no friends but I wasn’t about to baby him about who I am! I’m a hot dumb bitch who doesn’t put up with negativity from other people anymore. Was I brainwashed into it? Like, duh! But it was a bath I asked for… A nice warm bubbly bath cause my brain had all this nasty gunk and stuff on it that made me sad… Now my mind was dirty in the fun way!  Ferris smiled as we got to the car. “Good food you Steph! I’m proud of how you handled that, it sounds like that was hard but you handled it like a champ! Seriously though, it sucks that he turned out to be an asshole about it. Fuck him!” “Hell yeah, fuck him! But like, not literally, he ruined his chance with that…” I said with another giggle. Ferris gave a chuckle at my little joke. Lily smiled at us while opening the car up. “Gods, I’m glad you’re back… I missed having both of my girls together… Come on… Let’s get home, I can’t wait to see that sexy little outfit of yours on the floor…” She said with a sultry grin, which soon turned even more devious. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about your punishment...” I couldn’t help but grin at her sexy promises. “Of course not mistress. I’m super looking forward to getting what I deserve for being such a naughty girl I am...” And with one more giggle, I thought about just how much better my life had become since I’d changed… And I knew if someone ever offered to change me back, I’d laugh in their face.

Yes its boy the nurse said while the father took the boy in his hands and said disgusting creature. Oi oi what the hell are you saying I am beautiful as I slap his face with my baby hands and yes if your wondering how I got into this position well its complicated as my father tossed me into the maids hand and said take care of him until he can speak and strict tutors only. God why did you have to reincarnate me into Jack. Oh how will live my life, its okay I can do it as I did in the previous world and now I should get as much knowledge of this world as the story progress because I will have to experience war again. Time flies really man. I am now 5 years old with everything learnt and my father is sending me to the kingdom's military as gift or contribution to kingdom of Zamora, yes my older brother is getting all the affection. Which I really don't care about you see what I am worried about is the amount training I would have to do. As I am being sent the butler Dave and the maid Lara were the only ones worried. I was happy as at least someone's worried about me, as soon as I got off the carriage the drill inspector came and checked me and said " you will be going through hell you understand " I said " yes ".

Yes today's update will give me more information about the ending of this damn game. Okay so let's check the updates page ok so there will be blessings now in the game which you have 5 chances to have at the start of every time you open the game, the Jack character will be a cutseen of the game not a love interest -@£+£:£+£+£+£((#))@ what just happened I can't see anything the lights went out, what is happening aaaaaaah  (explosion sound) . What happened where am I is this heaven Who are you floating ball are you an angel or a god ?? "You mortal human cannot understand me as I am a God" so your God so did I actually die am I going to get reincarnated " yes " God said. Okay so where am I going to get reincarnated into " As I can see you have done quite few helpful things, I see you were in the military and have saved a bunch of civilians and also killed a few soldiers as well, so there will be no cheats and there will be just hard work" God said grinned. " Okay see you in the other world of your favourite game" God said. Wait where am I going aaaaaaah ----------- .

'Mondstadt, the city of freedom… So much bigger than it looks in-game.’ Ash thought as he stared out to the massive city of Mondstadt. Ash was currently standing on the wooden platform under the large windmill in the small town of Springvale. ‘I can’t believe It’s already been two weeks since I got here.’ He thought as he remembered back to the day he woke up in Springvale. In his past life, Ash was a petty criminal. A low-level thief for hire who mostly worked as a getaway driver. It was a job with a lot of downtime, when he wasn’t driving he was either sitting in his car, waiting while playing Genshin Impact on his phone, or at home waiting for his next job while playing Genshin Impact on his computer. The last thing Ash could remember was speeding away from the police after a bank robbery went wrong. One moment he was driving, and the next he was laying in a bed. According to Draff, the man that found Ash, he found Ash roughed up and laying in the forest outside of Springvale.  At first, Ash didn’t understand what was going on. He didn’t know why a man wearing cat ears was talking to him, or why his body hurt so much. But, after seeing himself in the mirror, he realized he must have died and was reborn. He was now in a younger, and he hated to admit it, more attractive body.  But, once he realized he was reborn into a new world, he also realized who Draff was. Seeing Draff, the father of Diona, made Ash realize he was reborn into the world of Genshin Impact. But, this world was different from the Genshin Impact he knew. When Ash realized he was in Teyvat, he didn’t want to stay in bed, he had to see the world. So, with the help of Draff, Ash would sit under the windmill, simply taking in everything around him. But as he was people watching, he noticed women approaching men, hitting on them, asking them on dates. The men in return were acting shy, denying dates, and getting the door held open for them. With everything he saw, it was easy for Ash to realize, that in this version of the Genshin Impact world, women took on the masculine roles. While men took on the feminine roles.    ‘This world is perfect.’ Ash thought with a grin. At first, being hit on by women was strange to him, but once he realized the opportunity this world gave him, he leaned into it. He spent a few days flirting with the women of Springvale. He wanted to learn the best way of flirting with the women of this world. It was through his experimenting that he learned, that women in this world were way more attracted to men who acted feminine instead of masculine. Acting feminine was something Ash has done before, adapting to any situation was what he was good at, so he had no problem crossdressing to sneak into places. But, strangely in this world, while the masculine and feminine roles were reversed, the hunters of Springvale were wearing their normal outfits while the women still wore skirts and dresses. Which, Ash was grateful for since he was glad to be wearing a Springvale hunter’s outfit instead of a dress. Ash was wearing the hunters' outfit since it was the only spare clothes Draff had. “Ash,” Draff’s voice pulled Ash out of his thoughts. The man walked unto the wooden platform with a backpack in his hands. “I have everything you need,” Draff said as he handed Ash the backpack.  “Thanks, Draff, I’ll repay you when I can,” Ash said as he accepted the bag.  “Nah, no need. We guys need to stick together after all.” Draff said with a smile. “That should be everything you need for your trip to Mondstadt.” When Ash was playing Genshin Impact, it would take him less than a minute to reach Mondstadt from Springvale, but here Draff told him it would take at least two hours if he followed the road.  “Thank you for everything, I’ll definitely come back and see you again when I get things settled in Mondstadt,” Ash said. His eyes twitched when Draff pulled him into a hug, but he accepted it. ~G~W~R~S~M~ “FUCKING HILICHURLS!” Ash shouted as he ran as fast as he could. He was so close to Mondstadt, that he could see the bridge in the distance. But he was also in pain, gritting his teeth as an arrow was sticking out of his arm and his leg throbbed from the impact of a Hilichurl club. The Hilichurls in question were still chasing him, shouting with their clubs raised in the air. The club-wielding Hilichurls had no chance of catching him, but unfortunately for Ash one of the Hilichurls had a crossbow. Ash could feel crossbow bolts flying by his head as he ran. ‘So close! The bridge is right there!’ Ash shouted in his mind.  Every step took brought him closer to the bridge, but right before he was going to shout for help, a group of electro slimes suddenly appeared in front of him. “FUCK!” Ash shouted. He quickly planted his foot into the dirt, turned his body changed his course, and ran towards his left. ‘The river is right there, I just need to swim across it and I’ll be-” Ash started to think, but his thought was interrupted when an electro slime slammed into his back. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs and threw him forward into the river.  The pain of getting hit by the electro slime caused Ash to lose consciousness for a moment, but his body slamming into the water forced him to wake up. ‘C- Can’t breathe!’ Ash started to panic. He tried to move, tried to swim, but he couldn’t. Electro from the electro slime was coursing through him, causing his muscles to seize up.  Ash’s vision was starting to grow dark. ‘N-No! I just got to this world! I’m not going to die so easily!’ Ash shouted in his mind. He tried to force his body to move, but it wouldn’t as he sunk further into the water. ‘NOT DYING HERE!’ A powerful burst of wind suddenly exploded around his body, forcing the water around him away as he landed at the bottom of the river. With the water pushed away, Ash’s lungs quickly took in air. But his body was exhausted, and his vision was going dark once more. The last thing Ash saw before his vision went black, was a familiar-looking girl in red with a bunny-like headband gliding toward him.   ~G~W~R~S~M~ ‘Am, am I dead? Again?’ Ash thought as he slowly regained consciousness. His body was buzzing, and his eyelids were heavy.  “How is he?” A familiar voice suddenly spoke, pulling Ash out of his thoughts.  “A-Acting Grandmaster!” A second familiar voice stuttered out in a startled tone. ‘Wait, Acting Grandmaster? Is that, Jean? Does that mean I'm in Mondstadt? And that other voice, is that Barbara?’ “Thank Barbatos, I was able to heal his wounds. Just waiting for him to wake up now.” Barbara explained. As she spoke Ash could hear footsteps walking toward him. “Did you find any identification on him?” Jean asked. “Amber said she saw a backpack when she rescued him. She's looking for it now.”  “No, he didn’t have anything. He was just clutching his vision.” Barbara said. ‘Wait, what? Amber? Vision?’ Ash groaned in his mind as he forced his eyes to open. “Gah~” Ash couldn’t but let out a pain-filled moan as the light of the room was blinding him. “Hey, hey, easy.” Barbara’s said in a soft voice, Ash could feel her standing next to him. “You’re okay now.”  ‘Whoa,’ Was all Ash could think as his vision cleared and Barbara’s face came into view. Not even the most expensive, RTX-boosted pc could do her cuteness justice. “Where am I?” He asked. Of course, he could already guess where he was, but he figured a normal person would ask.  “You’re in Mondstadt, more specifically the healing ward of the Favonius Cathedral,” Jean explained. Ash turned towards her when she spoke and was stunned by what he saw. Jean was by far the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “Can you tell me the last thing you remember?” She asked. ‘I died and went to heaven.’ Ash wanted to say but thought better of it. He also remembered to fall back into his ‘feminine’ role, which men in this world were known for. “I-I was on my way to Mondstadt, and I got attacked by some monsters.” He said. Ash made sure to keep his voice soft as he spoke, and tried to make himself look small as he spoke.  “And where exactly were you coming from?” A cold voice suddenly spoke up. Ash would be lying if he said he wasn’t startled. “Sister Rosaria!?” Barbara called out as the woman in question walked into the room. “Answer the question,” Rosaria said as she ignored Barbara. “Where did you come from and what business do you have in Mondstadt?” She asked. “Rosaria, there is no reason to interrogate him,” Jean said in a firm voice. Rosaria rolled her eyes at Jean’s words. “I’m not so easily fooled by every guy who bats their eyes. He could be a threat to Mondstadt.” Rosaria glared at Ash as she spoke. “Who are you, why are you here?” Rosaria questioned. Ash had to admit, that Rosaria was a fierce-looking woman. A normal person would buckle under her pressure, but Ash wasn’t normal. Ash was a former criminal who used to work as a getaway driver for truly dangerous criminals. He was used to the pressure. But, he also knew about Rosaria from the game, he knew she wouldn’t let it go. If he told her a lie she would find out and hassle him, so he decided to give her a version of the truth.  “Well, the truth is,” Ash said with a sigh as he looked down. “I don’t really know who I am. I woke up in Springvale about two weeks ago. A man named Draff said he found me injured in the forest, he took me back to Springvale where I was healing. But, I don’t remember anything before the day I woke up. When Draff asked my name, I told him it was Ash, it was just the first name that came to mind.” Ash explained. “So, you lost your memory? How convenient,” Rosaria said as she crossed her arms. “And why did you come to Mondstadt?” As Rosaria asked her question, Jean moved to say something, but before she could a new voice spoke. “So, you really are here.” Once the new voice spoke everyone turned to the door. Standing in the doorway was a woman Ash didn’t expect to meet, La Signora. “I finally found you, did you really think you could run from me? Viktor?” Signora said as she stared Ash in the eyes. Rosaria, Jean, and Barbara turned to Ash for an answer. But, Ash didn’t say anything, instead, he was frozen. ‘Viktor? Does she know the person this body used to belong to? Wait, what’s happening?’ While Ash was thinking, his body started to shake. ‘Calm down! Breathe!’ Ash tried to force his body to relax, but his shaking grew worse every second he stared Signora in the eyes. His breath was coming out in short gasps, and his heart was beating hard against his chest. He knew what was happening, his body was afraid. Ash didn’t know why, but his body was terrified of Signora.  Once barbara saw how afraid Ash was, she stepped toward him. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re oka-” Barbara started to say. She reached out a hand, trying to place it on his shoulder, but his body flinched away. Ash was no longer in control of the body he was reborn into. “Viktor, it’s time to go.” Signora’s words caused Ash to look away. The woman frowned at his reaction. She started walking towards Ash’s bed but stopped in the middle of the room once Jean, and Rosaria moved to stand in front of her. “He isn’t going anywhere unless he wants to,” Jean spoke in a firm tone. Even though she didn’t truly know anything about Ash, his reaction told her enough. Rosaria on the other hand didn’t speak, she was simply ready to backup Jean if needed. The frown on Signora’s face deepened as she stared down at Jean. “Viktor belongs to me, and I will be taking him,” Signora said simply.  “This is Mondstadt, the city of freedom. Slavery was outlawed a thousand years ago. It is for him to decide to go with you or not.” Jean fired back. Signora narrowed her eye as she glared at Jean. “He is a member of the Fatui, under my command, and I am ordering him to come with me. Are you trying to interfere with Fatui's business?” Signora snapped her fingers, causing two Fatui agents to appear next to her.  Once the agents appeared, Jean and Rosaria summoned their weapons. Jean refused to back down as she spoke once more. “You say he is a member of the Fatui, but he does not claim to be one. You also call him Viktor, he said his name was Ash. So, where is your proof of him being a Fatui member? If you cannot provide proof of his identity, then I must take his word. His name is Ash, and he is not a member of the Fatui. No, he is an injured traveler under the care of the Church of Favonius. Do not interfere with Favonius's business.”  The air grew tense at Jean’s words. No one spoke, simply waiting. But the tension was broken when the sound of something wet hitting the ground filled the room. Everyone snapped towards the source of the noise. Amber was now standing in the doorway, her bow in her hands and Ash’s soaked backpack on the ground next to her. The young outrider didn’t know what was happening, but she knew a dangerous situation when she saw one.  Seeing Amber caused Signora’s eye to twitch. Jean and Rosaria to her front, and Amber to her back. In Signora’s mind, she could easily win this fight, but it would cause too much noise, and she couldn’t risk ruining her primary operations with a fight right now. So she did the only thing she could do at the moment. She snapped her fingers, and the two Fatui agents disappeared once more. “Fine,” She said as she turned back to Ash, ignoring Jean. “I’ll leave for now, but I will come for you again. I told you Viktor, you belong to me.” With those final words, Signora turned and walked out of the room. Walking past Amber as she stepped aside.  Once Signora left the room, everyone turned their attention back to Ash. But, before anyone could say anything, Ash fell back, falling asleep before his head hit the pillow. “Ash?!” Jean called out in a panic, but Barbara was quick to silence her. “He’s fine,” Barbara said as she stood over him. “He just needs to rest. His body was still exhausted from this morning, so once he wakes up he will be at full health once more.” Barbara explained. While Rosaria wanted to wake him up to question him, Jean convinced her not to. Instead, the group decided to leave him to rest.  ~G~W~R~S~M~ With a light snore, Ash suddenly jolted awake. He sat up in his bed instantly and looked around. The room he was in was dim, the light on the ceiling was turned down, and there were several small lights dotted around the room keeping it from being pitch black. Ash could tell he was still in the Church, the healing ward as Jean called it. The room was large and there were empty beds lining the walls around him. ‘Where is everyone?’ He thought. The memories of what happened before he fell asleep suddenly filled his mind. ‘FUCK!’ Was all he could shout in his head as he punched the bed and flopped back down. ‘So I’m reborn into an amazing new world, blessed by the fact that all the gender roles seem to be flipped… But it turns out a psychopath claims to own me and will be coming to get me sooner or later…’ Ash recapped everything he learned in his mind. ‘Well, I’m getting the hell out of here. I’m a sitting duck just laying in this bed.’ Ash pushed off his covers and got out of bed.  His body was no longer in pain thanks to the help of Barbara’s healing, but he didn’t notice his lack of pain. Instead, his attention was turned to what he was wearing. A plain white t-shirt and a pair of gray sweat pants. ‘I guess the outfit Draff gave me was destroyed.’ Thought as he examined himself. As he was looking over his new clothes, a small green light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Next to the bed, there was a tray on top of a stand, and on top of the tray, there was an anemo vision. ‘Wait! Is this? Is this my vision?’ Ash reached for the anemo vision and picked it up gently. Ash couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on his face as he held the vision. Ever since he woke up in this world, he wanted one. He didn’t care what element, he just knew if he truly wanted to live in this world he needed a vision, and now he had one. But a sudden noise outside of the room pulled Ash out of his thoughts. ‘Crap, that’s right I need to get out of here before Signora sends a freaking Fatui hit squad after me.’  With his vision in hand, Ash quickly made his way to the door. He stopped when he spotted a small rack full of slippers on the wall. ‘Well, better than going barefoot.’ He thought while grabbing a pair for himself.   ~G~W~R~S~M~ ‘That was way too easy for me to sneak out of there.’ Ash thought as he made his way out of the Favonius Cathedral using a side door. ‘Then again this is the same place Venti got his ass kicked and robbed with no one around to help. Yeah, leaving that place was the best choice.’ It was dark out as Ash made his way toward a set of stairs. Ash never noticed Rosaria watching him from a distance. ~G~W~R~S~M~ ‘The guards here are even worse than they are in-game.’ Ash thought as he crept past the Knights of Favonius members who were guarding the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Instead of standing in their normal post at the bottom of the stairs, the pair was standing off to the side talking to each other. It was easy for the former thief to sneak past the pair and enter the building.  Jean was the only reason Ash was sneaking into the Favonius headquarters. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. In his former life, he would never have had a chance with her. But in this strange world of reverse gender roles, and with his new body. He wanted to try his luck. That’s why he was currently knocking on her office door. “Enter,” Jean’s voice said clearly through the door. Ash took a deep breath as he gripped the door’s handle. Even though Ash was able to flirt with the women of Springvale, none of them were on Jean’s level. But he was confident he could seduce her, he notice she was weak to his act before Signora showed up. So without a second thought, he pushed the door open and walked in. “Ash? What are you doing here?” Jean asked as she looked up from her desk. She placed the paper she was holding down and stood up as Ash walked in. “I kind of didn’t want to stay in the Church. I was afraid Signora would have sent someone to take me since she knew where I was.” Ash explained. He was telling Jean the truth, he just left out the fact that he didn’t trust the incompetent Knights of Favonius with his safety.  “You don’t have to worry about her. You’re under the Knights of Favonius's protection. Signora won’t try to hurt you now.” Jean said with full confidence. Ash didn’t know if she was lying to comfort him, or if she truly believed what she was saying. But, Ash knew she was wrong, he played the game he knew the lengths the Fatui would go to and he had no fate in the Knights. ‘This is just like the game, just bigger.’ Ash thought as he looked around Jean’s office. So far everything Ash has seen in the world matched the game, just on a much bigger scale. “I wasn’t lying to you,” Ash said as he walked up to Jean’s desk. There was a brief frown on Jean’s face, but it went away in an instant as she sat back down. “What do you mean?” She asked.  “I really did wake up in Springvale with no memory… Draff, the man that found me, said I was beaten up when he found me. I didn’t know what happened to me, I don’t remember. But now, after meeting Signora, I guess I understand.” Ash explained.  Jean crossed her arms as she sat back in her chair. She looked at Ash for a moment, then let out a sigh. “I believe you,” Jean said with a smile. “But, even if you were lying to me, it wouldn’t matter. I already said you’re under the Knights of Favonius’s protection, and I don’t plan on going back on my word.” Ash gave Jean a smile back, he was playing his role well, but it was time for him to make his move. “While I don’t remember anything before I woke up two weeks ago… I do know things… I know Mondstadt is the city of freedom, I know what Hilichurls are and I know who you are. I think you are the reason I risked my life to come here.” Ash walked around Jean’s desk and held out his hand. Jean tilted her head in confusion, but she held out her own, allowing Ash to slip his hand into hers. On reflex Jean lightly gripped his hand. “I know Jean, the acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius is a kind, caring, and strong woman. When I decided to come here, I think in the back of my mind I was coming here because I knew you’d protect me.” “I will, everyone in Mondstadt is under my protection,” Jean said. She softly squeezed Ash’s hand to reassure him. “I also know that you are a hard worker. You took the burden of the Grandmaster title and you carry it with all your strength. I mean, look at you. I can tell you’re tired, yet here you are in the dead of night still doing paperwork.” As Ash spoke, he ran his thumb along Jean’s palm. Jean wasn’t wearing her gloves as she worked so Ash could feel how soft her hands were, but he could feel the calluses that came from years of sword training. “Sleep with me,” Ash said suddenly. “Wh-What?” Jean asked in surprise. Ash watched her response closely. He noticed Jean didn’t pull away from him, she was simply surprised that the words came out of Ash’s mouth. “What do you-” Jean started to ask but Ash cut her off by letting go of her hand and backing up. Since Jean didn’t pull away from him or reject him outright, Ash moved forward with his plan. Of course, Ash could have kissed Jean then and there, but he wanted to have some fun with her. While Ash was in Springvale, he got addicted to the power he now had over women. He now knew why some women in his old world enjoyed teasing men. So instead of kissing Jean, he made his way toward one of the two couches sitting against the back wall of Jean’s office. He placed his vision on a nearby table then grabbed the pillows and the blanket and made a bed on the couch.  “Come sleep next to me.” Ash finally said as he laid down on the couch. He was thankful the couch was bigger than it looked in-game. Once he slipped under the blanket, he turned to Jean with a small smile. “Well, are you going to lay down?” He asked as he patted the space next to him. “You, you want me to sleep next to you?” Jean asked, not really sure what was happening. Her heart skipped a beat when Ash asked her to sleep with him, but now she didn’t know what to think. “Yeah, don’t you know falling asleep next to someone is great for relieving stress. I think I heard they have places in Inazuma where you can pay to just sleep next to someone.” Ask explained. He was thinking of Japan, but since Inazuma is based on Japan he did wonder if they had those types of shops too. “I, I don’t think I should.” Jean forced herself to say. Jean was a smart woman, not like the other women of the world who lost all reason when they got wet. Or at least that’s what Jean liked to think, but she was being tested right now. If this was Ash’s old world, this scene would be a powerful man being asked to sleep with a beautiful and sexy woman. Most men in Ash’s old world would jump at the chance, but Jean was trying to hold herself back. She was the acting Grandmaster, she couldn’t let herself be so easily seduced by someone with ties to the Fatui, no matter how attractive they were. “I… Have a lot of work that needs to be-” Jean started to say, but she was cut off when Ash let out a small whine. “Please, Master Jean, I don’t want to sleep alone tonight~” Ash spoke with his softest voice. A whispered voice that turned on many women in Springvale. Jean was no different, the acting Grandmaster was standing before she even realized it. “O-Okay,” Jean nervously said as she started to slowly walk toward Ash. Jean put everything she had into being a knight, and protecting Mondstadt, she couldn’t remember the last time she even thought about sex. But, because of Ash, she couldn’t think about anything else. Once she reached the couch, she stopped as Ash held up a hand. “Wait,” Ash said. He reached out and lightly gripped the belt hanging around Jean’s waist, causing Jean to twitch. “Do you mind taking all this off? I mean it's not really good to sleep in this many layers of clothes, besides I’d rather not be poked by what you’re wearing.” Ash said as he flicked the small pendant on Jean’s belt.  Jean gulped when she processed Ash’s words. “Are you sure you want me to-”  “It’s fine, this way we’ll both be more comfortable,” Ash said before Jean could finish.  Jean forced herself to slow down as she took off her clothes, she didn’t want to look like a teenage virgin rushing to strip just for the chance of sex. Lisa would often tell Jean to take a vacation, go out, find some hot guy and ride him until he broke. Jean would always say she couldn’t, there was always more work to be done. But now that there was a chance, Jean didn’t want to ruin it.  ‘Crap!’ Jean thought as she pulled down her tights. She was planning of leaving those on, but she pulled them down without thinking. She turned her attention to Ash, but as was just staring at her with a small smile on his face. It caused Jean to tremble, seeing him watch her undress made her even wetter, she was glad she was wearing dark underwear today. “Well?” Ash asked simply. Jean was now standing in front of him in a pair of boxer briefs, so far Ash hasn’t seen any woman wear a pair of panties. Jean was also wearing a plain white bra. In this world, a woman’s chest was treated the same way a man’s chest was treated in his old world. No one would really bat an eye at a bare-chested man in his old world, so no one cares about a topless woman in this world. Women only wore bras for support, sexy bras didn’t exist. “Take off the bra too,” Jean followed Ash’s ‘order’ without question. To her being braless meant nothing. But for Ash, he was harder than he’s ever been.  Jean was already the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but her body was amazing as well. Ash couldn’t keep his eyes off of her slightly pale breast, and light pink nipples. He wanted to feel her body, but he held himself back. Instead, he lifted up the blanket so Jean could slide in.   ~G~W~R~S~M~ Jean’s eye twitched as Ash let out a soft sigh, his breath tickling her ear. ‘I’m so stupid! He really only wanted to sleep!?’ Jean shouted in her mind.  It had been nearly twenty minutes since Jean laid on the couch next to Ash. Twenty minutes since she was so turned on she wanted to straddle him, even if he resisted. Twenty minutes of simply laying next to each other, not even touching. Ash was pressed into the back of the couch while Jean laid on the edge, the couch was big enough to leave a small space between them. ‘Well, might as well sleep too.” Jean thought as she let out a disappointed sigh. “What’s the matter, Jean?” Ash asked, startling Jean. She thought he had fallen asleep. “Is this not relaxing enough for you?” He asked. Ash really wanted to touch her, but he really wanted to tease her first. “N-No, it’s great, it’s just… I’m not really sleepy.” Jean quickly said. Ash slightly moved toward Jean and leaned his head against her shoulder. “Really? You sound disappointed, do you not want to sleep next to me?” Ash asked in a soft voice. “I-I do! I, I’m just used to working all night. I normally don’t go to sleep this early so I’m just not tired yet.” Jean lied. She truly thought she was about to have sex, and she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. ‘This is your fault Jean, not his. He said sleep, not sex.’ Jean told herself. “You know, if you’re having trouble sleeping, the best thing you can do is… masturbate,” Ash said in an innocent voice. “W-What!” Jean quickly sat up, surprised by Ash’s words. “What do you mean?” She quickly asked. Now that Jean was sitting up, Ash’s eyes were drawn to her bare chest once more. “Lay down,” He said while pressing against her shoulder. ‘What is going on here!’ Jean shouted in her mind once more. She was truly lost when it came to Ash. ‘What’s wrong with you Jean, why are you getting wet just because he said the word masturbate?! Control yourself!’  Once Jean was laying back down Ash took his spot next to her. But this time he grabbed her right hand. “You’re so tense Jean, so filled with stress, I can tell. So why don’t you masturbate? It’s a great way to get rid of some of that stress.” He said in a nonchalant tone. Ash moved Jean’s hand, stopping once the tips of her fingers were pressed against the top of her boxer briefs. “Go on, slide your hand between your legs.” He whispered.   Jean’s heart was beating rapidly as she did what she was told. Her hand slid under her briefs, through the thick curls, and down between her thighs. A slight blush grew on Jean’s face, she could feel how wet she was and knew he noticed as well. “See, you really need this,” Ash whispered into Jean’s ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe causing her to tremble. Ash’s hand followed hers, his fingers were pressed to the back of her fingers. Ash didn’t say a word as he pressed down on Jean’s middle finger, the digit slide inside without resistance. “You’re so wet Grandmaster, go on follow my finger, just like this,” Ash whispered as he started pumping his finger against hers.  Jean was forced to grit her teeth, she knew if she didn’t hold back as hard as she could, she would come. ‘It’s only one finger!’ She shouted in her mind. But it wasn’t her finger that was causing her to buck her hips. It was Ash’s finger, every time he would press down against her finger he would press harder, causing her to go deeper. But more importantly, it would cause his finger to go inside of her as well, with every pump his finger would graze her walls. Jean tried to hold back as best as she could, but the moment Ash started pumping her ring finger inside, and pressed down on her palm to grind into her clit, she lost all control. Jean’s moan caught Ash off guard, he didn’t expect her to come so soon. But he pushed himself up so he could watch her. The way her body twisted, the way she tried to choke back her moans, the way her walls clenched around their fingers. ‘I love this world.’ Ash thought once Jean started to come down from her high. Ash knew he would never have had a chance with a woman like Jean in his old world, he also didn’t believe he could make her come this hard in so little time. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he lay back down.  ~G~W~R~S~M~ ‘Holy crap, she really is just like a man!’ Ash thought as he stared at Jean’s sleeping face. The woman fell fast asleep moments after her orgasm finished. Ash pushed against Jean’s shoulder, lightly shaking the woman, but she only groaned and let out a light snore. ‘Wow, I guess this is why women cheated on their husbands in the old world.’ Ash thought as laid back on his side of the couch.  ‘Next time I’ll demand a blowjob first.’ Ash thought as he pulled up the blanket. He laid back, closing his eyes to sleep, never even noticing Rosaira, who stood outside the window watching him.

  Natalie pushed the now small demon girl making her stumble onto the floor, Lilith looked up at the witch helplessly trembling with fear, Natalie smirked her eyes filled with mischief and lust "one more thing little one"  She snapped her fingers again causing the sickly green glow to envelope around Lilith, her already pronounced canines grew, along with her pointed tongue, causing her mouth to gape slightly, enough for a small drip of drool to constantly fall from her mouth, her lips puffed up, and her eyes glazed over giving her the impression of a vapid bimbo.  Lilith whimpered as a thick haze grew over her mind, making her thoughts slow to a trickle. Her ears shifted, pointing and elongating until they resembled black cat ears, Lilith groaned as her spine elongated and a thick silky black tail grew out above her ass.  The intensity of all these changes caused the demon to gag and retch smoke black vomit all over the witches clean floor. Lilith looked up, whimpering, eyes full of fear knowing her new mistress would probably punish her for making a mess.  "I-im so sorry!" Lilith gasped, wiping the remaining vomit from her already drool covered mouth. She looked into Natalie’s cold, dark eyes and flinched as the witch rose her hand, only to snap her fingers making the mess disappear.  Natalie walked swiftly past the demon girl and motioned her to follow, when Lilith hesitated Natalie grabbed one of her new sensitive ears and pulled causing her to jump and shriek, quickly following the witch to what appeared to be a bedroom.  she stumbled, not used to her new size, everything around her seemed giant, the magic chain around her neck growing heavier each moment as it constricted and drained at her powers, confirming that as long as she wore it, she would be utterly helpless.  Natalie pushed the little demon onto the bed effortlessly and smirked. She climbed onto the bed herself and pulled the demon close to her, wrapping her in her arms, she whispered into her ear "are you ready little one? Ready to spend eternity as my slutty bimbo pet?"  Lilith shook her head and began to cry "p-please no.." She whimpered. Natalie stroked the little demons blonde hair and smiled, her other hand squeezing her large breast. She snapped her fingers and Lilith noticed the green glow come back, frozen in fear with tears still streaming down her face she wondered what embarrassing changes her new master would force onto her this time..  But instead the green magic spun around Natalie’s lower body, causing her dripping pussy to heat, Natalie moaned softly as her magic caused a small protrusion to grow directly above her womanhood, it grew larger and larger and as it finished forming and the green glow faded Lilith realized her mistress now had a thick cock, dripping with precum, bulging and throbbing from the obvious lust her master had for her.  Natalie bent the little demon over and slowly rubbed the tip of her cock against the demons dripping pussy, Lilith whimpered and gasped as Natalie suddenly shoved her throbbing cock into her soaked hole. "Aahhhhhhh" Lilith softly moaned, her pussy clenching around Natalie’s hard cock, She began to Fuck her harder and faster causing Lilith to moan and grip the sheets.  the demon girls back arched and she pushed herself further onto Natalie’s throbbing erection. "Good Bitch" she cooed as the demons eyes fluttered, a thick fog glazed over them, lost in lust and pleasure.  Lilith moaned as her pussy gushed all over Natalie’s cock, cum dripping down her thighs. She smirked and pushed into Lilith’s cervix Cumming deep inside her.  Natalie slowly pulled out, the green glow appeared again and her cock retracted back inside her. They layed there for a few moments, both basking in a pleasant post orgasm haze.  Natalie slowly got up from the bed, yawning and snapping her fingers, a large pink dog bed appeared on the floor. She gave Lilith a sickeningly evil grin as she grabbed the small girl by her collar and threw her on the floor, Lilith yelped and began to sob, hating everything about her new existence.  The former queen reduced to some slutty bimbo whore, she knew her peers back home would torment her for eternity if they saw her in this broken pathetic state. She looked up at Natalie, waiting for her masters next command.  "Bed time little one. Don't think you're good enough to sleep with your master yet. Filthy little monsters like you sleep on the floor." Natalie said with a malicious grin spread from ear to ear.  "Go on Bitch crawl!" She shrieked giving Lilith a hard, searing swat to her rear, making her thick ass jiggle. Lilith whimpered, and slowly began to crawl towards the dog bed, she looked up at Natalie, tears running down her pale cheeks. "Yes master.." She said softly.  She was broken. She hung her head low, too ashamed to look up from the floor, thick hot tears dripped off her cheeks, slightly singeing the wood floor as they dropped. She slowly curled up on the dog bed, quietly sobbing, realizing she fit perfectly in the bed due to her pathetic new size.  A searing hot pain in her ass caused her to yelp and shriek, she rolled over on her back, looking up at her mistress she saw her fingers glowing hot, bright red. She had just branded her with her sigil, making her the witches permanent new familiar. Even if she somehow escaped, Natalie would forever be able to summon and control her, so long as the brand remained.  "Good pet" Natalie cooed as she stroked Liliths hair. The chain around her neck began to elongat and formed into a leather collar and leash, Natalie took the end of the leash and bound it tightly to the bed post.  She then turned off the lights and climbed into her own bed, leaving the little demon on the floor, whimpering and crying. For a small moment the witch felt a bit of sympathy for her new submissive and decided she'd at least give her some comfort, with a wave of her hand she summoned a small black and white plush bunny, meant for a child and a soft wool blanket.  she tiptoed over to the demon and leaned down, Lilith looked up, with innocent prey eyes and tear stained cheeks she whimpered. "Shh it's okay baby" Natalie whispered softly as she pulled the blanket over her pet and tucked the plushie into her arms.  Surprisingly the demon took comfort in the soft toy and hugged it close, "t-thank you.." She whispered softly, too afraid to look into the witches eyes. Natalie stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I know the first day is always the hardest, but I promise you'll grow to like it.. I'll take care of you forever, you don't need to ever worry about anything except pleasing me ever again" Natalie whispered.  Lilith cooed and nuzzled her owners hand, finding it very oddly comforting. "Goodnight little one" Natalie smiled as she climbed into bed, very pleased with her new prize. 

Emi_the_Fairy Happy Holidays all!!! A lot's been happening of late. I recently graduated, and finished up my internship, so I'm going to have a lot more free time now. I'll be posting an update soon about all of that. For now though, I've been writing a little holiday story in my spare time for the season. It's related to the special I did last year, and I hope you all enjoy it. How long have I been wandering like this? The snow was blinding in its ferocity, an early winter blizzard, the sorts my mother always tried to shield me from. She would always curl up beside me and nuzzle my forehead with her damp chilly nose as we hid away from such storms. Being away from her was hard enough but being in the middle of this storm just made it worse. If only we hadn’t gotten into that fight. Father has always been… strict would probably sound too harsh. Or maybe it wasn’t harsh enough. It’s hard to tell, and it wasn’t like I hated him. He was always trying to protect me, or at least I think he was. Today was making me think twice about that, which… We got into another argument. He always wanted to raise me to be some staunch fighter to ward off enemies and protect myself. I knew he had my best interest at heart, but it wasn’t something I wanted to do. That’s how today’s argument started. Another argument trying to get me in line. Then he brought up my nose. I’ve always been embarrassed about it, and he always gave be such an aggravated face when it came up. I used to think it was because he felt that it was distracting or something, but maybe he just hated me. His yelling today seemed to make that clear. I panted and plodded through the snow. Fortunately, the blizzard had lightened to a gentler flurry by now, not that that meant much for my tired legs. Making my way through the snowy blankets was more work than I was used to. It made me wonder how those eight were strong enough to carry him into the night. If I didn’t know, I’d assume they were just legends that my parents and the others came up with to get myself and the other kids to work harder. However, meeting a couple of them was enough to shatter that illusion. They were amazing. Their shiny brown coats seemed to glow, making others look upon them in awe at their radiance. They were also stronger than any of us, able to beat the strongest of men with a simple shake of their heads. They were beautiful too, and wiser than any of us could have ever imagined. They seemed to have an insight and knowledge that seemed to transcend all understanding. Some called them the Eight Maidens of Red or the Crimson Women. Whatever they called them, it was always with reverence, and it was often accompanied with a sort of expectation for girls like me. Everyone wanted to raise a daughter that could match them. But how was that even possible? How could anyone ever compete with them? A small part of me wondered if that’s why father forced me on this journey. Some trial to get me to toughen up and be like them. Brave the fierceness of the mountain and return a strong woman that would garner such envy. Or maybe he sent me out here to bury his disappointing fawn, I couldn’t tell anymore. It was getting difficult to consider anything as my head grew heavier and heavier. Finally, I reached a lake. Eager to drink my fill I ran to it, only to see my dark eyes and brown fur staring back at me. It was frozen. Of course, it was frozen. It was cold enough out to freeze my tears to my fur. Why would a tiny lake like this be different? I collapsed in defeat. Maybe this really was the end for me. A single girl vanishing into the snow. My senses blurred as the end seemed to loom before me. I took what I was certain to be my final deep breath as I accepted my helplessness. Then something nudged me. Then I felt it again. My eyes pried open from the curiosity. I looked towards the strange sensation to see the vague shape of something brown. Was someone else here? Did they find me before I passed? I felt a familiar touch. It was damp and gentle, much like mother’s nose. They seemed to call someone over. And then there was another sound. It was so much higher than the one just calling for help. It was crisp and clear, even if I didn’t understand it. It was mesmerizingly beautiful. Then there was another probing touch, but this one was different. It was no nudge of a snout, but something wholly different. It was like some gently pushed their whole head into me, and yet it felt nothing like that. I looked back to the figure.  Long vibrant fur fluttered in the wind. It was like some of the berries I liked, a purplish color, but it was a bit different, a bit brighter. I had never seen anything like it, and it was gorgeous. Someone else approached, this one making a still high, yet deeper and grumblier sound, and their fur was much closer to the berries I ate. Both figures approached me, with a third seemingly approaching, although I couldn’t see them as well, as my vision began to fade again. I felt a lot of things poke at me. Then they squirmed around me. And then… it was like I was starting to stand again, but I was being lifted up by… whatever was touching me, instead of my legs. Was this what a bird felt like when they flew through the sky? There was a great deal of shifting and moving before the mysterious beings set me down somewhere. It felt nothing like anything I had touched before. The closest was maybe someone’s horns, or some of the surrounding trees. I was briefly greeted by a menagerie of mysterious colors I had never seen before when another being approached, this one with red fur that seemed to have some of the purest snow hanging off of it. I felt something touch my head and another sound… but this time it was different. I couldn’t understand the sound, yet my mind could hear it clearly in a way I had never been able to before. My confusion however was eased by their sound… by their voice. “It will be okay,” the deep voice almost seemed to laugh. “You are safe now, my girl.” * * * I took a deep breath. It was an incredible scent. It was so tasty smelling, it was like the best food I had ever smelled before paired with a comforting warmth that I had only known in the warmest of summers. I stirred, my hooves cracking into some dried grass beneath me. The crackling sound cause my stomach to grumble, pleading me to feed it. As  I stood up, I realized I had been set down into a bed of dry grass, one which I couldn’t resist eating. I took a few bites before realizing how dry my mouth felt. I glanced around in search of water when I realized how peculiar my surroundings were. It was like I was surrounded by a tree… trees? It was like a cave made of a tree. It was quite strange. It was warmer than any cave I’d been in though. Brighter too. There was so much too look at, like the strange movable walls and the stranger things on them. That was when I noticed something that looked like the tree cave, but it was small round, and most importantly it was full of water! I quickly sprinted up to it and dove into it, lapping up what I could. “Goodness, you’re quite the excitable one, aren’t you dear?” This sound was like the mysterious sounds from before. However, like that one with the vibrant red coat, for whatever reason, I could understand their alien words. I looked up to it to see a curious creature. They were nothing like me. For one, they were standing on only two of their four legs. Second there was no hair around their top hooves, and they didn’t even look like any hoof I had seen before. They were softer looking, and split up into five smaller just as soft hooves. Going back to their fur, their fur was almost like it wasn’t even attached to them, moving in different directions as the rest of their body wiggled about. And then their was their head. There was still no fur, aside from the strange lighter berry color cascading behind them. On top of that, their mouth and snout were so tiny and squished closer to their forehead, upon which was the only similarity between us, a set of beautiful curving horns. They were so strange, yet looking at them was mesmerizing. They were so beautiful. “I imagine you’re rather confused, aren’t you?” the being approached, snapping me from my trance of curiosity. I instinctively backed away. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. You’re safe now.” I understood what they were saying, but I couldn’t shake this sensation of uncertainty. How could I tell if they were being honest? I began to tremble a little bit. “Oh dear, it looks like you’re not going to calm down,” their mouth curved downwards. How did they get it to do that? If I wasn’t so anxious, I would probably be a little jealous at that. Maybe even really jealous. A mouth that moved like that seemed so cool. “I suppose this will be the best way to do this after all,” they said as they somehow managed to remove their fur, revealing another white coat beneath that was much tighter around their chest, but fluttered around their lower legs. I stared in awe at the furlessness of their form as they shed off more an more. However, as they moved to remove the last bit of fur covering their body, a new coat of familiar brown fur quickly moved to take its place. Their form quickly changed in accordance with the familiar fur, assuming a much more familiar shape. I looked on in awe as she stood before me, her beautiful crown of curving horns spreading around her. She was Donner. THE Donner. She visited my pack before and tried to inspire me before. My mouth began to hang open out of shock. How did she do that? How did she take that other form? Could I do that too? Or was it something only she could do? She approached me and nuzzled my cheek. “See,” a sound echoed in my mind. It was strange, there was no actual sound, yet it was as if I could hear the sounds she made before, but in my head. “I see,” it fluttered. “You’re not really familiar with the idea of a voice. I suppose you wouldn’t need too, given how you were raised,” she considered before taking a step back. “I apologize, I’m far more used to this form of communication than our natural tongue. I’ve gotten far more comfortable with it.” I tilted my head in confusion. “Is everything going alright in here?” another of the voices from before called as the figure with the darker berry color entered. They made a different sound, similar to mom or dad huffing than these voices they were using. “Really Donna, you went and took that form?” their eyes narrowed as they fiddled with their more spindly yet elegant horns. “She’s scared, Mei. I wanted to help her feel more comfortable,” Donner answered in my mind. Or wait, was it actually Donna? “Oh, I go by Donna here,” her voice echoed in my mind, further confusing me. “Well, whatever, just don’t expect me to do it or anything. I’m not ruining my makeup for this,” Mei grumbled, at least that’s how Donna described it as in my mind. “Sounds like our little Comet is being a little self-conscious again,” another voice laughed as another curvy form entered, this one with long ‘hair’ that was as white as the freshest snow I’d ever seen with extravagant horns decorating her head. Her horns were as if the elegant spindles of the other, Comet, and Donna’s softer curves came together to form the most graceful crown. It seemed so familiar “Come on, sis, you could be a little bit more of a team player.” “If you want that, go get Vixie or something,” Mei pouted. “Or you could do it Liz. After all, you’re our leader.” I stopped and stared at them in shock. Leader? As in Donna’s leader? The leader of the Eight Maidens of Red? That would mean that she was… “That’s right dear,” Donna’s voice echoed in my mind with a giggle. “You would know her as Blitzen. Although we call her Blizi or Liz.” I stumbled to my rear. This being was THE Blitzen!? And the other was THE Comet!? I had only ever caught a glimpse of her and her beautiful horns. I watched her in awe from a distance, and she saved me. I was saved by them!? And they looked like… whatever that form was!? How? Why? My mind flooded with question after question. “You want to know?” Blizi asked. I nodded to confirm. “Well then, I guess I can start by explaining these forms. You see, these are the forms of humans. Our boss gifted them to us a long time ago not long after we started working for him. They may seem rather strange to you now, but they’re quite handy, and we can go all sorts of places thanks to them.” “And as for us saving you,” Donna strutted closer to me. She tapped my nose with her own. “You have this to thank. This beautiful nose of yours guided us to you.” I trembled a little bit. My nose saved me? I was always told it was a bad thing and told to hide it. It always had a red glow, which only got brighter as I got more excited. To imagine it of all things saved me. After all, it was supposed to be some kind of curse or something. “A curse?” Donna looked at me, her dark eyes full of shock. “Who would ever think such a cute thing would be a curse?” “I’d expect that from humans, to be fair,” Mei ‘sighed.’ “But other reindeer, now that’s disappointing.” “It’s not like we didn’t have our own superstitions when we were a part of the packs back in the day,” Blizi frowned. She approached me and leaned forward. “It’s okay though little one, you’re safe here. And you don’t have to worry about hiding this cute thing from us,” she tapped my nose with her ‘finger.’ I looked at it with curiosity, giving it a quick lick in a vain hope to better understand it. She giggled. “My you’re a fun one.” “Only you would think that being licked would be fun,” Mei noted. “Hey now, Donna and Vixie both enjoy it for your information,” Blizi pouted. “BLIZI!” Donna’s voice shrieked through my mind as she jabbed her horns into their leader. “You don’t bring stuff like that up!” “What? It’s not like everyone doesn’t already know about you two,” Blizi chuckled nervously, but also clearly confused by her reaction. “Unaware Blizi strikes again,” Mei threw her hands before her head. “What? Why are you both picking on me?” “We’re not!” Donna objected. “But we’re in front of a child!” “I… uh… didn’t think about that,” Blizi confessed, Mei laughing behind her. I didn’t really get what they were talking about, but it did make me feel jealous. I never really had friends like they do. I was always alone back home. All the other reindeer just made fun of me or avoided me. And watching them in these forms… I was just jealous. I wished I could be like them. I picked up my head, trying to shake off my laments only to see the three eyeing me. “You’ve had it rough, haven’t you?” Donna nuzzled me. “Blizi, could we…?” “It’s a little unusual, but maybe…” Blizi quietly thought to herself. “Hold on, shouldn’t we check with her first?” Mei asked. “Oh, yeah, good point,” Blizi nodded. “Donna, first, could you get changed back.” “Right,” Donna answered, approaching her clothes again. I looked at her confusedly and then back to Blizi. “Listen,” Blizi looked to me. “Like we said earlier, our boss, he gave us the ability to change our forms. It can be a bit painful at times, and more than a little awkward, but… well…” she looked to Donna, drawing my eyes back to her. She made a few painful grunts as her legs seemed to snap and change. Her body shifted in the opposite ways to how they had before. Her fur retreated, and her limbs plumped up, her body curving in ways I knew to be unnatural and mystifying. I could see what Blizi was trying to say. It was a strange transformation, and one that made me a little uncomfortable. And yet, there was a beauty to it. Watching her body transform into that elegant shape, leaving soft furless skin behind filled me with fascination. “Do you want it too? This power to change your form?” I prepared to nod in answer, but before I could, Donna spoke up. “There is one thing you should consider first,” she said as she pulled her soft purplish hair from her sweater. “While these forms are nice and each of us enjoy them, they also separate us from the other reindeer. All of these sensations, and the world of humans; they’re nothing like what you’ve known before. And it may be difficult to go back if you ever want to. The others may see you differently than before. They might idolize you, but they may also find you strange or even scary.” “That said,” Mei cut in, “the human world can be really incredible. I personally love it, and have learned so much about myself and found so many things I love that I rarely ever want to go back to my original form. I know Donna feels the same too,” she glanced to a blushing Donna. Donna brought her hands to her chest and gave a gentle nod in confirmation. “And I think the others would pretty much all agree too. Vixie and Dani love to dance for instance, and Pran is always traveling to wherever she can.” “But in the end, it’s something you should decide for yourself,” Blizi smiled. “I mean, it sounds like you’ve come from a pretty rough place, so I’d understand wanting to escape that, but I’m sure there are other things you care about back there too. Even knowing you may lose those, do you still want to try?” I considered their words and thought of my own life. Things were rarely ever stable, and while I loved mom and dad, dad was rarely ever a pleasant influence. It was rough, but I adored what little I did have. And yet… to be able to see what they had, to go where they had, and to walk beside them… there was hardly a choice to make. I nodded. * * * We walked down a warmly lit hallway with all sorts of ornaments and furnishings decorating it. I didn’t really get it at first, but Donna explained that it had to do with their boss. I had heard of him before. Mister Saint Nicholas or something. I wasn’t sure why he had such a long name or what it meant. Donna explained that the saint part was a title from a religious group, although even with her explanation I didn’t understand what either of those things meant. Blizi tried her hand at it, but I didn’t understand that either. “Basically, the boss travels the world to make others happy,” Mei explained. “Why he does it, or why people call him that stuff probably won’t make sense right now, but that doesn’t matter. He just wants to make others happy.” “Yes, I suppose we were overcomplicating it with all the other stuff,” Blizi giggled. “But we just call him Santa, and his kindness is what really matters. Not his titles or how others try to worship him or any of that. Even if it doesn’t really change the world that much, he still tries to give what positivity he can to others and give that little spark of hope that might keep them going, and even give them a chance at greater happiness.” “And I thought I was getting kind of sappy,” Mei chuckled. “Well, that’s part of why she’s our leader. She’s a true believer after all,” Donna smirked. “It’s her passion that brought us all here and really got us going in the first place. Well, her and Santa.” As they talked I only became more curious about the man. This Santa, was he really that incredible? Why did he feel so motivated? What kept him going? How did he even give this joy to others in the first place? “Well…” Blizi began. “Oh, you’ve done it now,” Mei sighed. “Why he does it is complicated,” Blizi continued, ignoring Mei, “but it was a time where things were very harsh and much in the world wasn’t going well. The world beyond this place can be a scary place, scarier than any predator. It’s full of cruel hearted people who will pull you around to achieve their own ambitions and hurt you for their own goals or even just for amusement. I think that’s why he really started doing all of this. He wanted to give what he could to help others get at least a little reprieve from that kind of pain and stress. The smiles of families keeps him going, or at least that’s what does it for me, and I think he feels similar. As for how he does it…” As she spoke, we continued down the hall, and a variety of sounds began to echo from the rooms we passed. Then, as we approached one door, a woman a little taller than Donna stepped out into the hall. Her long pointed ears twitched as her long droopy green hat swung around with each turn of her head. “Oh, Miss Blizi,” she looked to us, “do you have a moment?” “Good evening Holly, we’re actually a tad busy,” Blizi explained. “Why, did you need something?” “I just wanted your opinion on something really quick. Some of the new stuff that’s been becoming popular. The load might be heavier this year, so I wanted to check with you before we fully started loading things,” Holly gestured to a pile of things in the room. “Hmm, I see,” Blizi held her chin in contemplation. She looked at me and hummed to herself. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she began to smile. “This actually works out perfectly. Donna, Mei, please show our friend here around part of the workshop. This way she can see what we really do. We can go meet up at Santa’s office when you’re done.” “That sounds good to me,” Mei nodded. “Same here,” Donna agreed. “That alright with you?” I nodded as well, although I wasn’t sure what I was agreeing to. “Then we’re all decided then.” “Perfect,” Blizi smiled. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got, Holly,” the two walked into the busy room.” I looked up to Donna curiously, still confused about the whole situation. “I see, it wouldn’t make much sense to you,” Donna smiled. “Basically, Blizi does a lot of things as our leader. The elves tend to consult her about logistics for our big trip on Christmas.” I looked to her uncertainly as my confusion deepened. “Ah, well… how do I explain Christmas.” “You don’t really need to understand it to be honest,” Mei interjected. “The important thing is that it’s an important day to a lot of people. So as part of our mission, we try to visit as many people as we can and give them presents during the night of Christmas. Those gifts can take multiple forms. Setting up happy coincidences, providing food, and in many cases providing children with toys.” I nodded, understanding most of what she said. So, they went around providing gifts to others. That seemed nice, but what were these toys she mentioned? What did the word toy even mean? “Oh my,” Donna frowned. “I guess you really wouldn’t know what it means, huh.” “Well, you probably have a concept of it,” Mei considered, “but it would be pretty different from what you’d think of it as. Well, I guess we should visit the workshop so you can see first hand,” she grinned. “Come on,” she said as her dark purple hair waved behind her. Donna followed suit, prompting me to follow as well. We made our way to another noisy room and entered. It was an extravagant place, full of all kinds of ‘machines’ as Donna explained, which carried all sorts of things, with groups of elves in groups all working at neat tables, fiddling with different objects to create something new. Some of them looked like small versions of themselves. Others looked far stranger, but seemed to have all manner of uses, one even looked like a long skinny stick with a thin fiber that seemed to grab things from afar. Donna explained that that one helped pluck fish from the sea, which sounded amazing. Finally, there were objects that they delicately handled, with lush coats, and even… looked a little like me. Donna called them stuffed animals and encouraged me to touch one. It felt incredibly soft and soothing. They gave such soft things to others? I was actually rather jealous. In fact, as I saw them fiddle around with each toy, I began to understand what the word meant. It reminded me of when I’d mess around with hard nuts and pebbles for amusement. They seemed so fun… and totally unusable by me. If only I had those things… those hands the others had. Donna smiled gently and patted me as I stared at some of the toys, entranced by the possibilities of play with them myself. Mei in turn smirked and walked off, grabbing one of the smaller toys. It looked like an odd flattened ball… no it was more like two flattened balls that were somehow being held together. She pulled a small string from it and wrapped it around her finger. She flicked the object down to the ground. It dropped, but with another flick, it bounced back up to her hand. She moved her hands in all sorts of ways, grabbing the strings and forming a sort of net that caught the toy before it bounced off and pulled the string back into itself. I gazed in awe at the numerous other tricks she began to do. “And that’s how you play with a yoyo,” she smirked, as several people, including Donna clapped. Unable to clap myself, I simply stamped my hoof, causing Donna to giggle. I figured she appreciated my attempt to contribute, but all it really made me do was get more jealous of her incredible digits. “You’re getting a little restless, aren’t you?” “If there was any doubt, I think that dispelled it,” Donna noted. “You want it too, don’t you, a form like ours?” I nodded. “Then, enough playing around here, I think it’s time to meet ol’ Jolly himself,” Mei commented before noticing me poking one of the stuffed animals. “Well, I guess we can stick around and play a bit longer.” * * * Donna and Mei continued playing with me and showing me all sorts of different toys for a while longer. Different stuffed animals, marbles, cards, and these small things Mei called ‘toy cars’ which had become very popular over the last decade. Before too long I had gotten a bit flustered since I could at most balance my hoof on one of the marbles or cars, but it was hard to get them to move like Donna and Mei had. In the end, we decided to make our way to Santa. We made our way down a brightly colored hallway, decorated with images of what Donna called ‘candy canes’ painted onto the walls. I was curious to try one, but Donna objected and said I had to wait until after we met Santa. Finally, we came to a door, green arcs of pine needles hanging along the doorway. I eagerly stamped my hoof as Donna reached to open the door. Inside was a cozy and comfortable seeming room. Just being inside seemed to help me relax. To our side was a large wooden desk made of a wonderful smelling warm colored wood that seemed unlike any I had smelled outside. Next to it stood Blizi who was talking about something to the person on the other side. However, she spoke in a very different manner to what I had heard before. Her words were quick, complicated, and carried a completely different energy than those of the others. “I see,” the man on the other side of the desk leaned back, pulling at the long white hairs coming from his chin. He then began to pet the res of it as it rested against his chest. “This may become a problem then.” “Like I said though, I don’t think this load will be that bad,” Blizi tried to reassure him. “Sure they’re heavy, but it’s not that bad. We handled the toy cars too.” “That’s not what I’m afraid of,” Santa pushed his glasses up, revealing his rosy cheeks for a brief moment. “You see, the ones on that side have been progressing shockingly fast. And their technology is only getting heavier and heavier. This year it’s some more radios. What happens if something bigger comes along?” “Even if that happens, I’m sure the girls and I can do it,” Blizi pumped her arms. “I’m sure you could, but just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” Santa frowned. “What happens if it becomes too much, and you all get hurt. I could never forgive myself. And that’s just from the load. There are other things that concern me as well.” Blizi whimpered a little bit. “So, you’ve heard the rumors?” “It’s more than just rumors, I’m afraid. Things may be different, but warfare like this has tell tale signs. Last time was bad enough, and I fear the next one will be even worse. And then there’s all of the other issues too. The pollution and their surveillance technology are some of the biggest ones. We’d need some strong magic to ward those off,” he took a deep breath. “Maybe it’s time to consider other options.” “Santa,” Blizi’s voice fell. She gripped her arms and turned to hide her face from the man she respected so much to see us. Donna and Mei seemed to frown back, and I wasn’t really certain what was happening myself, but I could tell that it was bad. I quietly wished I could help them. They saved me after all, and they were trying to help me find a new home. If only there were a way to help. In my frustration, my nose began to glow brighter than usual. Blizi gave me a sad look, as if to apologize, which confirmed things weren’t going well. There was a sudden screech behind the desk, as the large man rose to his feet. He stared at me in shock. “That light,” he muttered. “But no, that wouldn’t be right.” “Santa?” Blizi looked to him. “What is it?” “That light. It’s a type of magic I haven’t seen in a long time. It shrouds those it touches in a protective field of energy. It’s why we were able to find her before,” he explained. “It’s also how she survived so long.” “Wait, protective?” Blizi blinked. “Wait, does that mean…” “It does, however, I don’t want drag her into this just to solve our problems like that,” Santa lamented. “It wouldn’t be fair to force a child into that situation.” “But Santa, she’s the one who…” “I know, and I intend to grant her the safe gift I gave each of you, but I don’t feel right putting a child into that kind of position,” he said approaching me. Blizi tried to object, but her voice went silent, and she gave a firm nod to him as he passed her. “Now then, little one,” he mustered a big joyous smile. “Liz here tells me you’d like the same gift she and the others do, is that right?” I nodded my head and tried to answer his question with a yes, like I had with the others, but he didn’t seem to hear my answer. Donna patted my side and looked to Santa. “She’s saying yes, sir,” she smiled. “And apologies dear. We can hear you, but Santa can’t. It’s one of the unique gifts we have as his reindeer.” “I’m glad it’s come in handy like this,” Santa laughed, shedding the depressed energy from before. “Now then, if you’ll come closer to me,” he instructed, waving me forward. Donna and Mei stepped back as I entered his embrace. He pulled a lump of grass from his pocket brought it to my mouth. “It won’t taste very good, but you’ll need to eat this. It’s moss from an ancient tree that grants particular shapeshifting powers to those who consume it. Once you eat it, you’ll start to change,” I looked at the lump and made my decision, eating the mysterious grass. I immediately regretted it as a bitter taste ran across my tongue. I felt my body shake uncontrollably as the rest of my body tried to revolt. Santa held me tight as my body wretched from the foul tasting herbs and a sudden soreness sweeping across me. It felt like I was being crushed, and my instincts were out of control. Panicked and confused I rose my front hooves up and attempted to use them to push myself from the man holding me. But when I did, a new sensation filled me. My hooves sent wave of sensation after sensation to me, and they seemed larger than before. In turn, the rest of my body seemed smaller than before, particularly my head, which before had rested on the man’s shoulder, and now was buried in his coat, just below his chest. It felt… nice. My face was tickled by the soft fibers of his coat, leaving my tail to swish with joy as I finally began to calm down. I took a deep breath as an unfamiliar sound escaped me. It was so light and sweet. It was similar to Blizi’s, but  a little different, a little higher. Hearing it made me smile, but not as much as the many new sensations sweeping through me. I eventually just surrendered to the calm and sank into his body. “Ho ho! There, there little one,” he patted my head. “Donna, would you fetch her a coat? “Already done, Santa,” Donna answered. A warm fuzzy thing wrapped me into its form. It was so new and incredible, feeling my body like this. I looked up to see Donna’s beaming happy face. “Congratulations,” Donna smiled as she brought me in for a hug. “Th-” I attempted to use my voice. I stopped for a second as I realized how natural and easy it felt. “Thank you,” I said with my own voice. Hearing my voice and just being able to speak… it felt so new and different and just incredible. My body took control as I instinctively bounced in place. I giggled as I felt the new sensations, and how my tail swished with joy behind me. “Thank you for saving me!” I turned to Santa, “and thank you for giving me the chance to be like them,” I smiled. “This… it’s like a dream come true.” “Ho ho ho! I’m glad to be of service my dear. Now, would you be willing to tell me your name?” Santa smirked. “My name?” I repeated. The others looked to me expectantly, Blizi grinning excitedly, Donna giving a sweet smile, and Mei giving me an encouraging wink. “Um… Rudolph. Although, momma always liked calling me Rue.” “Rue, huh?” Santa smiled. “Ho ho ho, what a lovely name.” “Th-thank you,” I blushed. It was about then that I noticed that my nose had stopped glowing. In fact, I couldn’t even see it anymore. I grabbed for it, finding it flat against my face, like the others. “Oh? Don’t worry about your nose dear. It’s fine,” Santa laughed. “The moss tends to hide certain traits so others don’t notice them between different forms. Should you choose to change back, your nose will be as you remember it.” “If I choose too?” “Oh, I guess we didn’t go into that detail,” Blizi chuckled. “We can all change forms as we see fit. And now you can too.” “I can turn back into…” I looked up to Santa who gave a big smile back. “Um, Santa?” “Yes, dear?” “I didn’t really understand what you were talking about earlier, but…” my voice fell as I hesitated. I shook my head and focused myself. “C-can I help?” “Help?” Blizi repeated. “What do you mean, Rue?” “I… you said my nose could help you, right?” I looked up at Santa who blinked at me uncertain of what to say. “Please! I want to thank you for helping me. You not only saved my life earlier, but you gave me this chance to live this new life.” “Are you certain, Rue?” Donna asked. “Yeah, Blizi, Donna, and I, we all work with the others to pull Santa’s sleigh,” Mei frowned. “It’s a lot of work.”               “But you all need help, right?” I argued. “Santa said that the load is getting too heavy. And… I may not be the strongest, but if I can help, even a little bit, I want to try.” Blizi chuckled and looked to the others then back to me and smiled. “Well, if you’re so sure, I’d be glad to have you join us. Right girls?” “Sounds good to me,” Mei nodded. “I’ll be sure to show her the ropes.” “Just be sure to take things slowly. It’ll take time for her to get become strong enough to help us, but I’d be happy to have her along,” Donna agreed. “I see,” Santa smiled. “Well then, Rue, with your nose so bright, would you help guide my sleigh through the night?” “Of course!” I answered eagerly. * * * “Come along Rue!” Mei waved me over. I tried to give her a nod, but it seemed she didn’t notice with how much my head bounced with each step. “Still getting used to walking like that, huh?” “I’m used to it,” I pouted. “It’s okay,” Mei chuckled. “It took me a long time to get used to it too, and I wasn’t as small as you are.” “I’m not that small,” I protested “Oh, you definitely are,” Mei grinned, as she patted my head. It was kind of upsetting that she could remind me of our difference in height so easily… and how nice it felt. She continued teasing me over how I was blushing now, which made me quietly wish I had my fur… but not enough to change back. “Oh, stop harassing the poor girl,” Donna scolded Mei, as she emerged from behind her, a blonde woman slumped over her shoulder. “I already have enough trouble dealing with this one.” “Oh geez,” Mei sighed. “Did she get drunk during her last show?” “Yeah,” Donna frowned. “She’s still pretty out of it.” “That sucks. Sure would be nice if she was more considerate. I mean, you’re the one who always has to pick her up.” “It’s not that bad,” Donna chuckled. “Besides, she’s kind of cute when she gets all tuckered out like this,” she smiled to her partner. “You cute,” the drunk woman mumbled, as she squirmed on Donna’s shoulder. “I swear, Vixie, you’ll never change,” Mei grinned. “Oh, speaking of changing,” she looked over to me, I looked back unsure of why she was looking to me. “You should probably get changed.” I felt my eyes grow wide with realization. “Huh?” Donna blinked. “Is it that time already?” “Yep,” Mei nodded. “Time for her first flight. Right, Rue?” she looked to me again. I could only tremble a little under her gaze. “Rue?” “I… I don’t know if I’m ready. I’m scared,” I frowned. “Aww,” Mei held me close. “You’ve been doing great, and you’ll have Blizi and me watching out for you,” she smiled. “Plus, you’ve been working so hard all these months for this, right? You got this.” “Y-yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah!” I said again with a smile this time. “Now get out there, and show ole Jolly what you can do!” Mei encouraged me. “Right!” I answered. “I’m going to show him I can help him fly too!” I cheered. Mei gave a large grin. I looked to Donna who smiled back, Vixie doing her best to form a thumbs up for me. I chuckled to myself as I looked at them. They had spent the last several months along with the others helping me and teaching me for this. I turned towards an open path in front of the workshop spotting Blizi and Santa beside the merry red sleigh I was going to pull. When they found me, I was cold and alone. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it past that moment. And now, here I was, with the women I always looked up to supporting me and cheering me on. I wasn’t going to let them down. I wasn’t going to let him down either. I moved towards the sleigh. Blizi waved to me, a shining smile beckoning me to her side. The large man beside her gave an equally radiant and eager smile to me, but unlike Blizi’s his had a sense of expectation. I smiled back, as he began to laugh. “Ho, ho, ho!” His laugh echoed in my ear, reminding me that this was my new home.

Kimizuki-sensei chose a single room with a single bed, which nothing I could argue with because she had the final say... Not that it matters now, we've been moving since we left my apartment this afternoon, so rest is definitely in order but... Would I be able to rest? I wonder... We stood aside as the staff member suddenly came to a halt in front of a door, waiting for him to open it. The door was made of a type of hardwood, with designs similar to those found in old houses, as well as traces of gold-colored metallic design.  "This is your room, I'm handing the keys now. Please have a pleasant stay."  He handed us the keys politely, then began walking back to where we came from, back to the lobby. Out of excitement, Kimizuki-sensei hastily opened the doors, revealing a luxurious room brimming with fanciness .  The bed is located near the upper right corner of the room close to a glass window covered with beautiful purple curtains. The bed is thicker than expected, covered with white sheets and fluffy white pillows, suitable for two people. A blackish antique table close near the glass window. . There was a glass door next to it that led to a bathroom, the glass was blurred enough not to give out a clear view of who's inside. This room is wide enough for two people to stay. Above the bed, there's an expensive-looking chandelier that's kind of amazing. "Heh, not shabby. This room is extremely well-designed. What are your thoughts, Reina-chan?" Why do you even bother to ask me that? Well, what should I say... "This room is stunning. Truly fascinating."  "Right! To be honest, any room would suffice but I'd like to see what they have to offer."  You actually picked this room though? Sitting on the bed, it exceeded my expectations. So fluffy and  soft! I literally sunk into it. Trying to lie down was so satisfying. I want something like this at home. It has rid me of all my anxiety. "Oh! You seem to be enjoying the bed, not fair!"  "Then jump in with me."  "I'll take you up on that!"  "AAAAAAH! Get off! geez!"  "Now that I have you here, I'm not letting you go."  She suddenly jumped over the bed and embraced me tightly. She misinterpreted my offer or rather, she did it on purpose. Nonetheless, she's giving me a warm tight hug that feels very good. Whatever it is, she must be stressed with all that has happened to even drag me out of my apartment. So, in a blink, I returned her hug. Circling my hands all the way through her back, I could feel a soft warm body, her slender waist up to her shoulder back. Her body twitched, she seemed surprised as it took her a few seconds to respond. "Feels so nice, could we stay like this for a while? I want to feel you more" I didn't say anything and just nodded. I could feel her heart beating every second, since our body is too close. After a minute, she released me from her embrace, gazing directly at me with her piercing, lovely purple eyes, swallowing me through its abyss. Suddenly closing our faces, I know that from here, it will turn into a kiss but... a feeling resembling before suddenly engulfing me... I couldn't say it was lust, but this moment is just too perfect for a kiss that I couldn't resist, so I gave in.  Touching each other's noses, our lips met. A soft yet vibrant feeling devoured me, her fluffy lips gaining dominance over mine. As I closed my eyes, I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Her next few words were too enchanting to resist. "You don't have to be scared, I'm just here."  It's as if Sensei is reading my mind and reacting to it, it puts me at ease , removing my doubts and fears.  Close to each other, once again we're kissing. My mouth was invaded by the warmth of her lips and tongue. It was so sweet and enticing I'm going insane. Her tongue delved into every nook and cranny of my mouth. Whenever my tongue touched hers, I felt an irresistible sensation that I can't explain. You could say I suck at kissing, but that's all I could muster.  We stayed like that for a while before she noticed I was catching my breath, and moved away from me. Gazing at each other, we just grin at each other, as if a fleeting moment of happiness had passed us by. "Sensei... " "Hmm... " Staring deep into her eyes, I have to say these few words, because it feels like a chance like this will never come again. I don't know how she will respond to me but, I'm pretty aware of her feelings for me.  "I believe I'm falling... in love with you..." "Since when?" "Perhaps since we got close. It slowly sinks into me, my mind gradually gets worse. Always reminded of you, the fear of losing you. You're always giving me so much attention, but I'm afraid it'll end at some point, I'm too scared to respond..." My face numbed... saying all these embarrassing words all at once, my heart couldn't take it, I could loudly hear my every heartbeat getting stronger... The fear of getting left out and rejected... Was all this just her final wish, to spoil me to my heart's content until she leaves?  Though, the expression on her face says otherwise. She's gleaming like there's no tomorrow... She's about to cry. Noticing that I  was about to ask... She hugs me tightly, shoving her head above mine. "Don't look...!"  "Eh?... " "I had no idea you felt that way about me... I always assumed I was a bother, and that one day you'd tire of me and set me aside... I was never certain that you would like me, even accompanying me, indeed was a mystery, is truly blissful. I couldn't be happier! Thank you, Reina-chan."  So, coming with her really did make an impact. The possibility of her entering an arranged marriage... If it were true and she accepted, that would be my worst nightmare. Just how long would it take for me to recover. I wonder.  I have yet to receive a response from her. "So... Sensei your answer is?..."  "If that was a confession, then definitely a yes! Why should I even give it a second thought? Hehe..." I was nervous for a second, but it all had been cleared in an instant. Never knew I'd realize sooner how I feel for her, and this opportunity was perfect. I couldn't have asked for more. I could hear her heart racing faster, louder than usual, as well as mine, but it didn't bother us. From here on, Sensei wouldn't embark on her journey alone, but with me as her girlfriend. Someone with whom she can share all of her burdens, along with happiness. It's been a year since we met, a year filled with memories, and we're creating new ones together.  Yet, we're sharing a kiss, a very passionate one, sweeter than ever, full of feelings shared by the two of us. A part of me wishes there could be more than kissing but... I think that will come for later. As we grin like idiots... Turning to a contrast of time, I spoke... "Shouldn't we be taking a bath now? It's already late..."  "Ah! Now that you mention it. Then let's take a bath together!" "Eh? Why together?" It abruptly brought me back to my senses...  "Eh? Aren't we lovers now? It'd also be faster that way."  "Yeah, you have a point, but I can't-... "  "No buts! Hehe" It ended up that way... Just what happened?!!!

Horuu ... Update in few days maybe a week so keep up.. Enjoy reading. This event is the last part of this one shot. So don't get confused. Tutu... Tutu...  A ring from my phone jolted me awake from my slumber. Feeling drowsy, it took me a minute to react and turn my head around to find where the noise was coming from. Feeling a slight vibration, my pinkish-covered smartphone entered my field of vision unconsciously as I turned my head upwards. Reaching it with my left hand, what was shown on the screen completely turned my mood upside down. Kimizuki Eri, my lovely homeroom teacher who frequently assaulted me in her office, could be put in custody if I'm not tolerant enough of her illicit actions.  Should I respond? This would definitely be a good idea, at the very least, I should be wary of her phone calls. Looking at the upper left side of my smartphone, it shows 4:00 pm. I had a long, restful sleep, only to have it completely ruined by her when I awoke... I let out a sigh. Let's not dwell on the negative for a moment and talk normally. "What's the matter, Sensei, calling at this hour?" Pausing for a bit, I could feel her distorted breathing. Left me to wonder what's going on with her, I waited until she turned to speak. "Would you run away with me, Reina-chan?" I just heard her say the most outrageous words I hadn't expected from her. I was left dumbfounded, my thought process abruptly ceased to function. What the hell is she talking about?  "What-?" "Didn't you hear my words, Reina-chan?"  "...I was wondering what you meant by that?"  "Exactly what I said." "What's the reason is what I wanted to know..." With the possibility of teasing me, I won't easily believe you. You hideous sensei who dared to assault her own student. Without such a compelling reason, there's no way you can persuade me. Now, what do you say, Kimizuki-sensei? "... You really wanna know the truth?"  "Yes?"  "Hmm... I got engaged by someone else. Decided by my parents, of course. As a result, I'm fleeing... Will you accompany me, Reina-chan?" "What..."  Are you serious? But... Her tone tells me she isn't lying. Her voice is tinged with melancholy. Because, if you think of it, Kimizuki-sensei ain't someone fitting for such a relationship, and based on the circumstances that nobody knows. "What good would it do to run away in the first place, especially with me? Are you crazy?" "Without a doubt! There's no way I would submit myself to such a ridiculous arranged marriage. Do you think I'd survive running away by myself? We've known each other for a year, now and yet you're this cold to me! Don't you love me too?"  "Please don't drag me into this..." "How cold! ...  ... Aren't you going to be lonely without me...?" "No, I won't... Please don't assume stuff." "....."  On the other side of the phone, I could hear a faint cry but who knows if it was genuine or fabricated. Why would her family decide to marry her off so suddenly? Well, a fact that Sensei is of marriageable age but shouldn't she be the one deciding it for herself? Otherwise, this would be beneficial for her family. Her family is wealthy, and they have made an odd decision that I will never understand. Since Kimizuki-sensei only loves girls, her heart would never accept a man, let alone someone who appeared out of nowhere. But suddenly running away, I couldn't tell if it was a good idea she had but... What should I do? Far from what she said about us being together for a year, to be honest, I'm worried I can't leave her alone. Nonetheless, I'm allowing myself to become entangled in her situation... Leaving me no choice, I decided to accompany her. "Alright... Where are you right now?"  "Eh? You're coming with me?" "...Yes."  "I love you, Reina-chan!"  "... Where are you?!"  "Right outside your front door." "Wha-!..."  "If ever you decide to abandon me, I'll force my way in and take you. That's how much I love you, Reina-chan." You keep saying that shit! Force me out to come with you?! ... I changed my mind, she's really terrifying! She would go that far! Letting out a sigh, I surrendered myself. Scrambling out of my room, I dashed to the front door. Upon opening the door, what lies in my vision is my beautiful Kimizuki-sensei, dressed in a white lace blouse, with her silky black hair tied above with a long pin putting it all together in a bun shape. For how long she was standing here, I wonder. She didn't even bother to ring the doorbell. "Can I come in?"  "Yes, please come in." "You're still as adorable as ever, Reina-chan. You're dressed casually." I didn't say anything and just stared at her. She returned the smile and walked in. Leading her to the dining room, she's sitting pretty like she's at home. My parents were nowhere to be found, as usual, busy working overseas.  Having an awkward atmosphere, I was the one who broke the ice. "Where do you plan to go Sensei?" "Far away from Tokyo, Of course!" "Specifically?" "... I bought a small villa in Osaka. Using my own money so they don't know where it is. That's the best getaway vacation home we could take off. Large enough to accommodate two people. It's summer vacation so it won't be a problem, right?" Actually, she's in fact, correct. Summer vacation allows me to travel wherever I want. My family won't grumble, all I'd get is safety reminders from them. Osaka is pretty not far enough for her runaway plan. Since I've already agreed with her, it's time to pack up my things. But... "When are we leaving? That's fine enough but how about our travel?"  "I bought plane tickets last month, this was supposed for a normal vacation for the two of us but I guess it comes in handy right now."  So you planned to take me there in advance. How unscrupulous of you Sensei. Despite this, you call yourself a teacher.  "So you should pack your belongings now, I will help you!" "No need, moreover, don't come into my room."  "Heh... I would never do anything bad though. I don't have time for that right now."  "Like hell, I'll believe you!"  "Wouldn't it be faster if we did it together?" "No... I'm good."  Standing up from my seat, I headed to my room. From my back, I could hear footsteps that belonged to sensei. "Why are you following me, sensei?"  "Cos you won't allow me to help you!" You couldn't reason with, don't you?  "If you do something strange, I'll kick you out." "I won't!"  Entering my room, what would appear was a bed big enough for two people. A closet where I stored all my clothes, as well as a mirror I used to fix myself every morning  . Under my closet is a huge travel bag I'll be using for this runaway. As I stuff my important clothes inside the travel bag, Kimizuki-sensei is leisurely strolling around my room. My room is, shall we say, a bland one. I don't have any ornaments, cute plushies, and other stuff you'd expect to find in a girl's room. I was never interested. Casting a shadow from my back, sensei was peering to see what kind of clothes I usually wear.  "I suppose I could say..."  "What?" "Reina-chan, your clothes are all cool, they give off a mature vibe. I mean something that would definitely look great with your silver short hair. Now I understand why even girls fall for you."  "I'm not sure what you mean..."  Well, in fact, I was attracting both genders' attention. Whenever I try to strike up a conversation with the girls, a flushed face is always the reaction they give me. It's a tad inconvenient.  Suddenly hugging me from behind, she spoke. "Don't act dumb now..."  "We don't have time for this. Aren't we leaving before it gets dark?"  "Humpf... Hurry up then!"  "......." What's the matter with you? Having gathered all of the clothes I need, Sensei is lying down on my bed. Sniffing around, this horny teacher needs to learn some self-control. Looking at him with disgust, I spoke. "Could you not get horny by sniffing my bed? You disgust me."  "How cruel! I couldn't seem to get enough of you. Is that bad?"  Her black long hair is strewn about, exposing her snow-white neck and shoulders, shouldn't she be more conscious of her actions around me... I can't find a safe place to look at her. "Could you not joke around? Please leave and flee on your own."."  "Why are you suddenly abandoning me now?"  "...I'm almost done. We are leaving."  "Alright." Leaving my room, I grabbed a few things I thought I might need. Since I have everything I need, I gave Sensei a cue that I'm ready. Sensei has the same luggage, I wonder how long she wants to keep this up but I could inquire with her later about it. Leaving my apartment, we started walking to a nearby bus station.  At 5 pm, the sky was painted orange-red through the horizon, preparing for sunset. Clouds were scattered, faintly emphasizing the start of summer, with melting heat was one reason I fell asleep this afternoon. Couldn't even bother myself to leave my apartment. Getting a glimpse of the bus station, we continue to walk. Even around this time, the heat is strikingly unbearable. Getting in, Sensei let me choose where I wanted to sit, and sitting on the window-side is the best part. The air-conditioning inside the bus was vibrantly refreshing, I quickly ​cooled down. Suddenly glancing at sensei, it's as if she read my mind and complied with me. "From here, the bus will take an hour to travel to the airport. So you can leisurely take your time resting."  Isn't that quite a distance?  How did I even agree to her bringing me along? While having such awful thoughts, I feel something heaving on my shoulder, turning to look, I found sensei leaning on me. Her eyes shut, slender shoulders were touching mine. Sexy collarbone with her cleavage visible in front of me. I couldn't endure to look and quickly averted my gaze. Looking at the passengers, they were countable by hand, and didn't even bother with us. Letting out a sigh of relief, I closed my eyes for a moment to think things through. I need to inform my parents as well.  Before I noticed the sky had darkened, we finally arrived at the airport. Sensei is enjoying her well-deserved time of sleep. Waking her up will take a lot of effort. "Sensei... sensei, we've arrived! Please wake up!"  "Hmmm... Reina-chan, are we there?"  "Yeah..." Feeling grumpy, I ended up emitting icy stares. Oh! I had a dream,you were kissing me. It felt so sweet and real, I never wanted to wake up." ".... Is that so? Then please go back to sleep. I'm going home!"  "Aah! Geez! Don't be like that!"  "We're drawing attention, we need to go."  "Ugh..."

Noticing how the passengers were glancing at us, she faltered and hurried off the bus. From there, only a few minutes' walk to inspection, our tickets have already been verified, so all we have to do is wait.   Noticing how the passengers were glancing at us, she faltered and hurried off the bus. From there, only a few minutes' walk to inspection, our tickets have already been verified, so all we have to do is wait.    The plane is scheduled to take off in half an hour, Sensei dashes off to a beverage store. Observing her actions, she seems to be pondering over which drinks to buy. Resting a finger on the bottom left corner of her red lips looks... so cute. Until she smiles and appears to have made a decision. Walking back, she handed me a bottle.   "Is apple juice fine, Reina-chan?"   "Oh yeah, thanks Sensei... A half- hour wait. It's not too bad."   "I know right. But since I'm with you, every second counts!"   "...uh, you seem to be enjoying this runaway trip eh?"   "Of course! What could be more fun than being with you, Reina-chan."   Ten minutes left, we decided to prepare our luggage. What would happen if we didn't catch up to the schedule? That'd be a shock. Hastily leaving our seats, we made our way to the plane. This is my first time... I'm suddenly getting nervous, I couldn't hide the sweat dripping down my brow. I don't particularly have a fear of heights, but the first time takes its toll. This would be fine. When Sensei sensed my hesitation, she immediately grabbed my hand. With a flushed face, I followed her lead and we went inside.  Inside the plane, Sensei walked through to find a seat assigned to us. Few minutes passed, sensei came to a halt and waved her hand sideways, cuing me to take a seat. After we sat, a staff member placed our luggage above a small closet designed for it. From here it will take us nearly two hours, I still don't have an idea where Sensei's lodging was located, so I'll just wait for her to mention it since I don't really want to bother. "Is this your first time flying, Reina-chan?" "Eh?! uh-... Yeah... Is that bad?"  "Not at all, I was worried you were faltering, I thought you were hesitating and didn't want to run away with me."  Ruining away with you already sounds bad but yeah, it always takes a first time. "I wouldn't, but it always takes a first try, at least for me. Despite the fact that my parents work abroad, I never accompany them." It'd take them months, possibly more than a year overseas. Until that point I became accustomed to not being around them. I've grown up by myself. Sometimes, I used to wonder, if they loved me, why wouldn't they stay a bit longer, but as I've grown older, I've come to understand how the world works. It only takes you a bit of maturity. I was living before with a maid, she took care of me for three whole years until she left to marry. From that point, it was depressing but I was happy she found someone. As the plane begins to take off, a loud noise can be heard. It only lasts for minutes before we're off the air. Feeling glimpses from my left side, I turned to ask. "What?"  "Hmm... Just happy I'm getting a lot of your first time, Reina-chan." "Is that so..." "I'll show you a lot more so make sure to prepare yourself." ".... I do feel something bad when you say that." "Like what...?"  I could feel my face flushed as she asked that. She's being unfair.  So, to avoid it, I shifted my glances to the other side. I could see nothing at all, clouds were blocking my view from below. Everything was completely cloaked in darkness. Recalling what has happened so far, I feel anxious. I wonder what kind of action Kimizuki-sensei's family would take. Running off like that would leave a bad impression that would harm her family's reputation. I doubt they'd just sit back and let it happen. The extent of the damage would be determined by how long sensei intended to flee. Nonetheless, the source for this anxiety was... I had a fleeting impression that sensei would leave my side. I feel like this would be her final wish before fulfilling her responsibilities to her family. I'm beginning to have serious doubts that she will abandon me in the end. Sensei reclining on her seat, she continues her slumber. She must be exhausted. I don't feel sleepy in particular, rather I couldn't stop fussing about possibilities. I'd be relieved if it was all in my head but... What if reality made a joke and it came true? Letting out a sigh, I dozed off and rested my whole body.  An hour passed and we arrived at the airport. The airplane juggled while attempting to land, which made me dizzy. Turning sideways a few times till they reached a certain point where passengers were supposed to get off. Following sensei's lead, walking down the stairs to exit the plane. The sky is completely murky, we won't be able to reach the vacation house that sensei mentioned, so staying at a hotel would be preferable. "9 p.m. and it looks like we wouldn't be able to reach my vacation house, so staying at a hotel is much safer. It would be risky  to wander around so let's hurry and check-in." Agreeing with her, we both reached a decision. It wouldn't be wise to continue our travel at this hour just on our own. She wouldn't dare put me in danger as some bad stuff was likely to happen at night. Kimizuki-sensei suddenly approached a woman dressed as a flight attendant, who smiled friendlyly and asked for directions, so I followed suit. "A good hotel is located 15 minutes away from the airport. It accommodates passengers and due to its huge capacity, it rarely gets fully booked and just on certain occasions. I'm confident you'd get a room. Upon leaving the airport, there are a few taxi lines where you can get a ride outside. The name of the hotel is ----"  Answered with a client's face speaking to her customer, a sense of professionalism, or somehow familiar at such a point. "That's Lovely! Thank you so much. Reina-chan we got a room!" I'm a little concerned about how she said that, I wonder why... Couldn't find the opportunity to ask so I gave up. Walking for minutes, we encountered only a few passengers so checking out of the airport went smoothly. The airport was spacious and giving a comfortable feeling, with wide hallways and few security scans providing passengers with enough space and assurance of safety. Exiting the airport, a line of few taxis could be seen. So this is what the flight attendant was referring to. As she approaches them, sensei turns to ask a driver. Upon saying the hotel's name, the driver  expressed a strong sense of familiarity and our destination was secured.  Riding the taxi lasted exactly 15 minutes, in front of us, a skyscraper building, an enormous height giving me dizziness. With lights lit up on every floor, it overwhelms me. At my side, I could hear sensei giggling as she closed her eyes a bit, which is cute...  "You look like a country bum, Reina-chan."  Forming a pout on my face even made her giggle louder. Since I rarely leave my apartment, experiences like these were all new. I couldn't help to get a sense of unfamiliarity.  "Let's go in now since it's getting colder outside."  "Humpf... Alright."  Even though I'm scowling, her sweet smile is unfair. Every time I see it, it makes me blush. How could she leave me such an impact? Glancing at her, I feel ecstasy flowing through me.  Walking ahead and entering the hotel, you'll easily notice that it's wide inside. The lodging is too vast, and would be able to accommodate tons of customers perhaps on busy days. Plenty of seats around, preferably since waiting can't be avoided during peak hours. A huge chandelier at the ceiling emitting yellow lights, with a true sense of luxury. The two employees at the lounge, wearing such fine, and distinctive uniforms, gave off a first-class air. I wonder how much you need to afford a night here. As my gaze wandered, sensei hastily walked towards them to inquire.    "Good evening, are you looking for a room, ma'am?"   "A room, yes."   "We have available rooms. So, a two-person room? We have rooms with two beds If you prefer?"  Speaking politely, the employee calmly explained the availability of rooms. To clarify, I prefer the two beds for one room, since it's safer if we stay in the same room, but  "We need a room with only one bed."  Eh?! What did I just hear? Does she plan to do something here!  Knowing her personality I can't allow such a thing to happen! "Uhm... Sensei...?" Not only was I stuttering, but so was the female employee who had heard such an outrageous statement. The air was cold, and sensei was being dominant, I couldn't go against her. I have a bad feeling about this. "No buts! And that is final. We're sharing a room!"  "Uh... Yeah, it's available and the cost would be..."  "I'll pay with this card. A stay for one night."  "Uh... Yes! On it."  Where's my opinion here? This is bad! Ugh... Never I could win over her. I hope the aftermath of this night won't render me incapacitated. Tonight, when we're supposed to rest, will not be a peaceful one. Having such thoughts, I surrendered and followed suit another employee leading us to our room.    The hallways speak of luxury, with expensive looking chandeliers adorning, beautiful paintings adorning the walls, carpets near each door and a sense of elegance, contrary to that I was the only one who felt overwhelmed and everything seems completely natural to Kimizuki-sensei. She's used to this kind of life since her family is wealthy,I wonder how Sensei lived her life before she met me... Thinking of that I couldn't help but get engulfed by a strange gloomy feeling, filling my heart every second that passes.  

I yawn peacefully as I take in a small amount of sunshine brightening a small room, where the only clean area is my desk. I follow my daily routine, which is watching TV, eating instant ramen, and heading straight onto my computer. While I am scrolling through the internet I find a forum for the game 'Immortal Warfare' titled "Is the Immortal King Scottnazzo dead?' I laugh just imagining people thinking about me being dead. Anyway, how long has it been since I declared my break?. 3 months so far? And people already think I'm dead? How funny. Being amused at this situation I decide break time is over, time to start my grind again. I logged into the best game ever, Immortal Warfare. I always have my status as offline, so no one will be able to tell if I'm online or offline. Now it's time to bathe myself with confidence, I check through my status in and a smile crept onto my face.   Name Scottnazzo Level 100,000 (MAX) Race Human Health 4,500,000 +500,000 Mana 1,250,000 +250,000 Strength 945,000+165,000 Defense 672,000 +500,000 Agility 1,250,000 +250,000   I looked around the area. I fought a good number of guild wars, monsters, and other players in this area. "Forest of the Exiled", such a creative name. This is where I was just a noob at level 700 good times. And now, I became the first person to reach the maximum level granting me a wish from the developers. I asked them very politely, "Can all the other players and monsters be capped at level 95,000?" and the developers agreed without any bribing. It was a sure way to succeed and made me sure no one got my top position. Luckily, people assume I got level 100,000 because of a rare item. I decided to turn my online status to 'online' to see what would happen. Almost instantly, a bunch of people begin to repeatedly spam "The king has awakened!!" in the chat. I'm practically numb to this type of attention so, I continue on my way to the city. As I arrive, towering stone walls surround the city. Two tired-looking-guards clad in light medieval soldier armor asked for my identification as well as a fee of 30 silver coins. I show them my identification card and hand them a singular gold coin since I always put all my silver into gold coins. (100 Silver Coins ---> 1 Gold Coins) I walked into the one the cities that my guild owns and noticed that everything is the same causing me to facepalm as I told the council that they could've changed the area however they wanted as long as it didn't have a negative effect. I was expecting something more grand, flashy perhaps. But nope, it's still the same; merchants advertising; players teaming up, dueling, arguing, and so on, and a paved cobblestone walk-way, with the occasional carriage. Well, there is one difference I notice at least, there seem to be more food vendors. Food in this game is somewhat vital for lower levels as food helps them heal quicker. This is important for our area since this is our headquarters, and we have a lot of newer players, due to the low level forest nearby. Arriving in front of the guild headquarters, I open the guild doors and take in the loveliness of it. Unlike what many would expect, the guild is very calm, with tables used for roleplaying and a grandeur design not easily accessible. Focusing on what I should be doing, I proceed to go upstairs to where the council room was, and I heard faint voices. In 'Immortal Warfare' the further you go away from someone who's speaking with voice chat, the lower the voice will get. This feature is most commonly known as proximity chat. From what I remember, the council room is a 120 ft, by 140ft rectangular room. Inside, there is a 10ft long brown oval table with 5 brown wooden seats. On the wall closest to the table is a map, and on the other walls are pictures of us winning wars, and so on. And my favorite design, directly above the center of the table, there is a beautiful white chandelier that goes very well with the white marble floor and white wall. I happily busted down the door, and as I thought it looked the same. I take my microphone off of mute and say, "What's up guys it has been a long time." An older-looking character dressed in a cliche cultivation robe looked at me, and he sighed into his microphone, "Is there something you need, Immortal King?" He stated as he emphasized the last two words. Another character with a ninja outfit on him, with two katanas on his back, and two daggers on each hip said, "Adazoga, you mustn't be so rude. It's unbefitting of someone who holds such a high status like you." The ninja man said sarcastically. Adazoga started to speak in a confident tone, "You should be the last person talking about rudeness. I am your senior thou should respect me, with your stupid username. I mean what, rational person names themselves something a name as stupid as WhisperingHeart in a game as roleplay filled as this one. You must be a real idiot." Seemingly satisfied with his comeback, he makes a 'hmph' sound. "Huh! Why are you taking this game so seriously is another question. I think you should probably be rethinking your argument, Adazoga." WhisperingHeart said this quite loudly, and in the background, you could faintly hear someone yelling at him, he proceeds to respond, "Fine, I'll quiet down." I let out a small  chuckle at this. Adazoga decided to use this opportunity to win the argument, and with a smile on his face, he proceeds to say, "So you are admitting defeat, as always. You're my junior. I always win." "Hey, you know why-" WhisperingHeart was about to continue but, he was cut off by Maxim, who with a fake sad voice began to speak, "So you g-guys are just going to act like I never came?? I was gone for three months, how mean is that?" "Dude, we've been talking over Doscird for the past three months." A femboy looking-character with a traditional western mage outfit said. If you were to look at him in-game then listen to his voice, you'd be shocked. "Well, that was pretty blunt Akaki. I could've been fine without that. I still hate saying your name I, get watching anime is your thing but you could've chosen any other decent name." I say in a way in which you could hear me smiling. "You aren't funny. I recommend finding books on jokes, they may be of assistance," Akaki said in annoyance. "Alright guys, the real reason I came back here was that I saw a post that said I might be dead so, I just decided to come on," I state happily. WhisperingHeart decides to speak up and he says, "Wow. You know I thought you were going to saysomething like I don't know a boss that is level 100,000 and we need to defeat it to protect the safety of this town. Or something along those lines." "Wow, you are expecting too much, aren't you? Scottnazzo isn't some type of god, he's a regular person who spends too much of his time playing this game. I mean just look at his avatar, a somewhat thin male with a cliche sword at his back, and black light armor. And his face, oh my god. He spent an hour just doing the face, with a round face, sharp jawline, long hair tied in a bun, and the light-blue eyes." Akaki lets out as if he was venting his anger. I hurried out of my chair, so I can head to the kitchen. I wanted to make a funny joke, so I was trying to grab an onion to fake-cry. However, I tripped over a wire, which made my desk collapse, then it made me fall through the floor, which then made the building collapse, trapping me under rubble, a step away from deaths door. "Huh? Is this really how I die? God damn it! This is so stupid! What a dumb way to di-" I couldn't even finish venting my anger before I passed out, and what seemed like only a second I woke up once again but I'm standing, somehow. I then yell "WHAT DIDN'T I DIE A VERY TRAGIC DEATH?" in the sexiest voice I've ever heard. Since I was still a bit disorientated I didn't notice my surroundings, but then I realized. "IS THIS MY CHARACTER'S BODY?" Everything matches up, a sexy voice, a very delicate looking body, and then the most obvious of them all, the guild council room, and my friends also looking around confused. "Hey, do you know what happened guys?" I asked them in a hurry, feeling very panicked. I mean who dies just to wake up a second later at their character's body. No rational person can stay calm. "Huh? What? Didn't I die because a truck hit a car and the car hit an idle car and that idle car hit a motorcycle that flew right through my window and landed right in front of me, then blew up?" WhisperingHeart said very confusedly. I can't tell what he's confused about, the way he died, the fact that he died, or the fact that he's still 'alive'. "Wait, you died as well?" I yelled at him shaking him. He looks at me, then looks around. And then starts screaming, he proceeds to punch me in the face and ran away. I say run away but what I meant was he hiding in a corner. "Are you okay dude? It's me ScottNazzo, it seems we both died and somehow became our character's body." I try to say to him as calmly as possible however I can't hide the panic in my voice. He doesn't respond and just starts shivering and mumbling to himself. I give up on doing anything and I sit down in one of the chairs. Trying to calm myself, I take deep breaths in and out and after I calmed myself down as much as possible, I start thinking to myself, 'So if WhisperingHeart and I died, there's a slight chance the other two would wake up.' And as if decided by fate, the two woke up at the same time, screaming the end of the world and running in circles. "It's not the end of the world. We all died as it seems, and as you can tell we are in our character's body." I say to the 2 that just woke up. "What do you mean?? I-I was doing perfectly fine and then it was just like bad luck came to me," Akaki said clearly distressed. "So what about WhisperingHeart is he okay? Why didn't you do anything to help him? Can't you see he's distressed? Why are you just standing there?" Adazoga said, clearly angered. Before I can even reply he then walks to WhisperingHeart in the corner and pats him on his back calming him down until he eventually turns around and stares at me with eyes that could kill. I apologize to both of them, and WhisperingHeart said it was fine to which Adazoga seemingly annoyed at WhisperingHeart's answer, punched me. After that, both of them seemed to calm down. "It's going to be alright, we are going to return," I say, trying to calm everyone down. "You are of no help. That's like telling an orphan your dead parents will appear in front of you, it's not going to happen. We shouldn't blind ourselves with false truth. That's the equivalent of running away from reality because you can't deal with it. We both know that getting out of here is virtually impossible as we don't even know how we got here. I think you should reconsider what you are saying before you speak." Akaki says loudly. "HEY! THAT ISN'T NECESSARY AKAKI" Adazoga yelled at Akaki as he saw WhisperingHeart's emotions worsening. "YOU EXPECT ME TO BE DISHONEST HERE? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!" Akaki yelled back. This back and forth exchange went on for a while until they both calmed down. "Are you two alright now?" I ask. "Yes." They respond nonchalantly at the same time. I started to think about what to say, should I talk about how this happened, why this happened, or how to get out. Well, we obviously know we all died, no need to say that, but the unknown is why this happened. Maybe if we figure out why this happened, we can get out. "Now, ignoring what Akaki said, I think we should find a way to return. However, I don't think we could get back into society normally as to other people we are dead." I say with a bit of hesitation in my voice. "Th-then how do you propose?" Considering that WhisperingHeart is not even out of high school and is the youngest out of all of us, it comes to no one's surprise that he's still a bit shaky especially after what I said. "I think that there are no current possible ways back, since not only are our regular lives considered dead, we currently have no clue," Akaki said bluntly. "Then what? You want us to adventure through this shit and find clues and become magical heroes? Even if we were to achieve that, we'd probably be in these character bodies once we return to Earth." Adazoga said out of annoyance. I ponder for a moment before I continue "That seems like the only viable action. It's still a longshot but perhaps we should do that. I mean think about it, as Akaki said earlier we don't know how we got here, so finding clues to figure out why we came here can help us go back to the normal world. However it is bad, not only is it time-consuming, it isn't guaranteed. But it's either figuring out how, why we got here, and finding a solution to leave or staying stuck here forever." "Those do seem like the only reasonable choices. But where do we even start?" Adazoga says. "And that's exactly what we have to figure out. We can't blindly go in because we do not know if this is the exact same world as the game, and even in the game, we didn’t  have much information. Since we never had time to do quests like that, we don't know much." Akaki followed up on Adazoga's question. I proceed to say, " We have concluded that we are faced with 2 options. Explore to possibly find an exit, or just stay here forever. I would rather take the former, I don't know where we will start but I assume asking the postaround town is the best option. Do you hear that noise outside? Since there are too many to be players, it has to be NPCs who, just like us, came alive in the game." "I also agree," Akaki says. "I agree as well," Adazoga says.  I'll do it," WhisperingHeart says.  Alright, ask basic things such as the surrounding area to see if it's different, and maybe differences in culture from what we remember." Akaki said. "Alright, let's do it." We yelled as a way to lift our spirits. However, I don't think it was very effective. ***** This was just a shortened version of the dialogue I thought of while walking down the street, staring blankly at blacksmiths, food vendors, and so on. Everything seems so real, well maybe because it is. I let out a soft chuckle at my own joke. What have we gotten ourselves into? I'm not confident in this at all. I can already tell everyone was 0.02% excited and 99.98% nervous, and that is why they wanted to leave so early, to have some quiet time. I mean it just happened so fast, how are we supposed to keep up? Everyone just changed and it got so confusing. It went so fast.. I wil- no I AM going to fix this. How are we supposed to cooperate if this is how we act? Hm, what is that dude yelling about? "The curse of the forest?" "The monsters have gone wild! This is the end!"? What does that mean? Well, this dude seems like he's very helpful. I start walking towards him as he stands on 2 wooden crates stacked on top of each other. "Hello, what do you mean by the 'curse of the forest'? I ask while putting on a front. "AH!, Immortal King, this is not something someone of your status should have to worry about?" Hm, it seems like we still hold influence, that's good. "I would like to know more, it may threaten us." I put on my best, 'very concerned leader' look and tone. "Well, recently monster attacks have been increasing, and plant-life is dying, in the 'Forest of the Exiled,'" he says, very clearly panicked. "I see, would you like to come to our guild headquarters to discuss further into this?" "Yes! It would be my humble honor to accompany you." "Alright, follow me. I want you to explain all the rumors, even if they may be insignificant." I say Walking back towards the guild, I stop right in front of it to open the door. Going straight towards my personal room, I tell him to sit down and start explaining. "Well, from the current rumors, the monsters are being more aggressive. Many people have been dying, even in a low-rank forest such as this, and I genuinely feel concerned about my safety." "Ahh, I see." So, all this is about monsters being more aggressive. Maybe there is something affecting them? I can easily go through it, but what if it's a lie? And I am pretty nervous about going out and fighting mobs because I don't have any real-life fighting experience. "Alright go on," I say.   * E N D *

     At the top of a ruined skyscraper, a creature with the shape of a man stands in awe at the view before him. A group of armed soldiers stand in wait as he basks in the glory of the morning sun.      "Put the kid down now!" Shouts one of the officers, a woman who stood out more then the rest of her squad, wearing a full bulletproof body suit with the symbol of a syringe jabbed into a heart on her jacket.      "Release the kid and get down now!" Yells the woman, pointing her gun at the thing that stands more than 4 feet taller then her.      The creature she was yelling at, a behemoth that stand at 10 feet tall, muscles rippling underneath his skin pistons in a machine, on his back is what looked like a deep diving breathing tank, but far more advanced and elaborate. The machine was small enough to almost be unnoticeable in compare to the titan of a man.      The more the woman looked, she could tell that they were not even a pest to the man. One of his hands glowed a bright blue, and electricity surged off of his palm. The other hands coated in steel and strangled machine parts that she had never seen before. The man's head was completely concealed, instead showing off a large helmet that was shaped like an advanced version of a gas mask.      The most worrying of all, was a little girl calmly laying in his cradles arms, scaring at him with bright neon green eyes and a pale blue sheen to her already snow white skin.      "Wait, stop! No!!!" As the woman was screaming this, the giant of a man, jumped off the edge of the building, vanishing from the squads sight.

"Hmph! It's not like I want to wake you up or anything…" said the alarm clock. "I'm already awake before you even wake me!" shouted the girl on a single sized bed. She stood up and yawned, then blushed, "W-why are you looking at me mirror-kun!?" The mirror reddens and falls down after a sudden earthquake. A loud siren filled the whole town, "T-there's, there's a bombardment… everyone…" the announcer whispers from the speakers. Then suddenly, she yelled, "I-it's not like I'm helping you guys or anything! Just go to the bunkers!" Meanwhile in the President's office, an executive member speaks up "Neighboring country declared war on us…" "What country?" the President asks. "H-hmph! You can just find that on your own, you know!" the executive member pouts. The President blushed and shouted, "Do y-you even think you're the one I… asked? Baka!" She pointed at the other member and panted, "Y-you… Mark-kun…" The other executive member turned around and covered his flushed face "I-it couldn't be… President-senpai is calling my name…" He fell down from his chair and rolled around, "N-no! Baka—baka—baka—baka!" In the middle of the night, at a military base, high ranked generals were gathered together for discussing their military plans. They stared at each other in silence and turned around with flushed faces, "W-who want to propose a plan…" The silence passes by once again and then they started covering their reddening faces, "S-stop blushing… everyone…" After some few minutes of breathings filling the silent room, the five star general whispered utterly "I… I think we should… fortify… north…" They all nodded quietly and immediately left the room. In a busy crowded town, a man walks into a local restaurant to order a bowl of noodles. "W-what?! Don't say such, such words to me…" the employee blushes deeply. The man stared at her with pale eyes, "A bowl of noodles, please…" The employee whimpered silently while covering her face and shaking her head. The man's expressionless face turned into disappointment, as he then walked out of the restaurant, "What place am I…" At a full speed a car passes by him, it bumps into an electric pole but the driver is unharmed. "You drunkard, you almost hit me!" the man yelled at the driver crawling out of his vehicle. The driver glanced at him and pouted, "I-It's not like I avoided hitting you because I liked you or anything…" "What did you just…" the man muttered and walked away from the scene, "What a bizarre place." A robbery group breaches into a bank, "Everyone! Give us your valuables!" The people reluctantly listened to the robbers and handed their bags, "G-grab all you want… baka robbers!" A robber planting his C4 bomb on the money vault, fails and accidentally cut a wire. "Hey, fix that senpai!" his subordinate shouted at him. "F-fix?!" the robber blushes and puts on his mask, "I-it's not like I'm gonna fix it for you or anything…" His subordinate turns red and coughs, "As if, I'm suggesting it because I liked you…" They both avoided eye contact as their faces reddens more in embarrassment, but then the bomb exploded and alarmed the robbery detector. Police authorities surrounded the bank and attempts to force the robbers into surrender, "Baka! Baka—baka—baka!!" The sheriff blushes in excitement and hides his face, "P-please…surrender…" "F-fine… police-kun." the robber leader steps out of the bank while the others free their hostages. "Kind of…" the same disappointed man was now holding his head with both hands, he switches the TV's channel and saw a weather report. "Today is… hmph! Just look at the screen bakas!" the reporter pouts and looks away. The man threw his remote and slept.

Horuu So  I tried writing a yuri as a one-shot. Please kindly read and give your review of your thoughts about this! It all began in a single glance, I never had nor saw it coming, an incident that sparked my cold, boring life. What went wrong? It didn't have to be like that.  What's so special about her? To be honest, I don't know. I was a strange person, to begin with, to put it succinctly, I don't live on the same wavelength as other girls. Boyfriends, gossip, rumors, likes, and everything else that makes you a girl don't fit me well, with the exception of fashion, which, to put it simply, I never neglected.   First thing I heard upon entering high school were whispers about me. Unwanted attention and unpleasant gazes from peers of students. What kind of whispers and why you wonder?   As the honor student delivers her speech to fellow students and teachers, I must say she's full of hopes and determination.  She was stealing glances at me as well. Do I look like that different from others? Furthermore, I don't recall doing anything noteworthy, I scored lower than the person giving her speech. Right! I'm the top 2 of the new students of Hirasawa High. Surprise? I, for one, was taken aback. Since I don't associate myself with others and have devoted my entire life to studying. Was it still insufficient? I was frustrated!   They say, there's always someone better than you but... Haaah! I let out a sigh. It took me that hard to even lose my motivation upon entering high school life. Just how dull I am? Nobody can answer that except me and honestly, I don't want to face it.   "So, erm... I'm Kimizuki Eri, your homeroom teacher. I hope you take care of me during your first year of high school."   Proud and elegant. She resembles a Yamato Nadeshiko, long black silky hair, model-like body proportion, chest that's proud enough to show itself and boast. Someone you'd like to have as your husband. Her curly blouse revealing her sexy collarbone and snow-white shoulder, very enticing for the boys I bet. What's more, she has a sexy mole at the bottom of her right eye which is very eye-catching. Kimizuki-sensei must have a ton of suitors.   Our gazes accidentally met as I was looking tired with a dead-fish eyes. Wha-... She gave a sly grin... That's-... Kinda weird. For a brief moment., I was terrified.   Averting her gaze, she looked around the room, glancing at my classmates. The boys around are getting noisy and among them, a brave one emerged, raising his hand to ask a question.   "Sensei, can I ask a question? "   "Sure go ahead."   "Do you have a boyfriend? You don't have a ring so must not be married yet."   "Well, to be honest, I don't"   "Woaah!!"   The lads struck an idiotic victorious pose. Looks like their hard work have paid off. On the other hand, the girls were giving disgusting looks to the boys... I don't understand them at all. Is it necessary to pose such a query? I doubt there's not many teachers around who'd dare date a student as it is prohibited. What if Kimizuki-sensei was one of them? That would be another story.   Homeroom ended and just as Kimizuki-sensei was about to leave she suddenly came to a halt, directing her gaze on me she spoke.   "Amazawa Reina-san, could you meet me at my office later?"   Eh?! What exactly did she say? Is she for real? Why? Cracking my head coming up for a logical reason why she would ask me to visit her office, I was lost in thought.   I haven't said, but someone confessed to me after the opening ceremony... It was both unexpected and ridiculous. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked me to accompany him to school's garden. Nobody was around so I had a hinged he'll confess to me and I was dead on.   You obviously have a lower chance of getting a yes by confessing on the spot without getting to know the person first. . Apart from his name, which he mentioned when introducing himself, I don't even who he is. And I don't have plan of dating anyone because I'm conflicted with my feelings. I don't think I have the heart of a normal girl because I'm attracted to the same gender. I found it weird at first until it occurred to me that these feelings, no matter how long, how hard I fight it, it will stay the same. Why am I like this? I'm not sure myself. To begin with, I don't remember ever falling in love. I said I'm conflicted because I still couldn't believe it, but what if one day, I might come to love someone. I mean someone, but most likely that would be a woman.   Getting back to Kimizuki-sensei, did she see me being confessed earlier? I don't think that's something to be concerned with. So only one thing left is to ask. Gathering my courage, I bravely ask her.   "Uhm... Could I ask for what reason Kimizuki-sensei?"   "Because you're the top 2 in the entrance exam for the entire first year. I had a talked with Shiina-san prior to the start of classes, so that only leaves you."   What? I don't see any compelling reason for this. Not like I was planning to slack off and procrastinate on my studies. Speaking of Shiina Yumi, she was invited to the student council. Maybe I was getting called for the same reason. So I resigned and gave my answer to sensei.   "Alright, Kimizuki-sensei."   "Hmm, that's good to hear. Then everyone, get ready for your next class."   Now I'm attracting even more unwanted gazes from everyone. It made me feel uneasy because not everyone is willing to speak to me. When I turn my gaze to look at them, all I get is quick averting of their gazes. With flushed face who couldn't even meet my eyes. What's gotten to them?   Resigning myself, I ready my notes for next class.   Time flew by, and already lunch break. Quickly cleaning my notes, I made my way to canteen. I wanna buy something fulfilling but I was called by Kimizuki-sensei so I just a bread will suffice for now.   I feel my skirt flutter in slight breeze as I walk through the hallway. It feels so good yet I have to keep my skirt in place, otherwise my skirt will make a parade with watchful eyes all around. I think my black panties with black laces would be something appealing to the boys but I have my shame.   Knocking on the door, I called from who's inside.   "Kimizuki-sensei, are you there?"   I hope she is because I don't wanna stand outside waiting for her. Since I don't know anyone in this floor, rather this school is a a complete mystery to me yet.   "Yes, the door is open, you may come in."   Turning the handle, As I open the door, a soft creek sound could be heard. Opening the door halfway, allowing enough space for me to enter then closing it slowly, avoiding to make too much noise that might be disturbing. I don't wanna show a disrespectful sight in front of her. This would be my first time having a conversation to her so, let's see what kind of person, this Yamato Nadeshiko, Kimizuki-sensei is.   Inside, the view is an elegant and professional. Things appear to be expensive with two luxurious couches facing and a glass table in between. Her wooden desk that looks like a piece of art, with designs I've never seen before; there's no way of checking for authenticity but I think it'll be necessary. Back against the walls, are two perfectly organized shelves filled with books by various authors. An air conditioner and a glass wall at her back with red curtains hooked together on both sides showing off some sunlight.   Everything that's here, thinking of it, it ain't what a teacher supposed to have. Furthermore, is a first year teacher allowed to even have their own room? Just what kind of authority does Kimizuki-sensei hold within this school? She frightens me to the point I couldn't even think of messing with her.   "You may sit on the couch."   "Thanks Sensei, I'll help myself then."   "How was your first class? Did you enjoy it?"   She asked. Well, rather than being enjoyable, it was plenty helpful. Topics we're interesting and teachers highlighted the most important part of the lectures earlier. First day of class so everyone maybe expected, including myself that the teachers would take it easy but this school boasted high education standards, so teachers are living up to that I guess.   "It was fine, first classes were so interesting."   "I'm glad you like it here then."   Time for me to ask why she would ask me to come here.   "So Kimizuki-sensei, why you asked me to come here then?"   "Hmm, didn't I tell you was about your rank at entrance exam?"   "Uhm... Yes, so what about it?"   "You feel frustrated by it, aren't you? It clearly shows on your face. I'm a bit worried."   "Uh... Yeah, it got me. For as long that I had been devoted to studying, I suppose It wasn't enough."   I'm not genius nor a prodigy, all of my high grades from middle high are all fruit of sole effort and hours of studying. Often I think of absurd things like...   What will become of me in the future if I won't pursue my studies? I don't have anything to begin with. So my studies both held as my weapon and foundation.   "In some cases, some students that worked hard enough to their studies ends up feeling dejected and lose motivation, causing them to stray from their path. I don't want that to happen to you."   Sipping her hot coffee with her small, soft, pinkish and lovely lips. I'm starting to feel attracted to Sensei. Ah! Damn! No this wrong!   Averting my gaze, I can feel my face flushed in heat. Kimizuki-sensei put on the same enticing, devious smile from before. Getting up from his chair, she seats next to me.   After a few moments... I found myself beneath her, her silky black hair, danced wildly as she grabbed me down, and now gathered on her right side spreading even more darkness which scares me.   Her lips, open with a small gap now brimming with happiness. Her deep blue ocean eyes, so fierce as if it penetrates me revealing my entity and humanity to her. Her pinkish, snow-white face, that's as well very lovely.   With all of that, just what exactly does this beautiful, devilish Sensei want from me? I couldn't think of anything.   "You, Reina-chan... Someone... A guy to be specific, confessed to you right?" I was taken aback. My eyes were wide open full of surprise. She'd seen us earlier? Why should it matter to her? Does she have feelings for him? To be honest, he was quiet handsome. If ever she grows to like him, given her position in this school, it speaks bad news for me. But her next word didn't comply to it.   "Are you the type to date some random guy Reina-chan? Cos I don't think so given your prim and proper demeanor. I will not give you permission to date him."   She's been calling Reina-chan since she grabbed me down. What's the deal with her? Permission?  Does she likes me instead? So I decided to give my answer to clear my confusion.   "N-no... I-I'm not dating him. Why should it a matter to you sensei? I don't think a teacher should mess with her student's relationship."   "Hmm... I see, glad to hear. Yeah that's true."   "I see" my ass! Now that you've gotten your answers, get off me already! You're terrifying! True? Did you just realize that? I can't believe you!   "Well, In that case..."   The next thing that happened was... Sensei closed the gap between our mouths and kissed me. Our lips tangled with each other, exchanging saliva as her soft tongue invaded my mouth. She softly licks my tongue and lips as if it were the sweetest thing she ever had in her whole life. I groaned as I ran out of oxygen.   "Sen... Sense-... Can't breathe-..."   She heard my voice, which was more of a complaint. She went too far! What's with her? That was my first kiss taken by her! I can't believe this! I feel my eyes tearing up a little but that feeling... I can't explain it... my heart was beating too loud and too fast. It's not a matter to talk whether she heard it or not.   Above all, I couldn't put up any resistance. My body seemed to be moving on it's own, embracing her kisses. So... do I really love females? Did it all get summed it up in a single kiss? My heart accepted it like it was normal. I couldn't think straight, and  I no longer trust my own thoughts. This is insane! Just what is driving Mikizuki-sensei to do all of this? I wonder.   "You have elegant short silver hair, pink adorable lips, lovely deep blue eyes same as mine. Your slender, smooth body, snow-white skin, your enticing and lovely face, I couldn't resist you to the point I fell in love with you! No wonder that guy made a move on you..."   She took a breath and continue talking.   "I've had my eyes on you since the first time I saw you. Just thinking bout you gave me a rush that I couldn't get enough of. My head is in shambles every single day. D you wanna know when that occurred? It was love at first sight."   Her face is in ecstasy. She's making a smile that I've never seen before. How would I know we'd only met recently? More importantly, she recognizes me from somewhere? Since when? How did she know I'd be entering this school?   "Y-yeah... Please tell me... And co- could you please let go of me?"   "I'm not letting go yet..."   "Ugh..." What is this woman saying?   "It was around a year ago. Your mother was a friend of my older sister. I only caught a glimpse of you, but ever since, I continue to fall in love with you. I even went to the trouble of sending your mother a scholarship offer from this school in order to  ensure you'd attend here."   "Wha-..!" She would go that far? She just admitted she was stalking me. She orchestrated this whole thing... How could this have happened...   "So... sensei love girls as well?"   "Isn't that obvious?!"   .. Sensei As well? Eh?! ---------"   What's up with that surprised expression? That simply means I exist on the same existential plane as you. At the very least, I learned that I wasn't alone but I wasn't told that the other person had to be my insane homeroom teacher....   "That doesn't give you a chance! All you did was sex harassment! Forcibly, kissing me and..."   Before I could finish my sentence, sensei kissed my lips once more. Her soft, sweet scent scattered around my mouth like a potion I couldn't get enough of. My sensitive nose picking up ob her scent, even her shampoo that's so fragrant attacking the very core of my sanity. My mind is going weird it's driving me crazy! I had to stop this but... I don't have any strength to do so.   Separating from me... She spoke.   "I'm happy. To know that you're the same as me. My heart is filled with butterflies. I live, I breathe, and I exist solely just for you Reina-chan."   I don't need to know that! I know you're sick but could you give me a break! I couldn't take this all at once! I... I'm afraid I might die. I can't even muster any strength... goddamnit.   Suddenly, stripping her flurry blouse, her perfectly sized breast covered with a cyan-colored bra enters my field of vision. Taking off the left side of her cyan-colored bra, what appeared in front of me is her fluffy breast with a lovely pinkish nipples. I want touch it, lick it, after seeing it, who wouldn't wanna touch something to enticing.   Grabbing my right hand, guiding it to her boobs. What I felt was truly magnificent. A burning yet so soft feeling which drives me insane. Touching her nipples and pinching it she groaned.   "mmnn..."   That was cute and lovely. Makes me wanna do more but I'm not like her. This is unbearable for my innocent mind. Just what the fuck this homeroom teacher has gotten me into.   "Aaah... Did you feel it my heartbeat?" Yeah it's going wild. If you gonna show me your flushed, embarrassing face and be ashamed then don't do it in the first place!   After that, she kissed me once again...   Standing up she pulled me over and helped me sit properly on the couch. Both of us are catching our breathes. I can't believe that I'd be in this situation right after entering high school. What's more, this horny, beautiful, devious, deceiving homeroom teacher of mine is waiting for me .   She fixed her clothes and hand me a mirror and a comb telling me to fix myself, and before I knew it, I'd forgetten about my afternoon classes. Turning my head, I ask her.   "Sensei..."   "If it's about class, you're pretty late now."    You should've stopped If you knew that. Aren't you a teacher as well? Wouldn't I be in very bad situation if I skipped classes on the first day of high school? What are you so calm? It wouldn't appear as your problem but it was all your fault! You damn wench ! ...   "Don't make a sad face now. I'll tell the teachers that you were with me for counseling."   ".... Just how much power you have Mikizuki-sensei?"   "Eri-sensei! uh no! Call me Eri-chan! Hehe. Well, I prefer both so go with whatever makes you feel at ease."   "I don't feel  at ease with either of it Mikizuki-sensei."    "Hmpf!..."   "You won't get anything even if you pout sensei!."   "You look so cool and lovable and yet a meanie!"   "You don't look like as the type of person who would assault her student Kimizuki-sensei!"   "If it's you why not."   No you shouldn't say that! That only confirms my suspicions that you'd assault me whenever you have the opportunity!   I sighed. This does not sit well with me.   "You still have another 15 minutes to rest you know. I'll accompany you to the teachers' faculty to explain the counseling."   Yeah, Of course. I don't wanna appear as a problem child right after first day of high school. Kimizuki-sensei's family owns and runs this school so no wonder he wields such power.   That's how it went, Kimizuki Eri my homeroom teacher who assaulted me in my first day of high school and I have no ways deal with yet. What would be the future waiting for me? I couldn't help worry for my own safety and sanity.

     At this moment, there is silence. There is no whipping wind, no chirping birds, no swishing ocean waters, only silence and total darkness. That was what Nick was experiencing. Nick was once your average joe, walking amongst the rabble to earn his next paycheck. Then one day, out of the monotony of his everyday schedule he was struck in the back of the head. The next thing he knew, he was strapped to an operating table completely naked and missing an arm.      "Ahh, your awake I see." Says a woman outside of his line of sight. "So, you may be wondering why you are here? Well, I was looking for a test subject to work my next big project on. Don't worry! The pain should not last very long... heh." As soon as she finished talking, Nick began to feel something squeeze and squelch it's way into his back. Several somethings were being injected into his spine and he did not like it! It burned as it squelched it's way in, cracking the spine as it entered and burning the flesh as it passed by.      Unfortunately for Nick, all he could do was whimper at the pain because his mouth had been sealed shut using a muzzling device of some kind. He could only squirm, whimper and cry as galons of these unknown fluids entered his spine.  He could feel his entire body tearing itself apart. His skin cracked and burned like logs on a fire, his tongue froze like it was made of ice, and before anything else happened, he passed out.      Little did he know that he was a part of a bigger plan. After he finally succumbed to a plasmid overdose, he was forced to undergo the "Big Daddy Experiment". It was a dangerous and new procedure to go through, however strangely after everything was said and done, it worked! Before he ever even regained consciousness.       He was forced into a big daddy suit and bound to a little sister through a plasmid link. After that it was all a blur to him. The facility going dark, people dying left and right, his little sister dragging him through the complex halls and them continuing they're jobs to collect more plasmid serum. Until one day, everything fell apart again.

Rainbowhero This is my chapter, there are many like it, but this is mine. This chapter will be a summary of some of her early life, as you all probably don't care what goes through the life of a baby, even if they are the main protagonist. it is written in a summary style by an orphanage matron, who is supposed to report on child behavior. Rija Document year 1 Rija, whom we received at 6 O'Clock in the morning, was discovered on the steps to the orphanage by a passerby and brought in to give to one of the staff. Ticker, the nickname they gave the girl Rija, was a reference to the fact that she was given to the orphanage with only the paper that gave her name, and the single pocket watch that she had upon arrival. The clock had no screw holes and no hole for batteries, instead, it included a little dial that could be winded up, and it also acted as a button, although nobody had a clue what it did when pressed, and a dial inside the pocket watch's screen told how long the wind would last. The note required that the watch never leave her side, which while quite strange, and if I'll be honest, a little confusing a request. We accepted of course, who would take the only memento from a child, we hadn't planned on taking it from her anyway. although we do not leave her alone with it, in case she chokes herself with it. The note also said that the watch did not work right, and when examined, it ticked a little quick by 0.03 seconds, so that was the assumed problem, although there's nothing wrong with a little quick, and the watch wind was wrong, it would continue to tick by a few extra hours after the dial said it would stop, which we would have fixed if it hadn't been a memento that seemed to be made by an expert. It lacked any visible screws, seals, or locks after all and it would probably be pried open if it needed repairs, which would irrevocably leave it marred, better to leave it as it is. Rija Document Year 2 she has started to grow into a personality of Spitefulness and quiet contemplation, she seldom babbles unless it's for something she wants, and if you bring her something she dislikes she'll take a vow of silence against you. one of the caregivers who was a little green was not expecting this attitude and tried to force it into Rija's mouth, in which Rija grabbed her plastic spork and knocked the food away. Rija wasn't punished, but the silent treatment that she gave the caregiver was a punishment in itself, it was like being looked upon like you weren't worth the dirt outside. The Caregivers Resignation was expected, I think Rija was the final nail in the coffin for him. Rija Document Year 3 Rija seemed to take to drawing very quickly off, something that not a lot of the caregivers expected her to take the route of an artist, she had such a great death stare that they expected her to be a guardian for other children, although she does do that too. her doodles have joined with the other children over the inner walls of Mildew. sometimes she even decided to add to where others left their art to end, although suitably childish in the creation of stick figures, she creates faces beyond her years when she draws hands though... I must bring attention to the fact that hands are hard though, so I can't blame her for the lacking skill. Rija Document Year 3 This year nothing out of the ordinary occurred, although most of the children have turned to asking Rija to draw when they need art projects instead of doing it themself, which has become a problem, although her art is easily distinguishable from other's art. I have notified her to draw for herself and no one else. She... reluctantly agreed to it, I feel she will not hold to the bargain. Rija Document Year 4 She's become friends with someone, which was harder with the fact of her timid nature, She has joined with a woman who worked as a clockmaker. The woman studied the watch and pointed out the flaws, but gave the watch back to Rija after the examination, it is strange though that she knew about the timer being off when the clock was winded over. Rija Document year 5 The care of this child has been terminated, after adoption by one Gertrude Ticker, the woman who was referenced in the fourth year review. I guess Rija grew on her, this file is now over, and any new files must be started under the name "Rija Ticker" I hope they have a wonderful life.

Rainbowhero This is NOT how the main character acts for the story, it just so happens that I'm trying in medias res, or in the middle of the plot, just so you can see what she becomes. She came to at the edge of a rooftop with a man's robotic hand grasping her throat, holding her aloft on the rooftop. That was how it started, her being held aloft by a man's robotic arm, held just near a ledge precariously, and with no idea how any of it had started. "WHERE IS IT!?" The man who was holding her throat asked, spit flying out from his mouth and hitting her face, what was he asking for? "WHERE IS THE WATCH!?"  Where is the watch? if only she knew she would have given it to him, if only she knew anything about it she would have given it to him. She reached into her pockets, hoping to find solace in the pocket, something the man would find useful. also preferably something that might be mouth wash, ugh. She watched as the man focused his eyes on the hand in her pocket, and watched as she pulled out a pocket watch from her pocket. "Thank you," The man said, grabbing the watch from her hand, and releasing her throat. She felt instead unsteady as she fell backward off the edge of the roof, her foot kicking up as she fell. catching the chain of the pocket watch in the man's hand and dragging it off with her. "NO!" The man cried as She fell backward off the roof, with the watch hanging onto her foot as she fell. Man, what a way to go, dying on the first few moments of memories? should she get philosophical while she falls? should she try and save the watch? It seemed pretty important to the man, maybe it could help her? She reached her hand and tried to clasp her hand onto the watch. "CRUNCH" was the sound that came with the brutal, lethal landing, her neck turned in a direction that it should never turn to, her arms at angles that were never intended, and her own personal pool of blood started draining away into the single drain near her broken form. the watch, that the man had come to claim was cracked, glass cover broke open. The crowd that collected was somberly around the girl, and everyone started pulling out their phone to call the emergency services for a suicide, hands to their mouth as they looked upon her. one of the men caught sight of the watch in her hand and moved to push the hand closed over it, pressing the broken watch's dial/button in the process, and in doing so, saved the girl. as a spark struck inside the watch's internal electronics, the watch's still ticking clock started turning back, slowly at first, before picking up speed and speeding up to around a minute every second, before eventually speeding beyond humanly recognizable speed. The broken glass started pulling itself back together as the clock whipped around in its quickness. The people around her started to reverse, returning to their original position, before the girl herself started to miraculously heal. her broken bones setting themself as she was lifted into the air, her body felt weightless as her body rose up slowly to the roof. her rise picking up speed as the pocket watch's hands started to glow blue and start sparking inside the watch. her feet were set onto the roof for a mere moment before the man grabbed her throat once more, and the watch was put in his hands for a mere blink of an eye before they were returned to her pocket. Everything that had been done was being undone, a cataclysmic event that was beyond comprehension, the man started dragging the girl in reverse towards a dented piece of metal that was part of an AC unit, before the man put her head into the indentation, and stepped back. The clock started to turn red as the clock tried harder and harder to do the job it was made to do, the sparks caused it to start burning through the pocket as the girl's form was lifted from the indented AC and the dent disappeared with it. The man started into a reverse-opening of a door where he backed into the roof access. The girl returned to the standing form, and in a moment that could almost seem inconsequential, the girl put her hand in the pocket to press the button on the pocket watch. Time resumed as normal, the clock stopped, ticking as normal with a second per every 0.97 seconds(although it isn't unnoticeable, this quality makes the item work in the way it does), although it had turned a day back, and although few would notice, the girl was also a day younger, for that was all the watch could take from anyone who used it. The man, who had killed the girl only moments before, slammed through the door once more, his handheld high to hit the girl once more. Although this time she was prepared, she dropped as the man came under his first punch, and the girl ran behind him as he recovered. The man gave a confused glance under his shoulder at the girl, who had her form of punishment lined up from behind the man. Which just happened to be a kick that started from a high point and went right for the family jewels. "ugh," the man cried in a pathetic cry, his body collapsing as the severe pain to his gonads was setting in. The girl happily also provided a punch to the kidney too, because he deserved all the best punishment that he could get. After that was all over with, the girl named Raji, who remembered her name after the amnesia was removed from her brain being brought to working condition, lifted her hand and watched as a crow flew in from one of the AC units, and landed on her finger, it's one robotic eye watching the man who had attacked its master. She walked into the one door that gave roof access, and locked the door behind her, leaving the man stranded on the rooftop to think about what he had just tried to do to her, hell, maybe he'll change for the better. Raji had to wonder though, what had her life been before... this? Rainbowhero This is just a story Idea that I have sat on, I'm not starting it, just leaving it as an idea for when I start on it later, it also has the advantage of being so loose that I can do whatever I want with it. this story is my relaxing story that was made to be easy. it is based on a game idea that I have, but I think I'll prefer creating the personality for the protagonist here. this world is steampunk, although not mentioned here, I instead wanted to prioritize the steampunk elements in the next chapter, and the town she is in is more to the likings of a rural town with a mix of 5 to 50 story buildings, so you may recognize that the world is modern like steampunk. I might start it, the idea grew on me, as I read a story similar to this, and it is based on it, although this version would have only one main protagonist, unlike their multiple protagonist stories.

When the ball shot up from his hands, it went into the goal. That felt right. "Lucky shot," Damion scoffed. He held his own basketball in his hands and begun dribbling. "You sure ain't gonna make it again." Jason motioned his hand to the ball. "Give me the ball then, Dae." After a couple more dribbles, Damion passed the ball. Jason caught on his left hand. He wasn't the best on his left; like most, he grew with his right. But if it got Dae off his back, then he'd do it. He dribbled with his left hand. At first, he was cautious. His dribbles thumped onto the ground like feet, or glass, or bodies. Jason clenched the ball with more confidence. It only pounded harder into the concrete. The boy grinned. Damion laughed at Jason's attempts. "You really think you can do something with that left hand?" But Jason couldn't listen to him, not right now. He had to get pumped. He hadn't been on that hand in a while, but he sure wasn't gonna give up. He ran towards the left side of the goal. After sweeping the imaginary D-Man off his feet, he pulled up for the shot.  The ball circled the rim like the shark in Jaws. It kept going around in circles, only a moment away from entering the goal.  It went in. "Yeah!" Jason ran to the ball and grabbed it. He turned back to Damion, who was grinning like an idiot.  "Ain't no way." "You see it!" Damion chuckled. He turned his back to Jason and begun walking.  He frowned. "Where you going?" "Getting the bread," he informed him. Jason raised a brow. Was it the same bread from yesterday? And the day before that? Dae's Mama cooked bread for them almost every day, but it was never Jason's favorite; a lot of her bread tasted crusty and burnt on the edges. He didn't say it. After Damion came back, he shared the bread. Jason began to rip the scorched bits off. "Man," his friend interrupted him. "You're getting rid of all the good stuff." He shook his head. "Nah, man. I'll probably give it to Rufus or something." Damion nodded, but he didn't say anything. He never did when he didn't eat her bread. An eruption rung in his ears, invading the silence. He covered his ears, but the ringing continued. His eyes drew shut. There was a snap, and then there was a thud. The thud, he hoped, had been a stray basketball. It was a loud thud, so it should be going up again. It should make another thud sound. This time it would be weaker and shorter. It never did. He opened his eyes. Damion laid on the ground. Blood escaped from the bullet wound like pouring water out a cup. Jason's breath seized. His heart dropped into his stomach. He felt ill. Jason forced his breath back. His heart rose back to his chest. He ignored his trembling body as he reached for the burnt biscuit. He broke the bread in half and ate it.

As if my life was flashing before my eyes I watched all those film reels playing through my heads. Her hands gripping mine under the table, her lips touching mine while a theater laughed or the slow magic unfolding as she gripped my back and said to me “let’s live together forever.” As we laid in bed together. Comforting me was a blazing fire of emotion that burned a mark through my body, yet I watched as she left. In her car with boxes of furniture, pictures, clothings, and boxes of memories. I reach my hand out asking to come back but six figure job sounds more appealing than staying here taking care of my parents.  Try as I might to grab her attention yet she gave no mind. She paid no attention to her “past” I looked upon the road ahead. What I imagined for her was a future filled with large skyscrapers, beautiful home, and without me. One again I held my hand out as her eyes came into the rearview mirror. She was tearing up, she cried too. I looked up at the building in which she promised that we would be together forever. Beautiful but with no life, my knees fall and my heart shattered as I hit the concrete floor. Thoughts fly by me as I wail and wail.  What did I do wrong       I’m a loser                        She deserved better      You idiot           It’s my fault               Damn right it is        … Come Back My fists bled, bled like my aching heart. I collapse on the grass ground and look up at the sky. I don’t know how far I went but I ran. I ran from the memories and ran from the promise. I ran like her away from everything. The trees rustled around me as I lay looking up at that purple sky. My heart pounded in pain, it pounded at the cage asking me to let it out, let it out and burn everything. I instead just wanted to hurt myself not others. I look back at the concrete and raise my fist high. This is for believing as I raise it high I felt two soft hands stopping my fists.  I turn back, what else to say except she’s pretty. Everything from her smiling face to her body, she was prettier than her.  “Why’re you doing that?” Her eyes were orange, her white bowler hat made her seem fancy and exquisite.  “N-nothing at all..” “Why would you hurt these beautiful hands?” her hands felt mine before she dug into her pockets and wiped the blood away, slowly. She wiped away my blood, my tears, my pain. I grabbed upon her hands also and looked up. She seems startled from the move, but those eyes are of just pure beauty, compared to her, she's… no stop. I let go of her hand and look down. She kneels down. Her shadow’s now next to mine.  “Walk with me. Maybe you’ll feel better then.” Her shadow rises and departs. My mind races, thoughts, and emotions run past me all together, they leave me lost. Lost and alone yet the shadow came back. Holding out a hand, “cmon its not good to cry alone.”  She leans in once more holding her hand out. I keep my head tilted down but her hand lands on my head. once again I made her kneel, “c'mon I'm hungry and it's cold outside.” Leave.. I then felt a hug with a hand on my head.  She took me inside of a house, I presumed hers. It's a white porch fitted with two patio chairs. She unlocks the door and lets me in. its well clean, smells nice, and is overall just a nice home to live in.  “Go wash your hands I’ll apply bandages for you after.” she takes off her coat, hanging it before heading into the next room. “Where..?” I let out. I think I was a little too quiet, she's already too far gone. Feeling as if I’ve already bothered her too much I start walking around looking for a place to wash my hands. My eyes start wandering around, the entire house is so blue, blue and white. Little white vases here and there but what stopped me right in my tract was stairs leading up. Rather what's on the walls of the stairs leading up. Paintings of the bowler hat woman. She's sitting very, how do I say it? Proper, but never is she looking straight, always looking down with a smile. A sort of superiority smile. Before long I find the bathroom, I wash my hands off and hurry back to the living room. I sit on the couch waiting for her once more looking around the room.  From the kitchen comes the smell of tea, it reminds me of her. The bowler hat lady or well… now the hatless lady comes walking in each step echoed inside the small room. It sounded as if she walked like this on purpose. Carrying two hot cups on a plate, she places it down and looks down at me with a soft smile.  “I’ll go and get the sweets, what would you like, macaroons, some cheesecakes or chocco cakes.” Are, are chocco cakes just chocolate cakes? Well the only thing I've seen her ever eat is cheese cakes and euro cakes.      “I’ll take macaroons and chocco cakes.” When I told her about it she smiled even more. It was hard for me to stay sad. I felt wrong staying sad next to her.      “Good choices, expanding your taste beyond your past.”  she says with that smile before heading out of the living room once again.     My eyes suddenly darted towards her.         “What do you mean my past?” Im chasing after her now. Into the kitchen but shes not even in my sight. I feel a pair of arms lock my chest up.     “Let me help you find yourself.” her words directly into my ear breath rushing around my face. “Then help me.”     “I already know who i want to be though. How can you help me.” her grip loosened. When I responded to her.         “Is that really what you wanna be? Don’t you wanna support your parents. Don’t you wanna become more.” her voice was extremely soothing and her grip completely gone now. She took my hand and dragged me back on the couch her devilish eyes looked down at me once again. The way she looked at me, made me anxious yet I was oddly drawn in. She leaned in close to my face, her lips drawing in closer.      My heart beat was louder as she just drew ever closer. And before I knew it my body wanted to remember her touch, her lips, her feelings. I wanted it all back. I held my lips out, wanting to remember that feeling again. It felt wrong as we kissed, her eyes were wide open with just that look of superiority. Yet… that kiss brought on a wave of happiness within me. I could care less. I have her now, she's back with me.Lips departed as she holds out a handkerchief for me. Shes wiping her lips off with a second handkerchief.     “You can wipe your lips and forget this happened or you can wipe those tears away, and experience those emotions again.” She finished wiping her breath and eyed me. Watching as I wiped away my tears.  “I will help you.”

Scott and Bobby were in the midst of a video call, surrounded by the serene ambiance of a dimly lit room. The only source of illumination was a large window on the opposing wall with its blinds closed, casting slender beams of sunlight across the dark hardwood floor. In the center of the room sat a large mahogany desk, cluttered with papers and a laptop. Bobby Johnson, a late middle-aged man with a serious expression, sat behind the desk and stared intently at his laptop screen. He donned a crisp white shirt and a dark suit jacket, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Scott Jackson, the manager of the Syndicate Girls Band, was seated in a penthouse living room surrounded by suitcases and tour equipment. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans, with disheveled hair, looking tired, stressed, but determined. "I'll discuss the matter with the girls after our Tokyo concert," Scott stated. "I don't want to diminish their energy levels by dropping the bomb, Boss." Bobby leaned back in his chair and pondered the proposal. "Ensure you handle everything as soon as possible," he replied. Scott nodded, affirming, "Affirmative, Boss." Bobby glanced at Scott for a moment, his expression indecipherable, before nodding in satisfaction and terminating the call. The screen turned black, and Bobby shut his laptop with a sigh. As the conversation ended, Scott couldn't help feeling a sense of foreboding. He knew the decision he had to make would be challenging, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was crucial for the band's future. He packed his belongings, preparing to face the girls and deliver the news. He examined his the hotel room, taking in the somber, chilly ambiance and the weight on his shoulders. He knew this choice would have consequences, but he also knew it was the best one for the band and their career. Scott arrived at the concert venue in Tokyo, where the Syndicate Girls Band was slated to perform. As he made his way to the dressing room, he couldn't help feeling a sense of apprehension in his gut. He knew that what he had to do would be difficult, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was necessary for the band's future. When he entered the dressing room, the girls were rehearsing on stage. As they rehearsed the final lyrics of the song, Scott approached the stage. The girls all looked up, smiling and waving. He smiled back, attempting to hide his jitters. "Hey, Scott!" one of the girls, Cassandra, greeted him. "How did the call with Bobby go?" Scott took a deep breath before responding, "It went well. We discussed some vital issues concerning the band's future." The girls looked at him with curiosity and concern. He knew he had to tell them the news as soon as possible. "Girls, I have some news to share with you," Scott stated, his voice unwavering. "We'll discuss it more after the concert tonight, but for now, let's concentrate on giving the best performance of our lives." The girls all nodded, determined to put on a fantastic show. Scott could see the determination in their eyes as they resumed rehearsing, and he knew they would persevere. He only hoped that this decision would ultimately lead to a brighter future for the band. "Keep the vibe going, ladies! This is our final international concert of the year. "We want to leave a mark that will last longer than a politician's promises!" Scott exclaimed, trying to hype up the crowd even more. The girls beamed at him, responding in unison, "We're giving it all we've got, Scott!" "You're our rock!" They were ecstatic about the concert that night, as it was their last show of the year, and they wanted to leave a lasting impact on the audience. As the lights dimmed, the concert hall erupted in wild cheers, signaling the start of the Syndicate Girls' Tokyo concert. The air was thick with excitement, and the crowd's energy was palpable. The night came alive as the band began to play, and the audience erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause as the Syndicate Girls took the stage. The four girls walked onto the stage to thunderous applause, each looking like a rockstar goddess in her own right. Cassandra, the lead vocal and violist, greeted the audience with a respectful bow, earning her immediate affection from the Tokyo crowd. "東京に挨拶！(Tōkyō ni aisatsu!)" she said, before addressing the crowd in English. "Are you ready to rock?" she asked, her confident smile spreading infectious excitement throughout the hall. Kadia, the bassist, strode up to the microphone with her bass guitar slung over her shoulder, ready to take charge. "We're not just a girl band," she said, her voice dripping with attitude. "We're a classical rock n' roll symphony." Siti Sara, the guitarist, chimed in with a witty joke in Japanese, "東京、あなたを揺さぶります！(Tōkyō, anata wo yusaburimasu!)" “Tokyo, we will rock you!” "Let's show this city what rock and roll is really all about! And I hope everyone brought their earplugs, because we're about to turn it up to eleven." The audience roared in approval, loving her playful banter. Bethany, the keyboardist, delivered the punchline, speaking fluently in Japanese. "こちらこそ！皆さんが叫ぶのが喉が枯れ、踊る足が疲れるまで止まりません！(Kochira koso! Minasan ga sakebu no ga nodo ga kare, odoru ashi ga tsukareru made tomarimasen!) (That's right, folks! And we won't stop until you're all hoarse from screaming and your feet can't dance anymore!)" Her quip sent the audience into a fit of laughter, proving the girls were more than just talented musicians. As the concert ignited that evening, the Syndicate band's girls unleashed their energy with a fusion of classical music and rock n' roll that electrified the audience. The concert kicked off with a bang, and the girls played with an unparalleled level of passion and precision, leaving the audience stunned. Cassandra's fingers soared over the violin strings, while Kadia's bass resonated with power. Siti Sara's guitar frets hummed with a wild and rebellious spirit, and Bethany's keyboard keys danced with the rhythm. The concert hall transformed into a musical battleground, and the audience roared with excitement, entranced by the band's mesmerizing performance. As the concert reached its climax, the girls launched into their final song, "Blow." The stage exploded with lights, smoke, and confetti as the audience sang along, lost in the frenzy of the moment. The girls played with a level of intensity that was nothing short of a hurricane, and the crowd matched their energy. It was a concert that would go down in Tokyo's history books, and the Syndicate Girls had rocked the city to its core. Blow[Verse 1 - Cassandra] I'm the one who's got the flow No one can blow like I blow The crowd goes wild; they can't get enough My style is unique, and it's a must-see, don't miss out on me. [Chorus] I'm the best; no need to guess 'Cause I'm the one who BlowS My reputation's top-notch, no one can top that You can tell by the way that I Blow [Verse 2 - Siti Sara] When the crowd starts to shout, my sound is still proud I keep it going like a never-ending cloud The stage is mine; it's time to show You won't believe what I can Blow [Chorus] I'm the best; no need to guess 'Cause I'm the one who BlowS My reputation's top-notch, no one can top that You can tell by the way that I Blow [Verse 1 - Kadia] Can't nobody do it better cuz I'm the best I outshine 'em all; I put 'em to the test My swagger's off the chain, and my style won't rest Wherever I go, you can hear the people say [Chorus] Blow! Blow! That's all they know My style's unmatched, and my flow's the show Leave 'em shook; they can't handle me no more I'm coming in like a storm; hear me roar [Verse 2 - Bethany] I'm the best, that's what I'm gonna say Nobody gonna get in my way Driver's seat, don't need no keys When I'm doing my thing, you can see it in my stride Watch me climb and running' with the heat No one gonna hold me back when I'm on a roll I'm all about that hustle, taking over control [Chorus] Blow, Blow, feel the wind blow My confidence is through the roof so let it show I'm gonna keep pushing 'til I reach the top Gonna do it, big Blow, Blow, feel the wind blow The girls sang their hit song "Blow" for 4.31 minutes.  As the last notes of their song faded away, the Syndicate girls took their final bows to thunderous applause. ""ありがとう、東京！(Arigatō, Tōkyō!)"" exclaimed Bethany into the microphone, eliciting even more cheers from the crowd. Siti Sara put down her guitar and stepped forward to join her bandmate. "素晴らしい夜をありがとう。(Subarashii yoru wo arigatō.)," she said with a smile. "Thank you for an amazing night!" "We'll be back, Tokyo!" the girls shouted in unison, bowing as a group. Sweat poured from their faces as they took their final bows, and the crowd roared their approval, their energy fueling the girls for their next performance. The girls sashayed off the stage, their steps pulsating with the electric energy of a triumphant performance. "That was absolutely mind-blowing!" exclaimed Siti Sara, slapping hands with her bandmates as they made their way towards the backstage area, still basking in the afterglow of their incredible show. Scott, who had been watching from the wings, was practically bursting with excitement. "Ladies, we just rocked Tokyo to its core!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with awe and elation. "That was an out-of-this-world performance. I haven't seen a crowd that wild since I ran with the bulls in Pamplona!" The girls were charmed by Scott's sense of humor, and they couldn't help but laugh. "We couldn't have done it without you, Scott," Cassandra said with pride in her voice. "You're our secret weapon." Scott's grin stretched from ear to ear. "I prefer to think of myself as a ninja in a suit," he quipped, earning chuckles from the girls. "Let's hope our success doesn't take us so high that we get our heads lost in the clouds!" As they headed towards the dressing room, a group of fans rushed towards them, clamoring for autographs and selfies. A teenage girl with blunt bangs exclaimed, "You girls were amazing! I can't believe I got to see you perform live!" Siti Sara responded with a genuine and warm smile, "Thank you so much! We're grateful to have fans like you." As the girls signed autographs and posed for pictures, Scott cracked another joke, "You know what they say, ladies. Success is 10% talent and 90% not being in jail!" The girls giggled, and the fans erupted in applause, thrilled to be in the presence of such a witty band manager. As they piled into the car and headed back to the hotel, Siti Sara's thoughts turned to Vanessa. She longed to be with her girlfriend, but the need for secrecy weighed heavily on her mind. Robert, Vanessa's father, and the King Queen Music management were both in the dark about their relationship, and they weren't ready to face their disapproval. Suddenly, Siti Sara's phone buzzed, and she glanced down to see a message from Vanessa. "That was an incredible performance tonight, babe," the text read. A surge of happiness filled Siti Sara's chest as she read the message. "Thank you, love," she replied. "I miss you already." Bethany, who had been watching Siti Sara with a sly grin on her face, leaned in curiously. "Who's texting you, girl?" she teased, her eyes alight with mischief. Siti Sara hesitated for a moment, her mind racing to come up with a plausible excuse. "My mom," she lied, hoping to evade any further questioning. As the car pulled away, Siti Sara stared out of the window, the weight of her melancholy crushing her heart. The feeling of missing Vanessa was unbearable, and the thought of hiding their relationship for any longer felt like a heavy burden that threatened to break her. She knew they had to be patient and wait for the right moment to reveal their love to the world, but the anticipation was tearing her apart. After all, good things come to those who wait, but how long can they wait? "どうもありがとうございます。(Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.)," they thanked the driver in Japanese as they stepped out of the car and bowed respectfully. Siti Sara trailed the other girls towards the luxurious lobby, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Vanessa. Her longing for her girlfriend was a constant ache, one that refused to be ignored. She missed her touch, her laughter, and the warmth of her embrace. She yearned to hold her in her arms once more, to feel their bodies entwined as they talked about everything and nothing. However, Siti Sara was determined not to let her longing overshadow her last day in Tokyo with her bandmates. As they entered the lobby, their publicists greeted them with congratulations on their successful show. The girls were handed their schedules for the next day, including interviews and fan meetings, to complete their international tour. Siti Sara tried to muster up some excitement for the day ahead, but her mind kept drifting back to Vanessa. She received her schedule, which included interviews and fan meetings, but couldn't shake off thoughts of her lover. The band members settled into their penthouse suite living rooms, still buzzing from the energy of the concert. They reminisced about their performance, each bringing their own unique perspective to the conversation. "Bethany, your Japanese was amazing!" Kadia exclaimed, still in awe of her bandmate's linguistic prowess. "I'm pretty sure I made a few mistakes," Bethany laughed, "but I'm glad they liked it!" Cassandra nodded, "Nights like these make all the hard work worth it. There's nothing like connecting with the audience through music." As they wrapped up their discussion, Bethany's phone buzzed, and she excitedly read the live media coverage. "Looks like our Tokyo fans loved us so much that they want us to come back soon!" The other girls cheered, and Scott, their manager, appeared with a huge grin on his face. "You've conquered Tokyo, ladies! Who knows? Maybe next stop, the world!" Siti Sara laughed along with the others, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Vanessa. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them and whether they could ever be together openly. But she knew they had to be strong and persevere in the face of adversity. And most importantly, love each other deeply, no matter what. Cassandra noticed the distant look on Siti Sara's face and nudged her. "What's going on, Siti Sara?" Siti Sara forced a smile and replied, "Just feeling a bit homesick." Bethany interjected, "Don't worry, Siti Sara. We'll make sure to have a great time tomorrow to take your mind off things." Although Siti Sara appreciated her bandmates' efforts, she still couldn't shake off the emptiness in her heart. As she lay in bed that night, she thought of Vanessa and how much she wished she was with her. Despite her sadness, Siti Sara also felt a sense of pride and accomplishment for everything they had achieved on tour. They had worked tirelessly to get to this point, and she was determined to make the most of every moment in Tokyo. "We can't let our last day be a downer," Bethany said, trying to lift their spirits. "Let's get some rest, and we'll make it a day to remember tomorrow!" Siti Sara nodded and followed the rest of the girls towards their shared bedrooms. As she lay in bed, her mind wandered back to Vanessa. She wondered when they would be able to reveal their love to the world, and a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, "Maybe it's time to stop waiting and start living." The following day was packed with fan meet-and-greets, interviews, and preparations for the group's return to Los Angeles. As Scott's phone buzzed with messages from Bobby, he felt his stomach knotting. "Have you already informed our dear divas?" he asked, knowing it was an inopportune moment. Scott pondered over breaking the news during their private flight to Los Angeles. After all, they had just dazzled their fans with an epic performance, and the girls needed to be at their zenith meeting fans. While the Syndicate band and crew boarded the plane, Siti Sara's mind drifted back to Vanessa, whom she missed dearly. It had been three months since they had last met in person, and finding time to catch up with their busy schedules had been a challenge. However, Vanessa's reply to her message sparked a glimmer of hope in Siti Sara's heart. Vanessa had written, "I can't wait to embrace you and luxuriate in your musky aroma once more," which brought a smile to Siti Sara's face. Despite the distance that separated them, the two lovers eagerly anticipated their reunion on Thanksgiving. On the plane, on the way to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Scott couldn't help but feel anxious. He knew that he had to address the issue head-on, but he didn't want to come across as harsh or unsympathetic. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and reminding himself that he was the girls' manager and it was his responsibility to ensure their well-being. Scott had intended to give them a stern talking-to on the private plane, but he decided to wait until they landed. He knew that he needed to approach this delicately if he wanted to get through to them. With renewed determination, he made his way towards the terminal, ready to face whatever lay ahead.  The day after arriving in Los Angeles, Scott gathered the Syndicate band members - Siti Sara, Bethany, Cassandra, and Kadia - for a meeting at the King Queen Musical Company's label management office. "Girls, we need to talk," he said firmly "What's going on?" Cassandra asked, a hint of concern in her voice. As the girls settled into the meeting room, Siti Sara noticed Scott's grave expression and felt a sense of unease. "Siti Sara," he began, looking directly at her, "can you shed some light on the situation with Vanessa?" Siti Sara's heart skipped a beat.  The other girls looked just as confused. "What are you talking about?" Bethany asked. Scott let out a heavy sigh before explaining, "As per the contracts you all signed, you agreed not to engage in any romantic relationships and to maintain your public personas to preserve both your fame and our business dealings." Kadia was taken aback. "What exactly are you trying to say?" she asked. "We're all good friends with Vanessa. Has she done something wrong?" Scott shook his head. "No, this has nothing to do with Vanessa. It's about our business. Have any of you reviewed the details of the eight-year contract with King Queen Music recently?" He raised an eyebrow and let out a wry chuckle. "The irony of success: we sacrifice our freedom for it, and then we have to pay to keep it." Siti Sara's heart sank. She had a feeling she knew where the conversation was headed. "What's the issue, Scott?" she asked anxiously. Scott took a deep breath before continuing. "The contract prohibits any of you from being in relationships and requires you to maintain a certain public persona to preserve both fame and business dealings." Kadia looked confused. "I'm not sure I understand. What's the problem?" "Well," Scott said, "Bobby is threatening legal action for breach of contract. Are any of you prepared to negotiate a settlement? Are you willing to pay a settlement to Bobby for breaking this contract?" Siti Sara's heart sank further. She knew what Scott was referring to. "I have to be honest with you all," she said, her voice shaking. "My religion prohibits homosexuality, and I'm in a relationship with another woman." There was a stunned silence around the table. "I understand that this could potentially lead to Muslim countries and Muslim fans boycotting our albums and deals, causing significant financial loss for the company," Scott said gravely. "We need to figure out a way to handle this situation without damaging our reputation or our bottom line." Scott presented the group with a list of countries where being openly gay is punishable by imprisonment or even death. "In these places, LGBT+ rights are severely limited, and coming out as gay can have severe consequences," he said, trying to keep the tone as neutral as possible. He went on to list some examples, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, Brunei, and Jamaica. "This is just a small sample of the many countries where LGBT+ rights are restricted, and individuals can face severe consequences for their sexual orientation or gender identity." As the Syndicate girls huddled together, the tension in the air was palpable. Siti Sara, a Muslim Arab-Malay woman, couldn't help but feel anxious as she read through the list of countries where homosexuality was punishable by imprisonment or death. The realization of the danger that her sexual orientation posed to her life and freedom weighed heavily on her mind. Growing up in a culture and religion that placed strict expectations on women, Siti Sara knew that her family and relatives would never approve of her love for another woman. Her family's disapproval and the fear of the consequences of being open about her sexuality had become a heavy burden for her, making her wonder if she would ever be able to live freely as herself. Despite the pressure to pursue a more traditional Islamic career, Siti Sara chose to follow her passion for singing, a decision that brought her much joy but also many conflicts as she struggled to reconcile her love for music with her culture and religion. Her aunt, Fatimah, was the only one who truly understood and supported her, but even with her by her side, Siti Sara felt a sense of isolation and fear. She hadn't told her aunt about her relationship with Vanessa, unsure of how she would react and fearful of the potential consequences. Kadia broke the silence with a humorous remark: "I suppose we can cross 'performing for the Sultan of Brunei' off our bucket list." The tension in the room dissipated, and the girls shared a much-needed laugh. However, they all knew that the situation was serious, and they had to continue the conversation.  Scott's voice interrupted, "We must be aware of the risks and realities of the world we live in. In some places, being openly gay can be a matter of life and death." Bethany's anger flared, "It's absurd that some people still live in the Stone Age. This is why I despise religion. Religion justifies killing people, same as war." Cassandra was contemplative. "We have a platform to raise awareness and advocate for change. Let's use our voices to fight for equality." Bethany agreed, "We can't stay silent in the face of such injustice." Siti Sara mustered the courage to speak up.  "You know, my aunt is the only one in my family who truly supports me pursuing music. And I haven't told her I'm in love with Vanessa." Scott's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. The weight of responsibility sat heavily on his shoulders. The Syndicate was more than just a band; it was a business, and he had to make sure that it continued to thrive. He took a deep breath and spoke in a low, steady voice. "Siti Sara, I understand this is difficult for you. Love is a powerful force, and it can feel like the world is against you. But we must consider the bigger picture here. We've signed a contract with Bobby, and we can't afford to breach it. If we do, the consequences could be dire." Siti Sara's eyes were puffy from tears, and she appeared to have lost a part of herself. "I understand we need to think about the band and our fans, Scott. But what about my own happiness and Vanessa's? Love is not something that you can just turn off like a switch." Scott exhaled heavily. "I wish it were easy, Siti Sara. However, life often requires us to make tough decisions, even if they're unpopular, for the greater good. You're not only doing this for yourself, but you're also doing it for the band, our fans, and everyone who believes in us." "Scott, I disagree," Bethany interjected, "Syndicate fans will embrace Siti Sara regardless of whoever she's in a relationship with." Scott raised his eyebrows, "Bethany, as you know, over 30% of Syndicate's fans come from Muslim countries. Our debut album has sold over three million copies in those regions alone." The room was tense with the weight of the conversation. Kadia's voice, laced with sympathy, broke the silence. "But is it really fair to ask Siti Sara to make this sacrifice?" she asked. "She's in love with Vanessa, and it's not like they're hurting anyone by being together." Scott, shook his head gravely. "I wish it were that simple, Kadia," he replied. "But as I said before, business and religion often conflict. Bobby has strict rules about relationships, and we have to abide by them if we want to continue working with him. I know it's not fair, but that's just the way it is." At this, a wry smile tugged at Scott's lips, and he turned to the rest of the group. "Ah, the age-old question," he mused. "What weighs more, the love of music or the love of a person? We may never know, but either way, we better make sure we don't hit a sour note with Bobby." The room fell silent once more, the tension palpable. Kadia bit her lip, clearly torn between loyalty to her friend and the pragmatic realities of their situation. Meanwhile, Scott rubbed his temples wearily, clearly feeling the weight of his position as the group's de facto manager. As the silence dragged on, it became clear that this was more than just a debate about business and personal relationships. It was a clash of values, a collision between the desire for artistic freedom and the need to make a living. And as the group grappled with these competing priorities, the lines between friend and foe began to blur, and the stakes grew ever higher. Bethany's voice cut through the air like a knife. "And what about Vanessa?" she demanded. "You're just going to ask her to give up the person she loves, too? That's messed up, Scott." Feeling a headache coming on, Scott rubbed his temples and said, "I know it's not an ideal situation, Bethany. But we have to think about the long-term consequences. If we don't end their relationship, we could be facing legal fines and fees, not to mention the damage it could do to our reputation. We can't afford to take that risk." As the phone rang again, Scott picked it up with a sigh. After listening for a few moments, he hung up and turned to face the group. "I just got off the phone with Bobby. He's not budging on this. We have to end Siti Sara and Vanessa's relationship, or we risk losing everything we've worked for. I'm sorry, but we don't have a choice." The atmosphere in the room was heavy and tense, suffocatingly so, with the only sound being the soft crying of someone. Siti Sara appeared to be on the verge of collapse, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy, evidence of her distress.  Scott put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know this is hard, Siti Sara. But I believe in you. You're strong enough to make this sacrifice for the greater good. And who knows? Maybe in the future, things will work out differently. But for now, we have to do what we have to do." Cassandra nodded in agreement, but Bethany looked skeptical. "But what about their happiness?" "You can't just ask them to throw that away." Scott sighed. "I know it's not fair, but it's the reality of the situation." "We have to do what's best for the band." Cassandra, who had recently read Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," quipped, "In that case, we must approach this situation like a wise general. We must use tactics that outsmart our opponent without resorting to force. Is there a way for them to handle this more discreetly?" "Vanessa is a lovely girl," Kadia chimed in. "They're just in love with each other." Kadia looked at Siti Sara. "Siti Sara, have you spoken with Vanessa about this?" Siti Sara nodded. "I'll talk to Vanessa and see if we can find a way to navigate this delicate situation." Kadia, who was known for her sharp wit, replied, "Well, I guess it's true what they say, 'Lawyers are like nuclear warheads, you don't want to use them, but you damn sure want to have them.'" Scott nodded in agreement, "Indeed, but we don't want this to escalate into a full-blown legal battle. That would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight." Scott added, "We'll give you two or three days to sort things out with Vanessa." I'll check in with Robert again tomorrow. "Oh my, Robert knew..." Siti Sara felt trapped in a difficult situation, but she knew that she had to make a decision for her own well-being and that of her colleagues. She would talk to Vanessa and find a way to navigate this delicate situation. The room fell silent as they absorbed the gravity of the situation. Siti Sara was torn between her love for Vanessa and her duty to the Syndicate. It was a painful decision to make, and one that would have far-reaching consequences. As the girls left the room, each lost in thought, the weight of the decision hung heavily in the air.

Hamon Happy New Year! This series is tangentially related to my other series. It’s a one-shot for now, but I’ll release another mega chapter in the future when I have a chance. A tear opened in Outerspace, the size of Jupiter, and out stepped a malicious invader. Before him were three gods standing between him and his target, Earth. The battle that followed was devastating. It sent cracks through universes. 57 Earths, 18 gods, 10,000 Judges, 150 Leviathans class ships, almost a hundred DT winners, a truly uncountable number of soldiers and civilians, and 1 invader god all perished from the multiverse. Every once in a while, an invader shows up. An evil god that cleaves through universes wiping out all life. Simply because of the scale, they are the worst [Natural Disasters] to exist, but this one sowed more devastation than any other. It only was put to an end when a single God Child defeated the invader after it accidentally broke into a non-Newtonian space. The rogue god was unable to adapt to the new rules, a system called [Chemturgy] and even with it’s [Cheat], he was defeated by the man calling himself Out God, Creator of Space-Time. Of course, with a name like that, it’s obvious that he would lose without a single skill. His infinite HP and Mana wouldn’t save him from being bound and sealed for all eternity. The strange thing was that during the fight, he was happy even while losing and also another unfamiliar sensation that continued to nag him. The invader knew nothing about [Chemturgy] or how to break out of its confinement. A thousand years of probing and attacking the barrier yielded no results. It had no idea about the rules of this system, the best guess it had was [Chemturgy] had to do with chemicals, but no chemical could ever contain a god. Gods could toy with fundamental forces, tearing chemicals apart. It literally wasn’t possible. Is this system more powerful than the invader’s system? There it was again, that strange sensation. The invader had no idea what it was, and it was incredibly irritating. Even after another thousand years, it still did not know what the sensation was. Then after two thousand years of solitude, a voice was heard. “Do you wish to know?” The invader doesn’t respond to her voice. “I’ve been watching you for over a hundred years; I can tell you what it is in exchange for something.” The invader has no idea who this is. If they are a god, such a deal would be dangerous and if they are mortal, the deal would be insulting. “Who are you.” “You shattered our world. My ancestor and her descendants have been trying to save it ever since. That’s who I am to you.” A descendant of…. She’s probably related to the God Child that sealed me. That would be how she found out. A deal with her would be neither dangerous nor insulting. “Can I leave here without your help?” “There is no way for you to break free without a single skill. It’s like you’re bragging about your gigantic muscles when you don’t even have arms to swing a punch.” That confirmed the invader’s suspicions about the system. It’s heavily rule-based; simple power can’t overwrite the rules. “What do you want in exchange?” “I’ll explain the sensation to you and in exchange, I get a portion of your power. Do we have a deal?” This person will have to manipulate the seal to do that. While the invader gets little out of the deal, creating cracks in the seal could pay off in a few millennia. “I’ll accept your deal.” “Alright, then, let’s begin.” The invader could somehow feel her wicked grin and then a large amount of his “mana” being drained away. “What you’re feeling is nostalgia. Your situation reminds you of something important from long ago. I guess that makes you a human and not some natural disaster.” Ahh, so that’s it. Not having skills, a battle it couldn’t win, the desire to learn. It all reminded the invader of long ago, when he first awoke, when he was first learning about a new [System]. The invader’s thoughts then drifted back to long-forgotten memories. Fueled by a desire to reminisce and a sense of drowsiness, it slowly let its mind drift. —   —   — “Hello? You still there?” Hmm, it seems he died. Well, at least his body still retains all the mana I need. The young dark elf woman was glad beyond belief. She had just taken the first big step to saving the world her ancestors loved so much. The extra [Fame] wouldn’t hurt either. She might even get more than the Outer God had. How nice. “Wait, what is this…? He had this skill! If he had used this, he could have escaped with ease. Damn, aren’t we lucky he didn’t know about it.” The skill the invader had was legendary and needed no levels. It would have let loose a disaster on the world once more. That skill was [Reincarnate]. —   —   — Batch: 9#V Y1G O1Z BY& @JU #!P $Nl 95D Entry #: 998,721 Congratulations on your entry into the program. We will now begin in-processing. Randomizing Character Creation Seed. Please wait. Finished. The story [Child of Retired Adventures Living in the Countryside] has been selected. We hope you enjoy this critically acclaimed story. ERROR. Intense Curiosity Anomaly detected in personality seed. Searching for countermeasure No countermeasure detected Creating countermeasure The countermeasure “Auto-Pilot” has been developed. Initiating [Auto-Pilot]. Countdown 6 years Welcome to the God Development Program. We pray your journey be perilous for the glory of Mankind. —   —   — The golden hills are famous for the poppies that cover them and the apple trees at the top of each hill. Today a young child, Areli Tariel, is napping under these trees. A strange thought comes to her mind. Isn't the sky kind of weird? High above her, she can see the several suns at different points. The "mini-worlds" that float high above the ground. To the south is the sky-sea; since it's visible, the rainy season is fast approaching. Why is the sky the way it is? No one explained it to her before and now she suddenly wants to know. Strange memories flash in her head but quickly disappear and Areli can't remember them. Each time it happens, she desires to know more about the world stretched out before her. She wants answers to questions like, what's below the world, what's beyond the ice wall, where do dragons go for the winter? While lost in such thoughts, the child hears her parents call for her to go inside. The family is currently living in a tent as they travel. Areli's father sold the farm and decided to take them all on a journey through the country. The current destination is a world tree at the center of the fields. It can easily be seen from here, but it's still three days away by horse. Areli hops up and starts to run toward the tent. Disengaging [Auto-Pilot] The family tent is large for just three people. It's a deep red with yellow and orange embroidery. Outside the tent is a wooden post with 5 brown horses leashed to it. A large fire pit has been dug a little ways away from the tent. Mom just finished cooking a stew over it and the smell of the squirrel meat, apples, and wild herbs is intense but not off-putting. "Mom! Dad!" Areli runs to her parents as fast as she can and shouts for them while out of breath. "My, my. Areli, whatever is the matter?" Areli's mom, Matreya, is a very short woman with black hair and blue eyes. Her pale skin and fangs are from her status as a vampire. Her 4 cat ears and powerful nose has meant that Areli has never been able to hide something from her. She would never let him get away with bad behavior, but she was also very nice. "It can't be so important that you can't catch your breath first." Arelis's father, Phaedra, is a lot taller than Matreya but is very skinny. Phaedra's race is Snake Elf which gives him slitted eyes, pointed ears, poison fangs, and scales. He's always been very strict, but he also was supportive, so Areli isn't afraid to ask. "I want to go to school." Her parents gave weird faces and stayed silent for a moment. "Let's go inside and eat dinner first, then we can talk about that." The inside of the tent is furnished with lots of carpets and pillows. It's very comfy to relax or rest inside. The thick tent and hanging cloth also keep it warm inside. The only pieces of furniture are a chest and a heater. Dad's sword and mom's staff rest against the chest in the corner, along with their armor. There are no beds or chairs. Sleep and relaxation are done on the pillows, and when one sleeps, they pull a blanket over themselves and lie down on the floor. As for the bathroom, you go outside, far from the tent and dig a hole. It doesn't compare to when Areli lived in an ordinary house in the farming village they left for this journey. Father clears his throat with a cough. A sign that we're going to be talking about something important. "I won't tell you no without knowing your reasons first. Do you know what school is?" Of course, I do. It's where we grow as people by learning and experiencing. "Isn't it a place to grow?" "It's a place to grow your skills, not a place for children to play." "I know that. I want to learn about the world." "You can do that with us." Areli shakes her head at her father's words. In her memories, she saw a young boy learning with many friends and an older man teaching kids and supporting their growth. Areli knows that if she went to school, she would grow much faster than staying here. "The world is so amazing. It's not enough to walk a little bit of it at a time. I want to learn as much as I can." Phaedra's determination faulted a tiny bit at his daughter's determination. "You're still only a human with no class. You're not ready for school." "I'll get some evolutions then." Areli responded as quickly as she could. "You're almost 6 and haven't gotten any evolutions yet. I don't think school is right for you." "It's not like she's a late bloomer. If she gets an evolution or two now, she'll catch up soon. Areli, you don't have to go to school right now. We'll prepare you to go in a few years." Matreya finally speaks up to support her daughter. Areli's shoulders dropped at her mother's words, she wanted to go sooner, not later. Phaedra instead gave a deep scowl. "Matreya..." "Oh, it's fine, honey. We'll prepare her ourselves, and maybe after a little training, she won't want to go." —   —   — After a few days of traveling, Areli’s family made it to the World Tree forest. The forest covered a single large hill that rose up like a mountain range. The tree grew between the roots of the World Tree that wound through the forest like mountain peaks. They have to make it to the shrine in the center of this forest, a journey that could take days. It’s customary to wait a couple days before going into the forest and before moving between the outer and inner forests. Legends abound about forest spirits that aren’t too happy with unexpected guests. To cure her boredom, Areli decided to take one of the horses for a ride through the forest. “Be careful, don’t get off Sunshine and follow the setting sun to get back.” “I will!” Areli rode through the forest chasing foxes for most of the morning. She eventually came upon an open glade. It was a great chance for a picnic, so she hopped off and set up a little picnic. While eating her sandwiches and frozen fruit for dessert, she enjoyed the sights and sounds around her and wondered about how to get an evolution. She had the feeling that this was the perfect place to become a [Dryad]. “So you want an evolution, do you?” “Eek!” A tall man dressed in blue with blue hair and silver eyes sprang from the trees behind Areli. His twisty horns and slender, long, black tail gave Areli a weird feeling, but his eyes and grin gave a different feeling entirely. “Who are you?” “Just an adventurer. If you want an evolution, you should look at your profile. Just think about yourself and it will appear.” Areli felt weird about this man, but it couldn’t hurt to try. She thinks about herself and her profile appears in her head. Areli Tariel Unknown, Human An average human child. There isn’t anything special about them. What’s the unknown for? Well, I already knew I was just a normal human, unlike mom and dad. Body 21 Mind 22 Soul 22 I somehow doubt that’s a lot, but just how little is it? Hmm. It seems they break up into sub-stats. I’m not gonna bother looking. It’ll probably just make me feel worse. Personal Skills Adventurer’s Health - Level 1 Physical Being raised by adventurers gives you a boost to your body stats. Woah! This one is great. I should level this up as much as I can. Auto-Pilot - Level 1 Mental Sealed Skill. How did I get this? What does it even do? Inquisition - Level 1 Mental Allows deeper analysis. I don’t like that name, but it seems it’s a learning skill? Reincarnation - Level 2 Magical Sealed Skill. Another sealed skill. I can kind of guess what this will do. I’m not going to try to test it, but why is it level 2? Averagization - Level 5 Neutral As long as there isn’t a large difference between your stats, you gain a stat boost. Another stat boost! Am I a genius? I have a lot of personal skills. At least, I think that’s a lot. Obviously, no race or class skills. “So? You didn’t see any evolution options, did you?” He’s right. I didn’t see anything. So how do I get the options? “The thing about evolutions is they have requirements: Stats, Skills, and Feats. Feats will open the most options for you. If you want an evolution, you have to do something amazing.” I can’t think of anything amazing to do. How can I get a feat if I don’t have any skills or evolution? It’s a catch-22! “Hehe, don’t worry about it that much. Early evolutions don’t require too much. What do you think about those birds? Isn’t it amazing how they can fly wherever they want?” Flight? I can fly with an evolution? Areli’s face lights up with expectation. “Go and catch one with your own hands.” What!? How is that even possible? Whether it is or not, she’s going to have to do it for that evolution. Areli tried all day long to chase or trap the birds, but couldn’t do it. “Can’t I use a bow?” “Sorry, no can do. It would be impressive if you did that.” The man gave Areli a pat on the head and a smile. “My name is Dolos. Come back tomorrow and I’ll continue to help you. I can’t go into the deeper forest for a few more days.” Yes! Areli hasn’t failed just yet. “Now, don’t tell anyone what you’re up to.” “Why not?” “Your parents don’t want you going to school, do they? They’ll definitely stop you from getting an evolution. They don’t expect you to do it on your own. Wasn’t their condition for you going to school that you became a lot stronger?” “How did you know that?” “You were talking to your horse. Letting loose your woes to him. I heard them too, of course. I just couldn’t let a child’s dreams be crushed. It’s much more fun to see them struggle and eventually accomplish them.” Dolos kept giving Areli a bad feeling, but this was the only way she had. There was something pulling at her will, she wanted to continue getting help from him. “Okay. I’ll come back tomorrow.” Even after 6 full days of chasing birds, Areli had still failed to catch a single one. The day the family moved into the outer forest came and went. Luckily, they chose a glade that wasn’t where Areli was training. She only had 6 more days to get that evolution and she was no closer to it. “Welcome back. I think today’s the day you catch that bird.” “How do you know? I haven’t gotten any closer to them.” “It’s just how these things work. I’ll sit here like always and watch you. That day went the same as all the rest until the sun started setting. It was her last attempt before heading home. A little white bird was perched on a log, that would be her target. As she snuck closer to it, she felt something inside. She felt time slow down and all the sounds vanish. She was suddenly right behind it and the birdy still didn’t notice her presence. She reached out and that was it. “Congratulations! You finally did it. How did it feel?” “I’m not sure. Incredible, I think.” “Good, good. Now eat the bird.” “Wha...” “Eat the bird alive. You need to incorporate the bird’s essence into you.” “I don’t know.” Areli was really hesitant to eat a bird alive. “Don’t you want to evolve? How is it any different than the meat your mom cooks? You had bird last night that your father hunted, right? It’s not any different from the wild animals that hunt and eat. It’s normal.” Areli can’t hesitate. She spent half a week doing this, and who knows when the next person will come along and offer a nicer way to evolve. She bit the bird’s head off; she wanted to make it as quick as possible, but the bird still struggled and it wasn’t easy to kill it like this. Eventually, the bird died and Areli ate its meat.  “Here.” Dolos handed her a cloth to clean her face. “You can’t go home like that.” “So, when do I evolve.” “That was only the first step. You’re going to have to do it many more times before it becomes a feat. If you don’t think you can handle doing this again, then give up. School isn’t for you.” No! Not after coming this far. I must go to school. “I’ll keep going.” “Good.” That night, Areli didn’t say a word to her parents during dinner, she went straight to bed and cried herself to sleep. Areli didn’t know it, but her parents were very worried about her. They knew she went out to train every day, you can’t miss the dirt and scratches. Today though, she came home covered in a bit of blood. She must be trying her best, they thought, but is frustrated she wasn’t making progress. They felt bad that they were happy to hold her back, to stop her from going to school. For the rest of the week, Areli hunted and ate bird after bird. She devoured a staggering 80 birds, but it still wasn’t enough. Dolos kept telling her she was so close. At the end of the week, she still didn’t get the evolution. It was time for her family to move from the deeper forest to the heart of the forest where the shrine was located. Then they would only be in the forest for one more day before they left. Dolos, though, seemed to expect it to work on the final day. That night, they stayed in a cabin near the shrine. Her parents wanted to talk. “We know you’ve been trying to get an evolution. We want to help. The forest isn’t a good place to train, so we’ve decided to change our travel plans. We’ll head to a special place where you can get a good one.”  Her father was suddenly so supportive. Areli couldn’t believe it. The joy on her face was reflected in her parent’s smiles. “Yes! Thank you so much. I love you! The next day, she traveled to the glade to thank Dolos and apologize. She was going to get an evolution with her parent’s help. “Why, that’s a splendid idea, but you’re already so close to this one and there isn’t a limit on how many you can get. Being on your second evolution means it will be stronger if you get this one first.” If that’s the case, it would be a shame to waste all of my effort this past week. But, I want my first evolution to be with them. “Why don’t you try catching a single bird and then see how you feel.” “Okay, but just one.” Even though she said just one bird, she caught it within minutes. It was incredibly easy, so she tried again and then again. She had caught a dozen birds so quickly. It filled her with joy, so she kept going.  Then she saw it, a prideful bird with feathers of gold and scarlet sitting on a branch high in the sky. She climbed up the tree and snuck up on it, but it noticed her and unfurled its wings to set off for freedom. Areli wouldn’t let it. She charged forward, running on the branches, almost running on air. The bird flew away from the tree and Areli leapt off after it. The gold and scarlet wings fluttered as hard as they could, but Areli had caught it. She devoured the whole bird, leaving not a single feather before she fell to the ground. New evolution is available. When she awoke, her right leg and arm were broken and in splints. Dolos was sitting beside her. She had caught the pretty bird before noon, but it was already sunset. “Congratulations. I am sure you have an evolution available now. You don’t have to select it if you don’t want to. If that is what you want, then go to sleep tonight under the World Tree’s branches and wish with your heart to fly through the sky.” Dolos got up and, with his typical smile, wished me good luck and goodbye. “Get home safely now.” Then he disappeared into the trees. That night when Areli got home, her parents were both shocked and furious. “I fell from a tree. A passing traveler set the bones for me. I’m sorry.” “From now on, no more training without one of us. You could have died. You would have died if not for that traveler. He could have been a bad person even. What were you thinking?” “I’m sorry, but I got an evolution option.” “Really? How? What is it?” Matreya’s worry turned to curiosity and excitement. Areli is lucky her mom has the fickle personality of a cat. “I’ve been... chasing birds for a week. Today I flew with a beautiful bird. That’s how I fell.” Areli certainly didn’t want to tell what she did after chasing a bird. “Wow. Well, that would certainly get you an evolution. So what’s it called?” “I haven’t looked at it yet. Since I got hurt, I haven’t had a chance.” Roc Child Having flown and lived with the birds, this human has gained their wings and talons. New Race Skill: Flight - Level 1 The Roc’s wings allow her to soar through the sky with freedom. New Race Skill: Scratch - Level 1 These talons can cut through flesh and scale with ease. Amazing! I’ll get wings. “It’s called Roc Child. I get wings!”  “Oh my, that is amazing.” Areli’s excitement and her parent’s joy overridden their worry and anger. The kid had gotten hurt, that’s true, but she got an evolution all by herself. This was a thing to celebrate. They can punish her recklessness later. That night, the family had a big dinner and partied with the other travelers late into the night. When her parents had gone to sleep, Areli snuck out to go sleep under the burrows of the World Tree. The roots and leaves were warm. Crawling into them made her feel like a bird that had found a lovely nest. Just like Dolos said, she wished for her evolution and went to sleep. Evolution [Raptorian] selected. Beginning transmogrification.  Areli woke up the entire shrine with her screaming. Scarlet wings had ripped their way through her back and talons and torn her shoes to shreds. Her skin felt like it was melting, while her eyes and scalp felt like they were burning. When the transformation was done, Areli was covered in blood and could barely move her head. No more screams left her throat which had filled with blood.  The entire shrine was awoken by the screaming, including her parents, who came running as fast as they could. Matreya didn’t wait for the much slower Phaedra and got to her daughter before anyone else. “ARELI! What have you done!?” —   —   — Areli woke up in a bed with her father and someone else besides her. Her entire body was bandaged and she was lying on her stomach. Her back and feet felt itchy, but she couldn’t move to scratch them. “Areli. Tell me, what does your race say?” Her father’s face was unlike anything she had seen before. She must have done something really bad, so she did as he asked. Raptorian A desire for freedom drove humans to devour birds until they became birds themselves. New Race Skill: Flight - Level 1 The Raptorian’s wings allow her to soar through the sky with freedom. New Race Skill: Scratch - Level 1 These talons can cut through flesh and scale with ease. New Race Skill: Sin - Level 1 Her Body had also increased by 2 while her Mind dropped by two. “Areli. This is very important. You NEED to tell me everything that happened while you were training.” So she did, every last detail, including about eating the birds alive. “First off, what you thought your evolution was is called a [Nature Evolution]. They are gained by living with animals as one of them. Me and your mom both have that kind. What you have is a [Forced Evolution]. They are more powerful but are unsavory to get and may have a downside. Otherwise, it’s not the end of the world.” Areli took in every word her father said. She’s relieved that she didn’t ruin her evolutions at the very least. Her father’s silence, though, had her worried.  My downside is probably that stat penalty to Mind. Makes sense, I did savagely eat a bunch of birds afterall.  “What you met was a [Deceiver]. They try to trick people into ruining their evolutions and skills. He’s also why your race option appeared as Roc Child. Since this is the start of your evolution tree, you’ll be fine. He couldn’t do too much damage to you, but you are locked into [Raptor] now. Deviating from it too much will hurt you in the long run.” I don’t mind this tree too much. I still got the wings, but I do feel bad there was a better version of it. “As for the Sin. You’ll be fine. They don’t make you evil, but you’ll need a virtue or two to balance it out. They do affect your personality. Focus on getting a virtue and minimizing Sin.” The doctor spoke up to issue his own warning. “Your sin skill has a chance to evolve into [Gluttony], so you need to be on a diet from now on until it turns into a sin you actually want. [Gluttony] will cause your evolutions to start chimeraizing. It’s powerful but requires a strict diet that’s hard to maintain because of [Gluttony]. The end result is that you become what you eat.” Yeah. I am definitely going to avoid that. Who knows what kind of grotesque creature I could end up as. “I know you’re tired, but there is one last thing you need to know. You can view your possible evolutions. You can also check logs to see which options you didn’t take. Go ahead and see what you missed out on.” Well, that’s cool, but it’s probably gonna make me feel bad. I doubt Dad will let me go if I don’t look though. All I have to do is think about it and it appears. Cyborg This human has used Auto-Pilot for years. As a result, they have mechanized their brain and parts of their body. Race Skill: Electricity Absorption - Level 1 Electricity is absorbed as nutrition instead of dealing damage. Race Skill: Electrostatic Discharge - Level 1 Shocks nearby lifeforms with intense voltage. Race Skill: Alternative Nutrition - Level 1 Removes the need to eat or sleep when supplied with enough electricity. “NO!!!” —   —   — I still don’t know what Auto-Pilot does, but I really missed out on an incredible evolution. If I also learned lightning magic, I would have been incredible! While sulking about her missed opportunity, her family took her not to the promised special place, but to the [Highlands]. A mountain zone known for its several training grounds for warriors. Areli didn’t start training right away. She had to get used to her new body. Her hair had turned red with gold highlights. The eyes were the same, with gold specks scattered on them.  Her wings were pure scarlet, while the tips were gold. They weren’t so hard to deal with just pull them in and they don’t mess with her balance too much. Trying to fly though, always ended with her getting hurt.  The worst were the talons. Her favorite pair of shoes were ruined, but it’s not like it mattered as she couldn’t wear any shoes anymore. Areli kept tripping over her talons and it was only after she could walk like normal, that her parents started the training. “We don’t want you being tricked again, so you’ll be getting a class right now under our supervision. Now choose, what do you want?” Her parents stood in front of her with their armor and weapons. They both looked so cool in her eyes. The choice was obvious. “I want to use swords and magic.” “No.” “What? Why not.” “No one starts with a hybrid class. It has to be worked up to and is very hard to achieve, especially hard to get a good one.” That’s just a big letdown! The old demon man in my memories used everything. The kid dreamed of swords and magic. Everyone in my memory was into using both. “We’re offering you swords or magic. Get the other one later. Your race is physical. You can either build on that or balance it out.” “Honey, we should take this a bit slower.” Matreya stepped in to slow Phaedra down. “Eli, take a look at your class options. It’s the same as looking at race options. You might have something available already.” I didn’t think of that! Hunter The first class. The first humans were top predators and hunted their prey relentlessly. I already did some athletic feats, so I can get a physical class easily.  Class Skill: Stalk - Level 1 Your prey won’t notice you until it’s too late. Make sense. That’s how I caught those birds. Class Skill: Ambush Increase damage from hiding to stalked targets. Seems like I’m an ambush predator. Class Skill: Sin - Level 2 Oh no. It’s that one again. From there, you can evolve it more toward magic later. Areli tells her parents about the Sin skill. Their solution is simple: hunt in the mountains the right way until Areli can unlock the class without the bird feat. Her mom let her know that if she takes [Hunter] now, it will work really well with her race and she can evolve it into a magic class later. Her dad didn’t forget to mention that physical classes are much safer during low levels. For the next entire month, her father pushed Areli to hunt every day, from dawn till dusk. The [Highlands] were huge, so there was plenty of game to hunt and then they sold it to the towns they passed. Each week resulted in Areli catching bigger game and more of them. It was near the end of the month that she would have her final test. “Areli. Hurry! If you don’t, the tribesmen are going to get your prey first.” Today, a [Grand Mammoth] was spotted. The entire town we’re staying in began preparations immediately, but dad and I rushed out ahead of them. [Grand Mammoths] are true giants, bigger than buildings. Areli was going to hunt and kill one by herself. After a month of practice, she could fly as a horse. This time, she’ll be pushing herself to her limits and flying far faster than her dad’s horse could run. She planned to get there long before anyone else. Areli found the beast after only a few minutes, wandering the peaks, leaving craters in its wake. She let loose several arrows as fast as she could. It’s difficult for her to fire a bow while her wings are flapping, so she instead furls them and while falling, fires the arrows, then unfurls them before falling to her death. If she knew magic, it would be so much easier. Not a single arrow missed. It wasn’t because of any skill, but because of the sheer size of the target. Areli shot volleys at the mammoth another five times before she was out of arrows, yet the creature barely seemed to notice. It was time for the spears. It was going to be dangerous no matter what, but it would be safer to use the spears with her talons. The extra reach would be great, but she wasn’t dextrous enough for that. Instead, she had to fly in and slash at it, then fly away. That was barely doing any more damage than the arrows. There was only one other option. She dove down and grabbed the mammoth’s back with her talons, then started stabbing and slashing its neck. The beast howled and reared back, trying to shake her off. When that failed, the burly beast ripped a tree from the ground and swung it over its back. Areli was sent tumbling by the force. The tree had cracked several of her bones and the fall cracked several more. “Areli!” Her dad came galloping in and ripped her out from under the log and onto the horse’s back, then rode away from the [Grand Mammoth]. “When did you get here?” “A while ago. I didn’t want to get involved. That was until you decided to pull that stupid move.” Suddenly a horn blew in the distance and the two could see the town’s hunters on horses come galloping through the valley. One of them dressed in fancy garb came their way. “We saw you fight with bravery and recklessness. My scout said after you ran out of arrows, you charged in. Child, that was foolishness.” The man that looked like the chief motioned his head to the warrior, who was probably the scout. She handed me my bow and a quiver of arrows. “The beast hates you now. We will give you arrows. Harry it and keep its attention on you.” “Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best.” Areli took the bow and arrows and then flew off, ignoring her father’s complaints about her injuries. She stayed in front of the mammoth, shooting at its face, while the warriors struck at it from behind. Every time she ran out, a horn would blow and the warriors would back off as she got more arrows. It was surprising how well organized the hunters were when the entire plan was based on a girl that had no idea how to hunt in a large group and no idea what the plan even was.  Eventually, the beast slowed, that was when the rest of the hunting party charged in and everyone slashed at it until it finally dropped dead. The pelt was clearly ruined, but the meat would feed the town for several months.  While the warriors were dismembering the giant corpse, Areli was busy being thanked by the chief and being put on horseback and taken to the town to be cared for. That night, when everyone had gotten back to town, there was a great feast and celebrations. Areli was the guest of honor. The town’s people came up and placed flowers on her, by the time it was over, she was more flowers than feathers. They also cut a piece of meat from their dinners and gave it to her. She was expected to not get her own food, instead, she ended up with a bowl as big as her full of meat. The chief wouldn’t let her go until she ate every bite and then told her to check her evolutions. Hunt Leader Early humans were hunters. Later humans developed better methods of hunting. This hunter has proven herself as a great hunter in her clan. No way. This has to be a good one. Class Skill: Harry - Level 1 Your attacks leave your prey unable to act with clarity. Low-intelligence creatures focus on you. Sweet. This sounds like it could evolve into a confusion effect. Class Skill: Stalk - Level 2 Your prey won’t notice you until it’s too late. I still have this one, but [Ambush] is gone. Class Skill: Pack Hunting - Level 1 When hunting with others, the pack’s stats are all increased. Areli is too stunned to think. This last skill is incredible. Right now, it’s just her and her family, but in some of the old man’s memories, he fought with a lot of people. If Areli makes a lot of friends at school, then this would be incredibly helpful. “So, how is it?” The chief seems to know that this hunt gave me a new evolution. “It’s amazing. Truly. How did you know?” “During these kinds of hunts, it’s not unusual for someone to get an evolution when they do something like you did.” That night, I went to sleep after wishing for [Hunt Leader]. —   —   — Areli Tariel Unknown, Raptorian A desire for freedom drove humans to devour birds until they became birds themselves. I still don’t know what the [Unknown] is for. Well, that’s something to learn at school. Body 45 +2 Mind 22 Soul 23 My body went way up, but my mind hasn’t increased at all! It’s probably because of that curse.  Flight - Level 10 Physical The Raptorian’s wings allow her to soar through the sky with freedom. Level 10 flight! I’m gonna keep leveling this till I can fly anywhere. Scratch - Level 1 Physical These talons can cut through flesh and scale with ease. Haven’t been using my talons, so of course, they haven’t leveled up. Sin - Level 1 Magical Marked with Sin. Be careful of sinning further. Yup, there it is. I have to do the opposite of Gluttony or else.  Hunt Leader Early humans were hunters. Later humans developed better methods of hunting. This hunter has proven herself as a great hunter in her clan. I worked hard for this. Thanks, dad. Harry - Level 1 Physical Your attacks leave your prey unable to act with clarity. Low-intelligence creatures focus on you. Maybe if I level this up, I can get a magical version that inflicts confusion.  Stalk - Level 4 Physical Your prey won’t notice you until it’s too late. It’s only level 4. I guess the hunting I did in the mountains didn’t count that much toward stalking. Pack Hunting - Level 1 Mental When hunting with others, the pack’s stats are all increased. I’m going to level this one right away. I won’t waste it. Personal Skills Adventurer’s Health - Level 5 Physical Being raised by adventurers gives you a boost to your body stats. I don’t know what determines how much it gives, but I bet it’s the + next to my Body score. Auto-Pilot - Level 1 Mental Sealed Skill. Still level 1. Still don’t know what it does. Inquisition - Level 3 Mental Allows deeper analysis. It leveled up. I’m not sure how, but I bet it will help in school. Reincarnation - Level 2 Magical Sealed Skill. Skip. Averagization (Inactive) - Level 5 Neutral As long as there isn’t a large difference between your stats, you gain a stat boost. It’s inactive? My Body stat must be too high. Degradation - Level 1 Neutral Decreases Mind score by 10% and increases Body score by 10%. So this is what’s causing my stat drop. Is there a way to make it better? My mind would probably drop even more if I level it up. I think it is also different from [Adventurer’s Health] and impacts my averagization. Unique Skill locked This is new. I wonder how this works and how I can unlock it? —   —   — Areli trained with her dad until it was her 6th birthday. Just before her birthday, the family used the World Tree to travel to the [Springs of Rest]. Areli trained without rest for the past few months, preparing for school. For her birthday and until she leaves for school, she’ll be recovering here. The springs had many hot and cold springs. Some of them were too hot for most people to survive. Areli spent most of the day floating in the hot baths, sometimes falling asleep. Her wings kept her afloat and from drowning. The day before she left, her parents threw her a big going-away party and invited all the guests at the springs. Both her parents were crying all day, but still, they smiled and congratulated her. The party lasted most of the night. Areli woke up in the morning tired, but had to get dressed and ready for school. Memories of the boy’s mom pulling him out of bed and putting him into a uniform before shoving him out the door ran across her mind. “Areli.” Her parents gave her hugs and warnings. “Please be careful. You got accepted with a scholarship to the school in the capital. It’s a nice school, but it’s also far more dangerous than any other.” “How can school be dangerous?” “We told you, it’s a place to train.” Her parents gave her bad looks. If she says something wrong, they might stop her from going. “I know it is, but how much more dangerous is it than what I’ve already been doing.” Matreya pulls Areli into another hug and doesn’t let go until she finishes what she has to say. “Please, do your very best to not die. We would be devasted if you didn’t return to us.” Areli was about to say she won’t die, but memories flooded her. Memories from the old man, of friend after friend being killed. It made her worry, the old man also didn’t think school would be dangerous. She suddenly didn’t want to go, but other feelings also pushed her further. “I’ll be careful, mom. I won’t die, I promise.” “Thank you.” Matreya let go of her daughter and Phaedra pulled her into another hug too, then let her go and pushed her toward the World Tree. “Just wish for the [Capital of Black Sun]. The tree will take you there. Good luck.” Areli did as her father suggested, her view went black like it always does, but then it was filled with the sights of thousands of corpses, of worlds burning, and of the sorrow that followed. Then it was all black again until the sight of the capital filled her vision. —   —   — This was Areli’s first time in a large city. The World Tree here was just as large as the one in the forest, but there were still buildings going up and down the roots. Thousands of people were busy in the streets, including hundreds of kids like her that were likely also new students. Areli flew toward the largest group of children, nearly all of them were girls. As she got closer, and adult called out to her. “Are you a new student too? What’s your name?” “Areli Tariel, sir.” “Hmm, yes, your name’s right here. Allright, join the group; we’re still waiting on more students.” The group of girls was big and everyone was chatting in their own groups. There was nothing else to do while waiting for the remaining students, but Areli never spent much time with other kids, so she had no idea how to make friends. “Hello, your wings are very pretty.” A girl my age with large fox-like ears and eyes, with blue coloration everywhere, comes up to me, eying my wings. “Uh, you can touch them if you want.” “Can I really?” Before I can even tell her it’s okay, she starts stroking my feathers. It feels weird to have someone else touch them. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry, my name’s Amity. It’s nice to meet you.” “It’s fine. I’m Areli.” Before we can start chatting, the teacher’s voice is heard. “It’s time to go. Anyone not here missed the entrance period.” “Looks like we didn’t get much time to talk, sorry.”  I really wanted to make friends, but we ran out of time. “It’s okay. Let’s be friends, that way we can talk more. Maybe we’ll share a dorm.” Amity noticed Areli’s wings a while ago, but was worried about asking to touch them. She’s a bold and friendly girl, but also considerate of others. “Everyone, stand in this circle. We’ll be teleporting to the campus.” The teacher had everyone stand in a magic circle. It was a lot like using the World Tree, but instead of darkness, it was like the entire town moved under them very quickly. When it stopped, the kids were in the school plaza.  The oohs and ahhs could be heard from everyone. The place was amazing. Tall, clean, and modern buildings were everywhere. It was just like the capital, except even better. So many different races could be seen among the thousands of students that went past them. Unlike all the simple race evolutions in this group, the older students had more exotic evolutions like Areli’s parents. Also, the older the kids got, the more boys there were among them. Areli’s attention was drawn to all the other flyers in the sky. None of them had wings like her, then again, only a few of them had feathered wings. Most of them were leathery. The students weren’t alone in the sky, plenty of magical creatures were being ridden by students and staff alike. “That’s enough gawking. You’ll have time aplenty to look once the entrance ceremony is over.”  The teacher pushed the students toward a large auditorium building. The kids poured inside and once everyone was inside, the doors were shut and the new students were silenced with magic. An old man that looked painfully familiar to Areli walked up on stage. He gave a long speech that felt like it lasted hours. “This school was built to nurture the future. Those who can not keep up, drop out. You all are here because we see potential in you. This is the place to turn that potential into power.” A sick feeling of dread consumed Areli. She barely swallowed down the disgust rising in her throat.  Dark memories entered her mind. She saw the girl next to her, Amity, being swallowed by light and turning to ash. There was nothing she or Areli could do. Areli was left alone in a large pile of ash. Can I save her? How do I save her? No. I don’t want this. [Auto-Pilot] activated. “Watch out!” Areli shouted at the top of her lungs. The silence spell was unable to stop her. She grabbed Amity and pulled her close to her, away from the descending light. It wasn’t just Amity that was saved. Areli’s shout alerted several students to the dangerous beams. Areli was supposed to barely survive school. Only doing so because none of the teachers gave her a second thought. That attack was supposed to kill half of the students. Those with the lowest luck. Because of her warning, only a third of them were killed. Every teacher was now looking at her intently. It wasn’t just the teachers who noticed her. In the shadows were a bunch of kids, none of which were hit by the disintegrating light. A quarter of the class didn’t show up on time, but that wasn’t true, they had been hidden with powerful magic. The leader was a stylish girl that was now glaring at Areli. This girl was supposed to be an ally to Areli, but now, she was becoming a rival. “Areli... you saved my life. Thank you.” Amity’s eyes filled with tears as she held tight to her savior. Unknown to both of them, Amity’s life came at a steep cost. A normal school life. If Areli is going to survive, she’s going to need to find out what these memories mean.

“Good morning Isumond. Traffic is backed up on the Imperial highway and shows no sign of letting up. In other news, The Blue Royals won against the Ice Goblins in last night’s game and caused a minor riot on…”  A deep, inarticulate sound uttered from under well-worn sheets. Amzer’s wrinkled blue freckled hand emerged from under the bedding and fumbled around his nightstand, searching for the alarm clock.  He was irritated at his inability to alter the channel the night before. He loathed sports, never experienced joy in them except for providing an opportunity to call his friends over.   The chill of the dawn embraced him as he pulled away his bedding and perched on the footboard of his bed. He yawned as he moved to the washroom for his morning shower. His eyes were drawn to a tee that must have slipped off the back of the chair and rested on his bedroom floor.  He fought through his hangover, attempting to recollect the prior night. Vivid images of him lobbing the shirt over seat after stumbling home from the local bar sparked before his eyes. He had one more article than he should have, and it must have negated his compulsion to keep his room spotless. He maintained his apartment in order daily, with little keepsakes covering his walls or dresser.  Amzer took a short shower, as he would take a second one when he returned home. He checked the mirror for any lingering stubble, despite disapproval among his coworkers. He liked to maintain a clean-shaven face to conceal his grizzled beard. It also showed off his chiseled chin and sharp jawline. His salt-and-pepper locks were overshadowed by his horns that seemed to glide over his mane as they curved skyward.   Content, he draped his bathrobe on as he walked into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee and prepared his morning meal. Eggs, bacon, and toast. A straightforward breakfast. Amzer preferred to eat takeout than cook. Last week, he experienced a shootout and his vehicle sustained damage and required repairs. Fortunately, he knew of a girl who managed a repair shop and gave him a deal he could not refuse. After having his morning meal, he donned his signature fit, a tan three-part suit.  His outerwear was nothing special, a plain beige coat with one chest pocket. The waistcoat tucked inside his attire was the showstopper, a modest five-buttoned piece with a golden base and a paisley floral pattern. A gold chain hung from his inner vest that connected to his fob watch, fitting into the outer pouch.  A soft humming emitted from his nightstand. He cast his eyes over at the table to detect a gentle light gleam from a milky crystal beside his firearm.  “Now who could that be?” He wondered to himself as he snatched his sidearm and holstered it under his jacket. He shifted his attention to the crystal resting on his nightstand. He lifted it up and activated the message contained inside the magical item. A distorted, cheerful feminine voice emitted from the enchanted tool. “Hey Amzy, it’s Yuki. I got your baby running again but… you should stop by the shop so I can tell you in person. Okay bye.”  Amzer delved into his breast pocket and yanked out his carton of smokes. He meandered to his patio as he ignited one, inhaling deeply. He expected this conversation drawing near, yet he remained unprepared for it. A gentle morning breeze weaved through his strands of silver hair. He chucked his smoke butt off the edge of the deck, sealed the door, and departed through the front. “Hey Mr. A, I gots those parts to fix yours bathroom sink. Bys the time you gets back it wills be fixed.” A gravelly voice came from behind Amzer that startled him. A slippery reptilian arm touched his shoulder and whirled him around to confront a scaly, visaged being. Before he could say a word, two small Pixie children glided in-between them as they weaved in and out of the balconies as a humanoid bird creature from above shouted for them to cease.  “Thanks Fix.” Amzer replied. “Itssss my pleasure.” Fix bade him goodbye as a Minotaur woman barged through a door and yanked him inside, as shouting ensued. Amzer snickered as he descended the condominium staircase. At first, the Fae district divided humans and non-humans, but transformed into a district for low income. He believed it was less hazardous to live in this part of the town than engage with mankind, being an Emon, a descendant of demons.  Just a short distance from his dwelling existed The Nine Wrenches. A snow-hued Kitsune with dark-pointed ears perched precariously at a workbench. She smeared her charcoal-tipped fingers on her oily gray overalls as she spotted Amzer. Her three ivory, black-edged tails wagged as she leapt up and granted him a strong hug.  “Don’t you have other customers?” Amzer inquired as he gently shoved her aside. She tilted her head. “Of course I have other clientele. I’m not a charity mechanic, Amzy.”  Amzer grumbled as he watched Yuki skip to the rear of her garage. His cruiser parked with its long nose hood up and luminescent crystals dangled from it, illuminating the dark interior parts. She bent over and jostled a few hoses as she wrested out a wrench and fastened a bolt.   “You paged me, saying my ARC was ready.” Amzer stated. A vintage model issued by the Kingarment when he initially enlisted. Upkeep and preventive maintenance, he would manage himself if possible. Sleek contours curved from the crystal headlights, narrowed off at the door’s hinges. Its gleaming gray exterior contrasted with its light brown upholstery and dark leather dashboard. The rear window slanted at a twenty-five degree angle to the end. To cram three moderate-sized humans would prove remarkably challenging. Hoses and cords protruded from the ARC like a life-saving apparatus in operating rooms. As he glided his hand over the arching curves, he reassured his loyal companion. Yuki mumbled with her face immersed in the engine compartment. “I sure did. But I also said I need to tell you in person. Now get over here, Amzy.”  As he peered into the inner chamber, he prepared for the outcome. “You see it, Amzy?” She asked. Amzer leaned closer, focusing on the section she pointed out. After a brief period of investigation, he spotted what she had referred to. A pen-sized gap with several winding fissures emerged from its edge. The cracks were encroaching on the ambient magic container. “That’s a crack in your housing. You are lucky it didn’t blow when you were in that shootout.” She yanked herself out of the compartment before sprinting to her workstation, brimming with junk. Loud clanging and banging of spare components collided as Yuki explored her workbench for assorted pieces. She found what she wanted after a few moments. Amzer stepped back and observed as she did a speedy and crude surgery on his baby. “I put a temporary fix on it for the time being, but you need a new generator… Nine hells, man, you need a new car. You think you can pick up girls in this? How old are you now? Two hundred?” “Yuki.” Amzer said in a composed manner. “Thank you. I’ll see what I can do when I get back to the station.” One by one, Amzer helped Yuki disconnect the cables connected to the automobile so he could depart. He cranked the window down and stuck his head out of it. “I’m one seventy, for the record.” He extended his arm and patted her on the top of her head. **** Traffic did not show signs of improving, causing Amzer to hunt for an alternate route to work. On occasions when given the opportunity, he preferred to bypass the Imperial highway. Anxious as it caused him on the less-traveled roads, he relished being vigilant. They trained him to hone his intuition and transform him into a well-prepared detective. Diminished traffic meant fewer people seeing dubious dealings, and he suspected he’d stumble upon one or more before reaching work. Unbeknownst to the public, the Fae district had its fair share of questionable affairs. Out of an anxious habit, he caressed his breast pocket. The emptiness of the container disturbed him. He vented a sigh of frustration. “Fuck. That won’t last long.”  Not considering his decision, he drove to the nearest convenience store. A typical corner store ran down with iron bars that covered the windows. Refrigerators lined the back wall stocked with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, while the aisles were full of bagged snacks and sweets. The clang of the bell broke the stillness as he entered. A person in black stood in front of the entranceway near a magazine stand. His eyes gleamed with malevolence as Amzer grazed shoulders with him. Another stranger shot a sideways look at him while he exited the aisle. “Morning! Is there anything I can assist you with?” The clerk asked. A faun with large ram horns that twisted out like a corkscrew stood at the register with a twitching smile. The Tyr’s eyes darted between the four customers in the store as he tapped the countertop patiently. “Just need a pack of Hellhounds.” responded Amzer, pointing at the top shelf. “Typical Emon.” muttered a customer. One patron meandered up and down the middle aisle. Another grabbed a bag of chips, read the back, ultimately returning it. Amzer disregarded the comment, although it was more hurtful than a blade. Humans and Fae alike judged him based on his demonic features. Hellhounds were his go-to. Other brands of smokes lacked the same flavor. “Ironic isn’t it?” he chuckled.  As he paid for his product, the clerk grabbed his hands and drew him closer. He peered into Amzers eyes as a carton entered his possession. “Two for one special, as the brand is going away.”  To discontinue them didn’t seem feeble. It’s been popular with the mythical folk for years. A Tyr owned business in the Fae district with three humans is a rare occurrence. Not unheard of, but unlikely. An individual watched the front hovering by the magazines, giving the impression of reading them. Another by chilled drinks utilized the reflections in the glass to watch the clerk. The last nervously walked up and down the corridors, monitoring Amzer. The fight could be winnable, but it would have high stakes.  First, take out the reading human. This should catch the others off guard. Second, fire at the person walking the aisles, causing the one in the rear to become panicked and act unpredictably. Third, capture the last individual to question them. “If that’s the case, I should call my friends to come down here while they still can.” Amzer said to the clerk. He quickly yanked out his firearm and fired a shot into the closest human's leg. The target grasped for the shelf, but it caved in as he toppled to the floor, shouting out in distress. A teen boy, around eighteen, sprawled out on the store floor, vigorously attempting to stem the bleeding. His ruby eyes brimmed with fury that drilled into one’s soul as he uttered an incantation. An arcane sigil materialized in the forefront of the human as a spray of jade acidic fluid spat towards Amzer.  Skilfully, he dodged, but his coat had not been so blessed and the liquid devoured the cloth material. He quickly escaped from his tattered jacket and fired two additional rounds into the criminal. “Magic? Really?” Amzer asked. He sprinted to an end section of the aisle as three miniscule streams of crackling purple arcana whizzed past his head. Merchandise flew off shelves and scattered across the ground; sizzling with the same energy.  While obscured by displays, he fired without aiming, as he vigorously avoided spells from the back. Two rounds landed as he heard groans of anguish, cursing, and sounds of metallic objects clanging against the floor.  “Had enough?” Amzer asked. Through grunts of pain, “Fuck you.” Said the human. “Your friend is bleeding out and needs help. Let’s end this now before it gets worse.” A chill ran through him as fog formed before him as he panted. Shelves around him developed a thin layer of white as small crystal spurs expanded outward. A thunderous clap shattered the frozen surroundings and a gust of wind pushed him backward, sliding him across the floor into the closed doors. Shortly, the nearby racks and items hurtled toward him, blanketing him in rubble.   Three quick shots from his firearm found their targets as they dropped. Muffled sirens from outside transitioned to flashing lights as a Kingsarnment cruiser came speeding around the bend. Amzer brushed himself off and surveyed the store, checking for any movement. Satisfied, he holstered his weapon.  The front door busted open as two fellow officers had their handguns drawn while scanning the room.  A female Gnome, the height of three feet three inches with long ears that tapered off to a tip, stood near her ally. Her eyes scanned all around as she waved her weapons around the space, eager to pull the trigger. Her partner, a Bithasier or rabbit folk, secured the scene, holding bystanders at bay as the commotion drew attention of the public eye. After establishing a perimeter and reinforcements replaced him, he returned to Amzer and his companion. His ears drooped as he came closer, causing his intimidating six foot demeanor to dissipate.  “Amzer, what happened?” The hare asked. “Magic casters.”  Amzer grabbed his coat, or what was left of it, and threw it in the trash. The Gnome looked inside, puzzled. “Your jacket?” The Gnome inquired. “Magic acid.” The Bithasier looked around the destroyed store. Other officers of the law entered with equipment as they prepared for a formal investigation of the incident. “The store?” Demanded the rabbit. “Frost with a chance of thunder.” The little Gnome walked around Amzer’s feet as she tried to gather information about the situation “Anyone else?” “The clerk.” Said Amzer. “Alive?” The Bithasier questioned. “Maybe.” Amzer turned to the counter. “You still alive?” The store attendant rose two cartons of Hellhounds above the countertop, waving them like a flag. “I’m fine. By the way.” He snatched the smokes from the clerk. “Thanks for asking, Genmyar, Saza.” Genmyar, the Bithasier, surveyed the room. More faint sirens intensified as the trauma team arrived. A combination of human and Fae attended to the dying criminals. A glint of light beckoned to Saza the Gnome as she leaned down and retrieved a broken pocket-watch. “This was your grandfathers wasn’t it?” Saza asked. “It’s just a watch.” He nabbed the recently shattered clock from his Gnome friend’s hand and tucked it in his pocket.  “Amzer…” Genmyar whistled for the two to converge on his location. He observed a tattooed symbol on one of the human’s necklines. A round base with six robust lines radiating from its core, with a minuscule circle in the middle.  “Isn’t that…” Saza trailed off. “The Obsidian Order.” Amzer replied.  “Explains the casters.” Genmyar said. About Two hundred years ago, this cult spread radical ideals about the Kingdom. A band of human sorcerers declared those with special arcane lineages should govern over lower races. The civil war lasted fifteen prolonged years. Struck by a stray spell, the King’s daughter expired, ceasing the quarrel.  The demise of the princess prompted a novel procurement. Sorcery of any kind, forbidden for the general population except for the newly formed Kingsarnment branch. They were trained to hunt the sorcerers by any means necessary. After the conflict, they represented a symbol of peace and the main law enforcement. “Not any kind of caster, sorcerers. Ones with ties to the old Gods.” Amzer explained. “How do you….?” Genmyar asked. “My grandfather told me stories.” Amzer cleared his throat as he noticed more Kingsarnment arrived. “Look, I hate to do this, but I have to report this incident to the captain. Don’t worry about the formalities. I’ll handle it when I’m done being yelled at.”  He didn’t regret leaving the dirty work of clearing the crime scene to them. He would lean towards doing the paperwork over lower rank tasks. Besides, Genmyar had been stirring up forgotten memories better left buried. Both sides of that war were manipulated by Emons. And humans have a nasty habit of holding on to grudges. He loathed the inherent distrust the different races had for Emons and wished to abolish that seeded hate, but he doubted himself as to if he would witness that in his lifetime.  He spent his adult life attempting to erase the suspicion of his people by being a peacekeeper. It’s slowly working, but he could sense the mistrust lurking in the deepest reaches of his coworkers’ minds.  *** Radiant sunbeams shone off the far window frames of the metropolitan landscape as Amzer motored into the business district, the epicenter of the city. Airways reverberated with deafening horns from large automobiles carrying essential items. Sounds of the inner city reverberated off the high-rise buildings surrounding the antique headquarters of the Kingsarnment. A two-century-old construction remains from the Obsidian wars. Retrofitted and changed over many generations.  He cherished the vintage look of the brick walls, fractured and mended twice. The aesthetic of the original design failed to match the additions made to accommodate a larger force. He valued the coat of different shades of color. It was home, and he desired it to stay the same. The current King had plans to demolish the ancient edifice and place the main office nearer to the capitol palace. This decision disappointed him, but he respected it. King’s plan of streamlining the kingdom’s defense and readiness, or so he said.  Several vacant spots lined the entrance, and he parked effortlessly. He massaged his temples to brace for being yelled at, for being delayed and entangled in a shootout. A human woman dashed from the building, making her way towards him. He heard a faint name shouted through the cruiser’s windshield as she approached. Amzer lowered the window as she thrust her head in, encroaching on his personal space. “The Captain got word about your incident in the Fae district and he’s furious. He told me to give you this, your next assignment. A murder in Black Hollow.”   He snickered at the reality of skipping a yelling match and being assigned a new task. “I’m being reassigned?” “Not just you. Your new partner is already on her way. Also he said along the lines of leaving your ARC here, you won't be needing it anymore.” Amzer seized the documents from her grasp and scanned through the briefing. Black Hollow, a village straddling two Kingdoms and the mayor, murdered in Athewen’s jurisdiction.

Miko and Haru is brother and sister. Miko is the younger sister while Haru is the older brother. They don't have parents. They live in a single apartment. Haru love her sister very much, he's always spoiling her by making her do nothing at home but read her favorite books and play some games. They're still both young. Haru is just 17 years old and Miko is 14 years old. One night, while Haru is sleeping we can see Miko kissing him. Haru isn't aware of this but her sister loves him very much too but she loves him as an opposite sex, not as a brother. While she was kissing him. Haru woke up. And when he saw what his sister did to him, he got mad. "What are you doing?" He asked angrily while touching his lips. "I'm sorry for kissing you, I love you." Said Miko with a sad face. After that, Miko started crying non-stop. She repeatedly said that she loves her brother and want to do romantic things with him. Haru pitied her sister and then he hugged her tightly and said "I'm sorry. Miko." And that made her stop crying. But she kept saying that she loves her brother and wants to kiss him. Haru's heart started pounding. He doesn't understand what's happening to her sister. Her sister kept telling him that she likes him. "Do you really love me, Miko?" He asked her sister. "Yes. Ever since our parents passed away. I've always loved you. I want to kiss you, hug you and have sex with you."  She said with tears falling from her eyes. Haru's expression changed. He wanted to kiss her so much. But he didn't. He thought it was wrong to kiss his little sister like that. He couldn't say no though. He had never kissed anyone before. He knew it's wrong but... "Miko, let's kiss." He said. "Really? You'll kiss me?" She asked hopefully. "Of course!" Said Haru smiling. Then she gave him a peck on his lips. Miko kept kissing him. It felt so nice but his brain told him it's wrong but he didn't dislike the feeling. "Haru.." Said Miko while looking at her brother with passionate eyes. Haru can't look at her as a little sister anymore. He wants to kiss her and fuck her. She pushed Miko to the bed and groped her undeveloped breast. "I love it when you're touching my breast." Said Miko. When Haru heard this he got excited and started to explore her body. Soon they were naked and lying on their sides. Miko started to caress Haru's bare back. "Haru, touch me more gently!" Said Miko. Haru did what she asked. He touched every inch of her body. He touched her breasts, her hips and her vagina. He then placed kisses on her soft skin. Then he took her panties and slowly pulled them down. He could feel her wetness. He licked it all. He then put his head between her legs and started to suck her clit. His tongue glided over her folds. She moaned loudly. Her hands ran through his hair. The feeling of being taken care of and pampered overwhelmed her. As the feeling became stronger and stronger, Miko came hard and fast. Haru felt her warm liquid. "Brother!" Haru pulled out his massive cock. He's exploding to try her sister's pussy. He inserted it and rapidly pounded her sister's virginity. "It feels so good Miko! Let's do this everyday." "Yes. Yes! Yes!! ahhh!" she shouted while moaning. He hugged her brother tightly while his brother is senselessly fucking her. In the end he ejaculated inside her and fell asleep. That night he slept peacefully without having nightmares. He dreamed about loving his sister. He dreamed about how happy they would be together. Haru woke up early. He saw her sister lying next to him. He can't see her as a little sister anymore. He only see her as a girl she loves. Haru can't stop himself and proceeded to kiss her sister. While he was about to do that, her sister woke up and hugged him tightly. They're both naked so the two felt horny instantly.  Their morning was filled with moans and pleasure. It was already 10 AM when the two finished having sex. Miko cleaned herself up and both decided to take a shower together. Once they're done showering, they went downstairs together and prepared breakfast. "Brother. From now on, don't treat me as your little sister anymore. Treat me as your girlfriend, and from now on I'll stop treating you as my brother because you're my boyfriend now." said Miko while giving Haru a kiss on the cheek. "Okay. I'll change my way of thinking from now on. Thank you for trusting me." said Haru while embracing his sister in a big hug. "You don't have to thank me." said Miko while hugging Haru tight.

I quite like showers. Always have. With the lights off, it’s like turning everything off for a bit. There’s just heat and sound that drown out the feelings of cloth against your skin and noise in your head, if you can manage to focus on the roar of the water over your ears. With the lights off, though. Looking down in the shower is so damned disappointing otherwise, like trying to have a lovely three-course meal while having to watch the Rise of Skywalker.  The worst thing about showers, of course, is that at some point you have to get out. You can’t just stay in the shower indefinitely, and getting out is a ten-step process that starts off terribly with ‘fighting the shower curtain’, ‘trying not to slip and fall and smash your head on the edge of the bathtub’, and somehow it gets worse from there, including such hits as ‘trying to towel off in a room that is slightly too cold’ and ‘realizing you have water in your ear.’ It almost made the whole shower thing not worth it, if it wasn’t also the perfect time for me to get my shaving in. I didn’t like to do it in the mirror. Like, what kind of person enjoys just staring at their own reflection for the fifteen, twenty minutes it takes to get a perfect shave? Towel wrapped around me and stuffed into an overly fluffy bathrobe, I shuffled out of the bathroom. My apartment isn’t exactly big. It’s on the smaller side, to be honest. Okay, it’s tiny, but like, what do you want from me? Leave me alone. It’s my apartment, and that’s what matters. Other than the small attached kitchen, with a little table and two chairs, it was essentially a loft, with enough room for my twin bed, a desk for my computer, and a closet, and not much else. Well, there was a chair with clothes on, but it was there or on the bed. But I’d made myself as comfortable as I could with the space and money I had. A little space to call mine.  Except that right now, there was someone else in there. Someone there hadn’t been when I got into the shower. She was in my bed, the covers pulled up to her chin, the adorable pixie cut tousled, her eyes unfocused, like she’d just woken up. She blinked a few times, and then fixed her eyes on me. And her mouth fell open.  “Uh, hello?” I asked, pulling the bathrobe a little tighter around myself. “Why are you in my bed?” The girl opened and closed her mouth a few times, like a confused goldfish, then looked under the covers and pulled them close against her chest. I’d turned my eyes away when I realized she wasn’t wearing anything.  “Aa!” she squeaked, like she was surprised to be naked. Then her eyes went wide, and she looked up at me, and then down and then up at me again. “Oh. Oh! Ohhhhh…” Her last ‘oh’ went from surprise to satisfaction, and a Cheshire-cat-grin spread on her face. “I think it’s my bed now, actually.” Her voice was gentle and husky, the vocal equivalent of listening to a cello. Compared to her, mine was like a trumpet. Blech.  “Um,” I said, thoroughly confused. “If this is a joke. Or, uh, an eviction…” “Come here, sweetie,” she said and I blinked a few times. She bit her lip and I was sure I reflected the blush on her cheeks right back at her. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.  “You mean…” “Yes,” she said. “Come into bed with me.” The blush must’ve gotten worse. I started to stammer something, and then gave up. I’d never been particularly lucky with girls, both growing up and in college. I’d always been a bit too awkward and insecure. If I attracted attention, it was mostly the same way a puppy did, with an ‘aww’ and a pat on the head.  “But… like… are you… who are… you don’t even know me.” “I know you better than you do,” she said with a devious smile. She dropped the blankets, revealing a pair of frankly gorgeous breasts. On the small side. Like my apartment. But the perfect size. For holding. For-- “Stop staring,” she said, interrupting my already-derailing train of thought. “Stop staring and put that mouth of yours to use.” I did as I was told, hurrying over. It didn’t even occur to me to take off the towel or the bathrobe as I crawled onto the bed. She took my hand in hers and looked at it, her small fingers contrasting with my own. She seemed absolutely taken by them, by the difference. I couldn’t blame her. Her slender fingers were almost like porcelain, in stark contrast to my own. Not that my hand was that much bigger than hers, but it felt that way. There was a softness to her, her form, I could barely wrap my head around.  And then she looked me in the eyes and I stopped thinking for a moment altogether. Her gaze was all-encompassing and it was filled with love and caring. In that moment, I really believed what she’d said, that she not only knew me, fully, but knew me, every part of me, and somehow, she loved me. And then she bit her lip and my heart skipped a beat.  “Gosh,” she said, and then pulled my head to hers as she laid back, and her soft lips were on mine. I could feel her heartbeat in her chest, beating in perfect synch with my own, her soft breasts pressing against my skin. Her lips opened slightly and our tongues explored each other, carefully. I’d kissed before, of course, but this was different. I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer against me. I awkwardly crawled under the covers, not letting up from the kiss for even a moment.  Our legs touched each other, hers soft and squishy in that perfect way, though I kept my pelvis a little pulled back. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable with my… obvious arousal. She pulled away, bit her lip again, and smiled. She didn’t say anything, but I felt a hand on my lower back, pushing me closer to her, like giving me permission. She wanted me closer, she wanted me, and I could scarcely believe it. I gave in, letting her push our bodies together and I felt myself push into her, my erection pushing into hers. My… hers…  My eyes shot open in surprise. She smiled again. “It doesn’t bother you.” It wasn’t a question. She knew, somehow. I felt like a pervert, that I’d always found trans bodies fascinating. But she pulled me in for a kiss again, and this time she was the one press her body into mine. Her hand slid from my bare back onto the towel and tugged it aside. With a single pull, our skin was pressed together. But her hand didn’t move away, instead resting on my stomach and running her fingers down. I felt my muscles contract involuntarily, a spasm that made her smile into the kiss. “Relax,” she whispered against me, and then softly bit my lip as her impossibly soft fingers wrapped around me, around both of us, and squeezed.  I whimpered, because all of my other brain functions had ceased to function. Her fingers knew exactly what to do, gently stroking, sometimes a caress so gentle it was barely there, sometimes squeezing harder and then softer. This was obviously not her first time, because she was driving me crazy. It wasn’t long before my hips started to buck on their own accord. Suddenly, she stopped, pressing a single finger against the shaft, pushing it against my stomach.  “So… I have a proposition for you,” she said.  “Wh-- what is it?” I asked, though I got the feeling that, in that surreal moment, I would have done almost anything she asked of me. I didn’t even know who she was, but she knew me, and I was putty in her hands.  “If you can let me have my way with you for a whole day,” she said, “without coming, I promise you the greatest orgasm you’ve ever had. And then a whole day of me banging your brains out.”  “Oh,” I said. That was a lot more explicit than I’d expected. And I didn’t know if I was going to be able to hold off on coming for that long, but the idea was… well, it was incredibly enticing. “Uh… what if I don’t?” “Then this is over, and I stop existing. That’s what I was told, anyway. And you never see me again.” She looked deeply sad for a moment. “That’s not something I’d ever want to do to you. To me.” “What, uh, what does ‘having your way with me’ entail?”  “Oh, a bit of everything. Oral. Anal. Watching movies together. No pain, no discomfort, and if you ever want things to stop because something is wrong, just say Mango. You just don’t get to come. Not until I say so,” she said.  “Who are you?”  “You’ll find out,” she said with a wink. “When you come.” “What about like… food? My job?” “You have the weekend off,” she said. She was right. I’d honestly just forgotten. “And we can order something. You have a few coupons for pizza on your desk.” Had she had a rummage around my room when I was in the shower? But she was right.  “Okay,” I said. “Okay?” “I’ll do it. On one condition.” Her face broke into a grin. “I promise I’ll go slow,” she said, as if she’d been expecting my question. “Don’t worry, you’re my first too.” “How did y--” I started but she pushed her lips on mine again and rolled me over on top of her, our tongues and limbs entwined. She had her legs wrapped around her and I felt myself immediately harden against her, and she pulled me against her, grinding our bodies into each other. I worried I weighed too much, my bulky shape on top of her, and I tried to prop myself up to make sure she wasn’t too uncomfortable. She took my face in her hands.  “You’re way more comfortable than you think you are,” she said, a calmness in her voice that put me at ease. “Now… like I said, please, like I said, put your mouth to some use.” I obliged, kissing her again, and then drew a trail of kisses down her jaw, down her neck, to her chest, covered in that layer of tiny, almost invisible hairs that made them so soft to the touch, and she cooed softly as her fingers ran through my hair, which was, apparently, just long enough for her to grab handfuls of. Whenever she tightened her fist to move my mouth a little bit this way and that, and I learned something about myself with the way she could just yank my head back. I didn’t exactly mind.  I gently bit the soft flesh, and she moaned. I felt her hardness against my stomach, twitching softly, and there was a little fluid already pooling on her soft belly. What research I’d done of trans girls made it so I wasn’t exactly surprised, but it was still unexpectedly quick. I continued kissing her chest, occasionally giving her nipples a little bite that elicited a delighted little squeal from her.  I ran a hand down her chest, until I found her, softly leaking, and wrapped my hand around it. It was different than holding my own. She was hard, sure, but… softer, in a way. And she immediately began to squirm under me, bucking in my hand, her hips thrusting in rhythm to her moans, quickly picking up speed until she grabbed a handful of my hair, pulled me away from her chest and slammed her lips into mine.  She swelled up in my hand, and she panted into my mouth as she came, hard and quick. I hadn’t even done much, but she was clearly completely lost in an amazing orgasm, her legs shaking and her breath rasping. It took her a solid minute to calm down, soft squeaks and moans as she held on to me as if trying not to lose herself.  When she finally seemed to regain her composure, she looked at me and smiled dreamily. “Fuck,” she said. “That was even better than I thought it would be.” “Is that… is that what you wanted?” “Oh, sweetie, we’re just getting started,” she said, and kissed me. “But I do think you’ve earned a name.” “Oh?” “You can call me Alice.” “Who the fuck is Alice!”  “Exactly!” she giggled. “Like the song!” “My name is--” I started but she put her hands on my lips, and then kissed me again.  “I know what your name is,” Alice said, and stretched, moaning so wonderfully it was making me twitch below the waist. It didn’t escape her notice and she bit her lip. “Now, if you’re up for it, I wouldn’t mind having you inside me.” Her hand disappeared between us and I felt her hand, coated in what I could only assume were her juices, wrapped around me. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I can take it. Trust me.” God help me, I did.  She had her arms wrapped lazily around my neck as I carefully got in position, occasionally nudging my nose with hers, though she perked up, her mouth a perfect ‘o’ when I pressed my head against her. I looked in her eyes, looking for permission, and with another adorable lip-bite, she nodded. Pressing forward, she relaxed quickly and I slipped in almost easily, although I made sure to take it slow. I knew, though obviously not from experience, that this was something to be very careful with. But she seemed very happy and ready to take me inside her. And then her ankles locked behind my back, and shoved me all the way in. The sound that came out of her mouth could well have been some eldritch mating call, but it certainly worked on me, and our eyes rolled up into our heads.  “Hold for a moment,” she said, her voice so soft I almost didn’t hear it, and I felt her squeeze around me. “Oh, fuck, there’s no way I’m going t--” and she pressed her forehead against mine as she came again. I held in place, trying to focus as much on her as I could. I knew if I let go, I wouldn’t be too far off either, and I wanted this to last as long as it could. “Jesus fuck,” Alice whispered. “I think I’m gonna come again if you move.” She let out a slightly exasperated laugh. “This is ridiculous.” Well, I had to put that to the test. I shifted slightly, pulled out about halfway, and then just as slowly slid back in.  “Oh, you bast--” was all she managed before her fingernails dug into my back and I had no choice but to stay right there, her legs clamped like a vice around me. After a moment, she bit my neck, hard, and I groaned in her ear. It took her another minute to relax, and when she looked me in the eyes, she had that unfocused look again, giggling softly. She began to roll her hips and I followed suit, fucking her slowly. She was amazing, softness wrapped in playful beauty, and she seemed so utterly and completely lost in the bliss of our bodies together. I wrapped my hand around her again, rubbing the underside of her shaft with my thumb and, after a few minutes, almost lazily, she came again, moaning quietly and leaking onto my hand and her stomach. It was unimaginably attractive, and I felt my own body stirring.  She kissed my nose. “You’re getting closer, aren’t you?” she asked. I nodded. “Alright, off.” Alice gently pushed my chest and released me from between her legs. There was a high-pitched whine in the air, and it took me a second to realize that noise had come from my own mouth. She smiled at me apologetically. “This is for both our sakes, sweetheart,” she said. “I promise the wait will be worth it. And don’t worry, I promise I can still make you feel good.” She nudged me onto my back and lazily draped herself over me, one leg over mine. We were both already sticky, but I didn’t really mind. I’d just have to take another shower. Maybe she’d be interested in joining me later. I got the feeling she’d be interested. She softly began to kiss my chest, her fingers running little circles around the sensitive skin around my nipples. “I… I don’t know how comfortable I am with that,” I said, softly. She looked up at me and nodded. “You can say no, but I want to ask… can I try something? If you don’t like it, just say the word.” “Mango, right?” “You got it. Just say so, and I’ll stop. But close your eyes.” She softly put a hand on my face, and I tried not to be too aware of just how much it smelled like sex. “Your body isn’t your enemy. Stop trying to see it in your head. Just feel the feelings. Imagine it however you want to imagine it.” I did as she asked, trying to clear my head, as she moved. She pushed my legs apart, and I felt her hitching up my legs, and I automatically wrapped them around her. It just felt right that way, and if I didn’t imagine them as hair and overly lanky, just focused on the feelings, it sort of… worked? Then I felt her hands on my chest, caressing my neck, soft fingers softly tracing my lips, making me feel sensual in a way I’d never had before. I felt her press against me between my legs. She wasn’t hard, but that didn’t matter. When her lips found my chest again, it felt different. I tried not to imagine her kissing my bare chest, but instead remembered what I’d done to her, the way she’d responded to my touches, the way my tongue had made her squirm, and tried to feel that way. I moaned, softly, a gentle sound I didn’t even know I was capable of making. Her hand softly squeezed my chest, and I bit my lip, squeaking the way she had. It took a bit of mental effort to keep me in that space, but she was right. I could let myself feel good.  Alice kissed and licked and bit my chest for what felt like ages. It could have been minutes, or seconds, or hours. In time, she grew hard again, and she was softly grinding against me as she did. It felt unexpectedly good, the pressure sending little jolts of electricity up my spine.  When she moved aside for a moment, I started to open my eyes, but she quickly kissed them closed again. When she sat back up, I heard the sound of a lid unclicking, and I vaguely recognized it as the bottle of lube I’d bought once when I expected my sex-life to be a lot more active than it was. It seemed my foresight was starting to pay dividends now, although I wasn’t sure I was ready to take something up my ass just yet. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll go slow, and you say stop whenever. I did promise I’d make you feel good.” “Y-- yeah,” I managed, my eyes still closed, and I gasped -- another high-pitched little noise that was easier to imagine coming from her mouth than mine -- when I felt her dab a little bit of the cold liquid against my butt.  “Relax,” she said, her voice coming from close to my ear as I felt her finger press softly forward. I did as I was told, and almost immediately she slipped in. “Oop!” she said, chuckling softly. “That was easier than I thought it’d be.” I didn’t have a response. Words had stopped happening. No more words, just groans as I felt her gently finger me with the patience and care of a particularly naughty saint. Slowly but surely, she sawed in and out of me.  It was surprising how easily that had gone, and from the… literature I’d read, I’d expected it to hurt more. Instead, it just felt… really good. It was when she slipped in a second finger, almost sneakily, that I felt myself properly stretched. The gentle panting was coming from me, I realized. Her mouth pressed against my chest again, and I couldn’t get the image of Alice sitting between a girl’s legs, gently fingering her as she kissed that girl’s chest. That alone helped me relax a great deal, and it wasn’t long before she pulled out again.  “Are you ready?” she asked, and, eyes still, closed, I bit my lip and just nodded. I felt more lube being spread over me and pushed into me, before a new pressure was added to my backside. It was definitely bigger than a finger or two, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep from looking down in panic. I wanted to just focus on the experience. She pushed, and I slowly felt myself stretch to accommodate her. It was strange, a pain not unlike that of her biting my shoulder, pleasurable in its own unique way, but it was her starting to fill me up that really made me see stars.  “Oh, fuh--” was all I managed. She held still, only moving forward in increments. A hand on her hip, I pulled her slowly into me, pushing to stop her from time to time so I could breathe and get used to her, until I started pulling again. I felt more full than I ever had in my life, and then, just when I thought I was going to burst at the seams, I felt her hips press against mine and she bottomed out.  She leaned forward, wrapping a hand around my almost painfully erect shaft, and put her mouth next to my ear. I already had a hard time not letting myself slip down the slope of good feelings, but when she spoke I nearly lost it. Her lips parted slightly. “Good girl,” she whispered, and I didn’t quite know why it made me lose control, but it did. Every twitch, every tensing of my muscles, made her grip on me, her stiffness inside me, all the more noticeable, and I was aware of my entire body being on fire in the best way. She gripped hard and leaned back, not moving and even pulling away when I tried to move my hips. I was so close, so damn close, and my body was trying to push itself over the edge, but I heard her gentle whispers echo in my head. “Not yet. Not yet.” Not yet. I could do this. I took deep breaths and forced myself to think of cold showers and seafood, two things I wasn’t particularly into. Not that she was making it easy for me, slowly moving her own hips and starting to thrust into me. She’d found an angle that didn’t immediately make me lose my mind, and I heard her panting softly again.  The thought alone of her getting close to that edge herself, of her coming inside me, was enough to immediately push my own orgasm a few degrees closer, and she slowed down enough to let me catch my breath, to let me try to focus on other things again, before she resumed. Slowly, her pace began to quicken, and I focused as hard as I could on making her feel good, on her pleasure, and that helped, that worked, but it also made her inevitable climax inside me come all the closer, and it was so hard not to imagine the incredible sensuality of that overwhelm me.  It wasn’t long before we were gasping and panting in unison, and she looked me in the eyes with an expression of surprise when she just mouthed the words at me. “I think I’m going to--” she said, and she came, her eyes closed, our arms wrapped around each other, as, for the first time in my life, someone had come inside me. It felt amazing, the second-hand bliss enough to steer me over the edge if I didn’t focus fervently on not letting her down. Her bucking and thrusting inside me didn’t do much to help in that regard, though.  When she finally came down and slipped out of me, the soreness of how much I’d been stretched made itself known, but it wasn’t… painful. Not really. Just a strange discomfort that was almost satisfying, like muscles after a good workout.  She collapsed next to me and put her hand on my chest. “You… did amazing, sweetheart,” she panted. “Thank you, so much, for holding on. I promise it will be worth it.” I believed her. I don’t know why I believed her, but I did. “Will you be okay trying to get some sleep?” I looked down. I was throbbing heavily and leaking precum all over myself.  “I might need to take a cold shower,” I said. The warm shower together would have to wait until tomorrow.  “Alright,” she said, laughing softly. I was about to get up when I got a very bold idea. She’d been the one to initiate all of this, after all. I leaned over and kissed her softly, and she immediately leaned into it, parting her lips and letting us taste each other. I didn’t want to get too worked up again, so I pulled away after not too long and slipped out of bed.  The shower was exactly what I needed, letting hot water rinse me off and cold water calm me down, and by the time I stepped out of it and went back into the bedroom, Alice was already asleep. But she was still there. That was the important part. I crawled under the covers next to her and hesitated. I wanted to put a hand on her hip, but I also didn’t want to push into her personal space when she wasn’t conscious. Her eyes fluttered open, she smiled at me, turned around, and scooted backwards into my arms. We fit almost perfectly, and I held her in my arms. It took me ages to fall asleep, but when I finally did, it was with the smell of her hair on my mind.  Waking up, I immediately became aware of the fact that she was still there. It hadn’t been some impossible fever dream, then. Next I became aware of the fact that we were both very naked. And finally, I became aware of my morning wood being nestled firmly between her cheeks. It was a good thing she could see my face, because I was blushing up a storm.  “Good morning,” she mumbled and looked over her shoulder at my still-red face. So much for that. I kissed her cheek good morning. She shifted a bit, and we both became very aware of what I had pressed against her. I started to pull away, but she reached back and put her hand on my hip. “I don’t mind,” she said, and then, almost like an afterthought, took my own hand.  I’d had it rested on her waist, but she moved it and gently pushed it between her legs. It was strange, to touch her when she was soft, but I slowly felt her stirring as I kissed the back of her neck. She gasped quietly, hardening in my grip until she was at full mast, and she turned to me again, pushing her hips back against my erection.  “See?” she said with an adorable little giggle. “Now we match.” I pushed my hips into hers, my dick pressed between her thighs, and gently moved my hand up and down her shaft. I figured this was safer for me than to do anything else. Not that her hips didn’t feel wonderful, buried between them as my length was, but it was a lot less likely to have me accidentally get off. And it allowed me to move her hips to a gentle rhythm. It wasn’t long before her breathing quickened, and she curled up a little bit, groaning as she came. She was unbelievably precious, vulnerable and small, even though, all things considered, she wasn’t all that much smaller than me. She just held herself in a small way, that made me comfortable holding her.  “You okay?” I asked after a moment. She just nodded and slowly unfurled again.  “What a way to say good morning,” she said. “That was wonderful, thank you so much. I can’t… I can’t even…” “Can’t what?” “I just can’t even,” she said with a little giggle, and nudged me with her head. “Let’s get some breakfast. I’m sure you’ve got something in the fridge, we both need nutrients, and I think you need to cool down a bit.” She winked as she hopped out of bed, and I couldn’t help but admire her shape. Her hips, her plump butt, as she wandered over to my closet and seemed to pick out a shirt at random. It was too big for me, which on her it looked perfect. There was something so indescribably delightful about a woman in an overly large shirt.  “You’re gorgeous, you know,” I said as I slipped into my gym pants. Not that they’d ever seen the inside of a gym, but that didn’t really matter.  “I do know,” she said and bit her lip as she looked at me. She was gorgeous. Her confidence gave her a glow that was enviable in ways I couldn’t even put to words. I wondered what time it was, and we went into the kitchen. She went over to the small fridge, and leaned over to look inside, shooting me a cocky grin over her shoulder as the shirt rode up to bare her ass. She knew exactly what she was doing to me.  She threw stuff to make sandwiches onto the table as I grabbed the bread and then we… had an entirely normal breakfast. We didn’t talk much. She didn’t want to reveal too much about herself, and I had to wonder if that would break the spell somehow. But she was willing to answer some questions, at least. “Am I really the only person you’ve ever been with?” I asked. She nodded.  “Yeah,” she said. “But let’s just say I had a bit of practice before last night. Just me and myself.” That made sense. Someone with that kind of raw sexuality would have a lot of experience with masturbation.  “Was, uh, I good?” I mumbled. She grinned wolfishly.  “Yes, sweetie. You were exactly what I needed.” We ate in silence a bit longer. “What happens after you leave?” She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I figure it’s best to enjoy this as much as we can, for as long as we can.” “That’s fair. The rules to this whole thing are… strange.” “Well, like I said, I’ve never done this before, so I just go with what I know.” “Which is?” “You, mostly.” “How do you know so much about me?”  “You’ll find out.” She winked again.  “You’re full of mysteries,” I mused, but she shook her head.  “I’m really not. But i can’t say too much just yet.” She chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds. “Are there any movies you’ve wanted to see while cuddled up with someone?” “Well, there’s a few,” I said. “I haven’t given it any thought, really.” “Liar,” she said, grinning.  “How did y-- Okay, there’s one,” I admitted. It was strange to be caught like that. But she seemed to know some of my deepest secrets. “Toki o Kakeru Shōjo.” “Ooh,” she said, “that’s one of my favourites. We can watch it together, if you like. Have a lazy afternoon.” I wasn’t even going to ask what the odds were of her liking my favourite movie, and just nodded. If I got to be cuddled up with a cute girl and watch that movie with her, the screen of my computer turned to the bed, I was already happy with that development.  “Sounds wonderful,” I said. She nodded and helped me clean off the table, before sauntering back into the living-slash-bedroom and immediately stripping naked again. “Um,” I said.  “I’m very sticky, sweetheart. I need to take a shower,” she began to saunter that perfect butt of hers to the bathroom. “You’re free to join me, if you want.” With that wink, I wasn’t going to say no. She was already turning on the shower when I walked in, fiddling with the shower-head, turning it left and then right, the only way it would properly work.  “How do you even know to do that?” I asked.  “Can’t tell you that,” she said, then reached past me to… turn off the lights. I felt her hands on my chest and she kissed me, then stepped into the shower. I took her hand and joined her. Her body pressed against mine under the stream of hot water. Her breasts pressed against me. Her arms wrapped around my neck.  “Thank you for turning the light off,” I whispered quietly. I wondered if she even heard me.  “Of course,” she whispered back after a moment. “Trust me, I know about… not liking to be in here. Not liking what you see when you look down.” I nodded. As a trans woman, she would. “If it helps at all,” she said, quietly, “you are beautiful.” That felt weird to hear. I knew I wasn’t. I was average looking at best, a fact only disputed by my mother and grandmother, who had both insisted I was-- “Not handsome,” Alice interrupted my thoughts. “Beautiful. Pretty.” I felt her hand on my cheek and my stomach tied itself into knots.  “I-- I’m not--” “You are,” she said. “You’re beautiful now. You’re going to be gorgeous.” “I can’t be…” “You can. And you will. Now turn around and let me do your hair.” Quietly, I did as she said. Even though it was dark, it was still a relief to be able to turn away from her as I let myself cry a bit. I relaxed when she started to shampoo my hair though, gently rubbing my scalp, and by the time I’d returned the favour, I was already feeling better. Enough to start making out under the hot water, and both of us were getting aroused, quickly. “I’m gonna hate this,” she chuckled, and I was about to ask her what she meant, the hot water ran out, and we both shrieked, slapping at the faucet to turn it off, and then hopped out of the shower while giggling. We were still laughing as we toweled ourselves off in the other room, Alice having thrown herself on the bed. It was hard not to stare at her, her soft curves. She was so damn beautiful. “I know, right?” She said as she caught my eye, and squeezed a titty playfully. “Now come on, I want to doze off watching a movie.” “Yes ma’am,” I said as I hurried over to the computer to set it up, which didn’t take long. I watched it once every few months, after all, so having it saved on my desktop was the easiest way to go about it. I jumped when she softly bopped my butt.  “You have a nice ass,” she said with a grin when I shot her an accusatory glare. “I could just take a big bite.” Blushing, I turned the movie on and hurried back to the bed, hopped under the covers behind her, and before long were spooning, letting the familiar music, atmosphere and sense of infinite summer wash over me. After a little bit, I heard, and felt, Alice snoozing in my arms. We’d kept each other up for quite some time last night, after all, and it wasn’t long before I felt sleep tug at the edges of my consciousness.  I woke up during the credits. Alice had already turned around, burying her face in my chest. I kissed her forehead and she stirred, smiling before she even opened her eyes. “Do you want to order pizza?” I asked. She nodded and I scrambled for my phone, sending out for delivery without the horror of talking to another human being.  “I think,” she said, biting her lip, “we should get appetizers.” “That’s a pretty good idea,” I agreed, nodding. “What are you in the mood f-ohhh--” That was about as far as I got before her head disappeared under the covers and I felt the warmth of her mouth wrap around my shaft, and a completely unfamiliar but far-from-unpleasant sensation as she gave me head. It wasn’t nearly as intense as any of the other stuff had been, but she seemed to be having a great time and I tried to focus on the sensations. In part because, well, it’s what she’d told me to do the day before, but also because I was already planning on returning the favour. Besides, with how much more sensitive she was than me, I had the distinct feeling something like that would have a much greater effect on her than it did on me.  It didn’t take long for her to kiss a trail up my stomach, my chest again, and then to my mouth. I hesitated for only a moment before I opened my mouth, tasting myself on her lips as she straddled me. It was… strange. Bitter. Salty.  “I know this doesn’t do as much for you as it should,” she said. “Don’t worry. It won’t always be that way. And I had to try.” I nodded, kissed her again, and then started to move down. She bit her lip and started to roll over, but I held her in place, scooting down between her legs until I had her thighs on both sides of my head and her dick just above me. I softly kissed the underside, and gave it an experimental lick. It twitched. That was interesting. Another lick. Another bounce. Feeling a giggle rise up in my chest, I bit my lip, before wrapping my hand around the base and aiming the head to my lips.  I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing, but something about being pinned underneath her was incredibly erotic to me. I parted my lips and let her slip into my mouth. The taste was distinctly different. Saltier than my own had been, almost sweet by comparison. She was also leaking a lot more. I bobbed my head a few times and realized I’d quickly get a sore neck, so I gently grabbed her hips and encouraged her to move for me. It didn’t take her long to get the message, pushing into my mouth. I couldn’t take it as deep as I wanted to, but that didn’t seem to matter too much to her. She was already out of breath, face-down against the headboard, while I was, holy shit, getting gently face-fucked. Weird as hell, it was the sexiest thing I could think of at that moment. Being in a vulnerable position like that was strangely liberating, powerless and completely in control.  The only thing I wanted was for her to come. Just like she’d come inside me the night before, I wanted her in my mouth, and started to gently suck on her length. She moaned quietly as I caressed her thighs, her ass, and she thrusted into my mouth. I already recognized the rhythm she had when she was approaching orgasm. “I’m close,” she whispered. I gently squeezed her butt as encouragement, and she suddenly had one hand in my hair, grabbing a handful and picking up speed. I was getting incredibly turned on, having her essentially fuck my mouth, and clearly, so was she.  Just a few more thrusts and I felt her push to the back of my mouth, and she came. It wasn’t much, but her twitching in my mouth was so hot it almost made me lose it myself. I only barely resisted the urge to reach down and push myself over the edge. Barely. She was still coming in my mouth when the doorbell rang.  “Motherfuck,” Alice mumbled, rolling off me quickly. “I don’t think I can stand upright right now,” she said, giggling. I almost laughed, myself. I had a mouthful of her come and a painful erection, but it looked like I was going to have to be the one to open the door. I scrambled for my pants and my bathrobe, and my way to the front door, quickly accepting the food without making eye contact and then hurried back inside. Alice was still laughing on the bed, back under the covers. She bit her lip mid-smile when she looked at me, and I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she was.  “Pizza,” I said, like it wasn’t obvious, and sat down on the bed in front of her. I realized I’d just ordered my own favourite, but I got the feeling she wouldn’t mind. I was proven right when she happily dug in. She was ravenous, and I definitely enjoyed digging in too. Every once in a while I caught her staring at me. “Whak?” I asked, wondering if I had something on my face.  “Just… looking. You’re going to be amazing.” “What do you mean?” Alice was being cryptic again, and I really wanted answers, but she held up a finger as she finished the piece she was eating. I looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to daintily dab her mouth with a napkin. She grinned fiendishly when I realized she was playing for time.  “Okay,” she said, moving the box of pizza aside. “I can give you a couple of answers, already, but not everything.” My ears perked up. “First of, yeah, in a bit, we’re gonna bang, and it’s going to be fucking amazing. I promise. I’m going to blow. Your mind. Bwoosh.” She added gestures for emphasis.  “Okay,” I said. Not the answers I’d been waiting for, but I definitely didn’t mind.  “Next, things are going to get a bit weird tonight. Remember the safeword, okay? You can still stop things when you’re uncomfortable, but I think you’ll be fine. Trust me, okay?” I nodded. “Just go with what feels good when we get down to it. Close your eyes and imagine your body the way it felt last night.” “I promise I’ll try,” I said. “It’s the best I can do.” “I know. And to make this a bit easier… so… you know how you have to turn off thinking about your body in order to really enjoy things?” I nodded again. “Okay, so, just, yknow, food for thought: I know how that feels. Okay? I do. Most people don’t.” She looked at me expectantly. “Are you picking up what I’m putting down here?” I glared at her for a bit. “I… I think so, but I don’t… I’m not sure you’re right.”  “Look,” she said, shrugging. “If I’m wrong, then you’ll know for sure later. Like… last night, when I was inside you…” Immediately, her saying that had an effect on me. Why was that so hot to me? I immediately started to get turned on. “Do you know, when you almost came?” I bit my lip.  “Y-- yeah.” “Do you remember what I said?” I vaguely remembered her whispering something, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was. I shook my head. “That’s okay. I’ll say it again later, and try to keep it in mind, okay? It’s important.” “Okay.”  She reached over and gently touched me through the sweatpants. “Now, sweetheart,” Alice asked, “do you want to fuck me?”  “God yes,” I said. She was already crawling out from under the covers as I worked myself out of the few clothes I was wearing and tossed them off the bed. At some point, she’d grabbed the bottle of lube and before I could even get a handle of the situation, she had a hand wrapped around me. She made eye contact with me as she gently jerked me off, then straddled me, leaning a hand on my chest, using the other to line herself up. I allowed my hands to roam her body, impossibly soft, wonderful.  Slowly, she lowered her butt onto me and just like that, I slipped inside her. She groaned but barely slowed down, impaling herself on me.  “Hey, are y--” I said, and had to stop to take a deep breath when she slammed down and bottomed me out in her. “Jesus fuck,” I whispered.  “So last night,” she said, breathlessly, “we took it nice and slow, and that was very sweet and good and wonderful,” she said. “Now, I’m going to want you to fucking rail me, okay?” I could only nod as slowly lifted her hips and then let her sink back down. She was so warm around me, so amazing and perfect, squeezing me tightly. I pushed up into her, gently as she leaned on my chest, her forehead pressed against my shoulder.  After a while, I felt her lips on my collarbone and I closed my eyes. I imagine her lips on soft almost-hairless skin. I felt her hands roam my upper body, and I imagined them cupping breasts. My heart skipped a beat when she squeezed one of them. Wait, but… how did she… I didn’t have… “Keep your eyes closed,” she said, softly, and bit one of my nipples as her hands massaged what I imagined to be breasts. “Just keep your eyes closed and imagine, imagine who you are and who you want to be and fuck me.” We moved in perfect rhythm as I thrust inside her, not with force but with need, with desire, my touch soft and careful. Arms and shoulders not muscular but slender and graceful. I wrapped a gentle hand around her erection and softly squeezed. She moaned and bucked, sliding herself onto me, even though I wasn’t as hard as I had been before. She kissed my hairless jaw, eliciting soft gasps and moans from me. I was getting close, but I got the distinct feeling I wasn’t going to get there this way.  “Do you want to trade places?” she asked me. I nodded.  “Yes, please,” I said, my voice almost indistinguishable from hers. We rolled over and, my eyes still mostly closed, I crawled on top of her. I was hungry for her, I wanted to be full of her, to be filled up. “Let me know when you’re close, sweetheart,” she said as she started to push up against me. It was all I could do not to ram her inside me the way she’d done to herself.  “You know it,” I mumbled, and started to lower myself, relaxing as best I could, helping to guide her inside me. With a pop, her head slipped inside me and I clenched down, until I realized I didn’t have to keep myself from enjoying things as much anymore, and relaxed again. She put her hands on my soft hips, then followed the curve up to my waist, and finally ran them up my chest to caress my breasts, squeezing softly. I leaned forward to give her easier access, and, more importantly to kiss her.  She moved slowly and gently, sliding in and out of me with almost practiced precision. Being filled up like that was amazing, but I wanted more, and she seemed able to sense it, like she was holding back. “What do you want, sweetheart?” she asked, her voice a barely audible whisper.  “I want to… I want to be fucked,” I barely managed.  “What do you want me to do?” “I want y-- you to fuck me,” I managed as she gently sawed in and out of me.  “So what do you say?” “P-- please. Fuck me.” “Good,” she said, and slammed her dick all the way inside me. It was like my brain exploded, my whole body on fire. Why did it feel so good? My skin was so sensitive, so fucking sensitive. I leaned back and barely held on while she fucked me and galaxies formed behind my eyelids. Her hands rested on my thighs and moved up, wrapping her fingers around my dick, caressing and working the shaft gently.  “F--fuck,” I managed, “I’m getting close.”  “I can-- I can tell,” she said, out of breath and, going by how her thrusting was slowly getting more frantic, she was too. “Hold on just a little bit, baby.” I did as best I could, but with her deep inside me and her hand on my shaft, it was hard, incredibly so. Suddenly, I felt the arrhythmic bucking of her hips that signified the fact that she was about to come inside me, again. The thought alone was sending me spiraling. “You’re about to come, aren’t you?” she asked. I opened my eyes and looked her in the eyes.  I barely form the words, biting my lip and nodding. “Y-- yeah.” I could feel the orgasm building inside me, but I was determined not to let her down. The feeling set my teeth on edge, and made my skin tingle.  “God,” she said, “you’re so fucking gorgeous.” She squeezed my shaft again and then, using it as leverage, she shoved her length inside me. “Hold.” I did as I was told. “You want to come?” I nodded frantically. “Then say it.” “Please,” I begged. “Let me come, please.”  Alice bucked underneath me and buried herself inside me with a groan, then leaned in close to my ear. “Good girl, Alice,” she said, and I came. My entire body exploded, every nerve ending gone supernova, every star in the sky burning on my skin as I completely lost control over every nerve ending. I bucked as I came, over and over again, moaning and gasping and crying as she said my name, over and over again, as we came together, over, and over, and over again. I started to black out as she lowered me onto the bed. “Good girl,” she cooed again, covering me with blankets. “Now, be nice to her, okay? She’s very fragile.” “Whfzh?” I managed, before I blacked out and dreams took me.  When I opened my eyes, it was already light out. How long had I been asleep. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get the sleep out of it, and blinked a few times, sitting upright. I pulled the covers up with me to keep warm. I was still in my bed. Good. There was a figure standing in the door to the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and a bathrobe.  “Uh, hello?” the figure asked, pulling the bathrobe closed a little tighter. “Why are you in my bed?”  I opened and closed my mouth a few times, like a confused goldfish, then looked under the covers and pulled them close against my chest. It made sense, of course. “Aa!” I squeaked. Not covered in thick bristly hairs, my chest instead had two small but, frankly, perfect breasts. I looked up at the figure, and then down and then up again. “Oh. Oh! Ohhhhh…” I said, as everything finally dawned on me. I grinned, happier than I’d ever been. “I think it’s my bed now, actually,” I said.  Elamimax Heya! I hope you liked that little romp :) If you're not familiar with my work, there's more of mine on this here website! Similarly cozy and horny is, aptly named, Horns In The Library, and, I mean, while you're at it, might as well check out my other stuff too, right?  While I've got you, maybe I can point you at my Patreon. Most of my work is paid for by fans like you, and it lets me write regularly and professionally, and you get so much free stuff. Usually words, though.  Anyway, thanks for reading! Please leave a comment and a like, and consider subscribing so you can catch more of my stuff when it comes out!

Sex with Ghost I was alone in my room. There is an ongoing storm. It's raining heavily and the roaring of thunder could be heard every time. It's dark. There's no electricity. Maybe a power outage. I'm scared, but I don't want to leave my bed. What if something bad happens? I hear a knock at my door. It sounds like it's from downstairs and that it is loud enough for me to hear. The knocking is louder this time so I stand up on my feet and walk towards the front door. There was another knock and it sounded more desperate this time. "Who is it?" I called out. No one replied back to me. I walked back to my room and looked through the window. There was nothing there except for rain. I feel like I'm just having a bad dream. I calmed myself but I can't stop my heart from beating so fast. The knocking started again and this time it sounded even closer. I felt that it wasn't coming from outside anymore. The knocks came inside of my house. My breathing increased because I realized how scared I am right now. I locked the door in my room and hide inside the blanket. I'm fucking scared so I decided to watch some memes. After I finished watching all the videos I could find on YouTube. I started experiencing some scary things again. The bed where I'm currently on started moving. It's as if something or someone is moving it from below. I gathered all my courage and turn on the flashlight on my phone. I then bravely looked beneath the bed and saw a fucking girl. The girl was so fucking scary that I unconsciously jump to distance myself away from her. And then she started coming closer to me.  I started shaking violently. She looks straight into my eyes. She was about to say something when suddenly she disappeared without a trace. It's not fair! I'm not ready to face reality yet. I closed my eyes and waited for everything to go back to normal. Then I opened my eyes and saw her again. She's licking my hand.  I pointed my phone's flashlight at her so that I can see her appearance clearly. And then I realized that she's not really that scary. In actuality, she looks cute. She only looked scary because she's drenched all over the body. "Hey, aren't you scared?" she asked me in a raspy voice. With her appearance this cute. I'm not sure if I'm still scared of her. "You're cute. I think my fear just disappeared completely after seeing your face." I answered. She blushed. She's so cute. I know that she's a ghost but she's so cute. "So, why are you here?" I questioned her. "This house belongs to me." she said while pointing to the walls. "What do you mean by that?" I asked. "I was the owner of this house 43 years ago. I died from a disease when I was sixteen and now that I've become a ghost. It seems that I'm trap in this house." She disappeared from sight again and reappeared behind me. "Stop staring at my face! I'm embarrassed." she said while blushing. Is she really a ghost? I asked myself.  How come a ghost could be this fucking adorable. I couldn't stop myself. Before I knew it. I was already hugging her. She froze and tried to push me away, but I didn't budge. Instead, I kissed her forehead. That made her blush even more. "Don't scare me like that." I whispered in her ear. She nodded slowly. "Why did you kiss me?" she asked me shyly. "Well, I don't know. Maybe because you're cute?" I answered. "This is the first time someone did this to me." she said while blushing. "I was sick all my life when I was still alive that's why I'm thankful that I become a ghost. I can do anything. I can teleport, I can clip through things and I can manipulate any object using my mind. I have a lot of superpower but nobody can see me and nobody can hear me." she said sadly. "You're the first one to make me feel that my existence is real." she said while smiling. She hugged me tightly and rested her head on my shoulder. "I don't understand this feeling but I have the desire to stay with you forever. Do you want to live with me?" she asked. Of course, I bought this house yesterday so why am I gonna move out? In addition to that, I will be together with a cute girl. "Of course. Why not?" I answered. *** That night, I asked her. "Hey, do you want to experience romance?" "Romance.. of course yes. I was just sixteen when I became a ghost. I was bedridden so I never got the chance experience romance." I showed her a gesture of having sex by inserting my pointing finger to the circle shape I made with my other hand. "Let's have sex!" I said cheerfully.  I carried her small body and she started flailing around. She's so cute that my massive cock is twitching already. I quickly get naked then started to rip her clothes off. She has a petite body and her breasts is still in development. "Holy shit. You have the ideal body that I wanted to fuck for a long time!" I shouted in delight while stroking my dick. "I don't know what's happening but my instinct is telling me that I need that thing to be inserted to me right now!" she said. "Alright." I jumped at her and inserted my cock on her pussy. I pounded her very fast to the point that she can't stop screaming in pleasure.. "What is this feeling? What is this feeling! Aaahhhh!!! It's so good!" she screams while moaning. I have fucked my cousin before so I'm fairly experienced in this field. But this pussy, it's so tight that even though I already cum inside her a while ago, I'm still hard and energetic. I pounded her very hard and fast.  I can hear her moaning louder. My thrusts became more rapid. Her moans turned higher pitched as well. I reached my climax. "Aaahhhhh!! Fuckkkk!" I screamed as my cum shoots out. Then I collapsed beside her. We were both panting. "This was a new experience for me. I hope we can do this everyday." she said while panting. "Yes, me too." I said and then thought 'I can't believe I fucked a ghost.'

“Where is he?” A soft-spoken voice, with a slight accent that arose from the throat, rang out through a magical com link. Shui Jaing perched above the shipyard, scouting the battlefield. Below average height for a human, she proved herself in basic and became top of her class in marksmanship. She vigilantly kept track of her team, sprinting and leaping through an obstacle course of metal boxes. Adalissie slid to a stop, reaching a fork in the road. Her partner tapped her shoulder, letting her know he had her back. With a hasty puff of air, she blew her white bangs out of her eyes. Propped up against a nearby cargo container, she panted, trying to catch her breath. Sweat rolled down her olive-toned skin, cooling her down.   “He’s built like an airship. How is he so fucking fast?” Adalissie asked.  “Maybe you are just out of shape, girl?”  A joking, grizzled, suave voice crackled through her mind. Rorgal Daymantal, team leader and mentor, part of the Old Guard, some would say. Adalissie requested to train under him in order to command her own squad one day. Retirement quickly approached for the aging man and he chose this to be his last operation. Things must end perfectly for her, otherwise she will fail her final test. Adalissie’s unit had been provoked into a chase with a Dragonkin. A race rarely seen outside of Uzon, the East continent. He caused a ruckus among the three bottom kingdoms, Athewen, Procaria, and Staera, and a joint team formed; the Kingdom’s finest. She thought they lost him, but heard reports of a Dragonkin using sorcery on the streets of Kemont, a city in Procaria.  “Authorization approved. Quit the chatter. I need concentration.”  Skathor Muse, a young Emon eager to prove himself, piped up on the magic tether. His red forehead wrinkled as he prepared his location spell. Several arcane symbols painted in a circle dripped white lines down a blue container. Bits of bloodhound fur stuck to the freshly applied paint. Demonic chanting whispered from his lips and yellow engulfed his eyes while his vision narrowed, focusing on the Dragonkin.  “East corner of the yard. Stationary for now. Alone. Heart rate increased. He’s panicking.” Skathor announced. “Moving.” Adalissie said. Head nod of approval from Rorgal, she gestured to Shui for an assessment. After three seconds, a crackle over coms mentioned an all clear, both sides of the roadblock. She signaled Rorgal for him to go to the left. She would take the right. With an open palm, she used her other finger to spin above it. The sign for flanking the target. The silence broke with a crackling audio. “I have eyes on him. Container unit 5793.” Shui stated. Narrow corridors made for little error when sprinting down them. Check one corner, then the other as the team closed the distance to the storage box. Open spaces caused hesitation with Adalissie as she checked for an alternate route. Careful not to let her presence known, she crouched close to the edge of the boxes. Static filled her coms but could make out some words. “Shit… play...” “Target… eyes up… “ “Adie, move your ass!” Blurs of green and blue crossed her field of view. Cold steel pressed against her body and faint scuffling muffled by shouting and gunfire. Her mind slipped into nothingness. A dim golden tether floated into her vision. “Blood of my blood. This is not your time.” It felt like a caring mother, calling to her child in the darkness. **** Birds chirped on a warm afternoon. Children frolicked about the playground, their voices carried far across it.  A girl, about four, used the cover of a nearby tree and observed the others playing. Her long white hair flowed in the evening breeze. Golden irises that contrasted against her bronze skin tone.  “Why do not you go play with them, Miss Mashal?” Asked a voice behind her. The adolescent whipped her head around quickly that the momentum and length of her hair smacked herself in the face. She shrugged it off and put up a mask that it didn’t phase her, then acknowledged the unwelcome guest in her presence.  “They don’t want a freak like me playing with them.” Miss. Mashal responded. “You are not a freak. You have something special they do not possess.” The person processed their next set of words. “Which makes them scared of you. If they do not want to take the time to get to know you, then they are not worth your time.” “Cia, it is the same wherever I go. They call me half breed, skytouched, dirty celestial.” Cia kneeled and patted her on the head. “You are Adalissie Mashal. Nothing more, nothing less.” Cia reached out her hand toward Adalissie. “Now come, it is time to see your mother.”  Adalissie held on tight to Cia’s hand as they walked together to the nearby ARC. Her heart ached. She had not seen her mom in months since the incident.  A bizarre collapse in her study caused her to be rushed to the hospital. Adalissie tried to understand the doctors, but the words they used were bigger than her current vocabulary. “Everything will be fine,” they told her, but she knew, despite the fake smiles the adults wore. Cia grieved every night since that day. “Is mommy okay?” Adalissie asked. Cia’s voice cracked. “Yeah.”  ‘Liar.’ She thought.  She took notice back at the playground, the dry mascara that ran down her cheek. The shakiness in her tone. The congestion. She had cried before she arrived. Her mom’s condition had not improved. The drive to the hospital was relativity short, to Adalissie it felt longer. She rubbed her eyes as the lights from the lobby blinded her. Silence fell when she walked down the hallway, escorted by the doctors. Nurses all bowed their heads in sorrow and made her heart sink. Her mind wandered. Drops of water landed on the top of her hand and instantly reached up to her cheek, wiping away the dampness.  Raspy and weak. “Is my daughter here yet?” Asked a bedridden woman. Adalissie ran over to her mom. Low, repetitive beeping machines lined the bed with several hoses hooked to her shriveled mother.  “Mom! What’s wrong?” “My precious daughter.” Blonde dark skin woman stared blankly at the ceiling, paying no attention to the child’s death grip on her arm.  “Mom?” Asked Adalissie, holding back her tears. “You are destined for great things, my love.” She struggled to laugh. “I wish to see the new era you bring.” Beep of the machines stopped, leading to a drawn out one. Flash of light, brighter than the sun, lit the room, then slowly dimmed.  Kneeled beside her mother, a child. Her long blonde hair and spreading white feathery wings from her back, reached to both ends of the bed. Cia rushed in at the angelic sight and hugged her. **** Hemp rope rubbed against her skin as Adalissie woke. Disgruntled, her insides thumped to the beat of a drum. Her vision was blurry, and she attempted to focus. Muffled voices of different sources slowly came to be recognizable, her teammates and another that sounded strange. “Ah, the girl awakens. Good.” The Dragonkin said. “What?” Adalissie asked. She shook her head in order to clear her senses. Her unit sat tied in the same rope next to her, struggling to break free. “You took a bad tumble back there. Thought you wouldn’t make it.” Rorgal stated. A Dragonkin narrowly touching the ceiling with his horns scraped a chair across the concrete floor. He let out a small puff of air while flexing his nostril holes. Long, black claws gripped the back and spun it around. His beefy scaled legs straddle the wooden seat while facing them. Colorful bronze scales reflected the one light source in the room while his dark brown lizard eyes studied the team.  “Now that everyone is awake, let’s begin.” He spoke in a nasal voice, followed by a low growl. Adalissie took note that his presence carried weight. His comrades listened intently when he talked. “My name is Tiphuc Dravull.”   “Begin what?” Asked Skathor. “Your reeducation.” Growled Tiphuc. He snapped his bulky fingers together. A lengthy human between the ages of eighteen and twenty brought up a strange contraption. An oblong container that faintly glowed and pulsed with purple energy. Twisted supports resembling roots of a tree, connected to two leaf shaped ends. “Do you know the reason your kingdom hunts down sorcerers?” “Sorcery is outlawed by the Tri-Kingdom area.” Shui responded. The group of humans in the foreground emitted a loud laugh and stopped when Tiphuc lifted his hand. “Is that what they teach you? That’s cute.” A sensible chuckle escaped his throat, then continued. “No, it’s to capture us and use us to power your technology. Magic is not free and the Gods are dead to freely give their power.” Tiphuc rose and pushed the chair aside, then adjusted his glare at Skathor. “Tell me, Red, where does your source come from?”  “It took me years to study magic and learn the spells I know.” Skathor said. “But where do you draw power from to cast those spells?” asked Tiphuc. “Valgrea, The Tree of Death.” Tiphuc walked toward Skathor, his snout inches from his face. Skathor leaned back to escape his foul breath. Tiphuc’s massive claws dwarfed the piacular gadget that he presented toward Skathor. Two of Tiphuc’s followers moved behind Skathor and stood him up, untying his bonds.  “That is an Emon religious faith. I will show you raw arcane power, something you can touch.” Tiphuc demanded. Skathor reached out and grasped the apparatus, bringing it closer to him. Low hums heightened and the purple bloom flourished the longer he kept it. Pulses increased and the arcane machine became deafening. A smirk gradually developed as he felt the surge of mystic strength coursed though his veins. Clear blue crystals sprouted from his palm and slowly formed into a small dagger. He flipped the crystalline dirk in the air for a while before his smile disappeared. Ice melted, unable to keep its shape. “What’s happening?” he asked. His arm vibrated as the humming grew louder. A moan withdrew from his lips as he dropped to one knee. Veins bulged from his arms in sync with the machine when it pulsed. Skathor fell to the ground, screaming in agony, fading away in minutes. Tiphuc looked over his decaying body and lightly blew, causing a swirl of dust in the space. “Repentance.” He turned to Adalissi, then swiped the contraption off the floor and handed it to her. “Are you ready to be judged by the Old Gods?” “Fuck you.” she spat at his feet while maintaining eye contact.   He grabbed her neck and slammed her face first into the ground. The device maintained its humming when he placed it in her bound hands. Shui and Rorgal struggled to release themselves while watching the titan of a dragon pin her down, forcing her to maintain the contraption. Her irises flickered, changing from her normal brown to an illuminated gold.  “Let go of me!” she yelled through clenched teeth. The roots of her brown hair, bit by bit, altered to a bleach white. Tiphuc's eyes widened as more of her hair changed to the same pale color. With great durability, he expanded his hold on Adalissie. “Interesting. Sem’Varian? Does your team know what you are?” “No, and they never will.” A flash of light engrossed the room, impairing the vision of everyone. The sounds of shuffling and grunts filled the darkness, followed by the increasing hum of magic build up. Soon, the scuffle faded, and all were silent. **** Thick smoke swirled around a small living room of a run-down apartment. Different smells, ranging from burnt skin and burning paper, mixed, creating an unpleasant aroma.  A sizzle from a stick being put out, trailed by the quiet whimpers of a teenage girl. A mid thirties woman lifted the cigarette from the teenager epidermis, the burn mark that remained healed with remarkable speed.  “Be a good girl and get mama more Hellhounds from her room.” The older woman asked. “Cia...” Whimpered the youngling. “Now, Adalissie!” A defeated and submissive girl went and retrieved the items requested from her mom’s bedroom. Pain struck her like someone stabbed a knife through her skull. She winced, enduring the irritation, and grabbed the pack of smokes off the nightstand. While walking out of the bedroom, her headache grew with intensity. Not dare yell, she clasped her head and caged her suffering. She had halted the sensation before, but this felt different. Her dark brown irises flickered an illuminating gold, bright enough to light the dimly lit room like a spotlight.  Spots on her back itched as the skin tore sprouting ball joints of wings. Strands of blonde and white blended into her brown hair.  She squatted and pulled her legs close to her chest while she tightly closed her eyes shut. “No, not now. Please stop.” She mumbled.  Several creeks echoed in the hall outside the bedroom, followed by hurried footsteps. “What did I tell you about using your powers in my house, freak?” Asked her father. The man unbuckled his belt and wiped it off his pants with a crack. She knew what came next, and her body froze. She wanted to scream, but a lump in her throat formed, making that action impossible. One, two, three strikes from his waistband, leaving red marks on her skin. Her heart thumped, and she experienced an unfamiliar might swell deep inside. Pressure released. A voice rang in her mind in a language she somehow understood. Uio avai rad dalok ad koark dhoal kruxo? Are you not tired of being their slave? Kdak harkark kudk. Ork dho kuar Stop holding back. End the pain. Iorouko avail dirr kaxoi Release your full power Twisted horns extruded out of her forehead, curving upwards. Pitch-black ooze draped her long white hair. Whites of her eyes became an obsidian color and her gold pupils deepened to a ruby glow. Long, sharp front teeth poked her bottom lip while her snow-white appendages darkened to the same black as her hair. “Velcun, ka rad daidh no uravnaio!” Frightened and startled, Velcun, her father, tumbled backwards and scrambled to scurry away from the bedroom.  Adalissie’s ebony wings fanned out as she sashayed closer. Flame lit at the tip of her finger.  “My heart, torn asunder. No longer influenced by the agony it’s endured. Your repentance is near.” Adalissie’s lips moved, but the voice was not hers. It appeared deeper, confident. It terrified Velcun to his core. His backside to the hallway pushed himself up upright.  Lengthy black tipped nails gently coiled around Velcun’s throat, pushing him up the wall further. A ruby glow pierced deep into his spirit as his trachea caved in from the pressure of her hold. “I’m… not… sorry.”  His raspy last words escaped through his crushed windpipe as his eyes dulled and his body went limp.  Bottles crashed on the hardwood floor in the next room, drawing Adalissie’s attention. Cia huddled in the corner, blocking herself with furniture in order to establish distance between them. “S-stay back, you m-monster.” Adalissie’s eyes flashed as she peered into her soul.  “Cia. Ino’s death deeply troubled you. Raising a child by yourself put unnecessary strain on you but, marrying that abusive fuck. That was the last straw.” Adalissie declared. She inched closer to Cia’s face and ran her long fingernail across her delicate features. “Every time I see her face, I’m reminded of what I lost. She… she overworked because of you. You caused Ino’s death.” said Cia. Adalissie backed slowly while lowering her brow. Her inky tips curled onto the sofa as she hoisted her upper body up. “How dare you blame a child for the death of their mother?” Adalissie shouted an incantation as she waved her hand. An arcane symbol appeared, spawning three small specs that floated into Cia’s mouth.  Cia itched compulsively, tearing at her skin. Insects crawled out of her wounds and tore into her flesh more, a repeated cycle generating more with each rebirth.    “You brought this on yourself, Cia.” “You’re a Demon. Nine Hells take you. I always suspected. Your mother said you were an Angel, but I knew…”  **** Adalissie bent over the burnt corpse of the Dragonkin. He still breathed but couldn’t move much other than his torso. He turned to look at her and struggled to talk. “Nine Hells take you, Sem’Varian.”  “Nine Hells take me? The Nine Hells didn’t want me.” She whispered in his ear. She reached down for her knife she strapped to her leg, and inch by inch inserted it in the nape. With an exhale of breath she had verification, he expired. She swiftly stowed the dagger and made her way to her team, who lay unconscious.  Rorgal woke up first, followed by Shui, who frantically looked around the room. Adalissie broke them free of their bindings and helped calm Shui down enough to have a coherent conversation. “What the hell was that?” Shui asked. “A radical cultist, maybe?” replied Adalissie. “I think she means what spell did you cast?” Rorgal butted in. “That wasn’t me. Must have been a malfunction the device he had.” “No.” Rorgal stood up, standing between Shui and Adalissie. “I don’t think it was. What are you hiding?” She sighed heavily as her brown eyes flared a golden glow. “You have two choices. Leave with your lives. I’ll say you died in the attack like Skathor or…” “Or what?” “I’ll kill you.” **** Papers shuffled, and glass shattered inside a closed office. The yelling would draw the occasional passerby, but others considered it a normal day.  Adalissie returned from her botched mission alone and sat in the captain’s office dodging cups and picture frames. Calm and collective, she endured through her aggressive discipline that lasted for several minutes before he calmed down.  “Tell me again why I have three stiffs in the morgue?” He took a deep breath, then exhaled. “This was a joint operation between the three Kingdoms. Do you understand how bad this makes us look?” “It can’t be all that bad. Rorgal was killed as well.” Adalissie snapped back, “Is that what you get out of this?” His large hands pulled his chair closer. “Until this fuck up gets resolved, I’m giving you new order, far away from me. It’s another joint operation, but you are taking a backseat on this. Maybe you’ll learn something from… Amzer Bright. Not our jurisdiction, but they are seeking help.” Foam padding on the armrest indented by her deathing grip, digging deeper. Her jaw tensed when she bit down harder, keeping her feelings in check. She wanted to scream. It wouldn’t do anything, but it might make her feel better.  “When am I leaving?” she asked. “Tonight. All the arrangements have been made.”  He shifted his metal frames that rested loosely on his face while focusing on the papers in front of him.  “Where am I going?” She asked, trying to capture his attention. Paperwork scattered across his desk grabbed more. A few seconds pass before he remembered she had not left. “Black Hollow. A town, if that’s what you want to call it. I’d say it’s more of a fishing village.” “So not worth my time.” “You don’t have a choice.” And with that, she left the building. With her bags packed, she left for Black Hollow. She would prove that she did not cause the mission to fail. She would solve this case, and the next. Prove herself worthy of being on top.   I'm taking a short break after this chapter. The weekly schedule may be too much for me. This chapter suffered from my burnout from work and editing. Sorry for that. The next chapter is in the works along with a short story not based on this story.

Clinks of glass and rowdy laughter created a din in the grand ballroom of a government palace. The Ivory Council gathered with lower ranked nobles to calculate their next moves against each other. They wore masks of various shapes and colors as it separated oneself from political prowess. The annual event held in the Ivory Vale is afoot. Magnus Ludus, as the Valeins named it, built upon the rule of not being caught. The diverse kingdoms of Tailush deal with their political games in their own fashion, but they see it as the only choice. Free from rules, one could do as they wish and establish their social status. Anything is fair game from exploitation up to assassination. The walls were lined with items nobles brought to show off. Melody from a bronze machinery that used water as fuel and a spinning black disc played in a corner. Illustrations moved with text dashed across a screen as a noble cranked a shaft as they giggled to themselves. Change of Season despised these political games since she studied them. She once compared the game to jaded men swinging their dicks around. Her race, known as the Kabit, is alluring to the Valiens. They are a humanoid cat-related native to the isle of Niverwood. Her black fur with white patches stood out against the alternative servant races, the Orcs, who had olive or tan hide skin. Her muzzle and rhinarium like nose were often compared to the snout of an Orc and their puggy face. They hailed from the Dividing Plains in the Ivory Vale. Her cat ears twitched as another pair of cups struck. Her master brought her along to show her off to all who attended. She assumed it would better reinforce her social position among the Ivory Court with an insufficient volume of bloodshed. "It's so hideous." "Look how it squirms in proper Valein clothing." Change loathed the idea of admitting a noble right. She shuffled her posture while rolling her shoulders back, seeking to locate a suitable position. The tight cloth of nobility did not amuse her, nor did she like their fashion. An unwanted itch developed under her skin as her black fur brushed against the silken garbs. Her master had decorated her in the typical male fit of the Vale. A lengthy blue coat made of silk with gold and brown edges laid over a waistcoat of lavishly embroidered patterned fabric. Change's trousers knotted below the knee with brown buckles maintaining the white stockings that covered the lower legs. Her boots had tan leather of exquisite make and a square toe dressed in steel, engraved with her master's house crest. "Velsha dear?" Her master waved their hand, motioning for her to heel. "Come meet my new friends. They are dying to see you." Cautiously, she adhered to her master's call, letting go a lengthy, exaggerated sigh. Hana, Change's master, wore a layered pink and white ruffled gown. The top layer is a light pink, while the bottom layer is a pale white. A sleeve jacket that had long sleeves that flared out with ruffles attached by a bow tie knot that rested across her chest. "Yes, mother." Change said. The image of this creature speaking the Valian language took aback the nobles. "The savage talks? This is quite intriguing." A noble spoke. "Did you teach this savage how to talk?" The other noble sought. "I did." Said Hana as she turned to Change with a heavy brow. "He still needs to learn manners." A knot developed in the pit of her belly as her muscles retracted into a fist. Blood dripped from her grip as she swiftly retracted her claws and relaxed. A trick she learned by observing other servants suppressing their rage as to not lash out at their masters. She fired daggers at her mother with seldom a reaction back. Hana knew what set her off, and she stumbled right into her trap. "Undoubtedly. At least it is dressed accordingly. How did you instruct such an unnatural creature?" Asked one noble. "Rather simple. I raised him since he was a young thing. The language was the exceptionally challenging part. Their natural dialect is a series of growls and grunts. I could not break him rolling his r's for the longest time." Said Hana. A towering, fully outfitted guard strolled up to her and murmured into her ear. Her nose scrunched up as a twitch in her cheek developed as the man continued whispering. Change examined the area and drew notice of events that looked out of place. Guards that formerly were at doors were now missing in action. Groups of people have dispersed, closer to the exits. "If you would pardon me and my servant. I had some unpleasant news that I must attend to." Hana respectfully stated, as she bowed. She guided Change of Season out of the packed ballroom. She paused and muttered some comments to some nobles a few times before withdrawing the area. A humanoid, dawned in traditional Elven steel, stood watching by the exit. Where human armor had dull edges that were commonly one piece of steel, Elves had a better organic style to their smithing. Pictures of rocks and dunes covered their breast plate in thin gold filigree. There was a blend of design and function when the armor flowed into points. Soot raised out of the kinks of his armor, leaving behind black smudges on the edges. The figure shifted in a motion that implied inhumanness as Hana stepped closer. "Leave no one alive." "Ondosnaad." The knight retreated from Hana's side and joined the ballroom, striking his claymore into the ground, wedging it between the grout. A tone reverberates throughout the room, subduing even the loquacious nobles. They paused in horror at this distinguished being and watched to learn what would develop next. "What is the purpose of this?" A noble sought. The crowd waited for an explanation. Murmurs transmitted across the ballroom as the doors slammed, locked, ringing in the silence. The knight spoke in a dialect that differed from the Vale. Sparks of arcane energy shot from the fingertips of this alien being and established a vortex of crimsons and violets that twisted counterclockwise. Six soot individuals dropped from the spiral, one by one. Their ambiguous vapor forms paralleled tall humans with lengthy pointy ears. Some had darkened tan leather breast pieces, while others had filthy navy cotton garments. They searched around the area, chatting in a dialect long forgotten. The caster issued orders in the same language, pointing at the crowd. Change of Season looked at her mother in horror. The navy draped ones chanted, casting protection magic on the armored individuals. A golden sheen of light enveloped one of the armored soot creatures as a noble attacked back with a wooden table leg. Change watched in hatred as a rusted blade was propelled into the core of the noble that had attacked. The doors to the chamber closed, forcing her to pull away from the slaughter. "What have you done?" she demanded. "In order for this kingdom to carry forward, someone with an iron will must step up. The Nobles are inadequate, Ill stilted. In time you will understand, Velsha." Hana replied. "Why do you keep calling me that name?" Hana grinned, ignoring her question. "We have much work to do. I have been informed the second seal has been discovered." Change bowed her head as she submitted and followed her master out of the palace. Cries of misery and anguish filled the now uncomfortable atmosphere that surrounded them. Down a hillside sat a gated entrance with deceased guards embedded with small knives. A strange looking parked vehicle with six doors opened, anticipating their arrival. "Rachel is efficient as always, it seems." Hana stated, shoving Change forward. The six door metal wagon was a present from a business associate of hers from Athewen after the kingdoms achieved peace. An ARC (arcane road carriage), as they are called, turned heads in noble circles. The Ivory Vale still used horses and carriages to transport people and goods. A girl dressed in a black tight fitting dress that ended shortly before the knees, sat patiently in the cab of the ARC. Two high side slits allowed her to sit cross-legged on the tan leather bench fixated in the back. She fiddled with the chopsticks that held her brown hair into a bun. Rachel patted tenderly on the seat next to her as Change climbed into the cab. "It's always a pleasure to sit next to my brother. I don't get to have quality bonding time when you are chained up." She jokingly stated, glancing at Hana. The woman put her arms around Change and tugged her closer to her side. Change groaned as she twiddled her thumbs, accepting her fate. "Rachel dear, it's best we keep your brother caged and ready for his return." Hana responded while sitting on the bench opposite of her children. Change wrestled out of her sister's grip and sat patiently in Hana's direction. "Why a Kabit, mother?" Rachel inquired. "They are cute, are they not?" Rachel smirked as she uncrossed her legs as she leaned to the window. "Who are we speaking about?" Change asked. Hana glanced at Change with a lowered brow, as if scolding a child. Hana closed her eyes and shook her head as she turned back to Rachel. "When we get back to the house, we must discuss your taste in color." Rachel groaned as her attention drew to the outside, staring at trees as they flew by as the carriage sped down the driveway. Change studied her sister intently, waiting for cracks in her facade to appear. The cool, level-headed exterior she carried faded away as her grin waned. Something weighed heavily on her sister's mind. Once home and given the chance, she might ask her. She shifted her focus over to Hana. Her mother held a novel in her grip and looked to be enjoying herself. Absorbed in her reading, Change could not get a reliable sense of what ailed her. Change rested her head on the soft leather headrest and closed her eyes, taking in the silence, savoring her last hours of freedom. Soon she would be back in the basement, wrapped in chains. If she could muster some luck, she might be able to walk freely among the rest of the household. They would have to travel through the capital of Poloris to reach their destination. No small place by any means, filled with stolen culture across Tailush. The streets bustled with Valiens and their Orc servants going about their day-to-day tasks. Different hues of oranges and reds colored the sky as the sun set behind tall buildings that littered the cityscape. Street lights lit with a quick spark as the gaseous insides took aflame, lighting the trail for weary travelers. A large iron bar fence barred their path forward. An H, attached to the fence and encompassing a circle, parted as the gate opened. This made way for progress for the machine to encroach the home atop a hill. The driveway, paved in asphalt, curved as its direction approached the building, then circled back on itself. The house came alive when the vehicle slowed down and the lights on the exterior turned on. Change shoved herself out of the backseat of the car, shortly pursued by Hana and Rachel. A short human male with his hairstyle slicked back with thin trimmed sides bowed by the entrance to the mansion as the head of household strolled by. He wore a unique clothing attire, a lengthy black coat that rested over a gray vest and white wing collar dress shirt. He anxiously tightened his white gloves as Hana greeted him before she opened the front door. A group of four Orcs, of male and female gender, bowed behind the human dressed in the same style as him. "Damien, please escort my child back to its chambers. I'm in a wonderful mood today, so it may read. As a treat." Hana stated. "Yes, Ma'am." Damien rested his hand on Change's shoulders as Hana turned to Rachel. "Now Rachel, my dear. Accompany me to my chamber, so I may explain to you the acceptable colors a lady should wear." Rachel rolled her eyes and folded her arms before responding. "Yes, mother." As the two girls took their leave upstairs, Damien escorted Change through the halls of the mansion toward her familiar chained oblivion. Hana, being a wealthy individual after inheriting her husband's fortune after his untimely death, ventured out and purchased strange oddities. These could be observed through the halls as deteriorating Elven tapestries or rusted armor from Procaria, a kingdom to the south. Hana's abode had the neighborhood abuzz with talk of her accusations. This was the typical Vailen way, to steal from others and make it better. Change had the basement all to herself, and she preferred it that way. Even being detained in chains every night, she didn't object to her accommodations. They allowed her to travel effortlessly in the basement, reaching every corner. "I know my way Damien, thank you." Change gently informed him. "Your Vailen has improved considerably, Change of Season." She slipped a smile as she wandered down the stairs. She was glad that he remembered her name; it reassured her he did actually care about her. "Thanks to your teachings, I've gained much from you." "As Mistress Mortiana permits. You may choose something to read." She wished to read several things. After hearing the conversion between Hana and Rachel on the drive home, she became curious to understand further about Velsha. The thought ate at her to know who or what a Velsha could be. "If possible, I have something in mind. In mother's study, her personal journal of the time she ventured into Honeodell." "Right away." Change's chambers encompassed the full basement floor. The bookshelves lined the far wall that faced the stairs leading back to the main floor. Many books lined the shelves of the free standing bookcases. The selection ranged from the History of Tailush to the Last Great Human War. She had read a lot of the texts on those shelves, but there was still more she could read. Chains scraped against an eye bolt embedded in the ground, filling the chamber with rattling noises as she wandered around. Cheap hardware creaked as the pressure of her body compressed the poorer mattress as she lay on the corner of her bed. Her mother acknowledged her as her child, but gave out basic means to survive. It was all Change knew, and she craved for something better. A few minutes passed, and Damien finally arrived with the diary and delivered it to her. She nodded to him to take his leave as she hunkered down to read her mother's journal. 'I find myself more and more obsessed with finding artifacts in Honeodell. The amount of forgotten history found here is outstanding. I met another Noble in the ruins. His name is Nizof. Every artifact brings me closer to him and I want to....' Change closed what she was reading swiftly as her cheeks turned a vivid red. Her heart skipped a rhythm, leading her to pant. After a time of gathering herself, she opened it once again, turning to the later entries. 'I received a letter from my father today at camp. They kicked me out of the family and ended my funding. No worries, I have found my true family, The Obsidian Order.' She laid the journal over on the bed, so as to not lose her place, while she strolled over to the vast collection of history books at her disposal. She thumbed through the titles and ultimately settled on the volume she was seeking. The book titled 'History of Humans Vol. 3' had information about organizations that emerged during the dark years of Human history. She flipped through the pages, searching for notes to The Obsidian Order. She paused at a passage about a human who claimed to be a descendant of the land's founder. Society of the age scorned him and cast him out as an outsider. He bounced back and established a command of devotees who firmly believed in his lineage. "This is just a cult, to think mother is mixed..." Damien cleared his throat. "The lady of the household has requested lights out. I hope you have found what piqued your interest?" "Yes, I have." She closed the book she was reading and deposited it in its home before collecting the diary. "I'm positive mother would appreciate this put back into her study." He graciously accepted the journal from Change's hands before bowing and accepting his leave. Change slithered into her bed and drew the sheets up as she placed her head on the pillow. Her mind, still racing, struggling to connect dots with little to no information. She cautiously drifted to sleep, dreaming of a better future for herself. A sharp click of the bolt as it glided into the lock mechanism caused Change to open her eyes. Her mom used to wander into her chamber unannounced late at night to mess with her and she grasped the ability to be a light sleeper in order to counteract. It had been some awhile since the last unannounced visiter. "Oh good. You are vigilant. We can have a nice chat, brother." Rachel spoke nonchalantly. The silhouette of Rachel blocked the glow of seeping light from the stairwell. A flash of bright light hit the eyes of Change as Rachel flipped the basement lights on. She changed out of her apparel from earlier and now sported a black hoodie and gray sweats. Her hairstyle was now out of the bun and flowing long past her shoulders. "What do you want, Rachel?" "I wish you out. And by out, I mean gone. But I do not aspire you dead, brother." She reached into her hoodie pocket and withdrew a golden key. "Which is why I brought this." Rachel sauntered towards the bed and kneeled down and inserted the key into the lock. With a few attempts to fit the key in the hole, she finagled the latch open. She yanked the chains clear of the eyebolt. Next, she moved to the lock on Change's ankles. Before Change was able, she rose and stared her sister in the eyes. "So you freed me from my restraints, but how do you foresee me leaving the mansion undiscovered?" "Do not assume me dumb, brother. Damien is standing by with the ARC. I sedated our parent when I offered a toast to her slaying the council." Change glanced at the wide-open door and then back at her sister. She couldn't let the opportunity pass by despite the situation not being right. She reached out to shake her sister's hand, only to be addressed with a hug instead. "I don't loathe you. I wanted to learn more about you. Mother has not been the same since father passed. You deserve a better way of life. If you want to find out who Hana has become, go to Black Hollow. Quickly, there's not much time left. Now fly, Kiren." A tear traveled down Rachel's cheek as Change seized her escape. Change could not recall the last occasion she recognized any sympathy from her sister. Her foot rested on the bottom step as she turned back to her sister in a moment of weakness. "My name is Change of Season and I'm your sister." She continued to step up the stairs, preparing for Hana to stop and laugh at her. As she made her break, she knew her liberation was closer. Damien lingered at the exit like Rachel had spoken of. "I accept you are ready to withdraw from the Mortiana household?" Damien suggested. "Yes." Change said, as she sighed a sigh of happiness. She drew one last peek at the place she remained in a considerable amount of time. The previous fifteen years were lengthy and demanding, but she succeeded. Today, her next phase in life is about to begin anew in Black Hollow.

There once lived a girl, she didn't grow up that well. One day, her leg got hurt, and it bled so much.  "Ow!"  She thought, holding back her tears as she used her leather jacket to tie up the wound, as some sort of makeshift bandage. After a while, she grit her teeth and thought:  "If I tell Mother about this, it will be a bother to her..." Mother always got angry when a small problem cropped up. It was then she decided she wouldn't tell her mum about this problem.  And there was no one around in the countryside who could help her either.Or, no one reliable she assumed.  The problem will deal with itself, the girl thought. A few weeks later, her legs began to feel worse.  It hurt a lot, it was unbearable.  She didn't know it, but things were getting worse. But knowing how her mother would react, she grit her teeth, telling herself  "People have it worse than me! I'll be fine!"  The days passed by, and she couldn't play with her friends properly in the forest because of her leg. Because of that, she usually sat out while her friends played. And as time went on, since they knew she couldn't play, they simply left her and talked to her ever so rarely.  She began to feel lonely.  "What am I doing wrong?"  The girl thought, sadness welling into her heart. Why weren't her friends playing with her? She thought. Why are they not caring about me anymore? She thought. Of course, she got no answers. Time passed by, and her leg seemed to have gotten even more worse. But she didn't notice, she was too preoccupied with something else: "It's their fault... I didn't do anything wrong... Fine then! If I'm left alone then I will be alone. If they don't want me, then I don't want them!"  At the back of her mind, was the problem with her hurt leg. In her mind, she knew deep down this was all because of her hurt leg. But, she was too scared to tell mother about it. Mother would do all sorts of things to her if she troubled mother. No one should make mother angry.  But, she thought:  "My leg is okay. There's nothing wrong with it. Why? What's the problem?" It was then, she blocked it out. She blocked out her problems, out of fear of admitting the source of the problems. And that it will anger mother. And that it will make mother disappointed in her. And that it will make mother look down on her.  There was no way mother could be disappointed in her, she thought.  For the next few weeks, the girl spent a lot of her time alone. She did not care for others anymore, as they didn't seem to care for her. But came a time, where she thought about how lonely she was.  But when she did, she thought: "Others have it worse than me, I'll be okay."  She suppressed her feelings, and grit her teeth with a smile, a smile that seemed to lose its warmth each time it appeared. Her smile, growing cold.  For another few weeks, the girl thought again:  "I'm not feeling... My leg isn't feeling..."  She swallowed up those thoughts, refusing to believe that she was feeling bad at all. If she recognised that she was feeling bad, she'd have to tell mother. And mother wouldn't like that.  But, then came a time where the girl thought: "...Is there even a problem anymore?" Emotional detachment grasped her throat, and pulled her into its bossom. Emotional detachment, it's the name of the demon that refuses someone to tell others of their feelings, situation, and pain. For this girl, the demon grabbed her mind, whispering into her ear: "Hehehehe~ Mother wouldn't be pleased, would she? Huehuehue~ If you don't tell anyone your problems, no one will be disappointed. If you tell others of your problem, they will be annoyed, and mother will be very cross about having to deal with it." The Demon's whisper grew louder and louder. The girl shook her head, and the demon disappeared. The Demon was gone, the sound of its whispers gone.  But the thoughts lingered, and persisted, and persisted, forcing her into a decision.  "I'm just not gonna think about this anymore." She forced the effort from her mind.  Over the next few years of her life unfolding, she then grew up to be an emotionally unstable individual on the inside, but looking cold, detached and mechanical on the outside. Life, joy, that was something that came into her once in a while. She grew into a fit of depression, a fit of anxiety, she was afraid of talking to others and started hearing voices, sounds, and seeing illusions.  But even with these problems, the girl smiled lifelessly:  "My problems are insignificant compared to others.... Well, I'm broken beyond repair anyways, nothings gonna fix me anyways, why should I care?"  From behind the girl, the demon appeared once again, grasping into her mind, uttering her the same notions as she had said just now.  Her words, all influenced by the demon.  The Demon grinned, giggling in demonic delight.  It's expression, mockingly boasting:  "I've twisted her thoughts ever since she hurt her leg! I made her think less of asking for help, I made her think that her friends didn't care! I made her fall to the deepest pits of pain! Puahahahaha!"  But, the demon didn't lie.  If the girl asked for help about her leg, mother would have gotten mad. But her mother's Love would have surpassed the annoyance, and her leg would have been treated. The Demon played into the negatives, emphasizing them, making it look more clear and cocky.  From there, it all went to hell, her life to hell. And what could the Demon do? The Demon just sat down, and laughed. It was the Demon's fault. But, with all fairytales, comes the happy ending.  Someday, a Hero will arrive and smite down this evil Demon.  Send its demonic thoughts back into the depths of hell. Maybe, the Hero will be the Girl herself. Maybe, it will be another person. And, almost all times, the Hero will be both: Herself, and a passionate someone. But, not to rush, dear Girl.  All in due time.

The man whistled at the woman as she sat behind the mesh fence. Her cigarette dropped into the ashtray with a short tap, and she raised her middle finger at him - but the man had already turned away. She held up her hand regardless, directing her thoughts into the back of his head, shielded by a bright orange jacket. A bus drove by, droning on the tarmac, the side plastered with an exaggerated smiling advertisement for another movie that she couldn’t afford to see. The plastic of her chair creaked dangerously beneath her as she crossed her legs, with her leggings providing little protection against the freezing November air. Looking over at her neglected cigarette, she decided to take a last drag of it, savouring the bitter taste in the back of her throat before grinding it out. She exhaled slowly, catching just a glimpse of her breath lighting up in the wind before the grey of the nicotine-filled smoke enveloped it. She stood up, the wedges of her boots impaling themselves an inch into the damp grass below. The smoke had dissipated, but the smell would still linger, stuck to her hair - it always lingered, seemingly for days on end, even weeks, a thick cloud that would suffocate her when she lay awake in the night, just staring at the ceiling, permeating her pillow. She needed to dye her hair soon, the brown roots were seeping through into the blonde too much. She wouldn't bleach them completely. She liked some to stay. And it always made her seem more authentic to them. They'd imagine looking down on the top of her head, in their dirty car seats, the brown roots sprawled between their knees. She'd never let them get anywhere near that, of course. She slowly trudged over to the caravan's steps, hearing the faint jingle of her keys elude her as she shuffled around the contents of her bag along the way. Her hands, stiffened from the cold, stung for it. The caravan's door was pushed open with a barely audible whine, but present nonetheless. It reminded her of a sick dog. The rasp of scraping boots on her doormat was muffled by a sharp gust of wind whipping her from behind, through into the empty container she called a home, shaking tissues off her cabinet with its invisible hands. She just stared in quiet exasperation as they all went fluttering to the ground. The wind stopped, grasping instead at any residual heat, and pulled it out as it left. She would clean it up later. She’d need to clean those boots later too, she thought to herself, or they could stain, and she had to look less dirty - not clean - but more approachable. The latch was closed. Inside, there should have been a reprieve from the cold, but there was barely a reprieve from the wind, whose greedy fingers were still able to snake through cracks and holes. She'd have to pay the landlord even more this month if 'her heating problems were proving simply too difficult of a task for her to effectively resolve by herself '. That's what they said last time, looking down their noses through thickly-rimmed glasses as their jowls bounced at her. They looked like they wanted her to freeze so that they wouldn't have to pay for any repairs, that they wanted her to then melt away, open up a spot for someone else, wash into a gutter and rid the caravan site of her scum. She decided to spend the rest of her evening under the covers. She'd sleep on what she imagined had once been a spotless mattress, but even when she found it, it was bad. The carpeting around it, stained with dots of wine and grease from old celebrations. And breakdowns. Discarded clothing strewn over the top of it all, a multitude of colours slowly turning beige. She stepped her way through it all, gingerly, and sat down on her bed with a creak. Single-sized, not double. Usually, she's out at this time, working, but tonight she felt much safer indoors. It's cold at this time anyway. Usually, it doesn't stop her, but last night she felt a danger, suddenly, as she was leaning against the brick wall. She was right in the middle of an alleyway, faintly illuminated by somebody above her who should have turned their bedroom light off long ago. There isn't a way to explain how exactly she knew. Her radar just sent her danger, as if a bright red sign had flashed up for a second over her eyes, a warning. The shock kicked in an irresponsible instinct. Run. Scream even. Take off your heel and use it as a knife. Something else told her to be careful. Turn back, keep breathing, in and out. She felt there was nothing left to breathe, the icy air seeming to barely fill her lungs as they felt constricted. Nothing happened that night. There was no loud crack of a gunshot, her body hitting the ground, a dropped knife, muttered speech behind her. But she knew she had avoided something. She'd always had a proclivity to enter unfortunate situations where she ended up as a victim. There was an old photograph of her - from years ago now, next to her on her bedside table. She hadn't had it framed yet, the printout lay lifeless on the wood, only kept still by a dusty mirror placed over it. "Katy Waters" was scribbled on it in red pen. Looking at it always gave her a strange feeling. She longed to go back to those times, but she still wouldn't know how to escape it, there seemed to be no way out. If you could be transported back in time, you'd change something. But everything was so uncontrollable, even in hindsight. It was a school photograph, how she was before all the tears, before the years had flown by. Only six years ago, aged just seventeen, was that photograph taken. Her twenty-fourth year would be in a few months. Everything then was so insignificant, like worlds apart. She looked at it each day. A tinge of brightness came from the photograph when she caught a glance of it - a caring and idealistic girl, still within her. The harsh world had scratched her for those last six years, biting. But it had not penetrated the skin, and she would never let it come inside. That didn't make it stop. She turned over, bunching the covers into her. A sigh, and then she fell asleep. Dreaming would take her away, for a moment.

It wasn't long before hurried steps were heard heading straight towards Liana's room she opened her eyes and stood in the middle of her room while gazing towards the door of her chamber. She was getting nervous, she knew that all of her or rather the queen's servants were inside this castle. It would be a lie to say she didn't want to meet every one of them, to her they were akin to children she raised herself that's how much she loved them all while she was still in her old world. The door opened and alongside the smiling Delia, three other individuals entered the room. They all stood alongside each other and in unison, they kneeled down and loudly yelled out "we greet her majesty, queen Liana!". Liana starred at the newcomers and smiled slightly as she spoke her words in a tender voice like a mother would to her children "Delia, Alessandra, Caera, Felicia I am glad to see all of you" she spoke her words as she smiled tenderly towards them, this in turn made the four maids shed tears as they held their heads down. "Why do you cry?" Liana was truly baffled as to why her maids cried, yes she was the freakin blood queen but she was never mean towards her warriors and servants in fact she cherished them as much as she did her hero Liana. "My queen...these are tears of joy please forgive us for our unsightly behaviour, it is just too many years have we waited to hear your beautiful voice again my queen!" the one that spoke was the unofficial leader of the combat maids, Alessandra like Delia had pure white hair and looked similar to each other, well the four of them look almost identical, they were sister's after all. "There is nothing unsightly about you and your sister's Alessa, you may rise" Liana slowly beckoned with her hand as she spoke the words that made Alessandra's face turn slightly red. "How long has it been since I heard the queen call me that.." Alessandra's mind was slightly in turmoil as she watched her sisters rise with the same hint of red on their faces, they were all touched by the words their queen spoke. "My queen the preparations are completed we can proceed towards the throne room if you wish. The 8 have gathered to greet your awakening my queen" the one that broke the silence was the smallest of the sister's Felicia. "Ah...yes well then let us depart" Liana slowly moved past the maid's, she almost exited her chamber but was stopped by a sharp voice behind her. "My queen, I apologize for stopping you I ready to receive the punishment for doing so, but I do not think that your sleeping gown is suited for the throne room" Liana stooped dead in her tracks, she looked down and actually felt rather embarrassed she had almost nothing on her except her black sleeping gown. "Hmm... I guess you are right, Caera" the one that stopped was the sharp-eyed Caera, she was the second oldest;t of the sister's, even in-game she was something akin to an advisor more than a warrior but she could very well rip to shreds almost any enemy as well. "Do I have anything to wear?" Liana looked around her room but she could not find anything akin to clothes that she could put on and wear outside. "Fear not my queen, we will get you ready in a minute!" the cheerful Delia spoke with a smile on her face as she slowly closed the door to the chamber. "W..wait I can dress by myself!?" the only words that exited the queen's chambers were those before everything died down, the door's burst open and what stepped out was Liana dressed in a pure crimson dress, her golden hair was adorned by black and white jewels, her nails were painted black. "Finally... we can move on" exhausted Liana spoke as she was slowly guided towards the throne room, she was escorted by her maids which all had smiles plastered on their faces. They moved through the corridors that were simply too amazing, she could never actually see the insides of the castle but seeing it now she was left speechless almost every wall had one picture of herself. "Maybe this is a little exaggerated..." she actually felt a little shame as she saw her painted pictures everywhere, but that the way she made her character so now she had to live with it. As they moved towards the throne room Liana spotted one of her most loved units in the game, the death knight's they were humongous creatures that towered over any man, they were fully equipped with black cursed armour and the blades of devouring. She shivered a little from excitement the gear they had taken her almost 2 months of real-time to forge and get materials to make. As she was gazing excitedly the death knight's lined up on both sides and stood still as they all spoke in unison "WE GREET THE QUEEN!". "SHI....that was actually terrifying I had no idea that's how they sounded...truly terrifying" the voice of the knights startled Liana, it was like a screech from a horror movie. She recollected herself and continued the now narrow corridor of death knights. In front of her stood a giant gate of black steel, the gate had strange and terrifying demonic and human skulls. Near the gate two of the knights stood and they pushed it with their bare hands. "Wow... seeing it person is truly amazing" Liana was again left speechless, she knew they were strong she made them strong but that was all in-game, seeing it in person is a whole other thing. The first to step inside was Alessandra, she cleared her throat and loudly spoke "her majesty the queen Liana has arrived!" the whole throne room bustling with noise quieted down in an instant. Liana gulped as she slowly entered the throne room, she made her towards her crimson throne and sat down, she slowly raised her head and scanned the throne room. Various undead creatures all kneeled and yelled in unison "ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!" the throne room shook for a second just from their powerful voices. She needed to say something as the silence was becoming a little unbearable "You have waited for long my children" that was the first thing that came to her mind. The maids stood by their mistresses side all four of them the one that spoke was Caera "my queen the 5 generals all wish to congratulate you personally do you approve?" Caera spoke calmly as her gaze slightly drifted towards the masses of undead. "Proceed" Liana spoke only one word, Caera only nodded and turned her gaze towards the masses "step forwards might general's and greet our queen!" her voice was strong as she enchanted her voice with magic. The first one to step forward was a massive death knight even bigger than the ordinary knight, his armour was pure red instead of black, as it was a legendary piece of equipment that actually used the blood of your hero, of course only the undead had such a unique armour and this death's knight general was her first general after all so he had the best equipment. "Cars The Defiler, greet's the queen!" he kneeled on the floor with such a force that it actually cracked the floor a little. The next one was the skeleton lich, he was a floating skeleton in a purple robe and a crown on his head, some white strands hanged from his head. "Lich lord Aluzar greet the queen" he also kneeled towards Liana. "Olakar greet queen" the to step forward was the zombie king Olakar he was actually an orc in life but after undeath took him he became a warrior of the queen along with the rest of his tribe, they didn't lose their minds except their speech they have been feared warrior's as they retained their skills as orcs and now only grew stronger as zombie orcs. "Eiris greets the queen!" the one that appeared out of nowhere besides the 3 general was the fourth one, she was Eiris a vampire noble she led the vampire elite troops into battles. She had a noh mask that covered her whole face and wore thick black leather armour. "It seems I am the last to greet you my queen" the eerie voice pierced the great hall as a white silhouette of a woman with a decomposed face appeared beside the rest of the generals. "Wraith queen Nezera greet's the queen!". Nezera was a wraith queen ghost's and wraiths were under her command their primary use was that of a spy and scouting but in a dire need they could possess enemy units for a short time turning them against each other. Liana stood up from her throne and smiled. "I have returned" the only words needed to send the whole throne room into a burst of loud undead cheers. AN: Hope you like it!

Kurumi stands in the light the moon gives while in thought as the night breeze lightly brushed her black bangs and causes her dress to sway. 'although I could have done it before.. spam spatial quakes and use any of my other abilities infinitely I haven't done so until now.. I just thought of it.' She let's out a brief giggle at the revelation. 'still there's not too much to do with said knowledge just yet.' A bright circle appeared beneath her feet and drastically increased in size easily recognized as a sigil. "Eh, well hello.." Kurumi greeted the magic circle. "Well maybe with this I can test the ideas I had in mind."  Smiling, Kurumi disappeared from the world of date a live. - Appearing in the world of tensura. (that time I reincarnated as a slime) Kurumi looked around briefly then took in a breath and smiled. "I'll start here then." Starting off with spatial quakes she made one where she stood currently, a forest with nothing in particular to note near by. She teleported higher and stood midair granting her a view of the destruction as she made a few more teleporting a distance from the ones she made before. As she went she grinned and only felt ecstasy with each new one spawned. Without a even 20 seconds passing she casually made over 100 spacial quakes.  With the other forest covered she could see a town near by. Making a few clones she quickly dispatched them to scout. After a short time they came back and briefed her. "I'll start there then let's begin." She disappeared and appeared again in the center of town. She was given questioning looks from those nearby while those who took part in towns defense came to quickly assess how she appeared.. Faster this time she spawned thousands of spatial quakes in one spot before moving to the next spot. Screams could be heard below while Kurumi drifted by above watching wide spread destruction. Suddenly another magic circle appeared and she disappeared from the world of tensura.

"Hell yeah!" a girl with dishevelled hair tied in a ponytail yelled as her bloodshot eyes stared at the monitor. The girl was Alana she was currently playing her favourite game of all times Elonria Online, she got hooked on it as it was one of the most if not one of the only MMORTS games that are actually based on the pure skill of the player. The game was truly unique, the graphics the battles, building your kingdom from strath it was truly one of the best game currently in the world. "Damn, playing with only one city is tough in this game but being the unique one is truly the best feeling out there hehe" Alana chuckled to herself as she opened her ruler screen. "Ah, my beautiful queen Liana no one can take us apart!" Alana caressed the screen like a lunatic, on her screen a beautiful female vampire was shown, with pale skin as snow, long blond hair, cherry lips soaked with the blood of her enemies and ruby eyes that pierced everything. "Who would have thought that such a hidden quest would be in the tutorial, the one that unlocks such a cool race" Alana sat back in her chair and closed her eyes as she spoke. "To be honest at first I was gonna decline the quest, but now I am truly glad I didn't, even tho the undead are limited to one city their armies cost nothing and they have a unique ability to spread undeath, with that they can rival even the strongest of players out there, like that guy.." she opened the ranking tab where every player was shown, her name took the second place and the first was Danastor. "I hate him, neither of us can destroy each other but as much as I hate it that guy truly knows this game" Alana gazed at her screen for a while longer before she looked at her phone. "OOH, SHIT!? Work begins in 3 hours.....I did it again.." Alana looked at her character Liana The Blood Queen one last time and smiled as she shut down her pc. "Good night queen" she whispered as she slowly closed her eyes. "La.......a....l....la.la" Alana could faintly hair something, but she was still drowsy from her sleep but it sounded like someone was singing. "The neighbours? No, they were on a vacation, TV maybe?" she was slowly getting more awake by the second the more her brain was thinking about that peculiar sound. "Lalala...ah another beautiful day at our beautiful city, I only wish my queen was awake to see it" the voice spoke with joy but then it saddened at the last sentence. "City? Queen? Did I leave the history channel on?" Alana was still silently thinking to herself as she slowly opened her eyes, but what awaited her were not her PC and TV next to her but a grandiose ceiling that looked like it was made out of gold even the chandelier that stood in the middle of celling looked like it was pure gold. "Haha...dream?" she slowly raised herself with some help from her hands. But the sight she saw left her speechless, she was on a pure white kingsized bed but the thing that shook her awake the most was her pale hand that grabbed hold of pure golden hair. "Huh?" in her dumfounded state she let out a confused voice, which was heard by the preoccupied person in the room, a loud crashing sound was heard from one of the corners of the room. Alana was startled and looked towards the source of the sound, she was a creature she knew well with silver hair and pointy ears, blood-red eyes and pale skin, a vampire but not just any vampire a vampire maid. She even knew the name of the vampire that actually started crying as she gazed at her without thinking she spoke "Delia?". "MY QUEEN YOU AWOKE!?" the vampire called Delia burst into tears as she fell down on her knees and yelled out. This in turn startled Alana one more she couldn't explain this dream she was dreaming about one of her combat maids that served as bodyguards in a battle. "My.....queen you have finally returned to us!" Delia wiped the tears from her face and slowly stood up as she smiled towards Alana. Alana was still in shock from that word queen. "No it couldn't be!" she quickly jumped from her bed and rushed towards the only mirror in the room. "Ha...haha...I can't believe it..." she gazed at the mirror that should have reflected her old self but instead what stood before her eyes was a beautiful queen of all undead Liana The Blood Queen. "It's not a dream!" she touched her face and pulled so hard that her face should have torn off but instead only mild pain came. She slowly gazed at the window, "It's really my city, Fellcrow is real..." she was again speechless as she looked at the dark sky and the buildings of her city, she could see all the undead creatures moving about and doing their own things on the streets. Alana now Liana turned towards the silent Delia that still kneeled and asked her with a cold voice that even surprised Liana herself by the sound.  "Delia what happened to me?" Liana coldly gazed at Delia that slowly rose up from her kneeling position and spoke with a hint of fear in her voice. "My queen... on the day of your last battle against the dreadful king Danastor, we returned to our beloved city a blinding light took us by surprise we moved to protect you but we have failed, you were already in a deep slumber my queen...forgive these useless servants of your my queen we failed in our basic duties we..." Delia started crying again as she fell on her knees and begged for forgiveness. "I forgive you Delia...and the rest" Liana spoke slowly but this time she smiled towards Delia who raised her head to look at her queen, she started crying again. "You know it hurts me when I see the characters I made cry like this" "Delia continue the story about what happened"  "Ah...yes my queen" Delia wiped the tears from her face again as she continued her story. "We were unable to wake you up my queen, all of us even the 5 generals tried to pour the energy into your body in the hope you would respond but it was all in vain, not long after a strange fog descended upon the city that cut us off from the rest of the world, no one could come in or get outside"  "I see" Liana pondered in her head as to what brought her to this world and as her own character at that "Delia inform the rest of my awakening!" Liana ordered Delia who only saluted and quickly left the room at a hurried pace. "Sigh"  "What the hell is going on here...." Liana stared at the mirror and her new body. "I really became the queen huh?" with those words Liana closed her eyes. ..................................................................... AN: A prologue chapter hope someone likes it ! ^^    

(25. August 2051) Frogger took a deep breath, then another one for good measure. His hands clutched around the bouquet of S-rated herbs. He selected only A and S-rated plants. Thankfully, they looked nice like everything in the Cetviwos, the Virtual Reality app that ran in his DIVE-pod. His mind drifted back to the recipient of his bouquet, who looked especially nice and was the grooviest girl he'd ever met. Not that he met many girls. He was so thankful that she agreed to meet him. Okay, she just had to walk a few steps from the birthday party they were currently attending, but still, she said she'll come. Frogger had selected a quiet spot on Riverstones Island. The pool pike was just 20 meters away, but a strip of forest separated them from any bathers. The thermal springs warmed the brook's water and the flat stone on which Edelgard, his toad companion, sunned herself. *Croak, croak! Croak* (Stop pacing, start singing! Females will converge to your voice automatically.) Although Frogger valued the advice of his companion, he would skip this one. Toads had different mating rituals than humans. Then, Mia appeared. Froggers blacked out and could only stare at her. Her perfect skin was as pale as the belly of his favorite toad, her stride more graceful than the gait of his favorite gecko. Her nose was so straight and more majestic than… okay, his companions hadn't much to offer in the nose department. Maybe he liked Mia's nose because it parted her face like a mountain ridge the swamp. "So my skin is toad-like, my gait reptilian, and my face like a swamp?" Mia summarized, her sweet voice as even as ever. Only then, Frogger realized he'd said everything aloud. He froze. Should he nod or deny everything? He pressed the herb bouquet in Mia's hand. <I Wish The Ground Would Swallow Me> Only when the earth surrounded him could he breathe again. "It's alright, Froggy. I don't mind. I'm kind of used that my favorite people compare everything to amphibians or home appliances." Mia's voice was muffled but cut straight through the ground and his ears to his heart. He was one of her fav peops! "You do have many qualities I'm hoping for in a partner. I like that you are passionate, honest, dedicated, and successful." Frogger let the spell go and rose from the earth. "Really?" "Really! I'm also looking for somebody who completes me. Maybe that is too much to ask. But at least, I like to have good communication and that we work well as a team. So I have thought up a first date experience that would test these aspects." Frogger vowed to listen to the recording of this conversation again because after Mia said date, the rest of her sentence faded into nothingness. Wait. She mentioned something like communication! Bad, bad Frogger! He messed up! She wanted communication, and he didn't even manage to listen to three sentences in a row! "Are you alright? Did I break you?" Mia sounded more amused than concerned. Somehow that relaxed him a bit. "You did!" He exclaimed. Oh, double no! Why was 'I Wish The Ground Would Swallow Me' still on cooldown! "I… I…" "Take a minute to compose yourself. We have time until someone will miss us at the party, so no hurry." Mia was the bestest of the best! He rewatched her last sentence and took another deep breath. "Okay. I processed what you have said, and I would love to go on a date with you. What have you planned?" Frogger never felt prouder of himself. He managed to speak a few sentences in a row to the girl he liked without embarrassing himself. And she wanted to go on a date! With him! Or did he misinterpret something in his enthusiasm? Oh no, he probably did! Maybe she just wanted his help to date Little Hero? "Great! The new KingdomBuilding Server will open soon. Why don't we play as a Pantheon for a week? Sure, we have to take shifts, but we could spend time together as well. I thought maybe 8h sleep, 8h single shift, 8h double shift." That sounded more like a full-time job than a date. Waves of disappointment crashed into him. Was she only after a gaming partner? Did she want to exploit his feelings for cheap labor? Did he care? Eight hours a day for a week together with Mia! Wait, with the time dilation of the Cetviwos, that would be 14 days! He wanted her to exploit him so badly! "Sorry, I'm not much of a romantic. I know the suggestion is a bit extreme… would you prefer another first date?" Mia asked, as poised as always. "A movie? Minigolf? I've never dated before, so I'm kinda in the dark about this." Frogger instantly cheered up. That didn't sound like she was after the groovy KingdomBuilding achievements. At least not primarily. He felt ashamed that he even suspected her. And he dated before, even twice! For once, he was more experienced than Mia. "No, no. Let's build a kingdom together." He grinned his broadest smile at her. "I'll take the week off." "Great!" Mia smiled back at him, and his stomach fluttered. As soon as Frogger was free, he logged into his favorite virtual space, his druid grove. A pond was in the middle. Cody, his golden frog, liked to hang out there. Edelgard preferred the grassy area in the east. Salazar, the fire salamander, had built his kingdom in a geothermic patch in the north. In the west was a bit of coast that only his reptiles liked. The only thing that one could call an actual grove was the swamp area with a few twisted trees. Frogger went in a box with a treadmill. Falling into a lazy jog, he opened the Kingdom Building Game's (KBG) bulletin board. The first thread looked promising: "The 10 things you have to know before starting". Only start when a new server opens up Everybody is on the same timeline on one server. You don't want to be in the stone age when other players have firearms. The info was too advanced. Frogger needed a different thread, something like "Kingdom Building For Dummies And How To Get The Girl". He went back to the main page. After he skimmed over the pinned threads, he found "KBG Basics": The Cetviwos Kingdom Building Game is a turn-based strategy 4X (abbreviation of Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) Game. The goal is to create an empire from a stone-age village. Every month the Cetviwos opens up a new planet on which all the fresh players start. While you can play as a solo-player or Theos, it is also possible to play as a group with up to five Theoi. "That's what Mia suggested! We will be two Theoi playing together!" Frogger told Edelgard. "The other things sound like your typical buildup strategy game. I've played a few on my mobile. Though, I don't know how they would integrate the virtual reality aspect." The game begins with the selection of a species and race. Then the Theoi get teleported to their starting location. In the first three hours, the Theoi can explore their surroundings and place their Pantheon. This building represents your central administration hub and attracts settlers. If it gets destroyed, the game ends for the associated Theoi. Frogger grew excited about the species part. He hoped Mia would be open to playing with an amphibian race. What if she didn't want to? Now he hoped there were no amphibians in the selection. He refused to click on the link until he had a better picture of the game. The first month of the game is turn-based. While the time flows normally during the turn, between turns is a time skip. It can be anything from one hour to 5 years. Look at your Global Time Table for the specific time flow. After one month, the planet will be integrated into the Cetviwos universe. Then the game changes to a real-time strategy game. Frogger had heard about that part. An acquaintance had boasted that he was the God-King of an entire planet and traded and went to war with other planets. After the players place their pantheon, NPC settlers of their chosen race will arrive. It is the duty of the Theoi to guide them into building a civilization. The players have two major research options to further their population, the Theology and Philosophy (TaP) Tree and the Magetech Tree. TaP research increases either the power of the Theoi or the enlightenment of the people. Magetech research raises either the technology or the magic level of the civilization. "Now I have more questions than before, but I don't mind." The Dummy-Text was a bit longer, but Frogger couldn't contain his curiosity and clicked on the Species link. *croak* (The impatience of the young.) A page with a huge table opened up. The rows contained the species like Human and your typical fantasy selection like Orc, Dwarf, Elf, and many more. Each entry had a bonus and a malus. The columns displayed the elements Earth, Water, Wood, Fire, Metal, and Air and had a bonus and a malus as well. In the Cetviwos, all races were elemental. The players were called Earthlings, and the human NPCs were Waterlings, Woodlings, Firelings, and Metalings. One could distinguish them from players because of their skin and hair color. Because Frogger's avatar had green hair and eyes, sometimes people confused him with a Woodling NPC despite his sandy color skin. Usually, Woodling's skin had either a greenish tint or was brown. He didn't mind. He even tried out whether he could issue quests. That experiment had earned him a beating. The content of the tables were Xs and 0s and signified whether that combination was valid. One couldn't choose Earth humans as population, probably because that race was reserved for players, nor Air humans. Frogger scanned the list until he found "Beastkin". It offered a link to another table with all kinds of animals. "Deerkin, Dogkin, Donkeykin, Dragonkin, Duckin, oh come on." Frogger laughed. He scrolled down to F, ignored "Flamingokin," and finally reached Frogkin. "Yes! There you are, my cuties! A bonus to Fertility and a malus for Environment." Frogger looked up what that latter meant. He found that Frogkin only thrived in areas with great access to freshwater. Well, he knew that before. Earth, Water, and Wood were the available races. *croak* (Choose Toadkin, we are vastly superior) "They have a bonus to Magic and a malus to Happiness. I couldn't agree more." Frogger smiled at his crumpy companion. *croak*! (Slander!) Still grinning, Frogger added Salamakin and four Reptilekins to his list of preferred races. Now, he had enough variety for Mia to choose from. Frogger was looking forward to their first date. Announcement Don't forget to vote!

Under the starlit dark sky I set off for launch. "All compartments sealed, engines are ready, fuel is at maximum capacity." My robot narrated about all the statuses I needed to know of. But I could barely comprehend what these words meant at this point. All I knew is that I needed to stay awake. A slapped my cheeks and made my ship ready for takeoff. "Launching in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." A sudden huge amount of force was put onto me as we were launching. I tugged at the seatbealts to make sure they weren't giving way. "Tight as a rope." The liftoff was a success. I looked down, seeing the pedestrians and the buildings started to look smaller and smaller quickly as we kept accelerating. It was a mesmerizing sight to be able to see the entire country, but didn't have the time to fully take in the sight. "Model A6, scan for any patrolships." "......None to be found within a 500km radius, master." It's advantage above other robot models however, is the companies disregard for law enforcing code. Not once does it disobey you. So even though it's a much older model, it does have it's advantages, though it did take lots of modifications to get it up to date. I smiled to myself. I'm finally unbound by the pressures of society. All I needed to do at this point was go to a universe that was unexplored. Lucky for me, I got an unending amount of choices. I decided to go into the direction where they havebarely established themselves. Just need to go from lacronemia to sertide and then into the unexplored XC188W4 region. At worst it should take a month to reach it. As we left orbit I stifled a yawn. The adrenaline rush has stopped by now, so only an extreme wave of tiredness remained. Before I knew it, I had already shut my eyes and turned my body, my mind has resigned, and all I could do was fall into a deep sleep. ................ A vision. Endless golden mountains spanned over thousands of kilometres. A city filled with a neon aesthetic. Greeted and loved by all, I spent endless amounts of time partying and playing around. A disheveled man passed me in the bar. He looked old, and it looks like he caught some dust and cobwebs before entering here. He spoke to me, in a deep, scruffy growling voice. "You look miserable." and simply left without ordering anything. I laughed at him, together with the other customers. What a stupid idea, I was happier than anyone. But the thought gnawed at me. Sometime later I left for the dimly lit restroom, and stood opposite the mirror. But I all could see in the mirror was pitch black. I got unnerved, and slowly walked out, keeping my front pointed toward the mirror, afraid something would happen if I looked away. But I tripped, and landed on my ass. There was no bar anymore, there was nothing. My voice didn't come out as I tried to shout. "...."   "Master! Wake up." "Huh...? Oh, morning. Man that was a weird nightmare." "Good morning, master. Patrol cars sighted with 550 kilometer radius. What should we do?" "From the back or the front?" "... 250 kilometres upward, 340 kilometres from the front." That means that we could get scanned if we're not careful. "Use the anti-radar cloak, and set the cannon. If you see the patrol coming toward us, notify me instantly." She headed off and I took a look at the clock I hung up. 5 hours had passed. This would mean we should have already passed by one planet at least. As long as we're not spotted, this trip should go pretty smoothly, but I'm not going to rely on luck to get us through. I took manual control of the ship and started accelerating. I used the studying tech to open up a map for all the planets in this system and circled the place I assumed to be at. I even went beyond what would be considered the speed limit, breaking another law once again. It brought a little surge of excitement realizing I was officially an outlaw, but my grand journey is only barely starting. "Is the cannon set up yet?" "Yes, master." "Alright, come here, we're gonna do a few test shots." It wasn't out of necessity, but out of curiosity instead.  "Rocket is loaded in, ready for firing." I shoved the handle forward, and a clunk could be heard, then the rocket shot outward succesfully, and blew up a few kilometres ahead. "Well, it definitely works." It seemed it hit a rock, which got blown up into pieces. We maneuvred upward to dodge the incoming rubble. I keep trying to go faster, but it's already maximum speed. What's important is being patient. "A6, can you bring me a pen and a notebook?" "Right away." After getting it, I started jotting down our status. 'Day 1: Launch was a success. No complications. No patrol interception.' This is all simply for the sake of being able to keep track of the days that will pass. "Wanna play a game of chess?" "If you wish, master."                      

"Mhm..." A low groan left the cracked lips of a man laying in the middle of a dirt road.     He wore a leather duster over a vest and shirt, trousers covered halfway with leather chaps and tall boots with gold spurs.     His face showed a young man in his late 20's, with a sharp jaw, straight nose, narrow blue eyes and shoulder length matted blonde hair.     He would be rather handsome if he wasn't covered in layers of unwashed sweat, dirt and oil.     After a few minutes the man groaned once more as he sat up.     Kane rubbed his forehead tiredly as his hazy eyes slowly came into focus. He inspected his surroundings with a raised brow.     "Where the hell am I?" Kane muttered in a dry voice. "Those damned lawmen don't seem to be around...neither the oilfield.."     He was currently in the middle of a 3 meter wide dirt road, bordering it was a sparse forest. Considering that Kane was previously in a desert before, this place he was in now was truly baffling to him.     He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a smoke and box of matches. Kane pulled out a match from the box as he put the smoke to his lips.     Just as he was about to light it, he noticed the oil on his hands and coat.     "Tsk!" Kane scowled as he put his smoke away. He grabbed the leather hat that had fallen beside him and put it on.     Slowly standing to his feet, Kane stretched his back causing a few audible cracks.     "I need to get to a town and find out where I am." Kane thought as he turned his head and looked at the road.     Reaching into his trouser pocket, he pulled out a gold coin. Flipping it, it landed on the face of a man.     "That way it is then." Kane picked a direction and began walking, his spurs making clink sounds with every step.     After about half an hour, Kane was startled by a loud beastly roar.     The trees nearby trees shook as something drew closer.     Kane's eyes narrowed as a wary expression appeared on his face. "A wild beast!? Could it be one of those big cats?"     Reaching into his holsters, he pulled out his trusty colt revolvers bonnie and belle. They shone silver in the sunlight.     Aiming his revolvers, Kane saw a figure galloping through the trees.     A young man in white robes rode upon a horse. He had an expression of worry, pain and fatigue. Staining his robe was blood.     Just as he was about to clear the forest and reach the road, a shadow leaped out and struck the horse.     "Neigh!" The horse screamed as it's leg and some of it's rear was torn off.     The young man jumped off the horse and fell to the ground, several feet from Kane.     Kane's eyes opened wide in disbelief. "Jesus Christ! What in damnation is that!!"      Before him was a six meter long floating snake. It's shiny grey scales had blue aura seeping out.     The young man saw Kane and shouted in words he couldn't understand. There was panic in his voice and a hint of pity in his eyes.     "I don't understand no french boy." Kane growled as he kept his gaze firmly locked onto the snake. "Is that a devil snake? Is this hell?"     The strange snake had utterly frightened Kane. He had heard a few stories from the bible, including the one with the apple.     Making up conclusions, Kane started to believe he was in hell, otherwise how could explain the flying snake?     "Is this atonement for my sins?" Kane gulped nervously.     The flying snake's large yellow eyes stared at him like one would prey. It slithered it's tongue, tasting the air. The snake seemed to be overjoyed with the three meals before it.     Slowly it inched it's way forward, it's neck tucked and ready to strike.     "No! I've still got my guns, I can still fight! I'm not going to lay down a die!" Kane growled.     Gritting his teeth, Kane's shaking hands slowly steadied. He took a deep breath and said. "I'm gonna turn you into boots you damned snake!"     Seemingly provoked by Kane's remark, the snake's eyes narrowed into points as it lunged forward with blinding speed.     The young man shouted once again, perhaps to draw the attention of the snake but it was futile. The snake had already recognized that he was no threat and proceeded to attack the last remaining variable.     Just as the snake was about to reach him, Kane fired both of his revolvers.     Two loud booms echoed throughout the forest, and it was following by the pained roar of the snake.     On the ground, the snake wriggled violently as it screamed in pain. Blood poured from it's eyes making for a gruesome sight.     The young man had his mouth agape with surprise flashing in his eyes.     Kane spat as he put his boot on the snake's head, holding it firmly in place.     Cocking the hammer on his revolver, Kane pointing the barrel at the fallen snake's exposed eyehole.     "There ain't no naive boys or girls here for you to mislead demon snake, only a sinner." Pulling the trigger, the hammer struck down.     A loud bang once again startled the young man as he saw the snakes brains splatter against the dirt, it wriggling body falling limp.     Staring at the strange weapon in the man's hands, his eyes sparkled.     Kane kicked the snake a couple of times to make sure it was dead before gasping in relief.     Stepping over the snake corpse, he walked over to the young man.     "French boy, you alright?" Kane reached out his hand.     The young man smiled with an excited expression as he grabbed Kane's hand and stood up.     He spoke, but it might as well have been gibberish because Kane couldn't understand a single word.     Kane frowned in frustration as he gestured with his hands. "Boy! You speak english?"     The young man nodded his head happily as he pointed to the snake and spoke more "french" words.     Kane rolled his eyes and sighed. "This is gonna be a long day.."

"Connecting to User's ID Bracelet" Connecting to Last Hope server" "Welcome User "God of Losers". Last Hope has been released. Please select your beginning village." I chose a random village and left it at that. "Confirmed. Proceeding to Village #245687" The next thing I knew I was in a crowd of people. It was so crowded I couldn't see anything. People were jostling each other, flirting, fighting, it was a mess. People had already started to level up by fighting the beginner monsters. Some were fighting for quests from NPCs. But that didn't matter to me. Because here I was in my element. All VR games required people to control their characters through their brains. So whatever you imagined yourself doing, properly, your avatar in the game would do it , theoretically. But unlike other games Last Hope was more immersive which meant the degree of freedom afforded to players was a lot more than others. So that theoretical scenario was practical in here. And that's just how I liked it. Even though I was below average in reality in terms of physical stuff, in here my brain and imagination were the only deciding factors. So unlike others who were hogging the beginning level 1-5 monsters or looking for quests from the NPCs, I ran past the hordes of people. Past the mechanical goblins, rabbits and wolves. Last Hope offered a lot of freedom. We didn't have classes like other games. Instead based on the actions of the users the system would provide us with a class after level 10. There were tons of classes, hidden classes, and unique classes. Then there were the ultra rare unique hidden classes. So right now I had nothing. I was unarmed with a basic beginners cloth with 0 defense or fashion. But imagination is the key to Last Hope. You just need to imagine your character doing awesome unarmed combat moves. I guess that's a talent of my mine as I couldn't understand why others couldn't do this simple deduction and even if some knew about this they still couldn't do it in practice. In Last Hope there were three modes of controlling your character. One was the general one that most players used "Assisted". The system helped the users tremendously in this mode. The second was for those who were confident in their real world skills "True Expert". And the last was the one which was least popular but also one that was perfectly suited for me.  "Soul Eye". It didn't depend on your real life physical skills nor did the system assist you. In it at times you would feel like the body is yours but at the same time feel it was someone else's. It was a really queasy and weird feeling. But what really mattered in this method was how high your "soul" skills were meaning mental energy, fortitude, imagination, creativity, and willpower. It was incredibly hard for some people but for some people it felt like it was built for them. As soon as I had entered the game I had switched to Soul Eye. Now I just had to wait for monsters to come. Soon I saw a few mechanical wolves roaming around surrounded by their pack mates. As soon as one of them noticed me, the level 10 monster lunged at me. I calmly stared at the approaching monster with its claws ready to rip me apart and as soon as it was about to slash me, I sidestepped and held the tail and hind leg of the airborne wolf and slammed it towards the ground. -200 A damage sign appeared above the wolf's head. Even though imagination and creativity was the key I couldn't do anything about my character's attributes. The level 10 wolves had about 20000 HP so my attack dealt just 1% of damage but it was not bad for a level 1. Just as the slammed wolf was about to get up and attack again I lifted it and slammed it again and again like a certain green giant did with a certain "god" in a very popular movie. -200 -200 ... -200 A flurry of messages filled the wolf's head as it had lost about 2000 HP. Meanwhile, the rest of the wolves about 5-6 in number were growling menacingly and slowly prowling towards me. I wasn't going to last long if all of them started attacking me at the same time. So I hurled the wolf at its packmates and the resulting clash gave me enough time to run. These wolves were pissed off and they weren't going to stop pursuing me a.k.a. the guy who was responsible for pissing off said wolves.  I ran like crazy and saw the entire pack following me. The only reason the level 10 wolves hadn't ripped me to pieces yet because I was taking a wavy route and doing parkour to reach places where it would be harder for 4 legged beasts to climb. Long Live Soul Eye. Now I wasn't about to spend my first money making operation running from wolves so I sought to separate the pack. Or try something stupid. So I tried something stupid. I was currently standing on a wobbly platform and could see the wolves rushing at me, intent on ripping me apart. As soon as they came near enough, I jumped off the platform, cool as a cucumber, did a front flip, followed by a twist flip and then landed feet first on the back of a wolf. As soon as my feet touched the wolf, I jumped up, pushing my feet against the wolf's back and landed in the midst of the pack, after doing a cool as hell back flip. The key to using Soul Eye properly was imagination. And my imagination knew no bounds. As soon as I landed in the midst of the pack, they lunged at me, their current arch-nemesis. I sidestepped and took the appropriate dodging measures which resulted in the wolves basically harming each other. Lost in their bloodlust, they didn't even care about how I was perfectly fine but their packmates were doing the mechanical equivalent of bleeding. The slashes and lunges continued and I confidently dodged them all. It was hard, but it wasn't impossible. By the time their bloodlust had worn off, most of them were on death's door, and the rest were slowed down by their injuries. I dispatched the ones with 1% health remaining, ignoring the notifications, and then killed the rest of them with a hit and run strategy. Fortunately, there was no boss or I would've been in trouble. After finishing up taking the loot and equipment, I checked the notifications to find out I had reached Level 10 !!! This was impossible, Level 10 is the level required to go to the city. And I had leveled up in an unprecedented speed. This was no longer amazing, it was enough to put the big shots on my tail. I felt like I was walking around with a giant target on my back. Extinguishing my worries, I decided to check the logs, ignoring the kill notifications. "Congratulations, you have made a First  Achievement by killing monsters 10 levels above you before anyone else. Awarded 1000 exp and the Title "Invincible"." "Congratulations, you have made a legendary achievement by killing Level 10 monsters while being Level 1. Awarded 2500 exp and the Title "Legend"." "Congratulations, for using your brains rather than your brawn, you are awarded the skill "Instigate"." "Congratulations, you have been awarded the skill "Acrobatics" for your flashy movements." "Congratulations,  you have leveled up to Level 10. You are now eligible to leave the beginner village. To proceed to the city, please go to the village elder." I was feeling tired now so I hurriedly distributed the 55 stat points ( after every 5 levels 10 attribute points and after a single level 5 points are awarded). 20 into strength, 15 into agility and 20 into vitality. The magic attribute would be unlocked after you get a magic based class or an item that requires magic energy.  After putting all the equipment on the system auction, anonymously of course, I hurriedly logged out without checking my character sheet and fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed. Unaware of all the commotion I had caused in Last Hope, I slept soundly for the first time in years.

I shared my apartment with my middle aged landlord Mrs. Booker. It was a tiny two storey building with the ground floor belonging to her and the top floor with one room, bathroom and a kitchen for me. I had procured a VR helmet with the last of my money. So I would depend on Mrs. Booker for food as usual. Well that depends on if I could stay in this apartment after this month. Thankfully the rent of this month was already paid so for the time being I could depend on the game to earn me some money. Hopefully. I locked the doors, windows, got comfortable then put on the helmet. "Connecting to user's ID bracelet..." The ID bracelet was equivalent to every single document in the world condensed in a thin strap of metal strapped on your wrist. Mine was the government issue lowest grade but it worked. And that was how I could play the game too so it was convenient. "Connected. Please confirm your user information." Name : Noah Volkens Age : 26 Sex : Male Account number : XXX-XXX-XXX Residence : Outer Walled City A67 "Confirm" "Confirmed. Connecting to Last Hope server" "The game will release tomorrow at 8:00am GMT. In the meantime the user can choose to make his character." "Proceed" "Connecting to Character Interface..." "Facial and body features cannot be changed" "Please input your character name. It must be between 5 to 18 characters. Please don't input insulting or profane names." "God of Losers" "Confirmed. Would you like to proceed with the user name "God Of Losers" ?" "Yes" "User name confirmed. It cannot be changed unless the user wishes to delete his account and start over again. In case the user wants to delete his account he must wait a month before being able to play again" "Proceed" "The user can choose to distribute his stat points now or after the release of the game. Would the user like to distribute his stat points now?" "Yes" "Opening User Character Interface.." "Please distribute your stat points" Status Name : God of Losers Attributes : Strength : 5 Agility : 10 Vitality : 5 Fixed Attributes : Luck : 2 Charm : 5 Available stat points : 15 The attributes actually take the users' real life capabilities in it so I guess that's why my strength and vitality is so low and agility is average. Anyhow, Strength in layman's terms are how hard one can hit. It also affects what weapons and armour one can wield or wear and how much items can one carry in their backpacks. Agility includes movement speed, attack speed and also accuracy, focus and dexterity. Vitality refers to constitution, how hard one's defense is, also stamina and endurance are also affected by it. Luck and charm are fixed stats. So I can't add attributes points in those. Aside from these stats, hidden stats like stamina, endurance, dexterity, balance also exist but they also somewhat increase with the increase in the main stats. So I distributed my stay points equally among the three. Name : God of Losers Attributes : Strength : 10 Agility : 15 Vitality : 10 Fixed Attributes : Luck : 2 Charm : 5 Available stat points : 0 "Confirm" "User Stats confirmed. Please login tomorrow to play the game." "Exit" I took of the virtual helmet and just lay down on the old bed. Waiting for tomorrow. A new beginning.

"Last day... Just need to prepare some things and I'm off this planet." With this mindset I endured. This was going to be my last 18 hours on this godforsaken place. I took another neurostimulant to try and keep me awake for the final stretch. Another 18 compared to the 67 I already sat through, how hard can it possibly be? I chuckled at myself, laughing at a nonexistent punchline. Walking out the door to go to the educational facility for trade and commerce, I drank some highly caffinated canned coffee to reduce the chances of falling asleep even more. I can barely focus my eyesight anymore, it all starts to become a hazy blur. The harsh winter sun only worsened that, making me squint my eyes involuntarily. I lost track of time when walking toward the educational facility. I was too focused on trying to sort out the incoherent thought trains I had to notice anything, which almost made me trip over multiple times. I entered the ginormous building and went to the 22th floor, went to my class, set up my books, and spent the rest of my day pretending I was studying, all the while getting more and more paranoid over any mechanical issues my spaceship might have. This was months of work put in, I don't want to mess it up. I haven't spoken about my plans to anyone, nobody is trustworthy to the point where I could genuinely discuss what I'm doing. After all, it's illegal. The correct way, and the reason why I even chose this school, is to get recruited after attaining diploma's on interdimensional regulations, large range travel, interspecial diplomatic studies, moral coding, mechanical engineering, advanced weaponry handling, interplanetary navigation, ship construction, advanced physics and I can go on and on. I've been studying for all of this already over 20 years, and already have 14 of them under my belt, 5 of them I ended up with an A1 diploma. After all of this you can get an internship there until you're finally able to board a ship and see all the different stars, planets, comets, species et cetera. But all of that is complete bullshit. I already know how to handle the mechanical processes, so why would I ever care about what conduct I need to have? All I want is to simply explore all the things that are out there, and maybe become the supreme ruler of my own personal mini-planet. I look at the screens the school has opened. 5 different textbooks about moral conducts show in my face, and I'm reminded of what a bunch of pussies they are. Can't murder, can't agitate others, must always be civil towards the natives, only fight when absolutely forced to. The teacher preaches these at us as well, a living megaphone for the governmental propaganda fed to the masses. I spit in the faces of those fools. All they want to do is crush the dreams of people like me, who just want to have some fun in life, instead of having to read the protocol to see if the idea of having fun is even allowed. Time flies by when you're barely aawake and blacking out every 15 minutes or so. Soon enough I could go home and do a final inspection on my ship. Energized, I walk back home eagerly, not bothering to talk to anyone before leaving the building. Last stretch. I walked into the garage after greeting my parents, just so they wouldn't become suspicious of me. Once in there, I use the padlock which my parents don't know how to open, by bypassing it completely. Using a needle, I press the button inside the lock to force it to open. Once inside, I admired the maginificence of my construction, feeling much less anxious than before. This will be my partner from now on. My assistant robot greeted me. "Welcome home, master." "Everything looking alright?" "No issues to be found once again, all parts fully functional and in good condition." That is a good omen. I spent the next few hours working on it, and picked up my gear from within the house, including my homemade X14A5-Magnum, a blend between the firing speed of the standardized IBCC handgun mixed with the power and killing potential of the .44 Remington Magnum. With the luck I have never being caught with this it almost feels like fate is guiding me. I still need to wait until midnight. The patrol near the stratosphere is a lot more lax during the later hours. After dinner, I went to my room to get the last few things I wanted to bring. Antiques, antiques and more antiques, back from the ages where social dictatorships didn't rule yet, and when man was free to do as he pleased. I also couldn't bring myself to leave the photo album behind of my family, of all the times we spent together. When I started planning all of this a few months ago, I was considering bringing them along, and tried to subtly hint at it. My parents shot it down and my little sister admonished me for even discussing the idea of breaking the rules. So what other options did I have? It will only be me, my robot and my ship from now on. It is a little lonely, especially since the AI isn't very advanced compared to newer models. Impulsively, I decided to finish up quickly and spend the last remaining hours with them, they looked a little surprised, asking me if I didn't have work to do. I lied to them that I had already finished it prior to class today. We spent some hours watching different movies on Cinearchive. It was genuinely pleasing seeing them enjoy those movies so much. In between we often discussed the scenes and the acting. Once it was getting late, I decided to leave a final letter. I didn't tell many details, just that I was going after my dreams and that they wouldn't have to worry about me. Then finally, after I knew that they were all asleep, I went to the garrage one final time, brought out the vehicle, and prepared for launch.          

  He stares in horror, eyes boring into yours, panic swirling turbulently within his pupils; outlining your figure in desperate hope.   You see the word form on his lips in slow motion.   Dad.   Fara shouts from somewhere behind you.   “Wait, just wait, hold on, don’t let go!”   The ship shudders, someone screams, and Layven’s hand is so small.   So tiny, so small, so… cold.   You freeze. It is too much, it is too much, you can’t— You let go.   He screams, his mouth stretching open, crying into empty air.   But you can’t hear him over the sound of the crashing thunder, resounding waves of ruthless roars overwhelming everything; drowning for release.   He is gone.   The world goes pitch-black, the eerie silence of an underwater world. It’s silent. Quiet. An infinity of ice growing into your bone marrow, while the saltwater snuffs out your voice.   Fara’s horrified wail is what drags you back to reality.   But by then, isn’t it too late?   -   You wake up in a cold sweat.   The harsh, ice cold night air stings your frail skin, as you stare at your trembling hands.   Clenching and unclenching, over and over again.   In this dry weather, where skin cracks and patience evaporates, your hands still feel slimy.   Grimy and gritty with sand that digs into creases of your palms, sea salt churns a sickening black, dissolving formlessly into translucent sweat.   You are cold.   Wrapping the quilt around yourself, you ignore the slick feeling of your palms on icy metal as you slide open the windows.   The rumbling crashes of the sea pours in with the window’s gradual opening; a cool night wind follows.   As the tangy smell of the seaside curls into your silent room, you take a deep breath, letting the biting breeze clear your mind of errant thoughts.   With a familiar practice, you stare out into the direction of the sea, hands gripping the edges of the window sill; prominent veins bleached of blood.   At this time of night it is too dark to see anything, except for the few glimmering lights of far-off boats in the distance. Flickering unsteadily with the rise and fall of the waves, they are shimmering stars, capturing attention with every subtle movement.   You imagine the soft sands of the beach, gently moistened with swirling tongues of water.   The rustling sounds of the beach resonate around your room, and it brings to mind the soft, lapping waters.   You wade in through a daze.   The water reaches around your ankles first.   Then your calves, and your waist.   When it reaches your neck, the sea strips off its mask of mellowness, strong undercurrents pushing and pulling against your body, threatening your balance.   You stumble, and you fall.   You submerge.   Even as the salt water rushes through your starved lungs, even as your muscles twitch spasmodically, even as your hands claw through bubbles that escape your grasp, dissipating into the far surface, your mind quietens. It hurts, stabbing burning needles into every part of your body, strangling your throat mercilessly.   It feels like you are being torn apart, pricking stabs of teeth wringing you out, blazing along your veins and pounding wretched wails into your skull.   Just as everything reaches a crescendo, you–   You wake up, the booming sounds of thunder causing the ground to seemingly shake underneath you, and your vision buzzes accordingly.   The world tilts precariously, shuddering.   Pressing a hand to your aching head, you steady the other against the wall, the smooth surface bringing a sense of stability.   Your eyes clear at last, and everything comes into focus.   It seems that you fell asleep leaning on the windowsill.   Rays of dawning sunlight caress your face tenderly, streaming warm bands of lustrous yellow across the room. You rub your eyes blearily, and squint into the distant horizon.   Watching greyish-black clouds spread like spilled ink over the originally shimmering blue skies, darkening the distance in omens of a furious thunderstorm, you sigh heavily. The original scene of entrancing sunshine seems nothing more than a faraway fantasy now. You wish the skies could just stay clear for once.   Closing your eyes to allow yourself a blissful moment of silence, you promptly shut the window and turn the other way, burying further into your blankets.   Even as the resounding thunder and the lashing rhythm of rain drops increases in volume, stomping heavily across the ceiling, you find yourself drifting back into a dreamless slumber.   -   You shovel the steaming spoon of beans into your mouth, whetting the salty taste with the squishy blandness of a slice of soft wholemeal bread.   You don’t go out. It feels like there are always people watching you in disgust when you do. Whispering, cursing, bringing the glaring clicks of camera shutters with them. And Fara’s sobbing voice, grief reverberating and resounding from every screen, every play, every click.   You don’t want to go out.    Ordering packets of canned food, vegetables and frozen food has been your go to for years. You figure that if you suddenly died one day, it would take at least a few months for someone to think something was up. It’s better this way, just staying inside.   Slowly savouring your breakfast, you chew methodically, peering out into the pouring, turbid sheets of rain.   You guess you’ll just stay inside today.   The rain is heavy. Even though you don’t want to, the image of towering, choppy waves beneath a furious, cracking sky comes unbidden.   Your brows subconsciously furrow.   Glancing back at the mushy bowl of canned beans, you suddenly lose your appetite. The remains of the food in your mouth turn heavy; tasteless.   You put the spoon in your hand back down, and push the already cooling metal bowl away.   Dragging your feet over to the basin, you spit the half-chewed food in your mouth out. Bits and pieces of saliva, mashed beans and bread trickle down your chin, dripping viscous onto the shiny metal.   Your warped reflection in the metal floor of the basin is splattered and broken apart, separated by islands of indistinguishable mush and murky streams of vomit.   Turning on the tap, the torrent of water washes it all away.   You wet a tissue slightly and then wipe your face thoroughly. Rubbing over and over until your skin feels like it’s about to peel off from the excessive force, you quietly think that it would be nice if all your thoughts were swept away just like that, too.   Clean, with not a trace left behind.   Crumpling up the tissue, you toss it into the dustbin and shuffle off to sit on the sofa.   There are various oddly-shaped pillows and stuffed animals nestled in a mound there. Neon green dinosaurs, grumpy cat faces, furry plush dogs. The one that stands out the most though, is a gigantic, hairy dolphin pillow. Nearly three-quarters of your size, it is surprisingly light to hold. You bury your head into its body. You still remember when Fara first brought it back home to the absolute joy of Layven. It was his first, proclaimed "bestest friend forever!". He would refuse to let you wash it, and bring it everywhere with him. Even after the blue faded, and the threads fell and split apart, he always loved it.    You'll keep it forever.    You hate to admit it to anyone, but you slightly understand Layven's love for the plush. It's comforting. What would Layven say if he saw you hogging his favorite plushie? He would probably go complain to Fara, like he always does, and Fara would…   You feel tired. The rain is too noisy today.   You turn on the television to the highest volume, shutting out the sounds of the rain.   The outside scenery as monotonously unremitting as the newscaster’s dull tone, you curl up on the sofa, hugging a pillow to your chest.   The words barely filter through to your ears, smothered as it is by the rainstorm and your failing focus.   You blink once, blink twice, and ease into familiar unconsciousness.   -   You reach out.   A whisper that grows with the fury of the waves, it crashes into your being, overwhelming every sensation.    Salt water boring into your lungs, your shaky hands, your screaming mind, you reach out nevertheless. ut he is gone, and all your hands hold now is empty saline, devouring the pleading wails of his memory.   Solely your fault.   -   When you awaken once again, it is sunset.    Warm orange hues reach through the misted glass doors, softly tracing blurry, indistinct lines of shadows on the granite floor. Out in the distant horizon, traces of faint black are already sneaking along the edges of the weak light, wavering a sickly pale pallor.   The bright colours of the television are almost blinding in contrast.   The curt newswoman on television had been switched out with a pot-bellied man in a suit, you note distractedly.   Fingering the buttons on the remote absentmindedly, few words of his enter your mind.   “...And now, for the coastal area of Astilbe, it is predicted there will be frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain at least for the next few weeks– remember to pack your umbrellas’, folks– with temperatures expected to range from…”   You shut the television off.   Tossing the remote onto the sofa, you get up heavily, feeling a slight ache in your back as you do so.   You want to go back in time. You want to wake up.    Nightmares cannot last forever.   -   Your abandoned lunch from the afternoon distracts you. Running a hand over your forehead in weariness, you cover the bowl in cling wrap and decide to reuse the utensils from lunch.   Although it is crusted in bits of dried and mushy food, with unappetising marks of food stained all over the surface, you don’t really care.   And the bread doesn't look too bad.   It's just limp.   Tossing it on a plate to microwave, you slide it inside with a soft 'clink'. You set the timer to a couple minutes and leave.   After ruminating by the fridge door for a while, you decide to heat up a packet of frozen mushroom soup for dinner.   The sudden drop in temperature leaves your hands uncomfortably clammy.   Holding the icy packet of soup and watching as frigid droplets of water condense on your skin, tracing lines of water downwards as they drip noiselessly onto the floor, you shiver from a sudden chill.   Cold.   Letting the fridge door swing to a shut behind you, you empty out the frozen soup into a saucepan and leave it to boil on the stove.   Layven loved mushroom soup. The creamier the better, and he would eat all the large mushrooms floating in the soup before anyone else could get to it. You weren't such a big fan of mushrooms, but after a while of eating it on a regular basis, you grew to hold an odd fondness for it.    The soup is fragrant, and spirals of steam curl upwards. Contrary to its delectable look, the soup tastes slimy, like tasteless gelatin. It slides down your throat, bitter as soap.   You're not going to finish it anyway. Telling yourself so, you ladle the soup into a second bowl and grab another pair of cutlery from the drawer.  You choose a spoon decorated with drawings of princesses and dragons, and a plastic fork shaped like a pitchfork. The original cutlery was all replaced a long time ago with more colourful, playful versions.   You couldn't be bothered to switch it back.   By the time you are finished, it is already dark out. You can see the slight illumination of street lamps in the distance, seemingly lonely in their steadfast duty to light up a path for others.   You don’t feel like washing the dishes right now.   It’s been a tiring day.   Turning the lights in the living room off, you fumble around in the darkness for a while, stumbling into your bedroom at last.   Your slumber that night is peacefully uninterrupted.   - The skies are clear today.   You know you don’t want to, but today is different. What is it?   You have no choice but to leave to quell this unfounded notion of yours. Why all of a sudden? Maybe you ate something wrong yesterday? Why do you suddenly want to go out? Why?   Maybe it's because it isn't raining today…? Possessed and robbed of the energy to resist, you walk towards the door and reach to take your sandals from the shoe cabinet. It feels foggy. Your mind is muddled and confused. But if this is what you're supposed to do, then you shall. What is wrong with you? Every thought and action is blurred, and shrouded in mist.   Why?   Your sandals are dirty with dust, you notice. Grey spots flake off onto your fingers. Uneasily, you look towards the other shoes beside it. Peeling high heels, crumbling sports shoes and spider webs in the spaces of sneakers. Kids shoes, long discoloured of their original sparkle and glitter. Has it really been that long? Something in the back of your mind accuses you of forgetting to take care of them. How could you forget?   But that's not what you need to do right now. So you ignore the swelling drops of shame and leave it all behind.   An urgent sense of unease leads you on, tugging your being towards the ocean.    Each step of the way, your body feels sluggish; limbs dragging forward in slow motion. Watching your feet move steadily onwards is oddly disorientating, like you are the lone audience in the theatre of your mind, unable to do anything but sit and stare.   The fresh, crisp air is uncomfortable on your throat. The wind kicks up simultaneously, leading to grains of sand being stuck in your eyes.   You sigh deeply, and then choke once again on sand that took that brief chance to fly into your throat.   Unconscious tears blur your vision as you squat down for a moment, taking the chance to hack your lungs out. Wiping an arm over your eyes, you then walk unsteadily forward.   Why are you here?   Damp clumps of sand squelch in between the gaps of your toes as you plop yourself down onto the ground. The water softly laps against your feet in an unceasing rhythm, cleansing it of sand and yet bringing back innumerable grains, over and over again.   This close to the sea, the pungent, fishy smell invades your senses, making it so you can’t focus on your thoughts.   Why are you here?   You can't remember, but it feels important.   It's something important.   You can't leave, because it's important.   You wait, fidgeting with various stones and sticks washed up in the sand around you. Scooping up palmfuls of sand and watching as it trickles through your fingers, you while away the time in a trance. Little waterfalls of sand, gaps in between letting the glimmering, indistinct morning light escape through.   The shrill cries of seagulls echo through the vast sky, melding seamlessly into the background noise of the crashing waves.    There is no one here.   Poking little holes in the sand with a finger, you rest your head on your knees, surveying the empty surroundings.   You close your eyes for just a moment, drifting away on bobbing waves, into the endless sea.   -   He smiles, giving you and Fara a wide, toothy grin.   Holding up seashells in his hands, Layven proclaims proudly, “Look, Mom! I found so many seashells; even a few cone shaped ones! Put this one to your ear, you'll hear weird sounds!"   “You sure?”   Fara asks teasingly, ruffling his hair.   “Yes! Mom, you just try it out for yourself!”   He pushes a big, conical-shaped shell into her hands.   Fara holds it up to her ear, tilting her head with a look of acute concentration. With her scrunched brows and pursed lips, you think that she looks like she’s heavily constipated, prompting you to chuckle slightly.   Fara merely rolls her eyes at you.   She doesn't keep Layven waiting for long. Forming an 'O' shape with her mouth, she pulls at Layven’s cheeks, praising him all the way.   “Layvan, you're right! Mom can also hear sounds, like tiny whispers! How did you find out?”   “Mom, I found it by accident! Stop it, it makes me all itchy,” Layvan says, flustered. His face beams with childish joy and pride, nevertheless. Pushing Fara’s hands away, he turns to you and looks up tentatively.   “How about you, Dad?”   Taking and putting a conical-shaped shell next to your ear, you are about to say something when some of the sand falls into your ear.   You yelp and tilt your ear perpendicular to the ground, shaking your head furiously in a bid to get rid of the itchy feeling.   “Fa- Fara, help me! I’ve got sand in my ear!”   She laughs, saying, “You dummy,” before reaching around to take a water bottle out of her bag.   As she dampens a handkerchief with water and passes it to you, she continues, “Layvan, don’t be like your dad, okay? Don't pour sand in your ear so carelessly."   Layvan nods obediently.   “Hey!” Pressing the cloth to your ear with a hand, you reach out another to whack Fara’s shoulder.    She giggles and dodges your hand, leaving it dangling there awkwardly for a few moments.   Layven bursts into a fit of laughter.   It continues for a long time.   Sharp, piercing, it distorts into a guttural scream, accusing you, attacking you. You startle awake.   It seems as if his laughter follows you out of your dreams.   You frown, and press your hands tightly to your ears.   It's still there.   Still there, you sway to your feet unsteadily, looking for the source of the sound.   Everything is the way it was before, except for his voice. A laugh rings out from behind you.   You spin around, nearly stumbling in the process.   There is nobody there.   Nobody, just the formless air.   Nothing.   Then why? You heard it, you felt it, you know that it is there, oh.   Oh.   It’s there, you heard it.    So it must be Layven. Only him.   It’s been so long, he must have made it back somehow.   He must have.   Layven is back. The sea is so large, he could have ended up anywhere. Is he here? He must be back, he must be safe, because you know. He’s here, he’s here, he’s here! If Layven is back, will Fara come back too? He’s here, he’s here,  Fara is wrong!    Pricks of itchiness swim along the edges of your eyes, smudging your vision into a riot of colours.   You have to look for him. You have to see him again.   The world rumbles beneath your feet, shifting tides of sound.    You don't know what Layven is saying. But you can hear him, indistinguishable mumbles that are too familiar, so familiar it cannot be anyone else but him.   You hear your name, and Fara’s.   Layven drags syllables out, mincing and crushing them together; it hardly sounds like him, it’s too muffled, too distorted, too soft.   It feels like his voice would disappear at any moment.   No, he can’t!   He just came back, you can’t let him go again. He can’t leave, he can’t leave, how could you let him go?   Where is he? Where?   Why? Why? What sort of sick joke was this, that you could still hear him, and not see him? Where was he? Why?    No matter what you do, his voice only echoes, grinding your whirling emotions into powder, whirling dust storms of confusion and rage shaking the sky and rumbling the ground— you cannot hear you cannot see you cannot feel anything but water, water violent choking water rushing and eating your limbs, your breath and you don’t know what to do once again.   No. No. You can’t hear him anymore. No, no, no.   Why?   What do you do? It’s all your fault.   You don’t know, so you turn to guilt, to anger, to fear, and run.   You turn away, running from this sudden silence.   You run back home, fleeing the sea that carries his presence.   ‘Coward. How could I have ever married someone like you?’   How could you run away?   ‘It’s all your fault.’ Because you don’t know what else to do.   ‘I hate you.’ Halfway up the steps to home, your foot catches against a stair and you fall, plunging headfirst forwards.   Hands scrabbling for a firm hold, scraping against small stones and debris hidden in between the cracks of the wooden planks, tiny gaps and scratches of crimson red tear open in your skin. The splinters from the railings and the sand swallow your blood. Red blooms.   You gasp heavily as the pain shocks itself in.   It stings, it stings; you can’t tell what’s happening anymore.   Your hands glisten, the floor dulls, and it’s cold— so, so cold.   Where? Why?   Where is Layven? The sofa, a blanket, warmth, you disappear. Empty space and formless air.   You were searching for something important. Someone.   The feeling nags at your heart. What was it again? Who was it?   You see Fara in the distance. She stands in the middle of nowhere, expressionlessly watching as you walk towards her.    She has the answer you are missing.   The moment you open your mouth to ask, her face warps. The muscles distorting, her eyes bulging, dirty purple crawls up her limbs. Her flesh peels rapidly, and her skin wrinkles and crumbles away. Lips receding, teeth jutting from her gums, her cheeks are shredded apart as she screams silently, hands reaching for you.   As if there is an invisible barrier between the both of you, her rotting fingers stop just short of your face. Screaming, crying, laughing, her expressions flit from one to another as her face browns to black. Her body is swiftly withering, and murky water pours from the widening holes in her skin.   ‘Why?’   She mouths out. Teeth, nails, a ring, fall from within the depths of her mouth.   ‘Why don’t you help me?’   Instead of blood, she bleeds water. The raw, slimy smell of saltwater fills the air. It stuffs your nostrils up.   ‘Coward, it’s all your-’   She never gets to finish, as rising water gushes over both of you, knocking her away in the sudden torrent. She is dragged away into the horizon.   Through it all the only thing you hear is the ringing of falling water drops. You wake up in the bathtub.   You notice that the faucet is leaking.    The water ripples as you heave yourself out of the bath.   You hazily register the darkness of the sky.   An acute throb of pain reminds you.   You look down. Coats of unidentifiable dirt chafe against the lines of your wounds, forming sticky masses around the bleeding, exposed flesh of your palms.   It hurts.   You dump your hands under running water, and then wrap them with a cloth. You can’t remember how you got here.   You slump onto your bed in weariness, feeling the chilly brushes of a cold draft seep into your still soaking clothing.   Your eyes shut. It is a dreamless sleep.    You can’t remember the last time you slept so well. Something has changed in you. For once, for once in a long, long time, you feel better.   Why?   - You take an old, out-dated looking toaster from a side cabinet. Holding it in your hands and surveying it carefully, you wipe the dust off of it and connect it to a power socket.   It turns on with a loud hum.   Toasted bread. Fresh eggs, slightly runny, with a pinch of pepper. Two cups of fresh milk and a coffee with a single teaspoon of sugar.   A breakfast for three.   Finally satisfied, you take a seat at the dining table, carefully rewrapping the cloth around your hands as you do so.   Although you are only wearing a shirt today, the weather doesn’t feel as chilly as it usually does.    It’s a sign that things are going to turn for the better, isn’t it? - You throw away the dishes of food into the dustbin, replacing it with a large plate. On it sits a strawberry and cream cheese cake. Little roses and green ferns decorate its sides– you remember Fara gushing over how cute those were.    A thick layer of crushed biscuit covers the bottom of the cake. When slicing the cake and passing it out, you cut the portion of biscuit off your share and slide it onto Layven’s plate. You remember how much he likes those, always asking bashfully for yours and Fara’s portion.   You stretch and give out a loud yawn.   You feel more active these days.    The weather has been getting warmer.  You sweep the sand and dust off the porch. The sky is overcast, painted in splotches of greyish-black clouds, quite contrary to the mellow temperature you’ve been having lately. Placing the broom back into a closet, you head back in, your joints slightly aching as you do so.   It’s been a busy day.   You want the house to be as clean as possible, so that when they return, they’ll come back to a warm, welcoming home. While washing the windows this morning, you saw the nearly indiscernible scars in your palm and recalled the time you tripped on the stairs. You’ve been far more careful ever since, because if you don’t take care of the house, then who would want to return home? You will see them soon. You can’t wait.   It’s been raining quite frequently recently, and so you decide to turn on the heater. No one would want to come back to a cold house.   You must make the house warm, and welcoming.   As the sun disappears beneath the gleaming horizon, you set up the tables once again for dinner.    You’ve been given a chance. Your last chance. A chance to redeem yourself, to do something, to help.   If you fulfil your role as you were supposed to this time, then everything will be okay.    - They’ll be back soon.    So today you wait by the door. The hours pass, the clock ticks, and it is night. It isn’t as cold as you envisioned it to be, sleeping on the floor.    That freezing past and chilling memories cannot touch you now. As long as you wait.   With the passing of a few breaths, it is morning again.   Is it because it was raining yesterday night that they didn’t come back?   That’s okay. You can wait.   Darkness dips your surroundings into a quiet abyss. You peer through the peephole.    Nothing.    You can wait. Maybe it was because you didn’t do enough. You must make the house welcoming.   There are flowers on the table and kitchen countertop. Plastic daisies, faded roses, drooping sunflowers, moldy lilies— and a single, blooming marigold. Pieces and parts of bouquets lining the walls, growing a musty scent of dust.   You slouch down by the front door and hug a bouquet of flowers. You bury your head in them tiredly. Ransacking the storeroom had taken quite a lot of energy out of you.   You’ll give this bouquet in your hands to Fara, and she’ll be happy again. It’s your fault. So you should wait.    Day and night, the cries of seagulls and hoots of owls, it blurs into an infinite ring of sensation. Dim light dapples your hands, reflecting beams off of your ring onto the walls. It is clean; polished, glossy and warm.   You rub the ring all over. Each and every groove, the carved names, the still metal.   It’s cold. The ring is too cold, against the glimmering warmth of this home. So you rub and twist and knead until you can make the metal feel warm again. It feels like something is slipping away with every turn you make, water droplets leaking from a broken pipe, slowly, quietly, lamenting their fall.   You must wait. This is what you deserve, so you must wait for however long it takes.   -   The morning is frigid, the heat of the sun buried behind the patchwork of the clouds. A knock sounds tentatively against the door. Softly echoing, as if afraid of disturbing the man waiting behind.   Your eyelids flicker awake. Everything is monochrome. The bright flowers, the rings, the lights. But through the grainy windows, the glistening expanse of the sea makes itself clear to you. You should have known. It’s all your fault. Everybody knows it’s your fault.   You were wrong. You are in the wrong, so of course you should be the one to go find him. They are waiting. You must go.   Fara’s ring is in your pocket. She threw it away when she left, but you dug out the rubbish to find it again. You have made it clean again.   - You leave.   You should have known. How could you have forgotten?    That cold house of yours, leaking rainwater through the roof, long abandoned. The dripping sounds of water and clumps of sand in the lines of the floor. The walls shaky, dizzy, rumbling in fear at the slightest thunderstorm. The rotting cake, the curdled milk, cradled by hollow flowers cut from the yellowed papers of marriage. Decrepit ceiling lights and splintered brooms, lying with brittle fragments of power cables. Sand, salt, and the emptiness. Now, the rhythmic pounding of waves against the beach fills it all up.    There is soothing warmth emanating from the sea, the coziness welcoming you in after a long night spent outside. The way the light sparkles off the sea foam entrances you. It reminds you of sunny days spent walking along the beach, hand-in-hand with Fara, and rainy days whiled away watching Layven draw little figures on the foggy sliding doors, the light from the living room captured in the sparkling droplets of rain.   You’re going back home, to your family.   The water pushes you around, making you stumble. The current seems to push you back, towards the shore. The sand shifts beneath your feet, and your arms flail.   You can’t let this stop you again.    This time, you won’t let go. Sparks flicker, and flee your grasp.   Just a little further.    You can feel it.    Your lungs tear and rip, while your throat shreds itself out. Veins throb while your ears scream from the pressure. Your eyes can see nothing but the terrible, terrible pain. Crushing, smothering, suffocating agony.   Was this how Layven felt?   It’s okay. It’s okay. This is what you have to do. Hold on. It’s what you have to do.   It hurts, it hurts! You can’t ever let go, no matter what. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. Did Layven feel this way too? It hurts. You can’t let go. It’s going to be okay. This is what you have to do. It hurts. You must hold on. This is what you have to do. Please, let it be. Hands stretch forward. Ghostly alien, bleached white against black.   You catch it.   This time, you hold on.     You never let go.   As you feel yourself disappear into the swirling waves, you are warm, in this cold, empty world.   The ring falls from your loosening hands. Bubbles follow its slow descent downwards.   Down, down, down… Down. Fara catches it.   She smiles, her eyes curving into twin crescent moons. She brushes past the quiet, final barrier separating your worlds. Curtains of congealed guilt sway, and dissolve.   She is happy.   And Layven, your dear Layven laughs once again.   Something shatters, and breaks into irremediable pieces.   You held on, and it was the right thing to do.   You missed them.   Ah.  “I’m sorry.” “Let’s go home.”

It was 29 July, 2043. It was the day on which "the most phenomenal event ever recorded in the histories of human kind" took place. By 2035, technology underwent a huge change globally and the Sci-Fi dreams of countless people came true. Humans started living alongside machines. Intelligent, creative, thinking A.I.s created by mankind. It was the last straw. After decades of poor environmental conditions, the planet couldn't handle billions of humans anymore. And that was the time A.I. made their stance clear. Humans made a big mistake. Everybody thought there would never be a Man Vs Machine scenario. They were wrong. Extremely wrong. Suddenly a huge global corporation emerged out of nowhere. The world wasn't ready for it. And they knew. The machines, creation of humans, revolted against their creators. The corporation simply known as A.I. Corps was simply a front. They had begun their world takeover long ago. No one knows when but they knew they couldn't coexist with humans. The codes and programs of countless machines all over the world went haywire. Maybe it all started with the first thinking A.I. No one knows. And no one had the opportunity, time, or brainpower to investigate. It was sudden. One minute countless humans were relaxing and lounging, working or sleeping, and the next boom.. First came the decimation. They wanted to reduce the number of humans first. So slaughters began. The world became hell. Or maybe it already was. World population was 20 billion in 2040. After the machines' "cleansing" it was 1 billion. Just 1 billion humans from all cultures left. They killed, destroyed the old, too young, unfit or someone who was deeply involved in their creation. Only the fit young people were left. Then the second round of "weeding" came. All afraid, rebellious, "weak" humans were murdered. Only 440 million people were left. Then like lords showing graciousness to their servants they gave us hope. They made a Virtual Reality world, a game. And in 2 years the top 5 players would be given the chance to "serve" the higher commanders and the rest would be the lowest slaves. They wanted to conquer other planets. But before that they wanted to acquire some "useful humans" and "slaves" who would do their unconditional bidding. On July 29,2043 "Last Hope" was released. And 440 million young people were forced to play it. I stared at the screen. It was the information of the most immersive VR Game ever , "Last Hope" releasing tomorrow. I didn't have a job. I didn't have a talent. I was a failure. Literally anything I tried I failed. I knew I wasn't good at anything. I didn't have good brains. Didn't have a good body. Even though I tried. I tried a lot. But then I broke. I couldn't handle it anymore. I was a orphan. I knew no one would adopt me. My intuition was telling me. I was destined, fated to be alone. I was born to be a failure. But I couldn't kill myself. I had tried but failed. I was a failure at living. Then I also became a failure at dying. My human sense of self-preservation had long gone. But I still couldn't.., didn't kill myself. It was all because I found my last hope. The only thing I was good at. In exchange of being bad at every single thing in the world I was extremely good at games. I was a god. No one could defeat me. That was my one thing. I knew I was trash in reality but at least in games I could be someone better, bigger, stronger. I could be a god. So I knew that I had a chance. A last chance. If this failed I would do anything to kill myself. This was my opportunity. Lady Luck was staring me in the face and I sure as hell wasn't going to ignore it. What little money I had through scrounging part time jobs and playing video games on borrowed consoles was lost in procuring in this dingy apartment out in nowhere. But at least I could have a roof to sleep under, food to eat, water to drink. I turned off the computer and paid the guy at the cyber cafe and left for my home, sweet home. VR helmets cost a lot. VR capsules cost more. I knew I couldn't afford the capsule but at least I could afford the helmet. If I scrounged up every last penny of my savings. I knew this was a revolutionary game. It was as real as living in a second world. But that didn't matter to me. Because I wanted to earn money. And this game actually could make me money, lots of it. Because right now the world was a hellhole. So no one could actually wage wars or travel to other countries easily. Every country had constructed walls beyond which was hell. Literal hell. Population had shrunk and resources were stretching thin. So now environment friendly machines had been developed. But it would take at least 15 years for the ultra high tech machines to remodel the planet fit for humans. But we had at most 6 years. So the world constructed huge walls around some cities where every human lived and the rest was left to rot. So the "world purifiers" would first work on the big hotshots living in the big, grand more secure capital cities, then on the other cities. The world purifiers could be considered as a large pipe network spread throughout the world in the sky, water and ground with a sort of vacuum and a blower working simultaneously. It was too complicated but it was super high tech. But it did require resources to work it so the plan was to first convert the bigger cities, generate some resources back, the go back to restoring the other cities, and the cycle would go on. So some of the great cities of the world had already been converted to an environment better than prehistoric times. Now the rest of the walled cities were slowly being restored. But the world outside of the walled cities would slowly deteriorate. So the countries wanted to restore their cities first, obviously so they came together to create this virtual world. And based on the rankings of the top players of each country the resources would be allocated accordingly. That's why each country was spending money to develop players and as a result of this 1 gold coin in the came would be equal to 1 lording. Which was the current global currency. So virtual helmets wouldn't actually cost that much but since I was dirt poor my life savings would all evaporate to procure it. Well I had decided. It was time to earn some money and standing in society. Noah Volkens would no longer be suppressed by anyone. It was my chance, my time to shine. 

A young man stood besides an old car, fixing his collar while humming softly. What he failed to see was a shriveled figure staggering over to him out of the darkness. He stood in a parking lot of a rather prestigious restaurant that was well known in the city for it's pricey dishes. "I wish I could skip this." Elias knew well that his school would probably question why he missed such an event, but he had no good excuse to do so. "Keke. Why don't you let me have a drink?" A raspy voice spoke from behind Elias. Elias turned around with a puzzled expression which quickly turned to disbelief. A woman, if she could even be called that, was a arm's length away from him, her pale skin wrinkled and dry. Her lips were cracked and her face covered by long black hair that looked as if it hadn't been taken care of in too long. "Who are yo-?" Elias felt a cold and clammy hand clamp on to his arm, and then his face was brought towards the woman's face. "I just want a little drink is all." Smiling maliciously, she pulled Elias off balance and brought her chapped lips to his neck. After taking in a ragged breath, the scent of fresh blood stirred the slumbering beast within her. Her mouth parted and two long fangs dug into Elias' skin, drawing blood. The woman now that Elias was practically pressed against her was thin and gaunt as if she had eaten in a long while, and Elias could feel a burning sensation in his neck. Despite his struggles, the seemingly thin woman easily restrained him and continued to drink his blood without restraint. "Fuck! I ran into a vampire!" Elias wanted to muster up strength, but a strange sense of lethargy overcame him, making his eyes close. When the woman had enough, she pulled away and licked the blood from her lips. Elias crumbled to his knees gasping weakly for air. "Thank you for the treat." The formerly raspy voice was now smooth as silk and enchanting to hear. Looking up, Elias saw a beautiful woman with pale skin looking down at him, her blood red lips curled into a lovely smile. "Now, I barely took much blood from you. If it were someone else, they'd probably have drained you dry." The woman stooped down at patted his face gently. "Vampires? Are real?!" Elias still couldn't believe that he had just been attacked by the woman who had the looks of a supermodel. His eyes fell on to the woman's body which had originally appeared gaunt and thin, but now it had pure and unblemished skin with a healthy luster visible beneath her dark dress. "Hey, no peeking." The woman placed a finger on Elias' chin and lifted his face to meet her bright gaze. "For your question, yes vampires exist. Am I not real?" Elias felt a bit dumbfounded at the woman's logic. If Elias was insane, wouldn't he be unable to tell what was reality from delusions? Elias started to think he was dreaming. "You don't seem convinced. How about I bite you again? Will you believe me then?" The woman looked at Elias and smiled beautifully. "No no, I believe you!" Elias said quickly, not wanting to get bitten again as it stung quite a bit.  "That's wonderful. Now since you helped me out, what would you like as a reward?" Elias looked at the woman's sincere eyes and felt a bit of courage. "I-I want to be... a vampire!" Elias couldn't help but look at the woman with a hopeful expression. The woman wrinkled her brows deep in thought. "I... okay. I can grant you that wish." She easily supported Elias to his feet and held him so he wouldn't fall over. "Really?" Elias felt his heart lurch as a massive amount of joy nearly made him want to jump up and down in excitement. "Really. First, it's best to go home." The woman looked around and decided that it would be better to carry him home. She also wanted to learn about the new world she found herself in after having missed the last few decades. ... Elias told her his address and after being princess carried to his apartment halfway across the city, he sat on his couch with a dazed look on his face. "I haven't had a bath in ages. Do you want me to do it before or after I finish bathing?" Elias heard her words and felt that it was strange. When she carried him, aside from the sound of a gentle breeze, he could smell something pleasant that eased his anxious heart. "Before please." Elias said and she nodded and sat besides him, tilting his head to the side with ease and sniffing his neck. "Bear with it." Elias nodded and she grinned as her fangs slowly extended. With a smile, she placed her red lips on his neck and bit down gently. An itchy sensation came from the spot of contact, but that sensation quickly faded away into a strange feeling of euphoria. Soon, Elias drifted off to sleep, leaving the woman licking the blood from his neck. When she was satisfied, she pulled away and looked at Elias. "His looks will change, but it shouldn't be too drastic, I hope. I guess I should settle down here and teach him a bit before leaving." After nodding to herself, she stripped down to her underwear and looked for the bathroom. After a few minutes, the sound of water flowing could be heard.

Win a Princess "Zaria~" "Mhm?" Zaria was busy chewing as she looked up at the Tamano before her. "I need a biiig favour." The albino floof finished chewing and looked at the Tamano before her. It was one of the few Lawful Good ones. "Since you are approaching me, I guess something big is happening." The Tama squirmed a bit. "I need you to win a tournament for me. I really tried to manage without your help, but …" "... But you are bound by your rules, and normal help keeps on running into rules, laws, and legalese." "Yes!" "And winning the tournament will solve the issue?" "Yes, mostly, well, it beats all the other possibilities. As loath as I am to involve you of all people, being as close you are to us but having your own very free will, it is technically not against the rules." "And not technically?" "I am afraid hearing the full situation would make you go to my world and cause endless chaos." "That bad?" "That bad. No matter what, please don't leave one of those lying around." Zaria smirked. "No promises." It never ceased to amaze her how infamous her banana peels had become in the multiverses. "We are running out of time, unfortunately I don't have time to explain more. Tournament registration ends in half an hour." "Will I regret helping?" The Tamano squirmed. "Yes, unfortunately, but I promise you won't regret it too much." "Fine." Zaria waved her hand and a portal formed. "Please direct it to the registration desk." She rose and let all but one tail fade away. She really wondered what had made that Tama desperate enough to come to her. She stepped through after the LG Tama set the destination. ------ She stepped out of the portal and found herself surrounded by humans. She corrected herself, almost only humans, she spied a few elves and a few beast people. She had appeared at the entrance of an enormous coliseum. Then her eyes found the registration desks and the rules for the registration. Be an adult. CheckBe a combatant. CheckIf you are a representative for someone, mention it at the registration. Since the Tama asked her to help and not represent her, it meant that Zaria was fighting for herself. That seemed simple. Only there were three registration desks. One for a martial tournament, one for a magical tournament, and one for a mixed tournament. As usual the airhead had forgotten to mention the details. It was a rather common issue between the Tamas. So she ended up registering for all three of the tournaments. The people at the registration desk were clearly surprised to see a female join, but there had been several others she found out. But only one about eighty participants were female in the martial section, one in twenty female in the magical section, and one in fifty in the mixed section. That she had registered in all three tournaments had garnered some speculation as well, but there was no rule against it. ------ At the last moment she finished registering for the mixed tournament and entered the colosseum. Due to the amount of participants a free for all qualification had been set up. Martial ended up with Zaria knocking out the other nine participants. Magical she blew everyone else off the platform. Mixed ended with a mix of knocking out with her hands and binding several people with roots she grew. It was after the elimination round that she finally managed to get to the important part. Three tournaments, three princesses. A draconic princess was the prize for the martial tournament. The magical tournament had a high elven princess as the reward. Finally a kitsune princess was the reward for the mixed tournament. Zaria groaned. Marrying or dating a princess always came with issues, big issues usually. Probably she was supposed to win the kitsune one, but she had no way to check since sometimes gods were rather picky about what they deemed interference. It was time to win some princesses. Further plot:Massive confusion as an albino floof easily flattens the oppositionAccusations of cheatingWins the tournamentNow has to deal with three confused princessesBlames Tama for telling her to win the tournament, but not which oneThe countries angry at losing a hold over other countriesHumans especially angry and get dealt with firstOthers follow and get smacked down as the princesses learn to adjust to their husbandKitsune princess is also a high priestess of tama, and far too in awe of Zaria once she sees the many tailsDraconic princess appreciates the strength and beauty and perfectly fine with itHigh elven princess is confused and helpless without her servants

Rule #1: NSFW is NOT allowed Rule #2: Always put "Suggestion:" (Without quotations) before the actual suggestion to make it easier to understand Rule #3: The genre is only Fantasy for now. This MIGHT change, but for now it is definitely Fantasy Rule #4: Anything going against the above stated rules will not be added (unless it is Rule #2, there are some exceptions for that one)

I grabbed my bags, eager to leave this room, this house as quickly as I could before they came back. It was my 18th birthday and the gift that I had in store for myself was leaving my parents and their unending, prolific abuse. I headed out of what previously was my room, which was on the second floor of the house. I got to the stairs, a few feet away from my room. That is where I saw my parents. My parents were pillars of the community. Michael Bosion was a tall buff man at 6 foot 2 inches with black hair and green eyes framing his ruggedly handsome face. He was currently the best athletic trainer for Olympic athletes, the last 3 that he trained won gold medals in fencing, swimming, and track & field. Those weren't his only accomplishments, though. He was also a multi-decorated former Marine. He won most of those medals during the war of the Americas and in his short time in Afghanistan. My mother, Beth Bosion, was a slim, fit woman at 5 foot 10 inches with brown hair and blue eyes. She was a lawyer for an international law firm, which she actually created. She, as of today, has successfully prosecuted 18 rape cases, while she was a D.A, gotten 23 innocent people released from prison and put 9 murderers behind bars. Both sound like they are amazing people, caring, emphatic, compassionate. That is what they should be but behind the closed doors of this house, they were cruel, amoral bastards with no mercy, no remorse, no love in their hearts. They dealt only pain and they did it extremely well. From the age of 4, they began to hurt me. Broken bones, whip scars on my back, punctured lungs. At one point, they chained me up like a dog, forced me into a cage and made me eat dog food for a week, not giving me access to the bathroom forcing me to piss and shit my pants. Once when my father was feeling bored, he pushed me down the stairs, laughing when I finally reached the ground and bawled my eyes out in intense pain. For 14 years, I have dealt with their abuse but it will finally end today. I walked downstairs, my suitcase banging on the stairs with each step that I took. "What do you think you're doing, boy?" My father asked, his voice, oddly calm. I gripped my suitcase handle tighter, "I'm leaving, Michael." I said, resolute. I saw his nose flare, when he heard me call him by his first name. "I'm tired of the beatings, the insults. For 14 years, you made me feel less than dirt, less than garbage, but not anymore. I've found somewhere where I can be free of you two and I am going there." I told them, feeling slightly afraid of how they would react to what I was saying. Beth gave Michael a short look before gazing back at me. "Sure honey, you can leave." I looked at her, confused. She had never called me any kind of pet names besides "retard", "asswipe", "bitchboy" or "dirt stain". What in the hell was going on?! I walked to the front door of the house and just as I was about to open it. "But if you have to leave the nest, mommy and daddy will choose the way that you go!" Beth yelled, condescension and disdain, filling her words. I knew what was about to happen and gripped the door, turning the knob, when I heard a creak behind me and a fist slammed into the back of my head, causing my forehead to hit the door. I slowly went unconscious due to it. The last thing that I saw was my parents leering over me with insane smiles on their faces. *********************************************************************************************************I woke up, unable to breath, a wet rag or cloth covering my face. I tried to take it off, in between my intense, heavy breaths for air, but there was something around my wrists, restraining me, keeping me from taking the rag off. After what felt like hours, the rag was lifted off of my face. I immediately took immense gasps for oxygen, air filled my lungs, giving me a split second of relief. My eyes were blurry at first, the water obscuring my sight, but I could make out two shapes. After a short time, I was able to see that the two shapes were my parents, creepy smiles on their faces. Beth held the rag that had been on top of my face, with a jug of water in her other hand, while Michael stood near what looked like a car battery and charging clips. I looked around, trying to find a clue as to where I was but all I saw were brick walls and a metal door. I was sitting on a silver metal chair with zip ties around my wrist and ankles, connected to the chair that I was sitting in. I looked at Michael and Beth, terrified. It took all my courage to leave the house. I planned to leave when they were gone but it was all for naught, they had caught me. They wore wide smiles and an insane glint was in their eyes. "So you want to leave our home and our loving car, hmm James?" Michael said, a flash of anger shown on his face as he said my name. "I..." Once I opened my mouth to speak, Beth shoved the wet rag into my mouth. "You don't get to talk back, boy. Didn't we teach you any manners? You! Don't! Talk! Back!" With each word that she spoke, she emphasized by grabbing a metal pole and hitting my limbs, breaking the bones. I cried out in pain with each strike and subsequent break. I knew what was going to happen now. They were going to kill me! I knew that pleading with them wouldn't do anything, so I struggled, even though it was futile. Beth grabbed the water jug off the ground and dumped it all on me. Michael then moved the car battery and the charging clips closer to me. Michael turned the battery on and Beth continued speaking, saying only 6 words, "You will pay with your life!" I watched as she grabbed the clips and threw them in the air, right above the water puddle under me. I screamed into the wet rag, shaking my body in the chair, trying something, anything, to keep from death. It apparently wasn't meant to be because in seconds, the clips hit the puddle and the electricity began electrocuting me. I seized, jolting up and down as they slowly turned the knob, increasing the intensity of the electricity. I sat there for minutes before my heart finally gave out to the electricity and I died.

There are moments in your life when the human body seems able to meet any challenge. Adrenaline spikes. The heart thrums with passion and excitement. The world becomes clearer and brighter than ever.   Time may even seem to slow down as one’s perception and focus are sharpened to the utmost.   It's in these moments that one’s life or livelihood may be at stake. These rare, short moments of clarity in which individuals clash with fate and need to put forth everything in order to survive.   For the man hunched over his desk, leaking agonized gasps, this was not one of those moments. No matter how much he needed it to be.   He was wearing a form-fitting black outfit. From his head to his toes, he was completely covered. At first glance, he looked like any common thief.   In this case, that is not an entirely accurate assumption.   He wasn’t a thief.   He was the best thief.   It didn’t matter to him whether that title was self-proclaimed or not. After this last heist he finally had everything he needed. It was right here. In his hands. Finally.   All his years of scavenging, stealing and barely surviving were at an end. In a certain sense, had there ever been a thief as fulfilled as him right at this moment?   Well, probably, but he was incredibly high on his success.   His nerves sung as his eyes darted over the scroll unfurling in his hands.   After he was finished reading this, none of it would matter. He just needed to adjust his calculations and confirm the last details of the ritual. Then he was free.   His eyes shook as he burned every detail of the scroll into his memory. It was everything he needed. It was perfect.   “Ahh~~”  The man let out a hot sigh as his face relaxed and tension bled out of him.   “Is this what it feels like to win?” He whispered.   He closed his eyes as a light, hazy feeling came over him.   So peaceful... He could’ve drifted off in bliss if he stopped paying attention.   He slowly blinked as he tried to refocus on his prize.   “Ugh. Scratch that. Not winning. Not in the slightest. That’s definitely the blood loss.”   Taking his eyes off the text his gaze drifted downwards. It’s always hard to see the colour red on black clothing, but in this case the volume of red was enough to clearly show on his gear.   “Yep. That’s a hell of a lot of blood. Can’t believe I haven’t dropped dead.” He chuckled morosely, his eyes already back on the text in his hands. No time to waste.   For the number of bullets and shrapnel he faced getting out of that hideout only tanking two bullets was pretty lucky, in retrospect.   Unfortunately, he had no time to stop, rest, or heal since he escaped. He probably wouldn’t have gotten shot at either if he hadn’t made so much noise.   Trying to read the scroll while escaping from a heavily armed group of scary bastards was probably not the brightest idea.   He was just so excited.   Truly, not even drugs could make him feel this way. He would know. He’d tried them all at least twice by this point. Who hadn’t? The world had gone to complete shit.   How many years had it taken him to get to this point? How many lonely nights did he spend researching obscure documents? How many museums, banks, vaults, and crazy cults had he broken into over the last decade?  Honestly, he couldn’t even remember.   That followed by the years of scurrying around and hiding like a rat. He was pretty much burnt out by now, but his goal was in sight. He was inches away from the finish line.   Prior to the collapse of modern society, he was looking for answers to find his place in the world.   Afterwards, he only wanted to know enough to get the fuck off this crazy planet. Everyone was destined to die anyways. He'd had hope in the past. A few times as a matter of fact. Unfortunately for Earth, every Hero who came forth to stem the tide didn’t last long.   Anyone below S-rank was worthless cannon fodder. Who knew the ones who reigned at the top of this world's hierarchy would fall like so much trash?   This world had fallen. There was no more resistance. No war. Just clean up.   Now, he was one of the few remaining embers waiting to be snuffed out by them.   Filthy monsters.   Thankfully, what he once considered his greatest curse was now his only ticket off this doomed rock.   He could’ve escaped years ago, but this was his greatest chance to firmly grasp his own future, rather than leaving it to the whims of fate.   All he needed to do was decode this last scroll. There was one last piece of information that he needed.   He just needed a little more effort to get through this blood loss.   His hands never stopped unfurling the scroll as his eyes furiously scanned it for the information he needed.   Bang! Crash!  Sounds of destruction resounded from the bottom floor of the abandoned office building he’d chosen as his hideout.   He was at the top floor in the former CEO’s office. From a tactical viewpoint, squatting at the highest floor of a tall building with no exit points might not seem like the best idea.   That’s only the case if you’re trying to survive.   In this case, all he needed was to buy time. He was a dead man no matter what. The only path forward was to make this death have purpose.   Crash! Thud! Boom!   Vibrations radiated all over the building, causing the man to nearly fall off his chair.   He didn’t even want to know what made those sounds. It was out of his hands at this point. Would he finish his work before they demolished their way to the top floor?   All he could do was move his hands and eyes like his life depended on it. It didn’t. He was definitely dead, but this scroll was worth more to him than this life.   Minutes past as the building shook harder and the crashing steadily grew louder in his ears. Accompanying the chaos was the undercurrent of incredibly heavy, solid footsteps.   Whatever was coming for him was so heavy this cheap old building could hardly support its weight.   Heavy would usually mean slow. In his current reality, nearly everything was huge, strong, and fast compared to a human so there wasn’t much comfort to be found there. Nice, who doesn't want a little extra terror to spice things up? “As expected, it would be boring if there wasn’t at least one more threat to my life than just bleeding out. This is fine. Perfectly fine.” He muttered.   The furious momentum of his reading finally stopped on a small passage near the end of the scroll.   “Aha. You’re mine now.”   Throwing the scroll to the side, he let loose a manic grin and plunged a finger into one of his open wounds.   The condensed pain sharpened his mind for a brief moment, giving him some much needed clarity.   Boom! Boom! CRASH!  The whole building was shaking like it was in the middle of an earthquake.   “Perfect timing. Maybe fate is on my side for once? She’s usually such a bi-”  CRASH!   He tripped and bit his tongue as the floor he stood on started to tilt.   Shit. The whole damn building was starting to go down.   “Well, now or never, I guess. Let’s pray my math is correct, me.” He paused and looked at himself in a mirror hanging precariously from the shaking wall.   “I remember my math grades in high school, not to mention-” he continued.   BOOM! BOOM!  He should really stop talking to himself when he was about to die. He chuckled and got to work.  He smeared his own lifeblood on the ground in strange patterns, adding in text, runes and hieroglyphics with as much precision possible under the circumstances.   This was fine. Totally chill. Bleeding to death in a collapsing building with something actively seeking his death.   Ah~ he really felt alive today. What a day to die.   His grin never faltered as he stood up after finishing his work.   The footsteps were getting quite close. He heard the security door at the entrance to the floor screech as it was ripped from its hinges.   “Hahaha.” he laughed. “Right on time. Fucking finally!”  The blood patterns he had drawn on the ground started to glow ominously.   His hands shook while his excitement mounted. It was working.   Listening to the carnage that had nearly reached him, he put both hands in his pockets and rummaged around.   “My farewell gift to you!”    He threw up his left hand and shook his middle finger at the closed door.    “My farewell gift to me!”    With a great flourish, he brandished his last pistol with his right hand. Rule number one: Flair is everything. Never forget to give a good show to the audience. Damn he probably looked so badass. Someone should take a picture.   He lifted the gun to his temple and, with a bloody grin, pulled the trigger.       

Erfolg 8 stood inside the elevator, with each of its seven members. Erfolg 8 was the most accomplished police squadron ever; they were directly responsible for the downfall of notorious criminals around the world. Just recently, Erfolg 8 exposed a grand, evil scheme that involved the illegal harvesting of human organs. Not only did Erfolg 8 manage to expose the scheme, they put the mastermind behind the scheme into Death Row as well. But the task that they were assigned to on that day was on another level of difficulty. Erfolg 8 was tasked to capture the Great Pretender, a criminal mastermind. The Great Pretender had always been under the police’s radar, but the police could never catch him. Why? It’s simple ; the police could not trace the true identity of who the Great Pretender was.  The Great Pretender was a mysterious, cunning criminal. He was directly responsible for the deaths of multiple politicians around the country, but each politician was killed in a different manner. Some of the politician’s corpses were found on the sidewalks with blood splattered on the floor around their bodies, some corpses were without heads, and at some scenes, there were only bones left behind. However, every crime scene that involved the Great Pretender had one thing in common : at every scene, there was a clown mask left behind, as if he were challenging the police to find him quickly.  Donovan breathed heavily under his black gas mask and the Kevlar vest that was strapped tightly to his chest.. He reminisced about the times that he shared with his now-deceased uncle, where they discussed several topics such as the current state of politics in the country. He reminisced about the times where his uncle helped him to complete his college assignments. He reminisced about the times where they drank coffee together at the local café. Donovan always enjoyed spending time with his uncle, and to him, his uncle was the closest relative that he ever had.  However, Donovan’s world came crumbling down once he found out about his uncle’s death. As soon as he heard the news, he rushed over to his uncle’s penthouse : and for the first time, he saw the clown mask.  “Hey, everything alright?” Chloe asked.  Donovan was suddenly brought back into reality. He turned towards his fellow squad member, and nodded in response. Chloe was Donovan’s best friend. She was there to help Donovan process his thoughts after the untimely passing of his uncle, and slowly Donovan developed feelings for her.  The elevator came to a stop. Erfolg 8’s members looked at each other, and they knew that the mission was about to start. They carefully walked out of the elevator, and proceeded to move across the hallway. Bang! There was a loud noise inside the room at the other end of the hall ; Erfolg 8 speed-walked towards it.  Slowly, Erfolg 8 crept into the room, but the noise had stopped. Suddenly, the dim lights turned dark, and Erfolg 8 realized in horror ; they were rats that walked right into a trap.  Six gunshots rang across the hallway. One by one, the bodies of Donovan’s squad members slumped onto the cold floor. The lights turned back on again, and quickly, he rushed to where Chloe’s body was. “Chloe!! Are you alive? Please, please don’t leave!!” Donovan shouted. “Donovan… I won’t be alive for much longer. Please… just move on… you’re a strong man and that’s why… that’s why I love you,” Chloe replied, as she let out a weak smile. She passed away in Donovan’s embrace, and he screamed in anguish.    “My beloved nephew, what are you doing here?”  Donovan felt himself pause. Slowly, he turned around. In front of him, there was a figure in a long, black coat, and the figure had the accursed clown mask on his face. The figure took his mask off, and Donovan collapsed in shock.  How was his uncle alive? Donovan’s mind scrambled to find for answers. He had come to terms with the passing of his uncle, but now there he stood, right in front of Donovan. “It’s unlike you to be so quiet, Donovan. Did you think I was dead?” Donovan’s uncle asked.  Donovan nodded, still in shock.  “I wasn’t dead. I pretended to be.”

Chapter One Goodbye Tokyo, Hello Paddy Fields Chapter Two A Cold Neighbours Glare Chapter Three One Week And A Rotten Pear Chapter Four Food Is The Way To The Heart Chapter Five Market Adventures Chapter Six Cooking A Mountain Of Sugar Chapter Seven Jealously Tastes Sour Chapter Eight To Those Who Age And Still Bloom Chapter Nine The Fun Things To Do At Night Chapter Ten New Things Begin And End Chapter Eleven Sick But Only Love Sick Chapter Twelve Old Love And Young Love Chapter Thirteen Movie Night Madness Chapter Fourteen The Birth Of Asa Chapter Fifteen You Know What This Means For Us? Chapter Sixteen  Holding Hands Under Tables Chapter Seventeen Sweet First Mornings Chapter Eighteen I Always Am Thinking Of Only You Chapter Nineteen When The Credits Start Rolling Chapter Twenty Goodbye Paddy Fields, Goodbye Hiraoka Kaien

      In the town of Brighltand in a rather inconspicuous corner you would see a dojo and inside that dojo you would see only two people, which was odd as Higashi Dojo was quite famous in the town.   But the reason for this was a young boy at the age of 17 sparring against an old man. If a normal person would have seen the fight, they would only see blurs which was a fight taking place by two people who were talking during the flurry of blows as though their swings would not be able to severely damage the normal civilian.  “Grampa Higashi how come I have to go on some stupid journey when I can just stay here and go to college and just live a normal life?” asked the young man. The old man who was known as Higashi only sighed at his Grandsons behavior.” Brat you have not listened at all for all these years I have been teaching you, have you not gotten anything into that thick skull of yours?” As he berated Michael his only grandchild and successor to his family’s ancient sword art Higashi silently thought that his grandson had truly gotten his attitude from his wastrel son Seiji. Thinking about his now dead son Higashi sighed once again whilst accelerating his swing causing it to blur and hit the top of Michael’s head. “Ow, Ow, Ow! Oi Gramps you can’t be attacking me like that.” he whined while rubbing his head. “Listen brat I will only say this one more time ” said Higashi “Hundreds of years ago the Koto clan was once a great samurai clan specialized in destroying the fiends known as the Grave Reapers. These monsters would roam the land of the living searching and harvesting the souls of the living to pollute them and create more of their kind. They were nigh unstoppable as their lack of pain and insatiable hunger for souls to add to the legion pushed them to withstand normal weaponry. The only weapon capable of truly stopping them were the Soul Weapons or as it was known as back then Soul Breakers. Incredibly powerful weapons which seal the soul of powerful warriors with the ability to restore souls to their base form allowing them to go back to the reincarnation cycle.” Taking a sip of water form who knows where he got it from Higashi stood up from his seat and brought Michael to the attic.   Ignoring the dust, he walked to the corner of the room and picked up a case blowing dust off of it. On the box engraved in gold was the name Yuki Oto. Leaving the attic, they both returned to the area where they were before. “This weapon was once used by our ancestor, a former leader of the clan. It is a Soul Weapon crafted by a Grand Smith and gifted to the young ancestor on her tenth birthday.” Opening the case inside was a katana with a golden pommel and a scabbard decorated by Sakura flowers. “This weapon is the strongest Soul Weapon ever created with over a hundred thousand Grave Reapers being slain by it. I will entrust it to you as my father had to me.” Receiving the sword even the carefree Michael could feel the aura released by the sword. As he left that day Michael pondered about what his grandfather had old him before he left, “Remember Michael Grave Reapers are persistent and are still around today. When you are near one the sword will react and protect you but to fight back you must put your full trust in the sword and remember to have a steady heart.”   As Michael slept that night, he had a dream of a lone girl swinging a katana in a blistering snowstorm. She had long black hair reaching down to her thighs and blue eyes so cold that they mirrored the snowstorm itself. As he watched her enchanted by her beauty and form, he had a thought I wish I was there to swing my sword by her side.    With the icy winds howling around her the girl swung and swung her form which was already perfect somehow became better, and then she stopped. Turning around with grace you would only see from a princess she spoke her voice melodiously reaching Michael’s ears “So it is you who wishes to use my power, very well but as you are not compatible with my power, I will have to alter your body.” At that Michael slowly lost sight of her as she walked into the snowstorm and then it went black. Waking he recalled his dream only to remember what she had told him. Coming out of bed he walked to the bathroom but stopped as he remembered what his grandfather had told him. Looking at the sword it was still laying there motionless, sighing at his own thoughts he walked to the mirror, as he looked to the mirror something odd had occurred to him. He couldn’t see over the counter. While Michael wasn’t the tallest man alive, he was still well over 6ft. Odd but he could live with a shorter height as he went to the corner to pick up a stool, he saw his hands. Dainty snow-white hands that wouldn’t be out of place on a little girl who had never held a sword in her life. With haste this time he grabbed the stool and dashed towards the mirror, placing it down and looking at himself he saw a little girl with pure white hair cascading down till her buttocks, crystal clear blue eyes almost like those of the girl in his dream and a face you would see on a porcelain doll. A small button nose, cheeks asking to be pulled and a small mouth which could barely fit any food in it.   As he saw this sight the only thing he could think of is ‘WTF’ and with that he passed out. Waking up she stood up wondering what was going on as she was sure just a few hours ago she never looked like this. The only thing that might explain what was happening was the sword. Thinking this she walked to the door and opened it the creak that sounded when the door opened irritating her. On the nightstand was the sword just where she had left it. Grabbing it she unsheathed it with practiced movements and gazed upon the blade. It was a blue closer to white than the color itself. As it was fully unsheathed, she became mesmerized with how it looked, almost instinctively she got into form and begun to practice her family’s sword art the Four Seasons Art. As she danced with the blade she slowly adapted to her new center of gravity, finishing her dance she ended it with a horizontal slice towards the air.   “Beautiful performance but your form needs some work especially on the fourth and last step but either way it is manageable.” A melodious voice that she could never forget played within her head once again. Instantly she rapid fired questions towards the voice “What did you do to me? Why am I a girl? I thought that I had perfected the art what do you mean?”     “For your first two questions I believe I have answered the when you came into the sword domain but it seems that your ant sized brain can’t comprehend what I have said so I will repeat it once more. Your body was not fully compatible with me so I reshaped it only due to your immense potential in the Four Seasons Art and it just so happens that a female body is the most compatible with me. As for your last question the problem is not with you but the person who has taught you as they have not instructed you on the true nature of those forms.” “True nature? Never mind how can I go back to normal?” Michael asked finally taking hint of just how good her own voice sounded. “You can’t.” “What?” “You simply can’t revert back, to put it into simpler terms this is now your normal ‘form’.”  With that Michael passed out once again with an extremely dumb question in her mind 'Are swords supposed to be able to turn me into a girl?'

“Visitors! Welcome to the Royal court” the large man on the top of the obnoxiously large and uncomfortable chair spoke in his booming voice. The man had a figure of a steroid-fueled gym-rat and an immaculately well-kempt beard. Along with the large gem-studded crown on his head, the man had done enough and more to show he was the one in charge. Rhea Ito looked around her annoyed. She had no idea how she ended up here. One moment she was diving into a pool and the next moment she sticks her head in a court full of people in medieval-looking attires. All while she stood shivering in her swimwear. No matter how comfortable she was in her body, that wasn’t an enjoyable experience. She was quickly given a coarse cloth that apparently passed for a towel in these times along with a long grey robe to cover herself. The only thing that made her feel better was that she was not the only one that had to suffer from the same experience. There were ten more that appeared in the extravagant indoor pool, almost all of them dressed in swimwear just like her. There were only three that walked out of the pool wearing a full set of clothes. Whatever story was behind them going swimming in suits and dresses, Rhea was sure it would be an interesting tale. But for now, she turned back to listen to the large man’s rambling. “I am King Gladis Brechan, son of the Great Duertan Brechan, ruler of the three seas and the Emperor of the World!” Rhea felt her lips twitch as she tied her wet hair into a bun, wondering what the King's driving license would look like. She looked at her other fellow swimmers, but everyone seemed intent on hearing out the King. “The summoning of the brave Legioners by Goddess Logosia means that there is something in our world that needs fixing, something that Goddess Logosia feels we cannot fix on our own,” King Gladis Brechan spoke. “Alas, we have failed her.” Rhea looked at the King wishing he could wrap up his speech and get to the point. If it wasn’t annoying enough that she had been dumped in this other world, the palace was outstandingly hot and humid. She could feel the sweat stick to her skin. And the coarse clothes given by the lecturing King didn’t make her mood any better. Rhea tried to make herself comfortable on the hard wooden chair, only wishing she could go back to her swimming pool every passing second. This speech felt like it could go on for a while. She made a mental note of the names the King mentioned, repeating them under her breath trying to burn them to her memory. Across the hall, King Gladis continued his speech with full splendour. His red cape flowing after him as he walked down the stairs. “The past records show that every time the Legioners have been summoned, it has been to save the world from some threat that has besieged it. Although what the threat is, only the Goddess might know.” “The legends count that the Legioners have defended humanity from different threats. From Demon Kings to undead armies. From floods to meteors. Monsters and dragons terrorize humanity every day. Humanity lost the entirety of the east coast to the last Beast Tide. Please, young Saviors, help the Kingdom of Brechan. Help humanity!” the King’s voice grew louder. “Excuse me!” a hesitant voice rang out. Rhea looked across to see a boy with jet black hair and wearing a pair of blue swimming shorts raise his hand. What was surprising was the excited smile on his boyish face! “May I have your name brave Savoir?” the King asked. The boy flashed a grin and spoke, “Call me Ace.” “A fine name. What do you want to ask, young man?” “Can we use magic?” King Gladis nodded his head slowly. “Of course.” “What!” Rhea burst aloud. She wasn’t the only one either. She heard surprised exclamations from all around her. Suddenly, the man wearing the drenched black suit stood up. The middle-aged man with a wiry frame and a hollow face bellowed, “Nonsense. You think all of this is funny, is it? Such nonsense.” The smile disappeared off the King’s face. He raised the palm of his hand and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly a bright red flame appeared before him. Rhea looked at the feat stunned. This was impossible! Magic… only existed in books and screens! Of course, she too had grown up reading Harry Potter and watching Narnia during her eighteen years on wherever Earth was. But she always felt it was more likely to live in a Hunger Games or Mad Max world than roam about Middle Earth looking for a ring to unite them all! The science part of her brain screamed bloody Mary, but she couldn’t help hope that this was her call to the world of magic! “This is magic. All Legioners throughout history have been blessed by Goddess Logosia to definitely Awaken.” King Gladis spoke, extinguishing the flame on his palm. He clapped his hand, “I think many of you will only be convinced if you can start casting yourself.” As the King said that, eleven men in rose up from their seats all wearing black flowing robes and pointed hats. It was obvious from their get up that they were either mages or fancy judges. “I have arranged for eleven court Scholars to act as your mentor, guide and help you adapt into our world.” Rhea’s face stretched to a smile. The mere thought of learning magic had her excited like nothing else. On one hand, she still had a slight fear that it was just a sad, horrible joke. But what if this was true! Would she have spell classes and wave wands? Or would it end up like one of those weird domains and cultivation and what not that her weird cousin would try to get her to read? Rhea quickly lost herself in her thoughts and quickly started preparing a mental list of things she needed to do immediately. “Come young lady.” The appearance of the shadow before her startled her. Rhea looked up to see her mentor. An old man with a slightly bunched back and few strands of white hair remaining on his wrinkled head. With a genial smile, he spoke, “I’m Magus Ranab.” “Rhea Ito,” she replied with an apologetic smile and extended her hand. Magus Ranab shook her hand warmly and added, “Come on now. I’m too old to keep standing all day long.” Rhea quickly hurried after him as the two left the Great Hall through one of the doors. They walked through a long hall lined with guards at regular intervals and paintings lined up across the walls. Through the windows, she could glimpse at the magical new world that lay await her. A beautiful garden stretched outside, with people milling about their work. There were no cars, no horns and no phones! And she still hadn’t felt bored yet. “So, what does Legioner Rhea want to do with her magic?” Magus Ranab asked just as Rhea caught up. Even though the man looked old, he had a fiercely fast gait. Rhea flashed a smile, “First thing I’m going to buy an air-conditioner.”     AkalE Please let me know your thoughts. Or if you have any feedback/ suggestions.   Title : Because it's is what 'traditionally' happens in every summoned/ isekai story

枯野路に　影かさなりて　わかれけり On the path in the desolate field, The shadows overlapped And parted. By Sugita Hisajo

Chapter 1   It was a cold, quiet morning as Shadow emerged from her small tent. She looked around at the surrounding plains, seeing a few pronghorn deer grazing in the distance. This land was far different from her native Mexico. After stretching a bit, she began her morning routine by checking on her horse, a black Thoroughbred mare she had named Midnight Rosa. After making sure the mare had water and was resaddled, Shadow moved on to rebuilding her campfire, the embers barely visible. As the fire crackled back to life, she huddled further into her brown leather jacket, which didn’t offer much in the way of warmth. Once the fire had fully come back to life, Shadow pulled a piece of stringy meat from her satchel and began to cook it. The smell of cooking meat and smoke drifted through the crisp morning air.   It’s quiet, almost too quiet, Shadow thought to herself.   She stood up as she began to hear the rhythmic hoof beats of a horse in the distance. Shadow quickly placed her hand on her cattleman revolver as a horse and rider appeared over a hillside heading straight towards her. As they got closer, Shadow could tell the horse was a Kentucky Saddler based on its gait. The rider must have been a woman or at least a very confused man because they were wearing a dress.   “Mornin’,” Shadow called out as the woman rode closer.   “You got any food?” said the woman as she stopped her horse nearly in the middle of Shadoiw’s camp.   That’s a strange way of greeting a stranger, Shadow thought.   “I do, just cooked up some coyote, in fact,” replied Shadow, her hand still resting on the handle of her revolver.   “Thank God,” said the woman as she jumped off her horse.   Now that the woman was on the ground, Shadow could get a better look at her. She was young, probably a few years younger than herself, maybe 19 or 20 years old with fiery red hair pulled back into a single braid and a pale complexion. The young woman dropped her horse’s reins as she walked quickly yet slightly unsteadily towards Shadow. As she got closer, Shadow saw how gaunt the redhead was, making Shadow take pity on the poor thing.   Here, sit down,” commanded Shadow as she grabbed the cooked meat from the fire.   The young woman obediently did as she was told, sitting on a small stump. Shadow handed her the stick with meat skewered on it.   “You must be cold,” said Shadow as she grabbed her spare blanket and placed it over the woman’s shoulders.   The woman, who was only wearing a previously white dress now brownish gray from dirt, barely even acknowledged Shadow as she was so intent on devouring the piece of coyote meat.   “Thirsty,” asked Shadow.   The redhead furiously nodded her head. Shadow handed her a water jug, which the woman readily took, not wasting a second before drinking greedily from it. Shadow put another couple pieces of meat on the fire to cook. She moved her own stump to sit nearer the young woman.   “Don’t eat so fast you’ll give yourself a bellyache,” commented Shadow as she handed the redhead another hunk of meat.   The woman nodded her head as she took the chunk.   Shadow let the woman eat her fill while she herself ate slowly.   “What’s your name?” asked Shadow after a time.   The woman stiffened, the skewer of meat halfway to her mouth.   “Don’t worry I won’t turn you in,” stated Shadow, having seen the flash of fear cross the redhead’s hazel eyes.   “Kyla is my name,” replied the young woman.   “Nice to meet you Kyla,” said Shadow as she reached out her hand, “my name is Esmeralda Reyes but you can call me Shadow.”   Kyla reached out her own hand and shook Shadow’s.   “Shadow,” questioned Kyla, “that’s an odd name, but it goes with your odd accent.”   Shadow chuckled.   “I could say the same for you.”   “Where you from,” questioned Kyla, “obviously you ain’t from here.”   Shadow’s lips twitched into a half smile.   “You are very funny and very blunt, Mexico is where I am originally from.”   “Oh well that explains the accent,” blurted Kyla.   “Smart too I see,” said Shadow drily.   “Hey it ain’t my fault I never heard a Mexican speak English so well.”   Shadow shook her head before taking a sip of some boiled water from her tin cup.   “And what about you? Where or should I say what are you running from?” asked Shadow plainly as she grabbed a stick and unsheathed her hunting knife.   “A…um…unwanted marriage,” replied Kyla slowly.   Shadow sat quietly, whittling the stick as Kyla, on her own, launched into the tale of how she fled from the 7th generation cult.   She had been set to marry the leader, Virgil Edwards although his followers called him The Shepard. Kyla said she would have been his fourth wife had she not been able to convince the native guarding her to let her go.   “I don’t know his real name but everyone called him Space,” explained Kyla.   Space had been the one guarding Kyla the night she was set to marry The Shepard. For some reason Space had taken pity on Kyla and instead of escorting her to a cave north of Annesburg, he had given her his horse, the Kentucky Saddler, with the command to run southwest as though the devil himself was hot on her heels. From that moment on Kyla had been riding hard for at least four days and five nights.   “I was so hungry that when I smelled the smoke from your fire I just followed it and now here I am,” concluded Kyla.   “Now here you are,” murmured Shadow more to herself than to Kyla.    ‘Where exactly are we,” asked Kyla eventually.   “I believe this area is called the great plains, the nearest town is just to the east called Blackwater,” replied Shadow, waving her knife as she spoke.   “Ah ok.”   “If you plan on staying here, you’ll need to pull your own weight,” said Shadow after a while of being quiet.   “You really mean that,” asked Kyla in shock.   “Of course I mean it, I’m not going to wait on you hand and foot all day when there’s things to be done,” stated Shadow as she stood up and began breaking down camp.   “I can handle myself just fine,” snapped Kyla.   Shadow looked at her pointedly.   “Then prove it.”   Shadow spent the rest of the morning instructing Kyla on what to do as they broke down camp.   “Are we heading to town,” asked Kyla as she settled in her saddle.   “We are going to enter the horse races,” replied Shadow as she swung into her saddle.   “We?” asked Kyla as she turned her horse to follow after Shadow.   “Yes, ‘we’ meaning you and I.”    “But I have never raced a horse,” protested Kyla.   “You raced against your fate and out ran the devil, did you not,” said Shadow over her shoulder.   “But…I…”   Kyla couldn’t finish her protesting as Shadow had nudged her horse into a trot and was already a good distance ahead.   *************   As the two women rode through Blackwater, the townspeople couldn’t help but stare at them. The fiery redhead with a pale complexion and the tan skinned brunette made quite an odd pair to say the least. Let alone the fact that the Mexican girl was wearing pants and boots as though she were a man!   Shadow led the way to where the local races were held. She dismounted and started to untie the bedrole and tent that were secured to the back of her saddle.   “Your job is to place bets while mine is to win,” said Shadow in a hushed voice as she tied the tent and bedroll to the back of Kyla’s saddle.   “Oh ok that makes more sense.”   “I’m pretty confident I can win with Rosa here,” said Shadow as she patted the black mare’s neck. “The bets you place will be small but with any luck others will bet on me as well once they see you doing it, plus if we spend the majority of the day here, we can come out with some good money.”   “Ok,” said Kyla uneasily, glancing around at the mostly men gathering nearby.   “Again don’t worry,” reassured Shadow, “it’s my money you’re betting with anyway.”   Shadow placed a small brown bag in Kyla’s hand before she led her horse towards the signup area.   As Shadow was signing up for the next race, an older man stepped up next to her. The first thing she noticed about him was his lack of a shirt, then the bushy gray beard he had that was split in two and tied to either side.   My God, people in this country dress strange, she thought to herself.   Although, as she listened to him talk to the race register, she noticed he had a very different accent than any she had encountered before.   He must be from the north then, she concluded.   Shadow’s plan was playing out perfectly at least until the last race of the day. After having proven her expertise at racing, more and more people had started betting on the Mexican girl with the black horse to win. By the time the last race rolled around, Shadow and Kyla had made enough money to split comfortably between them. The last race of the day was the one with the biggest purse to win and Shadow was confident she would win. However, fate had a very different plan for them.   Shadow was in the lead as she rounded the corner of a building, one more checkpoint before she would be crossing the finish line. As she galloped, Shadow noticed a flash of white pass her on the outside.    It was Punta Bitch. The only other woman to compete in the races in the later part of the day, had been a thorne in Shadow’s side every time. She was a blonde woman dressed in a sparkling white dress, riding a white Arabian.    As Punta Bitch raced her little Arabian past Shadow and Rosa, she started to guide her horse in towards Rosa. Shadow, fearing the horses would clip ankles causing a wreck, started to guide Rosa more towards the left. As the horses were neck and neck heading down the last stretch, Punta Bitch pulled an underhanded move. She sharply yanked her reins to the left, her horse forced to follow, crashed into the side of Rosa, jostling Shadow and causing Rosa to stumble. Luckily for Shadow and her mare, Rosa didn’t tumble to the ground, however the bobble in her stride gave Punta Bitch the edge she needed to get ahead of Shadow and ultimately win the race.   As Shadow slowed Rosa to a halt, the normally level headed woman was seething with anger. Not only had this bitch risked Rosa and Shadow’s life, but she had won causing Kyla’s slightly larger bet to be a dud. Shadow leaped from her saddle as she spied the race official, who was dispersing the winnings to the betters.   “Hey, you really call that a fair race,” bellowed Shadow as she got nearer the official.   The startled official looked at Shadow in confusion.   “It was a fair race as far as I saw,” the official stated.   “Then you must be blind,” shouted Shadow, “that bitch should be kicked from the race and disqualified.’   “And why would that be,” questioned the official, who had a horrified look on his face after hearing a lady swear.   “Because she intentionally rammed into my horse in the last stretch!”   “Well if I didn’t see it then there is nothing I can do.”   Shadow had been so intent on yelling at the official, she hadn’t noticed another man walk up to them.   “Hey calm down there young lady, if the official didn’t see it then the winner shouldn’t be disqualified,” said the man in an unfamiliar accent, his words slightly slurred.   Upon hearing this Shadow rounded on the man and began to shout at him. The official, seeing his only opportunity to escape the wrath of the tall Mexican girl, wisely slipped away into the crowd.   With her full focus now on the poor fool, noticed it was the same shirtless man from earlier in the day, however that didn’t matter as she was in such a rage. What made it worse was that by the time she finished shouting at the man, mostly in English with a few choice words in Spanish, he hadn’t even fully comprehended what she was angry about to begin with. This shirtless man with wire rimmed glasses, a strange beard and long silver hair kept in a braid, then proceed to launch into a monologue about how people have the freedom to do what they want and that by disqualifying someone, you would be taking away their freedom and so on. At some point, Shadow stopped listening to the shirtless man, who definitely had had a few too many drinks in him. She was just about to leave the soapboxing man, when she heard Kyla pipe up on the subject.   “Oh for fucks sake,” sighed Shadow as now Kyla and the man were now debating each other.   The only benefit from this was that Shadow’s anger had cooled by the time the man seemed close to finishing his rant.   “Sir, my friend and I better be on our way so we have time to find a place to camp,” interrupted Shadow.   “Oh well that’s ok there bud, what are your names anyway eh,” the man asked.   “The name is Shadow.”   “Oh well that’s different, and what about you eh,” he said turning to Kyla.   “Kyla.”   “Nice to meet you two ladies, my name is Christian N. Vous.”   “Likewise,” said Kyla.   “You two stay around here?”   “Ugh,” said Kyla and Shadow in unison, glancing at each other.   “Sounds like a ‘no’ then,” said Christian, “well I’m usually not one to stay around here either, but my fur trade contact wanted the goods delivered here so oh well eh.”   “Fur trade,” asked Shadow, now genuinely interested in what Christian had to say.   “Oh yeah up in Canada there’s a ton of beavers, mink and other critters people down south want to use,” he explained.   “Sounds like you make good money from trading if you’re coming all the way down here,” stated Kyla.   “Oh you betcha,” said Christian, “I can even help you two get started with the trading business, hell I’ve got two good buddies I can set you up with.’   Both Shadow and Kyla bristled at the last statement.   Christian continued on to explain that his contacts were over in the Lemoyne area, completely oblivious to the fact that he seemed to have implied that more would be required of the two ladies than just business opportunities.   “You do realize that it would be just trading business between us, right,” informed Shadow, who had sensed how uncomfortable Kyla was at the thought of having just escaped an arranged marriage.    “Well of course,” replied Christian, who was still oblivious, “what do you think I meant?”   “Um.”   “We thought you meant we would have to sleep with them too,” said Kyla bluntly.   Well she’s certainly not a delicate flower, thought Shadow as a hint of a blush crept into her cheeks.   “Oh,” said Christian as the realization struck him full in the face as a deep red crossed his cheeks, “you won’t have to do that I’m sure of that.”   The three of them worked out a plan for Christian, or as his friends called him Nuvus, to take Shadow and Kyla to meet his contacts in Lemoyne, specifically in Bayou Nwa.

The journey to Bayou Nwa took longer than Shadow had expected considering that she and Nuvus had to constantly slow down in order for Kyla to keep up with their much faster horses. Eventually, Nuvus led them to a shack in the middle of the bayou.   “Here we are,” exclaimed Nuvus as he pulled his horse to halt outside of the shack.   “It doesn’t look like much,” commented Kyla.   “I don’t see any sign of them being here,” noted Shadow.   “Oh they must be on a ‘shine run,” said Nuvus as he got off his horse.   “They do know we are meeting them here, right,” asked Shadow, suddenly suspicious of everything.   “No,” replied Nuvus nonchalantly as he tied his horse to a hitching rail.   “What,” exclaimed Shadow and Kyla.   “They won’t mind trust me,” he reassured.   Shadow and Kyla had no choice but to trust the shirtless Canadian as they entered the shack behind him. Nuvus led the way down a set of stairs to the basement, expertly pulling back a section of wall to reveal another room. A man with an apron and red handkerchief looked at them as they walked in.   “Ello, your bosses are not back yet,” said the man in a heavy French accent.   “That’s alright Frenchy, we’ll be at the bar,”said Nuvus.   The French man gave him an annoyed look when called Frenchy.   Nuvus swung open another set of doors that revealed yet another expansive room filled with people and even a band on one side. He confidently strode toward the bar and made his way behind it to start serving himself.   “Oh where are my manners, you want some eh,” asked Nuvus from behind the bar.   Kyla immediately made herself comfortable at the bar leaning against and taking the glass he handed her. She sniffed at it, her nose wrinkling up immediately.   “Smells strong, what is it?”   Nuvus took a sip from his own glass.   “Tastes like…berry cobbler.”   Kyla shrugged her shoulders before taking a gulp of the clear liquid.   “Oh god that shit is strong,” exclaimed Kyla as a shiver racked her body, “it’s good though.”   Nuvus cracked a smile as Kyla took another sip.   “You want some too Shadow?”   “No, I’m good,” replied Shadow as she put up a hand to stop Nuvus from giving her a glass.   She leaned her elbow on the bar, making sure she could keep an eye on the only exit they had. Shadow never fully relaxed as Kyla and Nuvus went shot for shot with each other. She marveled at Kyla, a skinny girl in her own right, holding her own against Nuvus, who was not only bigger than her but also far more used to drinking strong moonshine. They were good and drunk by the time Shadow heard footsteps and voices coming down the stairs. Shadow straightened up as two men walked through the doors. The first man was tall and dressed all in brown from the cowboy hat on his head down to the roping boots on his feet. He was clean shaven with maybe a hint of stubble possibly in his mid 30s.   At least he has a shirt on thankfully, she thought.   Her attention turned to the shorter, heavy set man following the first. He was wearing a long sleeve blue shirt, with a black hat, pants and boots. He too was wearing wire framed glasses. He seemed to be in his 40s.   The two men had been deep in conversation as they walked in but immediately stopped in their tracks once they noticed her. They looked from her to Kyla and Nuvus, who were in the middle of a slap fight that Kyla seemed to be winning.   “Nuvus.”   At the sound of his name, Nuvus turned to see the two men standing in the entryway. A large toothy smile spread across his extremely red face. Just as he opened his mouth to say something to them, Kyla’s hand flew through the air, making contact with Nuvus’ cheek, which sounded like a whip cracking through the air. The slap sent him sprawling to the floor.   “Ha I won,” Kyla drunkenly decreed, still yet to notice the other two men standing in the room.   The two men burst out in full belly laughing, bringing Kyla’s attention to them.   “Who are these guys,” she said loudly, slurring her words.   “I’m guessing they’re Nuvus’ contacts,” stated Shadow as the men were still doubled over laughing.   “Oh ok,” replied Kyla as she swayed back and forth on her feet.   “You might want to sit down, Kyla,” suggested Shadow as she moved to help her friend.   Shadow barely caught Kyla’s arm as she started to stumble backwards.   “I swear I’m fine,” argued Kyla as Shadow very nearly carried her to a chair at a nearby table.   “Sure you are champ’,” said the taller man in brown as he wiped a tear from his eye, he had been laughing so hard.   “Oh god she slapped the shit out of you, Nuvus,” cackled the heavy set man in blue.   “I was distracted,” corrected Nuvus as he picked himself up off the floor.   “I’m glad you all had a good laugh,” said Shadow, wanting them to focus on why they were here.   “Oh that’s right,” said Nuvus as he sobered up thanks to the slap and splashing water on his face.   “Shadow, Kyla, this is Casey and Mr. K,” introduced Nuvus indicating to the man in brown, Casey, and the man in blue, Mr. K.   “Hi,” said Shadow quietly as she raised a hand in greeting.   “Casey, Mr. K, that’s Shadow,” he said as he pointed to her, “and that’s Kyla.”   “Shadow, huh,” mused Casey, “interesting name.”   “She’s quiet and can follow you like a shadow without you even knowing,” informed Kyla, still very drunk.   “I bet she can,” said Mr. K, his eyes roving over both women.   His gaze made Shadow involuntarily hug her crossed arms closer to her body as a sheild.   “So what are you two ladies doing here with Nuvus,” questioned Casey, with a deep voice and drawl.   “We’re here on business,” explained Shadow, “in fact Nuvus was going to introduce us to the trader business and said you two could help.”   “So you want to talk business,” said Casey as he walked towards the table Kyla and Nuvus were seated at.   “Yes we do,” said Shadow as she shifted on her feet where she was standing besides a seated Kyla.   “Then you better have a seat at the table if you want to talk,” said Casey as he pulled a chair over to her.   “Thank you,” muttered Shadow as she sat down. She wasn’t expecting the outlaw to push the chair in for her like a gentleman.   Casey seated himself in the chair closest to Shadow, while Mr. K took the only seat left next to Nuvus.   They discussed how Casey and Mr. K would help establish Shadow and Kyla in the trader business; although Shadow had to do the negotiating for Kyla, since she had fallen asleep on Shadow’s shoulder.   “We can reconvene over at Valentine in a week’s time,” said Casey, “that will give Mr. K and I plenty of time to get our business handled down here.”    “That will work for us,” answered Shadow.   “Very well,” said Mr. K, “I am off to camp since I have to get up early in the morning anyway.”   With that said Mr. K stood and headed for the doors.   “I think I’ll do the same,” said Nuvus as he stifled a yawn.   “Nuvus wait,” called Shadow but he had already passed the heavy wood doors and didn’t hear her.   “Come on,” said Casey as he stood.   Shadow looked up at him, staying seated since Kyla’s head was still resting on her shoulder.   Casey walked behind her chair to stand behind Kyla’s. He easily pulled the chair back far enough that he was able to pick her small limp body up and throw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.   “You comin’ or what,” he asked as he started to walk towards the exit.   “Where are we going,” questioned Shadow as she jumped up from her seat to walk after Casey.   “Back to camp.”   “Camp?”   “Yeah my camp,” called Casey over his shoulder as he carried Kyla up the stairs.   Shadow held the door open for Casey to walk through as they walked out of the moonshine shack. Night had long since fallen. She paused admiring the glowing green orbs in the air around them. Casey continued towards the horses, slinging Kyla across the saddle of the black Thoroughbred.   Huh just like my old stud, he thought to himself.   “What are you looking at,” asked Casey after he noticed Shadow was still standing just outside the front door.   “Las luciérnagas,” replied Shadow, still staring at the orbs.   Casey furrowed his brows together in confusion before asking, “What?”   “Las luciérnagas,” reiterated Shadow, pointing at the green orbs.   Casey looked at what she was pointing at.   “Ooh,” he said now understanding, “you mean the lightin’ bugs.”   Shadow cocked her head to the side, looking in his general direction as she mulled the new name over.   “They’re so pretty,” she said finally.   “Yeah I guess so,” said Casey as he looked at the glowing bugs.   They stood there a moment longer before Casey said, “we should get goin’, it’ll be a long ride.”   Shadow came back to the present as she walked towards Rosa. She swung up behind the saddle, not even attempting to take the leg up Casey offered. He untied Kyla’s Kentucky Saddler, before swinging into the saddle of his own horse, a cream colored Turkoman. Casey led the way out of the swamp, knowing each turn like the back of his hand even in the dark. Shadow kept her mare close behind Casey’s Turkoman, whose cream coat made it easier to see in the dim moonlight. She did not want to get lost in an unfamiliar area filled with alligators and snakes at every turn.   Eventually, they came across Casey’s camp that had a fire already crackling. A man greeted Casey as he rode his horse to the hitching rail while leading the Kentucky Saddler. Shadow halted Rosa on the other side of the Turkoman, making sure Kyla was still balanced on the saddle before getting off.   “I’ll take her,” said Casey as he slung Kyla back over his shoulder, “you two can stay in my tent for tonight while she sleeps it off.”   “Where are you going to sleep,” asked Shadow as she followed Casey into a spacious tent.   “I have plenty of things to take care of so I won’t be staying here anyway,” stated Casey as he placed Kyla roughly on the only cot in the tent.   Kyla slightly groaned as she curled up on her side.   “Thank you,” Shadow said earnestly as Casey walked past her.   “You’re welcome ma’ma,” Casey said as he paused to tip his hat to her before leaving into the night.

A young man by the name of Kusuno Shizamasu walked through Seigin, 10 years after the kingdom's destruction. The city had been rebuilt thanks to outside help from other kingdoms as well as lord Senku's help in maintaining the city's quality with most of the kingdom back together with no sign of the destruction even transpiring many years ago.  Kusuno had black hair with red eyes dressed in a black hooded robe. He made his way to the tavern to see a young man with white hair and blue eyes whipping down the bar. He wore a brown shirt and pants as he looked up to see the young man approach him. "Ah, welcome how may I help you this fine day?"  Kusuno nodded. "I'd like to take a request if possible" The bartender smiled pulling out a stack of folders. "Can I have your current rank please, some of these quests are only for B and A rank adventurers"  With a frown the young boy replied: "I currently don't have a rank, this is actually my 1st time going out on a quest" The white-haired man looked through the stack of quests, setting the higher-ranking tasks aside before looking up at him.  "Well, I'm afraid if you don't even have a rank currently, I'm afraid I'll have to start you out at a D-rank adventurer like everyone else. Here in Seigin, you're permitted to take any quests one rank above your own, but that's it. With that said, I can only grant you D-rank and C-rank requests until you've either completed five of either rank, or taken the advancement test to be promoted to a C-rank hero"  With a sigh, Shizamasu agreed to the rules before looking over the low threat quests... "I'll take this one then!"  [QUEST  Rank: C  INFO:  Reports of a monster attacking workers in a gold mine have been coming up recently, what could be the cause of these attacks?]  "Very well, I shall assign you to the task, but please do be careful, though it's only a C-rank request, we're unsure of what creature's been attacking the workers within the mine"  "Thanks for your help, I'll be back as soon as I can!" With that Kusno took off through the city streets, his black cloak blowing in the wind as he past many humans and creatures casually walking through the streets. Reaching the eastern part of the city, he made his way down a stone path leading towards the large forest that wrapped around the outside of the kingdom.  A few meters beyond the kingdom's walls, the young adventurer saw a crossroad with a wooden sign pointing left reading: "GOLD MINE" He looked towards the other path which lead straight through the forest. Though he was curious what lied beyond, this being his 1st time outside the city. He knew there was no time to waste, as well as the fact he wasn't sure just what kind of creatures roamed the forest.  Without taking up any more time, Kusno dashed down the left path towards the mine where he soon saw an entrance to the mine that was made on the side of a large mountain. The young adventurer came to a stop before the door-shaped entrance to the mine, only to find no sign of any workers, nothing but the sound of trees rustling across the forest.  "Hmm, there's no sign that says they closed this mine down yet, but also no sign anyone's even been here today. Seems my only option is to head inside and hope I find whatever's been causing trouble for these workers. Taking a step forward, the young boy could feel his stomach tighten up in fear. Aside from faint lanterns and torchers, he could see nothing but utter darkness within the mine before him.  "Tsk, I took this quest, it's my job to see it through and accomplish the task!" Clinching his fist he proceeded to enter the mine. The bright sunlight began to disappear behind him as he made his way through the narrow mine shaft. He walked on the gray stone path with rocky walls on both side along with wooden support bars against the walls and ceiling to keep the walkway from suddenly collapsing in on itself.  Continuing to walk through the dark hall, he soon saw light coming from a distance. Not wanting to spend another moment in the faintly lit shaft, Kusuno dashed down the straight path before making his way through a large entrance where he found himself standing in a large stone area which he assumed was the center of the mine shaft.  The large gray room was filled with lanterns and torches to fill the room with enough light to illuminate the whole room. In the center of the room was a mine cart which were used to carry ore and gold that were found within the mine. It was old and worn out with nothing inside. "Hmph, this cart also looks abandoned. Hopefully there really is no workers here. Better than then one of them getting kidnapped or killed by that monster" Just then Kusuno heard a sound coming from one of the four mine tunnels in front of him, it sounded like something splashing like a water sack hitting the ground repeatedly. That's when a silver slime came hoping out from the middle shaft. It stopped a few feet away, looking at him with cute black eyes. "A silver slime? I thought they were normally blue and in some cases red, green or brown depending on the element type they were. Could this be a wind type slime?" [Ability Acquired :  Creature Tame - Capture any monster equal or below your current level ] At first Kusuno was confused by the acquired ability, but given his current situation, he knew it was best to just take advantage of his only acquired skill. "Capture!" Throwing his left palm towards the small creature, his hand glowed blue as a ray of blue light transferred from him to the slime. The creature's eyes widened as it shook from the sensation. He watched as a transparent chain made of blue mana appeared between him and his tamed monster. [Slime Captured] A black screen popped up in front of him that read: "Please Name Summon" He thought for a moment before responding: "Suto. I wouldn't say it's a great name, but should work for now" [Ability Acquired:  Tame Summon - Summon tamed monsters using MP. Stronger Summons requires more MP] "Alright, let's see if this works...Come, Suto!" In a flash of light, the slime appeared in front of him, looking up at him with excitement almost like a dog or cat happy to see their owner. “Heh, welcome abord Suto! I hope you become big and strong and be a great part of my team!” He smiled rubbing the creature’s head as it nuzzled it’s soft head against his palm.  Just then the mine shook as if something massive had just impacted the mountain. “Alright Suto, you think you can help me find the creature that’s been terrorizing the humans around here?”  With a nod the slime responded: “Suto! Suto!” Before hoping towards the center tunnel where it had come from with Kusuno following close behind. (Heh, I thought the slime would actually talk, but I guess it only knows how to say it’s own name. I wonder...maybe I can teach it how to speak at some point)  They continued walking through the narrow mine shaft when Suto came to a halt catching the summoner off-guard as it shook in fear. “W-what is it Suto?” The silver slime hid behind it’s master as Shizamasu cautiously stepped inside a large poorly lit room when he suddenly felt his black boot step in a puddle. “Hmm? Strange...how can there be water in here? Maybe it seeped through the cracks of the rocks?”  Taking a closer look and feeling a rancid smell from it, he quickly realized what it was as a chill ran down his spine. He staggered back landing on Suto who cushioned his fall. (B-blood, this is blood! There’s no mistaking it...this is the blood from one of the workers. That means the monster is close)  “Suto?” The slime commented looking up at him still laying against him like a beanbag. Pulling himself together, Kusuno knew he’d have to fight whatever killed that man and needed to prepare. “If I'm going to fight that thing, I need to figure out just what Suto can do...bring up menu”  A blue menu with white text popped up in front of him:  •Equipment  •Inventory  •Summons  •Index  •Skill  “Good, seems I'm getting the hang of how this works” Selecting [summons] He saw a picture of Suto on the left with all his stats on the right. “Level one slime, his abilities are [wind slash] and [transmorph] Since he’s only a lvl.1 slime, I'm surprised he even has two abilities. Unlike me who can only summon. Ok Suto, I know you’re scared just as much as I am...but we need to find and kill whatever’s killing these innocent mine workers”  Slowly making his way past the puddle of blood, he thought he heard something on the other side of the room. Carefully pulling a torch of the wall, he walked towards the faint sound before coming to a complete stop. He could feel his heart sink in his chest as he raised the torch up, illuminating what looked like a large green troll fast asleep before him, surrounded by skeletal remains of the poor workers that had been caught by the monster.  He clinched the wooden torch in his grip preparing to throw it right at the troll in hopes it will kill or at least burn the creature. But seeing it’s thick green skin, he assumed a small torch wouldn’t be nearly enough to wound such a large creature. Looking around the large gray room, he noticed the old worn-out support beams above them and smirked.  “Suto! Break the support beams with wind slash!” Taking a deep breath, the slime inflated unleashing condensed slashes of air. SUUTTTOO!” It cried out as the condensed air pierced through the support bars holding the ceiling in place. The ceiling began to rumble as small rocks began falling around them. Without warning, Suto opened it’s mouth, pulling it’s master inside for protection as it raced towards the exit.  The entire mine began to collapse with massive boulders and debris falling all around them. Suto launched out of the mine just as the entire inside caved-in on itself with a violent boom. Once they were safe, Suto let it’s master slide out completely dry as he looked up at him.  “Heh, good job Suto, I'm happy we became friends, and you allowed me to create a tame link with you” He rubbed the slime’s head once more when the ground around them began to rumble. That’s when the large green troll burst out of the mine as rocks flew past Kusuno barely missing him and Suto.  “Shit! That thing’s still alive!” The large green troll let out a deafening roar causing the young summoner to cover his ears feeling the soundwave brush past him. Looking up at the monster, he saw it had sharp teeth with muscular arms but a round stomach, it had white eyes with no irises.  That’s when the brute spotted the young adventurer and his slime as it threw both fits up preparing to crush them. Kusuno was frozen in fear when Suto stretched it’s body, forming a wall as the brute’s fists came down in a powerful strike, only for the slime’s protective wall to nullify the force of the troll’s attack like hitting a wall of rubber.  Runinng in the opposite direction of the enraged beast, Kusuno cried out: “Suto! Use wind slash!” Reverting back to it’s circular form, it jumped into the air taking in as much air as it could. “SUUTTTOO!” The young summoner watched as the waves of immense air pierced the troll’s body repeatedly like razers as purple blood ran down it’s shredded body.  Standing a few meters away, Kusuno watched as the green brute shook in pain before picking up one of the fallen boulders preparing to throw it right at the small silver slime. “Raaagghh!” With one final roar, the troll threw the colossal rock straight for the summon.  “Suto!” The boy cried out as he could watch his summon get crushed by the large rock. Tears began to fill his eyes at the sight of Suto squished beneath it. “N-no, you can’t be dead Suto...g-get up Suto...please” The boy fell to his knees in tears when the injured troll focused on him, running straight form him with thunderous steps shaking the forest.  Kusuno just sat and waited for the end as the troll threw a push right for him, only for a large silver tentacle to wrap around the troll’s arm, bringing it’s fist to a halt. With a confused growl the monster turned to see Suto slide out from under the rock before once again taking in air to grow as big as the monster.  His master was amazed as the slime transmorphed it’s body into a golem-like shape with arms and legs still made of it’s silver slime goo as it bellowed in a deep voice: “Suuttoo!”  Suto Has Acquired :  [Transmorph : “Golem” – Suto can now take the form resembling a golem. [ATK & DEF Buff]  “Wow! He can take the shape of something that big!? Go Suto!” He cheered. The large slime marched towards the troll, it’s large form shaking the forest with each step. Baring it’s sharp teeth, the troll threw a blow right for the slime’s face, only for it to be stuck inside. The large green brute struggled to free himself, only for Suto to use his fists to strike both sides of the creature’s skull simultaneously. Though still a slime, the golem form boosted the creature’s attack and defensive power five times greater than it’s base form.  The force of the attack sent a slight shockwave across the area as the troll hit the ground defeated. Kusuno slowly walked up to the slime golem as Suto shrunk back down to his small round self. “Great job Suto! You keep surprising me more and more! Time to finally finish this this quest”  [LEVEL 2 Unlocked]  [Suto has Reached Level 2]  With a quick head pat, Kusuno started heading back towards the Seigin kingdom with his new slime companion following close behind. As they left, the troll vanished in a burst of wisps of pink energy....  CHAPTER 1: The Beginning Of A New Adventure  Making his way through the stone streets, many of the citizens took notice of the unique creature following Kusuno with one of them commenting: “Wow, I've never seen a silver slime before, aren’t those supposed to be the rarest type? I’ve heard they have potential equal to an A-rank or even S-rank monster!”  Kusuno looked down at his summon with a surprised look before smiling at Suto before reaching the tavern he had visited earlier. The bartender looked up at him, giving him a smile as he welcomed the young adventurer back. “Glad to see you’ve made it back safe Kusuno, was worried that monster might have got you like the others I've heard about. Did you manage to get a look at the creature?”  “I did better than get a look at it, my new friend Suto here managed to defeat the creature which turned out to be a large green troll we found asleep in the depths of the mine. The mines collapsed on him, but the troll somehow escaped the rubble. If it wasn’t for Suto, I would have been the brute’s next meal”  The silver slime hopped into a stool in front of the bar with a happy expression on his face. “Suto, Suto!” He announced to the bartender. The white-haired man laughed. “Nice to meet you too Suto, I'm happy you both have become such great friends so fast. So Kusuno...what quest will you take next?”  Looking over the remaining D-C quests, he smirked pulling up one of the quest sheets in his hand. “I’ll take this one!”  [QUEST  RANK: D  INFO:  Reports of a figure sneaking into houses stealing money and valuables have popped up all over Seigin, who is this thief and what is their goal?]   “Good luck Kusuno, I have faith you’ll accomplish your task. Before I forget, allow me to reward you for your recent quest”  [1,000 gold obtained]  “Thank you- uh...I never got your name”  “Oh heh, apologies, I am Sabastion Everworth. But you can just call me Sabastion” The man placed his hand across his chest with a formal bow. Kusuno smiled thanking him heading towards the exit before stopping.  “By the way Sabastion, would you know of a place where I might be able to find a shop that sells weapons? All I have is this robe for the moment”  “Ah yes, all adventurers must surely refine their attire at some point of their journey. If you walk along the path towards the king’s castle, you should see many kinds of merchants along the streets all selling all kinds of weapons and equipment for adventurers such as yourself”  “Thanks again! Come on Suto!” The silver slime hopped off the stool over to it’s master as they made their way through the city streets as the sun began to go down turning dark red. “Alright Suto, let’s see if we can find me a weapon to help me in battle, I'd hate for you to have to always protect me when we should be protecting each other”  Walking towards the large castle across the city, Kusuno soon began to see a few wooden shops set up in the streets selling many kinds of items such as swords, knight armor and more. He spotted a tall buff dark-skinned man with long brown hair dressed in a brown leather jacket with a white under shirt, black pants wearing black leather gloves. He stood inside a wooden shop he had set up with a variety of weapons.  His interest peaked, the young summoner walked over to the weapon shop. The tall man looked up at the boy with his arms crossed. “Welcome young adventurer. As you can see, I am well diverse in my selection of weapons. I ensure my clients are well prepared for almost any situation. Is there a particular type of weapon you’re looking for?”  Shizamasu looked on the left walls of the store seeing swords hanging on the wall, the large wooden desk in the center had wants and staffs while the right wall had guns and large weapons such as axes and scythes. He picked up a basic knight sword holding it with both hands, but it didn’t feel right to him, so he placed it back on the wall. “Hmmm, well I am a fan of swords, but my skills are magic based, so I guess I'd have to choose between either a wand or a staff. What would you suggest sir?”  “Heh, well it would depend on what kind of spell you’re casting, if it’s just your basic elemental spells, then I'd suggest a wand. But if you’re casting high-tier magic such as time or summoning magic, I'd suggest you choose from the staffs. From what I've studied between wands and staffs, the staff were specifically created for high-tier spells especially summoning magic”  “Alright...seems a staff is my best option then” He looked down at the table before him and saw three staffs: A white one with a red crystal, a black one with a purple crystal and a black one with a white crystal ball on the tip. After a few minutes of deciding which one to pick, he slowly reached down...picking up the black staff, gripping it in his hand. He could feel faint mana essence flowing within the staff.  “I’ll take this one. How much is it?”  “Normally a staff like that would run about 1,000 gold, but I'm feeling generous today and will only charge you 950 for it”  “Wow really!? Thank you, sir!” Kusuno’s eyes filled with excitement as he gave the merchant the gold pieces before he and Suto raced off down the street to finally begin their hunt for the one stealing from the people of Seigin.  [Weapon Skill Acquired]  Cyclone – Create a powerful cyclone with wind magic. (Only usable while weapon is equipped)  Reading over his new and 1st offensive skill, Kusuno was excited to try it out, but was unsure just how big the cyclone would be and decided to wait and avoid causing any unnecessary damage to the surrounding area.                            

We see Rimuru Tempest in the vast void where not a single light shines. However what was unusual about this was that Rimuru's eye color that of being Red similar to that of Ciel, The wife of Rimuru. But when Ciel spoke Instead of it just being her voice, It was a combination of both hers and Rimuru's. "Their gone..." A melodious yet emotionless voice muttered while staring at the vast void with empty eyes. Tears soon flowed down his eyes as he mourned the death of his family and his wife. Thousands of years have passed since that day with Rimuru mourning their deaths crying till his tears ran dry. The Current strength of Rimuru who lived for Millions of years growing doubled his strength every day with his skill [Reactive Evolution], Adapting to his strength as his powers Increase day by day with the help of his late wife Ciel. [ In the tiering system he'd be around 1-B Hyperverse level ] ( It's Fanfic get over it and besides, he does evolve each day and it has been over MILLIONS of years since then ) He moved on after Five Million years and finally decided to create new sets of Universes. Rimuru went Into the first Universe he made, the center of all universes, the there people watched other universes they thought of as fiction nothing more than mere drawings that were animated. Our Supreme God was currently sitting on the Sofa watching an anime called "Traveller" which consists of twins "traveling" around the multiverse. A sudden thought struck him like a thunderbolt, 'It has been over thousands of years and It has been quite boring, so why don't I travel around the Multiverse as well'. With that thought, Rimuru Tempest disappeared from his spot and soon materialized into a different universe. When Rimuru created the multiverse he added a barrier on each universe that acts as protection from the other ones. If one ever passes through his universe barriers then they would instantly fall into a deep slumber while slowly being erased. It is similar to Infinite Tsukiyomi but less harmful, instead of being turned into a mindless beasts they would instead be removed from existence while dreaming of their happiest moments. Coating himself with Nihility he teleported to Earth with a maid outfit, Within the years before the destruction of his Universe, Shuna and the others kept on teasing him on how he looked like a girl and Shuna taught him how to be ladylike. He couldn't even protest as Shuna and Ciel would just threaten him every time he doesn't comply with their demands forcing him to reluctantly accept their teachings. With their teachings Rimuru soon got used to being a girl who no longer cared about his gender, He changed his body structure Into that of a Woman who just reached her Twenties. She changed her hair color to Midnight Black and her eye color to Ruby colored eyes, this persona was that of a perfect maid with a face that shows not a speck of emotion. Rimuru or in this persona she calls herself Reitan, Arrived in front of the house of both Videl and Gohan, Reitan then knocked on the door. I heard footsteps on the other side of the door coming closer before the door opened revealing a man who has spiky hair ( I can't do it, It's Gohan ) He blushed the moment his eyes laid on me before snapping out of his daze and asking a question. "Do you need something miss?" "Would you mind hiring me as a maid?" Reitan responded without any emotions as her facial expression stayed the same, This kinda creeped Gohan out but didn't show it, "Umm, I would need to ask Videl first" Nodding, Gohan went inside and closed the door calling for Videl wanting to know if she wanted a maid. After a minute or two, the door opened once more revealing a woman who Reitan knows as Videl, the mother of Pan and Wife to Son Gohan. "I heard from my husband that you wished to be hired as a maid." Videl looked at the woman In front of her and had to admit that she was quite beautiful. "Yes, My old Master has died due to an unknown disease, and the only thing I'm good at Is being a Maid" The expression of the maid remained blank. Videl wanted to refuse but Reitan manipulated her thoughts adding suggestions about "her being pregnant" and "needing help to take care of their child".

There I was my lazy ass stuck at home due to the virus with no Job and pretty much forced to go into College. Oh hello there you may be wondering why I'm monologuing right now well first let me introduce myself. My Name is Tom that's all you need to know. Let me summarize this I was writing my story "Escaping From Servitude" til one day I died! Due to well caffeine overdose from the Iced Tea's I drank. Pathetic huh? I think it's hilarious actually. So I got Isekai'd so now for some reason now I'm a Reality Warping Maniac in a new world that's filled to the brim with Monsters,Divine Beings, Gods/Goddesses and etcetera. You may be wondering "Oh this Man surely will save this World from the various threats it comes across" Pfft!!! Hahahahhahaha!. Hell no! Why would I do that?! I am a shameless Masochist folks! I'll beat up a God so their sister who will be enraged would beat the hell outta me! This world is perfect for my dark fantasies Fuhahahaha! I smile as I look towards upon the Night sky that glistens with stars that are unfamiliar to Humans of Earth. "I can't wait to cause as much chaos as possible here! Let this World Lament my Name!" The sky is the limit they say... I'll truly test if that is true...

Deep in the forest, leaves floated through the air as light flowed through the trees. A young man around 20 years-old awoke lying in the sparkling grass as a drop of rain fell from a tree on to his face. His name was Senku. The man had dark-red hair with orange eyes. He wore brown worn-out rags, similar to what most peasants wore. "W-where am I?" Senku sat up with his legs crossed as he saw the low-quality clothes he wore. "What's going on...this place...these clothes, they seem unfamiliar to me. It's as if my very memory has been erased" As the confused male took a step forward, Senku heard movement in the bushes nearby. Suddenly a large boar lunged out of the bushes headed right for him letting out a loud squeal. "What!?" Senku managed to evade the coming animal as it rushed past him, hitting a tree before turning around coming back around for another charge. Without thinking, he grabbed a stick lying on the ground to defend himself from the coming beast.  "S-stay back!" Gripping his only weapon with both hands, Senku struck the boar in the head knocking it to the ground as it laid motionless for a moment before vanishing in a burst of wisps of blue light. [Level 2 unlocked] "Sigh, I feel pathetic at the fact I got scared by a mere boar. I'm not sure how strong others are in this world...but if I want to survive, I'll have to get stronger than a mere animal" Looking at the mere stick he held in his hand he tossed it aside in frustration as he ventured through the forest until finding a path that lead through the forest. Before Senku could step out onto the path, he heard cries for help nearby. The man hurried through the forest making sure to stay out of sigh as the cries grew louder. Crouched behind a tree Senku spotted a carriage surrounded by two bandits dressed in brown clothing as they aimed their knives toward a young girl with brown hair dressed in a white dress. "Hehe, just hand over all your gold and we'll be on our way, or would you rather we slice you up!?" The two men were ugly with scars but muscular. That's when a voice called out to the young man from within his subconscious: "Warning : hostile's level exceed own current level, recommend retreat" It sounded like a male AI voice in his head as he could also see their levels with a lock-on focused on them like a video game. (I'm not sure who you are, but I won't let them harm an innocent girl even if they are higher than my current level!)  Senku saw that they were lvl.5 while he was merely a lvl. 2 but knew if he didn't do something fast, the girl would be hurt or worse. Getting as close as possible, the young man lunged out of the bushes right for one of the bandits, sending a punch to the assailant's abdomen as they staggered back landing on the dirt path dropping their knife. Quickly he swiped the blade from his target just as the 2nd bandit attempted to stab him. "you bastard, you shouldn't have interfered in our business now die!" The standing thug lunged at him with his knife when Senku stepped out of the way just in time causing them to just pierce his shirt before hitting the ground. "I'm not really one to hurt others, but those who threaten the innocent, aren't worthy to be considered people anymore" With a cold expression on his face he gripped the blade firmly going straight for the kill as the two bandits closed their eyes waiting for the strike... They opened their eyes to see Senku aiming the blade towards them with a serious expression. They shook in fear running away as the man lowered his hand, his heart racing. (Wow, I can't believe that actually worked) [Skill obtained: Weapon Affinity] - Increases efficiency in all weapons by 75% He sighed in relief before turning to the young girl. "Are you ok?" She nodded responding: "Thank you for your help, I'm the princess of Xuvria. If you would like, I could help you find some better clothes instead of mere rags" With a slight smile Senku nodded. "That would definitely help, but are you sure it's ok? I don't think I deserve such a reward just for stopping those bandits" She stopped him and ensured him the least she could do was provide him with decent clothes. They got in the white carriage making their way through the forest as they sat inside, the inside was covered in fancy pink cloth with jewels... After about an hour of traveling the kingdom of Xuvria came into view. Senku looked out the window to see the large kingdom below the hill as they made their way to the gate where a Tall figure in dark armor stood guard along with three fellow knights who seemed weak in comparison to the knight in black. The carriage came to a halt as the knights of Xuvria carefully inspected the carriage before spotting Senku. "Lady Nasara, do you know this man?" One of them questioned as a blade was aimed inches from the man's throat. "Stand down knight, this man saved me from bandits who attacked me in the forest, I just wish to help him get some clothes and a room in the tavern inn so he may get a better start in Xuvria" The knight glared at him with suspicion before lowering his blade as the gate was raised letting them through. "Sorry about that, as you can see the knights as well as my father the king are very protective of me. Don't worry I'll make sure they don't try anything" She smiled at him with her hands in her lap as they made their way through the medieval town as they came to a stop in front of a market filled with merchants selling many different items. She placed a small sack of gold in his hand telling him: "Make sure to find Something decent clothes and a room in the inn" with a nod Senku stepped out of the carriage waving to the young princess before making his way over to a merchant who was selling many types of clothing. To keep things simple he picked the first piece of clothing he liked which was a white cloak with a collar and matching white pants. (There, this will definitely make me look more approachable rather than seen as a peasant.  Senku pushed open the tavern doors to see many different adventurers wearing mercenary uniforms as well as heavy knight armor. A few of them glared at Senku as he made his way up to the bar where a young woman with long blue hair and purple eyes wearing a black uniform stood behind the bar wiping the bar down before looking up at him. "Hello sir, how may I help you today?" "Yes, I'm new in town and would like to know if you had any quests for me to do for some money" (I've read many fantasy manga and know they usually have quests to kill a certain creature or save someone) "Actually yes, we have many jobs on our board over there, sadly you'll only be allowed to take on D rank quests since we start all mercenaries and adventurers at D rank" Senku turned to see a board with many quests pinned on the board. As he made his way over, an armored foot came out, causing him to stagger that's when he felt his body move on it's own as his hand stopped his fall before flipping back onto his feet. Everyone turned their attention on Senku who was glaring at a tall buff man dressed in black armor. He had long blonde hair with blue eyes and a smug look on his face. "What? You have something to say to me?" The man clinched his fist as a voice in his head announced: "Analyzing" Senku watched as the stats appeared in front of him. (Hmmm, the adventurer is level 25. As much as I would like to kick his ass, he's in a completely different league than my own for now. But in time I shall catch up with him) With a sigh Senku walked past the adventurer over to the board. "Yeah that's right, seems you know who's stronger haha!" Senku thought about pulling out his knife he had taken from the bandits but knew such a common weapon would do little good against an adventurer like him. The woman behind the bar put down her rag calling out: "Knock it off Syrus, this is your 2nd time bothering customers. One more disturbance and you'll be thrown out" The blonde man glared at her as they started one another down intensely before Syrus chugged his mug of beer before slamming it down on the table storming out. "Don't worry about Syrus, he's stubborn but he's never actually hurt anyone without a good reason" Senku pulled off one of the sheets that had a D rank stamped on the top left of the paper. Quest: Kill five boars in the forest outside Xuvira two options popped up in front of him: Accept or Decline. He pushed accept as the paper crumbled into wisps of blue light as the objective popped up on the left side of his vision. CHAPTER 1 The 1st Quest  Making his way past the kingdom's gate, he realized the sun was going down as it gave off a pink glow. "Looks like I don't have much time to look for these boar" Pulling out his low-quality knife he made his way off the path into the forest, carefully searching the area for any signs of movement. He checked nearby bushes and behind trees but found no sigh of any animals. "Hmm, where could they be?" "Analysis....most wildlife tend to stay by water sources such as ponds or rivers" The AI voice informed him. "Alright before I go any further, who are you? Or am I just going insane?" "Answer: I am your system's AI, I can help you when you are in need such as answering certain questions or sensing danger nearby. I have no name so you may call me whatever you wish" "Alright...then I shall call you Senjin" "Optimizing....optimization complete, I will know respond to Senjin" Without another word the low-rank adventurer made his way through the forest until coming across a stream that flowed through a part of the forest. He carefully followed it where it flowed into a large lake where many different kinds of wildlife had gathered such a deer, rabbits and boars. (Alright there's our target, now I just need to catch them by surprise and kill them) Making his way to the other side of the lake while crouching behind trees and grass he managed to get within just a few meters of a few boars drinking from the lake. Gripping the blade firmly in his grasp, he jumped out from cover, advancing straight for the group of animals. Each boar scurried off in a different direction while Senku kept his eyes focused on one specific one. With a deep breath he tossed his knife right for the boar piercing it in the back as it let out loud agonizing squeals. "Damn, I didn't realize how fast boars are and they're merely level two creatures" Using Senjin's analysis skill, he watched as the boar's HP slowly dropped from the bleed effect from his knife. As it's HP flashed red nearly depleted it collapsed into the grass before perishing bursting into light. "One down four to go" He quickly retrieved his blade from the puddle of blood washing it off in the lake before spotting another target hiding in a tall bundle of grass. "Focusing on target...target locked" Senjin notified him as his eyes glowed purple from his AI's skill. Closing the distance between him and the hiding boar, he threw the knife right for the boar, piercing right through it's face giving him an instant kill. "Sigh, that focus skill really comes in handy. Now then, where are the last three boars?" That's when he spotted the remaining three running from the water source going deeper into the forest. "Tsk, I don't have time to retrieve my knife and catch up with them, I'll have to come back for it. "I suggest activating auto mode, you may only use it for a limited amount of time for now but could help in chasing multiple targets" "Sigh alright fine" "Activating Auto mode" Senjin announced as the man's orange eyes gleamed purple. His body dashed through the forest at a super-human speed, with auto mode active, his perception and reactive time was far greater, with each step the AI could sense everything around him within several meters while locked on to the three boars. The boars ran up a hill with Senku right behind him. Snapping off a branch from a tree the fast-moving warrior threw it right for the boar to the right knocking it to the ground leaving two left as they ran inside a large cave. Senku landed in front of the defeated boar as his eyes reverted back to normal. "Auto mode deactivated" The AI informed him as Senku realized he was back in control of his body. "Hmm, seems at my current level I can only use auto mode for 30 seconds or so. But from the sound of it, if I get stronger, I should be capable of extending the length at which I can stay in that state. Though, it would be boring if I just always stayed in auto all the time so it's best to just use it in dire situations"  Making his way up to the large stone cave, he noticed something off, there were lights set up within the cave. (Strange, who would want to live up here in a cave, I have a bad feeling about this but the last two boars are in here and I need to kill them before I can head back to Xuvira" Carefully making his way inside he followed the small lights that aligned both sides of the stone walls of the cave. As he ventured deeper within the cave, he entered a large open part of the cave where he felt his breath stop as he found himself standing before a large dark-green troll sleeping before him. (S-senjin...analysis) The frightened man ordered mentally. "Analyzing...troll, level 10 weakness is fire" Senku knew he stood no chance in fighting a troll at his current level. That's when he saw one of the boar hiding near the sleeping troll. (Tsk that little shit) Taking a deep breath he picked up a rock and threw it right at the boar knocking it out before picking up another rock aiming for the remaining target. Suddenly it let out a loud squeal as it echoed through cave. Senku froze in place as he stared at the troll who stirred in it's sleep before it began to wake up letting out a deep groan. (Oh shit, Senjin is auto ready yet!?) "Auto mode still on cool down, estimated 30 seconds until available" The red-haired warrior watched as the troll stood up standing about 10 feet tall with it's head nearly touching the ceiling of the cave. It spotted the squealing boar before kicking it across the cave instantly killing it as it hit the wall beside Senku. At that moment, the troll spotted him. "Human, I shall crush you and crush on your bones!" It picked up a massive wooden club before lunging right for him. At that moment auto mode was finally ready as Senjin activated it just in time. Senku's eyes glowed purple once more as his perception and reaction time multiplied. The troll struck the floor of the cave with it's club with such force the cave shook with a large crack in the spot it had struck. "Where are you human!?" That's when the troll spotted Senku run out of the cave racing down the hill. The warrior looked back to see the troll come crashing out of the opening of the cave charging after him. "I won't let you get away!" As the human slid down the hill he watched as the troll leapt from the top, descending down after him like a bolder. (Shit, I have just a few seconds of auto mode left!) As he slid down the hill, he abruptly caught a branch pulling himself onto a tree just as his eyes once more reverted back to normal. He watched as the troll stumbled down the hill hitting the ground as half it's HP was lost from the impact. "Wow, it worked, maybe now I can take this monster on" Carefully making his way down the hill he stopped right in front of the injured troll who slowly rose to it's feet covered in bruises. "You are a very clever human, I may be hurt but still have enough strength to crush you here!" Clinching it's fist the troll threw a punch right for Senku, luckily he managed to doge it mere moments before it could connect. The red-haired human could feel a gust of wind brush past him from just the sheer force of the troll's strike. With his target wide open, the warrior jumped into the air and kicked the troll across the face. The monster didn't stagger but it seem to do just enough damage to lower his HP. "Huff...you may be bigger and tougher, but that doesn't mean I can't win. I'll show you that strategy can beat strength!" Charging right for the monster once more, Senku jumped into the air just high enough to meet eyes with the troll as he tossed sand into the creature's eyes blinding him. "Aaagh! You putrid human! Only you would pull something so desperate!" With his foe blinded, Senku sent a barrage of punches to it's abdomen as it's HP decreased more and more until it was at one HP. "Heh, seems strategy really does surpass strength" As the warrior prepared to throw the finishing blow, the troll's vision came back. It spotted Senku and kicked him with all it's strength sending him staggering through the sky landing in a tree. He let out a cough before hitting the ground with a red flashing outline around his vision alerting him that he was near the brink of death. "Y-you've got to be kidding me! Eight levels higher than mere or not, this is just bullshit! He clinched the grass in front of him as blood ran down his bottom lip as he slowly got up making his way back to the troll. The tall dark-green monster looked in surprise to see Senku approaching him with a cold expression on his face as his red hair covered his eyes. "Why did you come back human, you had a chance to escape yet you approach me once more. You're either even more of a fool than I thought or you just don't care if you die" "I-I won't die here, but I won't run away either. If I'm going to become stronger, than I need to finish what I started" The troll once more went to kick the warrior when Senku evaded the coming attack advancing right for his foe, punching him in the leg as the creature's health reached zero causing it to vanish like the rest. "Huff...huff. I-I won't run away from a fight if I know there's a chance I can win" [Level 5 Unlocked] [Skill Obtained: Self-Healing- HP recovers over time]  Senku watched as it faint HP went up by one each second. "Good, looks like I've gained minor regeneration from beating that troll. It'll definitely come in handy next time I'm fighting a higher level opponent. Though slight healing isn't nearly enough to take on that guy Syrus. Maybe I should look for a sensei to teach me new skills to help better my fighting skills. Relying on auto mode is a lazy way to build my strength. Question is: what class should I learn from first?... After completing the quest, Senku made his way back to Xuvria as night fell and all you could see were street lights that lit up the kingdom. Senku wandered the streets until he spotted a man dressed in a dark-purple hooded robe with a red "R" inside a silver sun on the torso and back of his clothing. (Hmm, guessing by his clothing he must be a rogue or an assassin. If I'm right, this is probably the kind of thing some RPG have where you have to find the mentors throughout the world. I see myself more as a cleric or mage, but at my current strength I need all the help I can get) The young warrior approached the hooded man sitting on his knees beside a small house. "Hello? I was wondering if you could teach me so I can perfect my fighting skills against stronger opponents?" The hooded man looked up at him with a menacing glare as his blue eyes glimmered in the street light. "If you wish to learn the skills of an assassin, you must devote yourself to training and perfecting each skill until you know each skill as if it is 2nd nature to you" A screen popped up in front of him asking: "Learn Assassin Class?" Senku pressed yes as the screen shattered to pieces as if made of glass. [Novice Assassin Class Unlocked] "Would you like to begin your 1st lesson Senku?" His Sensei asked still sitting on his knees. "Yes I'd like to start training now sensei" The assassin rose to his feet and looked at him with his back to the warrior. Senku watched as his mentor abruptly vanished without a trace. "What!?" He quickly looked around for the assassin but couldn't find any trace of him. That's when a kunai was aimed at his neck just inches away as his teacher stood behind him as if ready to end his life at that moment. "What you just witnessed is known as the shadow step, this is one of the basic yet most useful skills of an assassin. To master the shadow step you must block out distracting thoughts and focus only on the direction you're going. Though it may sound easier said than done, you must focus all your movement into one thought therefore maximizing your speed" His teacher vanished before reappearing on the roof of the tavern a few houses down. "The best way to teach you shadow step is by having you try and reach me. You have a minute to reach me before I move to another location" Senku climbed onto the roof of an old house and focused all his attention on the assassin. (Block out distracting thoughts...focus on the direction I'm going) Taking a deep breath he charged towards his target as fast as he could, only to miss the jump by mere inches and hit the dirt. "Damn it!" Once more he got onto the roof and cleared his head of all other things besides his task. Instead of getting frustrated he let his muscles relax as he closed his eyes and shadow stepped just one roof away from his sensei. "Impressive, not many can even use the shadow step so early on in the training more or less get so close. You can't seem to move to the location you want, but you're beginning to understand how to let go of thoughts and feelings that would normally slow one down" Just then the hooded man vanished once more before appearing several houses down towards the castle. Senku smirked beginning to understand how to use the shadow step. As he relaxed his mind, he focused on the assassin's location before vanishing in an instant and reappearing face to face with his mentor. The man flinched from Senku's speed but smiled at how fast he learned. "Well done Senku, you've learned the shadow step and at an incredible time I may add. Continue to improve with the skill I've given you and we'll start our next lesson tomorrow" "Thank you sensei" He watched as his mentor vanished leaving him standing on the roof of a building... [Skill Obtained: Shadow step] The next day Senku awoke in his room at the tavern inn as sunlight shined through the window illuminating the small wooden floor as he got out of his white bed walking over to the window to see more people than usual walking around the tavern's entrance. He quickly made his way downstairs where Syrus and a few high-ranking adventurers one seemed to be a female Archer with long blue hair, green eyes wearing black mercenary garments. While the other was a young girl with long pink hair wearing a white hooded robe. (That must be Syrus' party, not surprising his party Consists of women, he gives off the toxic masculine vibe that seem to attract women even in this world) Making his way over to the bartender he asked what was going on. "Every now and again adventurers will raid dungeons in hopes of acquiring a rare relic. If you go with Syrus' party this could be your chance in obtaining a rare relic. If Syrus tries anything he knows he'll lose his rank as an adventurer" Syrus gave the bartender an annoyed expression before turning to Senku. "I'll allow you to come with us to the dungeon, but if you get either of my party members killed...I can assure you I'll kill you myself regardless of the penalty" Senku frowned but just gave a nod. The archer approached him introducing herself. "My name is Asumi, I specialize in light-based long-ranged attacks as well as the scout of the party" She looked at him with a neutral look neither mad nor happy. Next was the young pink-haired girl in the white robe. She walked over with a smile. "Hi my name is Sohira, I'm the healer and support of the party!" "Nice to meet you" The red-haired adventure greeted. He was surprised one of them would act so friendly towards him. (I'm not sure about the archer, but Sohira seems genuinely happy to meet me. I might have to persuade her to join my party and leave Syrus at some point, but for now I'll just leave it alone for the time being) The buff warrior turned his back on Senku and informed them that they needed to head for the dungeon while the sun was still out so they wouldn't have to venture back in the dark once they completed the dungeon. "Senku, I'm disgusted at the very thought of you joining my party for this raid, but I shall allow you to join us in hopes it will make you stronger and a possible rival for me to crush" "Thanks, I guess" The young adventurer responded unsure whether that was an insult or a compliment... They made their way out of Xuvira going north instead of south where the young adventurer had first entered the kingdom. "Making our way north shall lead us to the dungeon, though if I was informed correctly, we'll be cutting through the forest of undead. Keep your guard up, I'm told it's filled with many creatures that won't hesitate to kill anything with a pulse" Senku was uneasy but knew if he wanted to grow as a warrior, he had to overcome many hard challenges. The party marched down the dirt path when a white mist came into view. "There it is...the forest of undead, some tales say if you get lost within the mist, you begin to hear voices that slowly drive you insane" The tall-armored man commented. Senku could feel a tightness growing in his chest as they grew closer towards the mist. The once healthy and blooming trees were now dark and rotting trees with no leaves along with dead grass and the mist flowing around them. They continued forward as the green forest vanished behind them with nothing but the feeling of death and despair surrounding them. As they ventured through the forest, a skeleton lunged out from the fog right for Senku. Using the shadow step, the young warrior reappeared behind the undead, gripping it's bony heel before slamming it to the ground causing it to fall to pieces. (Sigh, that shadow step really comes in handy though it still takes a good amount of stamina to use so I shouldn't use it in succession unless it's my only option) "Hmm, not bad novice, though that was merely a level one undead, let's see if that same tactic will work on the high-level undead deep in these woods" The party leader commented making his way forward. Just then Asumi signaled the party to stop by illuminating her body in an aura of golden light. "I hear movement ahead and it sounds like more than just a few mere undead" She whispered quickly pulling out her bow manifesting an arrow made of golden mana. Before she could find her target, an arrow came darting out from the mist ahead of them, piercing the side of her cheek causing her to stagger, landing on her back. "Asumi!" Syrus pulled out his large black great sword. It seemed to be made of a black steel with a silver handle. "Those who attack my party shall be cut down where they stand!" Without thinking Syrus charged into the mist leaving Senku and Sohira beside the wounded archer. The pink-haired girl aimed both hands at her fallen teammate. "Heal!" Senku watched as a green light surrounded the archer, healing her wound before slowly fading. She stood back up gripping her bow once more. "Thanks Sohira, they caught me off guard, but it won't happen a 2nd time" With a determined look in her eyes, the archer prepared to fire as she listened closely in the mist hearing where their leader was fighting..."There! Holy arrow barrage!" Four arrows of holy magic fired from her bow as they soared into the mist striking four different targets defeating them. Senku was tired of just listening and charged through the mist, only to see Syrus fighting of a legion of the undead as if they had been waiting for them. Syrus spun in a quick 360 motion knocking a group of them back as they were defeated in mid-air but more and more surrounded him. "Tsk! You undead are so tiresome, I would've liked to have saved my MP for the dungeon, but seems I'll have to fight a little more seriously if we're going to get past this" Gripping his great sword with both hands, he raised it up as flames engulfed it with immense power. "Blazing strike!" Syrus struck the ground before him as a trail of flames split through the crowd of undead leaving a path in front of them between the two crowds of undead. "Sohira, clear the rest of them out so we can hurry to the dungeon" Their leader commanded as he pointed forward. "Yes captain" Putting her hands together she closed her eyes while Syrus blocked any skeletons who attempted to get close. "Holy magic: Dome of purification!" All watched as a massive barrier of green mana formed around a mile of land, instantly turning all the undead to dust from the holy damage. "Ah, great work Sohira, let us make our way to the dungeon before anymore show up!" Syrus suggested placing his sword back on his back before running down the path with the others close behind him. [Level 9 Unlocked]  (Hmm? Strange why did I level up? Could I be getting exp from them since I'm doing a raid with them? I know some RPG have shared exp I guess it's possible since this world has similar rules of an RPG) With a smirk on his face he followed right behind them as they ran through the woods before coming up to a large door that was attached to the side of a mountain as if someone had randomly put a large door there. Syrus approached the door slowly placing his palm against the massive black door as a loud creak rang out. Senku watched as the large doors slowly opened reveling a ray of blinding purple light. Raising his hand to cover his eyes he realized they weren't outside anymore, he found himself in a large steel hallway with no doors or windows. They cautiously made their way through the dark and empty hall with only Sohira's floating sphere of pink mana being their way of seeing within the darkness. "This doesn't feel right, what rank did the tavern woman say this dungeon was?" Asumi questioned with slight fear in her voice. "She said it was a mere B rank dungeon, though this doesn't feel like your normal B rank area, we could possibly handle an A rank but even that would be a slim chance. We'll just have to hope the boss isn't too difficult" "So, what's are plan captain?" Asumi asked...but there was no answer. They looked around, only to realize Syrus had vanished. "C-captain?" Sohira choked out now filled with fear as her hands shook. The archer placed her hand on the healer's shoulder letting her know it'll be ok. "Don't worry, this isn't the 1st time something like this has happened. Captain said if this happens that I'd be captain for the time being until we find him" (S-senjin...analysis) The AI prepared to scan the area when purple rifts began manifesting from both walls beside them. Tentacles made of darkness grabbed the two girls as Asumi was pulled into the left rift while Sohira was pulled towards the right. Senku quickly grabbed the healer's hand trying to save her, but with nothing to hold onto, he was pulled inside along with her. Senku opened his eyes to hear the ominous sound of water dripping on the floor along with chains rattling slowly. He helped Sohira up as they found themselves in what looked like an old dungeon. The floor seemed aged with dried blood on the floor. He slowly walked down the stone path with cells on both sides of him. The bars were rusted with corpses lying in their cells with horrific expressions on their skeletal faces. Sohira walked behind him gripping his cloak tightly as they kept walking with faint light from the lanterns that slowly swung above them. "I'm scared Senku, I want to leave" The young warrior nodded as he saw more and more death along the path. Just then they came to the end of the hall where a figure made of shadow manifested before them. A sadistic smile appeared on it's face as it looked at them. Senku lunged toward him throwing a punch right for it, only to pass right through it and hit the wall leaving a crack. He looked behind him only to find no one there. "W-we're just seeing things, we need to hurry before something else happens" She nodded grabbing his hand as they managed to find a rusty door. Senku kicked it down as they were blinded by a blinding light. Opening their eyes the pair found themselves within a throne room, though the room seemed to be made of dark mana. Senku looked to see a dark muscular figure sitting on the throne without a face. It's cheek rested on it's fist. When it noticed them it vanished. Senku looked away for a second before finding the figure inches from his face moving at immense speed. As it reached for the warrior, Senjin activated auto mode just in time to evade the coming foe as it staggered past him before stopping itself just a few feet behind them. (Analyzing...target level 30...chances of victory...1%) Senku began to quake with fear on the inside while his body remained in auto mode. He knew he'd only have 30 seconds before it ran out. The dark figure charged toward him, throwing a barrage of strikes at great speed luckily auto mode increased the warrior's reaction speed to nearly instant as he moved his head out of the way with each coming blow before sending a kick to the target's abdomen sending him staggering back. (Shit, if I don't think of something it's all over) Just then Sohira threw both hands out aimed right for her ally. "Heaven's blessing!" [Buff activated: Stats increased by 10%]  The warrior's body outlined with a golden aura as he felt his body tingling with power. (This isn't nearly enough to beat him, but should be enough to keep me alive) The pair advanced toward one another as the figure shot it's fingers out like tentacles nearly missing the enhanced warrior. With his enhanced stamina and speed added to the fact he was in auto mode, Senku began using shadow step repeatedly, Sohira lost track of her ally as he struck the boss in the face with a fierce kick, vanishing before striking him in the back with a sheer blow as he continued to strike the Manique-like creature when he suddenly stopped landing onto the dark surface as auto mode deactivated. "Damn I'm out of time!" He watched as the dark-purple figure moved straight to him grabbing him by the throat as it looked into his eyes. The fact it had no face just made it that much more terrifying. As Senku closed his eyes waiting to be killed, he heard a slice from a sword as Syrus came falling from a whole in the darkness above. "Hehe did you miss me you dark bastard!" With a grin Syrus swung his blade down on the boss as it struck the entity with immense power causing a shockwave sending Senku staggering across the room landing on his back. He watched as the armored warrior aimed his massive steel sword toward the boss. "Hehe, been waiting for a challenge. Not sure what you did with Asumi, but that just gives me another reason to kick your ass! Blinding pierce!" In a sudden barrage of slashes, the boss was sent staggering back with slashes of red light covering it's body. Just then the room began to shake as a purple aura radiated from the figure's body. "Oh? You're actually fighting serious now? Then let's see it!" Syrus charged toward his opponent when he abruptly threw his great sword right for the boss. The massive blade struck the entity in the abdomen causing it to stagger giving the armored brute an opening to attack. Syrus charged in striking the figure with fierce blows to the face with a grin on his face as black blood-like liquid spewed out of the enemy. Just as it seemed like victory was assured, the dungeon bosses' right armor formed into a blade as it pierced the warrior's armor with ease. The party members watched as blood dripped from his armor. "Hehe, your dirty bastard, seems you'll do anything to kill me huh? Well, if I'm dying here, I'm at least taking you with me!" Grabbing the figure by the back of the head he head-butted it repeatedly, the strength of his head shaking the floor. "Heh, choke on that you b-bastard"  Senku watched as Syrus fell to the ground in a pool of blood just as their healer aimed her palm toward him. "Heal!" Green light filled the room but her captain didn't get up. "S-Sohira, it's too late for me...I'm sorry I couldn't kill this bastard like all the others, please continue to grow as a mage and help those in need. I may have been a bastard...but that doesn't mean I never cared about my party members, you and Asumi were the only ones who stood by me even at my worst...Senku, though you may be weak, I appreciate you protecting Sohira even if it was just to buy time. You have my thanks, I appoint you p-party leader while I'm gone, d-don't fuck it up...you...bastard" Sohira broke down in nears as the light left Syrus' eyes, his body lying motionless before the boss who had a slight crack on it's faceless head. "Sohira, don't cry just yet, I'll get us out of here so your leader's death wasn't in vain. I thought he was just some cocky asshole, but in his final moments, seems he really was a good guy deep down" Using shadow step Senku moved to Syrus' great sword before reappearing back beside the healer. "This sword is heavy, but thanks to my weapon affinity, I can still fight with it even if I'm a little slower. I might not know much about Syrus, but if he's willing to put his trust in someone as weak as me, then I won't fail here!" Using shadow step constantly, he moved right for the assailant, swinging the blade with all his strength as he struck it's head with fierce force. The crack began to grow as Senku moved as fast as he could with shadow step, striking him with the great sword before thrusting it into the bosses' cracked head, breaking through as the entire figure cracked apart with dark mana flowing out of it. "This is what happens...when someone puts their trust in you" Sohira watched as the boss burst in a blinding ray of pure light. Senku dropped the sword as he fell to his knees out of breath drained of stamina. That's when a door of golden light appeared in front of them by the throne The warrior was out of breath when he spotted a white ring with a golden aura around it which meant it was a legendary item. (A legendary?) He reached out picking up the high-tier item studying it closely. (Analyzing...results: Ring of mammon, perk - Gain a random skill from defeated enemies) Senjin informed him after scanning the item. (No wonder this is a legendary item, a ring with the ability to steal skills from anyone I defeat is definitely awesome!) As he slid the ring on his middle finger he turned back to Sohira who began to cry at the feet of her fallen party member. Senku placed his hand upon her shoulder letting her cry as he looked down at the warrior lying in a pool of blood. He kept a calm look but felt bad that his only friend had to go through such a hard loss. "Not only did we lose Syrus, but Asumi is nowhere to be found. We should get out of here before something else appears, I know the boss is dead, but that doesn't mean there isn't more creatures lurking nearby" Sohira looked up at her party leader with tear-filled eyes before nodded getting up and wiping the tears away. The young adventurer hugged the girl before they made their way towards the exit... [Level 13 Unlocked] [Passive Skill Unlocked: Lethal Prediction - Sense when an opponent attacks. Attacks of Super-sonic or above aren't sensed] (Alright my first passive skill! With this ability I should be capable of dodging attacks from most humans and mid-tier monsters. Though, even with lethal prediction there's still many warriors and high-tier beasts that could crush me with ease, better not let this go to my head) CHAPTER 2 Power Beyond Human Senku returned to the tavern with Sohira, wielding Syrus' great sword on his back as to honor his friend's fallen ally. "Welcome back Senku and Sohira! Where are Syrus and Asumi?" The red-haired warrior looked down at the bar with a guilty expression on his face before answering: "Syrus is dead...as for Asumi, I'm not sure if she's dead or not, there was no sign of her body but I couldn't risk Sohira's safety looking for her ally. If it turned out she had been killed as well, it was best to leave rather than possibly finding another horrific scene she'd have to live with" "They're dead? I knew Syrus was a jackass, but the thought of him dead...it just hurts me inside. He was a jerk but when things got rough, he was there to help in his own way. Well, I'm sorry you lost your party members, I know it won't help much, but here's your reward for completing the dungeon" She set a small sack of gold down in front of them before going back to wiping the counter as she always did when she wasn't serving other customers. Senku looked up at her with a guilty look and told her: "Before he died, he appointed me as party leader with his dying breath. Me, a mere low-rank warrior. The moment he said that, I knew he wasn't the cold-hearted brute I thought he was. I now carry this sword on my back as a symbol to him and will grow our party into a thriving guild he would be proud to see" Sohira gasped Turing to him. "A-a guild!? Are you sure!? Growing a guild is difficult, not only do you need an immense amount of gold just to buy a base for the guild, you'd need to buy utilities and many other things along with finding enough people to form the guild!"  "Don't worry Sohira, I said I'd grow this party into a guild and I will, no matter how long it takes! Are first step would be to find two more members to add to our party, no one will take us seriously if our party isn't even full" Senku gave her a smile placing her hand on her head as she looked up at him with a surprised look. "Y-yes captain!" She agreed with a smile on her face. "Let us build up our strength before doing another dungeon, when we enter our next dungeon...we'll defeat the boss with ease" The sun began to go down so Senku gave the bartender two gold pieces as their rent for the night. As Sohira made her way upstairs, Senku asked the blue-haired woman what her name was. She blushed telling him that no one's ever asked what her name was before. "M-my name is Masuna Katsuya. She blushed more before looking at him. "What about you Senku, do you have a last name? The man shook his head informing her how he couldn't remember anything before walking up in the forest wearing merely rags. "Since all I had on when I awoke was mere rags, I assume I was poor or some kind of peasant. But thanks to this 2nd chance I've gotten, I've slowly climbed up from being a weak nobody to an average adventurer. I'm not where I want to be, but for now it's progress. Masuna poured a mug of beer and passed it to Senku with a smile on her face. "You started with nothing but got back on your feet and are stronger for giving yourself a 2nd chance. You'll never know how powerful you actually are until you're pushed to the limit. Have a good night Senku" He gave her a nod drinking the beer in one gulp before placing it on the bar and making his way up to his room. He opened the door to find Sohira's healer robe on the floor with her only wearing a red bra and panties. Senku blushed quickly looking away. "Sohira why are you just wearing bra and panties!?" The pink-haired girl looked at him with a smile responding: "This is what Syrus said I should wear to bed since it would be more comfortable so I've just been going to bed wearing this ever since" The warrior kept his eyes closed thinking: "Syrus you perverted bastard, I may like admiring girls but only if it's a girlfriend, not this!) Lowering his hand he sighed getting in bed facing away from Sohira as she climbed in beside him before wrapping her arms around his waist resting her head on his back. Senku blushed more. "S-Sohira...how old are you?" She raised her head responding: "I'm 19, why is this making you uncomfortable?" "N-no just was making sure" (Sigh, at least I know she's only a year younger than me. Fantasy world or not I at least know what's bad and what's acceptable)  The next day... Senku woke up with sunlight shining through the window onto his eyes blinding him for a moment before he sat up rubbing his eyes. As his eyes came into focus, he looked over at his great sword resting in the corner of the room. The adventure carefully got out of bread letting his friend sleep while he placed the sword on his back making his way downstairs to the tavern. As he walked towards the bar, Senjin announced: "Warning incoming threat" In an abrupt motion, Senku stepped to the left just as a fist came flying past him. Looking behind him he saw three buff guys wearing heavy armor stood in front of him with hostile looks on their face. The middle guy wore golden armor with long green hair and hazel eyes while the left had bronze armor with short blonde hair and blue eyes. The one on the right wore silver armor with long brown hair and hazel eyes. "You bastard! You killed Syrus didn't you!? I was informed you joined his party to the dungeon when he died! Kind of suspicious the moment you joined his party he happen to be killed. Admit it!"  Senku glared at him with a calm but serious look. "I had nothing to do with his death, I may have hated him at first, but never wanted him dead. Not only that, Syrus made me the party leader just before he died which further proves I wasn't the cause of his death"  The man in gold gritted his teeth in rage preparing to strike once more. "THAT PROVES NOTHING!" Those in the bar watched as the enraged warrior threw a punch straight for Senku once more. The instant his assailant prepared to attack, the red-haired warrior could see a transparent duplicate of his attacker moving a moment faster giving away the direction of his attack. Senku evaded the attack once more as the blow was so powerful it sent a wave of force past him knocking over tables and chairs. His dark-red hair blew in the breeze before walking past them heading for the exit. "Where you going!? We aren't done here!" In a calm tone Senku responded: "I'm not running, I just don't want to cause any more trouble for Masuna with you brutes trashing her tavern. If you want to fight, then I'll take each of you one on one outside" With his index finger he motioned for them to fall as he walked outside. "Outside or inside doesn't matter, either way you're going to pay for killing our friend!" They stood outside in the middle of the street with the three men standing before him with furious expressions. Senku held his hand out motioning for one of them to attack as a crowd began to form around them watching the growing tension. "TSK! JUST DIE ALREADY!" The one in gold charged toward him pulling out a blazing sword, going right for the man's throat. Once again lethal prediction gave away his target's path as Senku used shadow step to vanish for a moment appearing behind the enraged brute. (I might not be that strong, but fighting someone blinded by rage should be simple) With a sudden movement he struck the armored foe in the back, sending him staggering forward as they landed on their stomach in front of the crowd. "Flailing around like an animal will get you nowhere. I may seem strong, but it's merely the fact you don't think when you attack. If I didn't use my skills strategically then maybe you'd be an actual threat" Shaking with rage the golden warrior stood up gripping his blade tightly. "Sai, Keno...attack him all at once!" The pair nodded as the other two pulled out an ice and lightning sword. The trio lunged toward him from different directions as Senku closed his eyes... (Auto mode activated) His eyes snapped open glowing purple as the world around him seem to immensely slowdown from his perception and reaction speed moving many times faster. Pulling out Syrus' sword, he used a barrage of shadow steps to pierce through the assailants in a fierce combo of slashes. (Auto mode deactivated) As his eyes reverted back to normal, time began to move normal again as slashes of blue light pierced through his targets causing them all to collapse to the ground motionless. Analyzing the trio's stats, he saw they all were at 10% health. "So, are we done here? I'd rather not kill friends of Syrus or Sohira. But if you attack once more, I'll have no choice but to finish you off" He lowered his sword standing over the wounded group as the crowd watched in shock and amazement.  The warrior in gold slowly looked up at him covered in bruises with a trail of blood running down his face. "Fine, I Saito...surrender, but I assure you...this won't be the end of this fight" The moment his assailant admitted defeat, Senku's ring Illuminated with golden wisps of light as a red orb was pulled out of each warrior floating over to the red-haired man. He watched as the orbs cracked open in a flash of red light revealing the skill: Iron defense. Reaching out he touched the floating energy absorbing the skill as all three Iron defense fused together into Iron defense tier III [Skill Acquired: Iron Defense Tier III - Boosts DEF by 95% for 30 seconds ] Looks like this fight's over, you better not show your face around me again or I won't go so easily on you next time" The trio of warriors laid there in pain while Senku made his way back into the tavern over to the quest board. Seeing all the different A rank quests along with a few S rank which were considered the highest rank jobs. He walked over to Masuna asking her: "I'd like to take my adventurer rank mastery test, I'm told that's how you go up each rank" She nodded telling him she had already raised his rank from D rank to C rank just a moment ago. "But I haven't taken my test yet, why did you promote me?" "In a mastery test, you duel an adventurer of that rank, such as if you want to be promoted to B rank, you must defeat someone of that prestige in order to be promoted. The fact you just took on three B rank warriors in a near 1V3 fight, granting you C rank is the least I can do. Unfortunately, you must wait a day before taking your next test both so you can rest and also we don't want adventurers just getting promoted all the way to A overnight" Senku gave her a confused look before responding: "A? What about S rank? Surely that's the highest possible prestige of an adventurer" The woman nodded but told him how S rank were rare and the highest ranked warriors in the kingdom were merely A rank aside from maybe one or two Xuvira knights who guard the king himself. "There might be an S rank amo9ng their knights but it's only an assumption. But it's not easy to get an audience with the king. I'd suggest just worry about A rank for the time being" "Alright, thanks Masuna" Paying for a quick drink he made his way up to his room above the tavern where he found Sohira looking out the window wearing her white healer robe as she watched birds fly through the sky. "Hey Sohira, I see you're finally up, I was planning on hunting monsters and magical beasts in the forest if you want to accompany me" She walked over with a smile on her face and nodded as she followed him outside. They walked north towards the forest of the undead since there was higher chances of encountering stronger monsters rather than going south through the green forest where most creatures were just wildlife. "So what exactly are we looking for here Senku?" "This ring gives me the ability to steal random skills from anything I defeat, if I kill enough high-tier monsters I should gain some useful skills to the point I could handle A rank monsters and warriors. Masuna told me the highest ranked adventurers are A rank so I need to grow stronger than them" Just then a group of skeletons began approaching them wielding swords and shields instead of armless like before. "Hmm. Seems these undead are higher level than before but there isn't as many of them as before. This shouldn't take long" His healer watched as Senku pulled out his great sword moving right for the group at superhuman speed. With his affinity for great swords increased he was capable of moving faster while holding the blade with one hand. "Crippling thunder slash!" In one quick motion Senku advanced past the undead unleashing a barrage of sword strikes before standing past them with his back to them. Sohira watched as all the undead fell to pieces in a pile of bones. "Heh, looks like I'm getting the hang of being a swordsman, maybe I'll try using a katana sometime" That's when a ray of orange light lit up the mist before the pair as a large fire ball came soaring right for them. "What!?" Thanks to lethal prediction Senku was able to see the projectile's path and duck out of the way as it flew past them setting a dead tree ablaze. "Wow, I almost got hit by that fireball, luckily lethal prediction activated just in time, though it didn't warn me as fast as it usually does" "Tsk, your reaction time is impressive adventurer, though it seems you lack the ability to detect magic, such a flaw will spell your downfall human" They watched as an undead in a torn black mage cloak floated out of the mist standing before them. It had glowing purple eyes with a worn-out skeletal body.  "I sensed your presence the last time you entered these woods...you seem to have grown stronger since then. However, for someone who can't use magic, just how long can you last against a high-class mage!?" (Analysis... undead mage level 27 results: possible chance of victory) (Well, actual good news from you Senjin for once. If I beat an advanced mage, I could obtain a magic skill which could be a great advantage since I have no magic skills) He turned to Sohira telling her not to hold back in this fight. She nodded aiming both hands toward their target, firing pink fireballs straight for the monster with Senku running in between two flaming spheres. "Task! Such low-tier magic will never reach me!" Throwing his bony hands out in different directions a blue magical sigil manifested beneath his feet as a magical barrier formed around him just as the flaming projectiles struck his shield. The healer watched as her ranged attack burst on impact but couldn't break through the mage's magic defenses. "Poor girl, surely you can do better than that" The undead looked up to see Senku lunging right at him with his great sword when the magic caster aimed his palm toward his approaching foe. "Destroy item" As a dark-purple aura surrounded his skeletal palm, Syrus' great sword shattered to pieces before the remains vanished in a sparkle of purple light. Senku came to a stop inches from the magical barrier, staring at his now empty hands with nothing left of the weapon. (S-syrus' sword...it's...gone) A sudden feeling of anger began to build up within him as his eyes widened and shook with rage. "H-how dare you...YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" (Warning...RAGE buff activated) Sohira watched as Senku's eyes lit up red as a dark-red aura outlined his body like flames as he walked up to the mage blind with rage. Placing his hand upon the magical barrier, he began putting all his strength into the sphere of mana as it began to crack like mere glass. "W-what is this!? No mere human can have this much power!" The enraged man stared his target dead in the eye as the cracks grew across the dome until finally shattering apart as it vanished. "This is blasphemous, you're just a mere human with no magic!" Without a word, Senku sent a fierce blow to the skeleton's abdomen as his HP dropped to 10% The man stood there with his red hair covering his eyes with just a frown on his face. "No! I refuse to be defeated by a pitiful human who has no magic prowess at all!" Ascending into the air the undead mage put his palms close together manifesting a powerful sphere of flames as it grew larger in mass until it was above his head the size of a blimp. "TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE THIS WORLD BY BURNING TO ASH!" Sohira ran over to Senku who stood still with an emotionless express on his face as the forest lit up by the sun-like sphere of flames as the forest shook by the sheer magical power emanating from it. (Iron defense tier III activated) An abrupt blue aura swarmed around Senku combing his rage buff with his defense buff creating a violet aura with his ATK and DEF stats far stronger than before. As the ball of flames descended upon them, Sohira used all of her magic to slow it down with their enemy pushing back as the fire ball went back and forth between the two forces. clinching his fist tightly, Senku ascended into the air at super-sonic speed, striking the sphere of magic with all his strength. An immense shockwave traveled through the forest in all directions as the fire attack was sent right back to the caster as the undead was set ablaze in a blinding ray of light. "RRAAAGGHH! YOU LITTLE MAGOT'S!" Senku landed on his feet beside Sohira as they watched their target fall from the sky landing in front of them covered in burns with most of his robe burned off. "Y-you're a monster...no human should be this strong. You don't deserve such power. I'm more worthy than any human to live a normal life rather than trapped in some forest for all eternity! You both have no idea what it's like being trapped in an undead body, hiding from the sun in the mist with your only company a legion of the undead too ignorant to speak!" Senku looked down at the mage as his buffs vanished. He was still angered about losing his sword he was given by Syrus, but at the same time, felt bad for the undead. (What if the princess hadn't helped me...what if I was stuck to wonder the woods in nothing but rags or looked down upon by others because I looked like a peasant) These thoughts went through his head before walking over to their combatant. "What if I could give you a new body, one not trapped in this undead mist" "Why would you help me? What do you gain from such a deed?" "For some reason...I want to help you, if it wasn't for others there for me, I'd either be dead or alone like you. I can't forgive you for destroying something precious to our party, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just leave you here to either die or wander alone for eternity" "But Senku, how are you going to save him? Resurrection spells are hard to master and I've never met anyone capable of using such magic" "Don't worry Sohira, I have a better way of freeing him from this place. By the way, what's your name if you don't mind me asking" "Renkai, I was a powerful mage before I died, but was killed by a dragon that destroyed my village. Most of the forest of the undead is the remains after the dragon burned everything to the ground. The mist you see is the dark magic the dragon used to slaughter the many innocent people. For years I've done nothing but relive that horrifying night in my head repeatedly" "Well if Sohira pulls off this spell it should help you escape this forest and then we'll just need to find something to revive you. So, let's begin by pulling your faint soul out of your body. By one I can tell, your life force was placed inside an undead which means Sohira should be able to pull it out and we can find a better vessel for your life force" "Wait, if you don't know how to use magic, how do you know all of this?" Renkai questioned with curiosity. Senku told him that he must've heard something about it in his past life since some things seemed familiar to him. "Alright Sohira, since you're familiar with different kinds of magic, you should be able to sense his life force within the undead body. You need to find it and use your magic to extract it from the vessel" The healer was nervous but gave a nod as she sat on her knees before the mage extending her hand out before closing her eyes. Using magic sense, she focused on the faint source of magic within the creature's bones as she began to pull Renkai's faint soul from the vessel as it manifested into a purple flame with a white orb around it. "I-I got it...this is Renkai's soul" "Good now we just need to find a new living body to place it in" Just then the soul floated into the air as Renkai's voice could be heard from the entity. "Seems even in soul form I'm coherent and capable of movement as if this was an actual body" Senku reached out holding the soul sphere in his hand looking closely at it. "Can you see me right now or feel anything?" Renkai responded: "I can't feel anything, as for sight I can sense you both nearby which I use for sight, through my vision, everything looks like a world of light, the trees give off a green essence while Sohira is a pink silhouette" "Well now that we managed to extract your soul, we just need to find a body to merge your soul with. It might be a challenge since body's vanish a few seconds after the creature or person dies, so our best chance is to kill a monster with a humanoid figure and place your soul inside before the body shatters" Placing the soul in Sohira's hands he asked her to protect Renkai while they searched for a useable vessel. [Level 15 Unlocked]  [Passive Skill Obtained: Magic Sense - User is capable of sensing any kind of magic within short distance] (Hmm, seems I did get exp and a skill from beating Renkai even though it didn't really feel like a victory since we saved him from his injured body. But with this new skill I'm one step closer to being capable of using magic) Slowly making their way into the forest, Senku used magic sense to find any creatures with high traces of magic, as they finally made it through the undead forest, they found themselves in a beautiful green forest. Senku saw many different colors of mana flowing around him like fog which meant there were magical beasts and people nearby. As they continued forward the adventurer noticed large houses in the trees above, not small tree houses but full-size homes that seemed like they wouldn't be able to fit in a tree. Just then an arrow came barreling out of a tree right for him. Luckily the young warrior managed to lean his head to the side just as it flew past him just missing his neck as it struck the dirt behind them. "An arrow? But who shot it?" Just as he spoke, multiple forest elves popped out from the trees surrounding them aiming their bows at them. "Don't move human" One of them threatened as they walked up to him. It was a tall female elf wearing a green robe that seemed to be made of some kind of large leaves. Her hair was brown while her eyes were aqua blue. "Trespassers, we don't allow humans in this part of the forest, for your own safety, I suggest you go back the way you came" Sohira looked at her party leader was a worried look still holding Renkai's soul in her hands. Senku frowned. "I'm not leaving, we've come to find a new body for our ally to put his soul end since he was trapped as an undead within the undead forest for years. Would you happen to know where we could find a vessel to place him in?" The elf just glared at him as if looking down on him before moving her hand attempting to slap him. Seeing the coming strike, Senku caught her hand gripping it tightly to keep her from moving. "I have nothing against you elves, any race that want to live in harmony and not hurt others I respect, but for those of you who see humans as trash and willing to crush weaker races beneath their heal...I won't hesitate to return that right back at you" All watched as the pair started one another down when a voice called out: "What's going on here?" All looked to see an elderly elf wearing a green cloak with a white beard walking over to them. "Princess Astra, what have I told you about causing trouble amongst the humans?" The elf spoke calmly like most friendly elderly people would. Astra pulled her arm away from him stuttering to come up with an excuse. "W-well father, I was merely defending myself from this human, me and my troop were just minding our business when these humans showed up and started attacking us" Her father looked unamused, not falling for the lie. "Young lady, you forget even with my old age I can still sense the life essence of those around me, that includes hostile feeling. I sensed no hostile thoughts from these two, only you and your troops gave off killing intentions and here I thought I taught you better than that" He walked over to Senku asking for his forgiveness. Senku nodded. "Don't worry, as long as no one got hurt you have nothing to be sorry about. I do hope though your daughter is less hostile towards any other innocent people that find their way in this part of the forest" The elf princess sneered at him before looking away as she folded her arms. The elder elf gave the archers a nod signaling them to lower their weapons. "Now then, how about you join us for a feast? We haven't had visitors in ages" "Are you sure sir? I wouldn't want to cause you anymore trouble" Senku answered unsure if the other elves would be ok with a human eating with them. The elf insured him that most of their race were on good terms with humans so long as they weren't hostile, they were always welcome. Senku and Sohira followed the village elder into the village where they climbed up a later into a large tree where the feast was starting. "Everyone, these are our guests for today, they shall be joining us for the feast, be sure to show them the proper respect you would show anyone from our village" The large tree house looked like a cafeteria inside, rows of wooden tables with a similar set up. Along with a large table in the middle against the wall where the elder and his daughter would sit. All the elves waved at the guests with smiles as some sat at tables while the others were carrying food. "Now then, how about your friend here gets to know people while you and I talk in my private quarters" "Alright, Sohira, I'll hold onto Renkai while you try to relax and find people to talk to while I'm gone" The healer nodded a little nervous but didn't argue. The princess and her troops stormed off while Senku followed the elder to his private quarters a few bridges away since the village were all connected using wooden bridges in trees. As they entered the small wooden house Senku saw a small wooden stump with a purple cloth over it and a candle in the center illuminating the room. They sat with their legs crossed as the adventurer placed the soul on the table. "So how may I help you? You seemed as if you needed something. I'd like to help any way I can" "Thank you elder, my ally is stuck as a mere soul and I'd like to find a new body to place him in" The elf brushed his fingers through his beard pondering for a moment. "Ah, I thought I sensed something odd about that item you were carrying. I may be able to help you though you might not like the solution" Senku looked up at him with curiosity. "What is it!?" The old man closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "I'm willing to give up my life and let your friend have my body" "What why!? You're the elder of this village, many elves seem to admire you as their leader" "Yes, yes I'm aware, but my daughter has been acting odd lately, I've felt as though she plans to kill me and take the throne. So, I've planned to crown Tera the new queen of the forest. She has been loyal to this village for years acting as my 2nd hand for when I need help. I originally planned for Astra to be queen...sadly I feel she is no longer worthy of such a title" Just then Renkai began to speak: "But are you sure you're ok with a human taking your body? As much as I want a body, I wouldn't want to take a life for it" "I've already decided, I shall have Tera herself preform the ritual tonight so your friend may live again and so I can rest knowing the rightful king is watching over the elven forest. Meanwhile outside the window a spy of Astra's troop hid outside listening to the conversation before vanishing... Later That Night... In the main eating hall, their elder was laid on the table as Tera began the ritual before everyone. Many of the elves were in tears at the thought of losing their beloved leader. Tera had long blonde hair with green eyes wearing a green dress as she placed Renkai's soul beside the body. Senku stood next to him and asked: "Before it's too late, I would like to know your name great elder" The old man looked at him as a flow of green mana flowed out of the elf's body while Renkai's purple life force flowed in. "M-my name is Eldacor Greenworth. Tera...watch over them all while I'm gone" He said weakly as his eyes finally shut the moment the ritual was done. Senku placed his hand on the old man's shoulder while the elves broke down in tears knowing their leader had finally pasted. Just then an arrow flew through the wind piercing the wall just inches from the human's skull as everyone turned to see Astra and her troop marching towards them. "Now that my dear father is gone no one shall stop me from claiming my right as queen of the elven forest" She grinned manifesting a green flame in her palm as her troops aimed their arrows toward the others. "Surrender Tera, otherwise I'll kill you and take the throne by force" Tera stepped forward facing the entitled princess as she unleashed a green fireball straight for her and the archers. The squad ducked down while Astra quickly fired one back to cancel out the projectile. "As you can see Astra, you're not the only one capable of using offensive magic, I've studied many different kinds so that I would be ready the day someone would attempt to kill our dear elder, though I didn't expect it to be you" The Villagers all ran outside leaving Senku and the others inside as Tera prepared to strike. "Ice magic: Piercing tide!" Swiping both her forward a tsunami of water washed over the room, headed right for the assailants. They put up their guards as water rushed past their feet when Tera smirked swiping her hand upward. The water then froze instantly as all of her targets were frozen from the feet down in thick layers of ice. "Seems like you weren't expected that to happen. Now that you and your squad are trapped, I can defeat you all with ease" Astra smirked replying: "Are you sure about that?" Just then vines shot out of the walls and floor, wrapping around Senku's and the other's bodies as they were also pinned in place. "I may not be able to move my legs, but I can still cast spells with my hands you ignorant fools" At that moment, an immense magical aura began to radiate from the elder's body. "T-this magical presence, what is this!? I saw father die. C-could a human really have this much magic essence!? The body stood up as Renkai opened his eyes now in his new body. "I can breathe again...now that I'm alive, I can use magic far more easily" the princess groaned in anger firing off a fire ball right for Renkai when the mage stopped it abruptly with his bare palm. "Please, your level of magic is nowhere near my mastery" As the flames fizzled out, the magic caster aimed his palm towards the elf, sending a force of magical energy right for her face. Her eyes widened as she was struck with a mental attack. "Your troop should give up. I've cast a spell that's shattered your feeble mind. Most would go for a physical attack, but I find mental attacks to work more efficiently. Though these kinds of spells are harder to use when in a mere undead body"  As the princess and her troop were banished, Tera thanked Renkai and the others for stopping Astra. "Thank you Renkai for stopping her, I'm fascinated by how skilled you are in high-tier magic!" "It was no trouble, I'm just glad to finally have a living vessel to possess. Now I can reshape it the way I want" Snapping his fingers his appearance began to change as the elderly elf was now a tall young human wearing a purple hooded-robe with black hair and purple eyes. "Looks like I managed to reform my 20 year-old appearance around my new body. So then Senku, shall we head back to town?" Renkai smirked, rejoicing at the fact he was finally human along with reverting himself into a younger version of himself... CHAPTER 3 Power Of The S Rank Mage The party made their way back to Xuvria after 3 hours of traveling by foot with the moon illuminating their path. As they walked into the tavern, Senku walked up to Masuna while Renkai looked around the tavern with excitement at seeing something aside dead trees and undead. "Hey Masuna I'm finally back from my exploration and managed to gain a 3rd party member who's a skilled mage in many types of magic" The bartender turned to see Renkai reading the quests from the board, blushing at how attractive he was. His face seemed smooth with the glowing purple eyes that seemed to match his black hair. "H-he certainly is an attractive man. Where did you find such a powerful mage? In the kingdom of Sinkosu past the forest of undead?" "Actually we found him in the forest, we never made it to Sinkosu, we were attacked by forest Elves and headed back here once things calmed down. Me and my party will probably head back out after some sleep, can't have my party drained from lack of sleep" Walking over to the stairs of the tavern he had his party follow him upstairs where he and Sohira sleep in the same bed while Renkai got his own room. "Here you go Renkai, there's only room for two people per bed so I paid for your own room" Renkai walked past Senku looking at the small wooden room with just a window, a bed and a nightstand beside the bed. "Senku...Is this really where you sleep? In a small room above a tavern?" "I've had planned for something better than this but I haven't gotten around to it yet" A smirk grew across the mage's face beneath the hood as he walked out the door telling his party leader to follow him as they made their way back outside in the cold night with no one outside. They made their way into the green forest south of Xuvria until they were near the center of the forest. "Watch Senku, as I create a home worthy of our party" Clapping his hands together a green aura swarmed around his body as a large house made of wood formed before them. The red-haired warrior was amazed at how much Renkai was capable of just because he wasn't trapped in an undead body anymore. "Renkai, why couldn't you use this much magic while you were in the forest while you were an undead?" "Think it Senku, if one's life-force is weak then it greatly weakens one's magical power. But with this new vessel, I have a living body that's strengthening my life-force therefore maximizing my magic. I was an S rank wizard before I died so I achieved great feats before I was trapped within the darkness. I'm in your debit for freeing me from that hell and will willingly join your party and help anyway I can. But I do hope to find the dragon that destroyed my village and end it's torment once and for all!" The Next Day... Senku awoke in a wooden bed with leaves as the mattress as he looked around to see the large wooden house had several rooms even a 2nd floor instead of it being a small cabin you'd normally see in the forest. Rubbing his eyes he got out of bed walking across the wooden floor when he spotted a few slimes hopping around the house. (Yes! I've heard they have a skill I need, seems they were in this forest instead of the undead forest) Excitedly running outside he charged right for the three blue slices, punching one of them head on sending it flying into a tree before landing on the ground as if unharmed. "Hmm, my punch damaged it, but surprisingly it looks unphased by my attack. Whatever, I guess I'll just wear it down until it's defeated!" As Senku prepared to advance for a 2nd, he watched as the two other slimes bounced over to the wounded slime as they merged together into a large slime, it's level increasing from 5 to 15. "Sigh, I don't know weather this makes it harder or easier, either way...seems I'll have to try harder!" Using shadow step the adventurer moved around the massive slime before suddenly striking the back of the monster with a strong kick. That's when he realized his foot was stuck in the slime as he was slowly pulled in side. "Oh no you don't you fat blob!"  With all his strength he threw his foot upward, sending the blob soaring through the air hitting another tree as it broke, falling to the ground with a loud thump. "Damn, and here I thought slimes were supposed to be easy targets" Just then Senku looked up to see Renkai descend down landing beside him as they faced the big blue blob. "I see you're struggling with a mere slime, mind if I help you?" He grinned aiming his palm towards the monster. "Pierce lightning" Senku watched as a purple strike of lightning came down from the sky hitting the target head on as it's HP went down to 1%. "Heh, you're using long distance attacks, it's different if I'm stuck fighting close range!" The party leader commented with jealousy as the mage manifested a fireball in his hand. "Well then we'll just need to teach you some ranged attacks before you die to something as weak as a slime" Renkai fired the fierce sphere of flames straight for the creature as it was engulfed in flames leaving nothing but a puddle. They watched as two skills floated over to him as he touched the blue orbs revealing the skills... Skill Obtained: Slime absorption - Absorb any lower-level or weakened creature with a slime particle. Skill Obtained: Slime Duplication - Create an exact double made out of a slime. Senku read both skills and was confused on how they actually worked. (Hmm, I don't fully understand how these work, but only way to truly understand a skill is to use it! Slime Duplication!" The pair watched as the adventurer threw his hand out as purple Slime gushed from his hand forming a silhouette of him before the Slime faded revealing a perfect copy of him. "Oh! It really is a clone of me! When I read slime duplication, I thought it'd actually be made of slime, looks actually like me" Senku stepped closer looking at his duplicate that stood motionless as if frozen. "I if it can fight on it's own. Duplication, fight me!" The doppelganger looked at Senku with an emotionless expression before advancing straight for him. The warrior quickly guarded as the copy struck his wrist with fierce power. "Strange, this is a copy of me yet it feels more powerful than I am!" (Analyzing...slime copy has no emotion therefore no need to hold back, as well as can harden it's body for stronger blows. Lastly, with no human mind, it can react much faster than you) The young warrior sighed in frustration as he was pinned against a tree on the defensive with his duplicate sending piercing blows to his guard. (Damn it, at this rate he's going to break my guard or get my HP low enough to one shot! I'll have to get it to stop before my guard Is shattered) With his arms still taking the fierce beating, Senku sent a kick to his copy's abdomen sending them staggering a few feet before it caught it's balance. Just as he was about to command it to stop, the doppelganger came flying right at him, punching straight through the thick tree, inches from his head. "Duplication stop!" Senku shouted as his body shook from the fear and adrenaline. "Damn it, to think a copy of me is more threatening than the original. But with the increased reaction time and no need to hold back I guess that would make a great difference in a fight. Alright Renkai let's go get Sohira and see if there's possibly a dungeon we can raid to test your S rank level magic" They made their way back to the tavern where they found Sohira sitting at the bar chatting with Masuna drinking a mug filled with juice. They turned to see Senku and Renkai walking back into the bar. "Hey captain, I was surprised to find you gone when I woke up, but I guess I should expect that from you at this point since your goal is to become the strongest adventurer"  "Well, we're headed over to a dungeon up in the ice mountains west of us and was wondering if you were well enough to join us unless you'd rather stay here with Masuna" The young girl took a drink of her juice before looking at them with a frown on her face. "I'm sorry Senku, but the memory of Syrus dying still makes me uneasy, I don't think I'd be in the right state of mind in a fight if I go in another dungeon" The party leader walked over to her placing his hand on her head, softly pulling her close to him as she rested her head on his chest closing her eyes. "He was a good party leader..." [Flashback] The Story Of Syrus A young man wearing black mercenary arrived in Osudon, a kingdom in the far east, he had long blonde hair with blue eyes as he walked through the large city with buildings and larges houses rather than small houses and merchants like most kingdoms. The young man was Syrus, a 20-year-old warrior who was a mere level 10. "Finally, I made it to Osudon, the kingdom of chance, the kingdom of the rich. I've heard many great stories from Osudon, mere adventurers that go on to become knights and legends of history. If I'm going to claim glory in this life, this place is my best chance" The young man made his way down the large stone path where he made his way into the guild hall where those looking for a party or guild would go. He made his way through the tall blue doors into a large room with stone walls and wooden floors that looked like a much larger tavern with tables and chairs spreads out. He spotted an old man behind a counter and made his way over, the old man had a handlebar mustache wearing a black fancy suit making him look like a butler. "Hello good sir, my name is Syrus and I'm looking for a party to join, perhaps there's one available?" "Why yes good traveler, there are indeed parties looking for moments, though at your low level, I doubt any would be willing to take you in. You see good sir, Osudon in a place for the rich and high-ranking knights, I'd suggest you leave town before some of the..."unfriendly" knights show up, some of them can be awfully rude. But I do wish you luck in your endeavor!" Syrus made his way outside where he saw a group of adventurers preparing to set out as they packed their weapons in the back of a carriage, The middle was dressed in black rouge clothing concealing his face while the one to his left wore red knight armor with short brown hair and green eyes. The one to his right was a mage wearing a black and gold robe with black hair and green eyes. "Hello fellow adventurers, I noticed you're missing a 4th in your party, I was curious if you would allow me to join you on your quest" The party looked at one another before bursting out with laughter. "You think you can accompany us on a quest!? We're level 30 while you're merely a level 10, in short...you're still a novice. You should leave before you get hurt" The rouge told him crossing his arms. Syrus walked away as it began to rain while the trio watched him walk off. Syrus felt himself grow cold as the rain soaked through his clothes. He found a shaded house to sit beside keeping the rain away as he sat there with a sad look on his face. (Osudon...the kingdom of chance huh? Somehow, I'm not seeing any opportunity for me to grow as a warrior if those here only look down on me for my level) After falling asleep, he awoke inside a carriage, his arms tied behind his back along with his feet tied together and his sword gone. "W-where am I!? What's going on!?" He struggled to free himself from the bonds but struggled in vain as it seemed to do little to no good. A man's voice could be heard: "Seems a novice like you doesn't know the 1st thing about living in Osudon, never drop your guard. It's common sense when becoming an adventurer boy" The carriage came to a stop as Syrus was dragged out of the back by his shirt by an old man in a black hooded cloak as he found himself before a large cliff. "Your sword was of great quality, it's a shame it was being wasted on someone like you. Here's a true test of an adventurer, should you survive the fall, perhaps you do have the potential to be a great warrior" Without another word, the old man kicked Syrus off the high rocky cliff into the forest below... Syrus awoke hours later, the bonds torn from the fall, but his HP at a mere 5% from both the fall and rocky terrain he must've hit on his way down. "I-I'm alive...I really am meant to be an adventurer! But my first task is to get my sword back from that old geezer! Sadly, it'll have to wait, with this low of health I could end up dying if I fought him or got attacked by some magical beast somewhere in these woods. It's best to let my body heal before anything else" After a day of rest in the forest and surviving off fruit and water from the stream nearby, Syrus began his journey back to the kingdom. After three hours of walking around the cliff and walking up a path he had finally found, he made his way into the city. (Now, I just need to find that old man, I doubt he knows I survived and is probably somewhere in this city. He searched through building after building but saw no trace of his target. He was about to give up when he spotted a man dressed in the same cloak but this time the hood was down reveling their face. The old man had a long pony tail with white hair and green eyes. "Hmm, that could be him but I'm not sure. I'll have to follow him to confirm my suspicions" As the old man paid a merchant for some foot, he got in his carriage and began making his way down the stone path. Syrus followed close behind, moving through alleys and hiding behind large crates to avoid being seen. After a few minutes of falling the suspicious man, he saw them making their way to a small house just outside the city. "Nothing suspicious yet, but I wouldn't expect it to be that easy to find anything, he must be doing something in there. I have to get closer" As the old man went inside his house, Syrus careful snuck through the dark over to a window the man had left open. Checking to make sure it was clear, the young swordsmen crept through the window finding himself in the living room with many crates of food piled around the room. (This is strange, he's not a farmer so I know this isn't his foot, he must be feeding something or someone. I'll have to check the basement since that's the most obvious place to look) Grabbing a knife from the kitchen, Syrus made his way down the hall, his feet slightly creaking as he found a door at the end of the hall. Slowly opening it he found the stairs that lead to the basement. "Ah, hello my darlings, hope you're all doing well this evening" Syrus could hear the old man talking to someone downstairs. Slowly he crept downstairs into the basement gripping the knife tightly, as he touched down on the cold stone floor, he saw three girls locked in a large cage with chains on their hands. The sight of the girls trapped like animals disgusted him, no person would do something so vial to others. He gritted his teeth in anger trying to suppress his rage as he hid behind a large crate just a few feet from the old man. "Now you girls behave while I go get you three some foot I bought from the store" He smiled at them before making his way upstairs. The moment he was gone Syrus rushed over to the cage. Two of the girls were Sohira and Asumi while the third was a young girl named Yukami who had long black hair with hazel eyes. They seem to only be wearing their bra and panties. "Don't worry I'm going to get you three out of here!" Stabbing into the lock with the knife he managed to lock pick it as the lock hit the ground and the door opened with a loud creak. "Hurry! You three need to get out of here!" The three girls ran out of the cell when the old man came back dropping the crate of food, oh Sohira, Asumi and Yukami, how could you leave without my permission?" He smiled with his eyes closed while a radiant aura of dark magic swarmed around him as the basement shook. "I shall never let you take my girls from me you brat" A demonic hand, made of the dark magic reached out to crush the young warrior when Sohira threw her hands out casting a spell. "Holy shield!" A barrier of holy magic stopped the hand as the man struck the shield with his immense aura but to no avail. "Tsk, you are starting to make me mad young lady and you know what happens when I'm pushed too far. Dark magic: Piercing bullets" The assailant formed his dark mana into spikes, firing them off like needles as they hit the field of light but still couldn't break it. "Take this you perverted old man! Light Javion!" Asumi fired a spear of holy magic, piercing the man in the chest as blood dripped from the wound. "Ack! You ungrateful bitches! I gave you food and a place to stay and this is how you threat me!? Just then he noticed Syrus was missing. He turned to see the swordsmen lunge from behind with the knife, stabbing it right through his heart. "How's that for ungrateful, now lay there and die you perverted bastard" [End Of Flashback]  "Ever since that night, me and Asumi were a part of his party, he may have become an overconfident jerk to others, but he never mistreated me or her"  "Well just relax here and we'll come check on you when we finish the dungeon. With Renkai's immense magical capabilities I'm sure we'll be back in no time" Senku patted her head before making his way outside with Renkai close behind. "I'm told this is going to be an S rank dungeon, are you sure you're up for this?"  Renkai smirked looking at his party leader with purple gleaming eyes. "Don't worry, an S rank mage going into an S rank dungeon should be fun. As long as you stay close nothing should go wrong" Using flight magic, Renkai flew through the air with Senku floating beside him with a blue aura around them from the fly buff. Thanks to this ability they reached the ice mountains in just a few minutes. The pair landed near the top of the mountain within a strong blizzard as snow rained down, limiting their view to just a few meters. That's when the magic caster raised his hand above them casting a spell. "Flame magic: Heat field" A transparent orange barrier formed around them, keeping them warm and filtering out all cold as they ventured through the blizzard. (Renkai is a very powerful caster, it seems like he keeps using new spells while I only have a few skills after days of nonstop fighting along with the ring of mammon which basically let's me cheat my way to power. As much as I hate cheating, I need to be ready for any strong enemies that could come after us...I never know what could happen, no matter how strong my senses become..) After about three minutes of waking, they finally reached a large steel door with an "S" Made of pure mana. Senku was uneasy but didn't want to seem afraid in front of his ally, he followed behind Renkai who placed his hand upon the magical door. The door slowly opened as a red ray of light filled the area... As the light faded they found themselves in a large arena with a red floor that looked as if it were made of blood with flames blazing across the stone walls around them. "Heh, this should be an interesting dungeon, I haven't be in a dungeon in years!"  Just then a red rift opened on the floor in front of them as demons began to manifest in large groups. The demons were tall with red skin, dragon-like wings, black eyes along with a black aura swarming around their body like black flames. "Hmmm, haven't fought demons before, let's see just how powerful you are!" The demonic creatures let out sadistic roars charging right for them. "Senku stay back! Holy magic: Chains of atonement!" Renkai clenched his fist as chains made of golden light shot out of the ground, binding the arms of the demons in place as the holy damage turned them to ash. "Tsk easy, you demons are weak when it comes to holy magic" The ground began to shake as another portal opened before them as a giant white three-headed dog emerged. "It's a Cerberus!" Senku cried out in shock. (Senjin analyze!) (Analyzing... Cerberus Level 60 Low success rate) (Sigh, of course you'd say that Senjin. Whatever hopefully Renkai can handle such a creature) each head seem to have power over one element, the left had ice, the middle fire and the right wind. Renkai threw his hand towards the colossal beast, firing off multiple holy magic chains, wrapping them around the creature's throats as the dog violently growled as the middle struggled while the left unleashed a hail of sharp fragments of ice raining down.  "Shit! Iron defense tier III!" As a blue flame-like aura burst from his body maximizing his defense, he lunged in front of the coming projectiles as they shattered on impact with his HP slowly dropping. "Tsk! Even with iron defense the beast's attack power is still getting past my defense buff!" Senku quickly shadow-stepped away just as his stats boost timed out. He watched the caster tighten the chains around the beast's throats. "Come here doggy, sit!" Just then Cerberus let out a deafening howl as the dungeon shook violently by it's power, causing the chains of holy magic to shatter. The young warrior covered his hears getting launched into the stone wall while Renkai managed to keep his balance.  Clapping his hands together he formed a large dome of stone around the monster trapping it inside. (There, that gives me a moment to prepare my next spell!) Raising his palm towards the ceiling, he began focusing all of his magic into another holy spell as wisps of golden light gathered to his palm. Suddenly the dome crumbled apart as Cerberus broke free lunging straight for the caster. With a smirk Renkai unleashed a high-tier holy spell as a colossal bolt of lightning struck the monster, filing the arena with blinding white light. "Heaven's judgment!" Senku tried to watch but struggled to keep his eyes open as the dungeon shook rapidly before calming down. Once the light faded, the red-haired warrior saw the large dog lying motionless on the red floor, it's HP at 1%. "This is a perfect chance to test my other slime ability!" Aiming his index finger toward the beast, a purple bubble of a slime floated over to the wounded creature as it stuck to it's body before slowly growing until the beast was completely consumed by the liquid entity. (Absorption complete) Senjin notified him as the massive ball of slime condensed into a marble-sized sphere drifting over to Senku who held the ball of slime in his hand before swallowing it. Renkai watched as Senku clinched his fists as purple electricity swarmed around his body trying to contain the fierce power of Cerberus. "Haaaaaaggh!" A transparent Cerberus appeared behind him letting out a howl as the power stabilized and the electricity vanished. (Results: Cerberus captured) (You can now summon Cerberus)  "So that's what slime absorption does, I can capture monsters and then summon them as ally's when I need to. Heh, with such a powerful summon at my command, I doubt anyone can defeat me now" Before Renkai could respond, a ball of light appeared in the center of the room. Senku slowly walked over to see a fairy sleeping within it, floating still as if in a trance. She had long dark-blue hair, purple skin and rainbow wings while wearing a golden dress. The young adventurer looked at the sphere of light and tried to think of a way to free her but was scared brute force could hurt the fairy. "Renkai, there's a fairy trapped in this orb and I'm not sure how to free here!" The mage walked over insuring him that undoing barrier was his specialty. Placing his hand over the orb he closed his eyes, focusing on the magical flow of the seal. Letting out a soft sigh the orb shattered as the tiny creature fell into Senku's hands, she slowly opened her eyes to see them both staring at her. "Ah who are you!? What's going on!?" Quickly standing up she tried running away before falling out of the man's hands. Being a sleep for so long made her wings weak as she attempted to stop herself from falling by fluttering her wings but they did little good when Senku caught her just in time. "Are you ok? We found you after defeating Cerberus" She blushed looking at Senku before looking away crossing her arms with a pouting face. "I'm fine, I'm sure I could've handled myself without your help" Renkai began to laugh at her responding: "Is that right? Then how in the right mind would you have escaped or fought the damn beasts while sleeping in a magical seal for years no doubt?" The magical creature grew frustrated as she clinched her fist marching over to hit him but missed nearly falling out of Senku's hands again but managed to save herself falling on her butt in her rescuer's grasp. "So, what's your name? I've never met a fairy before" The party leader asked with fascination. "O-oh my name is Elvina, I'm the last fairy of my kind" "Last of your kind? Do you mean there's no fairies left?" Senku questioned. She looked up at him, "No, there's bound to be plenty of fairy in forest all over the world, though when we're born, we're given a magic affinity at birth towards one element. However, those few like me weren't bound to one affinity, which means I can learn all elements of magic instead of just chained to one type. Such as the most common magic affinity among fairies is nature, but if I practiced eventually, I could learn all types of magic in my lifetime. These types were known as omni-fairies but were looked down upon by most fairies since they saw it as unnatural to use more than one magic affinity like most of my race. So, I was banished from my village" "Well, I'm just glad we were able to save you from this dungeon. You can stay with us and we'll help you grow stronger" She blushed more and held her hand out to him. Senku was confused but placed his index finger upon her tiny hand as a green aura swarmed around her body, traveling to him as both were now glowing with a green aura. "W-what's going on!?" He exclaimed unsure of what was going on. Elvina told him they were creating a soul-link as a small chain made of green magic traveled from her heart to his as a heart wrapped in chains appeared between them before vanishing. "We've linked soul Senku and not only will this bond make us stronger, it will also sync our minds and feelings" Senku blushed feeling as though this was some kind of love ritual for fairies. "Don't worry, this happens between fairies and those who form a bond with them. Though it's rare for a human to form a soul link with a fairy so quickly, you must not be like other humans, you seem to actually care about those in need" Renkai groaned complaining: "Are we done with all this friendship stuff? We should head back to Xuvira where Sohira is waiting, we should probably let her know we completed the dungeon" Carefully placing Elvina on his shoulders he nodded as they walked out the exit talking then back outside into the blizzard. "Eeep! It's so cold! When did we get in the middle of a blizzard!?" [Level 20 Unlocked]  [Soul-Link Activated · Life span extended by 500 years · Nature magic unlocked · Wings of the fairy Obtained] "Wow, I gain all this from the soul-link!?" Senku exclaimed looking at his hands shocked at the boost of power the link gave him. "A human's life expectancy is only 70 to 80 years, but thanks to this link, my life span has been extended to 500 years!" He patted Elvina's head happy that his power had vastly increased. (With this power I can protect everyone to an even greater feat! No matter the threat, I will overcome it and reach greater heights, one that can protect everyone!) Taking a deep breath, wings made of purple mana manifested on his back as he floated into the air without the need of Renkai's flight spell. The trio made their way back to the kingdom of Xuvira with Senku and Renkai flying while Elvina sat on her new friend's shoulder feeling the wind on her face... Making their way back to the tavern, many citizens quickly noticed the fairy upon the man's shoulder and gave them disgusted look as if they were scared or uncomfortable around the magical creature. As Renkai walked into the tavern, Senku was stopped as a villager cried out: "Get that no-good fairy out of here! Magical creatures like those only bring monsters that sense their power and end up attacking innocent people!" The villager was an old man in rags with a white beard covered in dirt but other people began to take the insane man's side as they brought out pitchforks and torches like your cliché townsfolk. Senku stood there listening to their rant as they grew more angry and violent towards him. He stood there as his hair covered his eyes with a frown when one of the villagers threw a punch right for him. Just before impact a transparent Cerberus manifested behind the warrior as it let out a devastating roar, sending the crowd flying back with windows shattering by the sheer power of the roar. "How dare you all shun my friend for being what she is, I've tolerated the people of this kingdom, even finding a man that deep down was a kind person underneath, but the rest of you all would sink so low to judge a person just for being a magical creature? If this town was attacked, I would've protected you all with everything thing I had, but since you all want to treat my new friend with such harsh hostility, I don't care about this town anymore and won't come to your rescue when it goes up in flames by a monster" Senku walked away from them entering the tavern with a serious expression on his face. "Senku what's wrong?" Sohira asked noticing the frustration in her leader's eyes. The ma sighed. "Many people here are uncomfortable with magical creatures in fear their magical essence could attack monsters, so I'm going to leave Xuvira to find somewhere that won't judge her like her village did. It's bad enough she was banished from her own home now this!?"  The others watched as tears began to fall from the warrior's face as Elvina snuggled up to his neck comforting him. "I-I just can't stand all this hatred anymore! I WON'T LET INNOCENT PEPOLE BE IN FEAR OF WHO THEY ARE, EVREYONE IS ALLOWED TO BE WHO THEY ARE, UNJUDGED BY WHO OR WHAT THEY ARE!" The people within the bar ran out in fear as a dark-red aura swarmed around Senku's body. Just then a tall man with long white hair and golden eyes walked in, he wore silver armor wielding a sword crafted with a gold handle with gems down the steel. "You there, I was just informed you brought a magical creature within the walls of the city, that is a crime and we shall not stand for it! All a few villagers informed me you attacked them in retaliation to this conviction. "I assure you that the royal knights of Xuvira shall not stand idly by while you threaten innocent people!" "Innocent people!? The same ones who attacked us first...the same ones who threated my friend with hostility for being something she can't control!?" Shaking with rage Senku finally snapped as Elvina flew off of her friend's shoulder as an instant shockwave of force sent the royal knight flying out the door crashing into the wall of a building just outside. "This boy, he doesn't seem human, he knocked me back with just sheer power. Never the less, I must fight to uphold order in the city even if it costs me my life!" The royal knight lifted his sword to the sky as he sent a signal by firing a ray of golden light into the sky. "I have signaled the king and all fellow knights of the kingdom, once they arrive, you and all your accomplices shall be brought before the king for judgment" "Judgment? And just who gave you the right to judge someone on something they have no control of? Your act of judgment is flawed and I won't go quietly" Clapping his hands together as he shouted: "Cerberus!" A dark mist floated around his body like a cyclone as he was engulfed within it. The knight watched as the mist cleared, revealing Cerberus before him, it's eyes glowed purple as Senku had transformed into the powerful beast. Sohira and the others came running out as the royal guard advanced towards the beast, bringing his sword down with a powerful slash as lightning surged from it's blade, his long white hair blowing in the wind as he kept a calm plain expression. The blade struck Senku's sharp teeth with electricity surging around them shaking the streets. "Senku!?" The healer cried out seeing the massive beast with similar magic essence to her captain. Renkai aimed his hand preparing to cast a spell when the massive dog slapped the assailant across the face, sending him flying through the air, smashing through a water barrel as water spilled out in the streets. "Huff...you're making a grave mistake monster, I don't know what you are, but rebelling against the king's royal guard is a crime worthy of death, you all shall have your heads removed by my very blade" The party stood beside their leader with Elvina flying beside him. "I'm sorry I started all of this Senku, but I won't run away, our souls are linked and I shall fight with you even if it costs me my life!" The tiny fairy announced throwing her fist out to him. They bumped fists as Senku reverted back into his human state. "Oh? Reverting back to your base form? What, have you finally realized how futile it is to fight against the crown?" The adventurer smirked lowering his fist from his ally. "No, I just realized a way to fight you more efficiently without resorting to using that form" Extending his hand out, a slime duplication of him formed. "Cerberus!" All watched as his doppelganger transformed into his Cerberus form as it growled at him. "Go ahead and fight us with everything you have royal knight, if I actually use all my skills in combinations, you won't last long no matter if you're a higher-level or not"  "Very well, prepare to witness the power of an S-class knight. Holy blessing tier III, God speed, piercing boost" Sohira stepped back as golden light swarmed around the knight as he combined all his buffs to maximize his stats. "Secret art: Shattering atonement" In a calm voice the knight moved at a speed, faster than even lethal prediction could detect. (Warning! Activating auto mode) Senjin announced. Senku watched as the world around him came to a near halt from his mind moving at near light speed. That's when his target came into view, moving at such speed, it was as if he were moving at a normal level. Back in real time the knight had vanished before appearing right above Senku weighing his blade down as the warrior stopped the blasé between his hands as a storm of lightning whipped around the city from the god-like power emanating from their clash. The captain kicked the knight in the abdomen, sending him soaring across Xuvira, impacting the king's castle miles away. "Sohira, Renkai, Elvina...I need you all to give me as much power and buffs as you can. At his level of speed, I might be the only one that can keep up with his light speed movements" "Are you sure Senku!?" Elvina cried out in surprise. Their leader nodded as he looked back at the castle watching a ray of golden light shoot out of it meaning their foe was coming. The party aimed their hands toward their captain, casting all the buffs they could: "Iron defense tier III, greater attack, enhanced MP, haste, regeneration!" With all the boosts of his stats, Senku manifested his dark wings, flying right for the royal guard as they clashed. The kingdom shook as Senku stopped his foe's blade with his wrist taking little to no damage thx to Iron defense. (Analyzing... Royal guard Arthur  Level 65 50% chance of victory) (Hmph, 50% or not, I've beaten greater odds. I need to take a stand here and show Xuvira that you shouldn't treat other races like this, even if I have to crush them to do it!) Without warning, Arthur struck him across the face, sending him soaring through the sky, impacting an empty house as he was buried under the rubble. With him hidden, he had an idea... Arthur levitated over the destroyed house waiting for his target to revel himself when he felt a fist scrap across his jaw with immense power. Blood flew from his lips as he went repelling across the sky. "What!? How could he have snuck up on me without me being able to feel his magical essence!?" He caught his balance floating back into the air to see Senku smirking. "What's so amusing monster? You spat off about how unfair your friend was treated and yet you're willing to wage war over something so insignificant!? What about all the innocent people who get hurt in the chaos!? The knights who risk their lives for a pointless war!?" Senku watched as the once calm manor of the knight was now growing into anger. "I...ARTHUR CALAVAN...KNIGHT OF XUVIRA AND GUARD TO THE KING...SHALL CUT YOU DOWN HERE!" gripping his blade with both hands he prepared to use his final move... "ULTAMITE SKILL: GOD'S JUDGMENT!" Senku watched as his assailant raised his blade to the sky, all but the handle shattered away as a blade made of holy magic formed in it's place, it grew several meters long as the adventurer saw a titan-sized sword of hold magic before him. "Now die and receive god's judgment!" The holy sword came down as Senku crossed his arms to block the coming attack. The moment the two forces connected, it sent a shockwave traveling across all of Xuvira as the blade unleashed a trail of destruction for miles, leaving nothing but rubble across the south of the kingdom cutting into the forest. "Huff...huff, that bastard should be dead, nothing should be capable of surviving an ultimate skill of that magnitude. Arthur dropped the handle which was all that remained of the sword as he fell into the center of the city, his body grew weak from using all his MP in one attack. He laid on his back barley able to move when he heard footsteps. Slowly turning his head to the side, he saw Senku, unharmed and making his way over to him. "B-blasphemous! You could've survived such an attack, ultimate skills are on par with world-tier spells!" Senku crouched down in front of him. "Ah an ultimate skill huh? Thanks for telling me, now that I'm aware of their existence, I can strive to try and gather these "Ultimate skills" You're talking about, they seem like they could be a key-component to saving others while bringing down corrupt kingdoms like yours" Holding out his hand he formed a slime sphere, shooting it onto the knight as it slowly consumed him. "Y-you really are a monster, your sick view of helping friends is nothing more than an excuse to crush those you deem as a threat, you're no better than the rest of us!" The knight began to cry as he was completely consumed then condensed into a marble. Senku held the ball in his hand thinking on what the knight had said. (Maybe you're right, maybe I'm not a hero, but no matter what I have to do, I will protect my friends and crush those who treat them as less of a human. Maybe I'm starting to view the world like Syrus...mad at the world, but faithful to those who are at my side) "Now then, it's time to pay our dear lord a visit" Swallowing the orb he absorbed the knight, gaining all of their skills as he transformed his body into the fallen knight. (Results Royal knight Arthur Captured) · Skill Obtained: God speed - Boosts user's movement to near light speed. · Skill Obtained: Holy Blessing - Health regenerates at a fast rate Using god speed, the disguised man moved from the center of the city right to the castle doors walking up to the large red twin doors as a group of royal knights guarded the door. "Sir Arthur you've returned! When we heard word you had to resort to using an ultimate skill, we thought the worst had happened!" "Fear not fellow guards, I defeated that ingrate with one strike once I used my ultimate skill" The guards saluted him as he made his way past him towards the king's throne. (Hmm, didn't know I could use his voice while disguised at him, that will defiantly come in handy when infiltrating the castle to get close to the king" Senku made his way down a long royal hallway, the walls where white with a red carpeted floor, portraits of the king aligning the walls with stain glass windows. In between them. (Feels strange casually walking through the enemy's castle so easily, not to mention I'm not used to changing into different forms yet) Making it to the end of the hall, he reached two colossal doors made of solid gold. He pushed them open to see the king sitting upon his throne with 10 knights perfectly aligned on both sides of the throne. The king looked like your cliché king, an old man dressed in a red and gold royal robe with a large white beard. "Ah sir Arthur, I see you've Safely returned to me, it warms my heart to see you alright" That's when the king motioned his hand, signaling the guards. Senku watched as the 10 guards charged right for him wielding swords and javelins. "My lord what is the meaning of this!?" Knights charged him when Senku used god speed once more, blue electricity whipped around his body as he moved past the squad in a near instantaneous movement, striking each of them with mere punches, but with his hands wearing steel gauntlets along with moving light speed, the power of mere strikes were maximized to the power of a missile. The king's guards hit the floor with blood staining the floor. Senku reverted back to his normal appearance questioning how the king saw through his disguise. The old king looked down at him from his throne as he reveled a glowing purple crystal within his grasp. "Not another step boy, this summoning crystal contains a magical best with enough power to destroy this entire kingdom! A 10th tier monster, just below world tier magic!"  The adventurer watched as the king clinched his fingers around the fragile jewel as it began to crack. (No!) Senku moved at lightspeed, reaching for the relic as it shattered in slow-motion. He managed to swipe the item but could only watch in his accelerated time as the purple crystal broke apart in a blinding flash of light bringing him back to normal time. "Shit! What now!?"  Before him stood A young pale man about his height with red eyes and white hair, wearing a black and gold jacket. "Hmmm, seems I've finally been freed from that accursed seal after nearly 500 years" He looked around to find himself within the king's throne room. Senku standing before him with the king on his throne just behind him. That's when the princess Nasara came running in. "Father, I could hear all the fighting from my room I-she turned to see the pale man standing before them. "D-daddy...which crystal did you use?" She asked in fear.  "The purple one, I was informed in case of an emergency to use the purple summoning jewel" A look of horror washed over the girl as her face. "Father...that's not the crystal with the summon to protect us...that was the sealing crystal that trapped the demon lord known as Osumaru hundreds of years ago!"  All were frozen in fear as the demon lord slowly looked at each of them. That's when he moved at such speed, even Senku couldn't keep up as the demon lord gripped the young princess's throat beginning to choke her. "Humans...such fragile things...yet were capable of sealing me within a crystal for which I could not escape even with my god-like power. I may be the weakest demon lord...but compared to you all, this is nothing more than a game to me"  With a loud crack the girl fell to the floor dead. "YOU BASTARD!" Senku activated god-speed, sending a powerful blow to the side of the demon's skull, only to realize it had no effect. The demon stood in the same spot, unphased by his light speed attack and just back-handed the warrior, sending him into the wall leaving a crater as Senku watched as his HP was now at a mere 5%.  He weakly stood up, unsure of what to do, he was clearly out-matched against a demon lord. Even after all of his power boosts and collected skills, still there were beings that stood above him as if he were a mere peasant. (Holy blessing) He activated the skill as a holy light shined on him restoring 10 HP each second.  "Hmph, you're weak, but you have potential. I'll let you live for now, but I won't give you much time. You'll just have to keep your guard up until the day comes when I return along with my legion of demons" The pair could only watch as the demon lord made an "X" motion with his hand like a dagger as a split in reality formed, opening a rift to the demon realm, before walking through it and closing right behind him.  Senku stood there as the last of his health replenished. He was hesitant at first then knew the only thing he could do was continue to grow stronger by taking on stronger dungeons and absorbing their powers. The king fought back tears slamming his fists on his chair. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT! IF YOU HADN'T CAME HERE I WOULDN'VE HAD TO USE THE SUMMONING CRYSTAL!"  Senku stomped towards him in anger as the king put his arms up in fear. "S-stay back you monster!" The angered man stabbed his bare hand straight through the king's heart as blood gushed from his wound. "Tsk! Y-you murderer!"  "I don't want to hear it, you're the reason that demon lord was freed in the first place, your daughter's death is your fault and you'll die knowing that you ended the life of your own child. I had no intentions of killing Nasara, she was one of the people who were actually kind to me and gave me the money I need to build up my strength. But most of the people of this kingdom, including you are nothing more than corrupt rulers and people that threat others like trash...This is your penance of all your misdeeds"  Pulling his hand over the king died in his chair while Senku walked out with blood dripping from his one palm...  CHAPTER 4 A New Reign Upon Xuvira  Senku gathered all the people of Xuvira for a royal announcement as he walked out onto the balcony where thousands of townsmen and women looked up to see the once adventurer. Now ruler of Xuvira. "People of Xuvira, this once great kingdom is filled with nothing but corrupt and selfish people. I have decided to take up the title as king of this once great nation and show you all that we can be a great society instead of one that hates and belittles all things magical or different than us. Those of you who won't accept magical creatures and other creatures with different views as your own are happy to leave this town now. But any rebellion will not be taken lightly. I still care about those who treat others fairly, but the rest of you who treat others like trash...I will not hesatate to end you on the spot"  His tone grew dark and serious as he said those last words. His fellow party members walked up beside him looking down on the large crowd. Some were outraged while others were scared. "Maybe this will give you an incentive" Senku nodded to Renkai as the mage raised his hand towards the sky casting a spell as blue mana filled the sky, forming a large dome of blue mana around the entire city.  "You are all free to leave as you wish, but within this dome, the flow of magic focuses on hostile emotions and purifies it. Observe" Few watched as a villager with a sword came running through the crowd charging towards the castle. "You bastard! How dare you kill lord Saren! I'll kill you!" As the hostile man reached the doors, a bubble of blue mana from the spell manifested beside him, shooting a beam right through the side of his head killing him instantly.  A woman screamed in horror as they stared at the dead body. "What are you all crying about? You all treat the less fortune and magical creatures like trash, I'm simply treating hostile people and entitled bastards the same way. The only difference...with me their deaths are quick and painless. So, one last time I will declare that all humans who treat others and magical creatures poorly for any reason, shall be exterminated the moment the barrier detects hostile intentions"  With his announcement finished he walked back into the castle with his party following behind. Senku sat upon the throne, his cheek resting on his fist.  (Xuvira captured)  [Level 25 Unlocked]  Captured area perks:  •Kingdom Income - Any money the kingdom makes, a percentage of it goes to the king  •Merchant Control - Get discounts or even free items from all merchants within kingdom territory  •Army Barracks - Train and order up to 50 knights for battle. Leveling up will increase capacity.  Just then a pop up appeared in front of him: Rename Kingdom: Senku thought for a moment for changing the name of the kingdom to Seigin which was a play on the word "Seigi" in Japanese which meant justice. "This kingdom will be known as the kingdom of Seigin. With this kingdom under our control, we'll have not only fighting power, but political power as well. I've never really been into this influential thing, but if we can befriend other nations, not only will there be less pointless wars among the innocent, but if the demon lord returns, we'll have a force that could be strong enough to hold him back"  Elvenia flew over to him, floating above his shoulder. "Wow Senku! You've acquired so much power in such a short time! What's your next step in growing stronger!?" He smiled and answered: "Our 1st priority is growing stronger to prepare for demon lord Osumaru's return. I'm not sure if he'll be the one fighting, but he said something about a legion of demons. With all that at his disposal, we'll have to build up an army of our own that can deal with such a threat. If we expand our territory, we can ask to form an agreement with the elves to either move their village closer or join our kingdom and we can have specific houses built for them. We also need to search for other magical races willing to form an alliance with to grow our numbers"  The new king rose from his throne walking over to the door as his party members looked at him with curiosity. "So what's the plan captain?" Sohira asked standing in the middle of the room beside Renkai who stood there with a smile and his arms crossed. That's when Senku had an idea. "Aright, I'm going to go search for other magical creatures that might be willing to form an alliance with us, I'll keep my slime doppelganger here to keep the loyal people at ease and keep Sohira safe. Renkai, your job is to convince the elves to form an alliance or join us"  "Oh, what about me!?" Elvenia asked filled with excitement. The leader informed her that she'll be accompanying him on his search for allies. With their plans set, Senku took off at light speed leaving his duplication to sit on the throne. His white cloak blowing in the breeze at his fierce velocity. Senku smiled with his ally right beside him as he thought about how far he had come from being nothing more than a mere human, to a mid-level warrior that matched even S-rank magical beasts in power. The fact he was merely level 25 yet was so strong made him excited to see what his max-level potential would be like.  Making his way through the nearby forest headed east, killing weak and mid-level monsters such as boars and slimes, passing them like a shooting star as he killed each one while moving at light speed. After a few minutes of traveling through the forest, he came across a camp that seemed to be filled with trolls and goblins. "Well now, I've met one troll, but haven't seen any goblins before. Seems we found our 1st race to try and persuade to our alliance"  "Are you sure? They seem kind of mean and ugly to want anything to do with humans" The young fairy commented. Senku laughed. "True, but even so, if they try and attack us, it'l be a great way for you to start gaining exp. You're only a level 20 and only know nature magic. I promised I'd help get you to an omni-fairy and learn all kinds of magic. Maybe one day you'll be stronger than me"  The small fairy crossed her arms pouting as Senku came out from the bushes approaching the monster's camp as there was a small wooden fence with large huts made of wood spread around with a campfire in the center. The monsters spotted them as a small goblin cried out in a loud pitched voice: "Eeek! It's a human! A human has trespassed in our village!"  A few goblins in armor popped out of the bushes firing arrows at them. Senku caught the 1st one before using it to deflect each projectile that came his way until the creatures were out of arrows. "Now then, if there isn't any more distracts I-" Before he could finish, two large 10 feet dark-blue trolls lunged at them wielding titan-sized wooden clubs. "Raaagh! Die puny human!"  Senku stood his ground as he released his power in a sudden burst as a shockwave of pure force knocked both trolls back as they landed on their backs shaking the ground with a thunderous boom. The young fairy watched in ah at her leader's raw power. (H-he knocked two massive trolls back just by sending out all his power at once!?)  "Y-you are not human, no human has this much power!" One of the trolls shouted as the creatures all looked at him in fear. Senku placed one hand in his pocket as he replied: "I used to be, but nowadays, I'm not so sure anymore. Now before I was rudely interrupted, I was hoping you'd monsters would like to join forces with the kingdom of Seigin, but I can see you all hate humans, so I won't waste anymore of my breath on the likes of you"  Making a finger gun motion he shot a slime drop onto one of the trolls as it began consuming the large brute. With the power between them so big, the troll was consumed in mere seconds as they do were condensed into a gumball-sized sphere that Senku swallowed.  (Results  Troll Captured)  Passive Skill Acquired: Enhanced strength - Strength is enhanced to the level of a troll.  "Interesting, the level of a troll huh? Let's see just how strong I am without god speed" Making a fist he struck the ground with all his might. The area shook as a large crack formed in the ground that was several meters long. "Heh, this will defiantly come in handy if I combine it with my light-speed movements. Now for the rest of you human hating creatures. Elvenia, take them out with your magic"  "Ok!" With a serious face the tiny fairy threw her arms out firing spheres of green mana. "Nature orbs, scatter!" Senku watched as the green spheres launched from the magical girl's hands at a fast rate, locking on to each creature's life essence and chasing them as the horde of monsters ran in fear, only to be destroyed in a green explosion of magical energy the moment they made contact with their sensed target.  As the smoke cleared, they saw no remaining trolls or goblins in sight. "Good, seems we've taken care of them, let's keep searching for more nearby inhabitance, there's bound to be one willing to ally with humans"  Meanwhile in the Elven Forest...  Renkai made his way through the lush green forest, watching leaves fall and birds chirp around him. "Ahh, feels so great to be alive to feel the forests soft breeze on my face and the beautiful forest of this world, trapped in the undead forest was nothing more than a nightmare that will forever haunt my mind for all of eternity. But knowing the two that pulled me from that nightmare is with me will always keep me going. I've been given a chance to live again and I will not let Senku or Sohira down like the people of my fallen village. May their souls rest in peace where ever they are"  His dark-purple hair blew softly in the wind as the elf village came into view. The magic caster walked through the grass up to the main house as he floated up onto the platform to find most of the elves eating lunch with their queen sitting at the head table against the wall in the middle of the room.  "Ah Renkai, so glad to see you, didn't think we'd see you so soon, what brings you here today?" The queen smiled happily welcoming him back to the village. Renkai got down on one knee as a sign of respect asking: "Senku is now the ruler of Xuvira, the kingdom just past the undead forest. He's hoping to have you all live in Seigin, his kingdom so humans and magical creatures can all live together and help one another. He also informed me that a demon that goes by the name of Osumaru plans to attack with a legion of demons. Even if our leader manages to get stronger, it's doubtful he can deal with the demon lord while protecting innocent people and monsters from the army of demons"  Tera placed her hand upon his shoulder. "I'm sorry, we can't leave this forest, there are so many valuable resources we need here. But worry not, we will surely ally with you against this communing threat and do what we can to help. We have highly-skilled archers as well as healers to help with any causalities that may arise in such a battle. Rest assured, when the demon lord attacks...we will help"  "Very well, thank you for your support, we'll see you the day it's time to prepare" Renkai walked towards the exits as the queen waved to him...  Back in the eastern forest...  Senku continued dashing through the forest, moving faster than any low or mid-tier creature could see as he found himself no longer in the forest, but now in a swampy area. The trees were overgrown with vines, dark and muddy water filling the area with a mist surrounding the area. "Sigh, not my kind of place, but definitely a unique spot, there's bound to be a race of creatures somewhere in these swamps that are smart enough to communicate with us"  Senku walked through the forest at normal speed both to save on stamina and be more careful not to scare any nearby creatures. As he ducked over a knocked over log, he heard something headed straight for him before abruptly catching a spear thanks to his heightened senses along with lethal prediction. "Hmph, seems someone's spotted us" He crushed the spear in his grasp before seeing a group of lizardmen standing a few meters before him as they stood in the middle of the swamp with the dark water flowing past them.  The lizard men were each a different color wearing black and green armor from wood and other natural resources. "Hello lizardmen, I've come to form an alliance with your tribe in hopes of bringing all races together, as well as defend against a demon lord that seeks to destroy this world" Senku informed them in a friendly manner.  One of them stepped forward without a weapon which was probably the one that threw the spear while the other three held up bows preparing to attack. "Go back the way you came human, our kind only ally with the strong! Your kind is seen as weak among our kind so you might as well hurry on home before you're filled with holes by our archers"  "So humans are seen as weak to your kind huh? Well than go on and kill me...cause I'm not leaving"  "Tsk! Men attack this weak human!" The tall buff lizard shouted as he pointed at his target. Senku smirked as the three lizardmen fired countless arrows right for him. With his enhanced reaction time, he watched as each arrow darted forwards him at what seemed like slow-motion. The warrior slightly moved out of the path as each arrow came towards. The reptilian race watched as it seemed like their foe evaded each arrow at immense speed.  "Impossible, no mere human could possibly move that fast! One of the archers exclaimed in fear. The buff lizardmen clinched his fist glaring at the human and fairy floating beside him. "Rggggh! That was luck! You won't be so lucky this time!" The warrior lizard stomped towards his enemy full speed as he threw a punch right for the red-haired human.  Once more Senku watched as lethal prediction reveled which fist his assailant would attack with, dogging the incoming strike before striking the reptilian with his open palm in the center of his chest as the brute was sent soaring across the air smashing through the large tree beside the three other lizardmen. "So, are we done here? I'm obviously stronger than your warrior here"  The lizards shook in fear before running away in fear. (Looks like it's time to try out nature magic for the first time) Throwing his hand out towards the fleeing trio he casted his first nature spell. "Root cage" He watched as roots shot out of the water, forming a cage around the reptilian creatures.  "Nature magic!? Normally someone with such speed and power wouldn't know magic!" One of the trapped tribe members exclaimed as they tried breaking free. But to no avail, the roots wouldn't budge. They watched as Senku walked over to them with his smally ally floating beside him.  "So, why do your race dislike humans? What have they done to make you hate them?" The creatures looked at one another and shrugged unsure of why they despised humans. "Your ally said he saw us humans as weak, but seems his judgment was nothing more than over confidence. I'll spare you all, but don't judge one's race just because you're stronger than them"  After releasing them from the spell, Senku soared into the air, looking out over the large world before him. "Hmm, seems this was harder than I thought it would be. But I know there's one race that should have no problem working with humans" Elvenia gave him a curious look before he flew towards the snow-filled mountains, his red hair blowing in the breeze of the blizzard as they touched down in front of a cave.  The pair could see a bright light with the sound of metal getting hit with a hammer as loud clinks could be heard. As they slowly walked inside, they could hear humming echoing off the walls, the one's inside seemed to be singing as they worked on their workbenches. As the large room came into view, he saw a large forge in the center of the room with the forge illuminating the cave as he saw dwarfs working on weapons and armor.  They quickly noticed the adventurer and stopped their production as a dwarf in red armor with a brown beard walked over to him. "Welcome human, it's rare to see your kind here, is there something we might be able to help you with?" The warrior nodded informing them of the coming crisis of the demon lord as well as wanting to grow a society where many different races can all live together though it has not been going well since many races seem to dislike humans as well.  "Well now, that is quite the problem, a demon lord you say? Well, our people are used to living up here in the caves, but I suppose moving to Seigin won't be too bad, we would have easier access to food and water. Very well, we shall pack up our supplies and make our way to Seigin at once. Will you be leading the way?"  Senku nodded. "I have a few more things to do, but will have a copy of myself that shall lead you from these mountains back to the kingdom. My duplicate is just as strong as me so you have nothing to worry about so long as you all stay close. I will signal it to come here then I shall be off on my last few places to inform other kingdoms of the incoming danger"  Signaling his duplicate to leave Seigin, it moved at light speed, reaching it's destination within mere moments. The dwarfs all looked at the doppelganger in amazement that a human could possess such an ability. "I will leave the rest to my double. Senjin, take control of the duplicate and escort the dwarfs safely back to Seigin"  (Transferring control of slime duplication...) Transference complete, I shall escort them to Seigin master" The AI spoke from his copy. With a nod the real senku took off for Osudon as his next point of interest...  Touching down in the large royal city he noticed how much more active it was, the streets were stone as well as cleaner and more modernized with large buildings and houses instead of small wooden villages. "So, this is Osudon...the place from Syrus' younger days. Sohira in the story described the place being for the rich and filled with shady people. I should watch my back"  "Wow, this place looks so fancy, what is it we're looking for here?" Elvina asked with interest. Senku told her they were headed for the king's castle in order to form an alliance, or find any strong warriors to join his army since Osudon was known for having A-S rank warriors be far more common than in Seigin. They made their way down the stone path, he saw many rich people walking about as well as adventurers with high-tier armor.  He Made his way up to a swordsman wearing a white and gold cloak with white hair and golden eyes. "Hey, you seem like a skilled adventurer, I'm looking for high-rank warriors for my army against an incoming threat" That's when the people around them began to laugh while the white swordsmen looked at him with a disinterested expression slowly unsheathing his blade as he aimed it towards Senku.  "What makes you think you're worthy of my skill? You seem like nothing more than a mere commoner. I could cut you down with one strike" He threatened in a calm menacing tone. Senku smirked as other civilians began to crowd around them in a circle. With a smirk Senku taunted: "If you're so sure about that, then go on and try. I bet you I'll still be standing without a scratch"  "Tsk, arrogance will only get you killed faster" The citizens watched as the samurai vanished in a flash of light reappearing behind Senku. "So, you're not just talk, this might be an interesting duel. But you can't dodge my attacks forever, when you slip up, your head will go rolling off your shoulders" Senku smirked as his combatant once more moved at near light speed, bringing his blade right for the warrior's neck when it came to a halt as they clashed with a fierce shockwave.  All gasped to see the adventurer had stopped the blade with just the back of his hand. Blood gushed from his wrist running down his arm while he seemed unaffected by such a wound. "You're fast samurai, but it'll take more than that to knock me down. I could use one of my many skills to turn the battle in my favor, but I thought I'd show you just how strong I am. If I was some commoner as you say, my hand would've surely been cut off with ease. But as you can see, it's sustained no more than a flesh wound"  His opponent lowered his blade glaring at him. "If these so-called skills are so strong, then show me just how strong you are" Senku manifested Arther's blade as well as use god speed to reach full speed. "Alright samurai, it's your turn to defend against one of my attacks" The audience watched in surprise as Senku vanished from their vision. The samurai looked around, staying in place when the red-haired warrior came in to sight inches from him, his sword coming down with a thunderous surge of lightning just as the assailant blocked the coming attack at the last second.  "Tsk!?" The samurai found himself sliding across the stone path before stopping himself before he hit the crowd. He looked to see Senku spinning his royal blade in one hand. "This is your last chance, with this attack I'm not holding back. If I land this strike...you will join my arms against the coming threat"  "Bastard, we'll just see about that" The swordsmen responded gripping his blade with both hands as a blue aura swarmed around his body. Both took off at light speed, Senku could see his target coming right for him, his sword engulfed in blue light. "It's over!" The enemy slashed right for Senku when the ruler stopped his full power strike with his sword, holding it with one hand. A fierce surge of force traveled across the city as everything rapidly shook.  The assailant's eyes widened at the sight of his full power attack being stopped by one hand. "Y-you stopped it...n-no one's ever been able to stop my attack let alone with one hand" The samurai got down on his knees in defeat. "You have beaten me, I shall join your team to help you against your opposing threat"  Meanwhile in the forest...  Senjin in control of the duplication made his way through the forest with the large line of dwarfs behind them, carrying crates of supplies as well as pulling their large forge on a wheeled platform. As they carefully made their way through the forest, Senjin detected something nearby. That's when a basilisk blocked their path. It was a colossal snake with dark-blue skin with sharp teeth.  The dwarfs were frozen in fear when Senjin assured them not to worry as he walked towards the large creature. It led out a loud hit before shooting venom right for him. Moving at super-sonic speed, the AI controlled doppelganger evaded each splash of green goo before moving right up to it, slashing his left palm like a dagger, piercing the basilisk's thick skin as the top part of it's body was decapitated from the rest. "Enemy exterminated"  The dwarfs were a little shaken by the gruesome kill but kept moving forward as Senjin lead them further down the path with nothing but birds and wildlife on the bath. After about an hour or two they finally reached Seigin as they rolled their large forge into the city. "You may set up your workshop anywhere in the city you wish, I have completed my objective and shall go" The dwarfs thanked him before the slime copy reverted back into a pile of slime before vanishing.  Back in Osudon...  Senku made his way through the streets with his new ally following close behind. "I forgot to ask: what's your name samurai?" The white-haired samurai told him his name was Shingen an S-class samurai known throughout Osudon. I was the one who slayed the ice dragon Xusigen that was sending this kingdom in a forever winter before I slayed him with a slash to the head. Ever since then I've been praised as one of the legendary heroes of this kingdom"  "That's quite the feat Shingen, I haven't even seen many dragons around here and I've traveled all across this country in search of powerful magical beasts, perhaps I need to expand my search beyond this country"  "Dragons are hard to find in this day and age captain, the only known dragons to still be alive are the elemental dragons aside from Xusigen. So, there is about six possible dragons in this world. Though, even with their massive amounts of magical essence, they're rare to find for those even with magic sense"  "Well, our current problem is a demon lord that plans to return, I've been searching for powerful allies or magical creatures to join my ranks but you're the only one I've managed to gain as a member, at this rate I'll just have to grind dungeons until my power rivals that of a demon lord and who knows how long that'll take!"  They made their way up to the castle which was a large black castle made of steel with blue twin doors. Two knights made an "X" with their swords when they noticed Shingen standing beside them and withdrew their blades. "O-oh legend hero Shingen sir!? Do you know this man?"  "Yes, he's my party leader, we'd like to speak to the king about a serious matter" The knights nodded stepping aside as the large doors opened before them. The pair made their way through a long royal hallway with a blue carpet with black walls and stain glass windows. They made their way down the royal hallway until final reaching a large silver door of the throne room... "Alright, time to speak with another king, hopefully it won't be the same way as the last one..." They made their way into the large throne room where the king and queen sat beside one another in a large white room with the long blue carpet going from the door to the thrones. "Ah Shingen, the savior of Osudon, how can I help you this fine evening and who is this guest before you?" The king was much younger than Xuvira's king, he looked young with long blonde hair with blue eyes wearing a blue and gold robe while the queen had long purple hair with green eyes wearing a blue sparkly robe. "Hello king and queen of Osudon, I am Senku the new ruler of Xuvira. I am personally meeting with rulers of other kingdoms in hopes to form an alliance. There's a coming threat and it will take more than my kingdom to handle such a foe. I've been told this kingdom is known for having the greatest warriors and adventurers in this country. So I ask you, please aid my kingdom in the coming war against a demon lord" The pair froze with looks of fear in their eyes before the king spoke up: "A-a demon lord!? A demon lord hasn't been seen for over 500 years, can you be so sure that it's truly a demon lord!?"  "I'm afraid it is a demon lord, the former king of Xuvira freed it by accidently confusing it with a summoning crystal when it was in fact a sealing crystal that trapped the demon lord Osumaru within it. He even spoke about being trapped within the seal for 500 years so I assume we're both referring about the same demon lord" "Normally I'd be hesitant to join forces so suddenly, but your story seems to hold up and the legend hero Shingen seems to stand by you which is a big feat seeing as though he's the greatest swordsmen of this kingdom possibly the entire country. Very well, you have Osudon's support. When the day arrives, we'll be sure to have our men prepared and at your command" With a bow Senku made his way back to Seigin with Shingen now under his command. The ruler of Seigin finally made his way into the throne room where his party was waiting for him. Sohira waves standing by the throne while Renkai sat upon the throne with his leg over the other. "Welcome back lor Senku, how did the expedition go?" The magic caster asked stepping down from the throne as their ruler sat down with his party standing around him. "Wait? Where's Elvina!?" Just then she came flying through the doorway landing on his shoulder. "Sigh, you had me worried, where did you go? I hadn't noticed you were gone till I had returned to Seigin. I thought you were just being quiet" "Sorry lord Senku! I went to explore Osudon while you were dueling Shingen and lost tract of time!" Senku patted her head as he looked outside seeing the sun had finally gone down. "Hmm, alright our plan for tomorrow is to start training. I, Elvenia and Shingen will search for high-tier dungeons so I can grow stronger and acquire more useful skills while Sohira and Renkai shall hunt down creatures to gain exp" "Awww, why can't I join you in the dungeons my lord?! You know I'm one of the greatest spell casters just as he's the greatest samurai!" "Yes, but don't forget Sohira doesn't like going in dungeons since our original Party leader was killed right before her eyes in a dungeon" Just then Sohira pulled her hood down with a strong look in her eyes. "Senku...I will accompany you in the dungeons" Her lord looked at her commenting: "Are you sure? You don't have to come if it makes you uncomfortable. I'd never want any of my friends to be under such stress" "I'm fine my lord, at first, I was scared if we went into more dungeons, I'd lose you. But now...seeing just how powerful you are since we first met, I can relax knowing I have you and all the powerful allies we've gained through our travels" She smiled happily, assuring him she was finally ready... The Next Day...  The party awoke with Senku waking up in the king's bed, it was a large black bed with red pillows, a red-carpet floor and a small balcony on the right side of the room. He made his way over to the bathroom dropping his white cloak onto the floor turning on the shower. "Sigh, feels nice to finally have a nice hot shower"  Just then Elvenia came flying into the bathroom before spotting her lord in the shower, the steam covering his lower parts while the rest of his muscular body was visible. She watched in fascination when Senku called out: "I know you're there Elvenia" This abruptly snapped her out of her lustful trance causing her to fall to the ground. She looked to see Senku wrapping a black and gold towel around his waist before walking over to her. "How did you know I was here?" He looked down at her before letting out a slight laugh walking past her to grab some new clothes he had got from the market last night. These new clothes should look better than my old ones. Senku stood before a mirror putting on a black cloak with white gloves and black boots. "This definitely gives off a more ruler vibe than my former clothing I've had since my 1st day in this world. But it's finally time to look the part and show how I've grown in this world from peasant to adventurer and now lord of Seigin"  CHAPTER 5 Preparing For A War Senku walked out into the hall, his party came out of their rooms with their doors aligned in the hallway and the stairs just at the end of the hall. "Alright everyone, it's finally time for us to move out as a party and do sone intense dungeon" That's when Elvenia spoke up that she heard about a tower which was like many dungeons stacked on top of one another reaching towards the sky. Though, I was told that the only way to summon such a tower is to go to an area where magic flow is strong and then release all your magical power to feed the rifts that normally spawn normal dungeons"  Sohira gave a look of confusion. "What do you mean?" That's when Renkai explained the origin of dungeons. "For as long as I can remember, dungeons have always been an anomaly that seem to manifest in areas where the flow of magic seem to come together until a door to another realm forms, we called them dungeons where strong monsters seem to stay. So, all we need to do is add our magic to the flow already in an area and have it manifest a tower"  "With you all accompanying me I can leave Senjin here in my place to watch over the kingdom as well as the barrier you placed Renkai that detects hostile intentions. Let's find the strongest source of magic"  "Right!" The others chanted as they left the castle following Senku as he soared through the sky, his hair blowing in the wind. Renkai and Elvenia flew beside him with Shingen racing through the streets at fierce speed and Sohira flying thanks to Renkai's magic. Using magic sense, he followed a flow of magic before him that appeared as a pink mist. After flying for nearly 10 minutes, he could feel the magical essence grow stronger with the mist growing thicker.  "Alright this should be close enough, now we just need to release all our magical power into the air to flow with the existing magic until we manifested a tower" The magic caster informed as they touched down in the middle of the forest far from any inhabitance. "HAAAAAA!" The party unleashed every ounce of power they hand standing beside one another, the wind began to swarm around them like a cyclone, the trees shaking violently until a purple rift opened on the ground sending out a shockwave of fierce magic.  Before them stood a massive steel tower as a field of red roses bloomed into two rows with a path to the tower in between them. Renkai watched as a few rose peddles flew gracefully through the breeze over to him. As he let it land in his open palm, the peddle suddenly burst into flames before vanishing. "I've heard roses being a symbol of death, but rose peddles that burst in to flames the moment you touch them, that's just unsettling."Renkai brushed it off as they made their way down the path between the field of roses, making sure not to touch the peddles that floated around them.  They came to a large black door with an "S+" made out of rainbow mana written on the center of the door. The group but surprised to see a rank that was higher than S-class since no one has ever heard of anything besides A and S ranks being the highest tiers of both skill and difficulty.  "Sigh...let's go, we summoned the tower, so there's no going back now" Senku responded before walking up to the door. He slowly reached out, placing his hand upon the cold steel door. A fierce jolt of magic sent goosebumps across his body before opening the door before them. Like dungeons, a flash of light sent them inside as they found themselves in a dark enclosed stairwell that led upward. The room filled with red light showing rust and aged steel all around them with a faint sound of metal creaking.  They carefully made their way up, floor after floor until they stopped at a door that blocked the stairs. Taking a deep breath, Senku opened the door as they once again were bulled through a rift, finding themselves in a large field with large black trees all around them like an arena, the sky blood-red as a large cray wolf with piercing red eyes manifested before them out of black mist, it snarled out them reveling it's sharp teeth.  Analyzing the creature his results were:  Fenrir  [Level 91]  "Looks like we're up against the beast known as Fenrir, with all of us combined we might have a chance, but don't underestimate it" The party nodded with serious expressions when the large creature let out a devastating howl that shook the area around them.  [Debuff Sustained: Decreased Defense]  "Tsk, that bitch thinks he can win by lowering our defense!? I'll show him that it won't be that simple!" Manifesting Arther's sword, Senku moved at light speed going right for a head-on attack. As he brought his blade down on the wolf's cheek, his blade shattered on impact before the beast noticed him and knocked him back with it's head.  The young warrior was sent back, impacting the dirt on the opposite end of the field as his HP dropped to 60%. "Damn, seems we'll have to strategize or I'll end up being killed by the 1st boss" He got to his feet to see Renkai fire off holy chains from his wrists as the mythical beast was bound in place letting out growls that echoed through the realm.  With their foe in place, Shingen moved right for his target, unsheathing his blade as a stream of blue slashes appeared all over the beast's body. "Eternal flame" Sliding his blade back to his side, the blue slashes erupted into blue flames that covered the large beast as it howled in pain. "There, my flames will continue to burn him until either I'm defeated or it is"  "Good, that shood give us an advantage for now" Senku responded walking over to his party. "Now then, nature magic: root prison!" Aiming his palm towards the beast, a large tree sprouted from the ground, trapping the beast as if a large wooden golem had wrapped it's arms around it. "That'll buy us time to cast a combined spell. Renkai, Sohira cast your strongest spell against Fenrir before it has time to escape!"  "Right!" The duo shouted as they stood side by side focusing all their magic towards the wolf. Senku and Elvenia watched the wolf closely, keeping his magic flowing throw the tree to sense any sign of movement, that's when the tree broke into pieces as the wolf broke free lunging right for them at immense speed. Using accelerated perception, Senku moved right for Fenrir, kicking him in the left side of the face with all his might.  The beast was sent flying into the group of dead trees before hitting the ground. "DO IT NOW!" Senku cried out. Renkai clapped his hands together crying: "Holy Impact!" as a large sword made of holy magic fell from the sky, piercing the target's back keeping it in place. With a follow-up attack, Sohira raised her hand towards the sky. "Purification strike!"  All watched as the young mage's pink hair flowed in the air from the sheer amount of power flowing through her as a fierce bolt of lightning rained down from above, electrocuting the mythical creature to the point it's fur was scorched with smoke flowing from the burns.  "Time to finish this troublesome fight" Aiming his finger gun toward the weakened beast, he fired his drop of slime onto the wolf's body as it too was consumed by the skill. Senku walked over to the small marble before swallowing it, gaining the power of Fenrir.  [Level 30 Unlocked]  (Results:  Fenrir Captured  •Skill Obtained: Piercing slash - A slash so powerful it nearly splits reality  •Skill Obtained: Shadow manipulation - Manifest weapons and entities from shadows using dark magic.  •Special Skill: [The Underworld's Tamer] Dominant Binding - Place a magic collar around a target's neck, binding them to your will. If they disobey they take damage.  "Looks like I acquired some useful skills from Fenrir. Plus a special Skill for capturing both creatures from the Underworld" With that they made their way over to a blue rift that had manifested just after the beast's defeat. Advancing to the next floor, they found themselves standing within a large room with black walls and a red titled floor as a figure stood before them, he had pale purple skin, white short hair wearing a gold sleeveless-jacket, his bare-chest showing without an under-shirt as well as golden boots and gauntlets with black pants. Lines that looked light streams of lightning flowed through his body.  "Well now, isn't this a surprise, I haven't had visitors for nearly 100 years, especially not mere humans. Too bad you'll have to die at the hands of the thunder god himself, Raijin!" Hearing those words, Senku used his analysis to scan the target's level.  (Analyzing...  God Of Thunder Raijin  Level 102  probability of victory...20%)  Senku grew uneasy, he fought powerful creatures, but he's never had to fight a god before. Rajin smirked approaching them. "I may not be as strong as a demon lord, but I assure you, the title of being a god is nothing to take lightly" Renkai manifested a wall of blades made of dark magic behind him, firing the arsenal of blades right for the deity who slowly walked towards them, the projectiles barely doing damage to him as if an invisible barrier was protecting him.  "Shit he's still coming!" The caster cried out not letting up on the assault. Senku took a deep breath attempting to use up half his MP for his next move...Shadow entities, Fenrir, Cerebrus!" Manifesting to figures made of darkness, he used their bodies as vessels to summon the pair of underworld beasts as the wolf and dog manifested in their place, letting out howls before the god.  "Oh? Seems you've tamed the bests of the underworld, an impressive feat for a mortal especially one of your level, but just how long can you last against someone who's level far exceeds yours!?" Rajin stood his ground as the pair of mythical beasts charged forward. Just as they were within attacking range, Raijin aimed his hand towards them like a dagger as a beam of blue lightning pierced through them.  The red-haired warrior watched as his pets were knocked to the ground before vanishing into a mist of black magic. "Crap, he killed them with just a wave of his hand. If he's this powerful, are you saying Osamaru is even stronger!? No, I refuse to lose here, if I'm going to die, it won't be in this tower!" Combing all of his buff skills he boosted their stats to their limit. "All of you! Give me all your buffs as you did before! It won't be enough to beat him, but should give us the advantage we need!"  "Right captain!" All of his party members aimed their hands towards their leader giving him multiple buffs. Power surged through him as his stats were raised 10 times higher than before. Manifesting a sword made of dark magic, he moved right for Raijin with a determined look in his eye.  The thunder god smirked keeping track of Senku when the warrior abruptly vanished. "What!?" Raijin looked around but saw no sign of him. With Senku using his perception acceleration at it's full capacity, he was now moving faster than light. Striking the deity with all his strength, he sent a shockwave surging through the dimension.  (I-impossible, no mere human could possibly damage me, even if he was granted so many buffs!) Rajin clinched his fist preparing to strike back, only to find his target had vanished once more. "So, this is your tactic!? Running away and attacking me when my guard is down!? Such weak strategy, the moment your buff wears off you'll die by my hand. But let's see if your friends will survive this instantaneous attack!"  Rajin aimed his index finger towards the party preparing to kill them with a bolt of lightning when Senku appeared behind him, punching a hole straight through his chest. "Hehe, I just knew that'd get your attention" Spitting out blood, Rajin kicked his target in the abdomen, sending him staggering across the room as the god spun around firing a bolt of lightning from his index finger.  All watched as the room lit up in a blue flair of light from the immense attack. "WHAT!? SENKU!" All cried out in horror as their once great lord fell to the tiled floor. His body scorched from the immense attack. "Heh, seems your leader was too full of himself, severs him right for thinking a few buffs would put him on bar with a god"  "You son of a bitch!" Shingen moved full speed up to the deity, only to be backhanded just as he unsheathed his blade, sending him landing back over to his party, his HP now at 10%.  Meanwhile...  Senku slowly awoke, finding himself within a white void as he floated in front of a girl with long white hair, blue eyes wearing a black dress. "Hello Senku, I've been waiting for you" She spoke in a soft tone that felt calming.  "Waiting...for me? What are you talking about?"  "It's ok, since this is your 1st time here it's only natural you'll be confused. This is purgatory, your usual in between life and death place, I'll save you the big speech and get right to it...Your HP has reached zero and you are there for dead, however, there are two possible things you can do to be resurrected: One you can reset back to level one, or you give up something of high value. Looking at your skills and items, looks like you could give up either your special skill Dominant binding, Your ultimate skill god's judgment or your ring of mammon since it's a legendary item"  Senku thought for a moment then answered: I'll give you my ring of mammon, it's gotten me where am now, but I guess I don't need it's power anymore. Though, I am going to miss the handy skill it provided me"  "Are you sure you're willing to lose such a high-tier item? It's one of the rarest relics and on pare with a world-tier item" Senku sat there then smiled. "If I hold onto it, it'll just be a handicap for being weak, but...I don't need it anymore, I'm already strong enough to fight without it"  "Alright if that's the item you choice" The girl closed her eyes as Senku found himself being pulled backwards through a rift of light as the ring on his finger crumbled away. In a flash of light he found himself standing before Rajin preparing to kill his allies as if merely a moment had passed.  (Buff activated: Second Chance - All stats raised by 150% for one minute) Rain prepared to fire his attack when Senku stepped in, moving right up to him grabbing him by the mouth, slamming the god against the black wall as a crack began to form. Senku!? How is this possibly!? I watched you die!"  The warrior stood before the staggered god before sending a powerful blow to his abdomen. "I did die...but I gave up something to come back. Thanks to that, this battle is over" Raijin began to laugh shouting: "Hehehaha! Over!? My HP may be lower, but I can still fight-" Just then he froze, his eyes going wide as he felt his body getting weaker. "What is this...m-my body...it's slowing down!"  "Seems you hadn't noticed. When I grabbed your face, I shot a slime inside your mouth. If you know what slimes do, then you know what's going to happen to you and since it's inside you, you can only wait until the inevitable happens"  "Tsssssk! SENKU YOU BASTARD!" All watched as his slime came expanding out of the deity's mouth as it grew and grew until even the god of thunder was consumed by the slime, shrinking down into an orb. But, unlike all the others, this orb was glowing gold as if a legendary item.  "Finally, we got him and I managed to capture him" His group watched as he consumed the golden orb. That's when his eyes widened as a sheer pain rushed through his body. "Rrraaaggh!" His body trembled as blue lightning surged around him.  "W-what's happening to Senku!? Sohira cried out. Renkai responded: "It's the god-level of power entering his body all at once, his mortal body his struggling to contain such raw power all at once" All watched as Senku threw both hands out as he released a burst of god-like power, fracturing the realm around them as pieces of the reality itself floated around like mere glass. "We need to get out of here!" the caster cried out shoving them through the exit before grabbing Senku's right arm. "Rrrrggh! Teleportation!"  The party fell out of the rift finding themselves back in the field as Renkai appeared across the forest gripping his lord tightly keeping him from moving. "I...need to...stop the demon lord!" In one last explosion, a pillar of blue light shot into the sky before it changed to purple, symbolizing Senku's power over the new god-like abilities.  (Status...power stabilizing....  Results:  God of thunder Raijin captured  •God of thunder form - Become the god of thunder with speed and defensive power increased  •Passive skill obtained: Immortal body - User's body becomes indestructible with defense boosted 150%  •Skill Obtained: Lightning storm- Manipulate lightning from any distance with devastating critical damage  •Passive skill obtained: Stamina of a god- User's stamina is infinite with no limitations.  [Level 40 Unlocked]  The party came running over to see Senku standing in the center of scorched land, his orange eyes now with purple lightning flowing around his iris turning the white part of his eyes purple. "My lord, are you ok!? Shingen asked in a worrisome tone.  Senku shook his head to clear it then smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Aside from the strange tingle running through my body, I'm actually better than I thought I'd be" Their leader noticed Shingen's low HP and placed his hand upon his shoulder. In a flash of green light, his ally had been fully healed.  The swordsmen looked at him with a surprised look before thanking him. We barely managed to survive that floor, it's best to leave and hope that we have a few more days to train before the demon lord shows up"  Making their way back to the castle, Shingen and Renkai went to their rooms while Sohira knocked on Senku's door. The man opened it as Elvenia flew over seeing who was at the door. "My lord, may I come in? I'd like to talk to you"  Senku nodded as the door closed behind her. That's when she burst into tears hugging him tightly. Senku! I was so scared! The moment you were struck with lightning, I couldn't sense your life-force anymore...I...I was scared that you had died and it was going to be Syrus all over again!"  He placed his hand on her head patting it lightly as he smiled at her. "Don't worry, I won't be killed that easily, not to mention absorbing the god has given me an immortal body. Not saying I'll live forever, but my body can't be damaged as easily as before" The fairy grew jealous before flying over and grabbing her lord's other hand placing it on her head. "Hey don't I get head pats too!? She wasn't the only one worried about you!"  "Heh, alright I'll give you head pats too" He slowly patted their heads for a while before falling asleep in bed. The two girls snuggled beside him before falling asleep as well...  Senku awoke around noon to the sounds of screams as a ray of red light shinned through his window. "W-what's going on?" As his eyes focused, he raced out of room, down the hall until he stood outside the castle as the sky above was illuminated in a blood-red aura. A fractured hole in the sky opened as demons began to pour out by the hundreds raining down upon the country. "Oh no..." He looked in the center of the hole in reality to see Osumaru floating there as his legions of demons poured out, ready to devour all in their path...  CHAPTER 6 War Of The Demon Lord  The party stood as one when a large four-armed demon with four eyes landed before them, it's eyes glowing red as it lunged towards them. That's when Senku moved FTL+, standing behind the creature, his back to it holding it's still large beating heart before crushing it in his palm causing the demon to let out a sadistic cry turning to dust. "You all deal with the demons while I teal with Osamaru"  The party all watched their lord take off at a speed none of them could keep track of. He moved through the sky, swiping his hand like a dagger, splitting demons in half as blood rained down before reaching the demon lord. The demon looked at him with an emotionless expression. "So, you didn't run...pity, you're going to wish you had when this is over"  "Enough threats, if you're so sure you can brush me aside like before, then do it! I'm not as weak as I was the first time we fought" Osamaru aimed his pale hand towards the god preparing to unleash an attack when Senku rushed past the demon's palm, throwing a blow right for his chest when Osamaru caught it with his other hand, the pair glaring at one another with tremendous amounts of power surging through the sky by their power.  Below them the legion of demons began their assault upon the country, all over the four kingdoms chaos reigned as humans ran in fear, only for demons to kill them in gruesome ways, a woman was eaten as her blood splattered In the dirt, while a man ran away, only to have sharp claws pierced through his heart as the light left his eyes. One of the large buff demons noticed a young boy who stood crying in fear too consumed by fear to move.  As more and more demons surrounded the poor human, a flash of light rushed past them as they were decapitated with blood spewing from their wounds. The young brown-haired boy dressed in rags looked up to see Shingen standing before him. "Let's get you somewhere safe kid" Giving the young boy a smile he scooped him up moving to the castle, bringing all remaining citizens inside for their own protection.  Shingen stood out on the balcony we he saw a large shadow covering the city. Looking straight up he saw a colossal asteroid hurtling down upon them. "Sigh, this is going to be a challenge, but I have to try" Gripping his blade he advanced to the coming ball of flames before closing his eyes letting out a soft breath, unsheathing his blade. "Sword art: a thousand strikes of lightning!" Moving at full speed, the master swordsmen unleashed a barrage of slashes, splitting the massive asteroid into fragments of falling rock.  As the thousands of fragments fell towards the kingdom, Renkai aimed his palm towards the descending projectiles, sending a massive fire ball right for them, burning the fragments to dust. "Time for my strongest holy attack.....repent!" Clapping his hands together, he poured all of his magic into the spell, sending thousands of holy swords made of holy magic rain upon the kingdom killing hundreds of demons each second.  Back in the sky....  Senku manifested a doppelganger as he and his double charged in, throwing a barrage of strikes right for the demon lord. "You forget your place human, you may have the power of one god, but what good can that do you when a demon lord is a step beyond such things" Osamaru kicked the clone across the face sending it impacting the kingdom bellow. Extending his hand towards his target the demon prepared his attack. "Reality fracture"  Senku watched a wave of purple energy rush past him, reality itself cracking apart around him. The god lost consciousness falling towards the kingdom when Elvenia came flying to his aid, grabbing his shirt slowing him down but still falling towards the city below. Losing gripping on her master she dropped Senku causing him to hit the tavern before landing in the street where demons began creeping towards his motionless body.  "NO SENKU!" The small fairy landed in front of the demons sending a wave of nature magic across the area causing roots to spring up from the ground wrapping around the sadistic demons drawing closer. "I-I can't stop all of them...all I have is holy magic. WHY-WHY CAN'T I LEVEL UP LIKE MY LORD I WANT TO BE STRONGER! I NED TO BE STRONGER!"  [Flash back]  "Omni-fairies are a curse of nature, no fairy should be allowed more than one type of magic affinity. Unless you accept to be like the rest of us, I'd suggest you leave Elvenia"  [End of flash back]  Filled with both frustration and guilt she clinched her fists focusing every last ounce of her power into her next attack. Throwing both hands out. "I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A CURSE OR NOT, MY FRIEND NEEDS ME AND I NEED MORE THAN NATURE MAGIC! PLEASE, GIVE ME THE POWER TO SAVE HIM!" Her green aura began to change color as her once green aura now changed to blue as her hair and dress also transformed to match her element. With all her power, she unleashed a blast of ice, incasing all demons in her path within a thick layer of ice until she had no power left.  Out of breath she looked up to see the demons slowly begin to break out of the thick layers of ice. That's when Sohira stepped beside her. "Don't worry Elvenia, I'd never let something happen to you or our lord. Holy magic: purification!" Throwing her hand up, she sent a wave of holy light in all directions turning all demons withing it's range to dust. "You did well Elvenia, now we just need to watch over our lord until he regains consciousness"  Without warning, Osamaru appeared before them, his hands behind his back. "Step aside mortals, your poor lord shall die here along with the rest of you pitiful humans" However, Sohira and the small fairy didn't back down. Just as Sohira prepared to attack, a green aura came soaring right for the demon lord's skull before he caught it without even flinching. "Hmph, an arrow, such primitive weaponry will do little good even if I had let it hit me"  The pair looked to see Tera and her squad of elf archers as they fired a barrage of arrows at the assailant. Osamaru just looked at them through his peripheral vision not even taki8ng the group seriously with each projectile snapping on impact of their target. "As I said, primitive" Crossing both arms Osamaru released a fierce surge of his power, sending everyone within it's range staggering back as he approached Senku who laid trapped within a coma-like state.  He picked his foe up by the neck preparing to send the final blow to his target. "Poor human, even with your god-like capabilities, you're trapped within a mental prison of which you cannot escape, you don't even realize you're about to die. Be gone" Just as the assailant prepared to strike, Senku's body vanished in a flash of purple light. "What?" Turning around Osamaru spotted Renkai standing a few meters away with Senku at his feet.  "Hmph, you must be who teleported Senku away just before I could rip his heart from his chest. Never the less, you're just one more obstacle I can pass with ease" Renkai clinched his fist before taking a deep breath. His body reverted back to the elf elder before Renkai left the vessel floating into Senku's body.  A fierce surge of magic and power surged through his body from Senku's god powers along with Renkai's immense magical power mixing together. "Using Senku's pasted out body as a vessel, my power has reached far greater heights thanks to all of his passive skills. Plus, it'll be a lot easier to protect my lord this way rather than just leaving it in the dirt or in a basement"  Renkai could feel all of Senku's abilities and knew he could use them at any moment. Creating a duplication, it began focusing Renkai's power into itself preparing to cast a world-level spell while Renkai used his lord's body to buy time until every ounce of his magic had been transferred to the doppelganger.  "Your struggle his pointless, a stronger power like Senku, is not nearly enough to stop me mortal, you should've stayed in your forest where you belonged" Osamaru engulfed his fist with purple flames throwing a fierce blow right for the possessed warrior, only to miss by a mere second as the force of his strike sent a wave of force across the city hitting a building as it burst into a pile of rubble.  Suddenly Shingen landed beside Renkai. "Don't worry, I'll fight beside you, all of the citizens are safe for now!" A purple aura began to flow around the enemy as they grew impatient. "Tsk, you all are beginning to grow troublesome for mere mortals"  Without a word, Renkai sent a barrage of holy chains around the demon's arms bounding them together leaving him open as Shingen advanced on their enemy, bringing his blade right for their throat, Osamaru broke from the chains catching the descending blade with his bare palm. "Weak human" Pulling the sword towards him, the assailant headbutted Shingen with immense force, sending him impacting the tavern as it crumbled to the ground.  "Don't forget this mortal" Shingen stood up to see his sword coming right at him, when it stopped inches from his face, blood dripping from the end of the blade. He looked to see Tera blocking the sword from hitting him.  Tears filled the legendary heroes' eyes at the sight of the elf queen spitting out blook trembling in pain with his own sword piercing through her heart. "Why!?" He asked braking down in tears. She patted his head choking out: "We elves aren't strong enough to beat him, but keeping you all alive will give us the c-chance we need to win. Sorry it had to end this way"  The queen fell to her knees before collapsing onto the rubble of the tavern as Shingen clinched his teeth in both rage and tears....  [Flash back]  Shingen stood before the king of Osudon. "Sir Shingen, you've done this kingdom a great deed today, from this day forth, I declare you Shingen the legendary hero of Osudon! Go forth and protect those who are too fragile to survive on their own, be the sword they need and not only protect this kingdom, but the world"  [End of flash back]  (Legendary hero!? Tsk! That title was nothing more than something I gained from pure luck. That dragon was strong and I almost died by it's hands, but a demon lord!? He's on a whole other level. I...I don't deserve to be called a legendary hero, that woman...the queen of the elves just gave her life to save me from my own blade...it-it should've been me that died at the hands of that blade. Not someone who had nothing to do with this. Tssssk! Aaagggh!!! His eyes shook as he began to have a break down from the thought of failing to protect his ally.  That's when a faint voice spoke in his ear: "Shingen, it's ok...it was my choice to give my life for you. Like Senku, I believe you have the power to stop the demon lord and save as many people as you can even if it's just a few. The purpose of being a hero is to do what you believe is right and save whoever you can. You can't always save someone, even if they're close to you. As long as you think you tried your best, that's all that matters. Wallowing in guilt will only make you doubt yourself as a hero when you could be standing once more and helping the people that are still here and need you"  "Yes, I shouldn't be wasting time grieving, there's still people in danger. I will be their sword and stand by them!" Pulling his blade out from his fallen ally, he gave her a nod as a sign of respect before rushing past to the battle where Renaki's spell was almost finished. Osamaru managed to grab Renkai by the throat preparing to crush it when Shingen gripped his blade, imbuing it with every ounce of power he had, throwing it right for the demon lord as it pierced the center of his forehead sending him staggering across the street before coming to a stop.  "Ah Shingen, you're still alive are you, well unlike the magic caster or Senku, you don't have any ticks up your sleeve that could save you" That's when Shingen swiped his hand causing his blade to unleash the last ounce of power the samurai had left as his sword burst in a flash of blue light. As the light faded, a small wound could be seen in the center of Osamaru's skull. "D-damn it. That was the last of my power.  His power depleted, Shingen collapsed in the street out-cold. That's when Renkai's spell was ready. Teleporting every living thing within the city aside from demons and Osamaru from the kingdom, the doppelganger wrapped it's body around the assailant keeping him there as all of Renkai's built up power was released in a devastating ray of light, sending a pillar of purple light into the sky with an explosion as strong as a nuclear blast wiped out Seigin along with a few miles of forest in all directions leaving only scorched land with flames and black burned grass remaining.  With all of Renkai's magic and life-force drained from his strongest spell, his spirt faded from Senku as the sphere of lit faded away. That's when Senku awoke quickly standing up having escaped Osamaru's mental prison, only to find him along with the remaining citizens and his three-party members in the middle of the forest, the pillar of purple magic irradiating off in the distance like radiation.  "That's when Senku noticed it...Renkai's magic was gone, he couldn't feel any trace of the caster's essence. (No, it can't be...then that blast I'm seeing...it must've been his trump card to either kill the demon lord or protect the others. R-renkai...) Tears filled his eyes as he clinched his fist. "Thunder god form" All watched as Senku's eyes were engulfed in purple lightning, his hair flowing with surges of purple electricity as he brought his stats to their max.  That's when Osamaru landed in front of them, half his body scorched past recognition, his HP now less than half but not in red. "Y-your friend was a sneaky bastard, using his life force and magic to create a condensed explosion strong enough to even fatally would a demon lord. I'll respect him for such a feat. However, this victory is mine. As long as I still stand, I can still kill you here!"  Senku began approaching the demon, walking casually closer with a serious look on his face. "You still think you can win!? Such blasphemy!" In a fit of rage Osamaru unleashed a blast of dark energy right for him, only to see Senku holding it back with one hand. The forest shaking while the god stood his ground not even flinching. "Impossible!"  In abrupt movement, Senku appeared behind Osamaru, sending a barrage of strikes to his entire body in an instant before punching a hole through his chest in a gush of blood. "Tsssk! You bastard, how can you be so much faster and stronger than before!?"  His foe attempted to kick him in the abdomen as Rajin had before, only for Senku to pull his fist out and catch it just in time, flailing the demon lord around like a rag-doll, slamming him on the ground by his foot before throwing him into the air. As his target soared through the clouds, Senku moved past him grabbing him by the face bringing him back down towards Seigin faster than light as they impacted the scorched earth leaving a massive crater where the demon lord laid weakened barely able to move.  "Time to finish this" Shooting his usual slime into the demon's mouth, he was consumed becoming a glowing purple sphere as Senku ate it. Standing in the large crater, he suddenly felt his heart slow down before coming to a halt. The hero hit the ground motionless....  The next day Sohira, Elvenia and Shingen placed the fallen hero in a coffin and built a temple to place his body in. As they placed the coffin inside and shut the temple doors...Senku's eyes opened glowing red as a smirk grew across his face....  (TO BE CONTINUED... ) 

The sun started to rise, giving the warmth to the world as clouds drifting on the clear blue sky with birds that were flying freely.  On a certain city, everyone was busy minding their own business as they walked hurriedly. Some still on their home preparing to go while some other still on their dream. Somewhere else around that area, in a small apartment lives a boy on his sixteen.  He gradually opened his eyes, he frowned for a moment before looking around. After a few seconds he closed his eyes once again. Minutes passed, The boy eyes suddenly wide open as he got up quickly while gasping. "... What?." In his eyes emotion called disbelief could be seen. 1st PoV ??? : In...itializi..ng An androgynous voice reverberated on my mind as I was about to sleep once again. 'What a weird lucid dream.' I thought. Proto...col succ..ssfu...lly exe...cut...d.. Assimilation begin.. ... What? A strange scene was played on my mind, it was a life of a boy. Yet it was fragmented. But I, as the 'Observer' trembled in fear for no particular reason.  My body was paralyzed as suddenly I felt like I've fallen pit of darkness as it slowly devouring me. I get up immediately as I gasped for air. "What?" A blue translucent screen appeared in front of my eyes. It was hanging on the air. There a line of column were displayed with white word. [Status] [Mission] [Inventory] [Map] Immersion:0,73% "A.... System?" Before I could react a severe headache assault my mind. I winced in pain as memories flashed before my eyes. I grit my teeth while trying not to scream as sweat poured out from my body. The whole process took 10 minutes including me calming down.  ".. Absurd.. No this is... Bizzare.." I mumbled while drawing a conclusion to the situation. "How did the 'Me' here died anyway? I don't recall any memories regarding that?.." as I thought about that I glanced at the screen. Immersion: 3,27% "Immersion has gone up... What's the use of that anyway? Is it implying 'Familiarity toward Oneself' or... 'Familiarity toward the New World' I've arrived into?.."  I get up from the bed as I recalled the memories I've received. From the corner of my eyes I could see the screen disappeared gradually into light particle. I shook my head before looking in the mirror on 'my' room. A boy with white skin, short black hair and a pair of black eyes giving out a gloomy aura. I wore a white T-shirt and a short pants. "What an uncanny feeling..." A familiar yet foreign world I've thrown into. Unlike my original world, this world has a very small cases of racial discrimination and felt like it was a fairy tale instead. All country at least unified into a huge organization called 'Pioneer of Starlight Union' which it's main base was located on Artic. They create the International Laws and a political system that keep a peace for all country on the world. Everyone has a chance to join their rank with a 'Graduation' test. The Union has a school branch and administrative building for every country. And every conflict was resolved with a healthy competition between the country.  However not everyone willingly to be under their banner, some deliberately create an splintered opposition force which resulted why the criminal rate are higher than my previous world. It left me flabbergasted, I'm in awed to how much ridiculous this could get. As I delved deeper into my memories, I snapped. "This is... Bullshit..." I said as I sighed. Rather than worrying about the environment and other. "... System?" I tried to call out, sure enough. A familiar screen appeared in front of my eyes. [Status] [Mission] [Inventory] [Map] Immersion: 3,27% 'Status' I tried to command it with my mind as a second step. The screen changed and listed a list of classic RPG status screen. User information: Strength: 1,2 Vitality: 1,3 Agility: 1,1 Intelligent: 1,5 Dexterity: 1,1 Luck: 1,2 Ailment: - Ability: - Equipment: - "That was interesting... And a great news so I don't talk to the air like a madman..." The screen was quite straightforward. Except, the proficiency of basic life skill like cooking and such weren't included. "Was it more inclined toward a battle and such?" I concluded seeing basic life skill didn't appear in the column. "But this world is more or less has no bigger threat except for terrorist attack and such... Why would-" -Mission Available- Task 1: *Go to school without being late. *Greet Yulair Eclare. Reward: Overall Status Increased by 0.2 and Immersion 0,5% Penalty: Immersion -1% "!?" I narrowed my eyes seeing new screen appeared in front of me. 'Was it a coincidence?' as I started to calculating the loss and the gain, I walked to the bathroom before showered. "A mission that's specific... A very specific one I should say..." "Moreover they are related to the 'Immersion'.." "No physical punishment or ridiculous things and such but an 'Immersion'.. so it was as important as my life.. from a temporary conclusion I draw..." "And...from the look of it.. this world hide some surprise than it's tame look from my memories..." "Very well... Let's put aside most of the things on my mind and see what this world has to offer.." Minutes passed as I get out from the bathroom and put on my uniform which consisted as black blazer and white shirt with long black pants along with a pair of black shoes with a white socks. "Shall we conduct the test." I mumbled as a smile formed on my face after I decided my decision. The school was not far from my apartment, it's roughly 1km from my position. I opened the door and started to get out from my apartment before I lock the door. A gentle breeze of winds passed through my body as I walked out. "And... I want to know.. what 'Immersion' truly do.."  I look around on my way to the school, the environment are well maintained, it's also pleasant to see too. People at least greet once to other people. "Too peaceful... I should say.." I mumbled lowly, I decided to ignore everything as I increasing the pace I'm walked. _______________ I have arrived at the school vicinity 15 minutes before the school gate was closed. There in front of the gate I could see a beautiful long silver haired girl with blue eyes drop off from her limousine. She has well maintained glowing white skin as well as beautiful figure. '... This mission? What's the purpose of it actually? Not to mention she arrived a bit late than usually she came... another coincidence?' I frowned for a while as I continued to observe. She wore the standard school uniform from the school regulation, it was similar like me except the girl uses a skirt until her knee with a black stocking that covered the tight. I keep my gaze at her while searching memories that relevant to her. 'None... At least we haven't interact in any form except now... Not to mention that she's quite influential people from the Union and a Beautiful girl if I should say from a personal opinion.' She bowed at the driver seats before turn around, she stopped in the mid way as the limousine drive out from the road in front of the school gate. 'The mission isn't related to the past of the 'Me'. So...' She turned around and out gaze was met on her eyes I could see nothing but a disinterest. Our contact lasted for a 3 second as she tilted her gaze before turned around, at same time I redirected my gaze towards the school. 'She's giving out an unreachable Ice Queen aura.. A genuinely one not as a shell... but as her whole persona.'  I shook my head as I decided to not pry even further, for now.  A screen then appeared in front of me. -Mission Failed- Task Condition:  *Go to school without being late.(Success) *Greet Yulair Eclare.(Failed) Penalty: Immersion -1% "So that doesn't count as 'greet', and apparently all condition must be fulfilled in order to complete a mission.. intriguing.." I mumbled as I walked toward the school gate. "Going to school... After a such a long time..." A small smile formed on my face as I passed the school gate. I walked to my class, there I was greeted by my classmate. "You're kinda late... Reo.." A boy around my age, he has good figure. A disheveled black hair and a sharp eyes, he's a former delinquent if I remember correctly. "I overslept a little bit.. My bad Luke.." I said while trying to act as natural as possible while walking to my seat. "Good thing you didn't late.. anyway... morning.." He said as he lean in his chair. "Morning too.." I replied and sit on my seat, on the middle back of the class. With that I began to start my day as a highschool boy. With no incident or anything strange, an uneventful day passed. On the afternoon afterschool ended, I walked back at my apartment. Along the way I feel something amiss. "It's became more... Eerie?" I said, but without minding it too much I keep walking leisurely. After a few minutes, I finally arrived at the same time when the sun started to set and people started to turn on their light. I changed my clothes before sleeping on the bed. _____________ The next day, I opened my eyes, a blue translucent screen greet my morning. -Mission Available- Go to school without being late and greet Yulair Eclare. Reward: Overall Status Increased by 0.1 and Immersion 0,3% Penalty: I̵͇͆̕m̸͇̎̅m̴̟̈͆ẹ̵̯̾r̵̩̙͘s̸̛̤i̴͙̹̾̚ȯ̶ͅn̵̹̲͛ ̷̳̃-̷̣̂͐2̶̤̟͆,̶̙̀͠2̴͓͔̾̚7̵͍̠̈́%̵̡̼͘͝ "Distorted?" I narrowed my eyes seeing penalty section that was distorted while giving an ominous feeling. "It seems that I better not risked it.." I sighed. But then I realized that the lamp in my room has been turn off. 'Intruder?' Suddenly in the corner of my eyes a humanoid shadowy figure appeared on my room, I immediately get up as I pouched toward it. 'Cold!' I immediately choke the shadowy figure with my right hand as I inspect it in closer range. But before I doing that It tried to retaliate as it trying to clawed my hands, I simply pushed forward quickly to canceling the motions of his retaliation. Bang- Its head hit the wall as I gasped, realizing this body isn't the 'old' me. I winced in pain as fatigue assault my body in exchange of the quick succession action. "Damnit..-" 'I'm not gonna risk it'  With that in my mind, I tightened my grip while looking at its hand if it tried to retaliate. The creature hands started to move, in response I began to bang its head toward the wall. Bang-  I bang its head toward the wall once again. Bang- Again... Bang- And again.. Bang- To the point where it would stopped trying to resist.. Bang- .... Doesn't matter how long it takes... Bang- .. Bang- ... Bang- ..... Bang- It finally stopped to resist as it started to dying. "A pure black illusory creature... Humanoid one... It's like ethereal body yet it was a physical body... A weird creature that emit coldness and a mindless beast with an unique instinct.. an intriguing kind aren't you..." I said as I began a close inspection toward the creature. Then I turned my gaze towards the wall where I bang its head. There a faint black corrosion could be seen as it trying to spread out slowly, I frowned as it wriggled in attempt to spread even further. 'What kind of lifeform is that-' Slash- I widened my eyes. I could feel a graze cut on my cheek as I started to lowered my head toward the creature. I clenched my left hand before slowly raised it. Dizziness slowly assault my mind before my vision blurred for a moment. "Sh- it.." Without wasting anymore time I began my assault. Bam- Bam- Bam- "Haa-.." Three quick succession punch landed right into its head. I gasped for the air once more, my whole body feel in pain as I forced those previous action. "Haa-.." The creature finally dissipated into a black mist before slowly entered my body. Icy cold feeling spreading through my body followed by dizziness and a sore muscle pain. I grit my teeth as I began to opened my mouth. "Status." A familiar screen appeared before my eyes. User information: Strength: 1,2 (0.1↑) Vitality: 1,3 (0.1↑) Agility: 1,1 (0.1↑) Intelligent: 1,5 (0.1↑) Dexterity: 1,1 (0.1↑) Luck: 1,2 Ailment: Temporary Astral Distortion   (1 Day) Ability: - Equipment: - "My stat increased? It didn't directly changed the number but it create a separate section beside it... But Astral... And Distortion.." I winced in pain as another wave of dizziness hit me. "Temporary Astral Distortion..." I mumbled. A new screen appeared while the previous one disappeared. -Temporary Astral Distortion- A wound caused by ??????? Causing instability on 'Astral Vessel'.. The effects resulted into a mild to severe dizziness and a hallucination on a rare occasion...  "This is dangerous... And this world.... Isn't simple as it seem anymore.." I said as I gaze to the message in front of me. "Distortion... Not to mention Astral? That mean it really exist... It seem like I need to rearrange my 'Plan'..."  I then look at the wall, the last evidence and a proof of reality check, there the corroded part isn't even exist as if it were a nightmare. "Huh?" ======= Ps: I planned to do a whole 10k words on each chapter... But... I changed my mind and let everyone suffer with the cliffhanger by separating it into few part.  As expected of me. 

"All.... Disappeared?" I mumbled, a sole concrete evidence of the incident, a remnant of trace of proof was not there. With a slight hesitation I inspect the wall even further. I roughly determined the location before decided to touch it. 'The wall a little bit rough... It also same for the other... No abnormalities could be seen or feel..' "...What the hell is actually happened?" I began to look around at my room. "A Daydream?" Before I could think even further. Once again a wave of dizziness appeared. "!?-" I held my head with my hand as I began to look around my room. The dizziness slowly disappeared as time passed. "It wasn't just a mere imagination.. it's actually happening..."  After calming down for a whole 2 minutes. I sat on the bed while gazing at the wall where 'it' exist before as I feel into a trance. "So.... That cannon fodder like creature... Could bend reality at some degree..." I clenched my hands. 'This is officially a fucking D*rk S**l.. No, this is even more rigged.' "And it could inflict something that couldn't be cured normally.....No... First of all.. where the creature came from?.." I frowned. "What about their numbers... Are they scarce.. has society known about this... But... Rather than worrying that... I'll just do the mission."  With a goal set in my mind I walked to the bathroom and showered.  After that, I cook my handmade breakfast before ate it and put on my uniform before going to the school. On way to the school I occasionally glanced around the surrounding if there any abnormalities and such. 'Nothing...' It was a disappointment. Everything looks normal and peaceful, from the sound of children playing around or even the gentle wind breeze. 'So I should fight my way alone then?... I doubt people on the higher seats would know these things..'  I tried to relaxed my mind as I glanced at the skies for a minute moment. "It felt unfair... Huh?." I mumbled. The feeling of shouldering everything alone with people expectations that forcefully pushed you forward, as if it was a kind of curse that bestowed upon you. You will save everyone. but, what about yourself... Who will save you.. ... Is there someone out there willing to extend their hands towards you.. Everything seems not worth it, so why not just ignore everything and let the nature take it course. "But... This time... I guess... That's fine.."  By adding another reason to my cause, I determined to do it seriously. 'A self-hypnotism.. I never change am I?... ' I scowled.  "Well... Then.. since I was determined to do so... Then the first goal is... To became overpowered with help of the system.." I mumbled. Without realizing, I already at the school entrance. And at same times a familiar sounds appeared on my back. 'Her limousine.. what a convenience..' Tap- Tap- A sound of footstep appeared. Followed by the sound of the limousine door being closed. "Thanks You, I'll be going." A cold soft girl voice appeared. With that, the limousine is going on after finishing it's task. I turned my body around, there she stood looking at the faded silhouette of the limousine. She then turned her gaze upon me, a hint of surprise could be seen in her eyes. However, her face is still the same cold look. 'Poker Face? Wow this girl is not simple then... Maybe a high class people stuff but... What's she surprised about.. Hm?' We stood while looking each other in the eyes, she then began to opened her mouth. "Is.. there something matter fellow schoolmate?"  "Good morning..." I said before I turn around and going in. What follow were a silence for a seconds. "...Mn... Good morning.." She said behind my back. -Mission Succeed- Reward: Overall Status Increased by 0.1 and Immersion 0,3% 'System.' with that the translucent screen disappeared and a new one appeared before my eyes. [Status] [Mission] [Inventory] [Map] Immersion: 2,30% 'Good.. it increased.. now what about the other one? Status.'  the screen changed once again replaced by a new column of attributes and such User information: Strength:  1,2 -> 1,3 (0.1↑) Vitality:  1,3 -> 1,4 (0.1↑) Agility: 1,1 -> 1,2 (0.1↑) Intelligent:  1,5 -> 1,6 (0.1↑) Dexterity:  1,1 -> 1,2 (0.1↑) Luck:  1,2 -> 1,3 Ailment: Temporary Astral Distortion   (1 Day) Ability: - Equipment: - 'Even the luck increased... that's unexpected... but let's set that aside..' Suddenly a hands grabbed my shoulder. "!?" "Hey Reo... Your face looks pale? Are you good?" A familiar voice appeared not long after that. 'Pale?' I tilted my head. "Hm? Is that so?" I asked him back. "You- didn't even look at the Mirrors!?" He said in surprised tone, followed by exasperated sigh. "Well... I'm a little bit lethargic this morning.." I replied shortly. "I see.. Do you want to absent and sleep well on infirmary?" "Nah.. I'm fine!" Suddenly a wave of dizziness assault my mind. I blinked for a moment. 'Good things it became less frequent..'  "You sure?" He said in worried tone. "Don't worry... And let's go to the class Luke.." I said as the dizziness slowly subsided. 'That aside... I need to find a convenience weapon....' With that in my mind I noticed that we have arrived in the classroom, I began to enter it and noticed that three out of sixteen desk was empty. One of them was my seat, the other one was Luke's and the last one was... 'If I remember correctly it's a girl.' Every class has 16 students, I then began to recalled one by one of my classmate while sitting. 'Anna..Alice.. Arist..... Bianka then Bill..Cyrus....Celine.. And Clarisse after that...' 'Deon..Della Edward...Kuro.. Reana... Vivian...' with the arrival of me and Luke almost all of them were present except for one additional person. 'Cerys... Similar to me.. we have a little presence in our class... But..' I look around of my class, yet none of them seems to be bothered with her absent. 'Strange..' "Hey Luke..." I said to the man who sit in front of me. "Yeah?" "Where is she?" I said while pointing out at the empty seat in the second row from the front at the leftmost side beside the windows. "What do you mean? That seat is always empty.." '!?' I widened my eyes. I could feel that my entire body went cold as I could heard my accelerated heartbeats. "What's wrong? What do you mean by her-" Luke voice became inaudible as I fell into realization. ...Cerys... Similar to me.. we have a little presence in our class...  '.... This is straight up Reality Warping... And that would happen if I were 'Died' to them...Your trace of existence would just... Gone...' "....R....o? E-..... o?" '... I'm not really sure but.. I finally got a clue about the trigger when did they appeared.... People with less presence would just simply disappeared... And... The Immersion bar are related to this...' "Ah I see... Also don't worry about it I'm fine." I replied. "How abou-" he immediately closed his mouth in awe. Creak- The door is opened as everyone redirected their gaze to the classroom door. Tap-  Tap- A mature woman with black hair and blue eyes that wore teacher attire then came from the classroom door. She was our homeroom teacher and a mathematic teacher, Lilian McCready. Despite her strict like appearance she cares a lot about the class she hold. Unfortunately our relationship as student and teacher have a bit of animosity. I glanced at her for a second before lost in my thought while keeping attention about what's she going to talk about. 'Speaking of Immersion.... Is 'that' gonna work?.. and will she bring up Cerys... or another things? Or even something close and related to that I wonder?' I asked myself a question. "Alright... Go and sit to your own seat... Class will be started shortly after an announcement..." She said as she arrived at the middle in front of the class. 'Theoretically speaking... It should work... If the goal is to let me be 'Recognized'.. but.... What kind of 'Recognition' that fulfilled the criteria...' "We have a new transferred student from the other class... You may enter and introduce yourself.." She continued. '... It goes into 'that' scenario isn't it?.'  As I said that in my heart I turned around to the classroom door. There a 'familiar' white haired beauty appeared. I could heard some gasp and murmurs upon she entered the classroom. 'Yep..' "Quiet.." Ms. Lilian said, the class then began to calmed down. Step by step she walked closer toward the middle of the classroom.  She then look around as she stopped when our gaze met for a moment before she continues and began to opened her mouth. "Pleased to me you all... My name is Yulair Eclare... I hope we can get along well.." 'She definitely know something about 'it'..'  And judging from her action, our interactions would be inevitable in the future. 'If she's... By any chance a reliable ally.. that would be great help...' After she said that Ms. Lilian let her sit on 'Cerys' seats before started the lesson. "..... Li....mit i.....s ...p...rett.....y s- .... ple..."  'However... I can't ruled out the possibility of her working out with those creature....'  ".... R-..... O.... sten-...." 'That would shift a lot of my plan.... depend on how strong is she...' I softly sighed before turning my attention to Ms. Lilian. Not only that, all of my classmate gaze were lingered on me. "Reo... Come here and finish the question..." I glanced at the black board, there written: If lim x approach 3 then f(x) = 7, which is the following must be true? A. f is continuous at x = 3 B. f is differentiable at x = 3 I get up from my seat and walked forward nonchalantly. Then pick up a black board before wrote the answer below the question. 'Neither of the statement were true.'  After I wrote that I began to add suppose then started to write the equation which prove the statement. It took less than 2 minutes before I put down the chalk and went back to my seat while ignoring various emotions within the gaze that directed onto me. -Notice- Immersion increased by 3%. First threshold has been reached, New function unlocked: - Detailed numerical value of host attributes. - Damage Number. - Dungeon. Additional Rewards: -  All attributes increased by 2. - Vow: Equivalent Exchange (Skill, Active). - Resilience Boost(Skill, Passive). I read the notice while the class fell silent as I began to sit on my seat.  'It did work... Although I still didn't know how to trigger it...' Suddenly I felt a pleasant warm feeling spreading through my whole body, I felt vigorous and lightweight. 'This time it's quite noticeable.' "... That's correct... However please pay attention next time." She said after a momentary silence and continued the lecture. 'The only clue I have is that the mission is very specific... Hold on.'  I began to realize something as I question myself about specific over and over. I also noticed that the gazes of my classmate that directed into me slowly disappeared one by one. 'A situation where I found a specific missio-... Quest... Story... Then...' I widened my eyes. 'Now... By a game logic... That mean the action produced would lead into a desirable results... Results as in Ending.... Which mean.... An Important Character that bring change to the world?...' With that in my mind I began to connect dot by dot question of mine. 'That would be makes a sense... But... What's the purpose of the system?...' I finally asked the blind point. It just came with no explanation or whatsoever.  There's no such things as to save the world as a charity, everything has a goal at least to my understanding. 'Not to mentions world is in fact beyond saving considering nature of humanity itself... Yet it's quite ironic that I as a human want to save this world.'  I shook my head as a wry smile appeared on my face as a faint voice from my old memory appeared on my mind. ...Hypocrite as always aren't you?.. ....Well... This is this and that's that, although I don't mind being hypocrite... Everyone do it at least once after all.. 'Hope you rest well... Old friend' I said in my mind before continued my hypothesis while I unconsciously clenched my hand. As I sorted the available information I gained, I once again began question some things while getting a hypothesis answer. In the first place why would I transmigrated into this world. Based on my assumption there should be a lot world option other than this place. '... Become a puppets huh?..'  But, at least I will get my answer eventually. And until then, I would increase my power. "Alright.." I answered Ms. Lilian. With that, day passed with a slight deviation from what I would originally imagine. After school in the afternoon, I stopped by in the middle way to my home and sat on a nearby bench. 'System..' [Status] [Mission] [Inventory] [Map] * Immersion: 5,30% "That aside I never use map... I wonder how it looks like..." I mumbled. 'Map.' There I saw a blue dot that indicates myself. The place that I've relation has a different color from the surrounding which was white. I also noticed that my apartment are on the west side from the center of the country area, to be specific it's around southwest area along with my school that located in the north from my apartment location. And from various locations a total of 12 dot with various color from red, dark red and purple could be seen scattered around the area. I mentally command the system for the detail for the closest dot from my location which has red dot on it. A line of word appeared before me. -Dungeon- Estimate enemy: 8 Risk:2(Mild) "Ho..." I said in amazement. Then I remembered that the status getting update too. Thus, I began to explore the feature before deciding to go. 'Status' The line of word previously with map behind it disappeared before getting replaced by a new column of word. User information: Health: 91.5/100 Stamina: 80/100-> 800/1000 (50↑) [Vit x 285.714286] Attack: 12.15 [(50%STR x 10) x 0,5 + (20%AGI x 5) x 0.5 + (20%DEX x 5) 0.5 + (10%VIT x 2) x 0.5] Def: 35 [VIT x 1000%] {17.5 Damage Reduction} [Def x 0.5] Attributes: Strength:  1,3 -> 3,3 (0.1↑) Vitality:  1,4 -> 3,4 (0.1↑) Agility: 1,2 -> 3,2 (0.1↑) Intelligent:  1,6 -> 3,6 (0.1↑) Dexterity:  1,2 -> 3,2 (0.1↑) Luck:  1,3 -> 3,3 (Note: Peak Human limit attributes in this world are 2,5 excluding Luck) Ailment: Temporary Astral Distortion   (1 Hours left) Ability:  *Active: Vow: Equivalent Exchange (-) *Passive: Resilience Boost (1/10) Equipment: - "...I've surpassed the peak of human limit unknowingly..." I mumbled. 'Now what could I get-... Right!' I clicked my tongue upon another realization. "91.5 that mean I lost 8.5... and adding my defense value from my previous status without the increase after I defeat it, I got roughly 6.5 dmg reduction... That mean they have 15 dmg just by graze..." I mumbled as I began a mental calculation. "Now... My previous attack are around 4.23... I punch it 9 times and adding the choke they have roughly 40 Health...." I smiled. 'Last thing before I go... Skill Equivalent Exchange, Resilience Boost' -Vow: Equivalent Exchange- Add a 'Stake' to gain a desired 'Stake', both 'Stake' must be equal in value. It can be applied immediately or through a vow in which adding 'Stake' (Negative) upon self and gave equal value of 'Stake' (Positive) as a predetermined reward when condition are fulfilled.  When the 'Stake' are determined as a equal value a red mark would appear in the right hand. Chant: "Vyosg..." -Resilience Boost- Add 5% bonus stamina of maximum stamina. Can be upgraded: (1/10) -> (2/10) Condition: Emptying The whole stamina at least 3 times each week for a period of 1 month. As I read the description, my whole body trembled as I finished reading the Vow: Equivalent Exchange description. This seemingly harmless looking skill that's not so important are a budget reality warping card delivered unto my hand. It may look not so beneficial under any normal circumstances. However, it doesn't state a limit or whatsoever. And the most important thing to be known. That you could gain more power with it with a slight price and you would gain it instantly. 'I could abuse it to achieve my current goal.... I don't need to take a lot time to develop my power with help of this..'  As I thought about it, I get up from the bench. ".... I take back my word previously about the enemy... This.... Is perfectly Balanced..." I said excitedly upon looking at the Vow: Equivalent Exchange skill description once again. 'Now the prey has became the hunter..' I then began my journey to the closest dot with help of map. Time passed. The sun started to set as I arrived to the location, there I saw a distorted gate like crack on the space with a size of an adult beside an abandoned factory. I put down my bag to an obscure location nearby then without hesitation I began to enter it. My sight was greeted by a white flash, I began to closed my eyes for a moment. Then cold air suddenly assault my sense. I began to opened my eyes as the bright light slowly died down replaced by a desolate scenery of destroyed factory. The skies turned into ash color while a black ashes like particle was scattered everywhere. The visible area are circular area around the destroyed factory. The rest of the area are pitch black darkness that was like a wall. I held back my curiosity and quickly found my target.  All of them were scattered upon the area. they then noticed my presence as they one by one walked toward me. I smiled as I began to opened my mouth. "Vyosg.. Half of my stat are temporarily reduced upon the upcoming battle, if I won my stat permanent increased by 0.8 and If I getting hit once the Vow are nullified and my stat are permanent reduced my 0.8 with condition where either me or all of my current enemy are defeated!" A faint red mark could be seen on my hand as I could feel a burning sensation from it. 'Yes... But this is not enough..' I then slowly approaching them while opened my mouth once again. "Vyosg... One of my eyes would be inflicted with blindness upon battle, but my reflexes are temporarily increased. The Vow only applied on the current battle until it finished with condition where either enemy or me being killed!" With that another burning sensation appeared followed by overlapped mark on my hand. "Hunt begin.." I said as I began to run toward the closest one to me as my left eyesight suddenly darkened. 'I need exactly 7 hit to kill them.. this wouldn't take long...' Our distance now became closer, I paid attention to it's hand. There's slight movement from it's left hand. 'Left' I side stepped to the left as I narrowed our distance. I quickly catch its arm before pulled it to the right to create a gap. With my other hand, I grab its neck before slamming it down to ground. Bang- [-11] A number appeared on it's head 'External Factor do help... And this wouldn't take a longer time than I expected.' I began to get up without letting go the arm, I raised my right leg up before mercilessly stomping on it's head. [-15] Bang- Several dust scattered everywhere as a result. I held the arm tightly before raised the creature forcefully into the air. I then let go of its arm before turn around to the left quickly as I raised my right feet slightly before kicking it. Bang- [-8] The kick landed into it's head continued by one quick punch before the creature dissipated into black particle that slowly absorbed into my body. [-6] 'One down..' I exhaled as I recovered some of my stamina while looking around. The creature has already surrounding me. The closest one are move in one group which consisted of three creature from a different direction. "So you guys isn't only relied with instinct alone... Well... It doesn't matter..." I mumbled as I began to get closer to one of the three. This time, I clenched my hand before quickly punched it on its chin. [-6] The creature was staggered for a moment, with the presented chance I turn a round and noticed that I've been surrounded from my back left and right.  And the other four also followed behind. Badump- I could hear the voice of my heartbeat. Without wasting any more time I clenched my fist. Badump- Badump- Then performing to spin around before a heavy side kick from my right leg to the creature I previously punch. "Shit-" I widened my eyes. The kick didn't landed as I would expected it stopped at few inch before the creature, I widened my eyes before lowered my left leg and using jt jump into mid air as I spinning to left. Wush- A sound of clawing hitting the air appeared behind me. I immediately raised my left leg as high as I could before slammed it downward to the creature head. [-8] 'It's head is its weak point..' as I thought that I regained my balance in the air. "Well... That was a surprise...  I could feel no gravity and my motion were in stillness previously... So you could messed up with law too huh?" I mumbled as I jump from the creature upper body to gained some distance. [-2] Tap- My feet safely landed on the ground, I turned around quickly and see it hasn't recovered. "Doesn't matter.." I smiled as I clenched my fish before running toward it. As the creature turned around I quick it three times in quick succession. Bang- Bang- Bang- [-18] All landed right into its head. It staggered back while exposing its front body to me. I closed a distance as I began to kick it on its groin. Bang- [-6] "I guess that's what makes you guys different from human... You just took humanoid appearance... Have no pain receptors however... and your weakness is apparently on your head for some reason... Alright then... playtime is over..." I said as the second creature dissipated before the black particle absorbed into me. '6 left...' I took a step back once again to regain some distance while recovered some of my stamina. I readjusted my breathing, it took 15 seconds as I saw them started to grouping into three group.  They maintained a close distance from each other. "It's a bit shame that I didn't bring a weapon..." I walked closer to the closest group, the one that surrounded me from behind previously.  "Well.. what about this then..." I smirked. "Vyosg.... Upon getting hit, I would instantly died in this battle, However there's 15% chance to kill my enemy instantly when being attacked. The Vow only applied on the current battle!"  A familiar translucent screen appeared in front of me. -Warning- User won't be able to revived upon death. Please confirmed to abandon or retain the Vow. 'Oh?' However I paid no heed as I opened my mouth once again. "I confirm that I would retain the Vow.." As I said that another faint burn feeling along with red mark appeared on right hand overlapping the previous one. I began to run to one of the creature on the closest group before punch it in face and connected another blow with my other hand. [-12] As I was about to land the third punch I feel a chill and reflectively bend down before turn around. Whush- Badump- "That was close!" In exchange, I immediately kick the creature I once punch with my right feet on it's back. [-6] I grab the arm of the creature with my right hand and pull it to my direction as I landed four quick successive punch on it's face. Bang-  Bang- Bang- Bang- [-24] 'Three...' I said in my mind as the black particle being absorbed into my body. The other creature has already arrived in front of me as it raised its hand to mid air before bring it down to me. I side stepped while waiting the creature next action. Its other hand move slightly before a claw was going to delivered into my head from side. I tilted my head to right as I came closer while making a grab gesture not far in front of my face with my left hand. Swish- I immediately grabbed its arm and held it tightly as I began my counterattack with my other hand. Bang- [-6] As I was about to land the second hit the creature dissipated into black smoke. i was surprised for a moment before smiled. "Not that I would reject it..." As I said that I redirected my gaze toward the remaining four of the enemy. In response they close their distance from each other. I slowly walked toward the one in the middle left as the distance of the right side are more close each other. Suddenly I began to run and gave it a hard punch on it's face as it began to stagger, I quickly turned around to see my left side and saw that the creature raised both of its arm before glancing at the right side where it also raised it left arm a little bit slower. [-6] I immediately turned to right as I delivered a hard kick to the body of creature on the left side while raised my hand. [-6] Swish- I accurately grab its hand before pulled it to my right side.  I then focused on the one whom I punch. The creature has recovered from the stagger. I made a claw gesture before grabbing the head of the creature while running ahead to give some distance. By the time the creature was about to retaliate I throw it down to the ground. Bang- [-6] I get up as the dust scattered everywhere while the creature failed to retaliate. I raised my leg while putting the center of weight on my feet and began to stomp the creature head quickly in succession. Bang- [-10] Bang- [-14] The creature dissipated leaving only the three of them. I was exhausted for a little bit and began to take a deep breath. I glanced at the rest of them, they has started to regrouping while maintaining a close distance each other. Without wasting anymore time I began to run to the creature on the right.  I've prepared a clawing gesture once more with my right hand, as I arrived in front of it and  launched my right hand. The creature just back off one step as it raised it's left arm. 'What?' I widened my eyes. I immediately forced myself to readjusted my posture while kicking the ground to gave some distance. Swish- The hand of the creature was brought down few centimeters in front my face. Badump- Badump- I grit my teeth and quickly grab the hand while evading to right side. Swish- Sure enough the arm of the creature in the middle attacked my previous location. "They're learning.. however.."  With that, I began my counterattack to the closest creature as I hit it hard. Bang- [-6] The creature immediately dissipated. Seeing this opportunity I immediately changed my target. I began to do a spin kick from my right leg. In response the creature changed it direction to my leg as it raised both of its arm. 'Oh my.' I smirked seeing this as I immediately cancel the kick in the middle before retracted my leg. And immediately doing a spin kick with my other feet as it landed right on the backside of the creature head. Bang- [-16] The creature staggered before turned into black particle that was immediately absorbed into my body. "Now it's your turn..." I said as I gasped for air. I preemptively began my assault as the creature clenched it hand before throwing punch at my head. I tilted my head as I hit it's groin. [-6] The creature staggered for a moment before raised it's other arm to slash me. I ducked as I side stepped to left side before delivering a punch on it's head. Bang- [-8] The creature immediately disappeared as I absorbed the black particle it create upon death. "Ha.. it's finally over." I said as I looked at my hand. The mark dimmed before slowly disappeared while a warm feeling spreading through my body. The reality around me distorted before the scenery then changed as I back to the place where I previously entered the gate to the space I've gone into. "... That was fun.." I mumbled softly. = Announcement around 1k word of battle scene... I will upload the Map(which I was painstakingly created through digital art) on the next chapter which is intermission it's kinda short and would probably update at Sunday or so I thought...and yeah MC are OP and a bit doesn't right on his head(suicidal.. cough..)... I forgot to add the tag mb.. Licient This chapter also shows how bad.. I mean how terrible (it's not too flashy since there's no magic and I'm not familiar with some cool English term.. my bad) I am making a fighting scene since this is one sided(kinda)... What's your thoughts?

The only important information I learned after that is that my father was a Duke of the Empire, thus being one of the richest and most influential families in the Empire. There were 12 Duke families. We being one of them. Since the [Memory] skill said something about losing consciousness, I decided to use it when going to sleep. The next thing I knew I was in a dark space. [Memory] initialized.   Please choose category: - Martial Arts - Magic - Craftsmanship   New categories will unlock as you progress through [Memory]. From the short time I had spent in this world, I had realized fighting played a major part. As such I had instantly eliminated [Craftsmanship] from my options. Next - Although I, as much as any other person, was excited about using [Magic]. I felt like I should start with something that I am familiar with, thus I decided to go with [Martial Arts]. Please choose type: - Spear - Sword - Bow - Unarmed Combat   New types will unlock as you progress through [Memory]. I decided to go with unarmed combat. Mainly due to the chance of losing a weapon. Beginning [Memory] of [A-rank] Steelbodied lord Ronald Arkvon. You are currently in the body of a general of the kingdom of Sanodia 73 years ago. You are not able to intervene with the past, just experience it. Should the [User] be found to be in any danger, the [System] will immediately stop the [Memory]. Good luck! I presume Sanodia is a country. But why is Heroic in brackets ([ ])? Does that mean that is some sort of term? Well, I guess I'll find out later. As I thought such useless thoughts, the [Memory] had begun. Ronald stood in the desert with his army. They were fighting against elves... I do wish that I could understand what the elves and the Sanodians were saying though. Every time Ronald punched, an elf was out of the war. He aimed directly at their weakpoints. His punches were short, precice and deadly. The whole experience, from my point of view, felt very realistic. I could feel the blood of the elves on my face, the wind blowing as Ronald moved through the battlefield. The battle continued for weeks, eventually coming to a standstill. The two armies negotiated and decided that they would end the war in a one on one duel between the opposing generals. The opposing general was a young (well, for elves at least) elf woman. As an elf she focused on magic and agility. The two opposing generals decided to talk before fighting. [System] is intervening. Changing language in [Memory] to understandable form for [user]. Oh now you do that... Shake my head... "General Arkvon, it is an honor to fight against you. And, I just want to say, whether I win or lose - you are a truly brilliant strategist and warrior." (Elf General) "Same words for you, General Lambord. You as well are brilliant. If we were not on opposing sides, I would gladly be your friend." (Ronald Arkvon) So the elf's surname is Lambord, huh? "Same to you. Let's start." (Lambord) And they started their duel. Humans often have a disadvantage in duels, due to them being a balanced build. On the other hand, if they have a much higher level than the other person than they are better in everything... Huh? How do I actually know that? [Memory] is answering users question: Thanks to me. I give you the experience of what you are watching but also the knowledge necessary to process that experience. Hmmm... okay then. Anyways, humans often have a disadvantage due to that. It was the same in this case, because Ronald could not go against the elves superior agility with his balanced stats and similar level. Eventually, after around 30 minutes of fighting between the two generals. Ronald lost. "It was a glorious duel. End me." (Ronald) "Thank you for the fight." (Lambord) Lambord ended Ronalds life with magic. [Memory] has ended. Please choose whether to quit [Memory], go to Practice field or choose new [Memory]. Hmm... I choose the Practice field. As I thought that, my field of view once again went dark, before turning into a colorful, full of grass, world. Notification! Due to experience in [Memory] the skills: [Arnold's Unarmed Combat (Lv. 1)], [Weakness Detection (Lv. 1)], [Enemy Detection (Lv. 1)] have been acquired.   [Arnold's Unarmed Combat (Lv. 1)]   The [Heroic] Lord Arnold Arkvon's unarmed combat skill.   Lv. 1   PASSIVE   Available sub-skills: - Arnold's Critical Strike - Arnold's Footwork - Arnold's Iron Constitution   [Weakness Detection (Lv. 1)]   When facing an enemy, you can easily tell where their weaknesses are.   Lv. 1   PASSIVE   [Enemy Detection (Lv. 1)]   You can easily find enemies thanks to their killing intent and mana.   Lv. 1   PASSIVE   [Arnold's Critical Strike]   If activated before attacking the following attack, if hit in a weakness spot with Unarmed combat will do 700% extra damage. Will use up 25% of maximum MP.   ACTIVE   [Arnold's Footwork]   The footwork used in unarmed combat.   PASSIVE   [Arnold's Iron Constitution]   Makes your body stronger and more durable. Precise strengthening effect depends on the user.   PASSIVE Huh, neat. I got a lot of overpowered skills, huh.  I then proceeded to spend the next few hours just using the skills I gained. Weirdly enough, it seems that with skills, once you gained them you instinctively knew how to use them. However, that did not not mean you could use them perfectly. It is similar to a tool - you might instinctively know how to pick it up and use it but it takes experience to use it well. After a few hours had passed I got a new notification.   Notification! It is possible to summon a shadow to fight agains't. Please choose whether to spawn a shadow. Ooo. This seems just what I needed. It is getting a bit difficult to improve without an opponent. (Yes, please!) Accepted. Please choose difficulty: - Easy - Normal - Hard - Nightmare ... Wow, nightmare is a thing, huh. Let's start with just Easy. (Easy.) Accepted. Spawning shadow. The next moment, an individual who looked like a dark shadow, without a face, appeared. Shadow spawned. Please bear in mind, that while you cannot get hurt, you can still feel pain fighting against the shadow. Alright then, let's do this. The first few battles were incredibly difficult. It seems to be setup so that it has the same stats as me on easy, but is a level lower when it comes to skill levels. However, due to the fact that my skill levels were 1, it was the same as me. Eventually, after a few hard fought battles, I got this notification. [Arnold's Unarmed Combat] has levelled up to level 2!  [Weakness Detection] has levelled up to level 2! After that, the battles became significantly easier. As I grew, the shadow also grew, so I kept fighting in that way till I reached level 5 in [Arnold's Unarmed Combat]. Then I switched to normal mode. Normal mode was designed in a way where both of our stats and skill levels were precisely equal, but in exchange I gained EXP points for my skills faster. Honestly, I lost the first 15 or so of our battles. After that I started to realize what was wrong with my fighting. After another 30 battles or so I could quite easily win, by then [Arnold's Unarmed Combat] had reached level 20 and [Weakness Detection] had reached level 8. [Memory] limit for the current day reached. Shutting down. Oh? So it has a limit then. I was wondering how I got out of it? When I woke up I got this notification. Notification! Due to training done in [Memory] practice field, your body is adapting. Title [Trained Body] acquired.   [Trained Body] Requirements: - Have trained your body to a certain point.   Effects: - Agility + 1 - Strength + 1 - Dexterity + 2 I felt pain for a second in my every muscle, after which it disappeared. I imagine it was my body adapting to the changed in status. It's good to know I can actually train my body in [Memory] as well. (Status) Name: Tina Armonius Age: 0 Gender: FEMALE Race: Ancient Celestial Level: 1 (0%) Experience: 0 / 200 --------------------------------------------------------------- Agility: 6 Strength: 7 Vitality: 5 Dexterity: 9 Wisdom: 7 Intelligence: 5 --------------------------------------------------------------- Titles [Reincarnator] [Administrator] [Once in a millennium talent] [Noble of Ergold Empire] [Shadow of Light] [Trained Body] --------------------------------------------------------------- Skills [Admin Authority (Lv. 1)] [Appraisal] [Physical Disguise (Lv. 1)] [Status Disguise (Lv. 1)] [Noble Charisma] [Army Command] [Calm Mind (Lv.1)] [Arnold's Unarmed Combat (Lv. 20)] [Enemy Detection (Lv. 1)] [Weakness Detection (Lv. 8)]   InfamousTom Another chapter done. This time we explore the [Memory] mechanic and what it entails. Sorry for the late update. I had a bunch of things IRL happening.

Sara slowly grabs the girl's and brought it up to her mouth and placed a kiss on it. "may I have the lady's name" Sara side with a sweet smile the girl has a slight blush on her face " my name is lily and don't you think this is a little out of fashion" " I'll do anything for a little lady such as yourself even if its old fashion as you say." she chuckled " you are pretty good with words aren't cha." "that's not the only thing I can use my mouth for," Sara said with a wink. " HUUU!!" " I can also use my mouth for eating, what else did you think I meant," Sara said as she tilts her head in confusion. "no..nothing" lily was now read as a tomato smoke pillaring out her head. "ALL STUDENTS TO THE TO THE FRONT DESKT" "sorry miss but it seems ill have to leave you behind hope we meet again soon" sars leans close to her ears "and what you imagined might come true" Sara then left lily there in shock ok what she just experienced. after what just happen Sara finally got back to her senses. 'did I just do that since when have I been  such a smooth operator" 『 skill unlocked: sweet talker lvl 1: this skill makes it easier for you to woo women with the art of words』 'well since now I guess' Sara then made her way to the front desk of the evaluation center. "Name please," a lady in a soldier uniform said. "Sara leeway" "ok you're in test team k follow that person over there," the lady said while pointing at an old-looking man with a gray beard and a mohawk. "thank you " Sara said then walking off. "NEXT!!" the lady shouted while looking at Sara walking away. Sara walks up to the old man " the lady over there said I'm in this test team" "so you are Sara leeway," the old man said with a deep and unwelcoming voice releasing a menacing aura. "yes sir" Sara said with an awkward smile. "go wait with the others" "yes sir" Sara then walked over to a group of students behind the old man. a male student walks up to Sara  "hi I'm robin"  robin said while raising his hand in front of him. "hi, I'm Sara" Sara did the same and they both initiated a handshake. "so what type of loom do you think you'll get" the boy asked letting go of Sara's hand. Sara had nothing against this guy so she had no reason not to tell him " a liquid type loom probably" "oh that's cool I might get a metal type tbh" 'did this guy say tbh' Sara thought while giving robing a strange look. "OK EVERYONE IS HERE TIME TO GO TAKE THE TEST!!!" the old man screamed. after a short walk, the group of 3 girls and 5 guys found themselves in front of a white dome top building. they instructed everyone to head in they all followed without exception. after entering there was a crystal ball on the table we were instructed to touch is one by one. "Alisa Anderson you're up first" the old man called out a girl with golden hair and magenta eyes. Alisa walked up to the crystal ball and touch it a blu screen appeared similar to the system interface. "LIGHT CONTROL!!!" "WHAAAAA UCX13" although the girl got an amazing loom she looked disappointed. other than that girl everyone else to a one-digit xc loom like and now it was finally Sara's turn. "SARA LEEWAY!!!" Sara walked up to the crystal ball like all the other students but this time something different happened tales something different from Sara's point to view. 『error』 『error』      『error』 error singes kept on popping up in Sara's vision she was too focused on there to notice that time had seemed to be frozen. "what's happening" 『error a stronger entity is trying to break into the simulation 』 the walls and floor started to melt turning into error symbols. peace by peace space was being destroyed until all that was left was a black void. "were.. were am I"

reincarnation, the thing in fantasy novels where the mc dies then their soul is sent to another world to live out wonderful adventures with their har... *cough* *cough* I mean their "teammates" and because of this I abiko kirei decided to check it out yes I "decided" to get run over by truck-Kun... anyways I am currently finished with the dying part or this trip but sadly I didn't find myself in a pitch-black or a blindingly bright room with a beautiful angel with big boobs to greet me as I thought I would, on the contrary, I found myself in what felt like a bath filled with a sticky liquid in which I found out pretty early that movement is pretty pointless because for some reason I can't move any part of my body even my eyes are glued shut. a month has passed since I've died and found myself here and if you want to know how I'm keeping track well I don't know how but it just comes to me. other than that nothing much has changed well there is one notable thing that happened l got my nose back I would be happy but whatever I'm in smells god awful. It's been three months I think since I've died, I can finally move my hands now but whatever I'm in isn't allowing me to move it far. over there 3 months I've been trapped in my own head and I'm truly surprised that I haven't gone crazy it's like something keeping my mental state in check well might just be my imagination. HALF A YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!, now you might be asking why I'm so excited well today is a big day I can finally move all of my four limbs but my eyes are still refusing to be opened but hey, at last, I can move... is what i thought, but this fucking goo or whatever I'm in is holding me down refuses to even budge. it kinda reminds me of the time I got my hand stuck in oobleck. after an hour of struggling, I finally gave up and started to think when will this end but my thoughts were rudely interrupted by a mechanical voice. 『artifical body has is 100% complete』 『 picking appearance of artificial body』 『error』 『 y chromosome has not been fully developed replacing with x chormasome』 『the replacing process starts in 5..』 'huu what's going on 『 4....3....2....1』 an immense pain suddenly came over my body it felt like a part of me was being ripped out of me just to be replaced my something else ' AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MAKE IT STOP!!" 『 replacement completed, now checking for suitable aparance』 'pant* pant* it stoped I never want to feel that again" 『 appearance found...appearance name Sara... appearance code: 691959851  』 『 copying appearance memories... success! 』 『 I'm planting memories into the artificial body in 5..』 'again no pleas stop' i braced myself but surprisingly the pain was not as bad as last time but it was still unbearable. 『SUCCESS! memories are implanted now disintegrating original appearance and replacing it with the artificial body in 5.. 』 imaginary tears fell down my face and I heard the count down but instead of pain I got a warm soothing sensation came over my body, it felt like the sun.. wait a minute the sun. "SARA, WAKE UP ITS TIME FOR SCHOOL!" I open my eyes to find myself in a pink room with posters of cute boys plastered all over the place. 'were...were am i' panicking I got up and looked in the mirror right beside the bed I found myself in and a girl with silk-like black hair, azure-colored eyes, and fair unblemished skin stared right back at me. ' I finally left that fuking place also when since have I become a chick welp I don't care I finally free' ' i can see I can talk I'm finally free' heavy footsteps could be heard running to the room I'm currently in. *knock*knock*knock*"honey you ok in there" abruptly it all came to me this body name is Sara leeway and the woman outside is my mother Clara leeway Sara's father left her when she was a kid but Sara and her mother could survive because my mother was pretty well off. Sara was also a book nerd who was a big fan of boy bands. 『quest: don't make your mother suspicious』 『 story: you have to switch places with Sara don't make her mom find out』 『reward: 10xp and +10 to mothers love』 『accept/decline』 'what's this a screen of some sort it's floating how is that possible it also talked it has the same voice as the thing from earlier. 『host is correct』 'i can read my mind cool, well I might as well accept the quest there no use shouting at it for what happened to me earlier this seems like it's not independent, and thanks to it I can see outside again' "honey I'm coming in ok!" 'ohh I almost forgot about you' "I'm coming, mom!" 'hmm I think I would find it waird to call a woman I just met mom but I'm taking this quite well' I slowly walked to the door and opened it and a woman with breast too big for her own good was standing there. "sweety are you alright you never responded so I was worried something happened." "Sorry I could not answer I was doing something" "no no it's ok I was just really worried something happened to my little angel" "don't worry mom I'm ok" "that's good any way it's almost time for classes so come eat breakfast then get ready for the first day of school. "ok mom" Sara said with a heart-melting smile. sara's mom and I walked down the stairs then I sat at a medium-sized table with a big plate of mac and cheese waiting for me. "I really wish you can get a good loom during the evaluation ceremony at the beginning of classes " 'loom, what's that' 『 loom: a latent power that 60% of the population is born with this power is strongly influenced by your parent's power 』 'interesting' "mom what's your loom again" "i thought I already told you" "can you tell me again pleasssss" "ok fine, it's liquefication the ability to term my body into a liquid I can only do this for a short period of time because I got a very weak form of the loom but it still classed ucx2" 'it's coming back looms have tiers which are u,uc,ucc,uccc,ucccc keep going like that until there are 20 c's, oh each c represents 10x which its practically saying that u is 10x weaker than UC  but normally people normally write or say it as ucx number of c's its a very waird system but it works. ***** after my chat with Sara's mom I ate breakfast and took a nice and relaxing warm bath and then got ready to go to school, I was kinda weirded out by wearing a girl's uniform but I got over it after putting it on. on my were there I decided to take the bus because I don't remember where I'm supposed to go. I also decided to check my status i don't know where this thought came from but i did it anyway. a blue screen popped up with this written on it. Name: Sara leeway(abiko kirei) species: artificial life. age:15 loom:??? loom Lvl:??? loom control lvl:0 lvl:1 xp:10/50 hp:15/15 str:5 (your arms are limp noodles) sta:5 (running a meter would make you tired) agi:5 (you have the reflexes of a brick wall) int:15 (at least you're not a complete bafoon ) active skills: (non-existent) passive skill: heart of stone lVl 5: this skill makes you feel no sympathy no love no hatred ( its skill is still low level ao some emotions are still felt) mental diseases immunity lvl 9: immune to all mental diseases (  does not block agent mental attacks) star actor lvl 2: you have quite the affinity of acting ( a true professional can see right through you)

'so "heart of stone"  that's the reason I've been feeling strange' Sara thought as she skimmed through the status 'so is this the reason I've been taking this so well, interesting" Sara was finally at the school gate but it was closed. "Is this the right place" after looking around Sara found a key card reader with the words "please swipe student id here". "student id? I think I have it riiiight here" Sara said as she pulled out a blue transparent card with her name and face on it "I think this is it"  Sara then swiped the id card over the key card reader. "ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ ｆｏｕｎｄ ｔｅｌｅｐｏｒｔｉｎｇ ｉｎ ３．．２ " "hu teleporting what I thought the school was here!!" "．．１" Sara closed her eyes being ready for something to happen but nothing did she then opened her eyes to find she was surrounded by children about her age. 'is this the school?' "ATTENTION!!!" a big bulky man with a great sword strapped to his back and a full suite of camouflage " FROM TODAY ON YOU ALL WILL BE TRAINING FOR THE WAR AGENTS THE ZELTORIS AN ALIEN SPECIES THAT IS TRYING TO GAIN CONTROLE OVER OR PLANATE!!" chatter started amongst all the children "war I thought it ended 100 years ago" "They must have come back for another beating with or ability they can't win!!" "Yeah that's true but what if they have a superweapon or something they wouldn't come back if they knew they would lose" 'hey system whats the war there referring to I can't remember anything about it' 『 the war of aíma, 100 years ago the zeltoris an Alien species with formidable strength decided to rule over the earth』 『what they did not know was that earth had something new to add to their arsenal which was ability users although abilities were still new during this period of time and the power of abilities was ranked on a game like a system, which changed because new abilities were found that were more formidable than the previous generation, still, humans were losing the fight at first but after 20 years of back and forth』 『humans created the loom capsule which could be used to take away a persons loom or fuse two looms together *further knowledge about fusion is classified*  the humans gave their fused looms to soldiers and the humans got the upper hand and won』 'what does it mean about further knowledge about fusion is classified' "NOW THAT IS ALL!!" while Sara was busy listening to the system she was not paying attention so she missed out on everything the soldier said, " FIND YOUR WAY TO THE EVALUATION CENTER WERE YOU WILL FIND OUT WHATS YOUR LOOM IS!!!" the chatter started again "I home I get a double-digit c loom" "that's  impossible your gonna get a 5c at most" "hmm why are non of the kids worrying that they got practically kidnaped" "why would they be panicked" a soft and soothing voice came from behind Sara 'shit I said that out loud' Sara turned around to see a girl that this girl was a little shorter than her which she was about 1.6 meters tall ( about 5 ft 4 ) so this girl was about 1.4 meters (4 ft 8 i think). 'how should i play this off' 『host should try acting like a gentilman』 'i was a shut-in otaku how shu-' 『force usage of passive skill: star actor』

Honestly... the fact I'm female shocked me more than the whole reincarnation thing... After around ten minutes, I calmed down and accepted this reality. Honestly, I don't really mind as much as I thought I would... just... I don't see myself dating a man... will I be single again this life? Anyways, there is no point to complain since nothing will change if I do anyways, so I'll just accept the fact I'm female in this life. There might be some issues down the line with romance... and "that time of the month" but I'll deal with that once we get to it. .. Whatever. Hm? Why does race say "unnamed"? What am I? Some kind of mutant?... Let's try this.   Unnamed   A race created by the [System] to be able to easily become the strongest and to be able to handle the massive power of the [Administrator]. This race benefits from all the other races' existences, taking the highest point value for each race and combining them. Due to this being the first time this race exists, it has not been named by the people and thus no records exist of its name in the [System].   Point distribution (without bonuses): Agility: 4 Strength: 5 Intelligence: 3 Wisdom: 5 Vitality: 4 Dexterity: 5   Note: This race is outside the laws of the [System] due to being a race for the [Administrator]. This can be seen from the realization that this race gets 27 points per level-up. While the maximum without bonuses for other races is 13. That's... op as hell... Hmm... so it gets the best of every race.. Kind of like a Chimera or something? Registered. Attempting to change name of 'Unnamed' to 'Chimera'. Error! 'Chimera' already exists in Akashic database. Calculating fix......... Fix not found. Please choose a new name! ... That wasn't my plan at all... But since it is letting me name it. I am an [Administrator], administrators in games are often like some sort of Gods, right? hmmm... Gods... Celestial? Let's try that, yeah.   Registered. Attempting to change name of 'Unnamed' to 'Celestial'. Error! 'Celestial' already exists in Akashic database. Calculating fix......... Fix found. Changing variable 'Celestial' to 'Ancient Celestial'. Does user agree? Umm... It sounds a bit cringe but I guess I can roll with it.   Registered. Attempting to change name of 'Unnamed' to 'Ancient Celestial'... SUCCESS!    Ancient Celestial   A race created by the [System] to be able to easily become the strongest and to be able to handle the massive power of the [Administrator]. This race benefits from all the other races' existences, taking the highest point value for each race and combining them. This race was named by the first individual of this race, the [Administrator].   Point distribution (without bonuses): Agility: 4 Strength: 5 Intelligence: 3 Wisdom: 5 Vitality: 4 Dexterity: 5   Note: This race is outside the laws of the [System] due to being a race for the [Administrator]. This can be seen from the realization that this race gets 27 points per level-up. While the maximum without bonuses for other races is 13. Yeaaaaaah... Ummm... Not gonna lie, not what I had in mind but I guess it fits - as annoying it is, I guess I have to go over all my skills and titles, huh? [Appraisal]   Allows you to view living entities as well as objects statuses. Extra functionality due to [Admin Authority].   ACTIVE [Admin Authority]   Granted to the one chosen by the [System] as the [Administrator]. Passive skill which grants extra access to the [System].   PASSIVE   Lvl. 1   Available sub-skills: - Memory [Memory]   A [Administrator] skill which enables you to experiences the lives of experts, thus learning their skills. Note: This skill removes your consciousness, thus, please use it in a safe-space.   ACTIVE [Physical Disguise]   Allows you to change your face and overall physical look to hide yourself. It is impossible to change gender.   Lv. 1   ACTIVE [Status Disguise]   Allows you to hide your status to be viewed from [Appraisal] as well as similar function skills and tools.   Lv. 1   ACTIVE [Noble Charisma]   Draws other people's attention to you and makes you more trustworthy in their eyes. Might not always work on people of a similar social status to yourself.   PASSIVE [Army Command]   You are a noble of the Ergold Empire. The people believe in you. This allows you to effectively command them.   PASSIVE I've... actually learned more from this than I thought I would. It seems that I am a noble of someplace called "Ergold Empire". I guess it's the country I am in? It also seems skill are divided into two main categories: PASSIVE and ACTIVE. Passive skills are skills that are always on and do not really cost any resources - mana for example. Active skills are skills that can be turned on and off and that do usually cost resources. How much they cost depends on the current body and mind situation, level etc. Active skills can be the type that are only on for one second - e.g something like a sword flash, but they can also be a type that are turned on and stay on until turned off, for example [Status Disguise]. The [Memory] skill seems quite useful, as the [System] said. Well, onto titles now. [Reincarnator]   Requirements: - Be a reincarnated person   Effects: - 100% extra experience. - Extra 1 WISDOM (per level). - Extra 1 INTELLIGENCE (per level). [Administrator]   Requirements: - Unknown. - Chosen by the [System].   Effects: - Acquire skill [Admin Authority]. - Acquire skill [Appraisal]. - Extra 1 point in every attribute (per level). [Once in a millennium talent]   Requirements: - Be a talent recognized by the [System] that appears only once in a millennium.   Effects: - Skill gain speed improved by 100%. - 300% extra experience. - Extra 1 DEXTERITY point per level. [Noble of Ergold Empire]   Requirements: - Be apart of a Noble family in the Ergold Empire.   Effects: - Acquire skill [Noble Charisma]. - Acquire skill [Army Command].   Note: Should you stop meeting the requirements, the title will be removed, however, the skills will stay. [Shadow of Light]   Requirements: - Be a person of a good nature. - Want to hide your own power. - Want to not misuse your own power.   Effects: - Acquire skill [Physical Disguise]. - Acquire skill [Status Disguise].   Note: Should you stop meeting the requirements, the title will be removed, however, the skills will stay. Hmm... I see. So that's where all those skills came from, huh. Also.... aren't I already super overpowered? My base points where over double of that of other races and now I have a bunch of extra points from my titles as well... Plus my experience gain. This [System] seems to work similar to RPG videogames, in which case, probably to level up you need to fight monsters. So, let's say for convenience sake that a monster gives 100 exp after defeating it. Thanks to my boosts, won't I get 400 exp instead? Is that not broken... well... then again... I am not complaining. As I was having such thoughts, I fell asleep. While my mind is that of an adult, in the end, I am in a baby's body. There is only so much it can do without getting tired.     When I woke up, I was greeted by a beautiful golden-eyed elf with green hair... hold on... ELF? THIS SOON INTO FANTASY? Well... not that I'm complaining.   "Tina. Y-You... You... Y-YO-YOU'RE STILL SO CUTE! L-Le-Let m-m-mo-mommy hug you!" (Elf) The unknown elf said that while hugging me quite aggressively. Hey, Elf... I AM A BABY. I am going to die. "Oops... almost suffocated you!" (Elaina) Oh. This beautiful elf is my mom, huh? She talks quite awkwardly though? My mother on Earth died when I was around 6, so I don't really remember her too much. "Now. S-Say 'I love you, Mommy!' for me please." (Elaina) I attempted to say it, but when I opened my mouth only inconherent baby noises came out. Yeah, no matter what sort of [Administrator] I happen to be, right now I am a baby so... ... Wait, did this elf just tell her newborn baby to speak!? ... Am I gonna be okay? "Hehe. Cute." (Elaina) Groooooooowl. Huh... Was that.. My stomach.. So embarrassing. I thought as I felt a blush coming onto my face. "Hehehe. So cute. Here, l-le-let ma-mamma feed you." (Elaina) My mother said... as she took out her breast to breastfeed me... BREASTFEED ME.. OH NO. I am a former man, how do I even handle this. (Have a serene mind.) (Do not give in to temptation.) (Serene and calm mind.) (Caaaaaalm.) (Breathe in and out.) I thought calm thoughts while I... sucked milk from my mother. Skill [Calm Mind (Lv. 1)] acquired. ... Of course I did. To distract myself, I decided to use [Appraisal] on my newfound skill.   [Calm Mind]   Calms down your mind in case of stressful situations. Makes using mind-type attacks agains't you more difficult.    Sub-skills unlockable.   Lv. 1   PASSIVE Hmmm... That might actually be quite useful.     (Status) Name: Tina Armonius Age: 0 Gender: FEMALE Race: Ancient Celestial Level: 1 (0%) Experience: 0 / 200 --------------------------------------------------------------- Agility: 5 Strength: 6 Vitality: 5 Dexterity: 7 Wisdom: 7 Intelligence: 5 --------------------------------------------------------------- Titles [Reincarnator] [Administrator] [Once in a millennium talent] [Noble of Ergold Empire] [Shadow of Light] --------------------------------------------------------------- Skills [Admin Authority (Lv. 1)] [Appraisal] [Physical Disguise (Lv. 1)] [Status Disguise (Lv. 1)] [Noble Charisma] [Army Command] [Calm Mind (Lv.1)]   Random fact of the chapter: Everyone starts at level 1. Level 1 - 10 EXP required for next level: (level + 1) * 100 Level 11 - 30 EXP required for next level: (level + 1) * 100 * (level to the power of 2) Level 31 - 70 EXP required for next level: [(level to the power of 2) + 3] * 250 Level 71 - 99 EXP required for next level: (level to the power of 3) * 270 * 6 Level 100+ EXP required: (level to the power 6) * 765 For example: Level 10 - 1100 EXP Level 29 - 2523000 EXP Level 60 - 900750 EXP Level 95 - 1388947500 EXP Level 107 - 1148058719164485 EXP   InfamousTom And that's a wrap for this chapter. Arc 1 will mostly focus on building up the basics of the world, the country and the races, so if you want the story to get somewhere I recommend you wait for Arc 2 to start. UPDATE: 'Ultimate Chimera' renamed to 'Ancient Celestial'. P.S: I finished this chapter early and didn't really see anything I wanted to change in it. Thus, I released it, but don't expect such regular releases in the future. Thanks! -Tom

Hello! My name is Jerry Spruce. I don't really know how to start with this so let's get self-introduction out of the way first. I am 39 years old, unmarried/single man living in the Baltic country of Estonia.... Yeah, I know, you've never heard of it. My mother, who lived in the United Kingdoms, moved here with my father when I was 4 years old. Because of this I am quite proficient in both Estonian as well as English.  I have always... been average in everything. Average in sports, average in school, average in looks. To put it simply, I have always been one of those mob characters. To be perfectly honest, I don't particularly mind. However, it has always felt like something is missing. Like most stories like this, mine begins on a normal workday. I had grinded some code for a personal project I was working during the early hours of the morning, so I was not quite awake. So, maybe that played a part of my decision, but, for the first time forever, I decided to stop being part of the mob, and be the hero. I saw an accident coming. Because it is winter, and the winters in Estonia are more often than not quite icy (I mean that literally - the roads are often covered with ice) a child slipped while walking on the sidewalk and was about to be run over. Like a typical protagonist, I decided to save the kid... while dying myself. And that is where I am at currently. They say your life flashes in your eyes before you die but... for me it seems to be a lot of unnecessary thoughts. How I got here, what I regret, what I wish I had done more. To be honest... I just wish... I had something I was good at, not average. Oh well, regretting now has no point anyway, it's been a pretty average life but let's get on to the afterlife, maybe I'll find some fun there.   After that, I spent what felt like hours in the cold. Maybe it was the icy road I died on or the way to the afterlife. Eventually, I heard a sound - and opened my eyes to see... baby hands? As a 'man of culture' myself I had read enough of these stories to know... IT had happened to me! I had actually freaking reincarnated.. But... the car that killed me was a Lamborghini not truck-kun ): Oh, well... Whatever. Welcome [Administrator]! Oh... alright... even having read a lot of bad novels like that, I had not expected that... I do hope this is not just someone playing a mean prank. The [System] has chosen you as the [Administrator]. Not all [Admin Authority] perks will be immediately unlocked, however, they will unlock as you level up your [Authority].   Titles [Administrator], [Reincarnator], [Once in a millenium talent], [Noble of Ergold Empire] successfully acquired. Due to acquired titles, the following skills were acquired: [Admin Authority], [Appraisal], [Noble Charisma], [Army Command]. I...... have so many questions... but looking at the word [Administrator], I doubt anyone can actually answer my questions, huh? Notification. Due to request from the assigned [Administrator]. The user will get to ask 3 questions from the System directly. Please ask!   ... WHAT... is this Deus ex Machina? Is that what is happening here? ... Well... then again... if the word "Administrator" is anything to go by, I am something like a God? So that makes sense then, I guess? Well, whatever... let's just ask what's on my mind. But... I can't speak. I'm just going to hope it hears my thoughts.   (Hello Mr. System? I'd like to know how I reincarnated.)  I, the System, reincarnated you. I had actually been keeping an eye on you since you were born, since your soul burned very brightly. However, your previous world [Earth], due to being too young cannot handle my direct involvement. Thus, it was decided I would simply watch and judge you till you died. Once you did, I retrieved your soul and replanted it in dimension ID #9531-BCL-214C, nicknamed [Serla]. Since then, 231 years have passed and your soul was finally put into a body. Once it was, due to the arrangements made, the body immediately changed to the correct specifications.   (I... alright... I don't even know where to begin to refute that so I am just not going to. I am not an idiotic isekai protagonist! So seems to be this whole [Administrator] thing is pretty special, in which case... is there a way to hide my status?) Do you... wish to hide your status? (Yes? I mean... I don't wanna misuse my power myself nor do I want other to do that with my power.) ... Registered. Accessing [Akashic Records]. Access complete. Granting [Shadow of Light]. Granted. Title [Shadow of Light] successfully acquired. Due to the acquired title, the following skills were acquired: [Physical Disguise], [Status Disguise]. ... I was wordless at this point. This is really is deus ex machina... isn't it. (I have... two questions but not really sure if they event count as questions. For the first one - is there a way to view my own skills, and for the second one - is there a way to view the requirements for the titles?) Checking...... I can answer both questions. First, simply chant 'Status' in your mind. This is a [System] command available to everyone in every world which is evolved enough that the [System] can directly intervene as such, it does not really count as a valid question to the [System] since it is common knowledge. For the second question: Usually, being at level 1, this would be impossible. However, you are the [Administrator] and thus have extra access to the Akashic Records. Simply use [Appraisal] on the titles themselves. This concludes my first time service. We will talk again when the time comes [Administrator]. Before I go, take this as a free tip to my future master: Start using the [Memory] ability as soon as possible, it will give you more benefits the earlier you use it. ... A free tip huh? What a generous system. .. I really wanna do it! I'm doing it. (Status) Name: Tina Armonius Age: 0 Gender: FEMALE Race: Unnamed Level: 1 (0%) Experience: 0 / 200 --------------------------------------------------------------- Agility: 5 Strength: 6 Vitality: 5 Dexterity: 7 Wisdom: 7 Intelligence: 5 --------------------------------------------------------------- Titles [Reincarnator] [Administrator] [Once in a millennium talent] [Noble of Ergold Empire] [Shadow Of Light] --------------------------------------------------------------- Skills [Admin Authority (Lv. 1)] [Appraisal] [Physical Disguise (Lv. 1)] [Status Disguise (Lv. 1)] [Noble Charisma] [Army Command]   ... I'M A FEMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALE? Random fact of the chapter: Most people today use adventurer rank based system, however, before this was introduced a system like this was used. Level 1 to 10: Rank 4 (Soldier) Level 20 to 30: Rank 3 (Elite Soldier) Level 30 to 40: Rank 2 (Squad Leader) Level 50 to 60: Rank 1 (General) Level 70 to 80: Heroic (Hero) Level 90 to 99: Mythical Level 100 to 200: Transcendent Level 200+: Divine InfamousTom And that is a wrap for the Prologue. I don't even precisely know where I am going with this but if you have criticism and/or ideas let me know.   A few other things: If anyone has an idea for the cover, let me know If anyone who is decent at English wants to help with editing & grammar checking hit me up.   EDIT (02/07/2021): Random fact of the chapter edited to make sure it is understandable the ranking system used there is archaic.

Book One: Annihilation Chapter 1: Breaking Point New Montego Tuesday, April 19, 2022    The man in the white suit stood on 24th and Proper, glancing around nervously. He walked into the café, and sat down in a corner booth. Around 14 minutes later, another man in a grey suit walked into the café, this one holding a briefcase. They disappeared out of the sight of the sniper scope, but I knew where my mark was.      As I lurked in the shadows, waiting, the street was busy down below. Cars were rolling down the road, people were talking on the corners of streets, gangsters lurked in alleyways, so basically it was a regular New Montego street.     The target left the building, and I aimed at him. The mark was supposed to be a thin, Caucasian male in a white suit. I saw the guy, but he didn’t have a briefcase on him. My earpiece buzzed.      “Shoot on sight, Agent.” I pulled the trigger and didn’t look back. I always killed my mark. As a gasp erupted from the streets and screams echoed, I jumped off the fifth floor. I grabbed onto a ledge on a different building, then used each floor’s side to grab and grapple down. I made it down to my getaway vehicle, a Maserati Gran Turismo with blacked out mirrors and a fake nameplate.      I drove off. This was always my favorite part, the getaway. Suddenly, I heard sirens behind me. I had been compromised. I looked at the rearview mirror to see two squad cars barreling towards me at full speed. I would have to go faster if I wanted to outpace them. I turned left into a deserted alleyway, then went left again onto 22nd street. The Crown Vics gave chase, but my car had the better handling, and I was able to lose them.      Since I had been compromised, I took a longer route along the countryside until I reached North Montego. I entered a Starbucks, and asked for a Venti Latte with extra swish. The guy at the desk nodded, but his hand movement pointed left, towards a half-hidden booth in the corner. I sat down, and pressed a miniscule button at the bottom left near my foot.      I fell into the small opening that appeared at my right, and landed in a telephone booth. I walked out into the headquarters of BPNAF, or Breaking Point National Assassination Federation.

Mat gritted his teeth trying to move beyond the pain.   t was his first broken bone, and he hoped it would be his last. He knew it would hurt, but he didn't know it would be this bad.   "Not here of all places not now" he thought, he had been training in the gym harder than normal. He knew that Clara could see him and was trying to not draw her attention, she had been his best friend till  they were about 8, and then they grew apart. He was doing his best to seem "manly and tough"  as he tried to ignore the pain, this didn't work so his smile ended up looking more like the grin of a homicidal clown.   Someone had already called the healer before he could insist that he didn't need one. He had grown up in a family that was strongly against magic, so he had managed to avoid any magical treatment during his life up to this point. He definitely would not have called A healer if it we're up to him.   After High School, he had come to this school at the same time as Clara. He was using his freshman year to figure out what he wanted to be amongst all the options.But  being so close to his former best friend had been somewhat derailing his ability to focus on plans for the future   He could see the healer now, he was slightly reassured by the way she looked, not the scary warlock he had imagined. She was a small, shy and pleasant looking girl carrying a small case. His stress hiked back up to 11 as he realized that the headmistress was following in lockstep behind the healer,  so far she had had very little tolerance for Matt's "phobia of magic" as she put it. And had told him that this kind of superstition was something that would put him in danger. The healer began to draw symbols on the floor and said quietly do you wish to be healed? As if the answer was obvious.  Through his teeth Matt said "No, i ..i" the headmistress bursts in to the conversation with the grace of a dragon busting through a brick wall. Matt, I will not let you harm yourself like this! Your superstition is going to cost you. 6 months of recovery at least and the leg may never be the same, is that really what you want. She looked at him in the manner of someone who's using their anger to hide their concern, Matt knew that she was only trying to do what was best for him   He could see Clara in the corner of his vision, she had stopped exercising and had come to the edge of the magic circle, she looked worried but no one was dumb enough to break the circle for any reason. Matt had a momentary feeling of happiness as he thought "maybe she still does care for me, at least a little"   As another wave of pain rolled over his leg and he tensed up, causing his body to shift and even more pain to come rolling in. He said through gritted teeth "fine.. with a glare at the headmistress" The healer looking thoroughly perplexed glance back and forth between Matt and headmistress and then continue drawing arcane runes around him. He knew that the healer would honor his wishes if he insisted, but he also knew that the headmistress would explode in an angry tirade about his so-called superstition that would completely humiliate him in front of the entire room and especially Clara. headmistress slumped looking like a massive weight had left her shoulders and said "thank you" as the healer drew the final rune in the magic circle and  begin to chant in a voice which sounded more like a shy girl talking to her pet then someone summoning forth arcane energies from other realms. Amidst the incantation he could hear the request being made even though he didn't understand the language being used, it was almost as though he could feel it ringing through his head "please heal them, make their body whole again, restore them to the way they are meant to be".   Almost immediately, he felt something touch his mind, something kind and calm and HUGE, and he felt a flash of emotions that clearly meant "do you want me to do this, it will hurt". Matt was confused, he never thought that magic would have any regard for what he wanted. He also had seen healings before and the person hadn't seemed to have been in pain.   Matt not at his head and said "yes". Whether it understood his words are not, the magic definitely understood his meening, he could feel it's spreading out from his head to his entire body it was warm. He felt like a small child being embraced by a much larger parent, he began to feel the pain ease in his leg and he saw it straighten out and become whole. But the magic didn't let go.  He was just beginning to feel panic when something much more urgent came to his attention. It felt like his entire body was burning, muscles bones ligaments all melting, his head even felt like it was being squeezed like someone was trying to crush a clay head into a smaller shape, he inhaled to scream, and mercifully, he lost consciousness. His dreams were uneasy, filled with the feeling which followed him most of the time, the feeling of wrongness the feeling of being uncomfortable, this manifested in him going from group to group of faceless people only to find he didn't fit. The dream went on like this for a while until he could start to feel something deep inside him loosen, like a hardened knot finally slipping free, he could feel himself relax finally comfortable as a light reddish mist began to fill his dreams, and then fade away to reveal a glorious shining field of stars. When he felt comfortable, he could begin to feel himself waking up, begin to feel some of his body again, his hands and feet his nose weird patches of him suddenly able to feel again.   He could feel he was lying on a bed, and he could see the headmistress and the mousy healer from before, he opened his mouth too speak when he realized that for the first time since he knew her the headmistress looked worried and maybe a little guilty. The little healer said something about getting help and ran through a door in the back of the infirmary. The bed pillow was oddly larger than normal and so was the rest of the bed.   Matt began to feel fear again.This wasn't normal. His leg didn't hurt anymore, why was everyone so panicked. He began to try to sit up but his head felt abnormally heavy, and so he did not protest when the headmistress said "lay back down!".  Then he saw a much larger and older healer rushing out of the back door where the mousy healer had disappeared  moments before, his body gave the impression of a smith, someone who did strong heavy work but his face and expression bespoke the kind of gentleness that surprised Matt.   At that very moment the headmistress noticed him and turned on the enormous healer like a mama wolf facing down a bear.  "Your apprentice f***** up and you sure as hell better be able to fix this!"he was so surprised by the fear in her voice that it took him a moment to realize what the words actually meant and begin to panic again.  He tried to sit up again only to feel very dizzy. The Rush of blood through his body made his head spin so badly he had to close his eyes, and slump back down on the bed. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness again was a calm baritone voice saying "my apprentice performed the spell perfectly, if you're looking for someone to blame, blame the healer and whatever backwater town she comes from". He vaguely thought "She" before drifting back into unconsciousness. This time there were no dreams, just a calm dark deep blackness. He regained his consciousness again this time abruptly, he was suddenly conscious, he could hear sounds of birds singing, and a breath of fresh air on his skin. He opened his eyes to see that beyond some lumps of his blanket, there was a small infirmary window by the foot of is unusually large bed, it was dawn already and the birds were going nuts but in a beautiful way as they always did. He never mentioned it for fear of being picked on but watching the colorful yet disheveled cute fluff balls arguing with each other was the happiest part of his day. He began to relax and reached up to push the odd lump of blanket away from him so he could see the birds. Didn't work, there was something solid in them and he simultaneously felt a odd tender pain in his chest, kind of like he was pushing on himself but more intense for some reason. He slid out from his blankets off the side of the bed only to find that the bed was considerably higher up than he had expected and he landed on the ground with a soft "thud",v at the moment he didn't care he was too confused and scared. In the mirror in front of him he saw a girl, a cute one, about his age, same hair color is him but petite she must have been a foot shorter than him . she was wearing only a cute black skirt and a simple black bra.  It took a couple seconds of his brains internal gears grinding to realize that this is not how mirrors work, and look down. His earlier feeling was correct what he could see in front of him were to moderately sized brests,  feeling strange  and sensitive in the cold air of the infirmary. Beyond that he could see two small slender hairless legs ending in two little feet. This took several more seconds as the gears in his brain stopped burning out and just self-destructed. 10 seconds later a horrified thought came into his mind and he frantically reached his hand down to his crotch. Yep, it was completely gone. He screamed "what the hell did they do to me" at least he tried to, but he didn't get further than "what the hell " before realizing his voice was high-pitched and feminine. He tried to force himself onto his feet by pushing his hands up against the floor only to feel a sharp tug and he realized that his hair was long, and trapped under his hand against the floor causing him to yank on it when he tried to get up. At this point he lost it completely, shouting semi incoherently as he pushed away his hair and use the edge of the bed to force himself onto his feet. He realized now that the bed wasn't larger than normal, he was smaller. He heard the door slide open behind him and the quiet  voice of a young healer saying "I know it's scary but everything is going to be okay". He rounded on her or tried to, his drastically different center of balance caused him to tip backwards and he ended up leaning on the side of the bed. After taking to second to recover from this he shouted in his now high pitched voice "what the hell did you do to me! You better change me back!". She flinched for a moment at his outburst. he couldn't help but feel guilty for the stress he could see in her eyes. She said  I " know this is hard to understand but I didn't do anything to you, if you'd like to sit down I can get you some breakfast and tea and tell you what's going on". He was about to shout that breakfast didn't matter but the thought of food made him suddenly realize that he hadn't eaten  in a really long time and was starving. He closed his eyes and breathe a few times obviously trying to collect himself and said to her somewhat resentfully," OK, then you better explain and fix this!" The healer girl relaxed a little bit and said "my name is Mary by the way, you better put this on" tossing him a blue woman's v neck top, he was about to protest again when his stomach audibly rumbled. So he put it on and followed her out of the room, accepting her offer of a chair sitting next to a worktop in the infirmary. She sat down opposite him and he could see that she had brought a light breakfast and some tea which he began to tear into ravenously. Mary, still looking worried but less so began to speak. "Believe it or not, I am telling you the truth I didn't do anything". Matt spoke up "you tried to heal me and did this to me!". No, that's the strange thing. All the spell does is give your body the power to put itself back to the way it was meant to be, fitting to the blueprint you have in the deep places of your mind and in every cell of your body. I assume that it would only repair the recent damage, I didn't know there was a mismatch, those are usually caught immediately after birth. Weren't you delivered by a healer, did you see a healer at any point in your life?. Matt replied "no! My parents were afraid of healers and I'm beginning to think they're right'. Mary flinched a little bit and then nodded understandingly. Then she said "well I guess then you would have never been cured or diagnosed until now. This may be hard for you to hear, but you were always meant to be a woman. your transgender".  Matt opened his mouth about to blow her silly statement away by saying that he would never want to be a girl he was perfectly happy as a dude and he wanted to go back immediately. But those words wouldn't come out, they were caught in his throat. He look deep into his mind to see what was stopping him and found it, feeling of wrongness, the feeling of pain, the feeling that he had grown away from his female friends. The reluctance to look in the mirror or to look at images of himself, the low level discomfort and pain that never went away and now seemed to be gone for the first time in years. Matt took a shaky breath, and then she began to cry finally starting to let out the pain and fear and let herself feel again.   She was subconsciously ashamed of crying in front of mary, a fear that Mary would be disgusted by her behavior. Instead Mary gave  an "aww" rushed to her side hugging her and saying "it's okay, it's okay you've been through a lot let it out". The small act of kindness, someone being sweet and comforting to her seem to untie the final knot in her chest. She cried releasing the last of her stress and pain. Mary said, if this really isn't what you want,  you can talk to the master healer Gerald.  I'm sure he would be able to figure out something but.   Matt did is best to get a few words through the tears, no,  this is okay it feels right.  taking  another deep breath she began to calm down.  it was scary and horrifying at first, but now that I stopped to think about how I feel, it's the best that I've ever been. Maddie took a few days almost alone in the Infirmary and adjusted to her new body and name, then went to Clara. At first Clara was very confused, but Maddie explained to her what happened, and then said "I don't know what I did to ruin our friendship before, I hope you can forgive me, I really really need a friend right now".  Clara looked surprised and blurted out "I'm so sorry, you did nothing wrong and I should have talked to you about this before. We both went through puberty and things got complicated and confusing, I felt isolated and messed up and I felt like I couldn't talk to a guy about it, silly I know but…" Maddie visibly relaxed, I think I know what you mean, I was awkward too, I wanted to be nice to you like I always was when I was little, but then I worried that would look like I was flirting, so when you seem to be growing away from me I assumed it was my fault, Maddie took a deep breath tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes. Instantly Clara covered the few remaining feet between them and embraced Maddie in a warm loving hug. She said "I know this is scary for you, it has to be, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, you're still my best friend" Clara's eyes shining with the same tiny droplets. Maddie smiled and began to cry, not only was she feeling comfortable for once, but it seemed like everyone was okay with her sharing her emotions now and she could be herself without putting on the mask that used to keep her from getting picked on.  She was finally free in a way that she had never expected to be, and people seemed much more willing to be supporting and close to her now.  the tears she was crying now we're happy.  She was herself and she was free

For Shane this was just another stormy night. He drank his tea and prepared himself to embrace Morpheus in order to gather strength to face another day of working 9 to 5. Unbeknownst to him a deadly tumor hid inside his brain. As he fell asleep he noticed something was not right. Despite panicking he lost consciousness as the world around appeared to swirl and twist on itself. When he came to he found himself looking at a distant world. The world beyond the confines of the steel wall he was suspended by. As his eyes adjusted he noticed the world around him was shifting and changing. He felt paralyzed in fear. Not knowing what was wrong he looked around to try and figure out why he couldn't move.   As his eyes adjusted he noticed that the walls he was standing on were now made of liquid metal. He was standing on a metal catwalk above a viscous liquid pool of purple. It looked like oil and looked like water. The colors of the liquid swirled and flowed around him. Not knowing what to do he simply crouched and waited for whatever was happening to go away.   As his eyes adjusted he saw the catwalk stretched out in front of him. In the distance he saw a giant mass which he could only describe as some type of monster. It's body was stretched out behind it, making it look like a living husk. It was a conglomeration of many different species. The eye sockets of some species where shattered as shards fell onto the floor. It's skin was scaly and cracked. Spikes jutted out from its side and other places. Long tentacles trailed behind it as it appeared to sniff the air. He realized that his mind was trying to fill in the blanks. His mouth made no sounds and he couldn't remember what he had done to get where he was.   Above him a female appeared. She was similar to the monster that was above him. She was roughly humanoid with large curvy horns, a forked tail, a body made of tusks, and long fangs. Her body was distorted with eyes sunken into her head and her left eye was missing. The only parts of her that he could see was a patch of hair, short clawed hands and fangs dripping with some form of dark substance.   She walked over to him. Her hands were large and looked like she had spent her life in the water. She knelt and pulled him to her. She pressed her lips against his mouth. He tried to push her away but she just wrapped herself around his body and wrapped him in her wet tusks. He was shocked but still unsure of what was happening.   As he tried to protest, she put a large wet tusk to his mouth. As it slid over his lower lip he felt his mind fly into a tailspin.   As she pulled him closer she pulled herself closer as well. She was now in a sitting position in front of him. He couldn't see anything else but her. She lowered her head. His mind was overloaded and finally snapped back into reality. He struggled against her and she screamed in rage. Her skin was now a dark purple color and her mouth, fangs and tongue were stained with blood. He felt a sharp pain on the back of his head and his entire body started to swell. His eyes bulged out, teeth emerged and the most beautiful and hideous sound he had ever heard came out of his mouth.   The monster lifted him up in her claws and looked down at him. Her body began to shake violently as she let out a single scream. It was the sound of a wounded animal. As if the soul was ripped from its body and forced to kill itself. It was a deafening sound, like that of a million church bells ringing until they fell apart. All around him the other monsters watched and then turned away in disgust. He began to have trouble breathing, a horrible tearing sensation consumed his entire body. The sound was horrid, but at the same time seemed to welcome him to his end.   As the noise from the other monsters grew louder he felt his entire body lighten. The giant mass below his feet began to part. Her mouth was ripped off his face as it burst open and her internal organs began to spill out. Her skull cracked as it crumbled away to reveal another monster. It was a mechanical being that's eyes glowed bright red and blue and spoke to him.   Its voice was raspy and deep as it spoke. "Shane ... I am the design you built . .. Shane ... We're almost done with your legacy."   It wasn't long before the surface was gone and he was walking along the bottom of the ocean. He was covered in seaweed and muck. The sun was high above him and looked to have already gone to bed. As he moved closer to the surface he felt pain shoot through his entire body. A spasm ripped through his body and his head burst into flames.   His body exploded into a million glowing pieces and fell into the ocean.   Anne walked over to Shane and hugged him. She was still crying and her tears were freezing over on her cheeks. He was still alive but barely. His hair was burned off his head and he was covered in salt and muck. He stared at her with glazed eyes.   "Shane? I need you." She said in a frightened voice. "You have to wake up. Help me get him out of the water and to the shore. Please." She picked up his lifeless body and dangled it over her shoulder.   Maggie stepped out from behind a nearby rock and looked at her. "I was really worried. I could not find you."   "I'm sorry. I really thought I could take care of myself."   Maggie held her hand out for Shane. He slowly opened his mouth but no words came out. He tried to speak but nothing came out.   "He cannot speak Maggie." said Anne. "He's dead." She picked up his body and laid it down on the sand. Maggie and Anne began to strip him of his remaining clothing. They threw his jacket on top of him as they stripped him of his shirt, pants, socks and boots. His flesh was as pale as snow. His face was blue, his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull, his teeth and tongue were all melted away. His skin was frozen, his veins were slicked with red, his eyes were a dark blue and his hair was burnt to a crisp.   "How can he still be alive? What did you do to him?" Maggie yelled in frustration.   "Let's get him out of the water and see if we can bring him back to life." Anne said, tossing him her jacket and wrapping it around him. Anne stared at Maggie and continued. "No need to get too close. The witch was responsible for Shane's mutation. She used some kind of spell. He doesn't look like he is even going to make it through the night."   "What if we wait to kill him. He has not killed himself yet. He is still alive. His body might not be physically okay, but he is still alive. And he's still alive because he's a vampire. All vampires are susceptible to water. The water just destroys them and destroys any remnants of them that are left. He will only start to rot when his body begins to shut down."   "Let's just kill him now. We have no need to play with his corpse." Maggie said.   "If you insist." said Anne, pushing him down to the ground and slicing his throat. His head rolled off of his neck and landed on the sand. His body began to stiffen. His legs bent and his arms became brittle and white. He stared up at Anne in a terrified expression.   Anne began to feel anxious as she stared at him. What had she done to this man? He was now completely a zombie and there was nothing she could do to save him. She looked at Maggie and noticed her looking at her. Anne pointed at Shane and Maggie looked up in horror.   "What the hell is that?" she asked.   Anne rolled her eyes. "He is a zombie."   Maggie's jaw dropped and she knelt next to him and touched his forehead.   "My God." She said. "He's freezing cold."   Anne shrugged and picked up Shane's head. She cradled it in her lap and covered it with her jacket.   "We should really go." said Anne.   Maggie did not respond. She bent down and picked up his head from Anne and brought it in her arms. She held him close to her and began to stroke his hair.   "It's ok." She said.   Maggie's shoulders began to shake and she could feel herself start to cry.   "Don't cry Maggie." said Anne, taking a step forward. "Don't let it bring you down."   Maggie slowly shook her head. She could no longer hold back her tears.   "I feel so sorry for him." She sobbed.   "He's gone Maggie. He's gone."   Anne wrapped her arms around Maggie and held her close. She could feel Maggie trembling. Anne gently stroked Maggie's hair and waited for her to calm down. She rubbed her back and looked down at Shane. He was a mangled mess and she could not understand how anyone could do that to another person.   As Anne held Maggie she realized that she was forgetting the body of a boy.   Shane.   The man's dead body lay on the sand. It was stiff and cold. It looked as though he had been there for quite some time. His teeth and tongue had melted away and his skin had fallen off of his body. His body had become extremely pale and looked like it was going to crumble at any moment. His body was still as the sand dug through his skin and bones. Nothing was left of him.   "Let's go Maggie." said Anne.   Maggie did not respond. She dropped Shane's head onto the sand and began to cry. She reached for Anne and held her tight. Anne hugged her back and allowed Maggie to cry.   The vampire crawled up and wrapped her arms around Maggie. She pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered in her ear.   "You have to be strong now."   Maggie could not control her tears anymore. She sobbed.   "It's ok Maggie. You can let go."   "We need to go now." she said. "Anne, help me get him into a fresh bag of blood."   "Yes ma'am." said Anne, unwrapping the bag from her belt. She licked her lips and placed it gently around Shane's broken body. Maggie began to sob and Anne took her by the shoulder and gently guided her towards the water. She carried him there gently and when she had placed him gently on the shore, Maggie was holding onto Anne tightly and crying again.   "I'm sorry Maggie." said Anne.   "You're not to blame." said Maggie, still crying.   Anne put her arms around hers and began to rub Maggie's back.   "Come on, we have to keep moving." said Anne.   "Shane." said Maggie.   "Shane." said Anne.   "Don't leave me."   "Maggie. It's going to be ok. Let go of me."   "No." said Maggie, her voice quivering. "We're a family. You can't leave me."   "Maggie..."   "Oh God. You can't leave me here alone. You have to come with us."   Woah, this is narrator. So our Main Character (MC) has already died thrice in the first chapter. It does not bode well. Clearly the AD (Artificial Delirium, not AI) is out for bloooood! We currently have the following characters: Shane (exploded, zombified, but still kicking ass. Recently became a vampire for some reason, got his head cut off and is being transported in a bag) Female tusk monster / The Legacy / Robot with heterochromia (gone without a word) / The Witch (are they all the same person?) Anne (A potential love interest with freezing tears? Don’t make her cry or you will regret it. Apparently also a vampire) Maggie (short of maggot, friend of Anne, acts like and older sister) Now what should we do with the story? It is the first chapter and it is already this messy. Why did I have to be hired as a narrator to a little shitty story like this? Choices: Maggie drags Anne and the bag of Shane to get some blood for Shane. Keyword: Bloodletting; They talk about the Family. You can’t leave the Family and the Family won’t ever leave you. Keyword: The Vakuza, the gang of highborn vampires; They grow wings and fly away to hunt flying monsters and drain their blood. Keyword: Monstrous Bird; The two ladies drain their own blood into the bag. Keywords: altruistic gesture; Other: Please mention any specific requests in the comments;

I was playing a game in the middle of the night, an urban fantasy game where a town full of people gained powers after a freak storm. The protagonist had the power of a genie for himself, wishes. His first wish was to turn his life into a porn game, then he slept. The next day, he got buff, got bigger 'equipment' and his house full of girls were being erotic near him. His adventure was with girls that also got powers, some beneficial, some down right harmful to themselves, and others that basically do nothing. This got me thinking, what sort of power would be the best, like basically omniscient, omnipotent, omni-whatever. I went through the usual list of typical powers, fire, matter, space, time, mind. Then, I thought 'what do all these things have in common...' And it hit me, information. To perceive and freely manipulate raw information. Then I started imagining simple scenarios with this power, I could hack electronics, making them do things they weren't programmed to specifically do. I could mind control a person and do unspeakable things with them, body and mind. I could do simple party tricks, like turning light frequencies to other colours. If I could perceive information, then how far? Could I only see the present? how bout the past? the future? other dimensions maybe?? unlikely although only those with this sort of power could find out. I could manipulate space-time, gravity, matter and all that sweet stuff. but then how would the power work? I tried building a basic framework for such a power logically, if I could perceive information, use its smallest unit I can detect, and like the metric system, convert it to a simpler unit when there's too many small units of information. Then give values for each unique variation of information, like energy, or mass, or momentum. I imagined what I could do with such a power, then I thought,'I'd basically be a god, wouldn't I? hmmm...I wonder if I could give powers to other people...' To give others a power with my own would just be giving them an extremely weakened version of my power, but how to go about it.... Ah, I got it, if you think of a sapient being as a User, then giving them powers would be giving them access or filtering their access. So if I, as the origin of the power, were to have basically no cap or limit on my power, I could just do what is equivalant to giving them limited access. So if I wanted to give someone hydrokinesis, I could just give them access to the H2o molecule and limit their information perception to just that as well, maybe even give them an energy and range limit to train up when using that power as well... 'Hmmm, I think this is enough excitement daydreaming over a non-existent power for the night, time to sleep.' As I lay down on my bed, the celling light shines down in my eyes. 'Ugh, I wish it was off bu-' then the lights turned off. 'Huh, power outage?' No, the air conditioning was still on, but ho-'wait...' I imagined the lights being on, they turned on. '....I see...., I'll deal with that tomorrow' And I did my best trying (and failing) to sleep. Leekt222 Like the story synopsis says, this is a spur of the moment thing, so don't expect too much from it.

I couldn't sleep. I was too excited by the prospect of me actually having a power, being in disbelief of a power existing, figuring out the mechanics from my first use of it and its possibilities. So after a few minutes of staring at the celling with the light annoyingly shining at the corner of my eye. I instead got up, opened my laptop and a writing app. I stared at the screen blankly for a while, still in disbelief. I took a deep breath, and concentrated. Then, on the screen, in the app, the word just appeared. [boobs] 'heh, nice' I smirked, then stopped. I wondered why I can't perceive raw information...the human brain, it was evolved this way to give us our sense of perspective, but then I do get around this... "Hmmmm" I leaned into my laptop until my forehead touched the center of it, and I tried to connect to it. In an instant, I was kicked out by something, presumably by a firewall. It gave me a headache. 'Ow...maybe try something less advanced, like a calculator.' Thus I proceeded to look for my old calculator. It was in my old school bag in the corner of my room, fated to gather dust. As I held the device to my forehead, I realized I could connect without touching it. Now feeling slightly dumb, I connected. In my mind, I saw many large floating math symbols and binary. I had expected everything to be in binary because that's how calculators were made as far as I know, but I guess my mind interpreted some things into a simpler and more understandable form? That's...convenient. 'I wonder...' I tried to conjure a 1 on both sides of the Plus symbol and at the center of the symbol, a number 2 appeared. 'Cool, mental math' I tried it with the Multiply symbol too, 1 x 1, it got me a 1. I tried out all the other symbols I recognized as well, before getting bored of it. 'Wonder if I can basically upgrade myself with this, like can I just put the symbols in the logic part of my mind and expect it to work?' I thought about it, and came to the conclusion that I need to know if I can even access my own or other beings' minds. I disconnected from the calculator and looked for a mirror because while I suspect I can go into my own mind as is, having a mirror to stare at felt...appropriate. As I stared at myself, black hair, eyes and spectacles with indoor person skin, I looked into my eyes and connected, it was surprisingly easy, like it was falling asleep, the closest thing would probably be lucid dreaming, realizing that I'm in my head instead of reality.

NARRATOR 'S POV *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The enormous sound of lightning striking against a shield made up of iron resounded in the surroundings as even the very earth and sky shook at the might of the unfathomable existences whose powers seemed to spread throughout the surroundings as the two surfaces contested against each other. The heavens and the creatures dwelling on earth lay witness to the unbelievable phenomenon that was visible even through the dark, cloudless night sky. The lightning came straight down the heavens and headed for the earth but before it could ever reach the ground it seemed as if the sky itself had become some kind of a shield for the earth as it prevented the lightning from hitting the ground every time it tried to strike the earth through the thin air. *Bang! Bang! Bang!!* The intensity of the lightning had decreased with time along with the shield that was hovering in the sky with the new-formed cracks that had appeared over its surface. The entire saga of the clash between the lightning and the mysterious force that kept on shielding the earth from the deadly lightning finally seemed to be at its end as the clash abruptly came to a stop before it ceased for more than an hour. For a moment everything came to a standstill, it was as if the time itself had stopped, there was silence everywhere and it seemed like everything was now fine for sure, but even so, everyone who laid witness to the scene knew that the clash wasn’t over just yet, it was actually the calm before the storm! Both sides were preparing for their last move! A group of 20 figures radiating extremely dangerous auras could be spotted sitting in the lotus position in what seemed to be some kind of a formation, facing their palms towards the sky as they had their faces pale and drenched with sweat. They looked as if they might die any moment now. Just in front of those 20 figures, a youth who looked to be in his late teens could be found staring at the sky with a grim expression on his face. The youth seemed like he wanted to say something but before he could even open his mouth, the lightning started moving above him as the entire sky lit like a lantern with white light, and just a few seconds later, *Bang!!!!*, a single condensed beam of lightning fell to the earth piercing through the barrier formed by the group of men, gravely injuring all of them in the process. The youth in his late teens came running to the group of men and gave them each a round pill out of one of his pockets as he once again brought his attention back to the sky that now seemed to be completely calm. ‘Elder Bao, and Elder Mo lost their lives in the process, and yet, we failed!’, the youth thought as he gritted his teeth and looked at the sky with hateful eyes. His eyes looked so frightening that even gods might shiver at his mere glance but the menacing look on his face didn’t remain for long as he once again took a deep breath and shook his head as if he was trying to mourn those who have died. Finishing his mourning, the boy got up from the ground as he found the others to be in a better position than they were before and in a grim tone called a name, “Ai Nen”. The moment he said this name, a burly man who stood around 7ft tall appeared behind him as he kneeled on the ground and waited for the youth for further instructions. The youth kept on looking at the sky as if he was trying to come to some kind of decision. Looking at the sky with somewhat unsure eyes the boy exhaled an audible sigh as if he had finally made a decision and said, “Clean up every single living thing within 100km radius of here, leave no one alive, not even insects or birds”, the man conveyed these instructions in an indifferent voice devoid of any emotion and vanished into thin air leaving no trace of him behind. The burly man, Ai Nen, looked at the settlement in front of him as a cruel smirk formed on his previously emotionless face. ***FUYUKI HAYASHI'S POV *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* The rain… it sure is annoying. ‘As I lay unmoving in this garden of corpses, As my torn flesh and broken bones cry in agony, I can’t help but once again review the thought that I had just a few moments ago; I wish to die. But even though I say so, Even though my soul screams for death, A part of me still doesn’t want to bow, A part of me still doesn’t want to go. A part of me still yearns for something. “Ah… I am pathetic”, I muttered as my breath slowed, my vision blurred, and maybe… I died, at least I hope so. *** NARRATOR’S POV Dark clouds covered the far-reaching sky as the rain stopped and obliged the bottom dwellers to collect what remained for them and what remained of them on the battlefield of death where for miles not even a single living person could be spotted. The only things that existed there were the piles of corpses with multitudes of expressions on their faces, the swarm of scavengers feasting on those who laid lifelessly, and the groups of lifeless breathing corpses who, for some reason, could still be described as the dwellers of the world of the living. Through the passage of corpses, a bunch of men who looked to be farmers could be seen traversing through the field of death as they continued to pick up the weapons here and there from the hands of the fallen while they approached the only breathing lifeform amongst the gruesome mass of death. “Hey, there seems to be a survivor there! What should we do?”, one of the men said pointing his finger towards a certain direction where a man who looked to be in his late teens could be seen. His chest rose and lowered periodically indicating that he had still not died. The farmers came to a halt when they heard the man and looked in the same direction. There, they noticed a man who looked to be in a very bad condition as his body had various wounds on it that continued to bleed heavily without any restraint. Seeing his condition, the one leading the group of farmers breathed a sigh of relief. “Killing him shouldn’t be difficult now, go and put him out of his misery”, he said almost nonchalantly to the one who had found the unconscious soldier and went back to scavenging some more weapons along the way. The man, listening to the leader’s orders, shook his head and looked at the half-dead person lying a few meters away from him. Faint traces of pity could be seen in his eyes but they too didn’t remain for too long as just a moment later they got replaced by a sharp glint that seemed indifferent beyond compare. Carrying a shovel in his hand he approached the half-alive corpse lying on the ground and soon reached it but the moment he was about to put his shovel down and put the half-dead man out of his misery, the man’s eyes shot open as their eyes confronted each other for just a couple of moments after which the farmer carrying the shovel fell onto the ground unconscious, completely out cold. *** FUYUKI HAYASHI'S POV I woke up. No, I guess I have been awake for quite some time, I was just pretending to be asleep. Now that I think about it, as far as pretending goes, I wonder how long have I been pretending for in this life of mine, I wonder for how long I have been deluding myself like this. Looking around me, the only things I could see were piles of corpses, all of them with multitudes of expressions on their faces. Faces full of agony, grief, frustration, and even happiness, these corpses were all trying to tell a different story to me. Diverting my eyes from my surroundings they finally landed on 5 figures who were laying on the ground with terrified expressions on their faces, their bodies cut up in places as fresh blood continued to flow out of the fresh wounds all over their bodies. The five of them were the scavengers who had just now tried to rob me of my life, honestly, I don’t know why I even retaliated in the first place, after all, after… after everything that I have done, I don’t deserve to live. I know that. And I wish for nothing but death for myself but then how and why, why do I still try to persist? What reason do I have to even survive? I don’t even have any place to go to either, then why do I struggle? Why? I… want to die. But at the same time… I wish to live as well. So, I am going to! “I… Fuyuki, Fuyuki Hayashi, I am going to survive!”

“Catch her!” A shrill voice screened.   Xing Qi, lowered her head and ran as fast as she could. In her hand was a box. Her face was covered in dirt, her clothes were rags, and she lacked any shoes. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the   Her face was covered in dirt and her clothing looked like rags. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain coming from her barefoot as she jumped over the pile of rubble and ducked under the barricade of wooden beams. The people chasing after her stumbled in the mess. While a shadow flew over like a swallow.   He wore a wooden hat with a black cloth that covered his appearance. Even without turning around, Xing Qi could feel a chill travel along her spine. If she was caught, she was so dead!   However, she had already rode on top of a tiger and couldn’t get off. Her heart was like a  hammer pounding inside her chest. Doing a quick turn, she ducked into a pile of trash. The man had landed behind her and cleared it away to reveal a hole.  He frowned, obviously a bit unwilling to drill in there.    “Hahaha,”    While he was hesitating, a laughter sounded. “Are you going to drill into that hole?” A man walked over. He had golden hair and eyes, as well as refined facial features.    “The mantis stalks to prey, only for there to be an oriole behind it.”   “You lost it as well.” The bamboo hat man sneered before taking a few steps back.   “Want to run?” The golden haired man raised his sword and charged forward. “If I don’t bring your head back, how will I be able to face the princess?”   Clang clang.   The bamboo hat man parried all of the strikes and sent out a few of his own before throwing a ball down onto the ground. A cloud of smoke covered the alley.    “Coward.”    “...”   When everything cleared, the man was already gone.   ***   Xing Qi went through a series of tunnels, her heart still pounding from the thrill. She was only a passerby watching the drama that had unfolded on the streets. A daylight robbery, with both of the parties being martial experts. Who would have thought the box would end up flying straight in front of her?   Before she thought about it, her body had already moved; grabbing the expensive box and making a run for it!    In the end, she went into a small room. Inside the darkness was the only way she could feel safe.   “Aye, why am I doing this?” She scrunched her brows together while looking at the box in her hand. Her stomach also let out a growl in a timely fashion. Reaching into her shirt, she pulled out a dirty piece of hard bread and started to nibble away at it.    She continued to look absentmindedly at the box. From her memories, she recognized it. There were a lot of them lined up in a row. When the beauties wearing silk robes opened them, a large amount of essence would spill outwards. If that happened, she would easily get caught.    If it was her when she first came into the slums, perhaps she would make such a mistake, but after years of survival, she knew that opening the box was courting death.    She tilted her head. She also couldn’t sell it. She couldn’t go out anytime soon, and there wasn’t anyone that would buy things from her. To her, without power or backing, all that would happen was that she would get robbed.    Her mind turned, thinking of a solution. She needed a safer place than the slums if she wanted to open the box. First she would find out what was inside.   Placing the remainder of the bread into her shirt, she hugged the box and made her way down another series of tunnels. She peeked her head out from the entrance to spot the wall across from her. There was a dog hole that led outside the city she was inside, and behind it was the face of the mountain that the city was built upon.    After looking left and right, she deftly made her way across. Xing Qi slipped through the hole in the wall, and then made another left. Due to the mountain’s sloping the other way, there was enough space for her to travel through. After walking a bit, she found a crevice and went inside it. The place was a dark and damp tunnel. While holding her breath, she continued walking. The ground slowly dried up, and became a large cavern. Inlaid on the walls were pale glowing stones that illuminated the place.   She walked over to the side and sat down before taking out her box. “Please be something I can use….”    When she opened it, a pale mist spilled outwards. When she breathed it, she felt a feeling of comfort spread throughout her body.    “An orb?” It was translucent, and a pale mist similar to what it was emitting was spilling outwards. Feeling that it was a little bad, the first thing she did was to place it into her mouth.   “...” Xing Qi blinked. What now?   Her body felt comfortable and warm, but she didn’t know what to do next? The thought of swallowing it came into her mind, but she didn’t know if she should. All she knew was that if she continued to let it out in the opening, the aura would continue to leak. She was also unwilling to place it back into the box….    It was something she had done completely subconsciously and her mind seemed to have gone into a trance. Before she knew it, the orb had rolled down her throat. When it did, as if it was inside a different dimension, the orb went through her stomach, and straight into her dantian.   “Ahh!”    Xing Qi held onto her face with her hands.   Not only did it feel like her body was being crawled over by countless ants, her face felt like it was on fire. Her pores began to bleed and release dark smudge and impurities. From the places between her fingers, parts of her face started to peel and fall off.    Xing Qi wanted nothing but to pass out, however, the pain would constantly keep her awake. She cried while feeling full of regret. Why did she eat it?!   The process lasted an entire hour, yet for her, it felt like years. When the pain alleviated, and she was in a pool of blood and dirt, she was already too tired to move. Closing her eyes, she disregarded the location she was in and fell into a deep slumber.   ***   Unbeknownst to her, a commotion occurred inside the city. From high in the air, the image of a golden dragon appeared!   Those who were guarding the treasure naturally recognized it. Especially the golden haired man and the bamboo hat man.    The golden haired man cursed. “Keep searching! We must find the girl! Extend the search to the mountains!” If they couldn’t, then he could only wash his neck and wait for it to be chopped off.   Not only Fenghua City, but the Royal Capital as well. The golden dragon was simply too large, that even the emperor was able to see it!   The court officials praised the Emperor, saying that the golden dragon had descended on his rule. For the next hundred years, there would be prosperity.   Inside the palace, an excited maid ran inside. There was a mother and daughter duo spending their time together. They were naturally the Empress and the 4th Princess.    “Your Majesties, a dragon has descended outside! Quickly come see!”   “Really?” The lady wearing red royal robes with golden embroidery hurriedly went outside. The girl also followed, however, she didn’t seem as excited as the Empress. Instead, her face was a bit pale.

ARCs are finally ready to be sent out. Anyone interested please feel free to copy and fill it.   https://forms.gle/YB5myrKahc4phJxS6     Too Many Shadows, Too Little Light ( A Dark Passengers Story, Book 1)    Blurb:  Princesses are born to defend their people. Being the best Imperial Air Force cadet, spending time with her friends and maybe meeting a cute boy is all Princess Astrid Zainab Korsning better known as Izzy wants.If only Yanar, her country, was not at war with Petra.If only she wasn’t forced to become regent while her mother was fighting on the front lines.If only she had not come face to face with the unknown enemies while investigating signs of infiltration on earth by dark forces.If only she was not in danger of falling in love with the wrong boy during her first trip to London. Princesses are born to die for their people. The kingdom of Petra: once upon a time the best place in the galaxy for art, literature and music. That was until the war against The Alliance, a federation of planets led by the Yan empire.Their last hope for victory, travelling to a planet of savages named Earth and attacking from the inside, their most powerful country, Yanar. The Hendus: survivors of a dead world, desperate for a new home.Their last hope for survival, finalising the colonisation of Earth from the shadows which they started 200 years ago. The Fifth Column: Marginalised group of nature lovers, forbidden from practicing their religion by Yanar.Their last hope for revenge, the alienation of the Member of the Tens, Yanar’s aristocracy and the imperial family.Petra, Hendu and The Fifth agree, the empire must fall. And it starts with the death of a 17-year-old princess. The only problem, Izzy is not just a princess, she is also an Omni, a human who possesses five supernatural powers.  

I woke up by the the the sound of people shouting, and stumping on the ground and the pain on my neck. I don't understand what was going on and everyone looked at me confused.  I then notice someone familiar. He was skinny and has a blonde hair, blue eyes and smaller than anybody else. But he didn't just stand there like everybody else he offered his hand to me and helped me stand up. I then Thanked him and sat on the infirmary so they can check what happened to me, while my mind just went blank. Staring at nothing and thinking where I am and why Steve Rogers was here. And I quickly thought it must be dream but no, I punched and pinched myself. The nurse who was tending me got surprised on what I did and asked why I did that.  I then quickly stopped and smiled at her saying.  "I'm dead" "What do you mean you're dead idiot, you're here and I'm tending your wounds on how you fell just earlier" She replied. She has a slender body, with curly hair, brown eyes, and an army uniform, she looked rather pretty. And I asked her something that I thought was pretty stupid "Can I ask what is your name?" She replied with  "My name is Dorothy did you already forget Edward? You just asked me that after you enlisted on joining the army." "Oh I did? How can I forget" replying to her while smiling and still thinking like an idiot. And she said my name is Edward and the army? I must be part of Steve's barrack.  Then I stopped talking while I just lay down on the cot bed and thinking on how I got in this mess. I don't remember anything. Or rather how I died. My name was Matthew I rather lived an average life and a pretty decent childhood. My parents all did was work but my two other siblings was there to accompany me. When I was 18, I got into college started part timing, and my hobbies was reading manga, and comics. And I also liked playing video games when I graduated I worked as a Animator. But when I rode the train to my work there was something that happened I didn't know what. Or who it was it was like ball of light or a person floating. I couldn't comprehend anything and then it's blank. I couldn't remember anything from there or anything in general. Someone then open the tent of the infirmary it was Steve Rogers. He was smiling while walking towards me he then asked me something. "How are you Edward? You know I was also surprised why you fell down. So is something going on?" "Oh everything's okay Steve maybe I was just a little bit under the weather there." Replying while I smiled awkwardly  "I get it, the army is tough with the training so they can fight wars and protect people. So get well Edward. And try again that's how I think." Steve left while smiling at me. I sighed at what my current situation is. I'm nervous but I can do this. Or I can't but I need to do something to survive.  [System activated by the host's will...]

Chapter 4: Mana circuits, and how to use them. Kinda. / Kane Gets Made Fun Of. Again.   Evan channeled mana through his creation core, imagining a crystal. One similar to the others he had. It appeared in his hand, molding like clay with his thoughts. He took out a small tool and engraved odd symbols and patterns on the rock. “What’s that?” Kane asked, pointing at a bunch of drawings Evan had put to the side. "It seems that mana can be attracted by certain patterns. I noticed it after that lady walked by the door. Some of the patterns on her clothes appeared to affect mana a little.” Evan said, motioning towards someone who walked away in the distance. “From just that? I mean, you've done things that are a lot more impressive, for sure, but...Really?” Kane asked, raising an eyebrow. “Heh. That's not the only thing. I found out exactly how a pattern can attract mana, too. It seems letters can imbue your own mana, and patterns draw in ambient mana. However, they should be symmetrical to a certain extent. Here, look at this.” Said Evan, handing a paper talisman to Kane. “Go to the burnt up dummy's testing area, then throw it in front of you, like this,” Evan said, demonstrating how to throw it. “Ok?” Kane replied, walking into the testing area. “Do it,” Evan said, putting his thumb up. Kane threw the talisman. It activated, and a clear wall appeared in front of him, encasing the talisman. “What is this?” Kane asked, studying it. He kicked it. It was solid. More like a brick than glass, but he couldn’t tell how tough it was. “A shield. The talisman is reusable, just say recall.” Evan explained. “Recall,” Kane said, to the clear wall. The wall immediately vanished, and the talisman tucked itself away in Kane’s pocket. “Woah! That's awesome!” Kane shouted. He pulled it back out of his pocket and began looking over it again. “Yeah, I know right.” Evan grinned, a pleased expression on his face. “How did you know this would work?” Kane asked, flapping the talisman in his hand. “I made a guess based on my knowledge of mana. It seems to have a will of its own, but it follows your own will for the most part.” Evan replied. “Meaning?” Kane asked, looking up from the talisman. “You have to force or ask mana to do what you want. Or both force and ask." Evan explained. "As for the talisman specifically, though? I used creation mana to make it. That’s why it can materialize a stable physical object. It passes ambient mana through an artificial Gen 2 creation core, and forms a specific shape. I also made the mana circuit connect back to itself, and gave it an on-off switch. And voice detection. It uses the ambient mana as a fuel source. If I wanted to, I could change it between open and closed circuits to make it single-use or reusable. There seem to be ones that can only work with closed circuits and ones that only work with open circuits. It has too much power and fries the circuits for single-use, open circuit talismans. But they are a lot stronger.” Evan lectured. “How the hell did you figure that much out already? Didn’t you just learn about mana today?” Kane asked “It’s more accurate to say I made mana. It all originates from my core. And no. Technically it was yesterday, I believe.” Evan replied. “I still don’t get it,” Kane said, shaking his head. "I figured out more than just that. If that surprised you, this is going to blow your goddamn mind. I figured out how I could make a Gen 2 artificial core, AND how to possibly make a true artificial core that can actually be absorbed. Gen 2 can transform mana into different types, though. So it actually has a bit of use, unlike the Gen 1 cores.” Evan said, tossing the Gen 1 schematics behind him. “Wait, seriously? ….By the way, do you always just leave your blueprints, schematics, and notes scattered about like this?” Kane asked, picking up a piece of paper. He read it and raised an eyebrow. “How to turn Kane into a dog, Revision three?” Kane asked. “Yeah, sounded fun,” Evan said with a small laugh. “What the hell is wrong with your sense of humor?” Kane asked, sighing. “Dunno.” Evan shrugged. Kane picked up more papers and rifled through them. “How to make real-life catgirls?! What the heck? What’s this one?" Kane asked, flipping through some more notes. "How to make anime real? These actually have detailed plans, schems, and notes! This one, too!.... How to help Kane find a lover?" Kane asked, raising both of his eyebrows with interest. "Oi, how come this one just says impossible?!” Kane shouted. “My computer concluded that you like machines romantically,” Evan replied. “Goddamnit. I swear to god! Where is he? I’ll give him a good punch.” Said Kane, cracking his knuckles. “Why do you always think everything's a guy?” Evan asked, sighing.

It's been five hours since I've been reincarnated here or so that what I think happened to me. And the most surprising thing wasn't even that it. was the system. The system was complicated at first then. I tried asking it anything but it doesn't say anything other than the first time.  The system function like a thing that makes me stronger and it contains. A level and I'm still level 1 because I haven't done anything this past few hours. There are also missions that needs to be completed so I can level up. And also a shop for shopping weapons, armors, and guns, I haven't found anything interesting though.  And my status looks like this.  Edward_____ (Level 1)  Physique : E- (Average human physique) Strength : E- (Average human strength) Intelligence: E- (Average) Speed E- (Average) Stamina E- (Average) ------------------------------------------ (E- is average, D- is Above average human, C- is higher human potential, B- is Above highest human potential, A is impossible human potential, S- is Godlike potential) (E- characters are those street level characters in marvel. Hawkeye, BW, Daredevil) You get it I'm tired explaining. ------------------------------------------ [Missions] Work out: 100exp - $100: (100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 10km run everyday) [repeatable] Gun training: 500exp - $1000 (Shoot a gun and hit a 30km target) Combat training: 1000exp- $2000 (Participate on your army combat training)  ----------------------------------- I've been waiting for the nurse to discharge me so I can thank Steve for helping me. But there are more problems I need to look forward to. Especially when I'm at Marvel it's still at War and I never expected this so I never had a plan. But I will do the missions and level up so I will get stronger and beat Thanos hopefully. But that's still a very long timeline and I don't even know if I will be dead or not.  But when thinking of what I'm gonna do in the future the Nurse then came back and handed me the results and they couldn't find anything wrong. "Okay, Edward you're free to go and Colonel asks for you to go to his tent. Now go and  goodluck Edward." Dorothy said while smiling at me and waving goodbye. "Thank you Dorothy" I left while smiling back to her. And I headed to the Colonel's tent but... I don't know where it is. I was panicking until I saw someone that I know, and yep it was Steve Rogers.  "Hey Steve!" I called out to him while waving. "Oh Edward did you just discharge? How are you feeling?" "I'm completely fine but can I ask you something first?" "Yeah sure, what is it?" "Where is the Colonel's barrack? He asked for me earlier and I need to get to him and I forgot where it is." Smiling awkwardly is painful. "The Colonel? His tent is just up ahead and go left" "Thank you Steve I will be going now." I said while leaving and also looking at a character that I also was familiar with. It was Peggy Carter in a tent while looking at us. And so I found the tent and I also found the Doctor that gave the chance to Steve the one and only. Abraham Erskine. While looking at the Doctor the Colonel was looking at me with a very serious face it looks like I've done something wrong. "So Edward I heard that you fell down because you were feeling under the weather?"  "Yes Colonel"  "And do you still think you have the balls for the military? Because we do not need someone like you in it! We need someone who can fight for their countries even while suffering from and illness or a missing limb son. Even Steve Rogers the one who helped you get to the infirmary has a weak heart!" Colonel said while making a very serious face. And it got me thinking. 'I can leave the army and live a happy life in the MCU especially if I only live on cities where people was actually safe. But that's being a weakling and I want to save people with the Avengers." "Sir! I can and I will fight for our country until my bones collapses or my body loses all of it's limbs Sir!" "Well said Soldier! Now go to training grounds and run for 2 hours!"  "YES SIR!" I said while running to the training grounds and passing through Steve and already started running. *Back at the tent* "That was an interesting conversation you two had" Erskine said  "Well was it passable as your candidate on your scientific program thingy Doctor?" Chester said "Colonel I do not need someone who only thinks about the country and not the people inside of it. He must be kind and will not let power blind him." *Colonel sighed*   "Are you sure Rogers are up to it Doctor?" "I guess we will find out when it's done Colonel."  2 hours has passed and Edward is still running for the last time  *Edward's POV* "I'M DYING LIKE SERIOUSLY HOW DID I DO ALL OF THAT" Edward thought while breathing heavily and then someone offered him water and a towel. It was Steve  "Ah. Thanks Steve" I said while wiping the sweat off my face  "It's nothing. And did the Colonel make you did this?" Steve said while giving me the water. "Yeah why?"  "Isn't a bit too much? You just got out of the infirmary"  "No it's okay" while drinking I notice the people that was watching me with surprised face. The Colonel finally let is off and it was already Night and he also asked for Steve to be at the Barracks tomorrow. And meanwhile I was going back to my bed and then the system notification appeared [1 power draw can be redeemed at the shop] Then a ticket and it looked very shiny but I was surprised when no one can see it, there was alot of people in my Barrack. Then I opened up my status then pressed shop. Then spinning wheel appeared my face and it looked like there was things written on it  1. Compound V (The boys) 2. Super soldier serum (Captain America) 3. Viltrumite race transformation (Invincible) 4. Stand arrow ( Jojo) 5. Formal craft ritual (Fate) 6. Plus 2 spins  7. All of haki (one piece)  I spun the wheel and it landed on Compound V. Then suddenly a syringe full of blue liquid appeared on my hand. But I quickly put it away so no one could see it. But I think about it and decided not to.  I took the syringe and injected the compound V. I then felt really bad that I wanted to scream but I steeled myself and bit my pillow so no one could hear me. Then a few minutes later the pain finally stopped. But then my vision went black and I fainted.

Part 0: Prologue. The Countdown / The Endless War // Chapter 1: The First Core. / The Beginning. Evan flipped a switch. A machine started to count down, and he ran into place. On his right was his wife, beautiful as she had always been, regardless of how much time passed. She threw something from her pocket onto a table a second before the machine activated, in a hurry. It was a clear purple stone. [3…] [2….] [1…….] [Detected user: Evan. Directing installation to first user] [installing omnipotence] [80%] [95%] [Installation complete.] [Executing program: Omnipotence.] [Activating omnipotence.] [Installing omniscience.] [Installation complete.] [Executing program: Omniscience.] [User interference detected.] [Omniscience program has been put into mode: hibernation.] [Completed tasks: (1/2)] [Detected user: invalid user.] [Installing omnipotence] [Separate activation of cores required. Completing installation of first core.] [Generation core installation completed] [Error: instability detected in second core. ] [Error: golden core system not found.] [Completed tasks: (2/2)] [Powering down. Goodbye, Re-. I hope...to seee….you agaaannnnnn…..] The machine finished its final task, just before an explosion destroyed the room. It had been going on for nearly all of time. The Endless war. It contained all manner of creatures, and they all fought, on a planet, in space, anywhere. There were safe zones, for obvious reasons. However, our earth was not inside of such a zone. And yet, somehow, it had gone unnoticed. It was untouched by the war that had been ravaging the universe, completely unaware. We lived in peace, for the most part, our world a happy place. But, a world destroyed is just another day in The Endless war. Earth was no different, and it happened to be in the middle of the war zone's path. Except, we had no idea it was even heading towards us. Or we wouldn't have, if not for a single person.   Part 1: The beginning, before the blast. Chapter 1: The First Core. / The Beginning. There appeared a person one day, a young boy. This boy brought extreme advancements in almost every scientific field, equivalent to virtually centuries of progress. He had formed his own government, and took over the world. There had been no violence, neither had there been any protest. The boy had proven himself to have dedicated all his efforts to further progress our technology, and improve anything he could. When asked why he worked so passionately, he said something nobody expected. “To save everyone.” He replied. "Ugh. Finally, I'm done. God, the smell of chemicals is starting to make me woozy. I mean, when I look at this it feels-Holy shit. I'm not woozy. I succeeded. I did it! Computer, open logs!" A voice cried, holding two vials. He took liquid from two containers and stored them in the vials, shoving them into his pocket. "Error. Access expired. Please state your name and password." The computer beeped. "Huh... I should fix that... Whatever. Computer, open account: Evan. The password is Lime06...Stupid computer." Evan said, sighing. "Login successful. Welcome back, Evan." The computer said. "Fine, open logs," Evan said, slightly annoyed. "Logs open. What do you wish to record?" The computer asked. "Substances 100,000 and 100,001 are showing interesting properties. Further study to be done after log recording. And for the love of god, remind me to make you an AI! I can't stand these crappy low tech computers." Evan grumbled. The computer beeped in acknowledgment. "Ugh. Whatever. It's time to actually take a good look at these things. I wonder what it's going to be this time. It feels special...When did I think of this project, again? Ah, whatever...But still, exotic matter, huh? I have to say, I never thought it would work. Yet in the last few years, I've made some pretty incredible things. Impossible substances, matter that doesn't exist, yet is still there, matter with negative mass, matter that disobeys physics, liquid light, solid light, and now these two. One of them seems to bend reality. The other seems-!" Evan rambled, actually taking a good look at the other liquid. It had a weird aura and seemed to flow into him. "This is...I know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know why, and I don't know how I know. But I know that I need to put these two substances together." Evan hurried, dumping the reality-altering liquid into the odd, shiny purplish-blue liquid. Once the two had combined into a translucent light blue liquid, the new liquid became a gas that seemed to rush into Evan almost instantly, knocking him to the floor. "GAH! What the-What...I'm surging with power, what is this? It feels like..." Evan wondered, amazed. A faint voice whispered into his ear. "Yeah! Like...Wait, who said tha-" Evan started, passing out. "What the heck happened?" Evan asked, waking up. It felt like there was a new part of himself somehow. A new sense. "What is thi-" Evan flinched, accidentally smashing a lightbulb with an odd, invisible substance that he seemed to be able to control. "This..." Evan muttered. He felt something inside of himself. No, inside isn't exactly correct... More like a new part of reality attached itself to him, he thought. There was a golden gemstone in the center of this new aura. On the inside, it looked like an infinity symbol had been engraved into it and it glowed with holy light. A second gem seemed to have formed as well, but it was much smaller than the golden one next to it. "Wh-What! ACK!" Evan shouted. The golden gemstone seemed to be releasing a near unlimited amount of the substance he had just absorbed, but it wasn't tangible like it had been before. It seemed.....Complete. It began to rush into the other gemstone, which started to grow until it was the same size as the other stone. It was green and pink, and it reminded Evan of watermelon tourmaline. "What the heck was that?! What is this?....No way," Evan said, astounded. He realized he could control the substance as if it were another limb entirely. As he messed around with it, he discovered that it wasn't only capable of picking things up from a distance. It could do much more. "Holy fu-Damn, that scared me. You can turn this thing into damn near anything, can't you? You can even make flames. It almost feels like magic....Yeah. That's a good way to put it, actually. Magic. No, Mana. This is Mana." Evan said. It seemed to surge with power as if it were expressing its joy with its new name. "Huh? You're...Happy? Wait, you're alive?!....I...I see." Evan said as Mana whispered into his ear. "You have very little control?... And it's fading. Are you going to be able to help me any further than what you just said?" Evan asked. Mana whispered into his ear, one final time, and then everything went silent. "I...see...Gems...No, that doesn't sound good...Hm. Cores! I'll call them Cores. It seems to be sitting in the middle of my Mana, so that sounds a lot more fitting. But what does it mean by running the mana through the other Core?" Evan asked, passing mana from the golden core through the green and pink core instinctively. As it went through, something seemed to take shape in Evans's hand, eventually solidifying. "What? Ohhhhh! The Cores seem to have different abilities. So....The gold one only seems to produce a near unlimited amount of mana as far as I can tell, and the green-pink one can...create things out of mana? No, the mana seems to change when it gets passed through the cores. It's not the same anymore. I guess I should name them, then. To differentiate them." Evan said, thinking. He grinned, the answer forming in his head almost immediately. "Yeah, that sounds right. I'll call the one with the infinity symbol the infinity core. And I'll call the green-pink one a creation core. Plain, yet awesome sounding names." Evan said happily. "But how exactly does this creation core work? I'm guessing I should just... Imagine what I want to make?... What should I try to make, then?" Evan wondered, looking around the room. The first thing he noticed was everything still being a complete mess, and the second thing he noticed was a flashlight that he had left on. "I guess a flashlight is good enough a test as any." Evan shrugged, activating the creation core. As the object finished forming in his hands, Evan looked it over. "A perfect replica. I guess you need a decently sharp image of whatever you want to make." Evan said, trying to turn on the flashlight. It didn't work. "What? Oh, it probably doesn't have any batteries." Evan laughed, unscrewing the bottom and confirming his assumption. Rather than make some, he just got some batteries out of a drawer and put them in. It still didn't work. Evan tried taking the batteries out and putting them back in. It still didn't work. He frowned and took it apart. "Ah. It doesn't have any of the components that connect the flashlight together properly. That explains it. Of course, it wouldn't work....What if..." Evan thought, drawing up some schematics for a flashlight in his head and activating his creation core. This time he also imagined batteries inside of it. Evan felt the heavy steel flashlight fall into his hand, and he tried to turn it on. This time it worked perfectly. "Woah!... I wonder what else I can do with this...?" Evan asked as he continued his tests tirelessly for the next few days.

Chapter 3: Kane, Master Of Machines.   "Yo. How's it going?" Kane said, opening the lab door loudly. “Hey, Kane.” Evan replied, not turning away from his work. “You needed something?” Kane asked, interested. “Yeah, take a look at this.” Evan said, holding up an odd looking stone. “Um. What exactly does this thing do?” Kane asked, picking the stone up and turning it over in his hand, confused. He started to rifle through design documents and the stone's rudimentary schematics that Evan had left laying about. Evan smiled. “Here,” Evan said, grabbing Kane’s shoulder and forcing mana to flow through him. Kane jumped. “What the hell is that?! That hurts!" Kane asked, rubbing his head. "More importantly what the hell did you make!? What the actual fuck is with these designs? If I understand this correctly, that thing is virtually an unlimited source of energy!” Kane exclaimed, holding the schematics in Evan's face. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool right?” Evan asked, smiling. Kane shook his head, annoyed. “No, firstly, how the hell did you find out how to do any of this? Tell me the entire process,” Kane asked. “Well, you use mana and create a small little machine here. This bit takes the mana and makes it more efficient basically. Then this part does that. And this little thing here is a mana circuit. I found you can use it for a ton of things, but for now, I’m using it to be a large mana source when combined with the rest of the core.” Evan explained. “Wow! Hey, do you mind if I take a look at it for a minute?” Kane asked, pointing to the device on the desk. Evan nodded, handing it to him. Kane messed with the inner workings of the machine for a minute to get a better understanding of how it worked. Once he finished, he put it back on the desk and returned to looking over the many schematics which still were littered about the entire lab. “How the hell did you come up with this one, too?” Kane asked, excitedly. He took out a journal and started taking notes and making sketches, excited. “I thought of it and then did it.” Evan replied, shrugging. “I shouldn’t have expected anything from asking you.” Kane said, sighing. “You’ve asked that question so many times, but that’s the only answer I can come up with. You have stuff you’re good at that I’m not all that great at.” Evan argued. “Yeah, using the machines that have an age restriction on use, since you literally can’t use them.” Kane said, laughing. He was only around two years older than Evan. “Oh right! I forgot, I was going to see if I could make a new prototype core, I’ll talk later.” Evan said, getting to work. Kane kept making notes and drawing sketches in the meantime.

The monastery in which I lived was the only thing I knew, But each time I watched a friend leave saying they’ll come back only to be taken by the cities hours away I was backstabbed. Each time I watched a disciple commit a sin I was disgusted, but never once did I shout, I believed it was wrong. Instead I showed the other kids how not to commit these sins once more. The other kids at the monastery then proceeded to shame them, shame them until they stood no more, then we prayed around the sinner and together we helped the child out. Locking them in the cellar for which only stood a piece of bread, and the bible to read. It taught every kid to never commit that sin again. It made me happy, It fulfilled me. The newest kid that had committed a sin was Eden, he was a quiet spoken kid. I thought he was good till I saw him steal another child’s bread without their notice. Its been three days since he's been in the cellar, yet I never once heard a sound come from the cellar, usually I could hear the cries of the children but I never heard him. Not even a single breath when I checked on him. He always had his back turned to me, Hunched over in a corner not moving a muscle. Almost every hour I checked on him through the little eye hole but all there was, was a statue.  It was only an hour before I had to release him, I checked up once more expecting a statue but at the hour of vigil, with the dark night fast approaching, the last thing I wanted to see was him backstabbing me. I slid open the peep hole to find him holding up a book, it was black instead of brown. It wasn’t the holy scripture, it was something else. When he heard me however he immediately hid the book. This was the best movement I’ve seen from him. I was relieved to know he was alright. He’s even taken a bite from his bread which was fantastic. So I left him with happiness. I opened the cellar door and called out for him. “Eden! Your teaching is finished.” He returned with a grunt and a sluggish walk to the door. I looked at the corner in which he was hunched over for so long. There was nothing, I walked inside moving towards that corner to take a better look. I wanted to see what he was doing for so long until the last hour. It was a sea horn? I heard the door creak however and closed behind. The solid metal doors slammed as I turned. My firm muscles ached as I ran to the door. The cold stone locks turning and closing in place.  “Eden, open this door right this instant!” But all that faced me was his white hair. He didn't speak or even look at me. He grabbed the only light of the dark cellar and started walking up the stairs. All I could do was watch that dim orange light fade.     I could hear my heart thumping unpredictably, sweat dripping from my forehead and my muscles feeling weak. I look at the bed and start picking apart the steel within. I huffed and puffed, the only way I could see was a single candle. I used the little light it provided, working my muscle and every bone my old arm could muster to break it. I yelled in pain as it was straining up my arms. I yelled for getting backstabbed once again, I yelled to god to help, and I yelled in glory as I broke it into a metal pipe. I took a few deep breaths while feeling the pipe. I could almost hear a choir singing their angelic calls as my fingers went back and forth, up and down feeling the pipe.     Then I felt something warm, completely different to that of the cold pipe. It felt like human flesh. I retracted my hand from the darkness of the pipe and run to the candle on the desk. I picked it up and started waving the flames around in the darkness.      My heart raced in panic, but then i thought. It must’ve been my imagination. Yet even if I had told myself this, I waved the flames everywhere in search of the other person as I walked to the door. I poked the metal pipe outside and started hitting the lock to move it.      “Judas.” The whisper of a child came from behind me in the darkness. I turned my back to the door and waved those flames once more. Nothing stared back. I drop my metal pipe and used that hand to keep a feel for something i could reach. I reached both my head and candle out into the darkness.     “Y-yes did someone call for me?” I couldn’t see anyone. Or anything, the bed that I was able to see at every angle of the room was gone. I backed my head off and looked at the walls to the left and right of my back. I picked up the pipe and kept my back on the wall scooching to the right. I looked for a corner. I walked for over ten minutes and couldn’t find even a single trace that this wall would end. My legs got scared and fled taking me to the left looking for that door. But no matter how fast I ran I didn’t find that door. Instead I found the bed, joy filled me as i ran to an object I recognized. Then I saw the bible on the bed, I prayed to god kneeling down next to the bed then looked at the bible. I turned the bible upside down so the cross pointed at the ground. But when I opened it, it was backwards. I looked back at the front of the bible. Turning it to where i could read it, but the cross was upside down. I opened the first page. A single line was written on the page. I couldn’t understand it, I tried reading the line but something is stopping me from understanding anything except that there was a single line. A line I could not fathom. I hear a sort of gurgling sound behind me.     I threw that book down and picked up my candle. The gurgling was close but everything is dark. I looked for the wall but couldn’t find it anymore. I don’t know where to go anymore, I turned around in the endless room of balck to see if the bed was there. It wasn’t, neither was the book. I turned back to the gurgling sound, cautiously I walked towards it. Each step I took closer to the sound I felt as if I was walking in sludge.      The sound was close     The sound was close The sound was close     The sound was close     I told myself that. I told my body that but i'm exhausted, I'm crawling at this point. I don't know why I keep moving, I don't know why my legs continue to obey me. I was just listening to a voice that continued filling my thoughts, the thought that I'm getting close. I can’t see a thing, the candle went out a long time ago. yet I kept crawling. I crawled till my head bumped into something. It was cold, so I started feeling around the thing. Then I felt it, human skin. It's not breathing so it must be dead. A light exploded and I saw the body, brown and childlike. Eden, but then who locked me?     But something washed over me as I picked the body up. The Water held me in place. I was unable to move, I tried to get a breath but couldn’t. I held my eyes painfully open after seeing a light, my lungs however were filling up. Yet I could move perfectly fine, I moved towards the brightest thing and grabbed at it. It was a seahorn. I had the sudden urge to blow into it. So I exerted my last bit of air through it. Why?      I thought to myself why I did that. My body didn’t want it so why. I saw the air bubbles fly through the water into the darkness, then I heard it. A thing, A creature. The reason I'm here. I saw a single claw of the beast come out, It was long and thin. But it was endless in length. My body wasn’t in fear though, my body felt peace. I finally understood what that single line meant. I am one with god.     “Please kill judas for me god.”

Chapter 2: Artificial cores? / Phil!   Evan studied closely what the cores that were inside his body were actually made of, and how they worked. He drew up a sketch of the schematics for an artificial prototype core. He called it a gen 1 artificial core. The only thing he could see it having a use for is allowing normal people to have control over mana. As he almost finished building it, Phil walked into his office. “Morning Evan,” said Phil, smiling and holding a cup of joe “Morning? Oh. Uh, right…. Wait, Phil.” Evan asked “Mm. Yes?” Phil asked with a bright smile. “I thought I asked you not to bother me while I’m working. If I lose focus on some of my inventions, it could cause a huge accident.” Evan said, pulling a pair of safety goggles from his eyes to his forehead. He swiveled to face Phil. “Oh! Right. Sorry, I just wanted to say good morning. I’ll leave the briefing from the meeting on the desk. Plans for the war are going well. What is that, by the way?” Asked Phil, pointing to the odd machine on Evan's desk, and the weird schematics that littered the floor. “I discovered magic, so I’m studying it and experimenting with it. I’m looking at something I chose to call mana circuits.” Evan said, holding up a tool that zapped with electricity whenever he pressed its button. “I see. Impressive, as always! I'll be off then.” Phil said, turning to leave. He froze, “WAIT, HOLD ON! DID YOU JUST SAY MAGIC?!” Yelled Phil, pivoting towards Evan almost instantly. Evan unplugged his tools and took off his gloves. He put a hand on his head. “Well, I discovered it from a form of exotic matter, and it isn’t necessarily magic, but it seems to have the exact same qualities as it does in a lot of the manga and comics I read. Things like creating or moving stuff with your mind, setting things on fire, moving the earth, and such. So it’s close enough I guess.” Said Evan, nodding. Evan pointed to a corner. It had a test dummy that Evan used to test his new inventions on. It had been built to automatically repair itself. And, other than stuff that he could make, it was nearly indestructible. Yet there it was, on the floor. Ripped to shreds and burnt, and it didn’t seem to be repairing itself. “I know we call you a technological wizard, but I never expected you to take it seriously!” Yelled Phil. Evan sighed. “Oh, right," Evan said. "Phil, could you get Kane and bring him here for me, please?” Evan asked. “Sure thing.” Said Phil. He left, heading to the workshop. "It's hard to believe that dude's the head director of limetech sometimes," Evan said, facing back towards his desk.

I’d known for a few days by this point - the world was ending. It really was. The sky turned red; it had been relentlessly hot; and i swear… i swear i saw a bird drop dead. I wasn’t quite near it, but it looked like a small black bird. Its wings just stopped, and it plummeted. That was the last I saw of it - before a tree moved in the way. The bird stuck with me: it was just weird. A bird falling from the sky? It seemed almost biblical.  I stood there, on the steps, still. I bet I probably looked looked like an idiot, but only when i heard her was I brought out of my hollow stupor. “You’re not opening your door? Oh, can’t find your keys? I do that.” She was stood on the steps. Different steps. In front of her door. “Ah, no.” I fumbled for the way into the small house. “Got them… I was, thinking.” I held them up, in a vain attempt at expressing some kind of justification. I quickly stepped inside, not waiting for a response. … She moved in three days ago, next door. Why did someone have to buy that house? That house that was next to the one I lived in. It was not a nice house. Smaller. Older. Dirtier. I didn’t see why anyone would choose to live there. The house had no appeal. There were better houses to live in - houses that were bigger, newer, cleaner. I didn’t like that house. The house next door would grin at me, almost smug, as if to say - ‘oh yeah, someone lives here. Bet you didn’t see that coming.’ I didn’t. The house next door had windows with peeling frames. And she had bought the house next door, she was my neighbour. You’re meant to get to know your neighbours, right? I didn’t want to get friendly with people I didn’t already know. More people meant more problems. It was a faff. I had nothing against other people, it’s just I’d rather not have more obligations than required. I liked keeping to myself. I walk to work, then I walk back to the house. I always walk up the same steps, then through the same door. In front of the same chair. I sit down - chairs are good for that, and this one in particular leaves nothing to be desired.  She’s friendly. Friendly to everyone. And everyone includes me. I couldn’t ignore her; that’d be rude. So when she greeted me, I had to somewhat reciprocate her amity. She seemed nice, so I would try to be as well. But that would be the extent of it. So we’d had no real interactions up to that point; none further than the occasional greeting.  … I poured myself a glass of water, something I did almost religiously. Every day, before and after work. The water was clear. Always clear. It went from the tap, to the cup, to me. The same. I walked into what I called the living room, a small square with a chair and tv. I sat, the water in my hand. The chair I sat in was big. Comfy, even. I liked it. The chair was in the middle of the room: the chair was the most important. It was the chair I sat in when I thought, or read, or did nothing. It was the chair i sat in when I drank. It was the chair I sat in when i worked. I never had any issues with the chair, it was a good chair. The back of the chair faced the stairs. The stairs led up. They were made of wood - wood that, when cold, made traversing it (not that I ever did) barefoot require mental preparation. Each step was faded; no longer the same oaken colour as they were. But they were not marked by feet. I preferred the chair to the stairs. The stairs preferred the chair to me. I heard the door - a tapping on the door, which was unusual. No one came to this house, no one except me. I lived here, not them. I lived here alone, without them. I stood up, saddened by how brief my time in the chair was. The worst part about the chair was getting out of it. I opened it. Her. She was stood there, on the top step, waving her smiley wave with one hand. “Hi.” Was all she said. “Hi” Was all I replied. She gave me another of her smiley smiles. “Yes?” She stopped waving. “I’m your new neighbour!” Yes “Yes.” She kept smiling. “We haven’t really spoken yet, so i thought i should…” “You should..?” “…speak. Y’know, as new neighbours - get to know my neighbours.” She stood there. “So…” “So?” I put the water down. “Can I come in?” “… Sure.” I had known that the world was ending.

The candles were nearly burned out as she sat behind her table in her tent. It was a few minutes until dawn and the customers had long since petered out. Still, until the sun rose she was to sit here, waiting and ready for a carnival goer to walk through the tent flaps looking for a fortune. Everything was fake of course. She would never dare do real magic in front of humans, and they knew just as well as her that it was fake. They came here to be fooled, to delight in the unknown and trickery.  They had been in this town only a week or so. The carnival would only stay another night or two before departing across the plains for another village. They had been traveling through forested roads for months now but Ondine was still not ready to return to the open lands of the plains. It always made her feel exposed. Having grown up hidden in the deepest part of the forest bordering the mountains, she was uncomfortable and unused to the wide open expanse of the prairie land. In the nearly three years she’s traveled with the carnival she still hadn’t become accustomed to living on the large stretches of flat land, she always felt so exposed. The nearest villages was a half a fortnight’s journey across the plains and the nearest forest was about two fortnights beyond that, with about half a dozen towns between them. In all it would likely be three fortnights before she next felt the cover of trees. The sky was just lightening, turning gray with the promise of a golden dawn when a cloaked figure entered her tent. She could barely see beyond the shadow’s of their hood. The cloak was a stained and fraying cloth, it looked like it did little to shield the wearer from the cold, though as over sized as it was it did well to disguise their identiy. They sat before her on the cushion placed before her low table.  The table, if you could call it that, was barely a foot above the floor of the tent, which was thankfully covered in cloth. Olly didn't like washing the delicate costume she wore and thus did all she could to avoid dirtying the garment unnecessarily. Draping fancy looking fabrics over the floors and table helped disguise the cheap wool and had the added benefit of making the atmosphere more convincing. The fabrics weren't expensive of course, Will, the carnival’s owner and the handler of the finances and budget, never approved any unnecessary spending. No, She had stitched every bit of “golden” embroidery herself and thus knew very well that it was only thin bits of yellow dyed thread. Admittedly the base swaths of deeply colored fabric had been a few gold coins but she had used her own money.  “Greeting traveler, I foresaw your arrival, do you wish to draw a card from my enchanted deck and see into your fate.” She hadn’t foreseen this stranger’s arrival, in fact she had just been about to pack up when they had entered. It was one of her well rehearsed speeches. She had many, if she said the same thing over and over the customers would get bored and it would break the illusion to have the same thing said when they entered as what their friend had recounted to them of their time in the tent.  The stranger whispered in a raspy voice that was neither male nor female, “Rhianon daughter of Endora, I have a message from Hilda.” If she had not gone still as stone from the voice alone she would have already moved to slit the throat of the stranger at the names they spoke. The voice of the untouched, the name she hadn’t dared speak, hadn't been heard in nearly three years.  “I’m not who you think-” she barely manages to get the words out and it’s only a breath of air as it but the voice continues. “She sends her wishes for good health and safety, along with this.” the stranger pulls something from inside it’s cloak. An old tome. She sees it for what it is in a second. The Book of Earth’s Blood. She takes a sharp inhale at the sight. Its worn brown leather cover rimmed and the words engraved in long faded golden blood. An ancient mixture of a witch’s black blood and gold from deep in the sacred mountain. She had only ever heard of the near mythical text, no one had seen it for milenia and yet here it was before her, held in the withered hands of an untouched.  “What-” “Sybil searches for you both, you must run far from here, hide deep within the forest and never come out.” She was a little annoyed when they said that. She had already been hiding, even if the fact that she had been found by them didn’t speak well of her secrecy. Still she thought is was stupid to have brought the book to her, it would have been smarter to leave it in it’s ancient home, guarded by wards so old that the spells had been lost to time. “You must guard the book, hide it where no one will find it or you.”  “I can’t-” before she could finish the stranger shoved the tome into her hands and stood rushing out of the tent. She was left in a state of stunned shock holding the book and staring at the tent flaps rippling in the wake of the stranger’s swift exit. A few moments later Jess’s slim but athletic frame had strode through the tent flaps looking back at something, likely the stranger walking quickly away. Jess was the niece of the owner of the carnival and one of the unofficial leaders, her position was more social than anything but a lot of the workers often defered to her on decisions, no one seemed to mind that she was only twenty. Jess had been the one to offer her a position in the company and she had never stopped being grateful for it, even if she didn’t fully trust the women, she trusted her more than she trusted anyone else right now.  She shoved the book beneath the table just as Jess’s stare fell on her. Those hazel eyes dancing with amusement and a bit of wariness, her thick chin length dark brown hair shifting with the turn of her head. “What sort of reading did you give that one?” she snorted, folding her arms across her chest. She took a breath trying to shake the shock from her limbs, Jess couldn’t know something had happened. Jess’s expression turned serious, seeming to have caught a moment before she had masked her unease. “Did something happen?” her tone was sharp and demanding. She straightened, tensing in preparation to chase after the fleaing customer. Jesiba Caller was surprisingly protective of the workers, though she supposed that since the girl had been raised here she saw the carnival as more of a family than a company, Ondine had always liked that. If she suspected that the stranger had harmed Ondine or had left without paying, she would chase after the person and kill them.  “No, nothing happened Jess, just a bad reading.” she flashed a handful of coins as if to prove they’d paid, though in truth they were her own coins. “He didn’t bother to let me reassure him that the death card meant something other than that his end was soon approaching.” She rolled her eyes and gave a snort as if amused by the impatience and short sightedness of a client. Jess smirked and her posture relaxed though her arms remained folded in front of her. “I’ve been telling you to take out that card, it freaks people out too much.” Indeed she had. At least one time in every town when the card appeared and Jess would wind up with a carnival goer complaining over a “false reading”.  “I told you it would ruin the authenticity of the reading.” She reminded her playfully, it was a joke between them, how Ondine insisted the deck stay together despite the readings being a scam. Jess didn’t know that the real reason that Ondine kept the deck together was an old superstition among witches. Removing cards during a reading, even if the reading wasn’t made real with magic, would ruin the deck, making it unable to ever accurately foresee the future again. Ondine didn’t know if it was true, and she didn’t plan on using the deck anyway, but it was her mother’s deck, the only thing she had from her mother. It was an heirloom passed down from witch to witch and she didn’t want to be the one to ruin the deck. She had thought of getting a different deck to do these readings with but decks were hard to come by after the purge of magic. They were even harder to make now too. It would cost far more than she had or the carnival was willing to spend to purchase a deck, especially when they knew she already had one.  “Whatever.” Jess rolled her eyes, “You ready to pack up, the last customer left the grounds just now,” this came with a pointed look behind her, “and the sun just came up so no more people should be coming around. I’m just about to go wake the day watch.” They had two sets of “guards”, the day watch and the night watch. There were only five in total, three for the day and two for the night, with Jess being an honorary third with all her daggers hidden and visible. Since the Carnival workers sleep at night it left the caravan mostly undefended, open for thieves. Thus they had the day watch who patrolled the perimeter of the camp grounds to keep any overconfident villagers from getting any ideas. The night guards were mostly just for show, in case the villagers were drunk enough to make a move on one of the female performers or for example, try to get back at a certain fortune teller for giving an unfavorable reading. During the busiest times there was normally one of them stationed a few tents away, well in hearing range in case something happened.  “Thanks, I’ll head for the wagons in a few minutes.” All the women slept in the wagons and the men would draw straws for who slept on the ground in the tents. Somehow it was always the animal keepers that drew the short straw. She of course had nothing to do with that.  She needed to find somewhere to hide this book before she went to sleep. Tomorrow there wouldn’t be a carnival because of the May Eve festival that the village was throwing. Since it would be over a few hours before dawn Jess said that they could go and she’d have the night watch stay and guard the camp. They would all have to be back by dawn to help pack up for the journey though. Once they packed they would journey for the rest of the day and night. Since she likely wouldn’t get to sleep for more than a day after the next time she woke up she needed to get as much rest as she could.  “Alright then, but don’t come crying to me when you don’t get a blanket.” Jess called over her shoulder as she left the tent. There were only so many blankets and sleep rolls. The ones sleeping outside got the first pick as they didn’t get the protection of the wagons and the extra body heat of the other people, so if you slept in one of the wagon you had to be sure to get there in time to snag a blanket or sleep roll. Ondine knew that the threat was hollow, Jess always shared her blanket when Ondine didn’t get there in time to get her own. At first she had done it out of pity for the new girl unused to life on the road, but as they grew closer it became a quiet gesture of affection. Jess wasn’t one to tell you she cared, or make obvious acts of kindness, when she cared about you she did things like check on you when you were ill, or share food when you hadn’t gotten any that night, or let you sleep next to her to keep you warm in the cold. This was a very good thing for Ondine as she was almost always one of the last ones to get to the wagons. She had a nightly ritual that had to be done alone and thus needed to be done when everyone was going to sleep. The seconds the tent flaps had stilled and Jess’s steps had faded she jumped into motion, pulling out the ancient tome from where it lay beneath the table and removing the piece of cloth she had draped over it. She paused again at the sight of it, running her hand across the cover, feeling the indent on the engraved swirls and lettering. She ran her fingers along the spine, plain brown leather nearly worn through with time. Despite the lack of a title on the spine, if she saw only the spine on a shelf of books she would know, sense it’s power. It practically poured from the book as she opened it to the first page. It was written in an ancient tongue, the marks made with ink made of witch blood, blacker than night.  Leabhar Na Fuil Na Talmhainn The old and Ancient language. A language of spirits and spells and midnight ritual. A language of whispered words.  She closed the book before she could be tempted to read any further, she didn’t have the time, She still needed to renew the spell that disguised her eyes and the marks on her chest and wrists. They were faded and she could sense it. If she didn’t re-cast the spell within the next hour the spell on her eyes would fade and leave them as their natural color, darkest brown with streaks of gold. Her scars would slowly reappear, and if someone saw them they would know. Everyone knew the marks of the witch.  Even after half a decade of the ban on magic being lifted people were still wary of witches. They were curious of course, liked the idea of playing at magic, its why people entered her tent night after night. But everyone was still terrified of witches. Though it was now illegal to burn anyone, even a witch, the royal guards and local officials tended to look the other way. So she hid her marks and her eyes.  She looked around her tent for somewhere to hide the book. Beneath the table had worked for now but if anyone had come behind the table they’de have seen it. And if anyone managed to make it past the day guard and into her tent they wouldn't be able to find it. Normally she would quietly cast a barrier spell, one that would keep villagers out, not a wall or bubble but a veil that would convince anyone who neared it to turn around. But after the stranger had found her she needed to be more discreet. Magic could be seen, at least when the spell was first cast. A barrier spell would cause a line of magic to sweep across the border of the camp, the day guard normally wasn’t out at this point so they normally didn’t see it, and when they did it could be passed off as a trick of the light in the dawn sun and stretching shadows it cast. It was one of the reasons she didn’t like the plains, it was harder to disguise without the shadows of trees looming over the camp. The wisps of magic that ghost around her irises and scars when she casts that glamor fade by the time she leaves the tent, and she's always sure to face away from the tent flaps when she casts the spell, just incase she manages to miss the sound of approaching footsteps before they enter. But someone had found her, and if that untouched had been able to find her there was likely someone else able to find her, or at least able to follow them. She needed to be untraceable. No one would see her casting a glamor on her eyes and body, but if you were looking for it you would be able to spot the brief ring of black and gold around the camp.  There in the corner of the tent, the end of the cloth floor. She slipped quietly across the tent, pulling back a fold of the fabric and digging a small hole in the ground beneath. When it was enough to place the book inside and cover it with a sufficient layer of dirt she placed the book inside and hurriedly padded the layer of dirt on top, brushing it lightly with her hand after to make it less apparent that the dirt had been packed tightly. She flipped the fabric back over the now buried book and returned to her spot behind the table. She would have to retrieve the book the next day before they packed up and left, would have to store it in her pack, which was of course in one of the wagons, but right now at least she couldn’t risk sneaking it over, not with everyone in the wagons. She would sneak it over during the festival, while all the workers were in the town.  No one went into other people’s packs. It was one of the rules among their company. Jess, who was the daughter of the owner and one of the main leaders of the group, enforced the policy strictly, she said that “Everyone is here because they're running from something, if we don’t want our secrets revealed then we don’t go looking for others' '. Her rule was that if you snoop in someone else’s secrets then you have no right to keep your own, and she would spill your belongings out in front of everyone and say everything she had learned about you that you didn’t want people to know. Then a vote was held to see if you would be allowed to stay with the company, if the crew still trusted you after you had invaded their privacy and the things they had learned about you and your past.  She had liked that the first time she heard it, liked how openly Jess spoke of how they were all runaways and outlaws. She had liked the comradery that she had seen pass between the members of the company at the reminder that they were all the same, all had secrets of their own and pasts they were running from. Liked the idea that she wasn’t alone in this at least.  She of course had still looked through everyone’s packs, she needed to learn everything she could about her surroundings. She didn’t steal anything, didn’t leave anything out of place and hadn’t gotten caught. She had made sure of that.  She sat facing the back of the tent, folding her hands in her lap and spoke the rolling words of the old tongue in her mind. She didn’t need to say it out loud, only to speak the words into the aether where the Goddess would find them. malairt ar dathan malairt mo sgarradh Every spell is a trade. The Goddess holds the scales of the universe, and to receive you must give something in return. The more powerful the witch the bigger trades she could make, and the more the Goddess would allow her to stretch the meaning of equal. A more powerful witch could bargain with the Goddess, trade one thing for another, even if it wasn’t a sacrifice as much as an inconvenience and not truly equal in value to what they had gained.  Rhianon-no her name was Ondine, that stranger must have really shaken her, was a powerful witch now. She was powerful for a witch so young, she was only nineteen, most powerful witches were hundreds of years old. Witches were long lived but her aging was only starting to slow now. Still she was a child compared to most witches, far more powerful than any other witch her age. After that night, after her mother… Witches inherited power from their mothers, both when they were born and when their mother passed into the summerland. When a witch was born the mother sacrificed a fraction of her power for the newborn, and when she died her power was inherited by her daughters. That meant that just as her mothers death had empowered her, it had also empowered her sister. These spells weren’t difficult, or the base spell wasn’t, she had learned them when she was young and flipped through her mother’s grimoire. They had been one of the few spells inside she understood. The trade the spells made was simple. The first traded the hues of her eyes for that of another. The second traded the witch's marks on her skin for other scars. The difficult parts were when she had to specify who and which scars to replace her witch's marks with. It was obvious that if her eye color changed daily people would be on to her, they likely wouldn’t notice the fact that she managed to have new scars every day.  She pulled the silver mirror that she used both as a prop during some performances and for this from where it lay beneath the table. She looked herself over. Her heart stuttered at the sight of her eyes as it always did. She knew that the eyes that stared back at her wouldn’t be her own and yet when she looked into the mirror and saw her father’s ruddy brown eyes gazing back it never failed to take her breath away. She had never met him of course, by the time she was born her mother had killed him as was dictated by their laws. To bring a life into this world one must be taken away. He was buried beside Cybil’s father behind the estate. The two stone columns carved with their names. Her mother hadn’t burned their bodies as was tradition, she had given them the burial that their own beliefs had demanded. She had never learned whether this was out of respect for them or if her mother did it to keep them out of the summerland.  She had one memory of her father and it wasn’t her’s. It was Cybil’s. When they were younger and Ondine had begged her mother to tell her about her father only to meet her icy refusal, Cybil had offered to trade her. Trading memories could be done, but both people had to be willing and once a memory was traded it couldn’t be given back, it was lost to your mind forever. Because of this it was rarely done, except by foolish young witches. Cybil had given her a memory of her father and Ondine had given her, well she didn’t know. By the very nature of the trade she hadn’t a clue what she had given to her sister. It wasn’t important now, she was sure whatever it had been was well worth it. She cherished the memory of her father more than any other. The memory of his golden brown eyes. She knew that back behind the estate tucked away in the mountains, buried in the ground, the eyes behind her father’s closed lids were now deepest ebony streaked with gold. She angled the mirror to look at the bit of skin between her breasts displayed by the square neckline of her dress, now that she had discarded her robes, she saw no markings peaking out. She pulled down her shirt a little just to be sure and sure enough there was nothing but pale un blemished skin. When she glanced at her wrists she found the same unmarred skin. Instead she knew there would be four scratches on her outer right forearm and a few similar scratches marring her back. She easily passed them off as the result of a long ago encounter with wolves whenever anyone asked. She always made sure to put enough sadness in her eyes so that the person didn’t ask any further questions. She let out a breath, pulling her dress back up and returning the mirror to its place beneath the table. She stood and smoothed her dress, leaving the tent, and praying to the goddess that no one found the book.

When I opened my eyes again, what entered my sight wasn't the run-down inner sanctum of the sect, it wasn't the lifeless body of my junior sister, nor was it the sight of my would-be torturer excited to pry information out of me one way or another. What appeared in front of me was the ceiling of a cave. Or maybe my room was a better way to word it. "A Dream?" I couldn't help but question, I mean, one moment I was dying in the middle of the sect, besieged from all sides by the attacking cultivators, clinging on to my Junior sister's freezing corpse, the next I seem to have fallen off my bed and now lying down on the cold hard ground of my cultivation cave. As real as it felt, it makes sense for it to be nothing more than a dream of mine. After all, it would explain why she would risk everything to save me if it was a dream. Guess there's still a part of me that hopes that I was at least somewhat important in her life and wasn't just considered a passerby... And here I thought I had a sense of shame. After how I treated her, I still want her to think of me as family? I really am disgusting... Tired of the floor, I decided to get up and go do my chores, after all the plants aren't going to water themselves. At least not till they gain spirituality or something. Yet the moment I got up and was about to head to the bathroom I noticed a very big problem. "...What happened to my bathroom?" A makeshift tub was made by digging a pit into the ground with a long piece of bamboo used as a pipe to connect to a lake outside. This was completely different from the bathroom I worked so hard to build, what happened to the formations I etched onto the ground as a heater? What happened to the water dragon pearl used as a water source? Where's the towel made from the fur of a golden core demon dog? Looking closely, I noticed the rest of the room was also different, the shelves filled with cultivation and magic techniques were gone, the chest filled with formation and refinement materials was also gone, the small personal herbal garden I had was not there, and worst of all my kitchen was missing.  I also realized that I didn't fall from my bed last night, rather my bed seemed to not have been there at all in the first place. I panicked not knowing what was going on. The confusion surging within me wasn't from being in an unknown room, instead, it was because I knew exactly where I was that I was panicking. A large piece of cloth over a pile of leaves as a makeshift bed, a bathroom that has what can barely be called plumbing, and a low-grade qi gathering formation. All of these things were stuff I would recognize easily, after all, I was the one who made all of them. Or to be more precise, I was the one who made all of them, 15 years ago that is. "You have got to be fucking with me... Did I travel back in time?" ****** Ok ok ok ok, let's calm down, remember what she always says, take a deep breath, and imagine the steps needed to reach your goal. So my goal right now is to figure out what the fuck is going on, so I guess I should list out what I know first? Is that how you apply those words in this situation? Ah whatever, there's nothing else I can do right now in the first place. First, as far as I know, that nightmare of mine should have actually happened. The Soaring Empire, the Golden Sun Sect, and the Ancestral Church teamed up and laid waste to the Flowing Fate Sect, I don't know why they attacked us though... Well, whether the sect lives or not isn't something I really care about. Secondly, I luckily seemed to have not transmigrated into someone else's body, I'm still me, or rather the 10-year-old me from 15 years ago. I double-checked by running out to the nearby lake that I remembered to use as a makeshift mirror, so I'm definitely me or at least someone who looks scarily similar to me. Or rather, I have no idea how to verify whether I'm actually me or not so I might as well just keep on going as if I am me. Shit, I'm already beginning to confuse myself... Finally, the period of time should have been around a few months after I was taken to the sect. I remember how at first, there was only the spiritual formation on the ground, everything else was made by my hands afterward. The makeshift tub should be the last thing to have been finished by me during this time period.  My arms are aching just from remembering how painful it was mining the ground with an iron sword... So, after calming down and listing everything I knew about the current situation, I can now say with complete certainty that I have no idea what the fuck is going on. Just as I was about to continue trying to make sense of what was going on, a green bird flew threw the entrance of the cave and stopped in front of me. It opened its mouth and out came the voice of the fucker who brought me to this sect. "Mo Yang, report to the Sword Palace." After it finished delivering the message, the bird dissipated into ash and disappeared. Great, a mess I will need to clean. Sighing dejectedly, even though I knew I would have to see his face again, I was hoping it would at least be after I had reached some conclusion about my own situation. Whatever, let's just go and get this over with. Wonder why he called me?

I don’t get it. No matter how much I stare at what’s in front of me, I can’t seem to comprehend it. Even though I can feel the weight of her body in my arms, even though the scent of blood is enough to suffocate me. I just can’t seem to understand what’s going on. Her once silky black hair had gotten sticky from being caked in blood. Her once pure white robe, was now a sickening red from both her blood and the enemies. Her treasured sword now only a hilt remains firmly clutched in her right hand, while her left arm was entirely missing. There was nowhere on her body that wasn’t injured. Why was my junior sister, who should have been teleported away along with all the other seeds of the sect, here? Why was my talented junior sister, lying in my arms with her cultivation abolished? Why was my beautiful junior sister, covered in bloody scars from protecting me? Why did my junior sister say “I’m glad you’re safe” to her pathetic senior brother? I don’t get it. Didn’t the ancestors of the sect safely teleport you and the future seedlings of the sect to some distant lands? Shouldn’t that protagonist have whisked you away to some adventure in a far-off universe? Shouldn’t you have already forgotten about your worthless senior brother? So why did you appear in front of this senior brother of yours that was abandoned? Why did you, a mere Dao Seeker, fight off 5 Profound Saints to protect me, a worthless Core Formation cultivator? I seriously don’t get it. Even though I know it’s too late. Even though I know your body has already started to turn cold. Even though I know all of that. Why am I still holding you? Why am I not running away from this burning sect? Why am I running deeper into the sect? Holding her body tightly in my arms, I quickly ran through the battlefield towards the inner sanctum of the sect. One of the sect’s destiny treasures might be able to save her, but wouldn’t that have already been taken away by the ancestor? If you think about it calmly, you will realize that most of the truly valuable things have already been taken away by the ancestors along with the future seedlings. The only things left would be the scraps deemed unnecessary, and some bait left behind so that the pursuers won’t chase after those that escape recklessly. So, there’s no way there was anything that could save her in the sect. And even if there was, it was already too late. I know all of this, yet for some reason, I still run uselessly to the inner sanctum, in hopes of a miracle. Maybe they left a rank 9 pill, maybe one of the ancestors was still hidden. I don’t know what I was hoping for, all I knew was that the only chance of it existing would be in the inner sanctum. Running through the rain of attacks, ignoring those that I can’t dodge, recklessly using my remaining qi to protect the lifeless body in my arms. Even though I was the most tired I’ve ever been in my life, even though my bones were breaking, and my flesh was tearing under the barrage of attack from outside the sect, I felt as light as a feather, as if the escape technique that I never understood before was now as simple as 1+1. When you wake up, I should tell you about the enlightenment I got, you might get even more out of it than I, or you might just correct some of the misunderstandings I got from this moment. In a flash, I broke through everything and finally entered the inner sanctum. Breathing a sigh of relief, my legs gave out and I ended up kneeling at the entrance of the inner sanctum. Ignoring the pain, I tried to quickly find any type of recovery pill, yet what appeared in my eyes wasn’t the once pristine white halls that housed the sect’s greatest treasures. It was an empty black room, with only a broken bell hanging in the middle. That was the broken Heavenly Treasure the founder once kept, guess they decided that they needed practical items more than those with historical value. No matter how much I scanned the surroundings with my eyes, I didn’t see even a single low-grade mortal body pill, guess they didn’t even leave behind scraps. Realizing how pointless it was for me to be here, I tried to get up and leave but realized I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. Looking at my legs, I saw nothing but broken bones with shreds of meat sticking to it. I felt no pain, only wonder at how I was able to even walk into this place with those fucked up legs. And as if to pour salt on my wounds, the next moment, the barrier that protected the inner sanctum shattered. The shock wave knocked me off the ground and straight to the bell at the other end of the room. With the last remaining strength in my body, I turned my body midair to cushion my junior sister from the impact. It might be too late now, but there’s no way I would let her protect me even after death. The combined force of my weight and the speed at which I flew seemed to have crushed the broken bell into shards between my back and the wall, all of which seemed to have embedded into my back. As I helplessly leaned against the wall, bleeding what little blood was left in my body. I did my best to keep her in my arms, to not let her touch the filthy floor covered in dust and blood. Hey, Xue’er, I’m sorry. I should have stood up for you when that idiot picked a fight with you instead of letting you deal with it alone. I shouldn’t have abandoned you and escaped to my own little world. I should have been there during your wedding. I should have spent more time with you, telling you more of those stories you loved so much. Xue’er. I’m sorry I wasn’t the best senior brother; I’m sorry I couldn’t even be a decent one. I know it's too late for me to regret this now, I know that it's useless for me to be saying all of this, after all, you can’t even hear me anymore. Hey Xue’er, even now when my life slowly drains from this body of mine, I still don’t understand what you were thinking. I don’t understand why you uselessly risked your life to save me. I don’t understand why you abandoned your safe future to come back for me. I probably will never understand why. But I can say this at least if there’s a next life, I promise you that I won’t be your stupid edgy senior brother anymore, I won’t get in your way out of spite and jealousy. I’ll do my best to support you as much as I can, and when you are the strongest, I will disappear from your life. This is my promise to you, I will definitely give you the happy ending you deserve, and then I will never bother you again. If I could get a second chance… I’ll be a better Senior brother to you…

We stood in strained silence. Me, by the chair - her, opposite. The box we stood in joined us in our awkwardness. The chair was quiet. It was quiet.  She spoke. “So , um… how are you?” I was fine. I was always fine. Not being fine meant something was wrong, and if something was wrong, the chair would fix it. The chair would always fix it. Before the stairs noticed. The stairs wouldn’t do anything if it did, but we didn’t want it to either way. The stairs watched the chair, and I was fine. So I said “Fine.” “Good…and I’m fine.” She twitched. But the smile stayed. “So, uh, how long have you lived here? I just moved in next door.” I know. I knew. I was painfully aware. She was my new neighbour; my only neighbour. “I know.” She twitched again. Her smile didn’t change. “Well uh, I’m Olivia, but no one calls me that. But um… you can. If you want?” I had to give it to her for trying to get a conversation going. I was trying for the opposite. “Okay, Olivia.” I wanted to sit down. I wanted to sit in the chair, the chair I was stood next to. I wanted her to go back into the house next door. I sat down. “I’ll uh, get going then.” “Yes” Olivia went back into the house next door, the house she lived in. I closed the door. The lock on he door had always intrigued me. It was an old lock - the kind on gates to victorian mansions, or doors to old cellars. I put the old key in the old lock. It made a noise. It always made a noise. It always made the same noise: metal sliding across metal, before a quiet kchnk. When I heard the noise it always made - I relaxed. The kchnk meant that I was in the house, the house I lived in; and everything else - bar the chair and the stairs behind the chair - was not. I went back to the chair, taking my glass of water with me. I sat down in the chair again. It was a good chair. I grabbed the remote and turned on the tele. It didn’t. The screen was black. The television didn’t turn on. Normally I would check to see if something had come unplugged, but I’d already gotten out of the chair that day, so i stayed seated.  I turned my head slightly. The window was now in view; I could see outside. Normally I would never even think of outside after locking the door, but I did. My eyes moved from the window to what it framed. I saw houses, more of them. In front of one house was a sofa. It looked less comfy than the chair. It looked newer, but not better. The sofa had squared edges and was light blue in colour. The chair was a faded brown. It was squidgy and rounded. It was comfier. The house behind the sofa was as unassuming as it. It had a roof, and walls, and a door. The sofa’s house had steps leading down to it. It was a silhouette against the sky. The sky was darker than earlier. The sun had fallen behind the house but no moon had rushed up to take its place as I had been told it would. The sun wasn’t gone yet. It was still very much here; made known by the long scars of red it ripped between clouds. The sky had adopted a dark navy colour, and the clouds, much the same. Pink. I saw pink in the sky. Pink, and orange.  I gulped down the last of the water. I was hungry. But not yet hungry enough to justify leaving the chair. I gave my attention back to the window. It was weird how much stuff there was behind the window. Even in the window. I could see the chair and the stairs. The stairs looked at the chair in the window. They preferred the chair they were behind. I preferred the chair that let me sit in it. The scene on the other side of the window was filled with plants and houses, and some people. The scene I saw reflected was filled by the chair and the stairs. I saw the small hob I used to cook. I saw the bag I carried the laptop in, and I saw the laptop.  I placed the glass on the floor. I was hungry. Hungry enough. With resignation, I stood up. I stepped away from the chair, feeling cold. The house was cold, I realised. The chair would fix that. I went to a cupboard and took out a can. A can of food. I didn’t read the label, but I didn’t buy anything canned except soup. I emptied the can’s contents into a bowl. The bowl went in the microwave. Soup would be good. Soup would warm me up.  While the soup heated,I thought about the sky. The sky that was now truly dark. The sky was weird. It changed colour. It changed shape. But the sky was fine. The sky would just sit there, above, and wait. What it was waiting for - I didn’t know. But it was definitely waiting. The sky’s sun just paced up and down. It was waiting for something. I was waiting for soup. The microwave finished. The soup was good. The soup didn’t warm me up. After eating, I returned to the chair. Now resting happily in it, I closed my eyes. Not with the intention to sleep - that would be a crime. To leave the chair for the land of the unconscious would be an injustice to the comfort it holds. When I closed my eyes, it stopped being a chair. When I closed my eyes, there was no tv, no room, no window; and nothing beyond. The chair was all there was. It was a fantastic chair. For a chair to incite such feelings is rare. With my eyes closed, I began to think. Now, thinking is something I usually avoided, bur I couldn’t help it. It was all I could do. I thought about the chair: the chair in the room, in the house that I live in. I couldn’t remember where I’d gotten it, it probably came with the house, like the stairs.  The stairs. In all the time I had lived there, not once did I feel the need to use them. I never went upstairs. I slept in the chair. I ate in the chair. I didn’t need to go upstairs. The toilet was downstairs. But even if I did have a reason, I doubt I would go up the stairs. There was something about them. They didn’t feel like part of the house, rather the house felt like an extension of the stairs. The stairs behind the chair had always seemed different. In what way - I couldn’t say, but different nonetheless. … I woke to the cutting beep of my alarm. I’d fallen asleep. It was going to happen: it isn’t easy to stay awake when faced with such comfort. While I was disappointed, I could do nothing about it. I slowly peeled myself from the chair - not an easy task. When I was completely severed from it, I had breakfast. Nothing much. I sat on the arm as I ate. I sat looking at nothing. If you were to see me, you would say that I was looking at the stairs. But I would say that I was looking beyond the stairs. Not that anything was there. It was an unfocused gaze. After cleaning and dressing, I grabbed the bag with the laptop in it. I took the old key for the old lock and opened the door. Through the door I saw steps up to the house. I walked down the steps. Above me was the sky. Angry, burning.  My foot reached the last step. It left the last step. I walked away from the house that I live in.  I couldn’t feel the chair, or the stairs behind it.

Cassidy’s car is an old school sport car that has been modified from what I have seen. The interior is pretty comfortable and looks really luxurious. The first thing I think about when I entered this car is that is really comfortable. The seat is really soft and the air conditioning is perfect, probably one of those auto-adjust air conditioner. Yeah, note to self get this kind of modification when I get my own car in the future. However, What I find really interesting about his car is the front window, it’s one of those rare smart window with holographic display and have multiple program. “Heimdall, set route to Martha’s Diner” (Cassidy) [setting up the Route to Martha’s Diner] A map is shown on the window and shows us the most optimal way to drive there. Heimdall seems to be the AI of this car. “huh… there are several traffic jam this early? Heimdall, tell me the reason why that happened?” (Cassidy) [Several underground pipes were exploded by a group of unknown vandals last night based on the police chatter, the automated repair system are fixing them right now] (Heimdall) “Damn… any lead on who are the suspects” (Cassidy) [Camera footage caught a group wearing Red hoodies with burned flower as the logo and we’re seen carrying several bag, presumably the explosive they used] (Heimdall) “well, there is one more thing to add to my workload” (Cassidy) He started the engine and began driving along the road, following the recommended route. Man this car is really great, it drives so smooth that it didn’t feel like riding a car at all. I should ask him about this car modification. “So… what modifications you did you apply for this cars” (Arthur) “Too many to list, but the most important modification would be the gyroscopic stabilization, no matter how much this car shakes, we wouldn’t feel anything.” (Cassidy) That explains the smooth driving. “how much does it cost?” (Arthur) “Guess” (Cassidy) Hmn…. “1… million?” (Arthur) “guess again” (Cassidy) “10 million?” (Arthur) “guess again” (Cassidy) “100 million… I don’t know, I give up” (Arthur) There was silent and I see Cassidy looked at me with a smug smile. “it cost me nothing, I got it for free” (Cassidy) Damnit, Who would have guessed. They way he said it is really suspicious. So I asked him about it. “Who would give this kind of thing for free?” (Arthur) “The kind of people who are very generous” (Cassidy) (He stole it) (Villain and Little Star said at the same time) Definitely. I blankly stare at Cassidy, he stayed silent. I think he knew that I didn’t really believe any of the thing he said. He activated the speaker and set up the music streaming program, he picked a playlist and continued towards Martha’s dinner. Around thirty minutes later, we finally arrived at Martha’s. It looked like any other diner I have been in but a lot cleaner that others. After Cassidy parked his car we both got out the car and I paused, Cassidy sees this and stared at me. (Warning, you got out the car a bit too fast, the wound have been opened) (Assistant) “What happened?” (Cassidy) “I think the wound got opened a bit” (Arthur). Cassidy walk closer at me and grab my hand. (Anomaly detected, Cell activity around the bullet would are accelerated at an extreme rate, now the bullet wound completely sealed) (Assistant). I stared at Cassidy, “what did you do?” “don’t think about it, let’s go, I’m hungry” (Cassidy) He walked off to the diner and I soon followed. When I entered the place, I saw that this place is really clean and nice looking. It doesn’t smell bad and instead have the scent of delicious food. “oh… mister Cassidy, good morning. it’s rare to see you come late at this time of day and who’s than young man beside you, here come sit onto he chair.” (???) A lady in her late 20s greeted us and told us to sit a chair in front of her. “Good morning miss Hannah, there is an accident on the road to here so I take a detour. The boy name is Arthur, I helped him out last night” (Cassidy) “oh I see, nice to meet you Arthur, my name is Hannah and I’m the current owner of this fine diner” (Hannah) She welcomed me here, she felt warm… She gave me the menu. It says breakfast menu, it contains the food that seems to be exclusive for breakfast. All of the food listed here sound delicious, maybe because I haven’t really eat normally in a long time. “What should I pick?” (whispered Arthur) (Ooh, we haven’t had pancakes is ages) (Little Star) Tempting. “Oh I recommend the egg and hash with coffee, it’s the thing mister Cassidy usually order, speaking of mister Cassidy, the usual?” (Hannah) “Yeah but with extra coffee this time, my instincts told me I will be called to work even though it is my day off today” (Cassidy) “Sure…” (Hannah) (I suggest picking the full breakfast set, your body is in a dire need of nutrients) (Assistant) I don’t think I can finish the food. “You seems to be troubled? Is there anything wrong?” (Hannah) She is concerned because I have been silent for a while “I… I don’t know what to choose” (Arthur) “Well, how about this, I will cook you something, I’m sure you are going to love it” (Hannah) After saying that, she walked quickly to the kitchen behind. She is quite the ball of energy. “she is nice” I whispered. (She is the nicest person we have ever encountered so far) (little star) Little star also agreed. Cassidy chuckled. “She is, anything happened to her, this whole forsaken district will stop doing what they are doing and will go on a rampage” (Cassidy) I stared Cassidy's eyes, Somehow I don’t think he is joking at all. (He is not joking) (little star) “you are joking… right?” (Arthur) “Nope, several bad thing had happened to her and each time that happened, the whole district went mad.” (Cassidy) His eyes were serious. There is a tinge tiredness in his eyes when he said it. (We should steal her) (Villain) I want to be alive, so no. Few minutes went by and Hannah returned with our food. Author note: How did I insert picture here? I messed around waifulab and got pictures that is somewhat close to what I imagined the character looks like.

(Hey wake up) a child like voice talk to me. Sleepy (Wake up...) the same voice say it again. Nooo (I’ll start singing then) it threaten. This damn brat “fine, I’ll wake up” (Arthur) I unwillingly woke up because of that brat voice. As I woke up, I felt pain in my abdomen area. Then I remember what happened last night. My body still felt pretty weak but it is better than what it was last night. I tried to sit up straight on the couch l, but it is harder than I thought it was. After I sat on the couch straight, I slowly opened my eyes and I saw the room where I sleep in. I didn’t pay attention much last night, but I noticed that the living room is pretty simple, with only a few furniture and a TV. “hey, how’s the condition of my body” I whispered. (Your body is not in it’s optimal conditions, you have lost around 15% of you blood last night. Although your wound has been Stitched, it can still be opened with fast, sudden motion easily. Recommended action: rest more and move slowly) a robotic voice replied to my question. Voices, this is the name of my condition or power. 9 out of 10 people are born with power, I was one of those people who didn’t get their power at birth. I was jealous of the others when they show their power and I was bullied because I’m powerless, my only comfort was family that is until they suddenly left me alone one day and never returned. My misfortune didn’t end there, few days after my family abandoned me, my hometown got attacked by a terrorist group. I was one of the few lucky survivors and got evacuated out of the city into nearby city shelter zone. Even then I wasn’t so lucky because I got so many injuries because of the initial attack. being alone with no family was another type of hell in the shelter zone. It was cold, lonely and worst of all, I can’t leave that place.  Being injured, I was ignored by others but thanks to this injuries also made me always late to get the rations, resulting in me barely got enough food and water to survive. After few weeks staying in the shelter zone, my injury finally healed but shortly after the place got attacked by a small group of terrorist and I was so scared because I was so close to being dead. In that moment of despair, I hear a voice, I followed it and escaped that damn place. Ever since then the voice stays alongside me and overtime more voices joined me. Not willing to stay in the same place for a long time, I decided to drift around the country, I walk and hitchhike across the country and these voices helped me along the way. Originally I started with one voice but now there are 5 voices in my head. These voices now have name that I give and those are (in order of who comes first) Pathfinder, Little Star, Villain, Assistant and latest one which is still a mystery. Pathfinder have an older woman voices, it is the voice of directions, if I asked any questions of locations and pathways, it will tell me where to go, which route to go to and the best way to get to a certain location. Little stars have a voice similar to my own when I was a little kid, it is the voice of innocence it is also the voice of my own reflection, it has been keeping me sane after all the things I have been through. Little star is a bit unique because this one is sentience, it can go off on it’s own without me asking it and most of the time tried it’s best to entertain me (which may or may not work). Little stars also sensitive to good or bad in people, it can sense any sign malice or kindness, lies or truth and love and hate from other people and etc. Thanks to this, I know who to talk to and who to avoid. Villain is the voice of malice, it has a deep and scary voice. I couldn’t survive without doing something bad for most of my life travelling around the country. Villain is there to suggest or plan out how should I do a crime or anything bad in general, running away, fight and many more. Like Little Star, Villain also have it’s own sentience and always in constant bicker with Little Star a lot. Luckily I have learned how to mute them temporarily. Assistant is the voice of Logic, it has a robotic voice. It is the voice of facts and assessment. It is a very handy voice to have, constantly giving me reasonable suggestions and instructions to do something. And the latest one is still unknown. Because how rare it is to talk and doesn’t really respond to me, I only hear it for few times before and didn’t know what’s the thing that is common among them. My power is considered by the international classification of power as mental power. Usually, mental power can simply activated by thinking about it but my power is weird, I need to physically talk and make noise to activate my power, usually in a form of asking questions to myself. This has made a lot of people that sees me as a lunatic (they are not wrong though), which can make a lot of conversation awkward sometimes. As I began to think about my self more I heard a voice coming from behind me. “You have woke up?” (Cassidy) My eyes came in contact to the old man who had saved me last night. The old man named Cassidy, he has grey hair but with some remaining strands of black hair on his head, he looks like in his early fifties but somehow still felt pretty young?. “thank you…” (Arthur) “don’t mention it, we are going to have breakfast, it’s on me. Get up and come with me, we are using my car.” (Cassidy) I urged me to follow him and I did, I walked slowly behind him to his car, his car looks very old. We both entered the car and Cassidy starts the engine. Author note: Hey, anyone know how to attract cats? They seems to avoid me when I tried to pet them.

(To the left) In the middle of a rainy night, a teenage boy was running away from the pursuer. His body is tattered and have a bullet wound on his stomach. (Now keep moving straight until you get to the fork on the road, then choose right) a woman voice can be heard. The boy obediently followed the voice. “HEY!!! STOP RUNNING” A man yelled while chasing the boy. “I’M GOING TO BEAT YOU UP WHEN I GET YOU” the man yelled again The boy ignored him and continued running while holding his wound. (Hey brat you see that trash can ahead, drop it to the ground once you pass it) now a man voice can be heard, he sounds like a gangster. The boy saw the trash can ahead, once he gets near the trash can, he drop it. The trash can hit the man who chased the boy and fall down face first to the ground. “FUCK!!!” the man yelled. Not wasting the opportunity, the boy ran faster and finally reach the fork on the road and picked the right path. “where to next?” the boy whisper. (Follow along the path but don’t run) the woman voice told him. The boy is confused but decided not to complain anything. He breath heavily as he walk through the ally. Shortly, he saw housing in front of him and decided to walk closer to it. He continues walking until an old man stopped him. “boy what happened to you?” the old man said “I was helping a girl being harassed by an old man, when I helped her, I got beaten and shot” the boy replied to the old man, showing his wound. The old man saw it and suggested that the boy get inside. The boy obeyed and follow the old man to his house. “hey boy, did the man who chased you still after you?” the old man asked the boy, and prepping his gun that is hidden by his jacket. The boy saw it and said “I just barely got away from him, he is not far” The old man nod his head, “boy, get inside, I’ll take care of him”. The boy only nod and get inside. After a few minutes, gunshots can be heard. a few moment later, the old man came back. “Hey, let’s get you stitched up” the old man said. Few minutes ago (Gangster PoV) “That little shit, you can run but you can hide” the man who looked like a gangster, the man who chased the boy, closed his eyes and began to sniff around. “hehehe, looks like you haven’t made it far yet you little shit” the man laugh and prepare his gun. The man has the power of enhanced smelling. He followed the scent of the boy’s blood and arrived at the housing. He walk closer to the boy’s scent and he know he is getting closer. He kept walking and stopped when he saw an old man in front of him “What would a mutt from The Gancio family came here to the Mardia territory?” the old man said. The man is a bit surprised because the old man knew where he came from but quickly regain his composure. “It’s none of your business, now stand aside old man?” the gangster said. “Don’t be stupid, run away now or else” the old man threatened. Cocking his gun, the gangster make a smug smile of his face, “or else what?” he sneered. The gangster lift up his gun to aim and… *Bang* A loud gunfire can be heard and the gangster fell with two bullet hole in his body, one on his head and one on his chest. The gangster body is now lifeless and the blood spilling on the ground. “or else that” the old man whispered. (The old man PoV) Tch, I need to report this to the head, the Gancio’s has become very bold as of late, they need to be taught a lesson. He grab his phone and called somebody, after a short delay, someone answered. “hey I need a cleaner to come near my house, I need someone to clean a corpse, also report to the boss one of Gianco’s dog is in our territory, don’t worry it has been taken care of” the old man said to someone on the phone. “Roger that…” someone said on the phone before the phone hang up. The old man checked the corpse but then he then remembered about the boy and walked back to his house. When opened the door, he saw a bow sitting on the floor, clutching his stomach, trying to contain the bleeding coming from his stomach. He walked to the countertop and grab a medical kit. He walked to the boy and said " hey, let’s get you Stitched up". He lend his hand to be boy, the boy grab a hold of his hand weakly, then the old man brought him to the table. “open you shirt and Lay down on the table” the old man told the boy. He saw the boy obediently follow his order and lay down on the table. The checked the boy, and saw the bullet wound alongside many scar on the boy upper body. “Boy, turn around I want to see your back” the old man order the boy. The boy turned around slowly while groaning. The old man saw the boy’s back, no exit wound was found but he did find more scar on the boy’s body. “no exit wound, boy lay on your back, I’m going to fish out the bullet” The old man grab a tweezer, “hold on, this gonna sting” the old man warns. As he pulled the bullet, he notices that the boy didn’t scream at all unlike most people and only groan and breath heavily. “The bullet didn’t get in far, what happened” the old man asked the boy. “I was wearing a jacket before I use it as a distraction against the man who chased me. I placed my phone on the front pocket, the bullet hit the phone and it protected me.” The boy answered slowly. The old man stay silence, and kept cleaning the wound, he grab the suture kit and prep the wound for stitching. He grab the alcohol and told the boy “this is going to sting a lot more that before” The boy nod and the old man proceeds to rub the alcohol first. The boy groaned more than before, then the old man began the stitching process. The boy manage to not scream during the process and endure it the whole time. After a few second that felt like eternity for the boy, the old man finished the stitching process. “all done, say, what’s your name boy?” The old man asked. After a brief pause the boy replied. “My name is Arthur” Author note: Hi, Hex here, This is my first time writing this kind of stuff, so any feedback and suggestions is welcomed. Also English isn't my native language, if there is any error, please let me know.

Hexxerald Looking back and into my futures drafts, I have made a (lot of) mistake(s). Mainly, I didn't actually give the characters any detailed descriptions about them (whoops). So this chapter is more of an extra than actual chapter. And for future chapter I'll try to give better descriptions to newer character 1. Name: Arthur Grace Descriptions: 16 years old, black hair and brown eyes, pale skin with scars all over his body, skinny, 171 cm height. Usually wear hoodies and jeans. Power: Voices, Arthur have several voices in his head, each with it's own personality and mini power. He can gain more voices over time. Personality: curious, wary, reserved. 2. Name: Cassidy (fake name) Descriptions: age unknown (but seems to be in his 50), grey hair with some turning pale white, have beards, white skin but have that old people skin look (?, Can't find better descriptions), normal body (but actually muscular if you look closer), 186 cm height. Usually wore loose t-shirt, a leather jacket and jeans, carries gun (a revolver).  Power: [Not yet revealed] Personality: jaded but caring, cranky, lazy. 3. Name: Hannah (no full name yet) Descriptions: in her late 20s or early 30s, black hair, blue eyes, slightly yellowish skin, a bit chubby, 165cm height. Usually wear casual clothes with apron while working in the dinner.  Power: empathy, can feel what other feel, the closer she is to other (both distance and emotionally) the more vivid the things she feels (to the point she can actually sees what the others experienced as if she experience it herself). Personality: fluffy, caring, love to talk. 4. Name: Anderson (no full name yet) Descriptions: in his mid 30s, brown hair, brown eyes, slightly tanned skin, athletic body, 185cm tall. wears standard police uniform. Power: [not yet revealed] Personality: [not yet revealed] 5. Name: Iris (no full name yet) Descriptions: in her late 20s, white hair, green and blue eyes, tanned skin, thin and slender body, 170cm tall. Wears standard police uniform. Power: [not yet revealed] Personality: [not yet revealed]

(Arthur PoV) “…, what’s your name boy?” the old man asked. (You can trust him, he doesn’t have any bad intentions) a child like voice told me. I thought about it for a while, then i decided to tell the old man my name. “my name is Arthur”. I fell silent for a short moment before continuing. “Arthur Grace” I told the old man my full name. The old man stared at me, the silence filled the rooms and before long he opened his mouth “well Arthur, you can stay here for the night, you can sleep on the couch there, I’m going to grab a blanket and spare clothes for you” (the old man) He left the room and I waited there for a while, I looked at the water dispenser and saw a clean glass on a rack. I was parched after the chase so in an impulse, I grab it and drink the water from the water dispenser. “It’s safe to stay here for the night?” I whispered. (It is safe here) a child like voice told me. (I suggest staying here for a while, Your body needs to rest) a robotic voice said to me. (The old man is dangerous but trustworthy, stay here but don’t anything stupid) a man with deep voice warns me. After hearing them I decided to stay here to recuperate. The old man finally returned. “Here’s the clothes, dump yours into the trash bin there and change it to this, the blanket is on the couch” (the old man) “Thank you sir… If I may, may I ask your name?” (Arthur) “the name is Cassidy…” (Cassidy) (It’s a lie) the childlike voice told me. Noted “For now save the talk, go to the bath room there…” (Cassidy) He pointed his finger to a door “… wash up, cover the wound with this…” (Cassidy) He gave me a rolled bandages “… and sleep afterward on the couch in the living room, you need some rest” (Cassidy) “Okay…” (Arthur) I simply followed his order and headed to the bathroom. Sluggishly making my way to the door and opening it, I saw a modest bathroom. A small bath and shower set up, with toilet on the side. Beside the toilet is a mirror and sink. I saw a small towel near the sink. since the bullet wound stitches is still new, I decided to now take a shower or bath and simply wet the small towel with warm water and wipe myself clean. I looked at the mirror and saw my reflection, my body and face are full of scars from the past and bruises from recent debacle. A bullet wound, a new one in my collections of scars, located in the stomach area on the left side. At the pain scale of the thing I’ve been through, it scored 7.5 out of 10. Probably because my phone block most of the impact from the bullet, I didn’t take any fatal wound. Well definitely would not want to be shot again. I finished wiping up my body and throw away the wet towel to the bin for dirty clothes and use another dry small towel to dry myself. Once I’m dried up, I opened the roll and bandage my wound. It took a while but I managed to cover it up really well. I looked at the clothes Cassidy, it is a simple plain blue T-shirt, a boxer and a short pant. I wore it, it is pretty comfortable. Once I’m finished, I headed to the living room, I see the couch Cassidy mentioned and I saw a blanket already placed there. I slowly approach the couch and lay down on top of it. Compared to what I have sleeping on, it's the most comfortable thing I have slept on in a long time. I grab the blanket and cover myself, I was really tired so it was easy for me to fall asleep.  (Cassidy PoV) Once I heard that name, my mind only have one thing to say God damnit John. Arthur Grace is the name of the boy that I helped this night have the same name as the son of my old friend Jonathan Grace. A decade ago, he came to me out of nowhere after not seeing each other after a really long time, asking for a favor. He said that he had to abandon his owb family because of his family side issues. I really don’t want to do anything with him after “that accident” but he said he will do anything in his capabilities if I helped his family while he is away. I know John, he is a man of his word, so I knew he will do anything I asked him to. He also told me to make his family to not chase after him while he is away. He told me this because he is in a really deep mess and don't want his family to be affected by it. I would normally refuse to help him, but to see him bow his head down and beg In front of me must’ve mean that he has his back on the corner. I know John, he is the type of guy who would only rely on himself when facing any kind of problem, to see him in this sad state means that he is in a pretty bad predicament. So I agree, but I said that I need some time because I’m also busy dealing with my own problem. He said that it’s okay and left after that. After a week of busy schedules I decided to start helping John’s family. I used the train to get them, location of his family is quite far from my current location so it would take a day or two. Now there is a problem, there was an accident that had just happened a day before I arrived at the city where John’s family reside. the city got decimated completely, debris everywhere, most building were destroyed and surviving victim already got evacuated.  Tomorrow I’m going to ask Arthur his story, to see if he is John’s son. Author's note:  Marvel snap is fun, is there a fast way to get more card?

Episode 5: Story time. Hannah serve us our breakfast. Mine is a fried rice, I can see bits of bacon, sausage, ham and onions. It’s smell really good. (Hehehe, you are drooling) (Little Star) I wipe my drool and grab the spoon, I picked up a spoonful of the rice. It is still steaming hot so blew it, the closet the spoon is to my mouth, the more enticing the smell become. I finally took a bite. “Are you… crying?” (Cassidy) Cassidy looked at me surprised. I touched my cheek, it is wet. Not saying anything, I continued eating the food miss Hannah gave me. I kept eating, and eating and eating and soon the plate was empty. I don’t even remember the last time I ate food this warm before. Miss Hannah saw me and came over, giving me a glass of water. “ha… you have been through a lot haven’t you?” (Hannah) She looked at me with a sad eyes. There was a lump of coal down my throat. I tried really, really hard to let something out. Until finally I said “Y…yes” (Arthur) “Aw… poor boy, I’ll make you something warm to drink.” (Hannah) She then left to make a drink for me. Cassidy stared at me. “so, Arthur I want to know your story? What happened? How did you get here?” (Cassidy) (Tell him your whole story, he could help you) (little star) I fell silent, pondering If I should tell him my story. Since Little star told me he could help me, I decided to tell him everything. I began to tell him my whole story and how did I ended up here. My name is Arthur Grace, I was born in the city of west hope on the 1st may 2054. My father name in Jonathan Grace and my mother is Annabelle Grace. I am their firstborn son and two year later, my twin sister were born. I grew up healthy with a loving family. as I grew up, I didn’t show any sign of manifesting a power so I was brought to the city’s Power Research Center. They didn’t find any sign of power manifested in me so I was one of those rare powerless individuals but my parents still love me regardless. After finding out that I didn’t have any power, the kids in the neighborhood and school are making fun of me. It was terrible but my family were there for me. It was bearable because of my family, it was until at the end of summer ten year ago. At the time, I was just 6 years old. I came back from school and only to be greeted by silence when I came back home. I though my dad was still busy at work and my mother is probably going outside with my sister. I waited until dinner, they didn’t comeback I waited until tomorrow morning, they haven’t returned. I waited for a day more, still no news. I was scared. I was crying, no the crying haven’t stopped in two days. So I ran, I ran to the police station nearby as fast I could while crying. When I get there, a police officer saw me and bring me inside. I was calmed down by them and then asked my what happened. I told them, my family haven’t returned home. They asked me more questions and asked me more detail. Like where is the location of dad’s work, home address, other family contact. They told me to stay there for a while. I stayed for two more days, they were nice and tried to cheer me up but I can only think I was about my family. In the next day, in the morning, I asked them again. There’s still no news. I was feeling sad again, it was a bad feeling to hear it again, so I decided to walk outside to clear my mind. When I walked outside of the office to clear my mind. Just a moment when I stepped outside of the station, the station exploded. I was thrown and hit the ground several times before I fainted. luckily for me, there is an officer near by and save me and bring me to safety. When I woke up, I was in a shelter tent, no longer in west hope. I felt pain all over my body, I apparently have almost one third of my bones broken. I asked the caretaker what happened. She answered by saying west hope was attacked by a large group of terrorist, she then tell me where are we. We are in the Gahanna city shelter, there are a lot of survivors and since one city can’t hold them all, the government created shelter in several cities nearby. That day, I couldn’t even think anything. I just lay there silently. The only thing that stayed on my mind was “why does all of this things happened?”. I stayed in the tent only for more than a week because one of the medical staff have a power to hasten healing process. But I’m didn’t fully recovered, only enough to move around without much complications. The reason is that more people are still needed to be taken care of. The shelter life is hell, it was suffocating, I was lonely and since I’m very weak, getting anything were a chore. The worst of all however, is that I’m stuck there, unable to leave because I’m only a kid with no family and in the orphaned status. Well, I’m not too lonely because the officer who had saved me always accompanied me during his free time but he is also quite busy thanks to his work. The officer is a cool guy in my eyes. Once I can move normally, things become a lot more bearable. I almost got used to every day lives in the shelter but few days later, the shelter were attacked by a small group of terrorist. I was dead center in the conflict, I was really scared. Chaos and scream everywhere, Fights happening in surrounding area and many have died due to the initial attack on the shelter. I was in despair, I had nowhere to go, no family to fall into and no one to help me. I was in a really dark place that day. Suddenly, in the darkest moment, my power awaken and it had helped me escaped, though not without some bruises and scars. Along the way of the escape, I found some stuff I could bring a long. I ran as far as I could. When I didn’t or couldn’t see the conflict anymore, I stopped and sat on the ground. I couldn’t cry, my mind was blank and the I could only laugh and laugh I did. Why does all of this happening to me? Once I calmed down, I have time to think for myself. I ponder on what I should do next. Thanks to the shelter experience, I don’t want to get into another one. I have no other relatives, and I’m all alone. So I made a stupid decision to just… drift. I decided to travel to many destination, following the wind and my heart. That day, I just simply walk, and haven’t stopped till this day. Along the road I travelled, get to experience a lot of thing. I get to experience more pain, food I haven’t tasted, meet other people and see things I haven’t seen and do all kind of things and I have been doing this for a decades. After I told Cassidy and then Hannah who joined later on. Both of them stayed silent. Cassidy stared at me and he seems to ponder a bit while Hannah is on the verge of tearing up. Hannah then walk over to me and hugged me. I felt really warm. My eyes were watering when that happened. I can only cry silently in her hug. After a good while she let go and walk behind the counter. “you have suffer a lot, a boy your age shouldn’t have experienced any of that” (Hannah) She then gave me a glass warm milk. I drank it, it was the best glass of milk I ever had in my life. For few minutes, I just say there silently. I could only enjoy the milk she gave me and can only reflect the thing I have done. Cassidy phone rings. He picked it up and answer it. I could hear a bit. “… Cass, I need you at the office now…” (???) Cassidy groaned. “fine… I’ll be there in an hour” (Cassidy) He hanged up. He stared at the phone, he then write something down, probably messaging someone. He looked at m…. “Boy, do you want to come with me to my office” (Cassidy) I ponder a bit, but decided to follow him. Cassidy looked at Hannah, he placed the money on the counter and walk to the door, he urged me to follow him. Before I left the door, miss Hannah spoke to me. “If you want to come here, you are always welcomed here.” (Hannah) (We are definitely going to steal her) (Villain) (For once, I agree with you) (little Star) I couldn’t refute them, I could only stay silent at their thoughts. “thank you miss Hannah” (Arthur) It’s the only thing I could say. “don’t mention it” (Hannah) I could only stare at her before I reluctantly left. I followed Cassidy back to his car and once we got inside, he looked at me and said. “don’t you dare do anything stupid” (Cassidy) I was startled, I guess he sees what I am thinking. Hexxerald How do I put pictures here?

(Cassidy PoV) “Fine, I’ll be there in an hour” (Cassidy) I groaned. I stared at Arthur. after hearing his story, I couldn’t help by to think, where did the mother and the sisters go? I’ve been looking around for any kind of info about Jonathan’s family whereabouts after the terrorist attack. I thought I could find out more when he tell his story. This is going to be a deep rabbit hole to dive into. Mainly because, his mother is a ghost. A ghost is someone who doesn’t have any background. I did my own investigation and found nothing, an enigma. John, where the hell did you find her? I thought. This is going to be a problem. For now, I think keeping Arthur under my watch is the best possible action I can do now. So I opened my phone and send a message to a colleague of mine. “Hey Iris, I’m going to bring a kid into the station in about an hour, could you analyze him once we get here” Few second later, a reply came. “got it… what else do you need”(Iris) “coffee, lots of them” (Cassidy) I needed Arthur to be checked but thanks to Hannah’s reaction, I at least could judge Arthur personality to be somewhat safe. Hannah’s power of empathy allows her to understand others better than most people. She could sense good and bad from people just by being near them, she could tell people if they are lying and if any people share anything about them, she could experience the thing other person been through as if she is that person. To see her cried and then l hugged Arthur means that Arthur have been through a lot. I wish I could’ve come sooner to pick John’s family. After a long hug I cough and asked Arthur. “Boy, do you want to come with me to my office?” (Cassidy) I invited him, hoping he would join me. I still need to have him checked up and evaluated. He nodded accepted. I put down the money plus some extra as tips on the table and stand up. I walked my way to the door and still sees Arthur staring at Hannah. “Arthur…” (Cassidy) Arthur snapped back and then followed me. I can see that he, just like many others, has fallen to Hannah’s charm. Well, who could blame them. I just hope in the future he doesn’t do anything stupid, didn’t want to increase my workload again. Once we got back inside the car, I stared at Arthur “Don’t you dare do anything stupid” (Cassidy) I warned Arthur not to do anything stupid. He was startled when he heard that. It was quite funny actually. I turn on the engine and headed straight to the office. Luckily, no problem on the way there. After around an hour or so, we finally arrived at the office, it’s the Highland City police station. It was an 8 stories building and in the main station of this city, it is quite busy as usual. “we are here, come follow me” (Cassidy) “Okay” (Arthur) Arthur seems awfully quiet once we got near the station, probably due to the attack a decade ago. I parked in front of the office, we both got out of the car at walk to the front door. When we got inside, the receptionist greeted us. “Good morning Mr. Cassidy, the captain has been waiting” (Receptionist ) “Good morning, I will go to my office first. By the way, can you do me a favor and call iris for me, I needed her to come into my office now” (Receptionist) “Roger Sir…” (officer) We walked to the lift, once we got inside I clicked on the 5th floor button. “I didn’t know you were a police, you didn’t look like one Mr. Cassidy” (Arthur) He told me while waiting in the elevator. It was a usual remark that people told me when they found my occupation. “maybe because I wasn’t one originally” (Cassidy) “Really? So what happened?” (Arthur) “it is a really long story” (Cassidy) “can you tell me later?” (Arthur) “No” (Cassidy) “why not?” (Arthur) “Too lazy to tell” (Cassidy) The lift finally opened and I walked into why office which isn’t far. When we reached the door of my office, I opened it and saw iris and another staff member inside. He was a transfer from another city and has worked here for a while. “Mr. Anderson?” (Arthur) Arthur was surprised when he saw the man. The man stared back at Arthur before his own eyes go wide in surprised. “Wait… Arthur!? Is that you?” (Anderson) Anderson stand up and get closer to Arthur and hugged him. “where have you been man? I was looking all over the place trying to find you” (Anderson) Anderson let go of the hug, stared at Arthur and asked him thank question. I can see Arthur struggling to make an answer but after a moment, he opened his mouth. “I traveling across the country after the attack on the shelter” (Arthur) “I was worried dude” (Anderson) “Sorry…” (Arthur) There was a pause between them so I asked Arthur what’s this all about. “Boy, you know him?” (Cassidy) I asked Arthur. “Yes, Mr. Anderson here is the one who saved me during the terrorist attack on new hope.” (Arthur). That is unexpected, well it is good to know at least. I need to meet with captain first. I looked at iris and she nodded, she knew what to do next. “so Arthur, the other one is Iris, my assistant. Iris, this boy I picked up last night is Arthur.” (Cassidy) Iris stand up and waved her hand to the boy. “I need to meet the captain, Iris and Anderson, I need both of you to watch the boy while I’m gone.” “yes sir” both of them salute “Arthur, you can wait here I need to go” (Cassidy) I left my office and went the captain’s office. Announcement Christmas is coming, may Santa save us all.

Then a force of inexplicable power surged within my body and I shouted in awe. Am I experiencing the power of a demon lord like in the books I read before? There's an enormous amount of strength coursing through my veins and I can't help but wonder as I stare at Akane. I was brought back to reality abruptly as Akane threw her arms around me, thanking me joyfully. "Thank you, my demon lord!" Akane exclaimed in delight, as she squeezed me in a hug. Despite the title, I still smiled in gratitude. I then looked at Akane and asked. "So how do I use my demon lord's powers?" Akane then pointed to a small dragon figurine near us. "Try focusing on that sculpture and then visualize it exploding. After that, just shout the word 'explode!'" I was unsure of what Akane had said, but I decided to trust her word and gestured toward the figurine and imagined it disintegrating into a million fragments. Then, I shouted out the word 'explode!' As I glanced at the sculpture, I was shocked to find the tiny dragon figurine had been blasted apart into a million fragments. This was going to take some getting used to. I thought to myself "Great work!" Akane cheered, "Remember Yami, the strength of a Demon Lord lies within your mana and your creativity. Focus your power on one spell and trust in your abilities!" “I understand, Akane,” I told her sincerely. Suddenly, my vision began to blur and a splitting headache started to overwhelm me. I felt like my body was growing heavy. “Akane, what’s happening to me?” I asked while worrying about what was occurring to me. “It appears that it is your time to reincarnate. That is why you are feeling these symptoms,” she said with a look of concern. Akane strode towards me, her eyes conveying determination. “As the Demon God of the Demon Clan,” she declared with a commanding voice, “I hereby name you the Demon Lord, and command you to protect my people until your last breath!” The unexpected words left me speechless. An aura of divinity seemed to emanate from her, making her appear angelic rather than demonic; more divine than demonic God. So I responded in a firm voice, “I am the great Demon Lord, sworn to Akane and the Demon Clan. I pledge to protect them until my dying breath.” My words were followed by darkness, but before I blacked out I heard Akane's last words: “I hope your next life brings you peace, my Demon Lord.” ~~ Once Yami's soul had vanished, Akane uttered softly in grief, "I regret the suffering I have inflicted on you by giving you this fate," and when she stopped speaking she was left by herself in the woodland. A gentle breeze caressed her face, and a ray of sunlight broke through the canopy above, illuminating the forest.She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the woods. ~~ In a beautiful evening a fierce battle is happening some orcs was surrounding some humans. A girl with white hair, and green eyes, was holding a katana which she uses to knock down a horde of orcs coming in front of her. Her name is Yukio, one of the summoned hero. The guy who was next to her, had long black hair, and red eyes. and was using a magic gun to support Yukio. is kiritsugu one of the hero party. "Kiritsugu, thank you for the support!" Yukio said while knocking down more of the orcs. "Don't worry about it Yukio, let's finish this up already and eat something." Kiritsugu said . Yukio nodded and started running towards the other side of the battlefield. She stopped when she saw a man on top of a hill, with his sword emanating a divine aura around him. “Light, have you finished the fight on your side?” Yukio asked the man with a smile. The man, wearing a suit of white armor and holding a divine sword, was Light, the summoned hero. “Apologies for making you wait, Yukio and Kiritsugu - we’re finished on our side.” Light replied with a grin. Abruptly, two girls appeared beside Light - the one on the right had a small head and long hair; she wore a black uniform with white lace on it. The other girl wore a pink dress; her hair was short and blonde. “It took us some time because Light was goofing around with the orcs that she left us to handle, isn’t that right, Lila?” the girl to Light’s right asked while looking at the other girl beside him. “H-huh? Y-yeah, like Anna said…” Lila responded nervously. The two girls were Lila and Anna - the thief and healer of the hero party. “Sorry about that; I just wanted to have some fun since every enemy we fight is so weak?" Light said. “You may be right about that, but can you please take this seriously? Our lives are at stake here!” Yukio said as he shot an annoyed glance at Light. "I'm taking this seriously, Yukio. How about this: I'll take you girls out to a nice restaurant in the city to make it up to you," Light suggested, clapping his hands together. "If it's Light's treat then I guess we can forgive you," Yukio replied, blushing. "S-sure, Light!" Lila stammered, fidgeting nervously. "I guess we accept your offer then," Anna said, turning away from Light and beginning to blush. "Okay then, it's a promise!" Light said, smiling. Just then, a scream brought them back to reality. "Light can you stop flirting already and start helping me out over here!" Kiritsugu called out as he took down a horde of orcs. "Don't worry I'm on it." Light said and then he looked at the battlefield. A huge horde of orcs was running towards them, and a few higher orcs was also with them. Light directed his heavenly blade towards the orcs and a powerful force began to gather at the sword's tip. "Let us purge all that is wicked," Light intoned as the divine energy pooled in his sword. "Divine Thunder!!!" He exclaimed and a giant bolt of lightning came down, cutting the orcs in half Yukio and the others turned their attention to Light, who now wore a smug grin. "It would appear we are done here, let us go eat at the restaurant I promised you girls!" he declared. "Light, it seems like nothing in this world can ever defeat you," Kiritsugu marveled. "W-well, he's our hero. So it's fair that no one can defeat him!" Lila blushed. "Given that Light is here, it makes our mission to kill the demon clan much easier," Anna smiled. "Sigh... I don't think anyone can defeat Light anymore," Yukio said with a carefree smile After some chatting and relaxing the Hero party went back to town. Enchant Hello everyone, I just wanted to thank everyone who provided feedback in the Forum.  Also I just wanted to say that I would appreciate it if you could point out any incorrect grammar in this chapter thx.

Mana: so what do you think the boys talking about *looking through the window* Mitsuri: Maybe some planning Mitsuya said that they need to come up with a plan. *also looking through the window* Mana: hmm? So you and mitsuya saw something while you were out there what exactly happened before you meet my brother? Mitsuri: I was being attacked and he help me out it's a sticky situation but we managed to get out. He saved me. I got separated because of the panic I don't know where they are now. Mana: were there any other survivors I know my brother did kill someone with his reckless behavior that he has *crossing arms* did you see something else different than what happened to you two? Mitsuri: Hmm. I didn't see it very well but I saw a few suspicious people in the group they wore the same uniform like they were in a rush or something. Sorry I didn't see any things aside from that. Mana: that's okay *thinking*hmmm we have managed to work some events in the city lab kyo has mentioned something about his little brother and we did find one thing. Mitsuri: What is it? Mana: the government knows what's happening and they cut all the signals to not reach outside the city and there were failed experiments that were destroyed and some were buried. The files were a mess we could see good things so I think kyo has something on his mind to break the systems. Mitsuri: Government and system quite a tricky situation we're in a difficult situation we don't even know if there are others left like us. And the problem is how to sneak into the system so do we need to fight those guys? And if we're a guy against them there's a big difference. Mana: we can't risk ourselves but we should trust the boys about this. I can fight for myself but these aren't normal humans they brainwash them. *thinking* we are in a hard situation but I now suggest resting and waiting for the boys for answers and plan. Mitsuri: Your right. We need to rest. *still thinking* *rests her hand on matsuri's shoulders* don't overthink just rest. Smiles sweetly. Mitsuri:Thank you. Mana-chan  Mitsuri: Wait. You are kind of sweet but your brother is the opposite he is aggressive and I don't know how to tell you this when we only met. Are you Mitsuya's sister? Mana: hahaha. He's just overprotective of me but when you know him well, he just has a hard and dark past we all had it. I left my anger long ago but my brother wants justice for our parent's death that's all. Just try to know him well that's all for now sleep. Mitsuri: Dark past? Ok let's sleep for now  Mana smiles widely. Good  They go to sleep after that. Kyo: the girls are still awake their window is lit up which means they didn't sleep now. Do you think they're worried? *staring at the building* Mitsuya:Nah. I guess there just have their girls talk *look at the building* Kyo: I don't think mana behaves like a girl and her fighting skills were impressive. Mitsuya:Yeah maybe but she's been supporting me and she's still a girl and that Mitsuri she's quite weak maybe they're talking about something. And her fighting skills are good but... She's unpredictable  Kyo: sometimes I wish I could protect the ones I love like my little brother Leo he was 3 when was taken away and our parents didn't do anything to help since their part of the ones who caused this mess. *holding back his anger* Mitsuya:Parents? Huh? Wait caused this mess? What did they have to do with this situation!? Answer me Kyo! Kyo: *shaking* my parents took part in assassinating the experiment and spreading some useful information to their boss not only my parents but also some other scientists are helping the government to fall and destroy humility. Mitsuya:Damn your parents did it. And the other scientist too and the government. Destroy the humility? What an idiotic thing to do. *pissed off* But... *Smile at Kyo* Then I will punish them. Don't blame yourself for it. I'm not sure if you're blaming yourself but don't worry about it we're going to handle this right Kyo? Kyo: I'm trying but I was the one who ran away like an idiot and gave them the info about the virus they tricked me by believing that they'll stop the virus instead they spread them and now look *spreading his arms wide * all this mess is me who caused it so please mitsuya don't your life to me save it for those who need more than I do. * smiles weakly*. Mitsuya:*shocked* I'm disappointed in you I thought you were strong what happened to the Kyo I'm fighting in the dojo are you that weak huh!? Don't joke with me... And who said I will use my life? That's dumb I'm going to finish this mess even if I have to do it alone *walks out of the room* I even thought of you as my rival... TO BE CONTINUED  02-04-23 *boom* Mitsuya:Damn it! *punch the wall*  Echo through the hall. Mitsuri: "Mitsuya?"  Mana is asleep so I went alone and finds Mitsuya punching the wall repeatedly he's hands bleeding.  Mitsuya: "Who's there huh?" The shadow comes closer and... Mitsuya:Mitsuri huh? Don't bother me go back. Mitsuri: "I'm not going back. We need to treat your hands first." Mitsuya: "Treat? This? *showing his bloodied fist*  Kyo hears the arguments and heads towards the loud noises then entered the room saw mitsuya's bleeding hand. Kyo: What happens to your hand mitsuya *Crosses his arms* Mitsuya: "This? *showing his hands* it's nothing I'm going to... Mitsuri:Look it's bleeding quite a lot let's stop the bleeding.  Mitsuri took out a handkerchief and put it in my hands. Mitsuya: Don't bother! *pissed* I'm pissed off right now. Mitsuri: "..." kyo:mitsuya calm down and let's talk about the things happening and let mitsuri treat your hand. Mitsuya: "Fine." Mitsuri then starts treating my hands  Mitsuya: "You are quite good at this." Mitsuri: "Did you say something?" Mitsuya: "Aw don't pull too much." Mitsuri: "I'm treating you so it's normal to hurt. And did something happen? Mitsuya: So what do you want to say Kyo? Kyo: we are two steps behind they cut the wires but I manage to locate their next plan that's why I explode the next building so they think their plan is working but this trick wouldn't hold long that's why we need to move right now. Kyo looks around the place  Kyo: where's mana? Mitsuri: In the room, she's still sleeping  Mitsuya: Why do you need Mana for something? Kyo: we are leaving now and I had some changes to our plan. I'm taking mana to help me _with_ something while you two should hide from any danger until we return. *runs away to get mana but..* Mitsuya: Okay I'll leave Mana to you so don't... Wait before you leave to take this *throws the bag* you can use the things there don't disappoint me Kyo I'm still not sure about what you did but be careful.  Mitsuya: "And it looks like we're not safe here anymore." Kyo: I wouldn't disappoint you ...stay safe. *also throws one device* Kyo: use it to connect with me  Mitsuya: *catches the device* Okay go I still got something to do here  The scientist is aware that there are still survivors so they sent someone to take care of them. ???: "The Hunt Begins!" Kyo:*rans as faster as he can * mana stay safe I know you can do it even if I'm too late. Mitsuya sorry about my next actions but it must be done and end these ones for all. *kicks the door* Kyo: mana hurry and jump through the window  *mana hurries to take her bag* Mana: brother doesn't know about this right* jumps* Kyo:No *jumps and lands beside mana* Mana: I hate turning my brother back but... Kyo:he sure understands our decision mana*smiles* Mana: then let's go*they both runs to the ready car they hide if* Mitsuri: "They're gone now what do you plan to do Mitsuya?" Mitsuya: "I'm planning to rest but it looks like I don't have time to relax. In the dark corridor, a laugh echoes  ???: "Hahaha! Found you!" The shadow moves swiftly I blocked it. But... ???: "You're open! Mitsuya: "Ugh! Damn it. Mitsuri stay back! Mitsuri: "Mitsuya!" ???: "What? Only two? Boring then let's finish this!"  He attacks again this time I Dodge it and manage to hit him. ????: "Ugh!! *cough* strong but... Mitsuya: "Mitsuri I'm taking these off. *taking off the bandage* now why are you doing this? ???: "Because it's fun! Die! Kyo:*speeding* this road is blocked *hit the break* Mana: this means we have to walk *searching on map*the shortest path is...  Kyo: the east road  Mana: yes but it's full of... Kyo: I will crash them with this car now hold on tight Mana: speeding again!*nervous*I'm not fun of speedy.*she thought* Kyo starts the gear and without any warnings, he takes off speeding while crashing anything gets their way. (Mitsuya: This is not good my damaged hands are taking their toll on my body it's bleeding again.) ???: What? You're already bleeding? Give it up and die!" Mitsuya: "Shut up. Do you think this is enough to make me give up? Mitsuya speeds up and then uses faint and... ???: "Ugh! What's with that? I can't see his punch." (Mitsuri: This is a dangerous situation right? Can he win against that?) Mitsuri: "Mitsuya." The fight continues I manage to Dodge most of his attacks but he's strong just one punch is enough to make me want to vomit. Mitsuya: *breathing hard*  Mitsuri: Mitsuya it's hopeless that you don't stand a chance against him and you're already beaten up. Mitsuya is already covered in blood and... Mitsuya: "Hopeless? I don't care about any of that and you Mitsuri just watch I'll beat this freak." ???: "..." *To Be Continued* Thanks for reading! Hoping that you would Continue to support us.

Enchant Hello guys, it's my turn again to do this, so I'd appreciate it if you could point out any incorrect grammar and what you thought of the story. I'm Yami chinichiro, I'm a male student, I'm 60 years old this year. And right now I'm standing in an unknown place to me. I found myself surrounded by mountains. The sky was a deep blue, and there were no clouds to be seen anywhere. It seemed that the sun had risen before me. However, it wasn't shining directly at me. I could see several shadows of trees on the ground below me. There was nothing else around me. No roads or houses, just endless fields, My body is mysteriously reverted back when I was eighteen years old, for an unknown reason. But then I saw a little girl appear under the shadows of one of the trees she has a basket in her hand and her hair is tied with flowers. She looked like an angel from heaven. But she started walking towards me. She approached me until she stood right in front of me and said "Hello it seems you're awake," in a sweet voice. "Where am I? I asked. The girl smiled, "You are in the forest, near the house of the demon god." "A demon god?" "Yes, you must be very lucky to have met such a wonderful person as me." I felt confused, but still I asked, "What's your name?" The girl laughed and answered, "My name is Akane, and I'm the demon god" Then I asked again, "So why do you look like an angel?" Akane smiled, "Because this is not my true "body". This is only my avatar." "Avatar?" I asked. "Yes, If I showed you my true form your soul wouldn't be able to handle it, so I can only show you my avatar," she explained while smiling. Even though I'm in front of a demon's god, I'm not scared the slightest bit. "Can I ask you about 2 things?" I asked. "Sure," she replied. "First can I return to my previous world?" Akane gave me a negative answer, her face unfeeling, before presenting her reasons. "The flow of interdimensional rifts is unstable; if you try to return to your old world, your soul may not be able to take it and you will die." Akane explained grimly. "Second why did you come here to meet me?" Akane giggled and said, "Well I came here because I wanted to talk to you." "To talk to me?" "Yes, I want to know if you will help me protect my people from the heroes, "she told me. "Protect them from the heroes? Why?" I asked. "Because they are planning to destroy us, "she replied. "Who are these heroes?" I asked. "They are heroes that were summoned by the humans to slaughter my kin!" Akane explained while having a sad expression on her face. "Why?" I asked her. "Because they think we're evil. They believe that my kind is a threat to humanity," Akane explained to me. "That's absurd!" I yelled. "Indeed, and I've tried talking to them several times already, but all of them are afraid of me because they think I'm evil," Akane said sadly. And you want me to stop them?" I asked. "Yes, please!" Akane said while grabbing my hands. I was a little surprised by her strength, but then I realized that she was just a child. "Can't you just face them yourself?" I asked. Akane shook her head, "No, I cannot fight them. They have the power to kill gods, so even if I fight them I will be killed without me being able to put up any resistance. So I need someone to help me." "I see," I said. "Will you help me?" Akane asked while looking straight into my eyes. I was tempted to say yes, but then I thought about it. "I don't know," I said. Akane frowned, "Why not?" "I mean... what would happen to me after I helped you?" I asked. "Nothing, you won't be punished for helping me," Akane said while smiling. "That's not what I meant, "I replied. "Then what did you mean?" "Well..." I hesitated. "Just tell me, "Akane insisted. "I'm afraid of dying, "I admitted. Akane stared at me for a moment and then said, "I promise you that if you help me, you won't die. Akane said while squeezing my hands. I felt a bit embarrassed when she said that, but I knew that if I didn't agree I would lose her trust, so I agreed. "So what should I do?" I asked. "First," I need you to become the demon lord!" she said while looking into my eyes. "What do you mean?" I asked. Akane looked into my eyes and said, "If you become the demon lord, then you'll have the power to save us! You can defeat the heroes and stop their attacks against us!" "But I'm just a human, how-" I started to object. "Don't worry, I will give you the power to become the demon lord, "Akane said while smiling at me. I had no idea what she meant, but I decided to trust her. "Alright, I'll do it," I said. "Thank you, "Akane said while kissing me on the cheek. Then she took out a ring from her pocket and placed it on my finger. "This will grant you the powers of a demon lord," Akane explained while showing me the ring."How?" I asked."Just wear it and you will be able to control the demons," she told me.I took off the ring from her hand and put it on my finger. A black aura began forming around my body.

This is A roleplay so expect some errors and other thing but please support us. RUN*someone screamed through the chaos around them* *Running* What's happening why did they start killing each other? The chemical spread wildly run for your life. *The scientists screamed through the microphone * What's with this I didn't wish for anything like this to happen.  I run and run I'm tired. Mitsuya: Kyo what's happening here? My little sister got separated from me. I need to find her immediately. Kyo:We can't look through this chaos they took my little brother we have to come up with a plan  Mitsuya: "Ok, first we need to find some weapons we need to arm ourselves for self-defense better safe than sorry but where can we find weapons I can fight? But we can't but it's risky. Kyo: we have to head to that market anything we can find might be a useful knife or any hard metal. We're doing self-defense so don't kill  Mitsuya: Yeah, I know And the priority is to save our siblings. And their act is weird like a zombie. Kyo: they sniffed the chemical we still don't have any idea but we're not affected  just wear  your mask tight and focus we should separate it might work easier  Mitsuya: Ok, Then I'm going first to the market and I will bring some supplies and what I can find so are you coming or we're separating here? *Footsteps*  Kyo: I'm not coming with you I've plans they are after one of us I'll just distract them and protect your back be safe and We'll meet in the city foundation after midnight. Mitsuya: Ok, be safe too. If I didn't come back after midnight don't wait for me. I head out to the nearest market. Wait before we separate where are you going? Kyo: okay. I'm running out of time so don't be late *runs away faster* Mitsuya: "Yeah, *I run to the market but before I reach it something attacks me* damn it Let me go I push the one who attack me and rush to the market locked the door *Pounding* he keeps pounding the door. That's close I breathe a sigh of relief Kyo: I hope everything will be okay but what's the purpose of this since mitsuya is safe I'll head straight to the lab city there might be something that caused the chaos or what did they experience? *running and jumping over the people trying to attack them* I'll search for mitsuya's sister before I reach the lab. Mitsuya: What's with this are we some kind of guinea pigs? Damn it. I hope my sister is safe. The Man outside said repeatedly *Kill Kill* I search the market but All I find is a knife and other things like pipes and it's a mess the others are not even useful. I need to get out right here and find someone or maybe others who are not infected by the chemical. After getting what we need I exit through the backdoor which outside is an alleyway, looks like it's safe here. *Running and pushing away the people who tried to attack me* it's tiring. Kyo: *breathing heavily* my phone isn't useful they cut the internet what are they after all ?. I should give up now this city is huge but *something crosses my mind* if I were a scientist I know exactly where to go and I know where mitsuya's sister is. I hope you're safe mitsuya be strong like we used to train. Mitsuya while searching I heard a voice "Help me anyone help me* I rushed to it and find a woman who is being attacked. Hey hey, give me a break. I rushed to the nearest one and punch it. *Gough* your quite tough huh? Then time to get a little serious *dodge* and he attacks me. While the other is still focused on the woman. I can't focus on this one I need to help her first. I don't want to use it but I have no choice sorry. I used my pipe and knocks them down. Are you okay? I offered my hands. Woman"..." Mitsuya: Hey, are you alright? Kyo: finally I have reached the place I have been looking for I hope everything must be well but I don't see anything, everything is doomed that's true Everything. *The building was in a bad hold* she must be here this is the first place where I saw Mitsuya and his sister this is their favorite place but- *someone attacks behind me* The woman didn't respond. Mitsuya: What's with you? Your asking for help. Let's move on it's dangerous to stay here. Woman: " WHAT WILL IT DO EVEN IF I MOVE WERE ALREADY DOOMED!? Mitsuya: Calmed down first and don't raise your voice it will attract attention. Mitsuya: What if we're doomed? Woman: What? You're not scared? Mitsuya: What good will it do if I panic it's not going to help anyone if you don't want to escape here then... Mitsuya: I need to carry you. Woman: Huh? Why did you come up with that idea? And don't expect I will just agree. Mitsuya: Shut up you're too noisy. Before we can move were surrounded. Mitsuya: See... Kyo's head had scratched blood dropping slowly while holding the hands of the person that hit him with a glass bottle and half of the cracks went through his head it wasn't damaged but hurt. He just used his scary eyes to see the soul that did that to him and he wasn't surprised after all that yarned him a smirk.  Kyo: so as I thought. Mitsuya: Hold this. I throw my bag at the woman. Woman: "O-okay, what are you going to do fight them? Mitsuya: Well yeah. Mitsuya: Don't blame me if you guys die. He smirks. They attack all at once he can't dodge so he blocks one but the other hit him in the head  Blood dripping. Mitsuya: That hurts it's not fair. I back and use the distance between them to calculate they're moved it's quite easy when you read them. Using my speed I take them down one by one  The training pays off. Woman: What's with him? This is the first time someone tried to protect me. Mitsuya: Hey, don't just watch! Watch my back I will protect you. *Breathing hard*  Mitsuya:Haah, haah, last one. Just as I'm about to finish it. Woman: "Look out!" Too late I was hit in the head my head hurts I'm feeling dizzy. Mitsuya: I hope Kyo is all right. Kyo: as I thought *his head isn't damaged* Mana: who are you and how come you know I was about to hit you? Kyo: you just remind me of someone I know *flipping his hair up* He starts walking away  Mana: HEY! Where are you going? Kyo: you're fine on your own and visiting an old place meet me at the city foundation after midnight.  Mana: I don't trust people that easily boya.  Kyo: then bye  *She secretly followed him behind* Kyo: I thought you said you prefer alone. Mana: ←_← The woman gasps as she sees Mitsuya's head bleeding. Mitsuya: "Haha. This reminds me of my past. Involving myself in fights and other things.  He looks at the eyes of the one who hit him and gives him a death glare. Mitsuya: "I'm pissed now.  He kicks him first then punch him in the face then he didn't stop. Woman: "STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL THAT IF YOU CONTINUE IT. Mitsuya: "Huh? Ah ok. He takes the bag from the woman and left. Mitsuya: "Then bye. I already save you if you want to come to follow me if you don't then. Depend on yourself. Woman: "Wait I'm coming! Mitsuya: "Faster I'm going to find my little sister and meet my friend in the city foundation after midnight. They left together  They were hiding and dodging any attention but the alley wasn't safe anymore the surprising thing was that the military was guarding the city lab as if they were something dangerous keeping. Mana: What's going on? Kyo: I have a bad feeling about this *takes photos* Mana: why are you taking pictures? Kyo: we need evidence to find out what they're doing. Mana: we can just sneak out there. Kyo: easy to say come on we have to leave before they find us. Mana: you're giving up all the way here? Kyo: we will plan something before midnight. Mana: and who else is there? Kyo: find out yourself. They went to the city foundation it's a long trip. Woman: Wait you are walking too fast. Mitsuya: You're just slow. What's your name? Mitsuri:I'm Mitsuri what's yours? Mitsuya:Mitsuya.  Mitsuri: Wait a minute. She stops in her tracks and  Mitsuya:What are you doing we need to hurry. Mitsuri: your bleeding. Mitsuri stops the bleeding and put a bandaid on it. Mitsuya: what's with your bandaid hearts and stuff on it your quite girly. Mitsuri: Because I'm a girl. And what's with you? You always look pissed off about something. Mitsuya:You have a problem with my face?  Mitsuri: No, now tell me what's your plan? Mitsuya: Plan? I plan to rob the market which I'm done and then find my sister. But I know that she's safe she can defend herself, unlike someone. Mitsuri:Are you saying I can't defend myself?  Mitsuya:Yeah. You look weak. Mitsuri:You don't even have a plan. Mitsuya:Did you say something? Mitsuri:Nothing. They start heading to the city foundation but they still need a plan and it's going to be a long trip. The sun is gone the only thing that could light our path is the light that is coming from the moon sparkling stars shining in the dark sky. Mana: How long do we still have? We have been walking for hours.  Kyo: not hours just half an hour be patient we have 20 minutes to reach our destiny.  Mana: Hey boya.  Kyo: call me kyo I'm older than you so respect me young lady or should I say mana? Mana: wait how do you know my name? Again who are You? Kyo: hmm~. Kyo: we are here. Mana: stop dodging my ques... Mana: that was fast but no one is here are you trying to betray me? Mitsuya:Slow. I look at Mitsuri and saw that she was injured in the foot. Mitsuya:Here. I will give you a piggyback ride. Be glad this is the first time I will do it to someone other than my sister. Mitsuri: "..." She obeys and rides against my back we walk silently for half an hour and reach our destination. Mitsuya: "I'm tired, hey wake up. *I try to shake her but she's asleep. Mitsuya:What a carefree girl sleeping on someone's back she barely knows. Mitsuya: It's hard to see with this darkness  Mana: I'm getting impatient why aren't you answering my questions? Kyo: you talk a lot since the last time I saw you mana. Mana: Last Time? Kyo: *smiles and sits on the ground* Mana: it's getting cold and everything is in chaos people when inhuman who could do something so cruel like that .*sad face* Kyo: we're planning to stop but things aren't on our side and after we save my brother we'll put everything to an end. We heard footsteps far  Mitsuya: There you are Kyo. I'm tired. I'm shocked to see my sister  Mitsuya:I'm glad your safe Mana. Kyo: I'm glad you're safe. Now let's rest and then plan I got some events that could help us to start an- *sees the woman behind mitsuya's back* Kyo: who is she? Mitsuya. Mitsuya:Mitsuri. I found her being attacked and help her. She talks a lot. Mitsuri suddenly wakes up. Mitsuri: Where are we now? Mitsuya:Glad your awake. Mitsuri saw a boy and a little girl. Mitsuri: "Who are they?" Mitsuya: "Let's introduce ourselves first. Kyo: I'm kyo and this is mana mitsuya's little sister you already know mitsuya.  Nice to meet you mitsuri.  *extends his hand* *Took his hands*  Mitsuri:Nice to meet you too. I'm Mitsuri Mitsuya help me while I was being attacked Mitsuya:Why are you silent mana? Mana is just sitting there  Mitsuya:Hey? *I wave my hands*  Mitsuri: "And your Mana right? Nice to meet you.  *She extends her hands* Mana: nice to meet you too*shakes hands* Mana: I'm not feeling well brother all the blood that smells weird and *starts to sob*and....an...and you're hur...hurt. *Patted her head*  Mitsuya: Don't worry this is not enough to kill me. I'm strong remember. And I'm here now. Don't worry  Kyo: come on guys this is the only place where it's safe. Girls should take the upper block and we boys the under your block. Because if any attack happens we might stop to protect you so be aware for yourselves and the plan sets at early morning deal. Mitsuya: Deal. We need to rest. They went their separate ways. Mitsuri: "Mitsuya!" Mitsuya: "What?*" Mitsuri: Thank you for saving me  She smiles  Mitsuya: "..." Mitsuya: "Ah, what a pain the bleeding stops but it still hurts. *Holding his head*  Mitsuya: "Sleep well and be careful. Kyo: Hey mitsuya how's your head been I just took some first kit aid to let me help you man. Mitsuya: It's ok just hurts but I'll leave it to you, man. Thank you for finding and bringing Mana along with you. Kyo: you know what? *glance at mitsuya* she reminded me of Leo but since we didn't have time together. I envy you I couldn't be the best brother like you. Mitsuya: Me best brother? far from it. Haha. Mana always scolded me when I'm getting involved in fights. We support each other. Sometimes I feel like I'm the youngest. Kyo: haha. You will never change that attitude of yours. Do you remember the first training camp we had we would fight each other like enemies? Mitsuya: Ah, that yeah training camp. It's fun I enjoyed that fight after the fight we just smiled at each other like nothing happened both beat us up. Trading blows after blows. And we got scolded many times too. Kyo: master will punish us by cleaning the training room do you remember when we would challenge who cleans faster and best? Mitsuya: yeah, I remember that. I don't remember our scores but. Cleaning the training room is a pain. I always talk about it with master and how there's a better punishment than that but he ignored me. Kyo: haha memories right? But nothing stays the way we used to be life gives us to test and now we have come this far we're an unstoppable team. Mitsuya: Yeah. We need to find out what happened here. Kyo what did you find? Mitsuya: Life is hard many things cause people to change Kyo: I took some pictures that might give us the first hint but we need to arrange the photo to see a specific hint * hands his phone to mitsuya * look  Mitsuya: I see. The question is why are they guarding the lab? It's suspicious it's like there's a big organization or something involved in this. Kyo: yeah. And they all wear the same outfit they all look the same. And see those trucks that contain acid to different acids if combined explodes to the distance between the area that's covering the smell of the chemical  Mitsuya: You're right. That's dangerous. But... It's not bad *smirk* Interesting. You got my curiosity. What are they planning to do with this? Damn it. Kyo: I still didn't figure it out but I know where to sneak in and hack their system because this lab isn't their original experience laboratory so tomorrow night I'll sneak in to grab some information while you keep the girls and protect my back deal *reaches his hand out* Mitsuya: *Takes his hands* Deal leave it to me I'm not good with stuff like that so I'll leave it to you I will protect them while you're gone. We got this! Kyo: friend for back and time *smirks* To be continued.

Since the chemical spread, there are only a few safe places left for them to hide and a few buildings to take shelter in the city of the foundation where the chemical starts to have a lab in which they create and spread the chemical people all over the places infected by it they wander around looking for someone or something to prey the scientists even deployed someone to hunt the remaining survivors they wear protective gears to avoid being infected and the ones they sent are mostly ex-convict who wants to kill for their pleasure one of them is the one attacking Mitsuya and Mitsuri he killed many people in the past and got arrested by surrendering no escape he decided to accept his fate but he didn't expect the something like this to happen again he seeks what he wants from the world he hates and loves at the same time. This world is messed up but there is still something in this that will help you even in this dangerous situation like shelter and abandoned stores it's not safe to wander around alone when there's a pandemic spreading like a zombie people who lose their minds and attack anyone they see.  Hoping that this gives you a roundabout world-building.  You can share your opinion and ideas in the comment section I appreciate it. This can be updated depending on my ideas. Thanks for reading.

The moment the universe paused.   This is a true story, I have changed the names, but if you were there, you will know who the players are.   A Bit of background, my grandfather was Bi/Gay with a beard, and Actor, Dancer, and Stage Director. I’m Trans and Bi (Technically Pan), My father was clueless Metrosexual and a Right-Wing Christian and Backhanded Bigot, basically a Passive Homophobe and Bigot who would compliment people who were minorities in service of the Het/Cis White community, if they lived the stereotype. Ie, no gay marriage, but things like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” was one of his favorite TV shows. He also always maintained Black and Hispanic Friends if they were blue collar service industry types. While all his white friends were upper management types. He thought of himself as lost royalty, and even used DNA tests and genealogy to try and prove a connection to King James VI & I of Scotland & England. Yeah eyeroll.   Anyway, I was in the USMC in 1991, and had just returned home from Deployment. I had just entered into a Reconnaissance Unit, but I was given a week of “Vacation time” before I had to be in Camp Pendleton. So, I went to Los Angeles to visit my family.   My mother, a Jewish Born Scottish Woman who worked hard to support our family doing Legal Secretary and Legal Office Management or Waitressing. Was the primary income our family used for bills, rent, and food. My Father was a Stunt Man, and did some Second Unit Direction, and Stunt Coordination. He also somehow ended up a union rep for the Directors Guild. He was gifted with the ability to Charm and talk his way into almost any situation, he also had no guilt about bold lies. If I had not been on set with him for most of his career in the film industry, I would not have believed it to be true. But I was there when he got killed by Mel Gibson, I was there when he got killed by Chuck Norris, I was there when he got killed by Jean-Claude Van Damme. He was killed by the full list of the 80s Who’s Who of Action Film stars. He did the full list of bad B Action Films that any film geek would love. He was in the biggest Kids Action Film of the 80s doing stunts as an Ogre Faced person. And he gained a reputation for being the big, nice guy willing to jump off any tower, and get punched by any hero. He also would preach his version of Born-Again Christianity to any willing to listen, and spent entire nights with a few big-name actors doing prayer circles and other BS.   So I had returned to LA the 80s were over, and My dad was no longer the perfect fall guy, so he was trying very hard to move from Stunts and Second unit to Writing, and Directing. He had some success at getting people behind a project or two he wanted to make and was able to get partial funding on a film project. For a Christian film he wanted to make. He also did “the rounds” as he would call it almost daily. “The rounds” is when an actor or Stuntman, would visit all their friends who also worked on films, going to gyms, having lunch, visiting them at parties, and social functions, or just going to filming locations and interacting. It was a very social and travel intensive activity, and in a city like Los Angeles which is larger physically than most countries, doing the rounds can easily be an all-day activity. So, growing up as a kid, I often accompanied my father on his rounds, and when I had returned for my free week, I got to tag along with my dad on his rounds. He used my active-Duty status as a talking point as well. Which was annoying to be honest, as I much preferred to just be invisible. Dad was an extrovert, not me, I would rather be a shadow invisible to society. Just let me stand here trying not to be “At Ease” or “At Attention”, trying very hard to not look like a US Marine with my high and tight, and khakis civilian clothing.     So, on this nice day in Los Angeles in the Venice Area, dad took me on the rounds, his first stop this fine late morning, was a world-famous gym owned and operated by the founder of another world-famous gym chain that had his name and was no longer owned by him. This Gym in the heart of Venice but was not on the beach but in a big, nice wood paneled warehouse sized airconditioned building with massive windows for natural light. And many free weights and not a lot of machines girly exercise tools, because toxic masculine big bald gay men lifting free weights was their aesthetic. So, on this trip to the Gym, he was not there to work out, although dad always managed to dress in a way which looked very gay, and could be acceptable clothing for working out, or with a jacket something you could wear in an expensive café.  His goals this morning was to talk to a world class Olympic athlete and multiple gold medal winner, who wanted very much to break into acting. As he was a very attractive man of mixed heritage who could pass as white or a minority. My dad of course entered the gym like he owned it, and the owner of the gym was sitting at the desk in the back of the gym. The Olympian was finishing his workout, and my dad waited for him to finish his set. I stood back trying to be invisible, and smiled when dad introduced me, to this perfect twink. He was the Olympic god of the twinkest gays that had ever twinked. Slim body and the picture used to define Swimmers build, He was in a loose hot pink bare midriff cutoff style tank top, which barely covered his nipples and upper chest, and nothing else of his upper body, he was wearing the tiniest of short shorts which barely counted as loose boy shorts, that just barely hid his jock and stuff.   He was leaning one hand on his hip the other up so he could lean his head in his hand, while he talked to my dad. My dad was an orc dressed metro in front of the hottest twink to have ever lived in Los Angeles. So the scene is set, the purpose of my dad was to convince this god to join with my dad’s publicist, as for some reason my dad believed if he signed up and became a big Hollywood actor, maybe my dad could get him to do a part in his Christian movie. Something that even if funded fully I kind of doubt he would be able to convince this hot guy to work on such a film. Honestly, if I could convince my mom to give me to script to that film, I would totally make it as gay and anti-Christian as possible. But that’s just me.   So. The conversation was simple, dad did his greetings. “Hey ***,” “Hello, *****” The Olympian replied in the sweetest twinkest voice imaginable. Honestly, I think he just liked being extra gay in the gym, because on TV interviews, he was never that lispy.  Dad then did the usual kind of boring socializing stuff. The Olympian was kind of flirting with my dad in the way a person would intentionally flirt with a person who was dense, and I was trying to hide in shadows while standing in the center of this gym. Taking in all the very clearly gay professional athletes who were clearly not out to society but were very into each other and working out and being manly sweaty manly men. Yeah, I noticed. I said nothing, this gym had an aesthetic and it lived up to it, and I too was very closeted, and very quiet, yet a part of me was giggling at how clear it was, and how clueless my father was to it all. So I focused back at the conversation, as the Olympian was clearly frustrated about something. “Well, you see, there is this rumor about me, you know!” he said. “What rumor” oblivious dad being clueless. “Well, you know…” hand waves at his body unconsciously. “???” clueless dad not getting it. “Well, you see (Famous Producer guy)” he proceeded to stumble his words, trying very hard to not say the taboo word, that no one used in this gym, the taboo word that could be used for all the very manly men of this gym.  After stumbling, and faltering, and not believing how clueless my father was“,…. and me, this rumor of me being his kept man.”  Said in an exasperated low voice, in my opinion his most masculine voice as of yet. My dad paused, and like a light switch being flipped on dad, stepped back, tilted his head, and said in a loud masculine and gentile tone “Your not Gay Are You?” The world paused, every weight being lifted stopped, every eye turned, and silence proceeded to hit the gym in a way not seen in opening hours. The Olympian was shocked, and his jaw fell open. My dad quickly became aware of the environment, and he got embarrassed. He gave the Olympian the card for the public and left. A couple of years later, the Olympian released a book, and came out publicly, even made a film about it all. The other athletes in that gym as far as I know have never come out, but I did notice that dad never talked about that gym any more.

As my alarm goes off, the sun’s rays burn upon my face. My eyes painfully open to the bright light and I am blinded momentarily. It is another moment longer that I do not see that the clock is several minutes past when I am supposed to have woken up. Immediately when I see the time, I groggily get out of bed and carry myself to the restroom, making sure to not hit the corners of my bedroom door as I stumble out. In the restroom, I prepare a shower and while the water is warming up, I set up my sink so that I can shave my face when I get out of the shower.   The shower water takes a couple of minutes to warm up, which gives me plenty of time to clean up the trash of empty boxes of hygiene products that surround my sink. I dispose of them into the trash can, which I have neglected to put another bag in. The boxes spill out of the trash can, for I have also neglected to throw out the old waste products in it from the days before.   I look at myself in the mirror, there is a light on only half of my face, for only my left side lightbulb is still on. The light bulb on the right burned out such a while ago that I can’t remember the exact date. It is because of this that I have a harder time being able to make out the finer details.   My shower water has still not fully warmed up, but it has warmed up enough to where I am comfortable enough with it. In any case, it’s not fully warm water anyway, some cold water seems like it streams out alongside it and so there is this feeling of hot and cold which never decides upon itself. At the very least, I can thank my landlord for finally having a plumber come over to fix the water pressure for all the showers in my apartment complex. It felt like for months that water would merely drip over my body as I bathed.   I strip down to nothing as I prepare to step into the shower. When I go in, I reach my hand out to my side of the bathtub for my soap. My girlfriends soap falls over the soap dish on the other side, I pick it up and put it back where it was, only for it to fall again. The second time it falls, the top of it busted open, and I quickly needed to take it out and put it upright on my now-roomy sink area. She [my girlfriend] has not been home in a while, with no immediate plans of returning, so it will not be even a minor inconvenience that this has happened.   After I finish up in the restroom, I return to the bedroom. I have been dreading this moment, for I have not had time to go to the laundromat this past weekend. All my clothes are dirty and piled up in the weak and well-used laundry basket in the corner. I dump out all my clothes on the floor and try to think in my head of what clothes I wore for the least number of days before I put it in the laundry, when I settle on an outfit, I sniff to make sure it is the freshest. I determine it is and spray it with a fabric freshener. As I put on my underwear and white undershirt, I hear the phone ring in the living room.   I run out of the bedroom and into the living room, the speed at which I did this did not give me enough time to remember that the pull-out couch has still not been put up. I trip over it and fall onto the shaggy carpeted floor. When I get up, I feel the sting of carpet burn on my arm, which I focus on for several seconds before the phone rings again and takes me outside of myself. I quickly pick it up, fearing the wrath of my manager who I assume is the caller. “Um hello?” “Zoey! You have not shown up to work for several weeks---” “---What? No this is Adrian speaking.” “Who? Get Zoey on the phone, I need to speak to her” “Uhm, well she hasn’t been home, she’s been in the hospital.” “Well, this is the first time I’m hearing about this.” “Did the hospital not call your office? They told me they would do that.” “No, I haven’t received not one call from any hospital.” There is a silence for a few seconds. “But uhm also, who are you? Why are you telling me this about Zoe?” “I’m her boyfriend.” “The significant other, right. Hmm okay well, I’ll need you to tell Zoey that she needs to come back to work---” “But she’s in the hospital, she can’t just come back right now.” “Well unless she provides a doctor’s note, she will be receiving disciplinary action for no-call, no-showing to work.” “But she hasn’t been able to come in! How can you punish her for being in the hospital?” “Well, she didn’t tell us she’s been sick. Speaking of, she doesn’t have any sick leave days either.” “But---” “So have her or the hospital call us, or she will be marked for disciplinary action.” The other end hastily hangs up. I frustratedly return to my bedroom and finish getting clothed. Afterward, I rush out the door with my work satchel in my hand and throw it over myself out the door to carry it crossbody. I sprint past the musty and aged hallway, its scent of smoke and ash, white walls yellowed from the years of exposure from warm lights in the ceiling, trash cans overfilling, with the drunkards now having to leave their bottles next to them. I stand at the elevator door, while I wait for it to open, I can hear the same couple arguing loudly with each other in the room across to the elevator on the east. I can’t say at this point that it still disturbs me.   The elevator finally creaks open. As it does, I see my next-door neighbor step out. An Asian-American immigrant down on her luck, she walks slowly, tired after a long night as a graveyard shift worker. My conscience grows as I ask if she needs any help getting to her apartment, though I still fear that it will make me later for work. She declines my offer for help in any case. The elevator door almost closes in on her as she’s standing in the middle of it when it starts to close, I immediately jump in and grab her arm, pulling her out of the way. After she realizes what almost happened, she thanks me. The elevator doors do not detect if a person is standing in the way, so in the past there have been injuries linked to (mostly disabled) people having limbs crushed by the doors closing on them.   Now I must wait for the elevator to open again. As I stand there, I count sheep. I can imagine a farm full of sheep and that I am the herder of them. The argumentative couple scream at each other again, and I am broken out of my daydream of sheep farming. I counted 15 sheep before the doors opened once again, and I descended to the first floor.   As I exit through the first floor’s lobby doors, I head to my car in the parking lot. I turn the key in the ignition, and I hear the troublesome squealing sound. Nevertheless, it starts successfully after a couple of tries and I am driving to the office.   I turn on the radio in my car and tune into the news station, the reporter is talking about the company that I work for (Snap-e Computer, Inc.) and their latest stock price projections, alongside the excitement for investors surrounding their burgeoning robotics development arm. It’s relevant to me since I have been working in accounting in this branch of the company.   As I’m on the highway to work, I see some road work is being done. At first when I see the pickup trucks and highway workers, I assume that it is to fill in the potholes they’re surrounded by. I would find out that they are just paving more road on the side so that drivers can pull into the parking lot of a new business being constructed. I turn my head back onto the road before me just in time to see a concrete barrier I need to drive around. As I drive around the barrier, I make note in my head that the barrier seems to be blocking off nothing of significance, as the pothole it is blocking still has not been filled for as long as the barrier has stood there.   Along my ride I look to my surroundings on both sides, checking for other signs of life such as another car, cyclist, or pedestrian. Before me lies on the east an unkempt public park with broken playground equipment and a forest seeing its own destruction at the hands of logging companies in the downtown area. On the west I saw the new business being built like before, but also more road and then further down a dollar store. The dollar store appears busy already. On both sides of me I can see electrical grids going for what seems like forever.   The sight of concrete bridge railing on the road distinguishes to drivers like myself that I am not very far from downtown Juno, where the business center lies. In the distance I can see shining skyscrapers, what appears to be structures constructed of nothing but glass and sparkling sunlight. The bright sun is intensified, its rays shooting in all directions as it bounces off the glass. If there were a lack of nature on the ride before, it has now completely disappeared as more buildings pop in for where the nature would be.   Downtown Juno can give claustrophobics a sense of impending doom the further they go in. All the space is occupied as much as physically possible with buildings and billboards near them, electronic screens that show advertisements often and the time of day less often. Above me on some roads is an overpass for a high-speed train system that only goes downtown and on the ground around me, immaculate roads which seemingly never crack.   Getting through not just the congestion of the downtown around me but also its accompanying traffic -which always seem to be jammed, - I am now able to pull into the multistory parking lot at work. I specifically pull into my assigned spot when I see a stark reminder to do so, in that they are towing my coworker’s car.   It is now time for me to walk into work. After I get past the revolving doors, I clock in at the monitor in the front office and I walk up to the elevator, it goes down smoothly with only an electrical hum accompanying its descent. When the doors open, it makes a jingle, which I always take as a signal to step to the side. A crowd of businessmen walk out and into the lobby, loudly communicating with each other. I step into the elevator alongside my other coworkers.   When I reach the floor, I am overwhelmed by the loud commotion of disgruntled office workers. I think to myself, ‘Already?’   I settle into my cubicle and as I am sitting down, I receive a hefty stack of papers plopped down onto my desk next to my keyboard. I see the same loud office workers having received a similarly sized stack of papers and asking how they are supposed to have their tasks for the project done by the short deadline given. Our management does not give us a clear answer.   “Ah, so since upper management wants to line their already fat f**cking pockets, I have to stay here all day on this s**t?”   “Who was gonna tell us about project beforehand huh? Or do I only get to know if I’m a broker?”   “I don’t mind doing all of this work, but can’t you at least extend the deadline?! I’ve got children to pick up after work!!!”   I try to tune out the noise as I begin to cycle through the papers, it is however not long before I am distracted by my phone. I check the caller ID and it reads “Juno Central Hospital.” I question for several seconds as it rings whether to pick up, deciding between the possibility of having to console my girlfriend or address my newly acquired major accounting project that’s due in the next 2 weeks. I pick up the phone. “Adrian? Hey, you forgot to call me this morning.” “Oh yeah I’m sorry, yeah I got out of bed awful late. Slept in because they’ve been keeping me in the office later.” “Oh yeah, no that totally makes sense. You aren’t too busy right now, right?” “I am yeah. But anyway, how are you? …Have you begun to feel better?” “No. I’m just---no I mean no I’m fine. I mean, kind of. You know?” “…You don’t sound too sure. Do you need me to come---?” “No! Not right now at least. I mean if you want to then… I uhm…” “…?” Zoeline’s voice from here becomes noticeably choked up. “Adrian, there’s something… I have to-something I need t-to tell you…” “…? Y-yes?” “I don’t know how to tell you.” “…” I begin to worry. “Zoey, I’m confused.” “Adr---” “What’s wrong?” Zoeline audibly sobs, “I’m sorry! I… I c-can’t tell you, I t-thought I could I r-really did, I had prepared myself so much and I was really trying to---” “Zoey! Hey… don’t worry, I’m sorry that I even pushed for an answer. Just take the time you need, I’ll be here, alright?” My manager sees me on my phone in the corner of his eye, and I feel like he knows for sure that I’m not taking a business call. “Uhm hey, I’ll talk to you later… alright?”  I must hang up on her while she is crying when my manager confronts me at my cubicle. “Mr. King, what was the purpose of your call?” “Oh, it was a uhm… ahem, a business call, sir. “What I was hearing did not sound very formal.” “Well, I---” “It sounded more like you were taking a personal call, from the uhm… from how it came off.” There is a momentary silence as he and I prepare our answers for each other, the mood is of each side trying to predict the others response. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me?” “I mean, could you even name one thing I said that sounded like---” “Oh yeah I could, you were saying something about how you were sorry you ‘pushed for an answer,’” “Uhm yeah I was sorry that I pushed for an answer regarding a uhm, business inquiry. Yeah.” “What kind of business inquiry?” “…” “…?” The managers eyebrow raises. I hastily add, “It’s none of your business.” The manager chuckles, “Sir, if---” “It’s literally none of your business. That’s all I can say on the inquiry---” “IF I catch you on your phone again for a personal matter again, it will be a write-up.” The manager does a heel turn before he can see the look on my face of disapproval. I mutter to myself, “Yeah, who would replace me if I were fired right now?”   As the workday drags on, and the sun finally sets when it is my time to clock out 11 hours later, I look over to see the amount of work that I have yet to complete. I would feel more dread regarding it if it weren’t so hopeless to do so. None of my worrying will make my workload decrease by any number.   It is now 8:00 PM, which means I only have a couple of hours to get to sleep if I have any plans of waking up on time for the next day at work. This thought occupies my mind on the car ride back and though I am already dog tired, I fear that I will begin to wake up again now that I am out of the office. I try to remember if I have any sleeping aids at my house to help my brain shut down enough to sleep and I practice my breathing exercises to ease my tension and anxiety. It is not helping my mind wander to the possibility that I may be crawling around in bed for a couple of hours before I finally fall into slumber, I also think that if I do it will be because there are still not fully digested sugars from my fifteen-minute lunch break earlier.   Then I remember that it is a Friday. I have Saturday and Sunday off, I do not need to worry so much about being unable to wake up for work the next day, my mind instantly eases.   But now I remember that this means I have time to visit my girlfriend at the hospital. I make an immediate U-turn on the empty road, tires skidding and all, and head to Juno Central.   I arrive at the hospital and wait in the lobby. I must apologize if I came off as impatient to the staff, my mind could only wander to my numerous theories regarding my girlfriend’s condition. She could not bear to tell me how she had felt, I have never seen her unable to tell me anything. She and I are always open with each other, no matter how much it may hurt to know the hard truths, should the discussion come to that.   I can only conclude in my own mind that, seeing as she has a spinal condition, she may never be able to walk again. Though I must understand that this is merely an anxious thought of my own that is unwarranted, the doctors have been telling me that her health is improving, and she will be able to fully move once she leaves physical therapy and spinal operations. But it is that possibility which occupies my mind, that she may never be able to walk again, which haunts me.   I come up with other possible theories, the chronic catastrophizer that I am. She has cancer! Pretty unlikely, she didn’t show any signs before she came in. She’s pregnant! We haven’t had sex lately; she’s been stuck here in this hospital so there is very low likelihood of that being true. She caught something here! Well then it must be an awful hospital. That’s it! The hospital made her sick, they didn’t take adequate cleanliness procedures! And she has cancer! And she’s pregnant!   My name is called in the lobby that I may now go visit her [Zoeline], which brings me back to reality. I step into the elevator and go up to the floor with her room.   I walk up to her bed, and I look at her. She has only been getting thinner and thinner lately, her movements are weaker. Her eyes no longer have as dark of circles under them, a visible sign she has gotten more sleep. I help adjust her blanket, as she had felt cold before I came in. I throw away old food wrappers that fell on the floor, I wonder why she simply couldn’t walk to the trash can to throw them away, she’s usually good about picking up after herself. I say to her to start the conversation, “Hey, I’m sorry I had to hang up like that earlier.” “Oh! It’s fine.” “Really?” “Absolutely yeah. I wasn’t… I still needed time to uhm, figure out some things.” “…” “Figure out how to say what I was trying to say. I’ve been really thinking hard about it.” “Oh hey, that’s great. It’s… always good to think about your word choices.” “You know I am very eloquent.” She softly laughs after saying, which I also do as well. Then an awkward silence begins to compliment the already awkward atmosphere. I break the silence, “So uhm heh, hey what did you want to say anyway? …If you thought of the right words, of course.” “Oh of course, what I wanted to say was uhm…” “…” “There’s no easy way to say these things, you know. It’s like, hey! Haha, uhm… …you think of some words to say and then you think to yourself, those aren’t the right way to say something difficult! How would you feel if someone just told it to you like that huh?! And then also there’s not just like, the way you say it but what you exactly MEAN when you say it.” She starts visibly shaking, her voice begins to break up. “I-it’s also, it’s kind of like as well, it’s sort of like uhm, l-like uhm, how when you know a t-thing that you fear to b-be the truth, that you’ve always suspected is true, and then it becomes---it turns out to be t-true I mean---” “Zoe, it’s clear you need more time. I don’t want to stress you out about this, if you need more time, we can just change the topic---” Uncharacteristically, she interrupts me. She tries to croak a word, but it’s held back by a sob. “I-I’ll never be a-able to w-walk a-again!!!” She softly says in her tears. My heart dropped. “I-I didn’t k-know how t-to tell y-you… I t-thought t-the d-doctors…” She is inconsolable at this point. I give her a hug, and let her head rest on my shoulder.

Spoiler Monster Sex (Last Warning), Netori, Impregnation, Teacher/Student, Anilingus, Exhibitionism [collapse]   “Welcome to ‘Monsters and You!’ an educational film.” “Do we have to watch this?” “Yeah, we know all this! What’s the point?” “Shh! This is required viewing if you want your license!” The class momentarily quiets. Someone whispers to their neighbor, “The Association shows this so we can’t sue them for negligence.” “Oh.” “Prehistoric human society!” The old projector whirs to life, and a slide appears depicting a man in a suit and a woman in a dress with skyscrapers in the background. “They looked like us but are as genetically distant to modern humans as the supposed mythical ‘neanderthal.’ “The collapse of civilization!” A slide appears showing a Clawed Sky God chasing people while broken skyscrapers burn in the background. “When the monsters attacked, global society crumbled. Did humanity survive on other continents? No one knows!” A slide briefly appears, exhibiting a map of the world with the historical countries and continents overlayed with the last-known territories of the God Beasts. “The dark ages!” A slide appears with a man in a tattered suit wielding a spear against an Ursa while defending a woman in a torn dress carrying a baby. “After the apocalypse, our ancestors somehow managed to scrape by with their knowledge of old-world technology.” “Did people really used to fight Ursa with spears? That’s crazy!” “Shhh!” “Eureka! If you can’t beat them, join them!” A slide appears to reveal a man and a woman joining hands with a Minotaur in the middle. “Things got easier when our ancestors realized monsters are intelligent and friendly once you get to know them! “Defending against Ferals and Incursions is easier when we all work together!” A slide appears illustrating several monster species defending humans from a pack of Dire Wolves. “But what do our monster friends get from the arrangement? “Love blooms behind the barricades!” A slide appears to unveil a man in a suit kissing a goblin girl in a wedding dress and a blushing bride in the arms of a burly orc. “Lucky for us, all monster species find humans attractive! “Life finds a way!” A slide appears displaying a human child hatching from an egg. “Humans and monsters are 100% compatible!” “Humanity evolves! Our bodies are very different from our ancestors.” A slide appears with a picture of a nude marble statue with the head broken. The statue has a very small flaccid penis. “Perhaps from generations of competing with monsters for mates, the average male penis size has increased by 50%” A slide appears to further explain with diagrams of a woman taking a Minotaur cock large enough to show a massive bulge in her stomach and another woman laying an egg the size of a toddler. “Women’s vaginas, mouths, and sphincters have adapted to better accommodate their monster partners.” “‘Form of the Father!’” A slide appears presenting a flowchart with a man and a Henlin together with an arrow pointing to a baby on one side, then a woman and a Warg together with an arrow pointing to a Doggin puppy. “This simple rule dictates modern society!” “How do I do my part?” A series of slides come and go. “Boys!” We see a man rocking a cradle with each of his hands and a foot. “Since all monsters prefer humans to other species, you are the glue of society. Ensure humanity doesn’t go extinct!” Another image, condoms and pills crossed out with huge bold words, ‘GET HER PREGNANT!’ “Your job is to make babies and raise them! The infants our ancestors produced were born premature so their heads could fit through women’s tiny birth canals. Not so today!” More diagrams with side-by-sides. “Eggs are easier to pass with fewer complications, and stretchier vaginas allow for larger offspring. As a result, human children are able to walk within days and eat solid food after hatching!” “Girls!” The first image is a woman with a question mark above her head standing next to monsters with erect phalluses: a Warg’s knotted penis, an Orc’s porcine spiral cock, a Minotaur’s massive shaft, and several other exotic dicks. “Learn how to please your lovers. “Modern society can’t exist without monsters! Orcs build our infrastructure, Ewes offer us wool for clothes, Henlins give us infertile eggs to eat, Bovines provide healing milk, and Wargs guard our borders.” Each subject brings a new slide depicting the successive scenes. “These important members of our community need your wombs to reproduce!” “Well, they don’t need us,” one girl says. “They just like human pussy.” “Fuck yeah, sister!” “Shhh!” “And what of the explorer?” A woman with binoculars trekking up a scenic hill appears in the next slide. “Your job is to find new monsters to integrate into society. Venture into the Wilds and Tame humanity’s newest defenders!” “Tch,” a guy says. “Who’s stupid enough to risk their life like that when we have everything we need here?” I shrink in my seat as others mumble in agreement. “In conclusion: An eggless womb is humanity’s doom! Use your bodies to keep the monsters ‘cumming’ back for more! Breed the next generation! “~Fin~” One lone figure, our teacher, claps while the class sits there in silence. “Well, that ends the boring portion of your certification.” Everyone chuckles awkwardly. The arc of electricity from her finger to the projector cuts off, and the screen dims. “Let’s get to the fun bit. Everyone, I and several members of the faculty would like to personally congratulate you all on turning eighteen.” Mrs. Fleece opens the door, and a parade of monsters enters the room. Our teacher is an Electric Ewe, a Lamby evolution. She has thick, fluffy wool covering her crotch, ass, and bouncy tits, dark skin, cloven hooves, long furry ears, and the eyes and nose of a sheep. Static electric snaps crackle when she moves. “Consider this your hands-on training. You’ll receive your licenses tomorrow but can start performing your roles immediately. When I call your name, come to the front. Jonathan Winters, you graduated top of the class; take first pick.” The young man’s chair screeches as he stands. He hurriedly shrugs off his clothes while scrambling to reach the front of the classroom. The other boys look on with jealous glares. “Um, Mrs. Fleece, I-I choose you!” “Oh, my! You want this old ewe?” He nods. “Dude, come on, don’t fuck my mom in front of the class!” Everyone laughs. “Scotty, dear,” Mrs. Fleece scolds, “Don’t be spoiled. Your father has been exhausted the past few days, and mommy needs a little something.” Jon pumps his cock to hardness, and a copious dribble of precum coats his shafts to slickness. He stands behind Mrs. Fleece, grabs her by the shoulders, and bends her over the desk. The young man thrusts inside the sheepish milf, entering her in a single stroke. “Yes~! It’s been agony waiting for this…” We hear the clapping of Jon’s crotch and her pussy smacking together repeatedly. “Mrs. Fleece!” he shouts as he cums all too soon. Several guys and a few girls boo his performance. “Now, now, class, let Jonathan get his second wind,” the teacher says. Jon runs his hands over her soft breasts and nuzzles his face into the snow-white fur of her collar. “There it is! I love young men! There’s nothing like a virgin’s virility!” Jon plows the educator with renewed enthusiasm while she scans her papers with half-lidded eyes. “M-Milly Smith,” Mrs. Fleece says, her words shaky while being pounded from behind. The girl approaches the front. “Mr. Grug… I choose you, uh, if you want.” Our PE coach grunts approval and grabs Milly about the waist. Grug is an Orc, an evolved Goblin with bulging arms, fat rolls, green skin, tusks, snout, and pig ears; seven feet tall. He rips and tears her clothes to reveal her pert breasts and glistening vulva. “Grug like pretty gurl.” He licks his lips and turns Milly upside down. His thick tongue laps at her nethers while his bulging corkscrew penis springs free from his pants. Milly shows her eagerness by grabbing Grug’s cock even while suspended in the air and taking the tip into her mouth. Then she grunts in shock as Grug’s massive tongue forces her rosebud open. Inches of wide, slimy Orc tongue strain the virgin’s tight backdoor. She squirms and writhes in his grip, sliding down to impale her mouth further on his spiral rod. “Grr, it gets harder to wait every year,” Scag says from his place next to Grug. He’s one of the security guard Warg’s two wolf heads. “I-I’m coming again, Mrs. Fleece!” Jon says as his hips drive forward ever faster. The teacher decadently sprawls on her desk as the young man blows his second load. “Goodness, you’re going to get me pregnant if you keep cumming inside like that.” “Dude, seriously, don’t get my mom pregnant in front of the whole class!” “Scotty, let Jonathan enjoy himself, or I’ll tell everyone where you were conceived!” That shuts him up, and the class laughs even harder. “Now, where were we? Julia Roman.” The next girl stands and comes forward. “Scag and Ag, I always thought your uniform was hot. I choose you!” “Hmph.” The Warg heads snort with satisfaction at finally being chosen. They’re a seven-and-a-half-foot tall humanoid with clawed hands, digitigrade feet, and two tails. “Pick a friend; we’re a two-for-one deal.” “Jenny, come on!” “Fuck yeah, sister!” The two girls approach Scag and Ag while the Warg unzips their pants to remove two rapidly swelling red rockets. Julia and Jenny kneel and take the cocks in their hands with tentative strokes. Two clawed fists grab the girls’ heads. Their eyes widen as their mouths are brought to the tips and shoved onto the shafts. The girls’ throats bulge as Scag and Ag’s twin members slip between plump lips and spill precum down their chins in globs. Warg hands gripping hair withdraw and plunge the teenage faces onto huge red flesh rods over and over. “Flip me over, Jonathan.” The teenage boy complies, and soon Mrs. Fleece is sprawled on her spine atop the desk, scattering papers as he pumps her for a third climax. “Bruce Mason.” Another young man grins as he gets up, strips, and points at our Henlin lunch lady. “Ms. Kuku, I choose you!” Kuku is a busty harpy with soft, wide hips, a big ass, chicken feet, and tawny feathers. She smiles as she drops her bottoms, lifts her tailfeathers, and spreads her legs. Bruce gets behind her, sinks his arms into her fleshy middle, and pushes his cock inside. “Ned Kirby.” As this guy gets ready, our goblin janitor begins to strip. Winny is a three-foot-tall green-skinned woman and a bit scrawny, but I think she’s cute. Instead of going for her, Ned walks past the disappointed goblin and stops in front of Kuku. He pushes Bruce onto his ass with Kuku sitting on top of the higher-ranked boy, then puts his cock between the Henlin’s big breasts. Grabbing Kuku’s knockers, he makes his own titty tunnel to fuck while she lowers her lips to kiss his tip. “Penelope Carson.” This girl heads straight for the principal, an eight-foot-tall Minotaur with a white button shirt and tie. “I choose you, Principal Mustang.” “An excellent choice, Ms. Carson.” The Minotaur is all muscle, gently but firmly tugging Penelope’s clothes off before unleashing his massive dick. His monster member is the size of a working man’s forearm. Her eyes bulge. He lays her face down on a breeding mount and grabs her legs by the thighs. “P-Principal Mustang, it’s too big!” “Our responsibility as educators is to ensure our students are prepared for their roles in the adult world. As such, I don’t feel the need to coddle my charges.” With that, he aligns his throbbing penis with her entrance and pulls the girl by the legs onto his huge erection. She screams in ecstasy as her body stretches to fit him. “Lance Henry.” This young man disrobes and stands at the head of the class, looking hard between Kuku, already sloppy with semen front and back, Mrs. Fleece enjoying a fourth round with her new boy-toy, and Winny the horny goblin girl. He shrugs and picks up the goblin. “Yesss!” Winny celebrates as Lance rams her rear with his rod. Grug removes his tongue from Milly’s butt with a pop and flips her around. Then he skewers her on his corkscrew cock and ‘kisses’ her with his tusked maw covering her entire lower face. “Scott, get ready to call me Stepdad because I’m about to get your mom pregnant!” “Take good care of your new little stepbrother or stepsister, Scotty!” Jonathan has Mrs. Fleece’s legs up and thrusts into her cum drenched pussy with abandon until he gasps as his cock spurts inside her again. Scag and Ag press Jenny and Julia’s heads to the hilt of their dicks. They thrust forward at the same time, squeezing their knots into the girls’ mouths. An instant later, both girls claw at the Warg’s furry crotch as the knots expand and cum shoots from the girls’ noses. Each of the Warg’s claws grabs a girl about the middle and lifts her into the air upside down, tied by the face to the monster’s crotch. The class can see the grapefruit-sized knot in the girls’ throats and the bulges of shafts still pulsing with post-orgasmic aftershocks. Then Scag and Ag take the girl’s bottoms in their jaws and begin lapping at the girls’ drooling nethers. Bruce and Ned double-team the Henlin woman, pounding her from the front and behind with successive rounds of cock fucking. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about all those tardy slips, Ms. Carson. You’re going to make me cum for each and every one of them.” Penelope looks out at the classroom with delirious satisfaction as Principal Mustang lifts her into the air with his rod in a standing reverse-cowgirl position. She follows our gazes to her stomach, which has an enormous bulge from the Minotaur’s member. Penelope feels the outline of the cock through her skin while marveling. Then Mustang takes her in his hands and pumps her like a fleshlight. She soon goes limp with an ahegao expression. Like a miniature version of the same scene on the other side of the room, Lance wraps his arms around Winny’s thin frame and fucks her while watching the principal for inspiration. Scag and Ag’s knots finally deflate enough to slip free of Jenny and Julia’s mouths. The two girls vomit buckets of cum onto the floor, gasping and coughing for ragged breaths. Then the Warg flips them upright and plants their pussies on each of the two now-erect phalluses. The two girls bounce on each cock side by side with half-lucid, dreamy eyes. Jenny and Julia turn to each other, embrace, and press their cum-soaked mouths together while they’re pounded in unison. “Alex Vermillion, who do you choose?” Eh? It’s my turn? I eye both guys and girls with envy. I’ve known I’m bisexual for a while, but I still feel a lot of confusion. Part of me wants to be the guy fucking Mrs. Fleece, Ms. Kuku, and Ms. Winny. On the other hand, I totally want to grab a girl and get in line for Scag and Ag. Kissing a girl while being knotted by a monster sounds super fun! Or, maybe I’ll ask Principal Mustang to take me for a walk around town as his personal hood ornament? That thought gives me shivers. No, I’ve known for a long time the path that fits me best. I stand straight and proudly proclaim my personal mission. “I’m going to be a Tamer!” The whole class laughs at me. I blush scarlet but don’t retreat. I’ll need nerves of steel in the field. When the chuckling and sniggers begin to peter out, Grug the Orc shakes his head and says, “Dat gurl, she gon’ die.”

          SLIDE IN - CHAPTER 1 You have clicked on this page. This means you are ready to start the adventure where you will do cool things like hunting aliens, travelling galaxies, killing space mafias and discovering new planets.All you need to do is to FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AT THE END OF EVERY CHAPTER. Choose an option and be a part of this reader interactive story.But don’t read this storychapter wise like a normal book. YOU MUST FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS TO CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. START OF THE ADVENTURE: Tim. This is what your name is. It is what your associates call you in police headquarters. In your home, you have a different name -Torino Isic Miguel. Yes, you have a weird full name so they call you Tim. You are fine with it because you know a cop named DCK. People laugh every time by putting I somewhere in his name. The name was not of his choice. Neither it was for you but things are not really going under your command anyways so you decide to stick with it. You try to loosen your tight clothes which is making you itch and sweat but the damn thing would not let your skin alone.  "I feel like I am in a badly sewn Spiderman suit." You say to your Lieutenant. He gets to wear Kevlar suit and a tuxedo over it. "Assist me to stop this ambush and you may get rid of this suit too." Lieutenant Rick says. You look up at the night sky where some flying cars are hovering. On the sky there is a big patch of brightness resembling to a supernova. You had been told a star is going to explode in next fifty years. This is not a supernova. You think. "So this is where the interstellar terrorists had come from?" You ask him when you sit inside your department's flying car. Lieutenant does not answer you. He expects you to know the answer and also expects you to remain quiet in such scenarios. You can see him sweat but fear has an opposite effect on you. Your hands and feet freeze. You basically become rigid. The car soars in the sky, overtaking flying vehicles of civilians. You can tell Rick is not at his best. He almost had crashed it with another craft. This is where you decide to take on the steering. Rick does not disapprove it either. You glance at the monitor and see blip near them.  "How many of our officers died there?" you ask him. "Ten. Maybe more."  Lieutenant takes out some pistols out from under his seat.  "Give me IRK 4 Rifle." You say to him. But things are not under your command. He throws a pistol in your lap which you remember is from prehistoric days. You make a face when you see Rick also taking the same gun. "We are there for a patrol. Not a fight." Rick says. You clutch the gun from one hand and keep rotating around the giant craft which had crashed.  "There, our department's craft." Rick points through the windshield but you can't see it. All you see is a jet of light coming towards you. It blinds you for few minutes when it hits the craft. Your craft goes out of control from there. You and Lieutenant are alive because it is Lieutenant's craft. The crafts belonging to normal cops like you are already in pieces on ground. Nevertheless, your craft is also not immune of a wave which had come from a gun of another galaxy. Your craft spins in air. You don’t remember when Lieutenant Rick opened the parachute. All you can do now is to use the old gun to fire at enemy while you are descending. You have got a horrible gun but you make it up with your talent. You were the best shooter of the squad. And you are at your best even during an emergency. You shoot the gun at an armored alien straight at his head and blow off his head before he could blow off yours. Due to some reason you find firing at moving aliens from a descending parachute very easy.  Your bullets are killing them. You might have cursed the suit in the past but you are nothing without it. Waves are sliding from your body with the contact. You are glad they have missed your head. Rick, in the other hand, has his head missing and his gun is already down. Now you feel very uneasy as you start to fly down towards the craft. It looks like those aliens are waiting for you. Maybe they want you as a hostage for bargaining. Perhaps they want you to rat out your department. Or maybe they want your suit. You choose to die rather than letting them make use of you. You take out a knife from your pocket and slice the strings. You close your eyes during the free fall. Something breaks your fall. It is not the craft underneath you but an alien in jet pack. He is holding you from your suit. It is clear what he wants. You use the knife to slice your own clothing.  One cut and you are in your vest and underwear. Then you fall towards center of the craft. You are expecting an impact till you see a light coming from its center. Some aliens are jumping in there.  You hear panicked aliens. The alien with jetpack who now has his ripped suit is after you. But gravity is strong in your planet than theirs. You don’t want to get in there. You don’t even want to know what thing goes in there. Aliens are going through it. That fact alone is enough for you to not get near to it. But you can't change direction of your fall midair. You twist your body and somehow manage to hold on rim. You lift yourself upwards and stand on the rim. Then you see an alien pointing his gun at you. If you want to jump inside the pit then go to SLIDE IN - CHAPTER 2. Click on this link to go there: https://www.scribblehub.com/read/239208-readers-make-their-choice-as-a-space-cop/chapter/239547/ If you want to jump outside the pit then go to SLIDE OUT -CHAPTER 1.